Category Archives: Affinity Groups

Don’t Shop ‘Til You Drop

by Hansol An

It’s common for collegians to “church shop” during the first part of the school year. They try on one church, then the next, then the next. Presumably this happens until they find one that meets all their needs. To a certain extent that’s understandable. A reasonable amount of research should be conducted to find a church. That’s definitely important; ending up at a bad church can stunt your spiritual growth, lead you astray or worse. But don’t be content to shop indefinitely, looking for the perfect church that meets all your criteria. No church, including Lighthouse Bible Church, is perfect but there are characteristics that a “good” church should have.

A good church should preach the gospel, make disciples and replicate both, often. It should have qualified leadership as defined by the Bible and not human standards. And without a doubt, a good church needs to practice church discipline. These and other qualities were discussed in more detail by Pastor Patrick Cho a few weeks ago in a Sunday Sermon entitled “Commitments of a God-honoring Church – Part 2.”

But often times the exercise turns out to be less about due diligence and more about finding a church that offers the most for the shopper. Deep consideration is given to the style of worship, the friendliness of the people, the relative age of the congregation, the personality of the preacher, the service times, the dating prospects…we could go on and on. The point is: searching for a church can become self-centered. At first, none of these qualities seem like inappropriate considerations but when examined closely these considerations reveal a selfishness that should have no place in a believer or a church. Re-worded into question form one might ask:

  • “Do I like the music?”
  • “Are the people nice to me?”
  • “Can I relate to these people?”
  • “Does the preacher keep me engaged and make me laugh?”
  • “Is the service at a convenient time?”
  • “Will I find someone to love me?”

All of these questions center around self. Christ told us that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love people (Matt 22:34-40). Of all the things he commanded of us, those are the two most important! Should they not apply when we are looking for a church? Shouldn’t we be asking “Will this church help me love God and love people?”

It’s already November and hopefully you have found a home here at Lighthouse. If not, what’s the hold up? Maybe LBC isn’t the right fit but you need to find a good church. When you read the Bible, particularly the New Testament, it’s pretty clear to see that the Christian life was not meant to be lived out in a vacuum. How would you practice all the “one another” statements? Hebrews 10:25 tells us that we should not neglect meeting together. Church is the vehicle that God uses to reach a lost and dying world. Don’t stand by on the sidelines. Read their doctrinal statements (that might eliminate some churches real fast). But some churches say all the right things so see if they live it out as well. Then commit to a good church and start investing in the people there. Ironically, in the end you’ll probably get more than you give.

If you want to learn more about what a good (or healthy) church looks like, visit 9marks.org. There you’ll find plenty of helpful resources and information about what to look for in a good church.

Interview with Haeli (Youth)

by Grace Wu

Today’s youth profile highlights Haeli, who is a 7th grader in the Lumos youth ministry.

How long have you been a part of Lumos? What was it like when you first came?

I’ve been a part of Lumos for about a year now. When I first came to youth, it was really different. I felt older and I liked the way the youth staff wanted all the youthies to call them by their regular names without the Mr. or Miss/Mrs! 🙂 Also, I saw the way the staff loved to hear about how we were doing and our thoughts about the messages we would hear every Friday, and Sunday! I knew that I would love my time here at youth!

How have you changed since first being in Lumos and now?

I could see myself being more excited and motivated to learn about God and his word than I was before! I make time to read the Bible no matter how busy I am; but in the past, my schedule sometimes got in the way of my quiet time. Instead of forcing myself, I read the Bible because I want to.

What is one significant lesson God has been teaching you lately?

God has been teaching me patience. Lately, I have been very burdened with homework and tests, but God has been showing me to be patient with struggles, and to do everything for Him.

What’s it like being one of the younger students in Lumos?

Being a younger student is cool because when you need advice on things that you’re going through, you can always look up to the older youth members for help. Whether it’s school or church, most of the times they’ve already been through it. It’s comforting to know that when you are young, there is always someone who will be there for you.

How do you shine the light at your school?

