About Lighthouse

Overview
Mission, Vision & Values
History of Lighthouse
The Foundation
Contact Us
Why We Do What We Do

    Years of ministry experience have given Lighthouse valuable learnings that form the foundation of our work.

  • We believe that a powerful, almighty God would never be content with simplistic, Band-aid type solutions. He is about healing, redemption and transformation, which will break the cycles of poverty, ignorance and abuse in our community.
  • We respond to physical and emotional needs - knowing that the most critical need is, and always has been, a spiritual one. We earn the right to address the spiritual needs of the people we serve as we demonstrate the reality of a loving God who cares for their concerns.
  • We believe that the heart of our ministry is relationship. All of the education, skills and material goods we give do not have the impact of one Christ-centered, loving relationship.
  • We know that the most effective way to minister to the poor in our community is through volunteers. The simple fact that volunteers are there only because they care, with no expectations of return, is staggering to the populations we serve
  • We understand God wants more from us than occasionally writing a check. He cares about the condition of our heart. And nothing will soften callused hearts like serving the poor and the broken face to face.
  • We have found that we need the poor more than the poor needs us. Whatever we give, we get back so much more in return. We gain perspective, connection with others, a deeper relationship with the Lord, and a clearer sense of our own value and significance to God. He uses all of us, as pitiful and flawed as we might be, to do His important work on earth.
 
Biblical Foundation
What better blueprint for success than God's Word? Lighthouse looks first to the Bible for truth and inspiration. Years of ministry experience within Lighthouse-both triumphs and trials-is also a guiding force.

Jesus' heart was revealed in His life. He spent a great deal of His time with those society had rejected. He not only fed those in need, He interacted with them. The poor weren't people who crossed His path, He sought them out. Essential to following Christ is following His example in our interactions with people who are poor and in need.

We are continually inspired by what God has to say on the subject. It is like finding a treasure hidden in plain sight. Here we would like to share a few of the verses and passages that have captured our hearts and guided our ministries.

  • Jeremiah 22:16
    "He made sure that justice and help were given to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn't that what it means to know Me?"
  • Proverbs 14:31
    "Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who help the poor honor Him."
  • Psalm 113:7-8
    "He lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of His own people."
  • Matthew 25:31-46
    "For I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you invited me into your home. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you visited me
  • Ephesians 2:10
    "For we are God's masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."
  • James 2:15-17
    "Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing and you say, ‘Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well' - but then didn't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all - it is dead and useless.
  • 1 John 2:3-6
    "How can we be sure that we belong to Him? By obeying God's commandments. If someone says, ‘I belong to God,' but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. But those who obey God's word really do love Him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in Him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did."
  • Acts 20:24
    "But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love."
  • Matthew 11:30
    "For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."


When we read the paper, watch the news, look outside our door, we can become overwhelmed by the difficult issues we see in our community. The size of the problems seem so big, and we feel so small. Here is what we did not find in God's Word:

He did not call us to be what we aren't. He did not call us to do what we can't God hasn't called us to fix all of the problems in our community. He just calls us to show up. He'll handle the fixing. And, more than that, He joins us in service. He shares our burden.

 
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