Church Profiles: West Side Baptist and Lindale Mennonite

The task of looking for a church can seem overwhelming. Sure, you can choose your denomination and research the congregation’s size, but how can you know if a church will have the special “feel” you are looking for? This church profile article serves to introduce local churches in a more specific way, highlighting the way the service runs, the length of the sermon, and the style of worship.

West Side Baptist

West Side Baptist Church is within walking distance of EMU campus, located inside Eastern Mennonite High School. Sunday School is dispersed among various classrooms, and the worship service is in the auditorium. Although visitors are supposed to enter through the front entrance, I came in the wrong way. Kind church members, however, walked me to the correct Sunday School classroom, engaging me in conversation. Sunday School was very enjoyable, with a breakfast spread and an engaging lesson on Moses. Before class started, the teacher talked to me, asked me questions, and gave me a cool magazine for Christians in college. Around 20 students were in the college-age Sunday school class, mostly from JMU.

West Side Baptist Church offers many ways for college students to get involved. They have an active “Adopt-a-Student” program, where students are placed with a family in the church to help them feel more connected. Among ministries involving music and nursery volunteering, West Side Baptist also has an Outreach team for students to reach out to other college students.

Freshman Erin Huddleston appreciated visiting the Baptist church one Sunday. “Since I’m Baptist, I knew the songs,” she said. Not growing up Baptist, I only knew one song, but I appreciated the choir and the worship leader’s enthusiasm. Most of the songs were praise and worship, as I attended the “contemporary” service. New to the church, a “traditional” service starts at 8:30 a.m.

I found that the sermon offered some solid points I can apply to my life, and Erin agreed. “The preaching was really good. It was deep,” she said. The sermon lasted approximately 45 minutes. At the end of the service Erin attended, some people also shared their testimonies.

Before the benediction, an invitation was extended for personal prayer or salvation, and anyone who transferred their membership or accepted Christ was formally introduced to the church.

West Side Baptist Church meets at 8:45 a.m. for Sunday School and 11 a.m. for the Contemporary Service. About 425 people attended the church service, and members dress up.

Lindale Mennonite Church

Lindale Mennonite Church, located in Linville off of Route 42 North on 6255 Jesse Bennett Way, provides an EMU van at 9:15 a.m. on Sundays to pick up any students interested in attending. Sunday school starts at 9:30 a.m., with the worship service at 10:30 a.m.

Sophomore Michelle Lehman has attended Lindale all her life and really loves the church. “The music is generally a mix of praise and hymns,” Michelle said. “Two times a month the praise band is a part of the service, while other times the worship styles are mixed.”

The entire church is currently going through a book, “Journey to the Center of the Faith” by James A. Aurnish, and the book is incorporated into Sunday school and the message. Michelle added that it is not necessary to read the book to get something out of the service.

The sermon is typically 30 minutes long, and the main speaker is Pastor Duane Yoder. “He does a good job making [the sermons] applicable to everyone,” Michelle said. “Duane is a dynamic, friendly speaker who is good with names and likes to get to know people.”

The college Sunday School class broken up into part discussion, part small group, and ends with prayer. About ten students attend the class.

College students who want to get involved can join in helping in the nursery or ask to do special music.

Michelle added that the church is “not super conservative and not super liberal.” After previous visits to Lindale, I know that Lindale would be a great church to go to when they have a potluck. About 300 people attend the church, and with that large of a variety, a potluck has a lot of potential.

As you decide where to go to church this week, I pray that God will guide you to the place that is right for you where you may feel at home.