A Century on South Main Street
For one hundred years, Lakeview Christian Church has anchored a stretch of South Main Street in the Portage Lakes region of Akron, Ohio. The congregation marked its centennial in September 2026, and the milestone was folded into an ongoing sermon series through the book of James titled "Everyday Faith." The anniversary celebration, paired with a Sunday picnic on the lawn, was a fitting tribute to a congregation that traces its roots back to a small group of women who wanted the children around them to learn the Bible. As Pastor Jim Gindlesberger put it during the centennial message, "A hundred years ago, a group of women wanted the kids around them to learn the Bible. It was hard, and they didn't quit. This Sunday we get to thank God for everything He has built from that."
Today the church sits at 4613 S. Main St., serving families, college students, and longtime residents across Portage Lakes and greater Akron. The congregation describes itself as a Christ-centered community seeking to walk in the compassionate way of Jesus, where all people find belonging. The mission printed across its materials is straightforward: "Changing Lives Through Jesus' Love," carried out under the hashtag #BeTheChange. Everything the church does is organized around what it calls "Just 3" - Study, Share, and Serve - three practices meant to foster a healthy spiritual life.
Sundays in the Worship Center
Two Sunday services are designed to meet different preferences while sharing one teaching calendar. The Classic Service meets at 9:00 a.m. and uses the classic hymns of the faith, led by worship director Dee Gindlesberger. The Modern Service meets at 11:00 a.m. with a full band and is the congregation's main worship gathering; it is also the service streamed live each Sunday morning.
Visitors can expect biblical, relevant, and relatable teaching. There is no dress code, and the church encourages people to come as they are. Seating in the Worship Center is open, and friendly volunteers are stationed around the building to answer questions. Communion is observed during the services, including on centennial Sunday. First-time guests are invited to fill out a Connect Card so the staff can follow up and help them get oriented.
Between services at 10:10 a.m., Adult Bible Fellowship (ABF) classes gather in the main building. The hour-long classes include a young adult educational class in the library for those under 30 who want to dig deeper. Children have their own programming during this window.
Children's Ministry from Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Families with young children find a fully staffed children's wing ready every Sunday and Wednesday. On Sunday mornings, the nursery welcomes children from birth through age two, the Orange Room hosts two- and three-year-olds, and the Purple Room serves Pre-K and kindergarteners. The big draw for older children is "ROOTED," a full-hour worship service held during the 11:00 a.m. Modern Service for students in first through fifth grade. Children in kindergarten and under can attend a parallel track called "Sprouts." The children's ministry draws its inspiration from Proverbs 22:6 ("Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it") and Colossians 2:6-7, where the idea of being "rooted" in Christ shapes the program's identity.
Wednesday nights bring "Kid's GROUNDED in His Word" for kindergarten through fifth grade, meeting from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. with built-in service opportunities. Children's ministry is overseen by Emilie George, who holds an Associate in Biblical Studies from Word of Life Bible Institute and brings years of preschool and ministry experience to the role. Special family events such as Family Days, zoo trips, Easter egg hunts, Trunk-or-Treat, Bible Olympics Week, and Water Game Nights round out the yearly calendar.
Lakeview Christian Preschool
The preschool operates as an extension of the church into the community. Lakeview Christian Preschool has welcomed children for decades, with the current administrator, Karen Conner, leading the program since 2014 after joining as a teacher in 2013. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Akron. The Pre-K teacher, Heather Hoskinson, has been with the program since 2019.
Two classes share the church's classrooms and playground. The Preschool class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. for children who are three by August 1 and potty trained; tuition is $125 per month. The Pre-K class meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. for children who are four by August 1; tuition is $155 per month. Each classroom includes a science center, reading center, computer center, and home play center, and children rotate between the outdoor playground and indoor play space depending on the weather. Special events include field trips, costume parades, a Thanksgiving Dinner, Christmas celebrations, and a graduation ceremony.
Registration opens March 1 each year, with a one-time $65 registration fee. The preschool is a separately budgeted ministry of the church, and the church notes that Lakeview Christian Preschool does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. Inquiries are handled by Karen Conner at lakeviewcp@yahoo.com.
Teens: Fusion and Mid-Week Bible Study
Middle and high school students meet together on Sunday mornings during the 10:10 a.m. ABF hour for a class in the library, and they gather again on Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for Fusion, a deeper dive into the Sunday morning passage. After the combined lesson, students split into small groups by grade for faith conversations. Every six weeks the group comes together for a community service project, putting the lesson into action. Outside of regular programming, the youth ministry offers weekend retreats, summer camps, all-night parties, and Bible Olympic Nights. Youth and Outreach Pastor Drew George, who grew up attending Lakeview and previously served as Associate Minister of Youth and Outreach for five years, oversees the program along with the broader outreach ministry.
