About us
Mission and Vision
Here at Life Church, we value the importance of setting a clear mission and vision. Simply stated, a mission is the “what” we are called to do, while the vision is the “how” we can do it. Every aspect of our mission and vision is taken directly from Scripture and you can read more about them below. Our desire is that every member will not only know our mission and vision but that it will be the very DNA of how we operate as a church.
“What?”
Our Mission: Grow, Love, Reach
Grow
We are called to grow in two distinct and complementary ways. First is personal growth in our relationship with God. The second is growth as a body of believers. Acts 2:47
Love
Love is more than a feeling; it is an action. We are first called to love God and then to love others. Luke 10:27
Reach
The church is not meant to be self-serving. We are called to reach our neighbors and also to reach the nations. Acts 1:8
“How?”
Our Vision: We like to think of our church as a home with 5 rooms that we want you to explore. We find all 5 of these at the beginning of the New Testament church in Acts 2:42-47.
THE PORCH
Even strangers can have a conversation on the porch. We think of our main worship service as a porch. As you grow with God, it's a place to connect and start building relationships with people. Our Sunday morning service (11 am) is a great place to start.
THE LIVING ROOM
This is a great place to really get to know each other. We think of our Life Groups as our living room. You weren't made to do life alone, so let's get real with each other. We have several Home Group options for you to choose from that meet on different nights throughout the week.
THE KITCHEN
When families go to the kitchen, everyone pitches in to get the meal out. Our service opportunities are our kitchen. They give you an opportunity to use your gifts and talents to grow with God.
THE STUDY
You need time to get away from all the busyness so you can just focus. We think of your private time with God as the study. The church helps you grow, but never takes the place of a study.
THE FRONT YARD
When you spend time in the front yard, you never know who you might meet. We think of your opportunity to meet new people and share the love of Jesus with them as our front yard. This means we should be active and engaged with the community.
Beliefs
The Bible
We believe the Bible is completely accurate and the inerrant Word of God. The Bible is a guide to our lives and it tells one complete love story between God and His people. The truths found in Scripture are sufficient for all of lifes problems. God will not contradict His word with any direction given to His people.
God
God is made up of 3 persons existing in one being: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God created everything out of nothing. His most prized creation is mankind. God is completely just and merciful and it is the balance of these two attributes that leads Him to punish sin, but offer a way of forgiveness.
Mankind
Mankind is created in God’s own image. Every person carries an equal value regardless of his/her race, gender or background. We are all born with a desire to sin and rebel from God. Without God’s provision, we cannot be made right with Him.
Salvation
God gave mankind the ability to choose. That choice was used to experience sin. Every person experiences sin by his/her own choice. God is holy, therefore, He can have no part in sin and must punish it, but he also wanted to offer mankind a way to be made right again. Jesus, the second person of the trinity, came to earth, lived a perfect life, died and was raised from the dead to offer forgiveness of sin. When we put our trust in Jesus, our sin is punished through His death and we can inherit His rightful inheritance, which is eternal life.
MEET OUR staff
Meet our staff
Marley Holly
Ministry Associate
mholly@lifechurchsav.com
Marley has been a part of life church since his internship here during the summer of 2021. He leads the Life Church Youth Group, plays drums on the Worship Team, and enjoys playing music, sports, and traveling.
MEET OUR ELDERS
Barrett Freise
Pastoral Intern
Barrett Freise is a recent graduate from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Originally from Wyoming, Barrett enjoys running, camping, and poetry
Jon Tillman
Lead Pastor
jtillman@lifechurchsav.com
Dr. Jon has been at Life Church since 2013. He and his wife, Kristen have three daughters, Ellie, Emma, & Eden. Jon has degrees from UGA (and is a huge fan), and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv & DMin). He enjoys sports, travel, and spending time with friends and family.
Devon Kind
Next Generation Pastor
dkind@lifechurchsav.com
MEET OUR elders
Steve McElveen
themcelveens@aol.com
Steve has been at Life Church since childhood. He has been married to his wife Cathy for over 40 years. His favorite scripture is Romans 5:8 which is the only reason any of us have hope! Steve works for corporate ADT Security as a Field Sales Representative.
Dale Griner
dalegriner86@gmail.com
Dale and his wife, Courtney, and their children have been at Life Church since 2019. His favorite verse is Proverbs 4:7 as it implies to actively seek wisdom.
Annsaan Dobson
annsaan117@gmail.com
Annsaan and his wife, Megan, and their girls have attended Life Church since 2019. His favorite verse is John 16:33, taking comfort in that because Jesus has already overcome, He enables those who trusts Him to do the same.
History
Life Church at Ardsley Park started on December 11, 1904, as a “Sunday School” for families and children in the home of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Griffith with thirty-seven members. The group outgrew the home and in April 1905 they rented a location on Green Street (Now 55th Street) and became the Green Street Mission. The first pastor was J. N. Lee. He led the church to become incorporated under the name Fourth Baptist Church on July 5, 1908. The church moved to its current location on Bull Street in 1917 and in 1927 adopted the name Ardsley Park Baptist Church.
Throughout the next century, the church experienced substantial growth peaking in the 1960s. The growth was followed by years of decline as the culture rapidly changed around the church. In October 2013 the church, which was down to a small group of core members, called pastor Jon Tillman to join together in a revitalization process. The church refocused to become active in the community and adopted the mission to Grow, Love, and Reach. The new focus led the church to many changes including the adoption of the name Life Church at Ardsley Park starting in 2017.
Life Church is now excited to see the mission being carried out. The church is growing rapidly but continues to keep a focus on vibrant relationships as its core value. We hope that you will consider coming and being a part of the new history of Life Church at Ardsley Park.
