Missions & Ministries

A Message from the Chair of our Missions committee:

I'm often asked "What is Lakewood doing for Missions?" And, while I am always happy to answer and talk about Habitat For Humanity, or the Ozark Mission Project, or Meals on Wheels, lately I've started asking people back, "I dunno, what do you think we should be doing?"

While those that know me are probably not surprised by a smart-alec response, the reason for it is that the Missions Committee has adopted a new Mission Statement designed to get everyone at Lakewood involved: "The purpose of the Lakewood Missions Team is to empower each member of the church to Expand the Light by sponsoring or participating in projects in the community, the state and the world."

If you would like to Expand the Light through Mission Work, please consider one of these projects and contact me.

• Broadway Bridge: Once a month we take food to the homeless.
• Habitat for Humanity: Once a month we work at a different Habitat job site, building affordable housing for people in Central Arkansas
• Lakewood Elementary: We are working to provide mentors and others who can help in the school.
• Literacy Council: Teach an adult to read! There is a waiting list of people who would like to learn. You would meet with a student for an hour a week.
• Meals on Wheels:Help provide hot food to the elderly on our Park Hill route.
• Kenya 2010: We are planning a trip to Kenya in 2010. We hope to work under the direction of Bill and Jerri Savuto, Methodist Missionaries.

Yours in Christ,
Michael O'Connor
Chair, Missions Committee

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More mission information:

The Ozark Mission Project. This is a summer camp where teenagers -- instead of hanging by the pool or earning gas money -- get out in the Arkansas heat to help people who are physically or financially unable to maintain their homes.  Mark Lasater, an associate pastor here at Lakewood, started a single camp. Now, twenty-two years and over 5000 homes (!) later, it's blossomed into a dozen camps with over 600 campers each summer. They live in churches, eat donated food and borrow homes each evening to take showers.  

The teens at the 2008 camp hosted by Lakewood completed 46 projects, including painting 18 homes and building 7 wheel chair ramps, 3 porches, and 2 sheds.  Read a touching report by Hank Godwin, Camp Co-director.

Our Prayer Shawl Ministry, Sisters 'n Stitches, knits with loving hands for those in need of comfort and prayer. The shawls are blessed and given for times of illness, loss, recovery or any need requiring special prayer.

Gardner Food Pantry: We partner to help staff and stock the food pantry at Gardner Memorial United Methodist Church here in North Little Rock. Last year the pantry helped feed over 3000 hungry families.

As one example, take our annual Expanding the Light golf tournament, which raised over $7300 to fight hunger in Arkansas. Proceeds were split between Gardner Food Pantry, the Arkansas Rice Depot and the Heifer Project. 

We enjoyed hosting our first Christmas in July public festival. We took over Lakewood Amphitheater on a hot July evening, gave away over 300 snowcones, treated everyone to a free concert, gathered donations for the Gardner Food Pantry, and helped Central Arkansas Rescue Effort (CARE) and Last Chance Arkansas with pet adoptions.