Lake Avenue Church Review

Attended their Annual Christmas Spectacular. I was awestruck hearing over 400 voices singing at once. A little bit of heaven for sure. An absolute must see!

I wouldn't recommend this church, though I would have done so years ago. Even though I have roots at Lake going back to when my father was the Youth Minister, things have changed since Pastor Gordon left in 2005. You are not really allowed to question anything at this church. If you think they are acting contrary to the Word of God, just keep it to yourself. There is a strong emphasis now on affinity with the Catholic Church. If you attend Lake and haven't noticed this, you either aren't paying attention or you yourself like Catholicism. For example, the new senior pastor said one Sunday morning in 2013, "Pray for the Pope." He didn't tell us HOW to pray for the Pope. He didn't tell us that the Pope needs to repent of idolatry and of putting the church over the Bible, or of the worship of saints. Nothing like that. He meant that the Pope was one of us, evidently having the same gospel. I confronted this senior pastor on his Facebook page. He responded there at first, then when I replied again, he defriended me and blocked me. A few months later, in a sermon about how to stay reconciled with other Christians, he criticized people who defriend or block other people and said they need to be reconciled with others, forgive others. But he didn't do that with me. He dispatched me. This is a church that guards their control and doesn't tolerate questioning. I don't recommend it. If you like it when evangelicalism syncretizes with Roman Catholicism, you would love this church. Lake Avenue "celebrates" (as they call it) Ash Wednesday, with the sign of the cross in ashes drawn on your head. This is entirely extra- & contra-biblical. The Bible already teaches us how to repent of sin, but Lake Avenue says that observance of Ash Wednesday "points us to the Scripture" regarding repentance. So that's a blatant lie. The Word of God doesn't need a man-made ritual to instruct it on repentance. After that, you will hear a great deal about "Lent", and when Good Friday comes, you will hear the senior pastor tell the congregation that "God died" (on the Cross). But since we know that God is alive from eternity past to eternity future, the everlasting One, the Alpha and Omega, then how can God die on the Cross? Of course, Jesus is God and Jesus died on the Cross. But it was the Son of God in His humanity, Jesus as the God-Man, who died, not God so to speak. The Bible never says that God died on the Cross. So the leadership of Lake Avenue Church is now given over to people who are not careful with the Scriptures. As for me and my house, we're giving up Lake Avenue Church for Lent!

The Best church they have not only helped me spiritually but financially when I lost my home. And I know I m in there prayers. Because I have a home today

Beautiful place, the brothers very sweet, both in the meetings of English and in Spanish, blessings for all!

The car show was great and the chili cook off was fun too.

This is a great church to learn from, great service, God has spoken to me through pastor Greg so many times.

I have learned a lot. I am a hispanic and i was privileged to find this church and learned as much as possible from every class i took. I volunteer and i also loved it.

A great multicultural church with superb & diverse music and excellent preaching. Very welcoming to visitors and people just seeking answers.

I love the diversity. I love the choir. We would attend more often but it s an hour drive. From some of the reviews I guess maybe it s not a perfect church. I doubt any exist.

It all started very beautiful but at the time of the yomper
Ubo 2 children, what were they cheating on a girl
And finally it was my CHILD's turn and nothing could be done
Aser why the brothers couldn't do anything
They just grabbed the children and everything as if nothing
Why allow children to get hurt when
They should put the children of the brothers should set the example and not be the ones taken advantage of.
God bless you and take away that bad time help you
The other parents to be more careful with their children
And don't hide behind religions. May God take care of you
And never have a serious accident to pay attention to your mirins 06/08/16

The church has lost people bc you don t feel the presence of God.

I have been going to this church for a few years now and I am very disappointed that the church has become political. I have felt that church was the only place I could go where politics were not mentioned. However, TODAY they were. We got a lecture basically on dislike of the 2nd Amendment and how they're pro-illegal alien. I am so disappointed in the sermon tonight. I thought churches weren't supposed to be political, hence the tax exemption. I will have to find a new church now.

I asked to join their Meet-up group, Shades of Queens, and I was denied. I'm not sure why, maybe they just want black ladies. Thank you for the discrimination! Oh well, I can write a review about it. Wish there could be zero stars.

I have been a member of Lake Avenue Church since 1982 and am blessed as they release you to follow God's call in your life. I was sent out as international staff to share the gospel in South Asia and they have been supporting me in their prayers and financially. I am glad to be part of Lake Avenue because they love Jesus and won't compromise on their stand. It is a place where you see different kinds of nationalities, like heaven on earth. Yes, people who are not use to working with people can take leadership as bossing, but they are not. The leaders are all humble, they just help us know that coming to church is not enough but that we need to take part and practice serving others so they too can know Jesus.

I would like to apologize in behalf of us who had made others feel otherwise (anything NEGATIVE can be said here), we are followers of Jesus and still are capable of making mistakes but we know who can forgive us and love us and we are trying to be better people like Jesus. We hope that if any of you WERE offended, we ask that you would FORGIVE US AND give us a chance and come join us in a small group. Lake Avenue is growing, it just takes time. I admire Pastor Greg W for being so down to earth and exhorting us in the last messages he has given us AT THE BEGINNING OF 2016. I love you Pastor Greg. thank you so much. I bless you with God's goodness and blessings as you lead us.

