by Steven Preslar

Over the past 10 years the video ministry has had the opportunity to video tape more events than I can count. There are literally boxes of video tapes that need to be converted to digital format and then cataloged and archived. Our goal is to be able to provide access to that video footage to our members in a timely fashion.

For the most part all the work for the video ministry is done behind the scenes. At the major events throughout the year you will see team members quietly manning the video cameras. The part you don’t see is the work done behind the scene by another one of the team members where the raw footage taken is then spliced together to produce a final product.

There are currently four members who serve in the ministry. We have two members dedicated to the capturing of footage (David Jung and Josh Shortman), one member, Byron Dang who is entirely dedicated to post production/editing, and another, Steven Preslar that is responsible for converting, archiving, and cataloguing.

Our hope is that we would all be faithful in using the time and talents that the LORD has given to us, to serve the body at Lighthouse Bible Church by preserving the memories and making them readily available to you, our members.

If you are interested in joining the video ministry, please speak with Steven Preslar.

by Teddy Yu

WHAT is a convalescent home?

A question that I anticipate from many is, “What is the convalescent home ministry?” Well, in order to answer that question, let me first start with describing what a convalescent home is. A convalescent home is a residence for patients to recover from long-term illnesses or medical procedures. It is this additional level of medical care and attention that distinguishes a convalescent home from other regular nursing or assisted-living facilities. And while some of the residents of convalescent homes anticipate a return to their own homes after recovery, there are also some that remain there for the rest of their lives. So while the residents at a convalescent home may have diverse medical conditions, they all require some sort of constant medical attention.

WHERE is it?

The specific convalescent home that we visit is called ‘Mission Hills Health Care Center’ and is located in the northern downtown area of San Diego in a region called Hillcrest. Nearby the convalescent home, you can find the UCSD Medical Center – Hillcrest and Scripps Mercy Hospital – Hillcrest.

HOW did the ministry begin?

The origin of the convalescent home ministry can be traced back to the Hillcrest ministry. The Hillcrest ministry consisted of a group from LBC regularly going out into the streets of Hillcrest to conduct street evangelism to the homeless. One of the homeless people that we were meeting up with regularly through the Hillcrest ministry ended up requiring medical attention at the Scripps Mercy Hospital. And when they were discharged to the ‘Mission Hills Health Care Center’, we followed them to the convalescent home and continued to visit and to minister to them. In doing so, we started building relationships with the other residents at the convalescent home and saw God provide even more opportunities for ministry. We have been regularly visiting the convalescent home ever since.

WHO do we minister to?

Some of the residents that we are currently meeting up with have been with us since the very beginning. And we have together experienced many joys and trials through the years. In one of the residents we currently meet up with, ‘George’, we’ve seen his demeanor change from frequent outbursts of anger and foul words to an outspoken desire to read and to hear the Word of God. He has even asked that we read the Bible with him in the presence of others so that they too may hear. And ‘George’ is not the only resident hungry for the Word of God. ‘Cecile’ is another resident that has been meeting up with members of our ministry to have Bible studies in the Gospel of John. But we have also witnessed some of the residents take a little more time to respond to God’s Word. ‘Rachel’ was actually one of the residents that we had been meeting up from the beginning. But after some time, she expressed that she did not want to hear about the Bible anymore and that she wanted to live her own way. However, she recently has shared with us a desire to repent and live her life pleasingly before God. These are just a small sample of the residents that we have had an opportunity to meet with regularly and either share the Gospel with again or encourage them in their walks.

WHY do we do this ministry?

It is into this environment that God has provided us an incredible opportunity to be ministers of the Gospel to the residents of the convalescent home. By any worldly opinion, there would be no reasonable explanation for well-to-do people like us to spend time with people at a convalescent home. Some may choose to endure those times for the sake of volunteer hours or as part of a job. But as Christians we have a great opportunity to willingly go and joyfully serve as witnesses of Christ to the residents and staff of the convalescent home. There are three major motivations behind our ministry:

#1: We have a Divine Joy

Our ministry at the convalescent home is motivated by so much more than simple dutiful obedience to ‘Great Commission’ to proclaim the Gospel. While we do desire to share the Gospel, we do so for the purpose that others may come to know the joy of knowing and worshipping the one, true God. We know that there can be no repentance from sin and a relationship with God unless the Gospel is preached. And so we preach and share and minister of the joyful relationship that we personally experience in Christ.

