Category Archives: Missions

Missions Monday #5 – Introducing the Argentina Team

Josh Liu

Hi! I currently serve on pastoral staff at LBCSD, overseeing College Life. I have learned so much in my 10 years at LBCSD–coming in as a freshman at UCSD to now serving on pastoral staff. It’s been an incredible journey! Part of that journey has led me to participate in our short-term missions trips to Argentina, which has continued to develop my theology and passion for evangelism and global missions. This year will be my sixth trip to Argentina with LBCSD! I’ve had the opportunity to build deep relationships with many of the members and leaders at Iglesia Biblica Misionera Tucuman. I look forward to serving, equipping, and edifying IBM Tucuman, and to be a source of refreshment and encouragement to Pastor Jorge and the other leaders.

Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Hello, everyone! I am husband to Andrea, on staff with Sonlight Ministry and Youth Group Ministry, and am also a Math TA at a non-public middle and high school. I have been a member at LBCSD since 2006, and have grown in my understanding of the Word and its application ever since. I became involved with LBC missions upon hearing the work this church has done with IBM Tucuman, and thought I could be of service. I do speak Spanish, and have come to embrace LBC’s vision of missions to assist churches in helping fulfill the Great Commission. Growing up, I have always had a strong desire to assist thriving Spanish-speaking churches where the pastor preaches the Bible, and men and women grow in their understanding of the Word, in their Christlikeness, and in their boldness by getting the gospel out to those around them. This will be my seventh trip to Argentina with LBCSD, and I am truly excited to see what God has in store for this trip! My prayer has always been that God be glorified on every trip, that I do my part to serve those in leadership, and to always be ready to tell, expound, defend, and unashamedly proclaim the gospel to all who will hear. One interesting fact about me is I was on television once in high school as part of the Academic Decathlon team, where I gave a few incorrect answers, but did get one right answer during the competition.

Andrea Vigil-Ruiz

Hi, I’ve been a part of the Grace Life Ministry for about two and a half years now. I currently teach a high energy, but very sweet and kind, class of 31 fourth graders that keep me on my toes! Since becoming a member at Lighthouse back in 2009, I have heard Pastor John Kim describe short-term missions as “doing church somewhere else.” My first trip to Argentina in 2012 helped me understand what Pastor John meant by that. Since that trip, my love for missions and being able to actually physically be present to help other missionaries has continued to grow! I am so excited and thankful that I can be a part of the team this year! One interesting fact about me is usually I don’t like bright colors, especially when it comes to my wardrobe. My closet currently has mostly neutral tones of grey, black, navy blue, and beige, except for this one very bright yellow cardigan that my small group gave me for my birthday one year. The girls wanted to help me branch out!

Brian Wong

Hello church! I am currently a graduating senior at UCSD. There isn’t too much to explain or a complicated reason as to why I’m going on missions this summer. When thinking about our missions teams, I considered supporting through prayer and finances, but then it dawned on me; why don’t I just physically be a part of the team? And thus, since I’m physically able to and have the availability to do so, I will be going for the sake of making disciples of all nations.

One fun, unique, or interesting thing about me is I love potato chips, and have a habit of sometimes replacing meals with a family-sized bag of chips. It’s pretty bad.

Randy Sarmiento

Hello Church Family!!! For those of you who do not know me, I serve as one of the deacons here at Lighthouse Bible Church, San Diego. I was born and raised in Houston, TX for most of my life, but due to joining the military (US Navy) I was deployed and stationed in various parts of the world. Eventually, by God’s design, and definitely not mine, I was stationed here in San Diego where I found out about the church and have been a member since 2006. Again by God’s grace, in 2008 I met my amazing wife Elaine through the church and got married in December of 2009. We are overly blessed with 3 rambunctious, fun loving, and social little girls, Charlotte (6), Isabel (4), and Estella (2). Overall I am so thankful for God’s continual grace, and I am so very humbled, honored, and blessed to get to serve His church.

In going to Argentina, I greatly hope to faithfully serve the church there, invest in others, counsel, and present the Gospel to the lost. Just as many before me have passed on the torch of Christ and His Word to people around the world, I too hope to pass on the His greatness to those in Argentina. Secondarily, since I was formerly a medical logistics coordinator for the military, and truly have a heart for medical missions, I hope to make contact with local government officials and medical providers in hope to someday collaborate with them in serving the church and community with a medical missions team of our own. I truly look forward to meeting and encouraging the our fellow brothers and sisters in IBM Tucuman.

A fun fact about me: I love to barbecue … So I’m a master chef on the grill. Just ask my wife 😉

Wesley Wong

Hi, I’m a full time evangelist disguised as a Computer Science major at UCSD. My salvation with the Lord started since eternity past when God predestined me for adoption as his son, but it wasn’t until freshman year of high school that I responded to his saving call by faith and repentance. Since then, the Lord has been tremendously faithful to grow me. That being said, I’ve wanted to go on overseas missions for a while, but summer internships have kept me busy. As I transition into full time work, God slipped in a couple weeks of down time for me to go to Argentina. As for a fun fact, I tried street preaching at UCSD!

Kristen Chan

Hello, church family! I’m a student graduating this June. At first, I dismissed the idea of going on missions because I thought missions wasn’t for me. When Mr. Mellwig came and I heard his testimony of how people in the Czech Republic have never heard of Jesus, God softened my heart to consider going. The Holy Spirit convicted me of my sinful attitude in brushing off the call to obedience and putting it on others. God provided me with availability and no obligations for the summer, so I applied (late) to Argentina! I’m so thankful that God has placed this opportunity in my life as I have already been sanctified through the preparations. Please be praying for our team and that God would further his kingdom in Argentina!

Nathalie Paucar

Hello! I am a UCSD graduate, currently working as a Research Associate at a biotech company, and am a part of the Salt and Light Ministry here at Lighthouse.

