What is a convalescent home?  It is a residence for patients to recover from long-term illnesses or medical procedures. While some of the residents of convalescent homes anticipate a return to their own homes after recovery, there are some who will remain there for the rest of their lives. All the residents require some sort of constant medical attention.  The convalescent home we visit is the ‘Mission Hills Health Care Center’ in the northern downtown area of San Diego in a region called Hillcrest.

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. As Christians we have a great opportunity to go and joyfully serve as witnesses of Christ to the residents and staff.

By no means is a ministry like this without difficulty. One aspect of this 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 short-comings in the depth of our love for others. But we can be encouraged that we have a divine hope for our ministry. Above all, it is a high privilege to share the Gospel with others and to see God at work in people’s hearts.

There is a great need for people to partake in this ministry. We are looking for people passionate to share the Gospel and require participants to be members in good standing at LBC. Since there will be many opportunities to share the Gospel and provide biblical counsel, training will be provided for those that commit to serve. We schedule visits primarily on Saturday afternoons or weekday nights depending on other church activities. Each visit lasts around an hour and a half and we ask that you be committed will be for at least one school quarter (about 4 months).

All interested members are welcome to contact Teddy Yu

“Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).

Many members of Lighthouse may remember the first time that they attended the church. They might remember only seeing an office building where the church was supposed to be. They might remember the nervous scanning for the familiar face that had invited them to come, and the anxiety that’s common when in a new environment. That’s where the New Visitors Team (NVT) steps in.

How we greet people is a testimony to how Christ changed us. We want to make sure new visitors feel welcome and that they’ve had a chance to hear the gospel.  We do everything from managing parking, to greeting at the front door, to New Visitors Orientation, all the way to follow up. When the newcomers walk through the doors of Lighthouse, they meet the members of the NVT that pass out the bulletins; first timers are encouraged to fill out the guest-book for follow-up later.

During New Visitors Orientation we get to know the new visitors better. They hear the gospel, the history of Lighthouse, how to find the right church.  They are also told Lighthouse’s doctrines on baptism and membership, as well as ministry opportunities for those eager to get plugged in.

In the following weeks, our new visitors also receive a follow up email or phone call from the NVT to answer any questions. And once every two months, the NVT hosts a Meet & Greet (with food!) to give recent newcomers as a relaxed environment to talk, eat, and get acquainted with the pastors.

We always have a need for more people, so if you are a member and would like to join the team, please contact Hwa Park, the New Visitors Team coordinator, at hwapark@yahoo.com. Communication within the team is the biggest challenge as our team continues to evolve. Please pray that our team will serve with a heart that seeks to please God through our interactions with first time visitors.

The Compassion Ministry at LBC focuses on making a positive impact in the lives of people in our local community and throughout the world. We do this so that we may show the world that we have a faith, hope and love that only Jesus Christ can give.

The core aspect of this ministry is to reach out to our local community. This is achieved through various outreach events throughout the year. These may include but are not limited to visiting convalescent homes, orphanages, women’s shelters, soup kitchens, home building in Mexico, and open EV on the streets. The goal is to use these outreach events for the purpose of bringing people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by preaching and living the Word.

Requirements for participation are: a regular attender of Lighthouse Bible Church and attend a meeting every few months in order to plan out events. The only needs of the ministry at this point are hearts that desire to make an impact for Christ. If you would like to participate in the compassion ministry contact Grace Lee.

Each Sunday, a group goes out to Pacific Beach and partners with the PB Presbyterian Church to help feed approximately 100-150 homeless men and women. There are opportunitites for people to help prepare and serve the food as well as share the Gospel message with the needy. This ministry generally runs from 3-6pm.  Volunteers who go to help Sunday afternoons just need to show up as PB members will direct what help is needed with meal preparation and serving.

Through the years, devotions have been shared by Set Free ministries, as well as visiting pastors from other local churches who have come to volunteer.

When LBC became involved with the ministry, a three-fold purpose was envisioned: To provide LBC members an opportunity to:

1. get involved in the community as salt and light (Matt. 5:13)
2. fellowship as they serve together in preparing and serving meals
3. be obedient to Christ’s command to help the poor and needy (Deut. 15:11; Matt. 25:31-46)

Pacific Beach Presbyterian Church is located at 1675 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach, and any interested LBC members are encouraged to make the initiative to go, whether as individuals or groups. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Joyce Kang or Grace Lee.

Contact Joyce Kang (joycekang@lighthousebc.com)