#2: We have a Divine Example

1 John 4:19 says ‘We love, because He [God] first loved us’ and it is this model of love that we practice in the convalescent home ministry. Even though the residents may have little or nothing to offer in return for our time spent with them, we are not motivated by what we can gain or receive from them. Instead our ministry to the residents is motivated by an understanding that God first loved us with an even greater selfless love. Indeed, true authentic Christ-like love can most clearly be demonstrated when it can not be reciprocated and it is not deserved. The practical implications of this understanding mean that even when we are tired and feel disheartened from seeing little fruit, we can still go and minister because of our love for these people. And by exercising this sacrificial love, we can provide a visible testimony of the love that Christ exercised in coming to die for sinful and rebellious man.

#3: We have a Divine Hope

By no means is a ministry like this without difficulty because it involves sinful people interacting with other sinful people. One aspect of this difficulty stems from the necessity to continually present the Gospel to sinners and call them to repentance. Another aspect stems from being confronted from within by our personal short-comings in our motivation for ministry and the depth of our love for others. But we can be encouraged that despite the battle with sin outside and within, that we have a divine hope for our ministry. We are reminded that it is the power of God that saves through the faithful proclamation of His Gospel and by the power of the Holy Spirit to convict sinners. This reassures us to remain faithful in clearly proclaiming the Gospel in every context and to simply trust upon Him for the results.

Without a doubt this type of ministry is challenging, but it is also extremely rewarding. Above all, it is a high privilege to share the Gospel with others and to see God at work in people’s hearts. I cannot begin to describe the joy that comes from knowing that you have faithfully testified of Christ to a dying and sinful world. And this joy is all the more enhanced when you can see Christ working through you to continue to personally minister to and encourage others as they progress in their Christian walk. And through these relationships, there is the additional blessing of being continually challenged to grow in personal sanctification, knowledge of the Word, and preparedness to wield the Word to better minister to others.

It is for these reasons that we can joyfully engage in this ministry. There is a great need for people to partake in this ministry. We are looking for people passionate to share the Gospel both in speech and conduct. We also require participants to be members in good standing at LBC. And since there will be many opportunities to share the Gospel and provide biblical counsel in a variety of contexts, training will be provided for those that commit to the ministry. We schedule weekly visits primarily on Saturday afternoons or weekday nights subject to other activities in the church schedule. Each visit typically lasts around an hour and a half. The content of each visit can vary from individual visitations to group craft activities to teaching and worship times. The responsibility expected from prospective members will be to participate and have a willingness to learn and develop relationships. The required commitment will be for at least school quarter (about 4 months).

All interested members are welcome to contact me. But regardless whether you participate in the convalescent home ministry or not, I do pray that you all will strive to grow in the joy of knowing of God and testifying of His grace.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

When late August rolled around, I couldn’t believe that we were already in full swing for College Life. In previous years we didn’t have to worry about the start of the school year until late September because UCSD’s academic calendar begins then. But with a heightened involvement at SDSU and their semester calendar, we needed to have things up and running much sooner. Even with the quicker start to the year, it has still proven to be a successful start. Pondering the first few months of the school year, I can pinpoint at last four reasons why College Life has gotten off to such a great start.

Fundamental Commitment

We began the school year with a message on the pillars of College Life. What principles do we want to build our ministry on? What commitments do we want to make now that we want to see ourselves faithful to a decade from now? We agreed that we want College Life to be committed to glorifying God, teaching God’s Word, representing Christ on campus, enjoying genuine fellowship, and providing helpful discipleship. We also wanted to help our students understand the importance of being committed to the local church and being a part of the church family. As the opening months of the school year have gone by, we have seen this commitment fleshed out.