For a while, since coming out to Lighthouse, and becoming a member, I’ve felt God has given me a desire to go to Argentina, since I am a Spanish-speaking native and have a desire to go on missions. Having interacted with Grace Alcaraz and Andrea Vigil-Ruiz, with their Spanish preparation last year for Argentina, it drew my heart to pray for the possibility of going when asked. So, when asked if I would go this year, God answered my prayer, by setting all things straight and perfectly that I may go on Summer Missions this year.

An interesting thing about me: I have visited more countries than I have states of the United States.

Missions Monday #4 – Introducing the Czech Team

Patrick Cho

I have served as the senior pastor of Lighthouse Bible Church in San Diego since 2010. My wife Christine and I have been married for almost twelve years and have three beautiful children. I am thankful to have been involved with our summer missions trips to the Czech Republic since we first started going in 2000. Working with Meinolf Mellwig and the church there has been a wonderful blessing, and it is a tremendous joy and privilege to go back each year to build on the relationships we’ve established and to assist the Christian Church of Beroun in the work they’re doing to reach the Czech people. It is also exciting to work with this year’s team. I am looking forward to see how the Lord will use them and cause them to grow through our time together overseas. Some of my hobbies include singing, cooking, watching movies, and playing volleyball. One fun fact about me is that I smile a lot. Even when I honk at bad drivers (I’d like to think very, very rarely!), I do so with a smile.

Christine Cho

I am a stay-at-home mom to three adorable children. Eden is eight, Ezra is four, and Emma is currently four months. I’ve been married to Patrick for almost twelve amazing years! We have a lot of fun together as a family. Some of my interests include singing, playing / watching football, watching movies / shows with Patrick, and all things Disney. I also love fruit, animals, and bargain shopping. I have a Mary Kay business on the side but am a bit undisciplined with my own skincare. I think flowers are beautiful but don’t care to receive them. I don’t mind washing clothes but dislike folding and putting them away. I’m excited to go to the Czech Republic again to partner with the church in Beroun, see familiar faces, and meet new ones! Praying for the gospel to impact those who attend the English Camp!

Eden Cho

I am eight years old and currently in third grade. I enjoy riding my bike, going to the beach, doing coding on my school computer, taking taekwondo lessons, and watching Netflix. Some of my favorite shows are Pokemon, Ninjago, My Little Pony, Shopkins, and Home. I also love to read (especially spooky stories) and recently started reading the Harry Potter books. I love to eat carbs and dislike any kind of sauce. I have no problems singing and dancing in front of others, but acting gives me stage fright. I’m excited to go back to the Czech to see my friends and attend the English Camp!

Ezra Cho

I am four years old and currently attending Pre-K. I love going to school, playing with my friends, riding my Plasma Car, and playing ABC games. I know how to read but I’m not super interested in books. I’d much rather draw or write letters to people. My current obsession is whatever the latest movie I watched. I recently switched from a Moana obsession to Trolls. I love to eat fruit, sugary cereals, and noodles. I’m excited to be reunited with my friends in the Czech!

Emma Cho

I am four months old! I love to be held. I’m not the best daytime napper, but I make up for it by sleeping well at night. I enjoy making loud, high-pitched noises while Papa is trying to watch TV. I also enjoy sucking on my hands, playing with my toys, and recently discovered my feet! I haven’t tried solids yet, but my mommy is hoping I’ll enjoy it. I’m excited about my first plane ride and my first trip to the Czech Republic!

Stephen Rodgers

I currently work for a medical device company as a technical analyst and developer.  I’ve been a member at LBCSD for twelve years, and have been going on missions trips to the Czech Republic since 2008. I actually met the woman who would become my wife while on one of those trips, which was a bit of a surprise for both of us. God has used the Czech Republic and the church family there in profound ways in my life, and I always look forward to returning to work alongside them year after year.

Hana Rodgers

I have been a member at LBCSD for almost six years, but I have known the church and some of the church members since 2001 when I went to my first LBC English Camp in the Czech Republic as an unbeliever. In fact, I met some LBC members, whose children I have the privilege to teach in Sparklers now, when they were only dating! I am a third grade teacher at a Christian classical school, which is one of the many blessings God has graciously sent my way. I love the Czech Republic, the Czech people, and the Czech church and I am so grateful I have the opportunity to work alongside my Czech and American brothers and sisters to share the gospel there. I truly see it as a privilege and thank God for a church that considers missions important.

Curtis Yee

Hi! I am a graduating senior at UCSD studying both cognitive science and literature and I hope to find a career as a UX designer or journalist once I graduate (stark contrast, I know). I really enjoy photography and taking pictures with friends!

I’m extremely excited to serve in the Czech Republic with this year’s missions team. Recently I have been particularly convicted by the reality that the gospel is necessary for everyone, not only my friends and relatives and those in my social circles, but every single person on this earth. Truly caring for the lost means caring also for people whose lives and cultures and languages I had no connection with. This is why I chose to go on this missions trip, because even though I don’t know these people and may have little in common with them, we are all sinners in need of a savior.

Eugene Park

I’m currently a middle school math teacher in the San Diego Unified School District. It’s hard to believe, but this is my twentieth year teaching in the district. And I think I can honestly say I enjoy teaching more and more as each year goes by. One interesting thing about me is that I’m just about the most un-Korean Korean you’ll ever meet. I don’t like most Korean food, my Spanish is better than my Korean, and I don’t hang out on Convoy. This will be my fourth time going to the Czech Republic and one of the things I’m looking forward to seeing the people of the church again and hopefully support and encourage them in their ministry.

