by Ted Terry

Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, celebrated its 50 year anniversary as a church on Sunday, May10. There were many special activities and events throughout the entire weekend, with the Saturday and Sunday morning services filling up fast.

But it was the 11 a.m. Sunday service that drew the biggest crowds-almost 22,000 people attended with special guests, founding members, government officials, and the entire Lakewood family filling the church to overflow capacity. A beautiful bronze statue of the late John Osteen, founding pastor of Lakewood Church, and his wife Dodie, was unveiled by the Osteen grandchildren.

Classic hymns, vintage video footage of the original feed-barn meeting place, and testimonies by founding members, all helped to take the crowd back in time to 1959 when just a handful of families gathered to worship.

It was an emotionally charged service that did not only dwell on the past, or even the present, but as Pastor Joel Osteen explained to the congregation, "We are here to celebrate the past, give God glory for our present, but to seek His will and purpose for our future...and then 'do it' "

Lakewood Bookstore was busier than normal, with all registers open and extra volunteers on hand to serve the estimated 4,000 customers that came through that weekend. It was a great time of rejoicing and believing and a reminder to us all, that with just one man's dream and vision, God is still doing great things through those who are willing to serve.

Ted Terry is manager of Lakewood Bookstore.