About Lakeland

Who We Are

For more than 30 years, Lakeland Community Church has been a place where people across Kansas City grow in faith, build authentic friendships, and find true belonging. We’re a church that embraces real life—our joys, our struggles, and our questions—while learning to follow Jesus together.

What Matters to Us

At Lakeland, we strive to live out five core values that shape who we are:

Courage

Courage means living wholeheartedly even in the presence of fear, recognizing that fear is a necessary part of true bravery and often requires discomfort. The most courageous act is facing your own inner darkness (whether rooted in personal struggle or pain caused by others) while choosing to engage your thoughts, will, and emotions with responsibility and grace.

Compassion

Compassion means suffering with another. Compassion does not overlook sin, but it does focus on entering in and offering healing. It takes suffering so seriously that it also offers an alternative way forward.

Curiosity

Pride hardens our hearts, but humility tills the soil for curiosity. Curiosity requires faith, but certainty needs none. Curiosity says: “God, I admit that I don’t have You all figured out on my own.” It’s a posture of humility that returns time and time again to the Scriptures in community with open hands.

Contemplation

The “Un-ing Life.” Contemplation is more about “uncluttering and uncovering” than adding—it allows us to become more aware and attuned to The Kingdom. The core of contemplation is love, which is why the contemplative life is fundamentally missional. To cultivate a contemplative life, we integrate these practices: silence and solitude, breath prayers, prayer beads, Lectio Divina, and Visio Divina.

Community

At Lakeland, we understand community as a reflection of God’s design — a way of living that connects us deeply with God, ourselves, others, and the world around us. We experience community in four interconnected ways: in relationship with the Trinity through prayer, in honest engagement with our inner selves and the Spirit within, in life-giving relationships that shape who we become, and in interdependence with creation as stewards rather than consumers.

Core Beliefs

Our Approach to Faith

Lakeland has a Presbyterian heritage but isn’t tied to any denomination. Many describe us as having a nondenominational feel where all are welcome.

We hold fast to the essentials of the Christian faith—Scripture, Sacraments, and a Christ-centered life—while giving people the freedom to explore faith honestly, without pressure or pretense.

Contemplative Ministry

Listening Beneath the Noise

One of Lakeland’s core practices is contemplative ministry—a countercultural habit in a fast-paced world. We believe slowing down, listening for God’s voice, and practicing stillness helps us live with greater love, clarity, and purpose. This rhythm is woven into our worship, teaching, and community life.

Belonging and becoming who we are in Jesus.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Whether you’re exploring faith or looking for a church home, we’d love to meet you. The best place to start is by visiting us on a Sunday.