Mountainside Mission

What Makes Us Unique

When looking for a church it is very important to know what it is that makes that church tick. What makes this church different from any other church? What makes Mountainside SDA Church unique is its mission, values, vision, theology and history. They are what make us unique from other Evangelical and non-denominational churches. Another thing that makes Mountainside unique is its commitment to membership. Being a member signifies you are someone we can count on to advance God�s kingdom!

MISSION:

Mountainside SDA Church�s mission is to reach people with the gospel and help them become Christ-centered, cross-driven Christians.

VALUES:

We value �

Sound, biblical teaching
Authentic, heart-felt worship
Passionate prayer
Loving community
Intentional gospel witness
Global missions
Humility and holiness
Service to God and others

VISION:

As a community of believers who are committed �to reaching people with the Gospel and helping them become Christ-centered, Cross-focused� we are becoming people who�

Worship God devotedly and entirely with awe, humility, and wonder
Grow in wisdom through the careful study and mastery of Scripture.
Live a life of personal holiness, rooted in faithful, fervent prayer and Christian self-denial.
Build meaningful and loving relationships that extend beyond the walls of our church.
Connect with others of different ages, races, social and economic positions.
Serve God and others with our spiritual gifts in a place of ministry within the church.
Share with every friend, loved one, and nation the hope found in Jesus Christ.

Although labels can be misunderstood, there are distinguishing characteristics of our church that provide a window into the truths that define us.

We are Prophetic. This means that we believe in and teach historic Prophetic theology. Some truths that make us unique include the belief that�

God is a person, infinitely wise, just, good, true and powerful, the ultimate reality, who alone deserves complete devotion and obedience, and is the One who made the universe out of nothing.
Man is made in the image of God, willfully disobeyed God�s command, and thereby became worthy of death. From that time on all human beings, except for Jesus Christ, became sinners and separated from a Holy God.
Jesus Christ, eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, became a man, literally born of a virgin. He both worked miracles and fulfilled prophecy. He suffered, died to atone for sin, was buried, and resurrected bodily on the third day. He will come again physically to gather his people and judge the world.
Salvation from sin comes to us not by our good works, but by receiving the free gift of God by faith. A faith given by the Holy Spirit that enables one to receive Christ�s sacrifice as ones personal sacrifice and only basis for fellowship with God. Genuine saving faith motivates one to obedience that leads to spiritual transformation.
The Bible is the Word of God, inspired, infallible, and inerrant, making one wise unto salvation and godliness.

These statements are the fundamentals of the Christian Faith. They represent the true gospel given by Christ to His Church by the Apostles.

We are essentially Reformed. We believe and teach that God in His sovereignty is actively involved in bringing unregenerate people to saving faith in Christ through the regenerating of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). Because of this we embrace what are often referred to as the "Doctrines of Grace." These doctrines are as follows:

TOTAL DEPRAVITY � As a result of Adam's sin, every person, except Christ, is born in a "depraved state." This means although people may do good things, such things are tainted by the sin that is part of man's unregenerate nature. Therefore no body apart from the "new birth" can truly submit to God's law or believe the gospel (Rom 3:11; John 6:44, 65).
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION � When God chooses a person for salvation, He does so not because of anything he or she did, or would do, but simply out of His totally unmerited favor; out of His divine grace and mercy (Acts 13:48; Eph. 2:8-10).
PARTICULAR REDEMPTION � Since God sovereignly elects, Christ, therefore, died for the purpose of saving those God has chosen (John 10:11; 15:13, 26-27; 17:6-10; Acts 20:28).
IRRESISTIBLE GRACE � God in the act of salvation imparts to the unregenerate person the faith to believe the gospel through the means of divine grace. Therefore, it is God who is the ultimate source and cause by which the elect believe the gospel and become regenerate, and not the unregenerate will of the individual (2 Pet 1:1; Rom. 9:16; John 6:37; 15:16).