I try to shine the light by setting a Christian example and talking to non-believers. It’s actually pretty interesting what people think about God. Most of the time, you dont know what they think until you take the courage to ask them and talk with them! Almost all of my friends are unbelievers so I try to talk about God in our conversations.

What is one thing you want people to know about you?

One thing I want people to know about me is that I love being at church and with the youth. Being at these places make me really happy and I find myself more prone to laughing!

What are your hobbies?

I love playing the flute and I’m currently in the San Diego Youth Symphony. I also enjoy running and playing sports! Cross Country is something I really want to do when I get older, along with joining the volleyball team! Another one of my hobbies is reading! I think adventurous/mysterious, and funny books are my favorite!

From Fireflies to Sonlight

by Lillian Kim

I have had the joy of serving on Fireflies staff for a total of four-and-a-half years. And now I have the joy of serving on Sonlight staff alongside my wonderful husband, Abram Kim.

The decision to switch from Fireflies to Sonlight wasn’t a very hard decision for me to make but it was a hard transition to go through. When Abram and I got engaged last April, we began talking about our future family and how our ministry would look like as a family. When we talked about my involvement in Fireflies, Abram was fine with me continuing on since it fit under the umbrella of Children’s ministry. We’d still attend the monthly children’s staff meetings together and he’d have more perspective from me on what goes on in the life of a Firefly kid so that it could help him understand how all the ministries of children’s ministry from newborns to eleven-year-olds connect. But as we thought about it and prayed about it more, we both realized that I would be a more effective helper for Abram if I served alongside him in Sonlight. I would be able to give him perspective and insight as I served with him on Sundays to encourage him to grow as teacher, to be his biggest cheerleader, to be his biggest critic, and to know how to better pray for him and help him prepare to teach on Sundays and to lead the ministry. Along with that, we would be ministering to the children, parents and staff together and would be able to talk about the joys and struggles and how to pray and watch the ministry grow as the Lord would be the ultimate leader of the group. So with that, it was easy to make the decision because my heart’s desire since being engaged to Abram is to carry out the words of Scripture, to be his “suitable helper.”

However, the transition was a bit difficult to go through. How do you say farewell to a wonderful staff and an energetic group of babies, infants and toddlers? It’s just hard because the staff is so supportive and loving and of one mind in passing on the glory of God to the next generation. And the kiddies are just so cute and impressionable and are very interested in knowing the truths about God—that he is good, big, everywhere, and that God always wins, Jesus is the boss, Jesus is my friend, Jesus is alive…and the list continues.

God is gracious and he made moving from Fireflies to Sonlight smooth. The Sonlight staff is wonderful and the children are great. Also, it’s neat to see how the Children’s Ministry’s philosophy of ministry is consistent and constant with what the church-at-large stands for. It’s not just that way on paper but it’s also that way in practice.

I’m currently working with the yellow table which is the Kindergarten table. The last interactions I had with these kids were in nursery. It’s been fun and a huge blessing to see how much these kids have grown and learned since their Fireflies days. I can see how the foundations laid out in Fireflies has really helped them in their spiritual journey. Some of the things they’ve been learning this year in Sonlight–like adoption, justification and sanctification–are very big concepts, but they are slowly getting it because they have learned truths about God and Jesus over the course of their participation in the Children’s Ministry here at LBC.

Working with the children of our church is such a delight. The parents have been very helpful as they teach and pass on the glory of God to them. As a church, let’s continue to strive in this endeavor to pass on the glory of God to those who do not know Him.

Is Yours a Word-Filled Family?

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Grace Life has been meeting for two weeks now and has just begun a study through Word Filled Families, by John Barnett. Even for the first few weeks, it has been a very helpful book walking through various Scriptures on how to cultivate better marriages and stronger parenting. The importance of having God’s Word central in families can’t be overstated. And yet, for believers we know that this doesn’t happen automatically. It has to be worked at in order for God’s Word to remain the focus in a family.

