Lakeside Christian Church sits on Buttermilk Pike in Lakeside Park, a small city in Northern Kentucky's Kenton County, just across the river from Cincinnati. The church's motto, drawn from John 10:10, sets the tone for everything it does: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." That promise shapes a congregation committed to helping people know Jesus, grow in faith, and live with purpose in everyday life.
Sunday Mornings: Two Services, One Welcome
Lakeside meets at 195 Buttermilk Pike. Two Sunday services - at 9:00 and 10:30 AM - give guests flexibility to choose the time that fits their week. Both services follow the same pattern: uplifting worship, biblical teaching, and a warm community. The 10:30 AM gathering is livestreamed on YouTube for those who want to participate from home. Parking is close to the front door, and the building is set up to welcome guests.
For anyone still feeling uncertain after a service, "Lakeside in 5" is a brief follow-up conversation designed to help newcomers take a next step. Within five minutes, a Lakeside leader shares about the church, answers questions, and points visitors toward the ministries that fit them best.
Lakeside Kids: Infants Through 8th Grade
Lakeside Kids partners with families to help children know God's love, grow in their faith, and live out the truth of Jesus in everyday life. Full children's programming runs during both Sunday services, and the building is designed for easy drop-off. Check-in opens 15 minutes before each service at iPad stations staffed by friendly volunteers. Once a family is registered, children wear a name tag and parents keep the matching portion for safe pickup after the service.
The ministry is organized by age so every child is met where they are:
- Preschool and nursery - a safe, fun environment where toddlers and preschoolers learn through music, crafts, Bible stories, and hands-on activities.
- Elementary (K-3rd grade) - helping children know God, grow in faith, build authentic relationships, and confidently live out the love of Jesus.
- Preteen (4th-5th grade, "4/5 Rooted") - designed for the bridge years between childhood and the teenage years, with engaging Bible teaching, interactive discussions, worship, games, service opportunities, and small groups.
Twice a year, Lakeside offers a Baby Dedication class for parents who want to publicly commit to raising their child in a faith-filled environment. The class equips parents to be the primary spiritual leaders of their home, and the dedication itself is celebrated with the congregation the following week. Kids Discover, a separate interactive class for elementary-aged children and their parents, works through what it means to make a personal decision to be baptized.
Lakeside Students: Middle and High School
Lakeside Students serves 6th through 12th graders in two distinct environments built around the same calling: to love Jesus, love like Jesus, and help others do the same.
Middle School Ministry (6th-8th grade) meets Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM, with doors opening at 8:45. The format combines energetic worship, relevant biblical teaching, exciting games, and small group discussions that encourage honest conversations and lasting connections. Caring leaders work to make sure every student is known, valued, and challenged to take the next step in faith.
High School Ministry (9th-12th grade) meets Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Each gathering includes relevant biblical teaching, activities, and small groups where students can ask honest questions, share life's challenges, and be encouraged in faith. As students prepare for adulthood, leaders focus on helping them develop a faith that is personal, resilient, and lived out beyond the church walls.
Groups: Faith That Is Personal, Never Private
Lakeside's small group ministry is built on a simple conviction: "We're better together." Life is meant to be lived in relationship, and faith, while personal, was never meant to be private. Groups meet in homes and around the city throughout the week, gathering around shared interests, life stages, neighborhoods, and study topics. The hope is that everyone who joins a Lakeside group finds connection with others, a place to belong, and growth in faith.
The Mission: Grow, Connect, Live
Lakeside's mission shapes everything the church does. The church describes it in three movements:
- Grow in Christ - deepening both trust in and knowledge of God through preaching, study, and personal devotion.
- Connect in Community - deepening relationship with God by fostering relationships with other believers through groups, classes, and shared life.
- Live on Mission - carrying out a Spirit-powered mission of love throughout the world, both locally and globally.
This mission is paired with the church's motto: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." The full life Lakeside points to is found in the everyday practice of growing, connecting, and serving.
Living on Mission: Local Partners
Lakeside's local outreach flows through a network of nonprofit partners and a congregation-wide initiative called Serve NKY. The church supports and volunteers with several organizations across the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati region.
