Lake Shipp Baptist Church is located at 92 High Street in Winter Haven, Florida. It is known for making room for every generation, with age-based Community Groups forming the starting point for its ministries and a Sunday worship service that welcomes the whole family.
A Church for Every Generation
Lake Shipp's emphasis on generations reaches from people beginning life to those living out their golden years. The church calls its age-based small groups Community Groups and says they form the starting point for each ministry area. Its conviction is that all age groups are vitally important to the life of the church.
- Children's Community Groups serve infants through elementary-aged children at 9 a.m. Sunday.
- Next Generation welcomes students in grades 6 through 12 at 9 a.m. Sunday and 6 p.m. Wednesday.
- Adult Community Groups meet at 9 a.m. Sunday and include both age-based groups and topical options.
- Children and families are welcome to worship together at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
The groups range from infants and elementary children to students in grades 6 through 12 and adults. Adults can choose a group based on their stage of life or a topic, while children and students have Sunday gatherings of their own. Community Groups form the shared pattern for the church's different age-based ministries rather than treating any generation as separate from the life of the church.
Sunday Begins with Community Groups
Sunday begins at 9 a.m. with Community Groups, followed by the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Children's classes range from infants through elementary age, Next Generation serves sixth- through twelfth-grade students, and adult groups meet for age-based or topical study. All three gather before worship, making the 9 a.m. gatherings the starting point for the church's Sunday rhythm.
Lake Shipp values the entire family worshiping together, and children of all ages are welcome in the service. A nursery is provided for children two and under. Halfway through the service, a brief Kid's Time brings children in PreK through fifth grade to the front for a short lesson designed for them. After that lesson, children in kindergarten and under may remain with the childcare team for the rest of the service. A foyer greeter helps families check children into the nursery, and a team member can be met in the foyer after Kid's Time.
These provisions give the nursery, Kid's Time, and the childcare team distinct roles while allowing family members to remain together for worship. Children who stay through the lesson can rejoin their families after Kid's Time, and younger children have a childcare place during the remainder of the service.
Wednesday Evenings for PreK Through Adults
Wednesday's schedule opens at 5:30 p.m. with KidConnect, the church's midweek program for children in PreK through fifth grade. Kids enjoy games, snacks, and an interactive Bible lesson. Check-in takes place at the entrance to the sanctuary.
At 6 p.m., Next Generation Student Ministry gathers students in grades 6 through 12. The youth ministry is also present Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. before worship, giving students a group that meets across the week.
Adults also gather at 6 p.m. for the Wednesday Bible Study and Prayer Meeting, presented as Come to the Table adult Bible study. The gathering starts with prayer and then moves into Bible study, and the church describes the midweek meeting as open to all ages.
A Casual, Family-Welcome Gathering
Lake Shipp describes itself as a casual church. People may dress in anything from suits to shorts and T-shirts, with comfort and welcome as the guiding priorities for Sunday worship.
Parking is available all around the property, and visitors may park wherever they choose. Most of the parking area is grass, while several concrete spaces sit in front of the sanctuary building for those who have a harder time getting around.
On arrival, visitors head to the foyer of the sanctuary building. Inside are a welcome center and a greeter who can help with needs. The greeter can also help a family check a child into the nursery. For KidConnect, check-in is at the sanctuary entrance.
The Bible, God, Salvation, and the Church
Lake Shipp's beliefs center on five declarations: the Holy Bible, God, salvation, mankind, and the church.
Scripture Without Error and Sufficient
The church teaches that all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. It holds that God's Word is without error and completely sufficient to provide what people need for salvation and to walk in righteousness.
One God in Three Persons
Lake Shipp believes in one God who exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, Jesus, and God the Holy Spirit. God is eternal and unchanging, the creator and sustainer of the world, and sovereign over all eternity past, present and future. God alone is worthy of worship and allegiance.
Salvation in Christ
Lake Shipp teaches that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The wages of sin are death, while God's gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus. Salvation comes through confessing with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in the heart that God raised him from the dead. The church holds that Jesus' death on the cross was the only sufficient sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world and that he died and was raised to life on the third day. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Humanity Created in God's Image
God created man in his own image, male and female, and Lake Shipp describes gender as a gift of God that should be celebrated. Men and women are designed to be unique and of equal value and worth, and to live in relationship.
Baptized Believers and the Mission of the Church
The local church is a group of baptized believers whom God has placed together in a particular place and time to accomplish his purposes on earth. That purpose is to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything Jesus commanded. The church's identity and mission are tied to Scripture, baptism, discipleship and teaching.
At 92 High Street in Winter Haven, Lake Shipp Baptist Church brings these convictions together through Sunday worship, age-based Community Groups, and Wednesday Bible study and prayer. Its ministries for children, students and adults reflect an emphasis on Scripture, shared family worship, and making disciples.