YAM: Young Adults on Tuesdays
Lakeview's Young Adult Ministry, branded as YAM, is a collective of eighteen- to thirty-year-olds that meets every Tuesday evening from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. The group rotates weekly between a study night (digging into Scripture and applying it to daily life) and a game night ("a bunch of grown adults getting the chance to blow off some steam and act like they are back in middle school"). Sundays also include a young adult educational class at 10:10 a.m. for those who want to study alongside peers in the same life stage. Executive Pastor Tyler Chappell leads YAM in addition to overseeing the 11:00 a.m. modern service and broader discipleship pathways at the church.
Women's Ministry: Quilts, Studies, and Prayer Breakfasts
The Women's Ministry at Lakeview centers on the conviction that women grow best when they are "real women who share our true stories of our amazing God." The quilting group meets every Monday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. and stitches prayer quilts as a gift of God's love to those who are hurting. Two weekly Bible studies anchor the ministry: one on Tuesday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. in the church library, and another on Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m. A monthly prayer breakfast gathers women at Honeymoon Grill on the third Saturday of each month at 9:00 a.m. A year-long Secret Sister program pairs women for ongoing encouragement. Women also serve throughout the church and community - from decorating and laundering to preparing communion - and volunteer at the Children's Home and Canton Christian Home.
Men's Ministry: Bible Study, Prayer, and Service
The men's ministry is built around three goals: developing a strong relationship with God, pursuing His glory, and constant worship. A weekly Bible study meets every Saturday at 8:00 a.m. in the church library. Men also gather for a prayer breakfast on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at Fa-Rays in Barberton at 8:30 a.m. Annual traditions include a Men's Corn Roast and a retreat at Round Lake Christian Camp. Across the year the men serve in the church and community: caring for widows and shut-ins, maintaining the building, and helping run special events.
Adult Education, ABFs, and Small Groups
Adult education is the backbone of the Study side of "Just 3." The Sunday ABF classes at 10:10 a.m. and the Wednesday adult educational class at 6:00 p.m. are designed for fellowship, study, and prayer in groups of fifteen to thirty people. Elective classes rotate throughout the year and have included Financial Peace University, The Truth Project, Love and Respect, and Discovery Classes. A tiered approach matches study depth with time commitment:
- 100 Level - a one-hour weekly commitment, meeting Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, covering scripture from the previous Sunday's sermon.
- 200 Level - two-hour commitments that vary by day; includes YAM, women's and men's groups, Life:Connect for adults in their late twenties to forties, and Ambassadors (50+).
- 300 Level - short-term or one-time classes lasting four to six weeks, such as the Next Steps onboarding class and Spiritual Development courses.
- 400 Level - four-hour leadership training and intentional discipleship coaching.
Community Groups meet in homes and restaurants for prayer, study, accountability, and fellowship, with regular service projects and outings woven in.
Celebrate Recovery on Thursday Nights
Celebrate Recovery meets at the church every Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and offers a Christ-centered path to freedom from hurts, hang-ups, and habits. The program is designed for anyone carrying pain, not only those struggling with substance use; codependency, anger, sexual addiction, eating disorders, control issues, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and grief are among the many issues addressed. After large-group worship, attendees join smaller open-share groups for men, women, grief, or divorce. No registration is required to attend, and confidentiality is taken seriously. The State of Ohio does require counselors and pastors to report any suspicion of abuse or neglect.
Hope Counseling
Hope Counseling is the church's biblical, professional Christian counseling service. Tim Morber, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with Supervising status (M.Ed., LPCC-S), offers confidential, private counseling. The service is directly reachable at 234-360-1939. Hope Counseling is built on deep community roots and serves as a trusted resource for Portage Lakes and the surrounding area.
Missions: Local and Global
Lakeview holds that involvement in missions is not optional but essential. The missions committee frames it bluntly: "What oxygen is to fire, missions are to the church." The church supports missionaries across the globe and partners with local ministries. Short-term mission trips have recently gone to Mexico, Brazil, Barbados, and Joplin, and additional trips are in the planning stages. The church also strongly supports Christian education, including its own preschool program. Local projects mentioned by the church include Lifeline Christian Mission meal packing, Habitat for Humanity builds, and the REHAB Ministry for those rebuilding and recovering.
What the Church Believes
Lakeview's Statement of Faith centers on a high view of Scripture and the central doctrines of the Christian faith. The congregation believes in one God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and affirms that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, fully human and fully divine, lived a sinless life, suffered and was crucified as an atonement for sin, rose again bodily, ascended into Heaven, and will return in victory to rule forever. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, indwells every Christian, helps in weakness, intercedes in prayer, and empowers fruitful Christian living.
