Bayside Baptist Church sits on Highway 58 in Harrison, Tennessee, a community north of Chattanooga. It is a Southern Baptist congregation built around two Sunday worship services, a wide-ranging Wednesday night schedule, a daily Bible reading rhythm called the Life Journal, and a vision the staff calls "a movement of God seeing lives changed in Chattanooga and beyond." Senior Pastor Jason King and a team of preaching, worship, discipleship, student, and children's pastors share the preaching rotation with guest voices throughout the year.
Walk by Faith on Highway 58
The story Bayside tells about itself begins with a phrase: walking by faith, not by sight. The church has been gathering in Harrison for nearly fifty years, and the leadership keeps that early posture as its working motto. Members describe the same conviction that has shaped the church's direction since its founding: God is always calling us to somewhere we have never been, calling us to more.
From that conviction comes the current vision: to become a movement of God seeing lives changed in Chattanooga and beyond. The church sits along a heavily traveled road in one of the fast-growing corridors of the region, and the staff speaks of that location as a stewardship, with thousands of people passing the campus each day. The building project called Go Beyond is one expression of that stewardship, and the broader posture of welcoming, equipping, and sending people out is the rest of it.
The church summarizes its core commitments in five short phrases it calls the Bayside Building Blocks:
- Grow Health. Helping people live from the inside out in a vibrant, Spirit-led life and faith.
- Neighbor Well. Intentionally and generously caring for the people in the community and beyond.
- Bring Others. Bridging the gap between people and Jesus by inviting them to church.
- Make It Personal. Being spiritual contributors rather than spiritual consumers.
- Pass the Baton. Equipping the next generation to pursue Jesus long after the current generation is gone.
Sunday at Bayside: Two Worship Services, One Message
A first Sunday visit usually means choosing between two services held in the Worship Center.
The 8:30 AM service is the morning-blended, traditional-leaning gathering of the day. It is led by a praise team, choir, and orchestra/band. The 11:00 AM service is the modern service, led by a praise team and band. Both services are described as upbeat and Spirit-led, and both preach the same passage and the same sermon each week. The music style is the main difference. People are invited to come as they are, and most dress casually.
At 9:45 AM between the two worship services, on-campus small groups meet for every age. Nursery through 5th grade have their own classes (babies to 24 months in the nursery suite; preschoolers on the first floor of the children's building; kindergarten through 5th grade on the second floor). Students in 6th-12th grade gather in the Student Center, middle schoolers in the Middle School Room and high schoolers in their own space. Adults meet in classes around the campus.
bKids Worship is available during each of the two worship services for children through 5th grade. It is a separate, interactive worship environment for preschool and elementary children. Nursery is available during both services as well. Guests can let the church know they are coming by submitting a short form in advance, which helps the team have a name ready at the door.
Wednesday Nights: Senior Adults, bKids, Students, and AWANA
Wednesday is the second pillar of the week at Bayside. The night begins with the Senior Adult Midweek Worship at 4:00 PM in Room B3 (entered through the basement/church office doors). The service is geared primarily toward the senior adult community, with prayer, worship, and a brief message, and anyone is welcome to attend.
At 5:15 PM, pizza is served in the choir suite for children attending bKids Worship, which runs from 5:30 to 6:25 PM. bKids Worship is the music-education arm of the children's ministry, designed to ignite a passion for worship in children ages four to 5th grade and to train up the next generation of worship leaders.
Bayside Students (6th through 12th grade) meet in the Student Center from 5:30 to 7:45 PM. The night is built around games, worship, teaching, and discussion. The Library is also open from 5:30 to 7:00 PM.
