Formerly a purely residential community, Lakewood Ranch now delights locals and visitors alike with a vast array of recreational opportunities! Dine at world-class restaurants, hike along idyllic trails, store in the many boutiques, or play a game of golf on a championship course. The perfect place to enjoy Spinia Casino.
Lakewood Ranch evolved from a small residential neighborhood into a true destination. Today, it attracts visitors with many recreational opportunities and staycations. Exclusive boutiques, restaurants and hotels, the magnificent golf courses and the miles of trails through nature characterize the area today. Main Street in particular attracts visitors with numerous cafés and stores, such as a Parisian café or a Scottish pub. On weekends, the farmers’ market is held here regularly, and festivals and concerts are also on the calendar of events.
LAKEWOOD CHURCH
Lakewood Church is one of the most famous ones around the world. You can also notice it during the various car trips around the region. People are so enthusiastic about it that you need to take a look at it: Lakewood Church, the largest megachurch in the U.S. with more than 40,000 worshipers a week, located in the former Compaq Center, which the church had converted into a kind of modern super temple for a three-digit million sum. The hall can hold a good 20,000 people, but on Saturday evenings it is far from full. Pastor Joel and Victoria Osteen and the worship band put on an impressive show, but while Osteen’s sermon encourages me, I find the music too rocky, too loud, too concert-like. Still, if you want to understand America, you have to check this out!
OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION
Welcome to America’s largest megachurch! Lakewood Church draws 45,000 people to five services each week, seven million in the U.S. watch the sermon on TV, and it’s broadcast to 100 other countries. While conventional churches are losing members, the number of megachurches has been increasing for years. Megachurches are Protestant denominations with more than 2,000 worshipers on weekends. In 1980, there were about 80 of these houses of worship; today there are more than 1,200. 42 percent of Americans are evangelical Christians.
There is no sign of a lake or forest. But the church where a medical missions conference is being held today and tomorrow is called Lakewood (Lake Forest). With over 50,000 worshipers weekly, it is the largest local church in the US.
There are many different services taking place. For example, a small Spanish language service. With only an average of 1000 in attendance. The character was reminiscent of a concert. Kleenex wipes were offered for free in the aisles. The volume was well above the noise level of a monastery meditation or an evening service in a Lutheran retirement home.
Perhaps the show seemed a bit superficial, but first impressions can be deceiving. In the end, what counts is the changed lives of Christians rooted in faith. Of course, there are many different forms of piety and cultural characteristics. But the longing for God was palpable during the 60 minutes yesterday – as everywhere in the world where people know that they urgently need God