The Story of Bay Farm's Birth

Bay Farm Community Church began in March 1988 as an outreach ministry of Lakeside Baptist Church in Oakland. In September 1988, under the leadership of Dr. Andrew Acquistapace, approximately 50 people moved their membership from Oakland to Alameda. The facilities at Lakeside were donated to the Northern California Baptist Conference to be used as an Ethnic Ministry Center. Funds to purchase property in Harbor Bay Landing for the new church were provided through the sale of rental properties in downtown Oakland, as well as surplus cash reserves at Lakeside. Prior to moving to our present facilities, the congregation met for one year at 801 Island Drive. When that property was sold, the church moved to the Harbor Bay Business Park where the church met for another year. In May 1990, the church moved to its present location. In December 2000, founding pastor Dr. Acquistapace retired, and Jim Meyer became Bay Farm's second Senior Pastor. The church recently constructed a new worship center and held its grand opening on November 6, 2005.

What Kind Of Church is Bay Farm?

Bay Farm Community Church is:

1. An autonomous church. We govern ourselves without interference from a denomination or outside organization. The congregation annually ratifies members of our Board of Directors, who govern the church and consult with the congregation on essential matters. We make our own decisions concerning staff, property, and finances. We are members of the Willow Creek Association.
2. A biblical church. Scripture is our governing authority in matters of faith and practice. If the Bible is for an issue, we're for it. If the Bible is against it, we're against it. If the Bible doesn't address an issue specifically, then we seek to apply biblical principles to it.
3. A Christian church. We are committed to who Jesus is and what He has done for us. We stand in the mainstream of historic Christianity in our beliefs and practices. Because our church is composed of people from many denominations, we are non-denominational in our tone.
4. A dynamic church. We aim for our services to be characterized by CARE: creativity, authenticity, relevance, and excellence. Our services use contemporary music, thought-provoking dramas, PowerPoint presentations, and other culturally relevant forms of communication.
5. An evangelical church. We are committed to the evangelion, or gospel ("good news") about Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again from the grave, and that He wants His followers to share the good news with spiritually lost people. In addition:
   • Bay Farm is non-fundamentalist. We do believe in the historic fundamentals of the Christian faith (Jesus is the God-Man, He died for our sins, He truly rose again, He's coming back someday), but we don't use a harsh or judgmental tone.
   • Bay Farm is non-charismatic. We do believe in authentic worship, body ministry, and spiritual gifts, but we don't use the more miraculous gifts in public.

Our Mission Statement

Bay Farm Community Church is a dynamic, Christ-centered church that shares God's unconditional love and leads seekers to salvation and believers to spiritual maturity.

Our Core Values

(not in priority order)

• Biblical teaching
• Congregational worship of God
• Identification and use of spiritual gifts
• Fellowship of believers in Christ
• Group and individual prayer
• A personal relationship with Jesus Christ
• Developing friendships and sharing our faith in Christ with others throughout the community
• Participation in small groups as the primary way for developing personal relationships and spiritual growth
• Presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to unreached peoples across the world