At 6:30 PM, AWANA clubs begin. AWANA is a Scripture-memory and Bible-learning program that runs until 7:45 PM. It is divided by grade and includes a track called Special Friends for special needs children from PreK through 12th grade. AWANA clubs include Puggles (2-year-olds), Cubbies (PreK ages 3-5), Sparks (K-2), and T&T (3rd-5th). Wednesday also includes a slate of rehearsals for the music teams: orchestra at 5:45, first service worship at 6:30, choir at 7:00, and second service rehearsal at 8:00. A separate set of on-campus adult small groups meets at 6:30 as well.
bKids: Worship, Small Groups, Mother's Day Out, and AWANA
The children's ministry at Bayside is called bKids, and it serves children from birth through 5th grade. The staff describes the goal simply: to provide a safe and loving environment for children to learn about Jesus.
On Sunday mornings during the two worship services, bKids Worship offers an interactive worship environment designed for preschool and elementary children through 5th grade. Nursery is available for the youngest children during both services. At 9:45 AM, small groups meet by age: babies to 24 months in the nursery suite, preschoolers on the first floor of the children's building, and kindergarten through 5th grade on the second floor. Each class is led by two or three adults.
On Wednesday nights, the same age groups cycle through bKids Worship (with pizza at 5:15) and AWANA. The bKids Worship Ministry is led by Children's Director Amy Milliken, with LaDonna Ralston serving as Assistant Children's Director. AWANA is the church's main Wednesday evangelism and Scripture-memory outreach to children.
Mother's Day Out is a separate program for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Children participate in Bible stories, craft time, singing, and playtime. The program has a waitlist and its own payment portal through the church's Church Center account. Questions about MDO go through LaDonna Ralston.
Bayside Students and Bayside College
The student ministry at Bayside is led by Student Pastor Kipp Wilkinson. The team describes students as the heart and future of the church and aims to love them, teach them sound doctrine, and walk with them through this season of life.
On Sunday mornings at 9:45 AM, students meet in small groups divided by grade and gender with an individual leader in a small group setting. High schoolers gather in the Student Center and middle schoolers in the Middle School Room. On Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM, all 6th-12th graders come together in the Student Center for games, worship, teaching, and discussion.
Bayside College is the church's ministry to college students and young professionals. It meets on Monday nights at 6:30 PM and is designed as a way for that age group to get into God's Word, discover community, and grow in faith. Inquiries go to kwilkinson@baysidebaptist.org.
The Life Journal: A Daily SOAP Reading Rhythm
The Life Journal is the daily Bible-reading plan the church has built around a method for hearing from God through his Word. The plan comes in two tracks. The Classic Plan walks through more of the Bible each day; the Express Plan keeps the readings shorter. Both plans are published on the church's home page each day with a downloadable PDF.
The method is called SOAP:
- Scripture. Read the day's passage and write down the date and the verses.
- Observation. Write what stands out from the passage.
- Application. Write how the passage applies to your day.
- Prayer. Write a prayer in response.
Printed Life Journals are available in the church lobby, or they can be requested by calling the church office. The teaching around the journal is that the goal of Bible study is not coverage but transformation: even one verse obeyed at the right moment, repeated over 365 days, slowly shapes a person into the likeness of Christ. The Life Journal is also integrated into the sermon calendar. Throughout the year, James Johnson and Kipp Wilkinson preach a recurring series of messages called Life Journal that walk through the same passages the church is reading together during the week.
Go Beyond: A Building Project and a Faith Movement
Go Beyond is the church's current two-year vision and capital project. It is at once a campus renovation and a call to personal faith. Senior Pastor Jason King frames Go Beyond around John 14: "through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will do even greater things than we have seen before." The project is meant to renovate and update the facility, inside and out, and to create a safe, welcoming environment where kids, students, and their families can encounter Jesus.
The renovation plan includes providing a safe and secure environment for bKids and Bayside Students to better reach the next generation and their families, updating indoor flooring, wall coverings, paint, and furniture, creating a unified appearance on the exterior of the building with a new roof, updated entrances and landscaping, and replacing outdoor signage so guests can navigate the campus more easily.
