We are a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which has approximately 2.5 million members nationwide. Our church is a member of the Presbytery of St. Augustine which is made up of churches in 14 Northeast Florida counties. The Presbyterian Church is one of the earliest democratic organizations in the United States of America. W
ABOUT OUR DENOMINATION: The Presbyterian heritage can be traced to the Protestant Reformation. John Calvin, a French theologian, defined Reformed thinking. John Knox, a Scotsman who studied with Calvin, took this theology back to Scotland, where the Presbyterian Church was founded. The first American Presbytery was formed at Philadelphia in 1706.. W
ABOUT OUR BELIEFS: Among the tenets of our faith are the sovereignty of God, the authority of the scripture, justification by grace through faith and the priesthood of all believers. We believe that God is the supreme authority throughout the universe, and that our salvation through Jesus is God's generous gift to us and not the result of our own accomplishments
Ministries
Building and Grounds Ministry
This hard-working group of people personally handles minor repairs of the church, reviews contracts with outside vendors, oversees the work of the custodian, plans at least three work days during the year, and does whatever is required to keep the buildings and grounds in the best shape possible, while attending to any special needs that arise. In addition to the regular day to day activities in the life of an active church, we offer our facilities to provide meeting space for many worthwhile organizations, including: Boy Scout leaders, Women in Recovery, Highland Dancers, Girl Scouts, Brownie Scouts, Sierra Club, a prison ministry, and an investment club.
Communication Ministry
Enhancing communication with our church membership and the local Jacksonville community at large is the purpose of this ministry. Its main responsibilities are to maintain a church website, assist the newsletter editor, assess and develop appropriate signage for the church, and coordinate the publishing of a pictorial directory of all church members.
Congregational Care Ministry
Caring for our members is the mission of this ministry, which visits and delivers Christmas and Easter flowers to the homebound, periodically reviews the church rolls, supports the CareVisitors program, sends cards to members on a weekly basis, supports the "Lost Sheep Program," and implements programs that benefit the community at large with events such as our recent "Children of Aging Parents Seminar."
Christian Education Ministry
This ministry is dedicated to the continuing education and spiritual development of every age group at Lakewood Presbyterian Church. Sunday School classes are held weekly for children ages 4-18 and for adults. The nursery provides care for children less than four years of age during Sunday School and worship services. Additional Christian Education offerings include mid-week Bible study; special educational series, such as faith & film, spiritual gifts, Lenten studies, and youth confirmation; Vacation Bible School for ages 3 through 5th grade; Faith Weaver Friends on the 1st Wednesday of the month for children Pre-school through 5th grade; the annual Mission trip for Middle School Youth; the annual Senior High Conference at Montreat, N.C.; and retreats for spiritual deepening for youth and adults.
New Member Development Ministry
This ministry is committed to providing a warm, inviting environment for people who are seeking a church home. It supplies visitors with information about our church, contacts guests by telephone, organizes at least two New Member/Visitor Classes each year, and maintains a bulletin board that features photographs of new members of the church.
Outreach Ministry
Lakewood Presbyterian Church has always been active in helping our community become a better place in which to live. Among the Outreach Ministry's activities are:
- Paint-The-Town
- Jacksonville Campus Ministry
- Cooking and serving meals at the I.M. Sulzbacher Center
- Hosting Bloodmobile collections every nine weeks
- Supporting Meals-on-Wheels
- Providing financial and food contributions to the United Community Outreach Ministry
- Buying clothing and shoes for needy children
- Providing Thanksgiving dinners to families in need
- Supporting the Jamaica Mutual Mission youth exchange
- Participating in CROP Walk to fight hunger
- Hosting the Alternative Christmas Fair
- LPC fills Christmas stockings for the Salvation Army
- "Dignity U Wear" to collect brand new underwear for children in need
- Contributes to the Sanctuary on 8th Street
- Contributes to Campus Crusade for Christ
- And supporting our missionary family in Serbia.
We were a founding member of UCOM (United Community Outreach Ministries,) which serves the Southside in a number of ways, including job training and emergency needs. We continue to support this mission by providing financial and food contributions.
Program Ministry
Meeting for a good dinner at church on Wednesday nights is always enjoyable, but we know that building fruitful fellowship with church friends, gaining useful and inspiring information, and just plain having fun is like the frosting on the proverbial cake. All these benefits come from the after-dinner programs planned by our creative Program Ministry. Whether it's a Lakewood talent night, fun and games, or guest speakers who share interesting facts, figures, and experiences with us, our programs nourish our souls just as the food nourishes our bodies.
Stewardship Ministry
Realizing that God has blessed all of us in so many ways, this ministry works to develop a continuing commitment to the work of our church. The goal of the Ministry is to inspire a renewed sense of giving among every member of our congregation; and, to adopt a time and talent survey to learn how members can best put their skills and knowledge to use toward that end.
Worship Ministry
This ministry's responsibilities encompass the many components necessary for regular Sunday worship services, including flowers, banners, bulletins, candles, and liturgical colors. It also prepares for and serves Communion on a monthly basis, maintains a roster of ushers, trains Acolytes, operates the sound system, plans special services, oversees decoration of the church for special holy days, and provides assistance for baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
