The Vision

It's Time to Get in the HOUSE

This is a special time in the life of an amazing church. This extraordinary moment is about more than raising the necessary capital funds to meet our developmental needs. In a much deeper sense, it is about taking a spiritual journey of discovery concerning God's will for our lives and the future of our church.

God has shown us unusual favor, and for His favor we must be grateful. From our small beginning in October 2009, our congregation has grown to an active community of over 1000 members and over 450 households.

To whom much is given, much is required. Over the last year, many of our people have sacrificed their time and money - in obedience to God - so that God could fulfill His purposes here at The LightHouse.

Now is the time for us to sacrifice again, not for ourselves, but for the thousands more who have yet to meet Jesus as Savior and Lord, whose lives will be put back together through the wonderful ministries here at The LightHouse. Remember it is our mission to equip people to stand the storms of life.

Will you begin praying for this team as they do their work?

Will you please say yes when they invite you to join their team?

We must navigate this expedition together! Please join with me in trusting our future to the leadership of His Spirit.

"Let there be Light"

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light

    Genesis 1:3 (NIV)

The Lord has clearly spoken to Pastor Henderson on the issue of a Church Building. It is also clear that the LightHouse has to be the Builder, through Stewardship. Not only stewardship of finances but also of our time and talents. All of us need to be obedient to this biblical command regarding the Godly management of our personal and financial resources. The start of the building is the perfect time to initiate this Stewardship Program. Not only will we be able to raise the funds necessary for the building project, but we will also instill a lasting culture of "good stewardship" through-out our congregation. Consistent and wide-spread "good stewardship" will enable us to freely flow with God's short-term and long-term plans for our church. As our vision comes to fruition, increases in operating costs and the need for a full time staff are inevitable. So we must remain faithful and obedient to the Holy Spirit throughout the growing process.

Simply put, we need a Church building. Currently, we are growing too large for auditoriums, and we have to reserve other facilities when we have functions. Not having a Church building limits the congregation when it comes to meeting outside of Worship and Bible Study. Additionally, we do not have facilities for our children, and we are not effective or existent for serving 5 days of the week. The Sanctuary, the multi-purpose facility and the administrative building will enable us to meet the challenge of growth and the expanding ministries of our church. It is time to get into our House, "The LightHouse Church."

The goal of a Capital Stewardship Campaigns is not to have every person give an equal amount. You will be reminded of this throughout your Capital Stewardship Campaign by seeing and hearing the phrase Equal Sacrifice, Not Equal Gifts.

When everyone shares equally in the sacrifice, everyone is able to share equally in the celebration of seeing God's work fulfilled! No one is left out! There is a role for everyone and a need for every gift ? both large and small. Success is impossible without both!

Each of us makes important decisions to which we are fully and faithfully committed. These decisions may include getting married, having children, accepting a job, and certainly, giving ourselves to Christ. Even in these important decisions, however, we need continued encouragement to do our best.

A capital stewardship program leads people to make important financial commitments to Christ and His church. Even a powerful, personal, prayerful decision needs continued encouragement.

When we sacrifice our own will, we make Jesus our Lord. Jesus said, "If anyone wished to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24).

Our church is growing, our community is growing, and God is giving us the opportunity to make a difference in many, many lives. Our church's future is to reach the unchurched, be the church they all call home, bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and share with others the peace and joy that comes from knowing a wonderful Savior. It's our responsibility to serve this growing community. It's our responsibility to serve this growing community. It's our obligation to prepare for that service now. To meet the spiritual needs of the people of (City), we, as a people of God, must utilize the abilities He's given us. We have the knowledge. We have the talent. However, we must also provide the desire, energy, and sacrifice to make this vision a reality. We must ask, "What can I do as an individual? The goals are so great. How can I make a difference?"

What takes one person all day to do takes two people half a day. What takes two people half a day to do takes four people only a couple of hours, and so on. The same is true in our church. If everyone finds a place to be involved in the mission of our fellowship, even the impossible becomes a little more manageable. Having many people involved without a common purpose is no better than no one being involved at all. We must be united in a common vision and purpose to accomplish the task ahead. I believe that we have that common vision of reaching people for Christ. I believe that our building is part of that vision. Together with God and with each other, we can make our vision become realized.