Our collegians know that College Life is not just about entertaining them or making them feel good about themselves. In fact, this past summer we went through a series on the doctrines of grace and one of the topics they were most blessed by was the depravity of man. Only Spirit-filled, God-fearing Christians could get excited about learning more about their own depravity! Seeing these students’ desire to grow in the things of God evinces that they are committed to the same things College Life is committed to, and that they have decided to be part of this ministry so that we can all grow together in that direction.

Faithful Staff

College Life has always been blessed with an incredible staff. Their commitment to the students has really benefitted the group and, I believe, has influenced many students to stay at Lighthouse. The College Life senior staff consists of four married couples, one engaged couple, and eight single adults. They are Patrick and Christine Cho, Jin and Grace Lee, Hansol and Angella An, Johnny and Mimi Kim, Tim Yu, Stephanie Shin, Derek Chew, Simon Huang, Randy Tsuchiyama, Teddy Yu, Courtney Chow, Cindy Chu, Karen Yi, and Naomi Yu. Not too churches offer their collegians an opportunity to receive dedicated discipleship and counseling from older, more experienced believers. What is more encouraging is that these staff members applied for these positions. We didn’t have to coax them into serving. They wanted to serve in this capacity because of their love for the Lord and for the collegians.

Besides the senior staff, we have a team of student staff members who help with the planning and administration of the group. Some of them even help lead small groups for the first and second year students. The student staff has been an incredible encouragement as we have gradually given them more and more responsibilities each year. This year, our student staff consists of Daniel Chong, Byron Dang, Ryan Short, Joo Yoon, Amy Cheng, Yuen Kwong, Vicky Williams, and Kristen Yee.

Together, these staff members have committed themselves to the ministries at SDSU and UCSD. The men on staff have been doing most of the teaching midweek and the entire staff has worked hard to make sure the students are growing and being held accountable to their profession of faith. Besides the staff members, many of the upperclassmen have gone out of their way to meet up with the younger collegians and to make themselves available for them.

Freshman Involvement

For whatever reason, in years past, our freshman retention rate was never really good. Perhaps the first years were not used to the longer messages that Lighthouse has come to be known for. Perhaps other ministries were doing more to make the freshmen feel welcome. Whatever the reason, not too many freshmen stuck out their first year of college in College Life. This year, that trend seems to have changed. Of course, there are always freshmen who through their church hopping experiences decide to commit elsewhere. And that’s ok. But we are really thankful for the ones who have decided to stay. We hope we can challenge them in their walks with God and in their thinking to be more conformed to the teaching of God’s Word. They have also added a lot of color to the group with their unique personalities and vibrant spirits. It was especially great to see a number of them at this year’s All-Church Retreat.

Fanatic Excitement

As single adults and married people in the working community know very well, there is a great excitement and enthusiasm during college. This is not anything new, but still it is great to see our collegians channel their energy and enthusiasm for the Lord. This year, we have asked the collegians to stay for a third hour on Sundays for College Life large group. This makes for a guaranteed six hour Sunday. That’s not easy for anyone! Even though we have adjusted the schedule to meet every other week, we understand that we are still asking a lot. Still, the collegians didn’t complain (at least to me!), and we are hoping that in the end everyone will conclude that the effort was well worth it. There is great encouragement to not only see the collegians’ willingness to come out each week, but to also see the evidence of their love for the Lord and their fervent worship.

These are just some of the reasons why I feel College Life has gotten off to a great start. Certainly we haven’t done everything perfectly. With all the changes this year, especially with being more involved at San Diego State University, there was a lot of adjustment that needed to be made. The collegians, though, have shown great patience with me (as always!) and have striven to make the most of the opportunities we’ve had to fellowship. I’m excited to see how much more the Lord will do through the group for the remainder of the school year.

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.

by Courtney Chow

Video games, formals, football games, parties, and shopping for prom dresses are some marks in the life of a typical American teenager. However, that has not been the story of a unique group at Lighthouse. Students from grades 6-12 are welcomed to the youth group, also known as Lumos, which is Latin for “light.” Their name is inspired by Matthew 5:14-16, and is a ministry that is committed in glorifying God by being a light to this dark world through proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Teen years are known to be a time when students are developing in all aspects as individuals and the staff (led by Pastor JR Cuevas) strive to help the students as they start to fully grasp and understand what sin, accountability, God’s holiness, and their responsibility toward God is.

