In Focus

With such broad pastoral experience, founding a church seemed a fitting next step. Although Johnston turned down an offer to plant a church in the Bay Area once, when he was asked again it was a different story. “After praying about it and discussing it with my wife, I decided to accept the challenge.”

And the experience has been a challenge — but one accompanied by new approaches and exciting results. According to Lauren Anderson, who attends Bayside with her husband, Jason, the church offers something many other churches its size do not. “Even though it is large, Bayside has a warm feel where we have been able to connect and feel at home. It is an atmosphere where we would never hesitate to invite someone to attend, regardless of their church background or even if they have never attended church.”

The desire to create such an atmosphere was rooted in extensive research that Johnston conducted before launching Bayside. “We surveyed hundreds of people and asked them the simple question of ‘Hey, why don’t you go to church?’,” said Johnston. “We found that people had no problem with God, but they considered the church to be an outdated, irrelevant, and boring place where the pastor preached down to them. If that’s the impression people have, it’s no wonder they don’t want to attend.”

Johnston sought to erase this perception at Bayside. “We offer services that are attractive and compelling in a contemporary style without compromising the message,” Johnston said. “We seek to offer a ministry similar to what Jesus did.”