Breaking down our name is probably the best way to understand who we are. We'll start at the end and work backward.
CHURCH
A church isn’t a building. It’s a gathering of Jesus followers who come together to worship God, learn the Jesus way, serve, reach, and do life together as a community of faith.
Usually, we say there are three marks, three things that are present for a healthy church. First, the preaching of the word. That is the first item noted about the early believers in Jerusalem – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42; see the whole verse for a good description of the marks of the church). The church is the arena in which God’s truth is to be on display ( 1 Tim. 3:15 ). A church can only remain a True Church so long as it receives God’s Truth in the Scriptures. That is why it is so crucial what a particular church thinks about the Bible.
A second mark: the provision of the sacraments administered and received in the proper manner ( Matt. 28:18-20, I Cor. 11:23-26 ), and done because Christ commanded it.
Third, the practice of discipline ( Heb. 13:17 , Matt. 18:15-20 ). The elders are charged to exercise this discipline in a vigilant, loving, and careful manner, in order to direct the lives of God’s people in godliness. Discipline is not simply negative or a matter of correcting faults or flagrant sins. It is also a positive effort by the church to encourage every member to live a life of holiness unto the LORD.
In fact, whenever the word of God is preached, God’s people are under discipline, for they are being called to shape their thoughts and lives according to God’s requirements.
PRESBYTERIAN
What does Presbyterian mean? The term refers to how our church is governed; that is, rule by presbyters or elders. In Scripture we find that there are two offices in the local church (see 1 Tim. 3:1-13 ; 5:17-20 ), deacons and elders. The deacons have a serving office intended to display humility before God’s people (the deacon’s service points to the serving activity all God’s people should show). This is needed because God’s people are prone to pride. The elders hold a ruling office intended to exercise shepherding care over God’s people. This is necessary because God’s people are prone to wandering (see 1 Pet. 5:1-4 , Heb. 13:17).
So a Presbyterian church is one in which there is rule by presbyters or elders. Elders are elected by members of the local congregation. In Scripture we find that there are two kinds of elders. Teaching elders (pastors) and ruling elders (lay leaders) (cf. 1 Tim. 5:17 ). Elders of the local church constitute the session. Elders from churches in a region form a presbytery (Our church is part of Presbytery of the Mississippi Valley). Elders from churches throughout the nation form the General Assembly.
LAKELAND
We are a gathering of Jesus followers located off Lakeland Blvd in Flowood, MS. We long to be a ‘city on a hill” in Rankin County, and the Jackson Metro area: We long to be a place where the broken find hope, believers grow in maturity, and Jesus is treasured above all.
REFORMED
This term is not a part of our church’s name, but Lakeland, as a Presbyterian Church, is also a Reformed body. “Reformed” refers to our doctrine or teaching. Our doctrine flows primarily from the Bible as that biblical faith was rediscovered in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. These doctrines are summarized in our standards, The Westminster Confession Of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.