This principle really goes as far back as when God first revealed His Word to His people. For instance, before the second generation of Israelites is able to enter the Promised Land, Moses helps them to understand what would be the key to their success. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, he exhorts them to remember their one true God and to keep His Word. The Word was to be on their hearts from early morning until late at night. It needed to proceed from their lips, and in whatever they did or conceived, everything should have been filtered through God’s truth. Even when Moses died, it is not surprising that God told Joshua essentially the same thing before Joshua led the people into the Promised Land (Josh. 1:6-8). If Joshua and the people were going to see any success, the Scriptures needed to be central to their lives.

This is not just an Old Testament idea, though. The Apostle Peter exhorted his readers to long for the pure spiritual milk of the Word in order to grow spiritually (1 Pet. 2:2). If any spiritual growth is going to take place in a believer’s heart, it will come by means of the Bible. This is also why Paul tells the Colossians that they must allow the Word of Christ to dwell in them richly (Col. 3:16). God’s truth is to saturate the lives of His people. It is thus not just a goal for the believing family to be Word filled, but it really is the goal of each believer to be Word filled. And as each believer allows the Word to dwell in them richly, so families will consequently benefit greatly.

This isn’t like the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Simply knowing the Bible and reading it each day is not going to make a person Word filled. It isn’t just a matter of going through the motions. As one of my beloved seminary professors used to say, “The goal is not just to the Word, but the God of the Word.” We need to pursue Christ, not just knowledge about Christ. This really begins, then, with a complete and correct understanding of the gospel. Unless God has transformed you and renewed your mind to think His thoughts after Him, and unless He has removed your spiritual blindness to allow you to understand His truth, pursuing a Word filled life would be futile. No person can accomplish this on his own, but is completely dependent on God in it (cf. John 15:5; 1 Cor. 2:14).

So, it should be an exciting year as we tackle some of the most important biblical principles pertaining to biblical marriage, parenting, manhood, and womanhood. Our hope is that as a result of this study, the church would be further strengthened and that the families of the church would know the Lord more deeply and sweetly.

The Start of a New Year (Single Life)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the great privileges at church is being able to minister to working adults, helping disciple them to magnify Christ in their workplace, personal lives, and relationships. However, sometimes working with single adults can be quite challenging. One of the difficulties about Single Life is that there is a wide range of context in the lives of the singles. This certainly can be a significant time when they are deciding on what career to pursue as they job hunt with their various applications and interviews. Many singles are working out the biblical principles about life that they learned during college.

There are other singles who have been in the workforce for a while. Their concerns are not about choosing their professions as much as being faithful in the work that God has already led them to do. They are dealing with the complexities of representing Christ in the workplace while distinguishing between what is appropriate and what is necessary. Sometimes decisions are presented in the workplace that might tempt them to compromise biblical principles. For others, it is simply about practicing those principles consistently in the workplace and exhibiting good Christian character and Christ-likeness.

When it comes to the pursuit of marriage, some singles are perfectly content with remaining single for now. They are happy to focus on their jobs or simply growing in their faith. Others desire to be married but either have not had the opportunity to pursue it or have been turned down in that pursuit. Understandably, this can be frustrating and challenging to a person’s faith. Still others are in dating relationships or are engaged and are fighting to not only maintain purity, but to keep Christ central in their relationships. They don’t want their relationship to be a hindrance to their walk with God, but want it to help stimulate greater godliness.

Adding to the challenges of leading singles is the truth that male and female singles each typically struggle with their unique temptations and encumbrances. Those who shepherd singles need to understand these generalities while still ministering to each person as an individual and helping them to become complete in Christ.

As numerous as these challenges are, this is what makes singles ministry so vital in the life of the church. It isn’t simply about coming together to listen to a sermon. It is about having a group of individuals who relate to your life experiences and who can help each other grow and hold each other accountable. Even though the challenges are diverse, the solution is the same. Our goal will be to look to Scripture to see what God’s Word tells us about how to handle the challenges that we face. This is going to be an exciting year for Single Life, one where we will hopefully see much spiritual growth in the lives of our members.

College and the Gospel

by Peter Park

College. What a blessing from God. As I look back at my college years, God has taught me more about Himself and how He works through the lives of His people to accomplish His will. Perhaps the most precious truth that God has taught me over the past 3 years, and is continuing to remind me everyday, is the glorious gospel.

