Dayspring Fellowship was established in the early 1990’s. They have a history of being active in the community and partnering with schools and churches to show Christ’s love for others.
Chris Voigt, the lead pastor at Dayspring Fellowship, summed up their beliefs as “Jesus plus nothing.” Meaning that belief in Jesus Christ as a personal Lord and Savior is the only way to get to heaven.
“Every other religion in the world you have to do something in order to gain approval or get into heaven … we [Christians] don’t have to do anything because Jesus already did it,” Voigt said.
They believe in one God that exists in three persons– God the Father, God the Son and the God Holy Spirit. They believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin and died on the cross and rose again on the third day and in doing so took the punishment for mankind’s sins; they believe Jesus ascended to heaven and he will come back one day.
Though they are technically a conservative Baptist church, Voigt says they function more as a community or nondenominational church. They were planted by First Baptist Church of Salem but they tend to be more autonomous.
“(The Conservative Baptist Association) is just there as a resource if we need them, but we don’t answer to them,” Voight said; the denomination does not tell them who to hire.
They belong to the Evangelical Christianity branch of Protestantism.
“What makes Evangelical churches distinct is that they believe they have a high view of Scripture,” he said.
They believe all scripture is the word of God and, “infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts … there are no other writings similarly inspired by God,” according to their website.
Lead Pastor Chris Voigt
“Everything we do is based in the Bible,” Voigt said.
In addition to being a place where people can learn from scripture, Dayspring also wants to be a place that serves its community. The church hosts free tax preparation to seniors and low-income households, they partner with other local churches and schools to help feed the community.
“From the moment you walk in the doors, we want it to feel like home,” Voigt said. He described his church as friendly and casual.
To become a member someone must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, attend Dayspring’s membership class to learn about the church’s beliefs, how they operate and sign a membership covenant agreeing to pray for, support and be involved at Dayspring.
They have a five-piece band with a “modern worship” sound. A typical sermon will be anywhere from 30-35 minutes, but a service will last for about an hour and 15 minutes.
They have two services on Sundays, at 9 and 10:45 a.m. They offer childcare through the fifth grade.
Dayspring Fellowship is located at, 1755 Lockhaven Dr NE. To see their statement of beliefs visits https://www.dayspringfellowship.com/what-we-believe.