Hansol An

I am a husband to Angella and father of four boys, ranging in age from four to ten years old. I work for a professional services firm as a manager while also being active in business development. Though I don’t readily admit it, I used to be into comic books to the extent that in high school I contemplated becoming a comic book artist. God had other plans, and so did my very Korean mom who would never let that happen. In 2001 and 2003 I went to the Czech to serve as a member of the missions teams sent by LBC. Since that time, God has placed a strong desire in my heart to return but due to life circumstances I wasn’t able to until now. Now I’m looking forward to working with the Mellwigs again and the church in Beroun to reach the lost.

Richard Shin

An electrical engineer by trade, I currently work as a patent scientist for an intellectual property law firm, and I am planning to attend law school this fall. I have been at Lighthouse for almost eight years, and this is my second time going to the Czech Republic for missions. One fun fact about me is that I grew up in Korea for most of the 90s. So when people bring up a 90s pop culture reference, I usually smile and pretend like I know what they’re talking about, hoping they will move on. My cultural ineptitude notwithstanding, I am thrilled to go to the Czech Republic this summer because I get to partner with my Czech and German brothers and sisters in sharing the gospel to unbelievers. I am looking forward to reconnecting with the church in Beroun and enjoying our union in Christ!

Cindy Chu

During the day, I work as a business analyst at UCSF School of Medicine. At night, I am a mother to my fur-baby (dog). If you ever talk to a former roommate of mine, you will learn that I am an amazing storyteller…in my sleep. I am known for having one-sided conversations, telling jokes (while laughing), and giving instructions in my sleep. Unfortunately I have yet to remember any of my dreams. I am going on missions this year because I have a better story to tell (one that we cannot forget). This will be my fifth trip to the Czech Republic, but my reasons for going remain the same: proclaim the name of Jesus wherever I am (UCSF, LBCSJ, Beroun, etc.). In short, this is an opportunity to be faithful in another part of the world, continue building on relationships from past trips, and reflecting Christ through my life.

Joyce Kang

I teach second grade at a classical Christian school in Valencia and am also a graduate student at The Master’s University. One unique fact about me is that I am a health nut and yet I have a serious weakness for desserts, especially ice cream or anything with dark chocolate. This will be my fourth trip to the Czech Republic with LBC and my reason for returning is two-fold: I love Christ as well as the people there. The Lord has called us to make disciples wherever we are and summer missions is just another context in which we can practically live out this commandment. I’m excited for the opportunity to share the Good News with the people we’ll meet at the English Camp and for the time we’ll have to encourage the church there.

Joyce Tai

Hi! I’m currently a fourth-year at UCSD studying human biology. I’m planning to graduate this spring before starting to hopefully work as a nursing aid and stay in San Diego! One interesting fact about me is that I enjoy learning about coffee and tea brewing. For me, there wasn’t really any particular reason I wanted to do missions in specifically the Czech Republic, nor am I personally drawn to short term missions. As Joel James (Master’s seminary alumni) has said before, “Missions is your ecclesiology armed with a passport.” Likewise, I view this trip more as an extension, though different structure and location, of ministry here in San Diego, but I also have the specific vision of being an encouragement to LBC and the Mellwigs as we come alongside their church to support their work in making disciples of Christ throughout the nations. May our Lord’s name be proclaimed by all peoples.

Kara Kim

Hey y’all! My name is Kara Kim, and I just recently graduated from The Master’s University with a degree in Communications. I’ve been keeping busy with job hunting and wedding planning, and plan to get married in the spring of 2018. I have undying love for boba, white chocolate mochas, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, and the entire Harry Potter series. And even though I’ve been to the Czech Republic for summer mission trips more than a dozen times, I am returning this summer because I believe in the work Lighthouse and the church in Beroun are dedicating their time and energy toward. The precious relationship that’s developed over the past seventeen years is invaluable to me as I have grown up with the Mellwig family since I was four years old. I believe in the power of the Gospel, the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and the paramount importance of the church. As long as I have breath in me, I will share the good news of the Gospel with anyone who cares to listen, whether that is in the Czech Republic or any other country in the world.

Missions Monday #3 – Why Czech Republic and Argentina?

by Pastor John Kim

Introduction

When Lighthouse Bible Church San Diego was being planted, the commitment to have a worldwide view toward ministry was something that we wanted to see integrated into the life of the church from the very beginning. While we had little in terms of resources and manpower, I really wanted to see our church have a heart for the world and invest into a long-term relationship with another church in some other country.

Czech Republic

Having attended the Master’s Seminary, I had a good number of friends and classmates who had become missionaries and were serving in different countries all over the world. I emailed many of them inquiring if there were any opportunities for us to partner in some way. Initially it was quite discouraging as no one seemed to have time… or were too busy… or already had what they felt was adequate. It seemed as though no one really had the time to consider such a relationship.

But one friend from my days at Grace Community Church responded with interest. His name was Peter Smith and along with his wife Sonya, who was a classmate of mine at Los Angeles Baptist High School, had gone to a town called Kladno, just outside of Prague to do missions work. I was pretty excited because I knew Peter to be a very enthusiastic and dedicated Christian and had watched him serve at Grace Church. I was especially encouraged by his character and heart for people. I had a pretty discouraging experience with a short term mission trip while in college, and so the importance of Christian character in the lives of pastors and missionaries really stood out to me as a requirement. After some initial discussions, Peter then brought up the opportunity to possibly partner with a friend of his in a city called Ostrava, which was close to the border of Poland on the eastern side of the Czech Republic. He shared that he was already partners with some pretty big churches at the time and while he was open to partnering together, he asked if I would be open to considering Ostrava because not too many people were interested in going out to that part of the country. It was a coal-mining industry and a place where criminals and problematic people were sent during the communist era, so it was definitely not a tourist destination compared to Prague. But the most important thing was the character of the missionary, and after Peter assured me that this missionary was a solid man of God. I thought it would be good to go on a scouting trip to meet the missionary and his family and get a chance to see what it was like.

