“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.” – Isaiah 43:18-22
What Does God Say
About Renewal?
Our Highlighted Events
Kenya & Costa Rica
Planning Meetings
Sunday, January 11 ⋅ 12:30 PM
Join us for our 2026 Kenya Mission Planning Meeting in FC109 where you will learn more about this incredible journey of faith and service! This meeting will provide important details about our upcoming mission trip to Meru, Kenya, and Murara Primary School in the summer of 2026. You’ll hear about the ministries we’ll be partnering with, the projects we’ll be working on, travel logistics, and how you can be part of this life-changing experience. This mission is about mutual transformation—serving and learning alongside our brothers and sisters, encouraging local leaders, investing in the lives of children, and strengthening the global Church. Whether you’re already planning to go or simply curious about what the trip involves, this is the perfect time to learn more and ask questions. Let’s go beyond borders—together.
Join our amazing Costa Rica Mission Trip for next summer! We will visit a Methodist orphanage in San Jose before heading north, where we will provide Vacation Bible Schools and spend much of the week physically building their church in Guapiles, Costa Rica. God’s love will abound as we sing, work, sweat, pray, and eat together! We will meet on January 11 at 12:30 PM in Founders Court to discuss the trip details! We invite you to join us and learn more!
Women’s
Galatians Study
Monday, January 12 ⋅ 6:00 PM
Join us for a women’s bi-weekly study, hosted by our Preschool Director, Kris Ramos, on Mondays at 6:00 PM, beginning January 12! This loving group of women will meet together at Kris’s home, where they will study the book of Galatians, using Elizabeth Woodson’s book, “Live Free”. This will be an eight – week study, with minimal expectations for homework. This is an amazing opportunity to meet in an informal setting to enjoy each other’s company, encourage one another, and study God’s word! You can find the full meeting schedule and register below.
God’s Purpose For You
Weekly Study
Tuesday, January 13 ⋅ Morning or Evening Options
Where do you fit into Christ’s plan for the world? The answer lies in the unique gifts God has given you. This upcoming study, “Discover God’s Purpose for Your Life”, will provide a renewed understanding of who God created you to be and God’s design for Christian community as a whole. This weekly class will be held from Tuesday, January 13 to Tuesday, March 10, with two time options: a morning session at 9:30 AM, or an evening session at 7:00 PM for those who work!
All Highlighted Events
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Weekly Life-Giving Moment
Submit a Life-Giving Moment”I was recently hospitalized and while in the ER, a respiratory therapist, Shante, shared with me the beautiful love of God. Through kindness, talking about how good God is to us, we prayed over each other and a difficult patient she had. She told me about a new nebulizer machine that has greatly eased the way I take respiratory treatments (before, it took three hours a day to do my nebulizers and now it takes only an hour total). We were able to share the love of God with each other and help bear each other's burdens.
Glynda O'Bryan
Important Announcements
Thank You For Supporting Our Food Pantry
Our Matthew 25:35 Food Pantry and First Sunday Pairing volunteers would like to extend the warmest thank you for our congregation’s generous donation of over 152 cans of soup and 94 cans of chili this past Sunday. We are beyond blessed by you all!
Sound Volunteer Needed
We are in need of two volunteers to run sound in our 8:45AM and 10:00AM Traditional Services. We are looking for volunteers to help us for just one hour on Sundays, and the best part is that you can come with your family to the Traditional Service you already regularly attend and then leave after. Plus, all training is provided!
We Are Hiring
We’re seeking a passionate and caring Assistant Director of Kids Ministry to help us create meaningful discipleship experiences, support our exceptional volunteers, and foster a ministry where faith takes root and flourishes. The ideal candidate is someone who loves Jesus deeply, connects easily with children and families, and thrives in a team environment. They are creative, organized, and ready to serve with a joyful heart—helping kids discover who God is and how much He loves them.
Keeping Up With Lakewood
If you are on social media, but aren’t following our Facebook and Instagram pages – you are missing out! We have daily inspirational content, event pictures, special videos from the pastors, announcements, highlighted moments from the sermons, and so much more. Since it is almost the holiday season, we will also have content to help you get into the spirit of Thanksgiving and Advent! You can connect with our social media pages below.
Lakewood Methodist
Permanent Endowment Fund
What is Charitable Giving?
Charitable giving can make you feel good about supporting a cause you care about. It can also have important tax benefits. The new tax act passed in July 2025 (in effect for tax year 2026) made some important changes to the tax provisions for charitable contributions, which could make it more beneficial for people who itemize to consider giving this year, as they may see some reductions in the amounts they can deduct in the future. In contrast, non-itemizers could see greater tax benefits in future years. We would encourage you to consider giving this year to the Lakewood Endowment Fund. There are several common ways to give, and you should always work with your tax or legal specialist on what your advantages are. A few suggestions are:
COMMON WAYS TO GIVE
- Cash or Check made payable to Lakewood Methodist Church, earmarked for the Endowment Fund
- Securities (stock, mutual funds) are often tax efficient if they’ve appreciated.
- IRA charitable rollover (QCD) if you are 70-1/2 you can direct funds straight into the Endowment Fund without any negative tax implications.
- Donor-advised fund (DAF) are grants to the Endowment Fund
- Bequest or beneficiary designations (estate planning)
TAX DEDUCTIBILITY
- Qualified tax deductibility because our Endowment Fund is owned by Lakewood Methodist Church
- You do not receive any goods or services in return for your contribution
WHAT IS AN ENDOWMENT FUND?
- Our Fund is a simple, specialized bank account with specific restrictions on how it is used
- First and foremost, the principal is never withdrawn and any contributions it receives are added to the principal
- Interest is accrued from the rising principal and only interest earned can be withdrawn
- Our objective is to increase principal thereby increasing interest to assist funding Church operations
Join Us This Sunday
Sermon: The Gospel of Luke
Speaker: Senior Pastor, John Stephenson
Scripture: Luke 3:21-38
Year-To-Date Financial Report
How Can We Pray For You?
Give Online
Set up a one-time or recurring payment(s) using our online giving form.