Lake Spokane Community Church (Community Church of Our Savior) had it’s beginning with a few faithful people in 1972. In 1975, needing help with leadership, they contacted Village Missions, an organization that provides leadership and pastors for churches in rural North America. VM helped our church when we had no pastor and could not afford to pay a salary. The first Village Missions Missionary sent to fill the leadership role was Pastor Bob Silver and his wife, Ruth. They retired in June 2014. Pastor Kevin became our Senior Pastor July 1, 2014. He and his wife Lynn had served in our church for the previous 13 years, Kevin in the role of Associate Pastor.
We continue to support Village Missions through our missions giving but Pastor Kevin is not a VM Missionary. For more information about Village Missions, go to: villagemissions.org.
In September 2017, the Tum Tum Community Center passed on the ownership of the property & building to Lake Spokane Community Church. The name was changed to Lake Spokane Community Church Annex. The Annex is home to the Tum Tum Community Food Pantry and Lake Spokane Clothing Closet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What denomination is Lake Spokane Community Church?
A: We do not belong to any denomination. We are an independent evangelical church that holds to the historic Christian faith. We emphasize the basics of the Christian faith, salvation through Jesus Christ alone, worship, prayer, living with integrity, loving our neighbor, and reaching out into the world to bring people to Jesus. We have members from many different church backgrounds.
Q: What is the purpose of Lake Spokane Community Church and what does it mean?
A: Our purpose is “LIVING THE GOSPEL BY LOVING GOD AND OUR NEIGHBOR.”
In other words, we are here to honor and glorify God by expressing praise in our worship services, connecting with each other as a spiritual family, loving one another, being taught the truths of the Bible and living by them, serving in His church and by telling others in our community and around the world about Jesus.
Q: How did this church begin?
A: We began as a Bible study in the home of Naomi McDonald, just across the highway. In September, 1972 the Lake Spokane Community Church Center (currently known as the Tum Tum Community Center) was built and the Bible study organized as a church and began meeting there. For the first three years various visiting pastors preached for one or more weeks on Sundays. Some stayed for many months, such as A. Vincent Carr, who was the pastor until December 1974. His health required him to quit at that time. In June of 1975 Bob and Ruth Silver came, and, supported by Village Missions, were the first full time pastors the church had. Average attendance that year was about 25 each Sunday.
Q: How do you become a member of Lake Spokane Community Church?
A: To be a member you must be a believer in Jesus Christ as your Savior, and agree with our Statement of Faith. Each prospective member has an opportunity to attend an informational class about our church and becoming a member. If you choose to become a member, you meet with the Board of Elders who will ask you to describe how you came to faith in Jesus as your Savior and to affirm your agreement with our beliefs. Upon this profession the Elders will vote to receive you into membership.
Q: Why is it important to be involved with a church?
A: We believe that God established churches so that those who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ can have a place to grow in their faith, worship together, encourage and help each other, and invite others to follow Jesus. A person can try to follow Jesus on his own, but it is better together. In fact, God wants us to connect with each other and with Him. A casual involvement or no involvement with a church will harm a person’s spiritual life. Usually it means less encouragement, less teaching, less accountability, less consistency, less purposefulness. We believe God wants us to be active, not just spectators. God wants to be our priority, not just a sometime interest.
Q: How are decisions made at Lake Spokane Community Church?
A: This church is governed by Elders, who serve as the Board of Directors. We also have Deacons, who have the oversight of the church building and grounds. Major decisions are made by a vote of the members such as hiring a pastor, the annual budget, building, etc. Other church officers are also elected each year for various duties in the Church.
Q: Where did the Bible come from?
A: The Bible is a collection of 66 distinct writings, or books. The first 5 books were written by Moses. He was the leader of the Hebrew people, now known as the Jews. They record that God chose the Hebrews for a special purpose, to bring a Savior into the world and to spread the word of God to all people on earth. The remaining books of the Old Testament, the first 39 books of the Bible, include history of the Hebrews, Hebrew prophets, poetry, wisdom and songs. The Hebrews believed, and we believe, that God caused these records to be written to tell all people what God is like and what He wants from us.
The promised Savior, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem, Israel. He began His ministry of teaching and healing to show the world who He was. He was crucified on a cross, as He predicted, to take away the sins of the world. On the third day He came back to life and commissioned His followers to tell the world about Him. The last 27 books, called the New Testament, are the story of Jesus’ life, teachings, and the further teachings of His immediate followers, called the apostles. Christians also believe that these books are God-inspired and given to all people so we can believe in Jesus and know how to follow Him.
Q: Why do we believe the Bible?
A: Whole books have been written on this subject. But, briefly, we believe the Bible because a) we believe it explains the human condition better than any other writings ever written. b) its manuscripts and the integrity of its content are well established by scholars to be essentially accurate, unchanged and not corrupted over the centuries. c) it contains hundreds of prophecies that have come true years or often centuries later, evidence that God was behind the writing of the Bible. d) its moral code and world view have led to a more humane, civilized and prosperous life wherever it has been believed and followed. e) we have found when its truths are applied in our own lives it works.
Some people will say that no intelligent person can believe that the miracles of the Bible actually happened because miracles are impossible. This is actually circular reasoning and not an intelligent argument. Many great scientists have believed the Bible including Isaac Newton, Blaise Pascal, Michael Faraday. To believe in science and in the Bible you simply must believe that God created the laws of science, and that He can override those laws on occasion, if He chooses. Most Christians believe firmly in both. If God is God miracles are possible.