So in the spring of 2000, I went to the Czech Republic for the first time. I definitely did not know much about the Czech Republic, other than that they had surrendered pretty early in World War II to Nazi Germany, and so the city of Prague was not bombed like so many other cities in Europe. After arriving in Prague, I went to a train station where I took a train to Ostrava. The city of Ostrava was the third largest city in the Czech Republic and I found out that there was very little evangelical presence there. So it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to meeting the missionary and his family.

I wasn’t too familiar with what the missionary looked like. He told me he would be wearing a beige jacket and had a beard. There were two stops that sounded very similar and so I was a bit confused. At the first stop I looked out the window and saw someone that seemed to fit the description, and so I stepped off the train and met Meinolf Mellwig for the very first time. I had been told that he was a German missionary who had come to the Czech Republic with his wife and children, and that they were in the same missions agency as my friend Peter. I anticipated meeting someone stoic and serious but hard-working and dedicated. My first interactions with Meinolf were very straightforward. I met his wife Martina who was very friendly and kind. They had a little girl, Anika who was almost two years old and they drove me around town to see the sights. They also had four other children who were in school – Katrin, Johannes, Matthias, and Lukas and lived in a three story home in a village called Polanka. I got to attend a church service which was held in a small room in some kind of building that they were renting. I found out it was a Brethren church, and that they had the Lord’s Supper every Sunday which was a little different since they used a common cup for everyone to share. Everyone seemed friendly and though I couldn’t understand anything they said, it was neat to meet them all for the first time and get a chance to fellowship with Czech believers.

So we decided that we would partner together in running an English camp that coming summer. It would be in the mountains at a hotel and we would plan to teach several levels of conversational English as well as plan sports and games. The evening meetings would be where we would sing Christian songs and then teach on different topics with an evangelistic purpose. Since it was the first time for both the Ostrava church and our church, it was looking to be a very interesting experience. Since both churches started around the same time in 1999, we figured that our churches were pretty much at the same stage of development so we would be able to grow together in this way.

The summer of 2000 provided the most incredible opportunity for our young church as a team of fifteen went to the Czech Republic for the first of what would turn out to be thirteen teams in seventeen years. We were introduced to a side of the Mellwig family that we would come to cherish, as they were not quite the stereotypical stoic German folks that we thought, but were quite funny and willing to pretty much do anything for the sake of ministry. The hotel was terrible, the service was horrible, but our time was memorable and we had numerous opportunities to share the gospel, build relationships, and truly enjoy a wonderful time partnering with the church in Ostrava.

In the years that followed, we were blessed by God to see a long-term relationship develop where the bond of the Holy Spirit was clearly seen as we grew in unity and like-mindedness in ministry. The dream of finding a long-term partnership came true and to this day we are blessed by the relationships that started back in 2000. The Mellwig family are some of the closest friends our family has, and they truly have become like family over the years as we stayed with them and they have come to visit us. The Mellwigs recently planted a new church in the city of Beroun in 2013, and we are now partnering with them there as they do the work of gospel ministry in that region.

Argentina

In 2004 I was given the opportunity to partner with some pastor friends at a conference in Argentina. Since I was the junior delegate in the party, I gave a couple of seminars but for the most part had the chance to observe and engage with the people I met. It was truly an enjoyable time as I was introduced to pastors from all over the country. One individual that was particularly interesting was a gentleman by the name of Eduardo Buldain. He was involved with a church-planting ministry that partnered with folks from the Word of Life Institute that was located just outside of Buenos Aires. After the conference I had a chance to talk with him about the opportunity to find another partner church where we could send short-term summer teams like we already were doing in the Czech Republic.

That was when we were introduced to Jorge Ahualle. It was quite a memorable trip in that Mike Chon (a fellow elder at Lighthouse San Diego and now at Lighthouse LA) and I went on a scouting trip to get to know the pastor and the church. Little did we know what an adventure it would be. We flew into Buenos Aires the spring of 2005 and upon arriving, we were met by Eduardo Buldain who informed me that I was to be speaking that evening as well as several times that weekend. I had not been told that I was preaching, and in an effort to travel light, I had not brought my laptop with me either. I thought he was kidding…he was not. We had another flight to take from Buenos Aires to Tucuman, which was the city where Pastor Jorge and the church were. They had planned a whole weekend of events including four preaching times. So I preached three times and Mike preached once. I recall in seminary that they had told us to always be ready to preach, and so I had memorized three sermons years earlier in case I ever needed them. That weekend I preached all three : one on the MVP of Lighthouse, another on the Peacemaker Pledge, and the last on the hand illustration from Fundamentals of the Faith regarding how to take in the Scriptures – hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating.

Pastor Jorge, his wife Norma, and son Josue welcomed us and we soon were embraced by the whole church. They showered us with love and food – this was the first time we had the famous empanadas (even in Argentina, Tucuman is known to make the best empanadas). We enjoyed Argentine beef and other meals with the church members, and I remember it was a joyous time as the people were very expressive and excited to see us. It was the first time that I was introduced to the Argentine custom of kissing each other on the cheek, and it was a pretty strange experience to have both men and women come at you and kiss you on the cheek. We also tried maté, the Argentine tea which would be passed around and shared from the same cup and metal straw. It was quite a contrast to our experiences in the Czech Republic, but at the same time it was such a blessing to know that we could be united in Christ even though we were from different cultures and spoke different languages.

The plan was for Lighthouse to send a team during the summer (which was their winter). They did street evangelism and they would go door to door and share the gospel as well as host events in the community where they would invite everyone to come and hear some presentations. We quickly realized as we set things up that there were challenges our work in the Czech Republic had not prepared us for.  Despite some initial issues (differences in doctrine, philosophy of ministry, and learning to work with translators), we were able to establish a very good relationship with the church in Tucuman and the first summer trip took place. While things were a bit crazy at times, the opportunity to partner with another young church provided great blessings in the coming years.

