Lakewood Chapel
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Lakewood Chapel is a multi-cultural, non-denominational church based in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with Pentecostal roots and belongs to the National Association of Evangelicals.[1] The church is also known for its diversity[2] and affiliation with Pastor Joel Osteen and Lakewood Church.[3][4][5][6][7]
History & Founding Pastor
John Elleson is the founding pastor of Lakewood Chapel in Arlington Heights, Illinois.[8] Under his leadership, the church has expanded its outreach within the Chicagoland area.[4]
In 1985, Elleson began his ministry at Calvary Temple in Naperville, Illinois (now Calvary Church) under Pastor Bob Schmidgall. His wife, Sue, worked as a teacher at the church’s school. In 1987, they established Calvary Chapel,[9] naming it in recognition of Schmidgall’s influence.[10] Elleson pastored the church in Vernon Hills until 1991. Following the events of Tiananmen Square in 1989, the family moved to China, where Elleson taught at universities and engaged in religious outreach. He was arrested by the Chinese government for showing the Jesus Film, despite prior authorization. In 1992, the family returned to the United States, where Elleson became the pastor of an Assemblies of God church in Vandalia, Illinois.[11]
In 1998, Elleson relocated to Morris, Illinois, where he established the Morris Family Center, which housed church services and a drug rehabilitation program, Turning the Tide.[12] Later that year, he became the director of Teen Challenge USA in Hawaii, focusing on addiction recovery programs.[13]
In 2003, Elleson returned to the mainland and purchased a property at 1307 E. Palatine Road in Arlington Heights, which became the home of Lakewood Chapel. Initially, the congregation was small but grew over time. The church has been involved in community initiatives,[14] including providing shelter for displaced individuals,[15] organizing food and clothing drives,[16] and distributing thousands of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic[17]. The church remained open[18] with precautions[19] during the pandemic[20] and received national media coverage. The church also owns a neighboring property and established "The Garage", a 24-hour emergency service station that has emergency gas, tire air, battery jumps, and EV charging.[21]
Beliefs
Lakewood Chapel is a non-denominational church with some Pentecostal roots. The church believes that the entire Bible is inspired by God and base all of their teachings on the Bible.[22]
Some important doctrine includes the following: the Trinity, the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection, partaking in communion as an act of remembering Christ's sacrifice, water baptism as a symbol of one's faith, the continual growth in Christ by abiding in Him, the power of prayer, etc.[23][6][7]
Ministry Outreaches
Lakewood Chapel has been active in the Chicagoland community for over 20 years.[14]
The church provides a free fellowship lunch every week following its Sunday 11 AM service.[4]
The church has also provided shelter[15] for individuals displaced by local apartment fires[24][25], organized food and clothing drives[26], and received national media attention for remaining open with safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic[27]. During this time, the church also distributed tens of thousands of free masks to the public. In recent years, Lakewood Chapel has expanded its outreach by acquiring the gas station next to it and establishing The Garage, a 24-hour emergency service station offering gas, tire air, battery jumps, and EV charging.[21]
References
- ↑ "Arlington Heights Illinois Nonprofits and 501C Organizations".
- ↑ Zalusky, Steve (2018-07-22). "Residents displaced by Prospect Heights fire find new family at Arlington Heights church". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
- ↑ "Pastor Joel's Greeting to Lakewood Chapel!". YouTube. 30 September 2015.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Mayer, Richard (July 19, 2018). "With Open Arms, Local Church Welcomes Residents Displaced By Fire - Journal & Topics Media Group". Journal & Topics Media Group - Journal & Topics Media Group | Serving Chicago's Great Northwest Suburbs.
- ↑ "Religion".
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lemon, John (November 14, 2020). "Standoff at Arlington Heights accident scene ends peacefully". Daily Herald.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Lakewood Chapel Distributes Masks to Community - Journal & Topics Media Group". 22 April 2020.
- ↑ "Lakewood Chapel "We All Bleed The Same"". August 31, 2018 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "700 Club (Part 1)". April 18, 2015 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Vote Smart | Facts For All". Vote Smart.
- ↑ "John Elleson Fights for Mazon Church". April 18, 2015 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "John Elleson Intro-Interview Morris/Hawaii". April 18, 2015 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "Teen Challenge News Coverage". April 18, 2015 – via YouTube.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 https://abc7chicago.com/video/embed/?pid=3790793
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Lakewood Chapel helps hundreds displaced by Prospect Heights fire". YouTube. 21 July 2018.
- ↑ Univision. "Comunidad se une para ayudar a los damnificados de voraz incendio en un complejo de apartamentos". Univision (in español). Archived from the original on 2022-11-08. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
- ↑ Starks, John (April 17, 2020). "Church's mask giveaway procedure tweaked in Arlington Heights". Daily Herald.
- ↑ TAREEN, SOPHIA (May 24, 2020). "Churches holding services say they're taking precautions". Daily Herald.
- ↑ Press, Associated (May 24, 2020). "Churches in service adapt to coronavirus-precaution measures".
- ↑ "Churches holding services say they're taking precautions". AP News. May 24, 2020.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Lakewood Chapel Service Station in Arlington Heights - Updated January 2025 - 1315 E Palatine Rd, Arlington Heights - Non-profit organization".
- ↑ "What We Believe". Retrieved September 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Lakewood Chapel Church members pray during a Memorial Day service in Arlington Heights, Ill., Sunday, May 24, 2020. At a news conference Friday, Trump said state governors need to "do the right thing" and open houses of worship. Later, the CDC posted nonbonding guidance for faith institutions considering reopening, including use of masks and limiting the size of gatherings. (AP Photo/Nam y. Huh Stock Photo - Alamy".
- ↑ Borcia, Sam (2025-02-09). "Church seeks donations after 18 residents displaced in apartment building fire near Long Grove". Lake and McHenry County Scanner. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
- ↑ https://www.dailyherald.com/20250207/news/arlington-heights-church-provides-temporary-shelter-to-victims-of-apartment-fire/
- ↑ Kmitch, Justin (2018-07-19). "How to best help Prospect Heights fire victims right now". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
- ↑ Fleischer, Denise (2020-04-22). "Lakewood Chapel Distributes Masks To Community - Journal & Topics Media Group". Journal & Topics Media Group - Journal & Topics Media Group | Serving Chicago's Great Northwest Suburbs. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
External links
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