For some reason, the truth of the Gospel, told to its entirety, has never been presented to me where I was challenged by the reality of it. Growing up, all I knew the message to be was that Jesus died on the cross for my sins so that I didn’t have to go to hell when I die. However, coming to LBC, I was challenged to think through our sinful condition and how much it separates us from a holy God who cannot tolerate unrighteousness because of His perfect character. I was challenged to consider not only to make a decision, but to commit myself as a disciple that would be willing to give up everything in order to follow Jesus Christ as Lord (Matthew 10:34-39). This made the gospel message, no longer just a pleasant, convenient message that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. But to follow requires dying to oneself’s former ways and living in perfect submission to the One that has died and was raised on our behalf (Galatians 2:20). The gospel has become so much more precious to me and has become the center-point of my faith, the lens that I see the world through, and the only means through which I can truly rejoice out of a genuine sense of love and praise for our Savior. It is because of the gospel now that I am able to fervently pray, passionately worship in spirit and truth, tirelessly love others, cheerfully serve in ministry, joyfully obey my parents and church leaders, and diligently study knowing that all glory goes to God (Romans 11:36).

I am excited to see another year of what God will do through our ministry. As a collegian approaching the end of my college career, I am looking forward to investing into the younger collegians to make disciples of Christ so that I may be salt and light to a lost and dying world (Matthew 5:13-16) and live for my Lord and master who has commissioned me to make disciples of all nations.

It’s Thanksgiving Already in Sonlight!

by Ryan and Stephanie McAdams

Don’t worry; we don’t have our months confused. The American Thanksgiving holiday is still a while away. But for us, there is always much to be thankful to God for – in particular, the Sonlight Ministry! The 2011-2012 school year started off a few weeks ago, and we love being back in our “second home” – the Sonlight room – once again. We wanted to share specifically what it is about this elementary school ministry that we appreciate so much!

We are thankful to God for…

The Sonlight Kiddos

There is so much we could share about these precious children. First of all, these five to eleven year olds have quite the imagination; they can and will play with anything they find in our room! A few chairs become a castle. Swimming pool noodles become swords. Also, we value the conversations we get to have with them, not only during official Sunday school time but anytime we see them. Already this year, one kid has admitted he does not think he’s a Christian, allowing for further conversation about what makes a true believer. Another kid answered the question “What is God’s gift to those who believe in Jesus?” with “ruternal life!”, revealing her lack of understanding of “eternal life” and providing an opportunity to explain what “eternal life” means. Even the inappropriate and flippant things they say about God, the gospel, and each other we can use those moments to talk with them and help them see their depravity.

Fireflies Nursery and Sparklers Preschool Ministries

We see the fruit of these two ministries as they have helped lay a good foundation of God and His Word. Though they’ve only been with us for no more than a month, the youngest batch of kids (kindergarteners) are quite knowledgeable and show an enthusiasm for learning and listening to God’s Word.

Newer Families and Visiting Families

In the past year or so, we have seen a significant number of families check out Lighthouse, and quite a few end up staying! It’s encouraging to see their desire for a church that will love and teach God’s Word accurately and with care to their children.

The Parents

They allow us to come alongside them as they strive to teach, train, discipline, and love their children with the gospel and God’s Word. They are exemplary role models for us as we look forward to having our own little disciple soon!

The Staffers

Though only eight of us currently (but many prospective staff!), we see such love and investment these staffers have for the kids. The male staff is required to teach on a rotating schedule. It is neat to watch these men grow in their abilities to clearly and accurately speak God’s Truth to the kids in a way that they will understand. Something new implemented this school year is a weekly staff meeting at 8:30am before service starts to hear an overview of that day’s lesson and to pray together for the Sunday school time. We enjoy this time to physically see all the staff around one table and entrust this ministry to God.

The Curriculum

As two people who grew up in the church and became very familiar with the gospel and Bible stories, we know the danger of claiming to be a Christian without having true faith with a life that backs it up. We constantly pray that this curriculum, To Be Like Jesus, will challenge the kids’ minds and hearts to consider God’s Truths and see if their lives reflect a genuine love for Him or not.

