by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear Lighthouse family and friends!

I hope you are all enjoying another wonderful week full of the Lord’s blessings. If you have been keeping up with our Bible reading plan for 2015 (New Testament in 90 days), you should have spent the last week and a half reading through Mark and most of Luke. One of the greatest joys in reading the Bible is examining the life of Christ.

Mark is the shortest of the Gospel accounts, but it packs quite a punch. One passage that was particularly challenging to me was Mark 10:42-44:

42 And Jesus called them to Him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

This is a theme that pops up repeatedly in the Gospel accounts. Jesus teaches His followers that true greatness is found in humility, self-sacrifice, and service. The Christian life is not about building personal kingdoms and gaining self-glory. True greatness does not come down to what you get but by what you give.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are some upcoming ministry opportunities! There’s a lot going on, so please take time to read through all the announcements.

1. Midweek Bible Studies. On Thursday, Grace Life and LKC meet at the church at 6:30 PM. Grace Life is our ministry for married couples and parents and meets in Room 107. LKC is our midweek children’s program and meets in Room 108. On Friday, Lumos meets at 7:00 PM in Room 107. Lumos is our youth ministry.
2. Mommy and Me. Don’t forget about our Friday morning program for mothers with young children (ages 0-4). They meet in Room 108 at the church on Friday mornings at 9:45 AM. If you would like to participate or just want more information about Mommy and Me, please contact Jane Kim (janeminkim@gmail.com).
3. College After-Christmas Party. The collegians will be having their annual After-Christmas Party this Friday at 7:00 PM at the church. Dinner will be served. Please bring a gift for the gift exchange ($5-10 limit and no gift cards). For more information, please contact Roger Alcaraz (rogeralcaraz@gmail.com).
4. Flocks. Next week, January 28-31, will be flocks week. All of our regularly scheduled midweek activities will be put on hold including our affinity group Bible studies. Instead, we will be breaking up into regional flocks, which meet throughout the community. If you would like more information about flocks, visit the church website or contact Cesar Vigil-Ruiz (jn316niv@gmail.com). Don’t forget to complete the flocks homework! Worksheets can be found in the foyer or downloaded HERE.
5. Baptism Class. Our next baptism class will be on Tuesday, February 3, at 7:00 PM. If you have not yet been baptized as a believer in obedience to the command of Scripture, or if you just want to learn more about baptism, please come out to this class!
6. Grace Life/Single Life Fellowship Event. Yeehaw! Grace Life would like to host an evening of food and fun with the folks of Single Life! Come on out on February 7 at 5:00 PM for some good ol’ country fun! Singles, please sign up with Lance Toy. Grace Lifers, please sign up with Kristie Rudolph.
7. Members Meeting. Our next members meeting will be on Sunday, February 8 at 4:45 PM. All of our members are highly encouraged to attend. Dinner will be provided.
8. College Life Retreat. The College Life retreat is coming up on President’s Day weekend, February 13-16. This four day retreat will focus on the theme of “True Love.” We are pleased to announce that our speaker this year is Pastor John Kim of Lighthouse Bible Church, Los Angeles! Talk to Roger Alcaraz for more information (rogeralcaraz@gmail.com).
9. Membership Class. Our next membership class will be on the weekend of February 21-22. Part 1 of the class will meet on February 21, from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, at the church. Part 2 will meet on February 22, from 1:00-4:00 PM. Attendance at both classes is required. Please contact Pastor Patrick for an application or if you have any questions about membership (pastorpatrick@gmail.com).
10. Single Life Retreat. The Single Life annual retreat will be taking place March 13-15 at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. This year’s guest speaker will be Pastor Alton To from San Francisco Bible Church. The cost will be $150 per person and registration will open in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned for more details!
11. Care Month. February is Care Month at LBC. Please make an extra effort to be a blessing to your brothers and sisters in Christ! Each week, the Care Ministry will present special ways you can love and serve others in the body.
12. Czech Republic Summer Mission. If you would like to participate in this year’s trip to the Czech Republic, please contact Pastor Patrick for an application. The tentative dates for the trip are June 30-July 21. You must have been a member at Lighthouse for at least one year to apply. Contact Pastor Patrick for more information.