We are Adventist. Mountainside SDA Church has historically been an Adventist church. It is out of that tradition and the Scriptures we believe the following truths:

BELIEVER BAPTISM � The New Testament teaches that believers are to be baptized by immersion to obey Christ and to illustrate their participation in Christ�s death, burial, and resurrection on their behalf (Matt. 28:18; Rom 6:3-4).
THE LORD�S SUPPER � Jesus ordained the Lord�s Supper to be taken regularly in remembrance of His death (1 Cor. 11:23-25).
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE � While the church has a prophetic role in government, and the state may hold church members accountable to laws that do not inhibit God�s work, neither the church nor the state should seek to direct each other�s God-given function (Rom.13: 1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-14).

HISTORY:

Mountainside SDA Church first began conducting services on September 23, 1999. The small congregation of 29 members, met at DAJA, Young Road, Deactur, GA in the school cafetaria under the leadership of Pastor Ted and his beloved wife Sister Marion Smith. Today, the church has grown to over 400 hundred members.

As of today, we were able to purchase a church building located at 3636 Rainbow Drive, Decatur, GA 30054.

Through the early years the church did purchase a few acres of property and has paid off for that property.

This brief history has tracked the growth of the body at Mountainside. You might want to consider joining us, helping us make history together.

Now strategically located in a busy suburban residential setting, the church is committed to evangelism, Bible teaching and Bible Studies, disciple making emphasis. It is through this commitment that people are equipped to serve our Lord Jesus Christ in the home, on the job in the community and in the ministries of the church.

MEMBERSHIP AT MOUNTAINSIDE

Because membership is a visible sign of commitment to this church, we value it very highly. Here is the process one needs to follow to become a member of Mountainside SDA Church:

Indicate to the Pastor or any Elder that you wish to become a member.
Attend the New Believers class if you are new to Adventism.
Be baptized.
If you are already a baptized Adventist, you can request a Transfer of Membership.
Membership is approved by the Board and the individual is added to the membership roll.
New members will be introduced at the Sabbath Worship Services and extended the right hand of fellowship.
New members� names will be officially recorded in the minutes of the next church business meeting.

If you have any further questions regarding Mountainside SDA membership, please contact Pastor Jack at pastor@mountainsidesdachurch.org or the Church Clerk at info@mountainsidesdachurch.org.

Mission Stories

India

Yohan was wasting his life away. Although he had a good job and a wife and two children to come home to, he spent his evenings getting drunk and wasting his family�s money.

His wife was increasingly frustrated and urged him to change his lifestyle. He knew he needed to do something different.

Then one day he heard about an evangelistic series being held in his village. He and his wife attended the meetings for the entire two weeks.

Today Yohan is a Global Mission pioneer, spreading the gospel in his village and beyond. Because of his history of alcohol abuse, he feels a special calling to work among alcoholics. In three years he has led 460 people to Christ, and has established three congregations of 60, 150, and 250 members respectively.

South Africa

Even hardened criminals can be humbled when they encounter the Word of God.

Mr. & Mrs. N. Sibanda are Global Mission pioneers who are reaching the unreached in three South African prisons.

Every Sabbath they visit the prisons. �We see a lot of change in those whom we have visited and counseled,� say the Sibandas. �Surely the Spirit of God is working.�

Although many of the inmates don�t want to hear about God at first, some have now accepted God into their lives. Beyond spiritual needs the Sibanda�s also minister to the inmates� physical and social needs.

Some inmates need help mending fences with their families while others need clothing and toiletries. The Sibandas also offer to accompany inmates to court and lend support as they�re able. The guards are even noticing a difference in the inmates.

The Sibanda�s next step is to make Adventist television programming from the Hope Channel� available to inmates in the three prisons in which they work.

Angola

Ten-year-old Jeanne Maley was the only Adventist in her family. Because she is young, when she became an Adventist, her parents persecuted her. Despite their opposition she remained loyal to her newfound faith.

Jeanne started having serious abdominal pain, and her parents told people it was because she joined the Adventist Church. Jeanne wasn�t deterred.

