Who we are

Grow & Go

It's all about RELATIONSHIP

The history of "Living Stream" church began with a group of Slavic Christians, praying for God to send them a pastor. In 2000 the Lord brought Bondarenko family to Jacksonville, and Vitaliy Ivanovich Bondarenko became the first pastor.

For 17 years of his ministry he faithfully ministered and laid a solid foundation in the spiritual development of the church.

Pastor Vitaliy loved people, and had a heart for serving young people; he devoted much of his attention to them - he married, baptized, and ordained many of them. Most importantly, he used every opportunity available to preach about the Lord.

Pastor Vitaly’s ministry went beyond our church. He taught in various Bible schools, was invited as a speaker to many conferences, greatly supported missions, and never stopped evangelizing.

In 2017, our beloved Pastor Vitaliy left to be with the Lord and his son, Bogdan Bondarenko, became the senior pastor. Today, our church continues to grow and develop in different directions, despite all the difficulties we have faced.

Living Stream Church's vision can be stated in two words: GROW and GO, which means we are striving to achieve spiritual maturity and go into this world to save the lost.

God has not yet told us “enough”; therefore, our story continues. The desire and purpose of our church is to be the light and salt of this world, not just to be in “Living Stream” church, but to be the living stream.

WE BELIEVE

Know God, Find Freedom, Discover your Purpose, and Make a Difference

Holy Scriptures: We believe that the Holy Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, are fully inspired by God, and is infallible and without error in its original manuscripts. The Bible is the absolute and supreme source and authority in matters of faith and life.

2 Tim. 3:16-17 1 Thes. 2:13 2 Pet. 1:21 Rom.16:25-26

God: We believe in one eternal, almighty, and perfect God — one divine essence, eternally abiding in three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator of all things that are visible and invisible.

Gen. 1:1 Deut. 6:4 Is. 43:10-11 Mat. 28:19 1 John 5:7-8

Jesus Christ: We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in Him being fully God and fully man, in His miracles, in His atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, and in His second coming to the earth in power and glory.

John 1:14 1 Tim. 3:16 1 Tim. 2:5 Is. 9:6 Phil. 2:5-6

Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit is God, who dwells in us producing fruit in all believers who are born again, and empowers them for service and witness to the world. Through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, believers can speak in tongues. We believe that the gifts of the Spirit are active and necessary for the present time.

2 Cor. 3:17 Gal. 5:22-23 Rom. 8:9 1 Cor. 12:4-101 Cor. 12:28 Acts 19:6 Joel 2:28-29

Salvation: We believe that the fall and sinfulness of man, resulted in separation from God. Man's only hope for redemption of sins is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God. We are saved by grace, through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ: His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our human efforts.

Matt. 26:26-29 1 Cor. 10:16 1 Cor. 11:23-25

Water Baptism: We believe that all who have repented and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, are to be baptized, at a mature age, by means of full immersion into water, according to the commandment of Jesus Christ. Through water baptism believers proclaim to the world their death to sin and resurrection with Christ to new life.

Matt. 28:19 Acts 2:38 Mark 16:16 1 Pet. 3:21 Col. 2:12

The Lord’s Supper: We believe that The Lord’s Supper, consisting of bread and the fruit of the vine, is a commemoration of the death of the Lord and is to be done in remembrance of Him until He comes again. The bread and the fruit of the vine are symbols that represent the body and the blood of Christ. This institution is intended for baptized believers.

Matt. 26:26-29 1 Cor. 10:16 1 Cor. 11:23-25

Marriage: We believe marriage is defined in the Bible as a lifelong covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman. It is publicly entered into before God and officiated by an ordained pastor.

Matt. 19:4-6 1 Cor. 6:9-10

Sanctification: We believe that sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to mature and develop Christ's character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a holy life.

1 Thess. 4:3-5:23 2 Cor. 3:18, 6:17 Rom. 12:1-2 Rev. 2:11 2 Tim. 3:16

Church: We believe that The Church of Jesus Christ is the universal, spiritual body of believers from every tribe, tongue, and race. It is empowered to fulfill the Great Commission, which is to spread the Gospel and to manifest the Kingdom of God. Every Christian must belong to a local church for fellowship, service, accountability and spiritual growth.

Matt. 16:18 Eph. 1:22 Eph. 2:19-22 Eph. 3:10 Rom. 12:4-5 Jam. 5:14-16 Matt. 16:19 Heb. 10:25

Prophetic Future: We believe in the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints, the millennial reign, and the final judgment. The final judgment will determine the eternal status, either heaven or hell, for all people.

2 Pet. 3:13 Mark 14:62 Matt. 26:64 Rev. 20:12-14 Rev. 20:1-6