A Classroom

They all fit in there (for now)! We love that they love and feel so comfortable in this room – it’s like their “second home” as well. Come peek in our neck of the woods after service sometime, though you may not be noticed since the kids are so engrossed in playing. Many times, they don’t even see their parents, who have to literally drag them out of the room to go home or eat lunch!

Serving as a Married Couple

Sonlight was the first ministry we starting serving in together after marriage. These children and this ministry are a big part of our lives. We talk about the kids constantly – trading funny stories/moments from Sunday school since we lead different small groups within Sonlight, praying for them, and tossing ideas back and forth of how to better talk to and shepherd each child’s heart.

We hope our short list provides encouragement and thankfulness in your heart this day for God’s love and care for LBC’s next generation!

Practicing Patience in Parenting

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Being a parent of a three-year-old girl is one of the greatest joys of my life. At one point, I only wanted to have boys, but now I would be perfectly content only having girls. There is something irreplaceably sweet about the father/daughter relationship and I cherish it and praise God that I can enjoy it as a dad.

As sweet as having a daughter is, it still is obviously not always easy. At three, our little girl has developed quite a personality and oftentimes battles with Mom and Dad over who is in charge. She admits her dependence on us less, and insists on doing things on her own more. Still, she is a bit clumsy so whenever she wants to do things on her own, it results in more and more messes. At times she gets herself into trouble because she tries things that are too big for her, but there are also times when she is blatantly rebellious and disobedient.

One time, she insisted on using a “big girl” cup because she did not want to drink her milk from a straw. Reluctantly I agreed and instructed her to be very careful because she could spill the milk if she tipped the cup too far. And as most parents who have been in this situation have discovered, that spilled milk was inevitable.

I have heard that patience is a virtue. I have also heard that one should not pray for patience because God will only make you wait for it. It is certainly vastly more important to see what the Bible says about patience, and it is important always to remember and turn to what the Bible says instead of human wisdom. Scripture teaches that patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), and so as a believer it should be a mark of who I am. Instead of putting on a sinful attitude, I am called to put on patience amongst other things (Col. 3:12). Paul told Timothy to preach the Word with patience, so I know when I teach my little girl the truths of Scripture it will likewise require patience (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2).

When you study patience in Scripture, you come to realize that God shows us incredible patience as sinners. Speaking out against condemning the sins of others, Paul writes in Romans 2:4, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” The Apostle refers to himself as the foremost of all sinners, but explains that this was so that Jesus could demonstrate His perfect patience to him as an example (1 Tim. 1:15-16). The fact is when I mess up, God is patient with me. He was patient in enduring all my wickedness for the first twenty something years of my unbelieving life, and He continues to show His perfect patience with me even now as a believer.

This really helps to put things into perspective when I struggle to be patient with Eden. She is only three and has a sweet demeanor and oftentimes loves to make Papa happy. During the times when it is more difficult and her sinful heart shows itself, I can remember to be patient as God has been patient to me. I have been shown tremendous patience, so I should not raise my daughter as if I had not been shown any. Of course it is easier to know this in principle than to put it into practice, but being reminded again and again of the principle is part of the growing process that hopefully will lead to greater faithfulness in the practice.

Small Groups (Single Life Update)

by Daniel Yee

In the past year, God has blessed the Lighthouse family tremendously with new visitors from all walks of life, many of whom have gone on to commit to membership, and I am certain that the church will continue to experience even more growth in the coming months. While it’s exciting to see so many newcomers, one can easily be lost among the sea of people. Even when Single Life meets for our smaller, more intimate Bible study, getting to know one another better can still be an arduous task. It can be tempting to just slip out quietly without anyone noticing and even when one does muster up the courage to say “hi,” the conversation doesn’t always seem to amount to much more than a moment of awkwardness.

