by Grace Wu
Out of all the ministries that exist at Lighthouse, one constitutes the foundation of it all: Grace Life. This is not to say the children or outreach ministries are not important. Rather, it is through Grace Life’s equipping of the older generation that these ministries can function effectively.
For elder and Isaiah Flock leader Peter Lim, this emphasis on equipping and teaching the older people of Lighthouse is why Grace Life is important to him.
“Leading a flock of grown men and women is an important opportunity for two way interaction that can’t be taken for granted since these opportunities are relatively rare. I have discovered through my own attitudes and through others’ that people tend to be less teachable as they age. This is unfortunately true even for Biblical truths. But this is exactly why ministry to the oldest people in our church is so important. We have an opportunity to not only affect our generation with spiritual values but also our children’s generation too.”
A usual Isaiah flock meeting opens with singing, followed by the lesson portion of the meeting. Afterwards, the group is divided in men and women for a time of accountability, further discussion, and prayer. At the end, flock attendees can play with the children who are eager to see their parents after a few hours. At times, there are also potlucks and other informal get-togethers between flock groups.
“It’s also encouraging that families are willing to spend some extra time outside of Sunday mornings to get together and hang out and study together. Unfortunately some Married people choose not to participate for whatever reason but it’s really not as hard as some might think,” Peter said.
For flock attendees Arthur and France Wang, they too find Grace Life an important opportunity to learn as a family. In their flock, they are currently studying John McArthur’s “Before Abraham,” which discusses the creation up until the tower of Babel.
“It teaches us how the Old and New Testament biblical principles are tied together. It reminds us the Bible must be studied as a whole and is equally applicable,” France said. However, biblical knowledge isn’t the only lesson Arthur and France walk away with after a flock meeting. This ministry has also given them a peek into Christian parenting and how to raise godly children through the example of older and more mature believers they encounter.
“It is a great encouragement that families are so open with their struggles and triumphs. People genuinely care for one another in Godly love and it has been a blessing for us to be a part of this,” France said.
Grace Life flocks will also be undergoing changes as announced during the Members’ meeting on January 25. Instead of the biweekly meetings, it will be only meeting once a month. Furthermore, its format will change as it will be a time for men’s and women’s discipleship. The reason for this is to fulfill 2 Timothy 2:2 and the Titus 2 principle. Despite the reduced meetings throughout the month, it will still accomplish the Grace Life principle to spiritually feed the older people of the church. Under the new format, mothers can be spiritually encouraged while fathers will be able to spend more time with their children under this new flocks format. These changes, which take a trial run from March to May, will be a trial period to see Grace Life strengthened as the backbone of the church.
These changes in the Grace Life ministry is all for the purpose of building up the church body through the spiritual nourishment of the older people at Lighthouse. Thankfully we can see its fruits as different affinity groups serve the attendees of Grace Life. For Peter Lim and the Wangs, the childcare provided during flocks is another source of encouragement. This sacrificial service, though not part of the Bible study, still helps build up the older members of the church. It allows parents to have an interrupted time of Bible study, to learn in peace, so that they can fulfill 2 Timothy 2:2 and the Titus 2 principle.