Fifteen years ago, I was asked to help our college interns set up and run Bible clubs in a relatively new ministry area on the outskirts of Wichita. At that time, all of our kids were still at home—the oldest was a sophomore in high school. I am pretty sure my daughters helped pick up the slack around the house when I said yes to helping out for the summer. The first day I showed up they were scheduled to start their Bible clubs that afternoon. They had already canvassed the neighborhoods a few days earlier to hand out fliers and to see where the kids who would be attending the clubs lived.
Unfortunately, they failed to write down the streets or addresses of the interested families. So an hour and a half before Bible club was supposed to start I began walking the neighborhood with one of the girls. I prayed, aloud, “Lord show us where to go.” At that moment I noticed a young girl riding her bike toward us. I asked her if she had friends who would like to come to Bible club. She said that she did and she led us to all their homes. Sadly, I cannot remember her name now. She only came once to Bible club—that first day. The Lord used her that day to answer my prayer.
Those were some of our early days of ministry in the Oaklawn community and the days that led up to the planting of Lighthouse Community Church. Many of our staff sacrificed much more than I did to see the church birthed and then planted, but I am thankful for the part I was allowed to play. Last week, my son-in-law (who headed up the church plant team years ago) took his son and three other staff boys to Vacation Bible School at Lighthouse. The church is still going, and is greatly impacting the community of Oaklawn. I cannot think of a better VBS for my grandson and our staff kids to attend. They were loved, taught and encouraged over the course of that week. I cherish the fact that Lighthouse is now investing into my family just as they are investing into so many families in their church and community.
Lisa Entz is World Impact's Co-Director of Team Care and Development.