This is where small groups can help. Should one desire to know others better in the body, small group is a fantastic way to start. After all, small groups are… small. For those fearful of crowds like I am, it makes speaking up a little easier. Everyone has the chance to share and be heard. People are not just another face anymore. We get to know more than just a name, job title/description, and hometown. As a result, we begin to build friendships with one another.

However, there is so much more to small groups. Yes, meeting together with a more intimate group of brothers or sisters allows us a better chance of getting acquainted, but more than that, we have a grand opportunity to carry out the multitude of “one another” commands found in Scripture. We get to serve one another (Gal. 5:13), teach and admonish one another (Col. 3:16), encourage and build up one another (I Thess. 5:11); just to name a few. Those last two mentioned in I Thessalonians 5, in particular, have been of great value to me and something I look forward to every week as I meet with several other like-minded brothers.

There is so much I can say about small group, but in short, it has been a challenging time for me. I’m challenged to consider how I have spent my time the previous week. I’m challenged to think through the sermons I have heard and how I might actively apply them in my life. I’m challenged to speak up even when I don’t feel comfortable. I’m challenged to listen to different perspectives and learn from others. I’m challenged to be humble when I am wrong. I’m challenged to keep up my disciplines for the sake of godliness. I’m challenged to be confronted with my sins and repent. I’m challenged to pray for others and ask them to pray for me. I’m challenged to love these other guys, whom for the most part I didn’t know very well before our small group and even now, I’m still learning more about them. I have been encouraged and built up by all of these challenges and I know it’s something that I would not have experienced if I were not involved in a small group.

One more thing I might add is that throughout this past year, I am reminded I cannot run this race of faith single-handedly. At Lighthouse, we’re told there is no such thing as a “lone ranger” Christian, and it is so true. I love the imagery found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 because it illustrates why Christians should not be alone. So many times I’ve fallen down and I wonder to myself, “How am I still standing?” There is no doubt God has used this group of brothers to come along side me, lift me back up, and urge me to keep going. The trials keep rising, but I am comforted to know God has provided fellow believers so I don’t face them in isolation. By joining a small group, my social life might just have improved a little. But more importantly, I know there are people I can count on to share God’s truth with me as we continue to run together as part of the same body.

College Life Update

by Hansol An

Why We Do It

As a ministry of LBC, College Life inherently has the same Mission as the rest of the church: to make disciples of Christ. No matter what other goals or objectives a campus ministry has, nothing else should take precedence over that. Fellowship with other collegians, having fun, and even accumulating Biblical knowledge fall short of the most important thing a campus ministry does: foster the true spiritual growth of each member. Even small groups are offered primarily to provide accountability and guidance which aid spiritual maturity, not as an exclusive club for good times. Does that mean we can’t have fun? Of course not. I think College Life has the most fun of all the affinity groups! But when it gets down to it, what it really needs to accomplish over a fast-paced school year, is spiritual growth.

All the reports (from the small group leaders) would seem to indicate that the ministry seems to have been successful. Of course this is not to say that every individual that came in contact with College Life became the next Jonathan Edwards. But the majority of the students have shown growth, evident through their lives. AW Pink once said that “Growth is silent and at the time imperceptible to our senses, though later it is evident.” Basically, it’s difficult to quantify, but the way a person talk, acts, and makes decisions over time is the fruit that gives evidence of a person’s growth and faith. Even through casual interaction I could see that many of the College Lifers were showing maturity in May that they didn’t have in September.

This is why we do it. This is why the staff works tirelessly to invest our time, energy and resources into those we have been called to lead. Not to deter any potential staffers in the future, but Peter Lim described it well – it’s a sprint for nine months! But at the end of the year, when it’s time to take an account of what was accomplished, we look to growth as our unperceivable measuring stick; not attendance or fun activities or anything else.

We can’t see it but we can see it. And when we see it, it’s all worth it. Quote me on that.

Changes This Year

For those of you who actually read this, you get a sneak peek at some changes for this year. First, we will be meeting at church on Fridays nights at 7pm. This will allow us to have more flexibility, activities, food and a full praise band. If we want to hangout after bible study, play ping pong and eat, we can. Also we got us a shuttle! Well it’s not just for College Life but still…