An Invitation on State Road 580
Bayside Community Church sits along State Road 580 in Safety Harbor, a small Pinellas County town on the edge of Tampa Bay. From that one location, the church has built a full schedule of ministries for children, students, adults, and seniors, along with a steady stream of local and global mission work. The church's stated mission is short enough to fit on a coffee cup: To see more people become more like Jesus. Everything Bayside does, from the songs on Sunday morning to the small groups that meet during the week, is built around that single sentence.
Bayside describes itself as a community of imperfect people from many different walks of life who are learning to love God and love others. Visitors are welcomed by a team of volunteers wearing lanyards that say "welcome" in the lobby, free coffee is set out for anyone who wants a cup, and ushers are ready to help find a seat even if the room looks full. Casual dress is the norm, and the pastors and ministry leaders are easy to find in the lobby before and after services.
Sunday Mornings at 9:15 and 11:00
Two Sunday morning worship services are held at 9:15 AM and 11:00 AM in the Worship Center. The 9:15 AM service is also livestreamed, and a full archive of past sermons is available on Vimeo. Worship at Bayside is contemporary: acoustic and electric guitars, piano, bass, drums, and a varying team of vocalists lead the room each week. The musical goal, in the church's own words, is simple - the singing is designed to point to Christ.
Teaching at Bayside focuses on the deep truths of the Bible explained in a practical way, with pastors often bringing their own stories into the message. Sermons typically run about 35 to 40 minutes. Guests are welcome but are encouraged not to feel pressure to give; the offering is for those who call Bayside their church home.
Children's programs run during both services, and the student program for grades 6 through 12 meets at the 11:00 AM service, with doors opening at 10:30 AM. Groups and classes are available during both hours as well, so an adult can drop off a child and head straight to a Bible study without missing a beat.
Bayside Kids from Infants Through Fifth Grade
Children's ministry at Bayside is organized by age so that each child lands in a room built for their stage of life. Infants through Kindergarten meet in the first-floor classrooms. Kids' Club serves first through third graders in its own dedicated area. The Bridge, the preteen ministry for fourth and fifth graders, gathers for a large-group portion in the Kids' Club and then finishes the morning in Room 202. The Bridge is designed to bridge the gap between elementary school and the middle school years, with an interactive curriculum aimed at building confidence, friendship, and spiritual maturity.
Safety is taken seriously. Every volunteer in children's ministry has passed a full background check, and at least two approved workers are in every classroom - no child is ever left alone. At check-in, each child is given an electronically produced name tag that includes a parent cell phone number in case the child needs their family during the morning, and parents receive a matching security pickup ticket. Parents of children with allergies are asked to notify the classroom leader.
Bayside also partners with Safety Harbor Little School, a preschool that offers full-time and part-time options to local families. The preschool's curriculum is anchored in theme-based learning, with an emphasis on vocabulary, phonemic awareness, pre-reading skills, math, science, problem solving, fine motor development, and social skills.
The Harbor: Students in Grades 6 Through 12
Middle and high school students at Bayside gather in a space called The Harbor inside the Student Center. The ministry is for sixth through twelfth graders, with weekly worship, teaching, and small group time built around the goal of helping every teenager who walks in know that they are deeply loved and known. The Harbor meets on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM, with doors opening at 10:30 AM so students can settle in and reconnect before the service starts.
The Harbor runs a parent consent form, a coach application, a student volunteer application, and a camp scholarship application for families who want their students to take part in camps and retreats without finances standing in the way. The ministry's social presence lives on Facebook and Instagram under the handle @harborsm.
Young Adults on Sunday Nights
Young Adults ministry is built for people ages 18 to 28 who are looking for an authentic faith community and Christ-like relationships. The group gathers every Sunday night from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Bayside. Each evening starts with a meal together, followed by a Bible study, and friends are always welcome. The group is led by Student Ministry Coordinator Elissa Anglum, and the ministry's Instagram handle is @ya_bayside.