This type of prejudice is common in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa, where Global Mission pioneer Nyankoye Loua Kpakile works. When her small group heard about the opposition Jeanne was facing at home, they went to help. Nyankoye led the group to Jeanne�s house. When they arrived she asked Jeanne�s family if they could pray for her. The family agreed and even watched the group huddle around Jeanne as they knelt down and earnestly prayed.

The next day Jeanne felt better. Her mother was amazed at how much better her daughter was feeling. As a result Jeanne�s mother decided to give her life to Christ.

Bulgaria

Evgeny Nakov grew up in an Adventist home in Bulgaria. But after serving in the army, he was not satisfied to live in the village; he wanted to see more of the world and earn good money.

Evgeny found a job driving taxi in Sofia, the capital city. Some days he earned good money, but other days he barely made enough to buy fuel. He tried working longer hours, but he became overtired and had an accident that cost him his savings. At times he wondered if his failure to get ahead financially was due to his lack of faithfulness to God.

He helped his family sell a house, but on the way to the bank robbers stole the money. The money wasn�t even his; how would he ever repay it? Why are so many bad things happening to me? He wondered.

Evgeny began examining his spiritual values. He realized he hardly knew God and promised himself to spend more time getting to know Him.

One night he drove until 3:00 a.m. looking for customers, but with no luck. Finally two men stopped him for a ride. He took them far outside the city. But when they arrived, the men said they had no money. Evgeny feared pushing them to pay him. Feeling like a failure, he turned around and started toward home. Why are things going so badly? he wondered. I�ve earned nothing today!"

As he drove home, the car lights shone on some papers lying on the road. He stopped the car to investigate. He found money. Lots of money. He found no bag or wallet from which it could have fallen. He picked up the money and counted it: $250, three months� wages.

Evgeny knew that God had led him to the money, that God knows his needs and wants to be part of his life. Evgeny recommitted his life to God and asked God to lead him.

Soon Evgeny was offered an opportunity to study at an Adventist school outside Bulgaria. He had focused his life on making money, but God is refocusing his life on service. The peace that Evgeny feels assures him that he is on the right track.

Mozambique

I was a drunkard, and my drinking robbed me of everything. But a humble tailor helped me find my way back from the edge of hell.

I live in Mozambique. I kept my drinking a secret until my wife and I were married. I hoped to stop drinking, but I was powerless to stop. The harder I tried to stop, the worse my drinking became. My wife threatened to leave me if I did not get help. I went to a witch doctor, but he could not help me conquer my addiction. Sometimes I was so drunk I beat her. Finally she left me.

Desperate to stop drinking, I bought a Bible and began attending church. One Sunday on my way to church, I met a tailor working in his roadside shop. �Where are you going?� he asked.

�To church,� I replied.

�Why are you going today?� he asked. �Yesterday was God�s Sabbath day.� Curious, I stopped to talk. The tailor told me that God has the answer to my problems and offered to teach me from the Bible. The tailor could not read, but he knew the Bible. He down sat beside me. Opened a notebook filled with Bible references, and pointed to one. �Look this one up,� he said. I found the Bible verses and read them. Then he explained to me what they meant.

We read many Bible texts, and the tailor explained each one to me. Finally he told me to read Exodus 20. I read the Ten Commandments, and suddenly I realized that I was finding truths I had never known. I asked the tailor what church he belonged to, and he told me the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He told me where the church was located and invited me to visit. I thanked him and promised to be in church the next Sabbath. I then continued on to the Protestant church to tell my friends what I had just learned and to invite them to come to the Adventist church on Sabbath.

The next Sabbath I found the Adventist church and worshiped there. In that church I found God�s peace and the power to overcome alcohol and tobacco. It took some time, but with God�s help, I never smoked or drank again. My drinking cost me everything�my job, my wife, my home. But God has given me my life back. I am happy in Jesus, and I have invited my friends to find Jesus as well. At least 15 have come to know God�s truth and joined the Adventist church because I shared with them what God has done for me. Your mission offerings help bring the gospel to thirsty souls everywhere.

Mountainside SDA Church

Connecting Locally ...

Reaching Globally ...