Conclusion

So that’s the story of how it happened. From our early desire to partner with like-minded churches around the world, the Lord providentially led us to two very different places: the Czech Republic and Argentina. And while our church has grown tremendously in terms of resources and manpower compared to those early days, one thing that has not changed is our longing to see all the LBC churches have a heart for the world that manifests as support for the local church…wherever that might happen to take us.

Missions Monday #2 – Philosophy of Missions at Lighthouse

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Since starting its ministry in 1998, Lighthouse Bible Church in San Diego has been committed to proclaiming the glorious gospel to those who need to hear it. The goal and slogan of the original church plant was to be “a beacon of God’s truth and love” in the San Diego area. We wanted to see souls saved and for people to come to know our amazing God and Savior, Jesus Christ. We knew that the church might experience some transfer growth, having believers join from other churches, but what we really desired was for those who did not know the Lord to come to know Him and be transformed through the preaching of the Word.

This all stemmed from the clear command of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). In His final instructions before ascending to the Father, the Lord commands His followers to make disciples of all the nations by serving as His witnesses even to the ends of the earth. The extent of the Great Commission is global, but the means of accomplishing it is clear: baptizing people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to observe all His commands.

By issuing the instruction to baptize, Jesus was calling on His followers to help others understand their need for salvation – the seriousness of sin against a holy God and their desperate need for forgiveness. This is wrapped up in the term “baptize.” It is more than just a commitment to an ordinance or an external rite. It involves everything that is associated with baptism, which is the ordinance that is tied to a person’s initial conversion. People need to hear the gospel in order to be saved, and they need to be taught that to believe in Jesus means turning from their sins and becoming His followers. Baptism is the public confession of one’s faith in Christ through an act of obedience. The ordinance depicts a person’s death to their old life and the newness of life that is found in Christ.

The second element of the Great Commission is to teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded. It is not “fulfilling” the Great Commission by simply making converts for Christ. Being a witness for the gospel and helping people come to know the Lord is certainly a crucial part of the work, but disciple making involves helping newborn Christians grow in their faith as well. Fulfilling the Great Commission requires coming alongside a person not only to help them come to the point of salvation, but also investing in them so that they understand and obey the Word of God, that their lives might bring glory to Him. These are the principles that Lighthouse sought to apply from when the church was first planted that drove our missions philosophy.

Seeking to be faithful to the Great Commission, there were two non-negotiable principles that the church committed itself to: a commitment to God’s Word, and a commitment to God’s methods.

1. A Commitment to God’s Word

While we had a strong desire to see people saved, our first commitment, ironically, was not to an evangelistic effort or missions program. While we understood that these needed to be an integral part of our church, a greater and deeper foundational principle drove our ministry: a commitment to live out the truth of God’s Word faithfully for the glory of His name. This became the driving force behind all we endeavored to do as a church, including missions and evangelism, and so it ought to be for any ministry seeking to honor the Lord through loving obedience.

It is through this commitment that we understood how best to measure our success in outreach ministry. It could not be measured by lives changed because that was completely out of our hands. God is sovereign in salvation and is merciful to whomever He chooses to be merciful. Our responsibility was not to find the key to a person’s heart that they might be saved. We knew that we were called to be faithful to the command of Christ and to be obedient to the Word. That way, we could say we were successfully accomplishing what we set out to do. Whether or not anyone actually became a Christian through our ministry, we knew we needed to be faithful to the message and faithful as God’s messengers.

The ultimate motivation of the church to be committed to missions and evangelism, then, is not first and foremost because of a love for the lost, but because of a love for the Lord. This is primarily because the true gospel is not ultimately man-centered but God-centered. John Piper famously and helpfully communicates the theological basis for this distinction when he writes, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.” [1] God must remain central in our outreach and our desire must be to honor and be pleasing to Him in our obedience.

This means that as those who are called to be His ambassadors to this lost and dying world (2 Cor. 5:20), we leave ourselves open and available to the Lord’s leading – whatever He would have us do, wherever He would sent, whenever He would move us. This is what shaped our missions philosophy and helped us stay focused on what we were called to do. There were certain non-negotiables for us in thinking through church-planting, missions, and evangelism.

2. A Commitment to God’s Methods

When it comes to missions philosophy, we saw in Scripture that missions and church planting were indissolubly connected. To do missions is to plant churches. This makes sense given the instructions in the Great Commission. The church is the institution established by God to not only help bring a person to saving faith but also to help them grow in faith by teaching them the whole counsel of God. We see this missions strategy worked out particularly through the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Wherever he went to spread the gospel, his ultimate aim was to establish churches and to appoint elders in every church. His ministry was very church-oriented.

Pastor John Kim, who helped first plant the church in San Diego, once defined missions as “doing church somewhere else.” I always appreciated that definition if for no other reason that it removed the romanticized view of missions work that so many Christians seemed to have. Missions was not only for the extreme few who were willing to explore unknown regions armed with a machete carving paths through the Amazon, often by themselves. Missions was taking what we were doing in San Diego and looking to plant that elsewhere, in the context of and with the cooperation of a local church. The consistency of the work was encouraging and communicating it this way opened people up to the possibility of participating in it.

Doing missions God’s way also meant keeping the message of the gospel central. John MacArthur writes, “The key to biblical evangelism is not strategy or technique. It is not primarily about style, methodology, or programs and pragmatics. The first and preeminent concern in all our evangelistic efforts must be the gospel.” [2] We were not interested as much in church planting and church growth strategies as we were in faithfully disseminating God’s truth to those who needed it. Scripture makes it clear that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16), and God does not need our help to improve on His strategy for reaching the lost.

These two non-negotiable principles helped shape our ministry. In fact, we incorporated into them into our Mission, Vision, and Passion statement (MVP).