- Master Provisions is a Christian nonprofit dedicated to fighting hunger across the Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana tristate by rescuing and distributing food and essential resources through a wide network of partner agencies and volunteers.
- New Hope Center provides free, confidential support and education for individuals facing unplanned pregnancies, including pregnancy testing, limited ultrasounds, parenting classes, material assistance, and ongoing emotional support.
- Action Ministries is a faith-based nonprofit serving Northern Kentucky with a community grocery pantry, household essentials, and volunteer partnerships to address food insecurity.
- Ignite the Norse is a Christian campus ministry serving students at Northern Kentucky University, fostering community through worship, discipleship, prayer, service, and connections with local churches.
- Reset Ministries is a Christ-centered nonprofit helping individuals overcome addiction and rebuild their lives through residential recovery, discipleship, mentoring, life skills, and spiritual guidance in the Greater Cincinnati tristate.
- Serve NKY is Lakeside's own community outreach initiative, connecting individuals, families, and groups with local nonprofits and service projects throughout Northern Kentucky.
Living on Mission: Around the World
Globally, Lakeside has built long-term relationships with several mission organizations and missionaries who extend the church's reach far beyond Northern Kentucky.
- Missions of Hope International (MOHI) serves vulnerable children and families in Kenya through education, healthcare, community development, and the hope of the Gospel.
- Disciple Makers is dedicated to making disciples who make disciples through church planting, evangelism, leadership development, and training among unreached people groups.
- CMF International, through missionaries Joe and Kim Cluff, focuses on multiplying disciples and strengthening churches in Kenya through disciple-making and church leadership development.
- Orchard Group has been planting churches in metropolitan areas for over 75 years, with a vision of reaching new residents, new people groups, and new generations with the Christian gospel.
RightNow Media and the Lakeside App
Beyond Sunday services, Lakeside offers tools that help members stay engaged throughout the week. The church has partnered with RightNow Media, a streaming library of more than 10,000 Christian Bible studies, training videos, and leadership resources from respected teachers. Often called the "Netflix of Bible studies," the platform is a learning tool for community groups, students, and kids, with material on parental and marital topics as well as wholesome content for children.
The Lakeside App, built on the Church Center platform, gives members access to sermons, event registration, children's check-in, announcements, and more from a phone. A sermon podcast is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, the 10:30 AM service is livestreamed on YouTube, and a weekly newsletter keeps the congregation informed of opportunities and ongoing events.
What Lakeside Believes
Lakeside Christian Church is an independent Christian congregation. Its statement of faith centers on the essentials of the Christian faith:
- Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God and the Savior of the world.
- The Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God and the sole basis for beliefs and Christian living.
- Salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone, by grace through faith, not by works.
- God exists as one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Salvation involves confessing sin, turning from it, and being baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus Christ, with the promise of forgiveness, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and eternal life.
- Christians are called to good works and witness as outgrowths of God's saving grace.
- Jesus was fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, died, was buried, and rose again.
- Satan exists as the author of evil who seeks to destroy all that is good.
- Jesus is the head of the church, with elders appointed to shepherd the flock through preaching, teaching, and oversight.
- Jesus is coming again.
Leadership and How to Get Connected
Aaron Buchanan serves as Executive Pastor and is the contact for giving questions and related conversations. The church's staff and ministry team work with hundreds of volunteer leaders to make everything from Sunday services to student ministry happen each week.
For those wanting to take a next step, Lakeside offers several on-ramps: attending Sunday services, joining a "Lakeside in 5" conversation after the gathering, exploring a small group, jumping into a volunteer team with kids, students, or one of several serving areas, or signing up for a baby dedication or baptism class. A weekly newsletter and the Lakeside App keep people informed of ongoing opportunities.
Lakeside Christian Church is a place to belong, a place to grow, and a community pointed outward toward the world God loves. Whether that is around the corner in Lakeside Park or across an ocean, the church's prayer is the same: that everyone who walks through its doors would find the full life Jesus promised.