Salvation is by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ, received by faith in Christ, repentance of sin, confession of Christ, and baptism by immersion. The Bible is taught as God's inspired, inerrant Word and the final authority for faith, truth, morality, and Christian living. Marriage is described as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman. The church is described as the body of believers founded on the Day of Pentecost, organized into local assemblies, with elders serving as overseers and the final interpretive authority of the Bible's meaning and application for the church. Members are called to meet regularly for fellowship, worship, teaching, and the Lord's Supper, to serve one another, to bear one another's burdens, and to pursue personal holiness.
Under the heading "What We Believe," the church also distills its convictions into four short points: God is the only sovereign, wise, and good Creator of all things; human beings are made in God's image but lost in sin since Adam; God sent His only Son to save us through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection; and salvation is a gift received by grace through faith in Jesus.
Leadership: Elders and Pastors Together
Lakeview is an elder-protected and elder-led congregation. The elders provide oversight, vision, guidance, and protection over both the corporate and spiritual life of the church. A team of pastors leads the day-to-day ministry and oversees the paid staff, which is made up of full-time ministry staff, full-time support staff, and part-time ministry and support staff.
Jim Gindlesberger, the Lead Pastor, has served at Lakeview for more than thirty-six years and has been leading as Lead Pastor for the last six. A graduate of Cincinnati Bible College with a Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership from Cincinnati Christian University, Jim is married to Dee Gindlesberger, the Classic Service worship director, and they have two married daughters and a grandson. Tyler Chappell, a Malone University graduate with eighteen years in ministry, serves as Executive Pastor overseeing direction, discipleship, and worship. Drew George is the Youth and Outreach Pastor, and his wife Emilie George directs the Children's Ministry. Tyler Kula, the Connections Coordinator, helps newcomers and members take next steps. Carlea Best, the Communications Liaison, manages the church's email and SMS communications.
"Just 3" - Study, Share, Serve
Every ministry at Lakeview is organized around three habits the congregation calls "Just 3." Study is the practice of opening the Bible regularly and growing in knowledge of God, ranging from short weekly ABF lessons to in-depth leadership training. Share is the practice of doing life together - in quilting groups, prayer breakfasts, bowling leagues, the Celebrate Recovery open-share groups, and weekly community groups. Serve is the practice of putting faith into action: teaching children, packing meals for Lifeline Christian Mission, building homes with Habitat for Humanity, serving at the Children's Home and Canton Christian Home, and caring for widows and shut-ins. The congregation's prayer is that, before they can be the change, they must first be changed.
How to Get Connected
Three simple first steps are available for anyone wanting to connect. Pizza with the Pastors is held periodically after the Sunday service in the Social Hall, giving newcomers a chance to meet the pastoral team and their spouses over food. The Next Steps Class walks new attendees through who Lakeview is, what it believes, and how to join in the mission; the class meets in the Social Hall with snacks provided. A Connect Card can be filled out online so the staff can follow up directly.
Beyond those entry points, regular Share Opportunities include the Men's Prayer Breakfast, the Never Too Old (55+) lunch and outings, the Quilters, a mixed bowling league at Apollo Lanes, the Celebrate Recovery open-share groups, and community groups that meet in homes. Inside the church, volunteers serve in children's ministry, youth programs, hospitality teams, and technical support. Outside the church, volunteers pack meals, go on mission trips, run community service projects, and support local outreach partnerships.
Livestream, Podcast, and Daily Devotionals
The 11:00 a.m. Modern Service is streamed live every Sunday, and the Sunday Evening Online Church streams a separate service at 6:00 p.m. on Twitch. A sermon podcast carries the Sunday message every week, and a YouTube channel hosts a long-running archive of past sermons. Mid-Week sermons by Pastor Jim Gindlesberger are released between Sundays. Quick Thoughts are short devotional-style blog posts published several times each week. The 5 Day Devotional series walks readers through the previous Sunday's sermon across five days of Scripture, application, prayer, and discussion.
Giving, Merch, and Practical Details
Financial giving is described as an act of worship. Online giving is available through a secure giving platform, and gifts can be scheduled as one-time or recurring donations from a bank account, debit card, or credit card. Text-to-Give is available by texting the gift amount to 84321. Contributions can also be mailed to the church office. A line of Lakeview-branded merchandise is available online through Printful; proceeds support ministry and outreach.
The church is open for prayer and visits throughout the week. The main office can be reached at (330) 644-8809 or office@lakeviewcc.net, and the preschool office at lakeviewcp@yahoo.com. The church is located at 4613 S. Main St., Akron, OH 44319.
Whether a visitor arrives for a Classic hymn, a Modern set with a full band, a quilting circle, a Celebrate Recovery meeting, or a Saturday men's Bible study, Lakeview Christian Church aims to be the same: a place where people are loved and feel like they belong, and where a hundred-year story is still being written.