Church celebrates six months in Lake area

Six months after its opening service in February, EastLake Community Church Pastor Troy Keaton sums up the first half year like this: God is at work.

“We're amazed at what God's doing, and we can't wait to see what's next,” Keaton said. “I'm 100 percent convinced this is a move of God.”

Mark Dubbeld, associate pastor of worship and family ministries, agrees. “It's been a great ride, but we're just getting started. ...When God is at work like he has been in this church plant, good things transpire.”

EastLake Community Church held its official grand opening service on Feb. 5 with 184 people attending. Months of planning went in to preparing to open the church.

Keaton stresses that the church is a true church plant. “We're not a split, we're not a splinter,” he said. “We were planted by another church. ...We were planted on purpose”

The mother church of EastLake is Parkway House of Prayer in Vinton. Under the leadership of Pastor Steve Parker in the 1990s the church grew from about 40 people to 200 and it built a new facility. In 2000, after Parker was called into a new ministry in Indiana, the Rev. Jeff Keaton was called as the church's new pastor. The church has continued to grow and currently runs more than 400 on a Sunday morning. The church also started a school, Parkway Christian Academy, with more than 170 students enrolled for the upcoming year.

In 2002, Parkway's pastor shared the vision of planting 10 new churches by 2010. EastLake Community Church is the first of those church plants.

After determining that Smith Mountain Lake area was a prime area for a church plant, a pastor of more than 40 years from the area approached Parkway and offered the facility for the location of the new church. He had intended to retire from the church, but felt led, and the church leadership agreed, to give it to Parkway.

Pastors Troy Keaton - Jeff Keaton's brother - and Dubbeld were called to ELCC.

They moved with their families to Virginia last summer and began working on staff at Parkway to begin planning and organizing resources to begin the new church at the Lake.

Keaton and his wife Janel came to SML from Clinton, Tenn., where they had pastored for the past six years.  They are in their 12th year of full-time pastoral ministry.  They have four children: Natalie - 14, Allyson - 12, T.J. - 9 and Trever - 6.

Dubbeld and his wife Janene came to ELCC from just outside of Ocala, Fla., where they were serving as worship and children's pastors for Open Door Community Church. They have five children: Vincent - 14, Leighton - 13, Elena - 10, Channing - 5 and Britton - 2.

The youth pastor is Lincoln Bryan. He and his wife, Lynette, came to EastLake with years of experience in youth leadership. They have two children, Keith - 15 and Kelsea - 10.

About 60 people from Parkway agreed to move over to ELCC to help with the plant and the majority of those have stayed through the first six months. In the meantime the church has attracted people from the Lake area from both Franklin and Bedford counties, averaging more than 160 people per week in July.

One impetus for the growth has been the addition of a second service that ELCC began holding in May. Worship services are now held at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. with Sunday School held at 9:45 a.m.

The church also holds Sunday evening services at 6 p.m. and Wednesday night services for children, youth and adults at 7 p.m.

Keaton said the church's three-fold purpose includes: developing a group of people committed to the Word of God, committed to the Great Commission and committed to living a holy life.

The church's growth has exceeded expectations. But Keaton said the work has just begun.

“I don't easily satisfy. I'm pretty driven. I'm committed to working very hard at it.”

Keaton said the growth can be attributed to the six months of planning that went into preparing for the church, the prayers offered on behalf of the plant and the fact that it was God's timing.

Having road front property just off Va. 122 has helped as well. EastLake Community Church worships in renovated facilities formerly known as Western Light Tabernacle at 14917 Moneta Rd., just across from Old Hendricks Store.

The church held its six-month anniversary celebration Aug. 20 and Keaton said that has provided a good opportunity to reflect on all that has happened as well as to reevaluate the ministries of the church. “We're gearing up for the next level. We feel like the next level will include expanded ministry in every area.”

Now is the time to begin looking for what the future holds for the church, added Keaton. And that means buying land and a new facility. “We think probably in the next two to four years we'll build a new building.”

Keaton said the people who have come to the church - which represent a diversity of church and theological backgrounds - provide a solid team to build upon for the future. “We're all working together,” he said. “We're not your typical church. We're focused, we're committed, we're excited.”

Adds Dubbeld of the church's unity. “Jesus is the main thing... Our whole thought is that Jesus is the one who can change your life.”

ELCC has had a number of special services its first six months, including a service featuring nationally known speaker David Ring.

EastLake will be celebrating the family during the month of September with all of the services geared towards that topic. The month will conclude with a family retreat Sept. 28-30 at Blue Ridge Campground. Spiritual renewal week is set for Oct. 29 - Nov. 1.

The church Web site sums up the church's first six months this way: “Most of all God is changing people's lives here at EastLake.  New people are getting saved, Christians are making a deeper level of commitment to the Lord and families are being restored and strengthened.  For this we thank God.  This is our purpose, this is why God has brought us here and this is what we intend to continue to do.”

For more information on the church call 297-0966 or email pastorkeaton@bellsouth.net.

Print this story

Email this story