The philosophy the Lumos staff was summed up in three points by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz. The first point is to “exalt God, in that all we do in youth ministry must be God-exalting and God-centered, and not youth-centered.” They challenge the youth to have that same mindset, by preaching the Gospel and keeping Christ the focus when they break off into small groups. Kristen Lim, a sophomore in Lumos shared that “Pastor JR does not try to sweeten the Scripture to tickle our ears; he treats us like adults and knows that we are capable of applying the things that we learn in our lives.”

Secondly, they strive to edify the saints. Cesar said “We are to teach them the whole counsel of God, that the youth may be able to know how to live as a Christian at home, school, and in all areas of their life, equipping them to know how to apply Scripture.”

Thirdly, the students are encouraged to “Evangelize the lost, in that we want them to know the Gospel passionately that it would lead them to witness to their classmate… We’re hoping that the youth don’t merely see this ministry as a social club that’s for making friends (though we want them to all love each other), but to see this as a place to grow and lead to ministry.”

Lumos meets for a weekly Bible study on Friday nights. “The youth have been learning humility displayed in the person of Christ through our study in Luke” said Jenie Chung. They also meet on Sunday mornings during the Sunday school hour and have been spending that time learning about the attributes of God. Kristen Lim described their Sunday morning studies: “The first group of attributes we learned about were the incommunicable attributes, which are attributes that solely God has and cannot be emulated by us. Now we are going through the communicable attributes, which are attributes that we can develop.”

Anyone who has seen the youth group knows that they have an immense amount of fun together. In addition to Bible study, every last Friday of each month is an activity night such as bowling, movie night, scavenger hunts and even had opportunities to join other youth groups such as Chinese Bible Church for ice skating and Faith Bible Church for a retreat.

God has been faithful to this small group and Lumos has been steadily increasing in both staff and student numbers over the past few years. He has also been blessing the relationships that have developed amidst the tight-knit group. Jenie said: “Serving on youth staff I’ve been very humbled by the other staff and their love for God and the youth. I know that sometimes being on staff I can be tempted to think that it’s the youth who need to hear the messages by JR but God has been really teaching and blessing me during all of the teaching times. God’s truth is always applicable and always relevant no matter what the circumstance or setting.” The church family can pray for humility for the students and staff; that they would be loving to one another and to help each other grow in our faith, as well as to have teachable hearts, and to be doers, not just hearers of the truths they learn about every week. For more information, please contact Pastor JR Cuevas.

by Garrett Glende

As the leaves turn and the weather cools, sports fans mark their calendars for their team’s next big game. Fall is here and the new season brings about the most exciting months for many die hard followers of the Chargers, Trojans, or (quite unfortunately) the Lakers. Here at LBC, guys and gals alike drape themselves in their team’s colors and gather together to have fun and cheer on their favorite team. But most would much rather spend their time in fellowship, actually playing in the games themselves. This is the reason for the sports ministry.

Whether it be playing basketball, softball, football, soccer, or volleyball, Lighthouse definitely has its fair share of talented athletes who love to get on the field and compete. The sports ministry provides a more formal venue for members to come together and get to know one another more through sports. For many people, especially guys, the easiest way to make friends is to go play ball on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday after church. In this way, sports provide an immediate connection that creates comfort and makes it easier to have deeper conversations. Many members make a deliberate effort to participate in sports activities for the specific purpose of encouraging the body and fellowshipping with other brothers and sisters.

Among the organized events that the sports ministry oversees is the Lighthouse Bible Church Basketball Association, LBCBA, and the men’s and women’s Mission Bowl’s. LBCBA is a basketball league that takes place during the spring months where players are split into teams that play against each other every week. Games are fairly intense and competitive, but the captains stress that God’s glory is at stake in everything we do, even playing basketball. Through LBCBA, people have learned that winning is not the most important thing when playing. The glory of God and the testimony of the Christian are at stake every time you step onto the court. Non-believers should be able to observe any LBCBA game and notice a difference from the rest of the world in terms of attitude, respect, and character. We must shine the light even on the court.