Go Beyond is structured as a two-year commitment. Members are invited to pray about how God is asking them to take a next step of faith: to begin to tithe, to give above their tithe, to pray faithfully for a specific person, or to take a next step toward Christ. There is a Commitment Sunday, a Go Beyond Commitment Card that can be filled out in worship or via the church's online form, and a Launch Offering that kicks off the financial side of the campaign. Giving to Go Beyond can be set up online through the church's giving page by selecting the Go Beyond (Building Fund) option.
The Go Beyond teaching series runs alongside the campaign and is preached by Jason King. Recent messages in the series include "Build The Future - For Your Family" (Deuteronomy 6:6-9) and "Build The Future - For Your Own Life" (John 14:12-13).
Missions: Local, National, and International
At Bayside, the missions team treats mission not as a separate program but as the identity of the church. The team describes the heartbeat of Bayside Missions this way: be intentional about relationships, show compassion to the lost, and share the good news of Jesus Christ. The stated conviction is that serving others, regardless of the cost, is the heart of love, and that the church wants people to know the love of Jesus Christ through them.
The church partners with a list of organizations both near and across the world: the International Mission Board (IMB), the North American Mission Board (NAMB), Wildcat, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Bible in the Schools, Operation Christmas Child, Evan and Rachael Bachtold (Bayside missionaries in Ireland), Be A Blessing Ministries (Dominican Republic), and Ed Funderburk Ministries. Giving to the missions budget is a separate option from general giving and from the Go Beyond building fund.
Each year the church organizes a slate of short-term mission trips. Recent trips have included a New Mexico team working with a local church and Christian school on maintenance, construction, and community outreach (typically held in June, around $750 with a $100 deposit), a Dallas team serving at Buckner International's Food Distribution Center sorting food, packing care boxes, and ministering to the community (typically held in October, around $750 with a $100 deposit), and a Dominican Republic team partnering with local baseball teams and health organizations to run baseball clinics, distribute baseball equipment, and host basic health clinics (typically held in November, around $1,200 with a $200 deposit). Trip applications are submitted online and are used to build the team.
Twice a year the church hosts a Serve Day, when members fan out into the community to serve schools, ministry partners, and neighbors in the Chattanooga region.
The Care Center: Food Ministry in the Community
The Care Center is Bayside's in-house food ministry. It operates twice a month on the first and third weeks: Monday appointments from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and Tuesday appointments from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The Care Center provides food and personal-needs assistance to people in the community. People who need help can call the church office at (423) 344-8327 to make an appointment. Volunteers who want to serve can contact the missions team.
Small Groups and Serve Teams
The church believes small groups are the primary place people build relationships at Bayside. In addition to the on-campus small groups that meet at 9:45 AM on Sundays and at 6:30 PM on Wednesdays, there are small groups that meet off campus at various times during the week. Recent examples from the church's published weekly schedule include a Drews small group on Mondays at 6:00 PM, a College small group on Mondays at 6:30 PM, a Young Professionals small group on Mondays at 7:00 PM, a Sussdorff Ladies small group on Wednesdays at 10:30 AM, and a Men's small group on Thursdays at 6:00 PM. The full calendar of small groups is available through the church's Small Groups page on Church Center.
For those who want to serve, Bayside organizes service through Serve Teams. Opportunities include serving in the choir, orchestra, or worship band, leading a small group, teaching in bKids or AWANA, working with the missions team, helping with Guest Services, or serving on the Care Center, facilities, or communications team. A short online form connects members and regular attenders to a service area that fits their gifts and season of life.
What Bayside Believes
Bayside is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention, and the church's statement of faith follows historic Baptist convictions. The statement affirms that the Old and New Testaments together are God's Word, truth without any mixture of error, written by men divinely inspired, with God for its source, truth without error for its matter, and salvation for its end. Scripture is described as the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried, and as a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.