  • The Mission of Lighthouse Bible Church is to make disciples of Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). This is our commitment to help others come to know Christ and to teach them so that they can grow in faith.
  • The Vision of Lighthouse is to be a church planting church (Acts 1:8). While Acts 1:8 does not say anything specifically about church planting, the verse does serve as a sort of outline for the rest of the Book of Acts. Beginning in Jerusalem, extending to Judea and Samaria, and proceeding to the ends of the earth, the Book of Acts shows how the Spirit worked through the early believers to take the gospel to the nations. Through Acts and the Epistles we learn that the primary vehicle used by God to accomplish the work is church planting. We simply wanted to be a part of that work, and all our members know from the outset of their commitment to the church that this is our direction. Our hope is to remain committed to this as long as the Lord allows.
  • The Passion of Lighthouse is to love God and people (Matt. 22:37-40). While we could put every effort into the Mission and Vision of the church, we also know that if it is not motivated by a love for the Lord and for others, we accomplish nothing, we gain nothing, and we are nothing, according to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. The Passion statement serves as the constant reminder that we are not just part of some work, but that all of our service is rendered to the Lord in joyful worship. It also reminds us that our faith in Jesus Christ has a direct impact on those around us. Our love for the Lord is fleshed out in our love for others.

Since missions is just “doing church somewhere else,” and the MVP summarizes how we “do church,” missions naturally dovetails with and is summarized by the MVP as well. It also illustrates why missions is essential rather than tangential. Because at the end of the day, while the particulars often look a bit different than what we’re used to here in southern California, “missions” and “church” are inseparable.

[1] John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010), 35.

[2] John MacArthur and Jesse Johnson, “Introduction: Rediscovering Biblical Evangelism,” in Evangelism, ed. by John MacArthur (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011), viii-ix.

Missions Monday #1 – Introduction

by Stephen Rodgers

I’m extremely happy to introduce a new series here on the Beacon that addresses the topic of “missions” in the context of LBC. Our little church isn’t so little anymore, and there’s a pretty sizable number of attendees who have come since the last set of trips in 2015. So this will be a fantastic opportunity for people who’ve been-there-done-that to reflect and reminisce, as well as for the relative newcomers to discover why missions is such a big deal at LBC. And more than just knowledge, the hope here is that this will lead to greater church-wide involvement in this particular ministry.

Maybe you’ve asked yourself one or more of the following questions:

  • What is LBC’s theology of missions?
  • Why do we go to the Czech Republic and Argentina?
  • Who’s going?
  • What even happens on a missions trip anyways?
  • How can the church help?
  • What’s a “Meinolf?”
  • Where can I immerse myself in media relevant to past trips?

All of these and more will be answered in the coming weeks. I’m looking forward to it myself, and I’m really looking forward to getting these articles in front of all of you.

See you next Monday!

A History of Missions at Lighthouse Bible Church

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Developing Long-term Relationships for Short-term Missions

Timeline of Missions and Church Planting at LBC:

  • 1996 – John and Angela Kim begin praying about planting a church in San Diego
  • Spring 1998 – Several families pray together and begin planning the church plant
  • July 15, 1998 – Bible studies begin at the home of Peter and Jinny Lim
  • December 6, 1998 – First Sunday Service for LBC San Diego
  • May 2, 1999 – Official Inaugural Service for LBC San Diego
  • July 3-26, 2000 – First summer missions trip to the Czech Republic
  • July 21-August 3, 2005 – First summer missions trip to Argentina
  • July 11, 2010 – Send Off Service for LBC San Jose
  • July 18, 2010 – First Sunday Service for LBC San Jose
  • January 30, 2011 – Official Inaugural Service for LBC San Jose
  • November 4, 2012 – First Sunday Service for LBC East Bay
  • April 14, 2013 – Official Inaugural Service for LBC East Bay
  • October 20, 2013 – First Sunday Service for LBC Los Angeles
  • February 16, 2014 – Official Inaugural Service for LBC Los Angeles
  • October 12, 2014 – Official Inaugural Service for LBC Orange County (formerly Pillar Bible Church)

“Our plan is to take over the world.” I will never forget this succinct explanation of the goal of missions for Lighthouse Bible Church by Pastor John Kim. Back when the leadership team of LBC San Diego was first being developed, Pastor John communicated the importance of not only establishing a missions program early in the life of the church, but also developing a philosophy of missions that would be part of the church’s “DNA.” This commitment to missions flows out of the church’s philosophy of ministry, which is summed up in the MVP Statement.

Mission: To Make Disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20)

Vision: To Plant Churches (Acts 1:8)

Passion: To Love God and People (Matthew 22:37-40)

In this way, missions has been the commitment of Lighthouse Bible Church since its inception. While many people thought sending a missions team in the church’s first year of existence (with a small number of members) was impractical, the leaders came to agree on the importance of demonstrating the church’s commitment to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and to support the work of church planting.

By God’s grace, through a number of circumstances and redirecting of plans, the Lord introduced us early on to Meinolf Mellwig, a full-time German missionary to the Czech Republic. The Lord used Meinolf and Martina Mellwig, and their five children, to plant a church in the city of Ostrava at roughly the same time as Lighthouse San Diego. The relationship built has been sweet especially since each church has been able to track the growth of the other with each passing year.

One of our primary goals in our summer missions program is to cultivate a long-term relationship with the churches we partner with around the world. This is much more difficult than it might sound. Two churches can have a deep sense of love for one another without really having a basis to work with each other in ministry. In order to accomplish a long-term partnership, at the very least the two churches must share a common philosophy of ministry and have doctrinal compatibility. For instance, this means practically for missions that the churches not only need to agree on the message of the gospel, but also on the philosophy and methods of evangelism. When these factors are met, what results is a profound trust that is built, which in turn strengthens the love between the two churches.

