by Pastor John Kim

To my dear Lighthouse family,

I truly thank God in my every remembrance of you (Philippians 1:3) and it truly is because we share in the work of the gospel ministry. These past twelve years in San Diego have been such a blessing as God has introduced new brothers and sisters in Christ to join our church family. Through all the joys and even trials, God has used you all to encourage me, challenge me, sharpen me, stretch me, and point me to trust in God more and more. I have to admit that there have been so many times where I really felt like I could not go on and wanted to quit but God provided timely encouragements that would help me refocus my heart and my mind on the Savior. There have been times when things were difficult and even some heartaches but overall God has shown Himself to be faithful and has not only sustained our church family but has increased our tribe to share in the work of the Kingdom. So I want to just give some specific words of encouragement to the different affinity groups in hopes that you will all know my heart for you.

To Grace Life

Thank you for being joint heirs in the grace of life as we have shared the growing of our families over the years. Thank you for your partnership in the ministry as well as allowing me the privilege of being a part of your families. It was a joy to be a part of seeing many of you get engaged, go through premarital, and have the honor of officiating at your weddings. Seeing the birth and growth of many of your children has been one of the biggest blessings and I have been blessed to enjoy their greetings and smiles. Please continue to pursue the Savior with all your heart, soul, and mind and pass on the greatest of God to the next generation, not only to your own children, but even to the rest of the church family that God has brought to us.

To Single Life

These past few years have been a wonderful experience in shepherding you through the challenges of the single life. I have marveled at how God has transformed many of you to not fall to the status quo of the pursuit of the comfortable life but have seen you embrace the way of the cross and seek to grow and seek first God’s kingdom. This past year during our Friday Night Light Bible studies has shown a progressively growing trajectory in becoming more Christ-centered and Biblically thinking in addressing life issues and I have been given so many reasons to rejoice. I pray that you will continue to strive in your relationship with Christ, that you would mature and deepen in your walks with God. I will be praying that you truly love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and that one day it would lead to marriages that will reflect the majesty and glory of Christ.

To College Life

This past year was probably the most encouraging year for me to observe the collegians at our church. To see the efforts that so many of you made to show your commitment to Christ, to the church, and even to one another was really incredible to behold. I was amazed to see how many freshmen not only stayed throughout the year, but even became members and participated in the life of the church. There are so many colorful characters and personalities that have also been added by the SDSU bunch and I can’t be more thrilled to know that there is a great future ahead because of all of you. I pray that you grow in grace, that you would seek godly counsel and discipling to prepare you to do the same for those who are following you. Keep bringing the enthusiasm and energy!

To the Youth of Lumos

There will always be a special place in my heart for youth as I was involved in youth ministry for over 15 years and since Jenna and Kara were in the youth ministry these past few years, there was always a sense where I was vitally interested in what was going on. The past couple of years has been awesome to see how the staff and stuff have worked together to bring a spark and verve to the church through your eagerness to grow and learn God’s Word as well as be a light to the community. I hope that the momentum will not stop but will continue to move forward and reach out to the young people in San Diego and set God-glorifying goals for your future.

To the Children of Sonlight, Sparklers, and Fireflies

It is such a wonder to see all of you, many of you from birth and now to see you grow up – it truly is one of God’s greatest blessings to me to be your pastor. Not to play favorites (but I guess I am), but to hear a little “Pastor John!” calling me in the hallway was one of the things I looked forward to each Sunday. I hope and pray that you will come to truly understand the gospel and repent of your sins and confess Christ as your Lord and Savior at an early age so that you might give the best years of your life in service to Him. For those of you blessed with parents who really love Jesus more than you, they will show you what it means not to just live a comfortable life but a consecrated life to God, just like Romans 12:1-2 says. Remember “first time obedience” from the heart and honor your parents in the way you would want to honor Jesus. I hope you won’t forget me!!

To the Lighthouse Family

Thank you for being my church family. It truly has felt like a family because you have become such a dear part of our family’s life over the past decade. So many of you invested in our children’s lives from nursery to preschool to elementary and to youth. Many of you have come alongside us in our joys and sorrows. Your generosity has reminded us of the grace of God time and time again and I marvel that God would pour out such abundant grace to an undeserving pastor. You have been patient with my long sermons, my outbursts and over the top statements. You have been merciful in not getting rid of me sooner and you have endured over the years with much longsuffering. Thank you for loving our family so much – we have truly felt it and experienced it. I remember when we went through the ordeal of Angela going through three consecutive miscarriages over less than two years and I really learned at that time what it meant to be ministered to by you. During some of the dark times where I was so overwhelmed with discouragement and despair, you patiently waited for me to recover and allowed me time to get away and heal. The elders have been more than gracious to support me and to take care of our family’s needs. God has truly blessed me with the most wonderful church family that would actually step out in faith and both support as well as for some to even partner in this church plant to San Jose. It is an amazing testimony of the Holy Spirit’s work, that there would actually be the willingness to act on the MVP. I hope and pray that God would sustain both the San Diego congregation and the fledgling San Jose church to shine the light of the gospel brightly to the glory of God. Praise God for His faithfulness and for bringing to fruition Ephesians 3:20-21. May we continue to build on what God has already done and look forward to what He will accomplish both in and through us to His praise and honor!