United Methodist Church at Lakewood

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United Methodist Church at Lakewood Taken in large part from a piece by Rev. Julia Price The history of Methodism in America is a story of circuit riding preachers moving west with American pioneers building churches wherever the people settled. In the mid-1950's the Lakes area south of Tacoma was just that - a fast growing area where a new breed of pioneers were settling. Modern suburbs were the new frontier in the post World War II America. Some visionary people from Asbury Methodist Church and the Tacoma District Superintendent knew that this was an area ready for a Methodist Church. A piece of land was purchased. A house was provided. Then on June 19, 1955 a young seminary graduate named Jack Tuell along with his wife Margie and their children were appointed by Bishop Raymond Grant to establish a church. The two hallmarks of the ministry have been a strong connection to the Lakewood and Steilacoom communities and the large military community which supports the now Joint Base Lewis and McChord, and a strong commitment to the global ministries of the Methodist and United Methodist Churches. This commitment spans across the generations. In the early decades the church was known in the community for a commitment to youth and children with a strong Sunday-School and youth ministry. During those first years the Sunday-School quickly filled the basement of the parsonage and in 1959 a 50 foot one-room trailer was parked in the parking lot to allow more space for classes. This commitment was deepened with the forming of a Boy Scout troop which grew into one of the strongest ones in the Tacoma area. The youth fellowship groups have been active in many areas which has led to a number of young people from this congregation entering the ordained ministry including Rebecca Parker, Randy Henderson, Doug Waite, and Mark Johnson. In recent years several second career folks have gone from this congregation into ordained ministry - Linda Karalfa, George Abrams, and Sharon Hamilton. The gospel call to minister to the least has always been taken seriously by this congregation. In the early days this is symbolized by a food drive conducted by the Sunday School children where a newsletter article carried forth the challenge but also reminded the families that enough pumpkin had been collected. In the 1990's it was a free Thanksgiving dinner for the community. For many years the first Sunday of the month has been communion Sunday and the local FISH food bank has been included in the offering. Today the Fish food bank actually resides in the Education Wing, and we host a dinner once a month for the clients of the food bank. We are enjoying the outreach so much that soon we hope to have two meals a month. In the late 1980's Lakewood UMC helped to create the "Lakewood Area Shelter Association." This group works to help prevent homelessness in Lakewood through a variety of services including help with rent and utility bills plus transitional housing. In 2005 the congregation again joined in efforts to help the homeless by taking part in the ecumenical "Phoenix Housing Network" for 4 more years. This means that a number of homeless families ate and slept in the church for two weeks each year. The commitment to the global ministries of the United Methodist Church is exemplified by the support of missionary families like Leon Strunk and his work in South America. Currently we have a Covenant relationship with Katherine Parker who is in Cambodia. She is the granddaughter of Bruce and Gretchen Parker. Bruce was the pastor here from 1961-1966. More importantly the strength of commitment can be seen in the priority placed on faithful participation in giving to the larger church through apportionments. This money keeps the church in ministry in our Annual Conference and around the world. In conclusion, we have a strong relationship with the children of our community and greatly support them through Caring for Kids. One of the very large events is held just b