For almost every summer since July 2000, Lighthouse Bible Church and the Christian Church in the Czech Republic, led by Meinolf Mellwig, have partnered together to host a week-long English camp.[1] English camps are a wonderful avenue to promote the gospel because Czech students have a strong interest to improve their English and meet native English speakers. The camps are advertised as a church event and the campers are invited to attend an optional evening program where the gospel is presented. Thankfully, each year, most of the campers have come to the evening programs, and we are tremendously grateful that some have shared testimony of how God has used these camps to help bring them to salvation and change their lives.

In July 2005, Lighthouse sent a second team to Argentina. Pastor John Kim had previously travelled to the country to participate in a national pastors’ conference. During his time there, he was introduced to Eduardo Buldain, a church planter who works just outside Buenos Aires. Through Eduardo Buldain, we were introduced to Pastor Jorge Ahualle, who helped plant Missionary Bible Church in the city of Tucumán.

The culture of Argentina is vastly different than the Czech Republic. Much in part due to the influence of communism, the Czech Republic is predominantly an atheistic nation, even with its rich Christian heritage. Argentina, on the other hand, is almost exclusively Catholic with a spattering of ultra-Pentecostal churches that teach a false gospel. As a result, in both countries, there are very few churches that teach the Word of God and preach the gospel with integrity.

Each year, the teams we have sent to Argentina have helped the church conduct a week-long door-to-door evangelism campaign. Each day, the team would travel to a different barrio, or neighborhood, to preach the gospel from house to house. While the Argentine people have generally been very warm and inviting, this has also proven to be a great challenge with evangelism because the people tend simply to nod in agreement with just about anything that is shared with them. But this has also helped demonstrate the importance of establishing long-term relationships with the churches with whom we work. In so doing, we are able to see the long-term effects of the gospel in people’s lives and the fruit of evangelism and the gospel through changed hearts. It seems almost every year, Pastor Jorge is introducing us to another individual or family that was saved by God’s grace during one of our evangelism campaigns.

Because of LBC’s devotion to establishing long-term relationships with churches who are doctrinally and philosophically like-minded, another great benefit is the mutual edification and encouragement that is experienced through the relationship. When our teams go overseas, we make it clear that we are going to assist the churches there in their ministry. We are not going to push our agenda in some unilateral approach to missions. What we have experienced by the grace of God is a rich partnership in ministry where both churches are strengthened and invigorated. Because of the doctrinal and philosophical trust that has been established, we ask Meinolf Mellwig, Eduardo Buldain, and Jorge Ahualle to teach our teams about ministry abroad. We have even had them come to preach at the church in San Diego.

One last benefit to having doctrinal and philosophical unity in missions is greater confidence to invest in the ministries with which we work. Since we were mutually able to see the possibility of a long-term relationship with the churches in both countries, it gives us a greater confidence and desire to invest in these ministries and support these ministers. Summer missions trips are not cheap. Each year, the church spends thousands of dollars to send these teams. Knowing we are working with churches we trust makes the investment worthwhile because of the relationships we are seeking to build upon.

We have been so blessed to work with the churches in the Czech Republic and Argentina all these years. A deep-seated affection has grown between our churches that is strengthened with each trip. But one of the greatest aspects to our short-term missions philosophy has been the desire to develop long-term relationships with churches and missionaries. This has resulted in greater ministerial trust, a strong bilateral investment in each other, and confidence to invest in these ministries and work towards the future.

[1] The Mellwig family originally helped plant the Christian Church of Ostrava-Poruba but have since moved on to plant the Christian Church of Beroun.

2014 CZ Missions Report

by Stephen Rodgers

If you had an opportunity to come to one of the three Missions Report Nights that were recently held, the 2014 CZ Team wanted to thank you for your support. And while we hope that you enjoyed hearing about how God’s working in the Czech Republic, we realize that a single presentation might not answer all your questions.

So, we’ve put together a booklet to help describe in even more detail the events of the 2014 trip, as well as the thoughts and reactions of various team members. We hope that you’ll enjoy it, and thank you once more for all your love and support.

LBC Missions Fellowship Night

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends,

Greetings from the Shepherds’ Conference at Grace Community Church! I wanted to send out a quick email to let you all know about a couple opportunities to learn more about our ministry partnership in Argentina. Matias Buldain is currently in Southern California for the Shepherds’ Conference. Matias and his father Eduardo lead the church planting ministry that planted the church in Tucuman with Pastor Jorge Ahualle.

On Sunday, March 9, Matias will be preaching at LBC Los Angeles. If you would like to attend their service, the church meets at Vision Christian Fellowship in Pasadena (1555 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91106). The service begins at 4:30 PM.

On Monday, March 10, we will be having a special fellowship night to give Matias a chance to get to know some of the people from LBC San Diego. This will happen at the LBC San Diego church building at 6:00 PM. At the fellowship night, Matias will be giving a brief presentation about his ministry in Argentina. If you would like to attend, PLEASE EMAIL ME TO LET ME KNOW YOU ARE COMING. We are asking $10/adult to cover the cost of food, but please only pay what you are able. We want you to be there!

If you are free throughout the rest of the day on Monday, I will be showing Matias around San Diego. If you would like to join us, please email me and we can try to coordinate schedules.

I hope many of you will be able to come out to these events. Matias is a dear friend and diligent worker for the gospel. We are so thankful for his ministry in Argentina and are thrilled that he could be here with us.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Trusting God with Finances

by Grace Alcaraz

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 6:25-26

I find myself turning to this verse so often in my 10-plus years of being a Christian because I worry so much about money.  Growing up, my parents were not rich or financially stable, so I always worried about how we would pay our household bills, my school activities, medical costs, and college applications. In college, I worried about getting my financial aid check on time to pay for tuition, rent, food, and books. When I started working my first job out of college, I started worrying about saving money for my wedding while living paycheck-to-paycheck, barely making ends meet.

