Next Steps | Lighthouse Fellowship

"Further up and further in!"

-C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle

The life of faith isn't one of standing still, but one of taking the next step forward each day. You may have never heard of Jesus or church before (in which case, I'm not sure how you got to this website, but welcome!). You may be considering that all-important decision to follow Jesus with your life. You might be searching for new ways to grow in your faith, or ways to share your wisdom and experience with others also looking to grow.

One thing is for sure: God is capable of transforming your entire life. You won't be the same person at the end of your journey as you were at the beginning. Knowing that, are you ready to take the next step?

Exploring Christian Faith

If you're new to the idea of faith in Jesus as the Son of God, or if you don't know what the Bible says or why it matters, Lighthouse is the perfect place to explore all of that.

The great thing about being new to something and genuinely curious is there are no dumb questions! We'd love to talk to you about your questions and help you find answers and explanations to what the Bible is saying.

Two important steps for you to take:

Read your Bible. You can find one online or in a library if you don't have it. Start with one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) at the beginning of the New Testament (it's about 3/4 of the way through from the front). If you don't understand something, that's okay! Just write it down to ask someone and think about later, and keep going. It's more important to read regularly than to read a lot at once, and you should go as slowly as you need to really engage with what the words say.
Read the Bible with one other person. Especially if you're new to it, sometimes reading the Bible on your own can be confusing, but maybe you're not ready to ask questions in a group of people you're not familiar with. The perfect in-between is to meet up with another person and read and talk through a passage together. This is something we like to do at Lighthouse, Pastor Mike especially! If there's a Christian you know and trust, asking them to read the Bible with you is the perfect place to start. If you don't know a person like that, reach out to Pastor Mike and we'll connect you with someone.
Join a Home Group. Our Home Groups are a great place to explore Christianity in a smaller setting than a Sunday service, where you can easily ask questions and get to know other people who might be long-time Christians or newly interested. Right now, the topic for the Home Groups is "Exploring Christianity," and we're working through resources from Christianity Explored.

For more questions, email Pastor Mike.

Becoming a Christian

At the most basic level, here's an outline of what the Gospel says about choosing to follow Christ:

You (we, all of us) are sinful, that is to say, morally imperfect. There is no sin at all in God. Sin destroys our lives and our relationship with God.
You cannot make yourself sinless through your own efforts. We need someone who isn't sinful in order to restore our relationship to God.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the second Person of the Trinity, became a human Who never sinned and was free from sin. His death and resurrection destroys sin for all who put their faith in Him and reconciles them to God.
After hearing the good news (called the Gospel) about the work Jesus has done for us, we can respond by repenting of our sin (literally, "repent" means to "turn back"), confessing that Jesus is Lord (that is, to acknowledge His rightful place as the One in charge of our lives, as well as the whole world), and being baptized (which the Bible tells us signifies entering into Jesus' death and resurrection).

Becoming a Christian is the most important step you can take—but it's also only the first step in a walk with God. Choosing to follow Jesus is an every-moment decision, and it involves a lifelong commitment to embrace the transforming, life-giving power of Jesus and live according to His teachings. The Bible tells people who would follow Jesus to "count the cost." It is a real and serious commitment—but it's worth it.

If you are ready to commit to following Jesus, email Pastor Mike.

Growing in Community

The Christian life isn't meant to be lived alone. The word "church" refers to a term that literally means "gathering." There is both an individual and a corporate (us all as one body, the "body of Christ") element to Christianity.

Being a part of a Christian community is viewed in the Bible as a vital part of growing as a follower of Jesus. It's a place where people can grow together as students of Christ, and where we can build each other up and call each other to repentance and renewal. (Because sometimes, the steps we take aren't always in the right direction, and being with other people who love you and can be honest with you helps you get back on track.)

Three steps to embrace Christian community at Lighthouse:

Join us for Sunday worship. If the church is a community, it's important for us all to gather together, and our Sunday morning service is the main time we do that. We praise God together, pray together, receive encouragement and instruction from the Bible together, and have time to talk together after the service. Visit our "Sunday Worship" page for more information about the worship service.
Dig deeper in a small group. It's hard to develop deep relationships in a meeting with the whole church. Home Groups, weekday devotionals, and other small-group settings provide a place to move past small talk as you read Scripture with other people who are there for the same reasons. Visit our "Small Groups" page for more information on the groups we have available.
Always be repenting. We're not perfect, even if we're trying to follow the example of the perfect Christ. As we engage in relationships with other people inside and outside the church, we'll sin against others and be sinned against. Commitment to a church doesn't mean letting sin go, but it means repenting and forgiving in a community that has pledged to do likewise as we all become more like Jesus. It's never "safe" to confess and repent from sin, but it's healthy and necessary in order to live in Christian fellowship with other imperfect people.

Church Membership

Lighthouse Fellowship has a formal membership process for those who want to commit to being a part of our church. Membership is not necessary to come to any of our services, groups, or ministries, but is necessary to vote on church matters or serve in certain ways.

If you are interested in learning about becoming a member of Lighthouse, email Pastor Mike.