Not thrilled with the toddler childcare. I attend MOPs at this church and I attended one church service. It is the same childcare workers at both. They show little to no interest in the children and they are left to "free play" with little interaction from the adults watching them.

The church is currently searching for a senior pastor. The "speaker" at the service I attended started out by saying he "just wanted to talk, today". This meant the Bible was not touched for the entire service. Incomprehensible.

A fine church with good pastors and sermons but for me I love worship and the audio equipment isn't up yo par with the rest of the church considering it is like a complex. It distracts me from worship but still a good place to go for worship ..

Over 100 years of serving Christ in the San Gabriel Valley. I knew no one when I first came here from the East Coast 20 years ago. I made friends by getting involved. Since one reviewer mentioned being annoyed by "bossy" people in this church of 3500+, I would like to say, "Yes, perhaps there are some bossy people, but there are also shy people, talkative people, quiet people, positive people, negative people, mature Christian people, newly committed people, searching people, hurting people, healed people, and every sort of ilk of God's creation. "Bossy people" are often the first ones to step up to the plate when it comes to volunteering, so you probably did meet one or two, but ultimately, God is the boss at this church and there is room for everyone. Another reviewer here said s/he was offended by gay people at our church." What?" "Have you read I John 4:21? " It goes like this: "If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also." Good memory verse!

At Lake Ave. Church, we love the arts, and you will meet artistic people, straight and gay. Music is given front and center attention, second in line only to God's word, and you will be blessed by the constant choral and instrumental offerings. The pastor, Greg Waybright, is from rural West Virginia, so there's nothing phony here...he generously shares the pulpit with assistant pastors and youth pastors which adds a real integration of styles. If you find the music a bit loud, just sit up in the balcony where our family sits, and you will never have a problem. All genres of music fill the sanctuary each service. There is a wonderful Sunday School program for children...all volunteers are vetted and trained to work with kids. They have summer camps for all ages and car nights with cook-outs and all sorts of events. There are classes for every topic and group: developmental disabilities, chronic illness (Hopekeepers), divorce recovery, parenting with a purpose, newlyweds, singles, and so forth. I hope you'll come join us and be blessed by the many friendly people whom I encounter each time I worship at Lake Ave. P.S. You get to park in the GUEST PARKING lot! Lucky you!

I was blessed to share in the music
ministry in song... awesome experience.
I truly enjoyed the Word of God, "Reset"

This is an extremely hard review to write. I ve put a lot of thought and prayer into this and I d like to start by saying lake avenue church will forever hold a special place in my heart. I grew up here in the church and found God at the high school camp. I met some incredible people here and have amazing memories. However, I also have pretty terrible ones. I remember a lot of pastors and people in the church leaving. Not a few times but constantly. As a kid this really messed with me. When I got to middle school I was a bit used to it so my guard was up to never get close to anyone there because if I did they would just leave. Lake avenue church became very clique centered. If you went to the local Christian school you were favored, if you didn t you were an outcast. Not only the kids made this known but many leaders as well. It was evident that we lower classmen where treated differently. Though these experiences hurt me I didn t let that stop me from coming to church and pursuing a relationship with God. That was until I made a huge mistake and attempted suicide. I was bullied a lot in school and I thought it was the only way. Instead of having people lift me up I was invited to the pastors home where his daughter in my same grade as me were in the same small group. I thought that I was going there because they were trying to lift me up but instead I was told that I was a sinner and what I had done was wrong. Though these things were very true it was not appropriate for a then 12 year old. When I was upset at what had been said the pastor then instead of reaching out to my mother reached out to my moms best friend who then told the whole church just how much of a sinner I was. They told there kids to be extra nice to me and instead I was getting bullied in the one place I felt safe. Not only by kids but by adults. I was being judge as if judgment day had come early for me. But yet again despite all the hurt and sadness the members of the church had inflicted upon me I still dared to come back. This time I was 18 and engaged and yet again was on the chopping block. I wanted to get married in the place I ve called home my entire life but was told I needed to become a member first in order to do so. When I asked what makes you a member I was told that I d have to go to a seminar but was also given a pep talk on how I m too young to be getting married and god would want me to wait . I asked the pastors I grew up with to help me in the situation and they pretended they didn t know me. I asked why is it that I don t have to be a member to give money to the church? You will willingly take my offering and you will allow me to go to church camps every year and allow me to grow up for over 17 years in the church but when all I want to do is be married in front of my community like that very place taught me is the righteous thing to do then all of a sudden I m no longer a member? Oh but that is unless I have money.... which of course I didn t have enough.... so according to this church in order to really be apart of the family you better expect to pay up in some way or another. I am very sorry that this church family has become anything but family to me. I will always have a place in my heart for the great people of this church but unfortunately it s just not home to me...

The congregation has a parking lot and a parking structure. They still end up parking on Mentor and Catalina. This takes parking away from the apartment complexes on those streets. I know my apartment has only one space I the back. It is really frustrating.

A large church, a lot of activities, the church's cross towering into the clouds, and the aunt made the Golden Line MRT home, and saw it off the bus! Because there are meals for the tramp, our baby here often goes to eat, he said after the meal, come back to the private school, fleas and other tramp diseases, Ha! what! We are a good place to take a break,