God was faithful in all those stages of transition in my life. I had a roof over my head in high school with running water and electricity. I remained healthy without any major illnesses. I applied to, got into, and successfully graduated college with relative ease. I also got married last year to Roger in a beautiful wedding ceremony, a 300-person guestlist, and a free flight to honeymoon in Denmark, thanks to my work. So with all that God has abundantly provided, what else is there to be anxious about?

In my sinfulness– plenty. I am anxious about advancing my career, the rising costs of rent, paying bills, debt, the future of the Alcaraz family, retirement, the list goes on. Through my conversations with the members of the church in Argentina this July, I realized that these are concerns of people everywhere. We all at some time struggle with the feeling of not having enough, but how do the members of Iglesia Biblica Misionera in Tucuman deal with it?

During the weekend retreat we spent with IBM, the schedule was very open. We had a morning sermon followed by 6 hours of free time to spend however we wanted. I wanted to know the church members better, so I spent my time talking with people. I found out one of the members, we’ll call her C, was not native Argentine, and had actually immigrated from a neighboring country about 10 years ago. I asked C a simple question, “How did you come to Argentina?” and it spiraled into a 3-hour long conversation. She told me about her family back in her hometown, how she’d been working as a nanny since age 12, and that she moved to Tucuman to take care of a family she worked with from her native country. After her move, she met her husband, J, on the job because he was a chauffeur for the family she was working for.

They eventually got married and when they were expecting their daughter, C’s trust in God’s word was put to the test. It was her husband’s conviction through Scripture that when their daughter was born, C would stop working to be a stay-at-home mom. This was a struggle for C, as she had been making her own financial decisions since she was only 12 years old. Suddenly, she felt that she needed to give up her independence and self-sufficiency. She was embarrassed to have to ask her husband for grocery money, something she never had to do before.  Her husband only made $600 a month, a low wage even by Argentina’s standards. How were they going to raise a family of 3 with $600 a month? Furthermore, she kept reasoning that with a baby on the way, she needed to make as much money as possible to be able to purchase the newest and best baby gear.

C’s job situation didn’t change, but her perspective did. Right before C and J’s daughter was born, J’s work had received a large shipment of brand-new, high-quality baby gear donated from Spain. There were durable toys, comfortable clothes, and an expensive stroller included in the shipment that C & J would never be able to afford. J was able to bring that shipment from Spain home for his baby. He didn’t have to pay anything for it or ask for it. It was all just given to them. When their daughter was born, C would run errands using the stroller, and she would get stopped in the streets by interested moms asking, “Where did you get that stroller? How much did it cost?” They were so impressed because the quality and craftsmanship was something that wasn’t found in Argentina. Her only response was that it was a gift, a very unexpected gift. The very things C was trying to work so hard for was handed to her by God’s generous provision. That’s when she first learned to trust God and His Word in her family life.

C and J’s  daughter is six years old now. Ever since C’s career shifted from taking care of other people’s homes to her own home, C told me that they have never felt that they were in want on J’s $600-a-month salary. All their needs have been met, they always have enough to eat, and they are thriving as a family desiring to please the Lord. Their daughter is an affectionate child learning from C’s example as a godly wife and mother. Currently, C is teaching her daughter about humility, specifically to not be boastful and proud when she gets better grades than her classmates.

Through my time with C, I saw so much of myself in her story. I saw how I failed to believe in God’s promises and trust in His provision. Whether its family life, my career, housing, or whatever else under the sun there is to worry about, I needed to be reminded that He has blessed me richly. He has provided me with so much already, and there is no reason to doubt that God will continue to be faithful.

Editor’s note: This is the last of a series of articles being provided by the 2013 Argentina short-term missions team announced here.

A Sinner Just Like Me

by Roger Alcaraz

It’s not everyday a grown man says to me, “I hope you don’t look down on me for sharing that.” It’s even rarer to hear those words in Spanish, but that’s what an IBM church member said to me after sharing his testimony. His story came straight out of a soap opera– full of drugs, violence, and sexual sin, all rolled up into one man.

As he shared with me, a complete stranger, his voice became softer and his gaze shifted from me to the open air just to avoid eye contact. I could tell that bringing up the sinful events of his past was embarrassing for him and yet he continued to share about the violence and drugs that enslaved his former life. Most humiliating for him were the times in his life when he was despaired to the point of death. Four times he tried to take his own life and four times, he said, God showed mercy.

Being now saved, he looks back on his testimony and wonders why God would ever save him, a sinner. By the end of him sharing, we were both in awe of the power and mercy of God, but I sensed that he felt ashamed of his past. It’s certainly no life I would wish upon anyone, but I told him the beauty of the Gospel is that no matter what a person’s life looks like, the story is the same. I couldn’t help but identify with him, as I’m sure all believers can, because whether you’re the person who did drugs or the person who grew up in the church, we were all equal sinners before God.

What is more, the church needs people who struggled in the fight against drugs, violence, and sex because God says that we’re able to comfort others with the same comfort that we have received from God. Since God comforted and brought hope to a depressed and violent man, this man can then comfort those struggling in ways others can’t by just saying, “God helped me through the same struggle and he can help you.” This member is a necessary part of the body, and in the end, God is the one who put him in and brought him out of his condition. He still struggles with drugs and the chains of its enslavement are hard to break, but it is clear that God is the victor of his story and was at work within him.

Now this man seeks to be an example to his children and lovingly raise them in the church so they can hear God’s word and follow him from a young age. He hopes they would never make the same mistakes as he did, so he entrusts them to God. Encouraged by all this, we gave glory to God in prayer as we thanked him for the salvation that is by grace alone through faith alone. Amen.

Editor’s note: This is a continuation of a series of articles being provided by the 2013 Argentina short-term missions team announced here.