Probably the most notable of all the sports ministry events is the annual flag football tournament, the Mission Bowl. The goal of the tournament is to raise money in support of LBC mission teams to the Czech Republic and Argentina, while building relationships with other local churches and having fun on the field. For many members, the Mission Bowl marks an exciting few months in the year where weekends are filled with practices and many opportunities to meet new people. Football provides a great way to make friends and become more comfortable at LBC. Most players enjoy the practices themselves more than the actual tournament. There is something about those times in practice playing together that encourages unity and fellowship. Daniel Chong, who is a part of LBC’s College Life ministry, says that “football is a great sport due to the unity that it requires to execute a play correctly, which is exactly the reason why it’s a great way to fellowship with older brothers in Christ.” This year’s tournament is sure to provide just as much fun and excitement as the previous contests. The men’s tournament will be held on November 15th and the women’s will be on November 22nd. If you are interested in playing, contact Jin Lee (men) or Hansol An (women).

Overall, the sports ministry is a great opportunity to serve the church in a very practical way. In one sense, it is encouraging just to see people come out and play even if they might not be as skilled as others. In this ministry of attendance, fellow brothers and sisters are encouraged by a devotion to building up and participating in Christ’s church. So even if you don’t think you’re cut out for it, consider it a way to fellowship and build relationships within the body of Christ.

Go Lighthouse!

by Steven Hong

From Monday, July 14 to Friday, July 18, Lighthouse Bible Church was transformed into a luscious jungle full of wild animals (there were some paper cut-out animals on the walls too). Lighthouse kids, along with children from the community and friends of members, were treated to an extravagant Vacation Bible School, where they learned the “7 C’s of History”: creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, Christ, cross, and consummation.

Approximately 25 kids attended the weeklong affair, staffed by 18 volunteer staff who made the VBS possible (not to mention the volunteers who stayed up into the early hours of the morning preparing the decorations). Some of the staff even took vacation days to volunteer from 8am to 6pm all week. Susan Kim, one of the staff members, described the typical day as “catastrophic, but no doubt fun.”

Each day would begin with a time of singing. The children were led in praise by Sam Chong. Watching the children perform one of the songs the following Sunday during the Sunday Service, it was clear that they were compelled by Sam’s infectious enthusiasm.

The rest of the day comprised of creation focused snacks (Susan recalls: “We prepared Noah’s Ark by using blue jello as water, whipped topping on top for the flood, and Skittles for the rainbow”), “Creature Feature” lessons, missions reports, Bible studies, crafts, daily field trips (to the beach, aquarium and even the Creation Museum!), topped off with action-packed games.

Pastor John led a session of a Lighthouse classic: The Screaming Game. David Jung declared Cameron Preslar “the ultimate screamer, as he not only has the pitch to show, but his facial expression doubles the effect of his screaming.”

Kids and parents seemed to have a positive response to this year’s VBS. Susan even had a parent emailing her a month later for the VBS CD, at the behest of her kids.

by Moon Choi

Out of all the affinity groups at Lighthouse, the singles group known as Single Life is the largest. Friday Night Light is the name of the Friday night Bible study that they meet for weekly. The ministry is headed by Pastor John Kim, along with a group of devoted and loving staff who consist of singles themselves and a few married couples. Over the past year, they have gone over the book of Ecclesiastes and began Ruth before combining with Friday Night Searchlight, the collegian Bible study, for the summer. As a combined group, they are now reading Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp.

The ministry began about a year and a half ago when flocks came to an end. The study through Ecclesiastes was one that was challenging, powerful and pertinent to their stage in life. There are also small groups following the message in which a group of men or women break off with a leader and are able to have fellowship, discussion, prayer, and accountability, as well as an opportunity to really delve into each others’ lives and to come alongside each other. Ted Su, a member of the staff and a small group leader, especially highlighted small groups as something that’s challenged him but has provided a great source of encouragement not just with leading the small group but seeing the members of it really rising up and taking the initiative in reaching out to each other. “But I know that it’s not me working in them, but God,” he said, noting that though he is on staff and a small group leader, it is not by his effort as a small group leader but through God’s sanctifying work that he has been so encouraged through small group. “It’s also been humbling,” Ted said about working closely and personally with Pastor John, something that he sees as a great opportunity to see a wiser and older man serving and being able to learn and reap from that.

