About Southside

Each Sunday at Southside you can expect great music, encouraging messages, and a family type atmosphere, each of which paves the way for genuine encounters with our God. The church should never be a place where you’re bored to tears, but instead a place that is filled with excitement about our God and His plan for the people of the earth.

At Southside, we feel like it’s OUR responsibility to make you feel welcome, and not your job to try and fit in. We know what it’s like to visit a church and feel like an “outsider”, and we don’t want you to feel that way here. We are a family here at Southside, and when you come and visit, we want you to feel like you’re already a part of our family.

Perhaps the best thing about Southside is that what you learn on the weekend, you’ll be able to use during the week. It can be very frustrating to go to a church and leave not knowing what to do. We do our best to give you practical “next steps” that you can use throughout your week.

We certainly hope that this website helps you to get a personal and friendly first look at Southside, but we want to be sure and let you know that this is just a website. The best way to find out all that’s here for you and your family is to visit us this weekend.

If it’s been a long time since you’ve been to church, what are you waiting for? Come visit us soon!

Our Pastoral Staff

Jerry Walls - Senior Pastor
Jerry.Walls@SouthsideFamily.com

Matt Walls - Co-Pastor & Kathleen Campus Pastor
Matt.Walls@SouthsideFamily.com

Billy Andrews - Executive Pastor
Billy.Andrews@SouthsideFamily.com

Dennis Clark - Associate Pastor
Dennis.Clark@SouthsideFamily.com

Randall Nash - Pastoral Care
Randall.Nash@SouthsideFamily.com

Johnny McDowell - Discipleship Pastor
Johnny.McDowell@SouthsideFamily.com

Roger Cook - Senior Adult Pastor
Roger.Cook@SouthsideFamily.com

Jim Gray - Student Pastor
Jim.Gray@SouthsideFamily.com

Drew Cook - Children's Pastor
Drew.Cook@SouthsideFamily.com

Josh Ray - Pleasant Hill Campus Pastor
Josh.Ray@SouthsideFamily.com

Jeremy Emory - Kathleen Campus Teaching Pastor
Jeremy.Emory@SouthsideFamily.com

Robbie Coleman - High School Pastor
Robbie.Coleman@SouthsideFamily.com

What We Believe

At Southside, our values and beliefs are at the core of how we do church. They set the stage for each and every time we meet as a church, and are the framework for our mission here at Southside. Because we want you to be completely comfortable in understanding what it is we're trying to achieve, we're providing our mission, values, and beliefs here.

Our Mission

Our mission at Southside is simple:
Love God, Love People, and Love the World, on the journey to life change.

Our Mission Measures

Our Mission Measures represent CHANGE, and are as follows:

Celebrating God in Worship
Helping Others Know Christ
Adopting Spiritual Practices
Navigating Life with Biblical Wisdom
Giving of Ourselves and Our Resources
Experiencing Meaningful Community

Our Values

Communicating Truth
We teach people how to live out the principles and truths of the Bible.

Celebrating Life-Change
We rejoice when people's hearts and lives are transformed by God.

Challenging Status Quo
We risk the ordinary to experience the extraordinary.

Creating Community
We connect insiders and outsiders to our church and each other.

Compelling Environments
We conduct our cause with fun and passion.

Choosing Love
We love and accept all people.

Our Beliefs

If we were to boil our main beliefs down to a few short sentences, here is what they might look like:

  • God is the Almighty Creator who is worthy of our complete devotion.
  • The Bible is God’s perfect owner’s manual for living.
  • Jesus is God’s Son and the only way to Heaven.
  • God lives in and through followers of Christ, in the person of the Holy Spirit.
  • Repentance and faith are absolutely necessary to know God.
  • The church is God’s instrument on this earth to reach people who do not know Him.
  • Jesus is coming back and it could be today.

We understand that some people want to know specifically what we believe and if you are one of those, we encourage you to read below for a more thorough statement of our beliefs.

The Bible

We believe the Bible is God's written revelation to man. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Every word of scripture is chosen by God himself, and thus is divinely inspired and absolutely without error in the original documents. We affirm the infallibility, sufficiency, and authority of Scripture. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living, and we can trust it for all matters of faith and practice.

(Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Joshua 8:34; Psalm 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140. 160; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

God

We believe that there is but one living and true God, who was, is, and always will be. He is perfect in all His attributes. We believe that God is one, but exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal, each equally deserving worship and obedience. We believe that He created everything that is out of nothing. God is all knowing, all powerful and ever present.

(Genesis 1:1, 26,27; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-6; 90:2 Isaiah 43:15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:2)

Jesus

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and co-equal with the Father. He is eternal and yet chose to take on human flesh and live on this earth during the first century A.D. Throughout His earthly life, he was completely God and completely human at the same time. He was virgin born, and led a completely and entirely sinless life. We believe that Jesus was crucified for the sins of all mankind, and is the only way to God. After three days in the grave, Jesus defeated sin and death, rising bodily from the grave, demonstrating His power over sin and death. He then ascended to His Father's side where He is now Head of the Church and intercedes for believers. We believe Jesus Christ is coming again personally, visibly and bodily to reign as King and Lord.

(Genesis 18:1ff.; Psalm 2:7ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53:5-9; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:6-29; 16:16,28; 17:1-5, 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9-11; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 3:16; 6:14-15; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:11-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 5:9-14)

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He works in the world to make all people understand their need for Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit begins to live inside every follower of Jesus at the moment of salvation, baptizing them into the Body of Christ, and sealing them forever. He provides us with power for life and ministry, teaches us spiritual truth, and guides us in doing what is right. We believe that all Christians must continually yield to the Holy Spirit.

(Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Psalm 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Luke 1:35; 4:18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11; 2 Corinthians 3:17;Galatians 4:6; 5:25; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 1 John 4:13; Revelation 1:10)

Salvation

We believe that our sinful nature has eternally separated us from our Creator. No matter how hard we try, we can never earn our way back into God’s presence. We believe that Jesus, through His death on the cross, provided salvation for all. However, to receive salvation one must repent of their sin and trust Jesus Christ alone. We believe that salvation is instantaneous and accomplished solely when the repentant sinner, enabled by the Holy Spirit, responds in faith. Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin's penalty. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. We didn’t do anything to earn our salvation, and we can’t do anything to lose it.

(Genesis 3:15; Exodus 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 6:37, 39; 10:9,27-29; 14:6; 15:1-16; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:1, 8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13, 26; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7, 13, 14; 2:8-22; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; 3:5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 7:25; 9:24-28; 10:10-14; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11)

The Church

We believe that all who put their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual Body, the Church, of which Christ is the head. The formation of the church, the Body of Christ, began on the Day of Pentecost and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the rapture. We believe that the local church is important. Is the instrument through which God has used and will continue to use to reach the world. The biblical purposes of the local church are worship, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship and ministry to others.

(Matthew 16:15-19; Acts 2:41-42; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-31; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:6,7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:1-15; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3)

The Second Coming

We believe that God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly to the earth. We believe that the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness.

(Matthew 16:27; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Revelation 1:18; 20:1-22:13)