About Lakewood

We believe the Bible is the divinely inspired word of God and is authoritative in matters of salvation. We believe in the one, true, holy and living God; one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Creator of all that is seen and unseen.

We believe Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine. We believe Jesus died for our sins and that on the cross, our sins were forgiven. We believe that Jesus died and that on the third day he rose from the dead, opening the way for us to be raised to new life. We believe that “since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith.” (Romans 3:23–25). One day Christ will return and those who believe in him will enjoy his presence eternally.

We believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from and is one being with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit leads people into a relationship with Christ. He comforts, sustains, empowers, and teaches so that we become more and more like Christ.

We believe the church “is a community of true believers under the Lordship of Christ. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by persons divinely called and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ’s own appointment.” (Global Methodist Church Book of Doctrines & Discipline, Article 308) At Lakewood Methodist Church, our mission is people guiding people into a lifestyle centered around Jesus.

God is the Creator of the universe and everything in it. God is one in three and three in one. He is triune: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is both intimate and transcendent.

Jesus is the Son of God. He is fully human and fully divine. He is the Word made flesh. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross to atone for our sins, rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. One day, he will return and make all things right and new.

The Holy Spirit is the abiding presence of God in the world. He prompts our awareness of our need for Jesus. When we receive Jesus as Lord of our lives, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher, our Comforter, and Advocate.

Human beings are made in the image of God. All persons are of sacred worth. We are all born with great potential for good. We are created to be in a loving eternal relationship with God. However, because we each have free will, we also have the ability to choose things which are not good. Though we are made in the image of God, that image is clouded by sin. Sin separates us from God.

We need God to save us. Because we are separated from God by sin, and because we cannot save ourselves, we need God to save us. Our salvation comes when we accept the free gift of God’s grace in Jesus. This brings new life and sets us up for an abundant and eternal life that starts in this lifetime the moment we say “yes” to God’s gift of grace in Jesus and continues eternally by God’s loving action in our lives.

“Good works” cannot save us. Only God can make us right. We cannot be good enough in our own power. And yet, “good works” are not optional. We respond to God’s goodness by reflecting that goodness by how we live.

The Bible reveals God’s Word so far as is necessary for our salvation. We believe scripture is the primary source and criterion for our beliefs. The Bible is authoritative for faith, morals, and service, against which all other authorities must be measured.

Baptism is our initiation into the family of God and marks our identification as God’s beloved children. In baptism, God’s loving action is far more important than what we do as people. God chooses us regardless of how old we are when we are baptized. Because in baptism God marks us as belonging to Him, it is unnecessary to be baptized more than once. Those who are baptized as infants and children are invited to confirm their belief in Christ through Confirmation.

Holy Communion nourishes our life in God. When we receive the sacrament of Holy Communion we have the opportunity to renew our relationship with Jesus. In the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine, we receive God’s grace. Because we believe God offers His grace in the sacrament of holy communion, we believe God invites any and all who wish to share in the sacrament. Therefore we celebrate an open table and do not require people to be members of our church before receiving communion.