Men, Women, and the Primetimers
Adult ministry at Bayside is intentionally multi-track so that people in different seasons of life can find their fit. The men's ministry describes itself as a group of men who want to live with integrity, grow in faith, and have a good time doing it. Two weekly meetings are offered - one Tuesday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 AM in The Harbor, and a second Tuesday evening meeting at 7:00 PM in Room 204 - along with special monthly men's groups on some Fridays.
The women's ministry encourages women to establish, renew, and deepen their life in Christ through prayer groups, Bible studies, support, encouragement, and special events throughout the year.
Primetimers is the seniors community at Bayside, made up mostly of retired adults age 55 and up who love to talk, laugh, eat, and have fun together. The group meets for lunch on the second Tuesday of each month at noon from September through May, with additional outings scheduled through the Primetimers season.
Group Night and Small Groups
Bayside runs a regular Group Night built for kids, students, and adults who want to get connected through a table group, a small group, or a large group. Family-style meals are served starting at 6:00 PM, with groups launching at 6:30 PM. Beyond Group Night, a wide variety of small groups and classes meet at different places, times, and days of the week around the area. The church's groups directory is updated regularly and is open for anyone to browse and sign up.
Celebrate Recovery
Bayside hosts Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered, Bible-based program that helps people work through hurts, hang-ups, and habits. The group meets weekly to support one another through the recovery process and to celebrate what God is doing in and through the lives of those who take part.
What Bayside Believes
Bayside's statement of faith covers the basics of historic Christian orthodoxy. The church teaches that God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, eternally existing in three co-equal persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Humanity is made in God's image, and although people have great potential for good, they are marred by an attitude of disobedience called sin, which separates them from God.
Jesus Christ, the church teaches, is the Son of God, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin, rose again after three days, ascended to heaven, and will return for his church. Salvation is described as a free gift that cannot be earned by self-improvement or good works; it comes only through trusting in Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit is presented as equal with the Father and the Son, present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus, and living in every Christian from the moment of salvation. The Bible is taught as God's Word, written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the supreme source of truth for Christian belief and living. The church also teaches that human beings were created to exist forever, either eternally separated from God in hell or in union with God in heaven through forgiveness and salvation.
Missions Near and Far
Bayside takes a "take action" approach to mission, with partnerships that reach into the local community and across the world. On the local side, the church works with organizations including the Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center, Oldsmar Cares, Harbor Dish, the Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranch in Safety Harbor, New Life Solutions, City of Refuge in Clearwater, Refuge on the Ridge, I.R.I.S.E. (support for survivors), Fresh Start Mentoring, and Feeding the Fosters. Bayside also hosts OneBlood blood drives and supports a pregnancy resource center partnership.
Internationally, Bayside is connected to a network of Church of God missionaries, including Kelley and Rhonda Philips, Nate and Stacy Tatman, Daniel and Christy Kihm, and Zachary and Audrey Langford. The church also supports Heart to Honduras and the Pink Door Berlin missions project in Europe.
Online, on the App, and at Home
For those who can't make it to Safety Harbor on Sunday, Bayside livestreams the 9:15 AM service and keeps a full archive of past sermons on Vimeo. The Bayside Church SH app is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play, and the church posts Sunday services and updates to its YouTube channel, with a separate YouTube channel for the Bible Study Podcast. Online giving is available, and a prayer request form can be filled out any time. Bayside is also active on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), so the community stays easy to reach throughout the week.
The Team at Bayside
Pastoral and ministry leadership at Bayside includes Lead Pastor Terry, Pastoral Care Pastor Bob, Family Ministry Pastor Drew, and Pastor of Adult Discipleship Alex. Jeannie serves as Director of Ministries, Jessica as Children's Ministry Coordinator, and Elissa Anglum as Student Ministry Coordinator. Together this team oversees the Sunday services, the kids' and students' ministries, the adult ministry tracks, Celebrate Recovery, and the mission partnerships that stretch from Safety Harbor to Honduras and Berlin.