ABOUT US

WHO WE ARE

 

About Us Sovereign Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA

Sovereign Shores Baptist Church, formerly Water's Edge Church, was established in 1974 and is a gospel-centered congregation in the coastal community of Virginia Beach, VA. We are a theologically conservative church that exists for the glory of God and seeks to be most passionate about what's most important

 

SSBC is an elder led, deacon served, and congregationally ruled church with meaningful membership practices. Our weekly gatherings provide a welcoming, friendly environment with live expository preaching, public readings of Scripture, and Christ-honoring lyrics in our music for congregational singing. We are grateful for the spiritual health that the Lord has cultivated here and blessed to serve God in the Hampton Roads region of Southeast Virginia.  

WHAT WE BELIEVE

At Sovereign Shores Baptist Church, we affirm the historic Christian faith, built on the Holy Scriptures, and expressed in statements such as The Apostle's Creed, The Nicene Creed, and The Baptist Faith and Message 2000. The SSBC Statement of Faith consists of 12 articles and is a confessional document that communicates and clarifies our beliefs.

GOD

REVELATION

HUMANITY

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY

THE FALL

GOD'S PLAN

THE GOSPEL

THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

THE CHURCH

BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER

THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

MISSION & VISION

 

The SSBC Mission

Sovereign Shores Baptist Church exists to glorify God by making disciples through gospel-centered teaching, gospel centered community, and gospel-centered service.

 

This statement communicates both our mission (to glorify God by making disciples) and our method (gospel-centered teaching, gospel-centered community, and gospel-centered service). The means by which we make disciples is through faithful teaching of God's Word, genuine community that is accountable to one another, and authentic service motivated by the stewardship of the gospel. 

The SSBC Vision

To be "a gospel-centered church helping people become most passionate about what is most important." By God's grace, we want both our desires and priorities as a church to be shaped by what Scripture says is most important. Here is what the Bible says:

The Most Important Mandate
The Most Important Message
The Most Important Mission

OUR ELDERS

 

Elders are biblically qualified men who serve as overseers of the local church, shepherding the flock of God through teaching His Word, praying, caring for church members, and training members to do the work of ministry. (Acts 6:4; 20:28-29; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 13:17; James 3:1; 5:14-15; 1 Peter 5:1-3)

Matthew Elder Sovereign Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA

Matthew Gay

Sam Gilbert

Drew Elder Sovereign Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA

Dr. Andrew Knofczynski

Kevin Elder Sovereign Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA

Dr. Kevin Newman

Tim Elder Sovereign Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA

Timothy Parsons

Adam Elder Sovereign Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA

Adam Rastetter, M.Div

Steve Elder Sovereign Shores Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, VA

Dr. Steven Roby

OUR DEACONS

 

Deacons, or deaconesses, are biblically qualified, character-tested servants of the church who support and protect the ministry of the Word by meeting tangible needs, preserving unity, and enabling the elders to shepherd the congregation more effectively. (Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:8-13)

Katielynne Gay

Children's Ministry Director

Lisa Roby

Congregational Care/Admin

Tracy Cioppa

Hospitality

Jacob Hoke

Outreach

Diego Lopez-Rodriguez

Property Maintenace

Melissa Ferguson

Special Events

Gary Shaffer

Technology

Noah Shaffer

Worship

OUR LOGO

 

The Mosaic Water Drop - A Vision for Our Gathering


Mark chapter 4 describes a scene in which Jesus was teaching next to a body of water. The number of people that gathered around him became so large that as they pressed in, Jesus got into a boat and continued teaching "while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge" (Mark 4:1, NIV). In calling ourselves Sovereign Shores, we envision our gathering to be a place "along the shore" (Virginia Beach, VA) where we hear the teaching of our Sovereign Lord, and learn to observe all that He has commanded us. 


The water drop in our logo is in the form of stained glass. Each piece is different. Through the design, we are reminded of the diverse crowd that Jesus attracted. We want to be a church where all types of people come to hear His Word: the saved, the seeker, and the skeptic. Jesus offers himself to all as "living water," and those who drink of it will never thirst again (John 4).

 

As a mosaic piece of art it reminds us that in Christ, though we are many, we are One. Each individual piece contributes to the whole, as is such in the body of Christ (Eph 4; Rom 12; 1 Cor 12). 


 

The Circle - The Sovereignty of God

The circle in our logo is designed to illustrate the shoreline established by our Sovereign God that sets the boundaries of the seas.  Proverbs 8:29 says, "he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth." And . . . in Jeremiah 5:22 the Lord says, "I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it."

The circle serves as a reminder that God is "Sovereign" over the "Shores." He established the boundaries and is always in control -through good times . . . and bad. This is a source of comfort for the believer. "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose
" (Rom 8:28).