The church affirms one living and true God, infinite in holiness and all other perfections, who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being. The statement goes on to affirm that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who became a man without ceasing to be God, was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, died on the cross as a substitutionary atonement for sin, was raised from the dead, and now ministers as High Priest at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit is confessed as fully divine, the author of Scripture, the one who convicts of sin and regenerates the believer, baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ, and seals the believer until final redemption.
The church teaches that human beings are created in the image of God and that, because humanity sinned through the temptation of Satan, every person is lost in sin apart from Christ and in need of a Savior. Salvation is offered freely to all who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, by grace through faith, apart from human works, and includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. The church observes two ordinances given by Christ: baptism by immersion for those who have received Christ as Savior, and the Lord's Supper as a symbolic remembrance of Christ's death.
The church confesses the personal, visible return of Christ to establish His kingdom, the resurrection of the dead, the judgment of all people in righteousness, and the everlasting punishment of the unrighteous and the everlasting reward of the righteous. The church's statement on marriage defines marriage as a union between one biological man and one biological woman, as a picture of Christ's relationship with the church, and limits the performance of marriages by church ministers or on church property to that definition.
Giving: Tithing as a Starting Place
The church describes giving as an act of worship and a window into the Christian's relationship with God. The Bible, the teaching notes, treats the tithe (giving the first 10 percent of income to the local church) as the starting place for Christian giving. Beyond the tithe, members are invited to give to the church's general budget, the missions budget, or to the Go Beyond building fund.
Three ways to give are listed. Online giving is available through the church's Church Center giving page. Giving boxes are placed in several locations around campus for those who attend in person. And gifts can be mailed to the church office at the Highway 58 address. Online gifts can be one-time or scheduled as recurring, and donors can choose where their gift is directed.
The Staff and Elders
The pastoral staff is organized around five main areas of ministry. Jason King is the Senior Pastor and the primary preacher on Sunday mornings. Kyle Bowen is the Worship Pastor, with Eli Wells serving as Worship and Production Associate. Jeff Blackford is the Operations Pastor. James Johnson is the Discipleship Pastor and a frequent voice in the preaching rotation, particularly through the Life Journal series. Kipp Wilkinson is the Student Pastor and oversees the college ministry as well.
On the children's side, Amy Milliken is the Children's Director and LaDonna Ralston is the Assistant Children's Director; LaDonna also oversees Mother's Day Out. Laura Highlander is the Care and Missions Director. Darle Jordan is the Senior Adults Minister. Amber Dixon serves as Interim Communications Director.
The church is governed in part by a group of elders. The current elders listed are Gary Behler, David Deal, Mike Eidson, Stan Haynes, Mike Owen, Michael Quarles, and Todd Richardson. The elders, the pastors, and the deacon-like ministry directors share the spiritual leadership of the church.
Online, On Air, and Around the Building
Worship services are livestreamed on Sundays at live.baysidebaptist.org. An archive of past sermons lives at the Watch and Listen section of the church's home page. Sermons are also distributed as a podcast through Apple Podcasts and OnePlace.com, and the church's spoken-word and music content is shared on Vimeo at vimeo.com/baysideharrison. A Spotify podcast carries recent messages as well.
A Prayer Wall is maintained at prayer.baysidebaptist.org, where members can post prayer needs and pray for others. The Events page features upcoming Go Beyond gatherings, senior adult lunches, mission trip deadlines, AWANA kickoffs, and other items relevant to the season of the church calendar. The Church Center account (bbch.churchcenter.com) is the central hub for registration, small group signups, AWANA registration, Mother's Day Out waitlists, and giving.
The building itself holds a Worship Center for the main services, a children's building with a nursery suite on the lower level and preschool and elementary space upstairs, a Student Center that anchors the middle and high school ministry, a choir suite for bKids Worship and choral rehearsals, a library that opens midweek, and a gym and B3 meeting room that host senior adult lunches, Go Beyond gatherings, and a midweek prayer service. Visitors are invited to come as they are, with no dress code, and to choose the worship service that fits their style.