Kevin and Mabel Tse are also serving on staff. What is unique about them is that they had been ministered to by this ministry before getting married recently. Transitioning from serving as singles then now as a married couple “feels like a continuation from before,” said Mabel. Granted, there are differences as they are now married but they are still learning the same lessons, namely they have to keep learning, even if it is tempting to say that it is something that has already been learned—Kevin pointed out how important it was to know that even if “you feel like you heard it before, you haven’t arrived. You need reminders and to be humble.” Mabel urged the singles to “maximize your time as singles because married life is great but it’s harder to do things with one-mindedness.”

Single Life also has many events sprinkled through the months. A few events have already happened in July. The singles and collegians were able to have a movie night, Day at the Bay, and an ice cream social. Here are some future events in which they hope you are able to participate in:

August 15 – 9:30 PM, BBQ night

August 22 – 9:30 PM, Outdoor movie night

September 12 – 9:30 PM, International dessert night

For more details, go to: http://www.lbcsinglelife.com

By Garrett Glende

As we continue to transition into our new church building, many new opportunities have been made available for those eager to serve God. One of these new ministries is not for the faint of heart or the weak-stomached. However, it is open to anyone who loves God and wishes to serve the church by lending a helping hand! Now that we’ve moved from the school in Scripps Ranch to our own building in Sorrento Valley, we face the responsibility of having to clean and maintain the facility on our own. You might have noticed that the bathrooms (especially the men’s) aren’t quite as offending to the senses as before and that the carpet seems to be miraculously devoid of stains (for now). This is all thanks to our wonderful new cleaning ministry led by its faithful servant, Simon Huang.

Every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday night a group of LBCers can be seen vacuuming, scrubbing, mopping, washing, wiping, and serving. The team works diligently to make sure that the church is tidy and presentable for the next time it will be used. Every night the leader of the group makes sure that the team is focused on serving God with a pure heart, wishing to glorify Him even through scrubbing toilets and wiping down sinks. Even though it’s a very simple job and may not get a lot of face time, the cleaning ministry is a vital part of the church. Randy Tsuchiyama, who leads the Wednesday night crew, says that “it’s cool to see people wanting to serve in something simple. It’s really encouraging just seeing people willing to serve by doing something that’s not glamorous at all.”

The cleaning ministry is in need of anyone who is willing to sacrifice their nights to get together and serve God. If you’re interested in joining, please contact Simon Huang.

By Moon Choi

What is it? The Meal Ministry is a way for the members of the church body to care for one of the most basic necessities: food. This ministry serves those who are unable or are limited in being able to care for this necessity for themselves of their family, be it from delivering a baby or a prolong illness.

How does it work? When a need is identified, an email is sent out, asking members if they, males and females alike, can sign up for a meal. The email provides information about which individual or family, how many times a week they need a meal, in what time frame they would like the meal dropped off, and if there are any dietary restrictions. People can sign up on the internet through a Google Calendar.

I don’t get the emails. Who do I contact? Mrs. Grace Lee

How can I help? As we know, there has been a LBC record-breaking baby boom this year. There is a need for people to help coordinate meals! Prerequisites include being diligent about emailing and a love for people, as one will need to be a communication liaison for those signing up for the meal ministry and the recipients.

Member testimonials Mrs. Grace Lee says, “It’s been a blessing to see people who are willing to give of their time and resources to minister to the physical needs of others… As the church has gotten bigger, it’s easier for people to just overlook the meal ministry emails and think that other people will step up to help, but that’s not always the case. … People don’t realize it until they themselves have been recipients of the ministry, but those who receive the meal ministry are truly blessed by it!”

Keziah Kim says, “I love food. I love people. When you put the two together, you get the meal ministry. … It is a blessing to have the resources and time to aid and encourage the church family during times of hardship, times of need, and/or times of transition. … I made this chicken thing… Though I went hoping to give encouragement, I received so much! … Romans 12:13 – Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Meal ministry is a very practical way of applying this, to share the love of Christ. Sign up today!”