Thank You!
First off I want to say thank you for all the prayers over me and my family, it really does mean so much to us. Theodore is home and is doing extremely well!
AXIOS is in a series called the Legends, looking at the Legendary stories in the Old Testament. This is going to take us all the way to Christmas finishing with the Birth of Christ. We launched in-home small groups that will be meeting beyond Sundays and Tuesday nights that are age based. We have middle schoolers, high school girls and high school boys all meeting outside Tuesdays and Sundays. Follow our Instagram to stay up to date @Axios_lighthouse and don't be afraid to comment or direct message for more information.
Sunday mornings we are in full swing of the Orange Curriculum XP3. The goal of XP3 is for "students to experience a love for God that will inspire deeper faith, a love for themselves that will lead to wiser choices and a love for others that will build stronger relationships." Sundays are structured in a way that the students should leave knowing more about the Bible, and how to read the Bible better for themselves. Being in rooms 5 & 6 has allowed us to have some bigger games and program a little better for students. Also giving candy out as prizes helps them want to play early in the morning. The class has begun to grow which is very encouraging and fun to see!
Young Adults (LYA) has been meeting weekly, we are meeting every Sunday night from 6-8pm at the church either on the patio or in rooms 5&6. We are about to finish a series on Anxiety, and after that we will look at Hebrews. We also are planning another Fall Retreat for the Young Adults, it will be October 26th-29th. The cost of the retreat is $100 and we will be going to Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes. If you are 18-25 come join us for some fellowship and Bible Study. Stay up to date by following our Instagram @Lighthouse_YoungAdults Christian Clark, Youth & Young Adults Pastor
AXIOS is in a series called the Legends, looking at the Legendary stories in the Old Testament. This is going to take us all the way to Christmas finishing with the Birth of Christ. We launched in-home small groups that will be meeting beyond Sundays and Tuesday nights that are age based. We have middle schoolers, high school girls and high school boys all meeting outside Tuesdays and Sundays. Follow our Instagram to stay up to date @Axios_lighthouse and don't be afraid to comment or direct message for more information.
Sunday mornings we are in full swing of the Orange Curriculum XP3. The goal of XP3 is for "students to experience a love for God that will inspire deeper faith, a love for themselves that will lead to wiser choices and a love for others that will build stronger relationships." Sundays are structured in a way that the students should leave knowing more about the Bible, and how to read the Bible better for themselves. Being in rooms 5 & 6 has allowed us to have some bigger games and program a little better for students. Also giving candy out as prizes helps them want to play early in the morning. The class has begun to grow which is very encouraging and fun to see!
Young Adults (LYA) has been meeting weekly, we are meeting every Sunday night from 6-8pm at the church either on the patio or in rooms 5&6. We are about to finish a series on Anxiety, and after that we will look at Hebrews. We also are planning another Fall Retreat for the Young Adults, it will be October 26th-29th. The cost of the retreat is $100 and we will be going to Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes. If you are 18-25 come join us for some fellowship and Bible Study. Stay up to date by following our Instagram @Lighthouse_YoungAdults Christian Clark, Youth & Young Adults Pastor
We are Retiring
Dear Lighthouse Family, After much thought and prayer, here is the letter Andrea and I gave the elders on Sept. 11, which was read by elder chairman Chris McKinney at each worship service on Sept. 17:
September 11, 2023 After 45 years of preaching and pastoring our Lord’s churches, including 30 years here at Lighthouse, Andrea and I believe it is time for us to retire from full-time ministry. We believe we have achieved what God called us here to do, including outgrowing our old facilities on MacDonald Street, renaming and relocating the church to Mesa Drive, successfully completing building and capital campaign programs, navigating massive changes of people coming and going, surviving and thriving through the pandemic, financial challenges, staff challenges, people challenges, and seeing God’s miraculous provision again and again when we asked His help. It has been a walk of faith every single week and our faith has grown, as has that of many others, we are sure. It has been an honor to officiate dozens of weddings and well over 100 funerals. Many marriages have been healed and some lives have been saved. But our greatest joy has been the 1,435 souls who have committed to Christ and were baptized since we came in 1993; we look forward to seeing them in Heaven someday. Our three children who grew up here and our seven grandchildren whom we love dearly all now live out of state, so we plan to retire to Montana and live near our daughter’s family there. In the meantime, we will give our full support to helping Lighthouse through this transition, and will work out the details with the elders. This has been a labor of love, filled with many friends, faithful fellow servants, and wonderful memories; we will treasure our time with you for the rest of our lives. Thank you for the opportunity to preach, teach, and serve here. Thank you also for accepting our decision to retire and live near family. You will always be in our hearts, Mike & Andrea Openshaw
