The twin congregations of the Lakeside Presbyterian Church (LPC) realized a dream that has been 18 months in the making when they both held Christmas Eve afternoon services in the church’s new building in Riberas.
Those attending the preview of the enormous new building were delighted to find that it now has sturdy walls and an innovative roof. There is even functioning electrical service and plumbing, at least enough for the inaugural holiday services that each featured carol singing, scripture reading, a short pastoral meditation and a Christmas pageant presented by La Ola, the children’s home sponsored by the church.
The Lakeside Presbyterian Church is unique in a variety of ways. While registered as a Presbyterian church, the members of the church’s two separate, but equal congregations are from a number of denominations. The Spanish-speaking portion of the church, the Iglesia Presbiteriana del Lago, meets with pastor Guillermo Banuet, while the English-speaking group meets under the leadership of Rev. Ross Arnold, D. Min., the volunteer LPC senior pastor. Add an active children’s Sunday school to the combined weekly average 180 members and the congregations’ wide range of acutely defined and determined community services and it’s no surprise that the group has outgrown the modest storefront location on the Carretera in Riberas they purchased not long after LPC was founded.