God’s work through a group of faithful individuals led to the start-up of a new church south of downtown Granbury, Texas. Beginning in the early 1980’s as a mission of First Baptist Church of Glen Rose, Texas, Lakeside started small and grew steadily.
Lakeside Baptist Church held its first worship service in a school cafeteria on May 20, 1984. The first few Sunday mornings saw many people join the fellowship and mission of the new church. Several came to know Christ, and baptisms were carried out using facilities at nearby churches.
Lakeside acquired a portable building within a few months and additional buildings were brought in to be used as educational facilities. Eventually, with the help of the Baptist General Convention and First Baptist Glen Rose Lakeside purchased five acres of land and began a building program. The original building was constructed in 1985 and served the church for over a decade. That building was outgrown in the early years of the 21st century. It is still in use, however, serving now as the Lakeside Baptist Church Ministry Center, home to Celebrate Recovery and other events.
In 2001, construction began on a new building to accommodate the growing church. During the summer of 2002, the first service was held in the new facility. Situated on 38 acres across the highway from what is now known as the Ministry Center, the new main campus sits high on a hill and can be seen for miles in any direction. Nearing capacity in only a few years, the congregation recognized a need to expand further. In 2006, construction began to enlarge the educational wings of the main building. Open House for the new educational wings and celebration of "Rising to New Heights" occured in April of 2007. A new preschool area, children's and youth classrooms, and a new state of the art staged fellowship area are part of the expansion.
Buildings and construction projects are not the focal point at Lakeside. They are a testimony to the church’s vision and God’s grace. Dr. John Duncan, Lakeside's Senior Pastor from 1987 to 2007, made it clear that "The mission is to worship and grow as followers of Jesus Christ. ...Seek to be a witness to the community of God's love and forgiveness." Jesus Christ is the focal point, and the church is made up of people – people with needs, with gifts, with relationships, with love for one another and for Jesus Christ.
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