Our last Sunday will be our Homecoming Celebration on November 12. We want to go out celebrating, with Christian guitarist Dennis Agajanian leading us in worship, my last message here, and a Fellowship Dinner & Retirement Party on the patio after services. We hope you can join us for our last Sunday together. We will both be working full-time until our final day on November 13, and hope to see as many of you as possible as much as possible until then. I want to thank everyone who has been a part of our ministry and our lives over the past 30 years. This has been a loving church family to us and we will miss you dearly. We are praying for our replacements, and invite you to be praying, too, and to be supportive and to help out where needed. A Search Team is already looking for possible interim preachers and the next senior minister, but there will be a period of transition where your attendance, involvement, and support will be critical to the ongoing health and ministry of this church. We also ask for your prayers for us as we sell our house here, look for a new home in Hamilton, Montana, and begin the next chapter in our lives. May the love of Christ that brought us together continue to fill our hearts and may His Spirit guide us all in our journey, until we meet again,
Mike Openshaw, Senior Minister
September 11, 2023 After 45 years of preaching and pastoring our Lord’s churches, including 30 years here at Lighthouse, Andrea and I believe it is time for us to retire from full-time ministry. We believe we have achieved what God called us here to do, including outgrowing our old facilities on MacDonald Street, renaming and relocating the church to Mesa Drive, successfully completing building and capital campaign programs, navigating massive changes of people coming and going, surviving and thriving through the pandemic, financial challenges, staff challenges, people challenges, and seeing God’s miraculous provision again and again when we asked His help. It has been a walk of faith every single week and our faith has grown, as has that of many others, we are sure. It has been an honor to officiate dozens of weddings and well over 100 funerals. Many marriages have been healed and some lives have been saved. But our greatest joy has been the 1,435 souls who have committed to Christ and were baptized since we came in 1993; we look forward to seeing them in Heaven someday. Our three children who grew up here and our seven grandchildren whom we love dearly all now live out of state, so we plan to retire to Montana and live near our daughter’s family there. In the meantime, we will give our full support to helping Lighthouse through this transition, and will work out the details with the elders. This has been a labor of love, filled with many friends, faithful fellow servants, and wonderful memories; we will treasure our time with you for the rest of our lives. Thank you for the opportunity to preach, teach, and serve here. Thank you also for accepting our decision to retire and live near family. You will always be in our hearts, Mike & Andrea Openshaw
Our last Sunday will be our Homecoming Celebration on November 12. We want to go out celebrating, with Christian guitarist Dennis Agajanian leading us in worship, my last message here, and a Fellowship Dinner & Retirement Party on the patio after services. We hope you can join us for our last Sunday together. We will both be working full-time until our final day on November 13, and hope to see as many of you as possible as much as possible until then. I want to thank everyone who has been a part of our ministry and our lives over the past 30 years. This has been a loving church family to us and we will miss you dearly. We are praying for our replacements, and invite you to be praying, too, and to be supportive and to help out where needed. A Search Team is already looking for possible interim preachers and the next senior minister, but there will be a period of transition where your attendance, involvement, and support will be critical to the ongoing health and ministry of this church. We also ask for your prayers for us as we sell our house here, look for a new home in Hamilton, Montana, and begin the next chapter in our lives. May the love of Christ that brought us together continue to fill our hearts and may His Spirit guide us all in our journey, until we meet again,
Mike Openshaw, Senior Minister
God Likes Art!
And it all comes from Him! Art has been part of church life for centuries, and art in our churches takes many forms (paintings, music, sculptures, poetry, temples, tabernacles, and the list goes on and on!). Art is valued and inspired by God as a means of revealing and glorifying the wonder of God. It helps us connect with God and reflect our faith. It is an invitation to draw closer to the Divine and to worship the Lord. God is the ultimate Creator. He artistically created the world and the people who live in it. God created humanity in His image, all of creation serves as a testament to God as an artist. Art is the real live manifestation of God here on earth. Just as we can appreciate the beauty of God's creation, we can enjoy the beauty of the God-given talents that people in the Church have. Art draws people - it has the ability to move people, to motivate and to inspire. When we use that for God's glory to help grow His church, we are faithfully using the talents He gave us to serve Him. So, when you are inspired by a song, see a beautiful painting or are moved by a form of art, remember where that art flowed from. Personally, there are songs that I have written, that I know came from God, and not me. Who knows, God may use you to create art for His glory! God Bless!
Ron Ransen, Worship Director
Ron Ransen, Worship Director