Pray for the Lighthouse ...

For many of us getting out of bed and making it to the office on time for work is hard enough, going to a meeting at 7am Saturday morning certainly isn't on our "top ten list"! Nevertheless, that's exactly what 120 to 150 Christian men from the Altoona area do every Saturday morning as they make their way to what they call "The Lighthouse".

What's "The Lighthouse"? Well, I'm glad you asked. The Lighthouse is a unique men's ministry in the Altoona area started by a local business owner name Dick Barr. Here's a clip of their history that I pulled from their website ...

"Back in 1995 Dick Barr, invited a group of Christian men to a Saturday fellowship and Bible Study held in a converted storeroom at his auto electric business. They had joined together for coffee, prayer and a time of teaching. They met around four folding tables and an old sofa and chair at the back of the room. At first there were 10 then 20 then 30 men regularly attending the group. They were rapidly growing beyond the capacity of their meeting space.

So Dick, looked to a piece of land where he was planning to build a house for his retirement. On this site Dick and some friends built a new and larger meeting place. It started out to be an enclosed picnic shelter. However, it was quickly changed into a full building with kitchen and rest room. It became “The Lighthouse Fellowship” because of the addition working lighthouse beacon on its roof).

Later additions to the building included a women’s rest room and storeroom. The front porch was later enclosed to act as a serving area for the coffee and doughnuts. And we are still growing!"

So, why is 130 guys getting together for fellowship and worship so significant? Good question. In many larger city environments you may be able to find men's fellowships and gatherings that are as large or larger than Altoona's "Lighthouse" but here are some reasons that this fellowship is particularly encouraging to me.

• First, The Lighthouse is completely independent of any individual Christian congregation in Altoona. It seems that many widely attended worship & fellowship experiences are promoted by a exceptionally magnetic church congregation.
• Second, The Lighthouse is attended by mostly middle-aged men and OLDER. Many of the "newest, hottest" fellowship and worship experiences are being geared toward a younger crowd while the older generations are either overlooked or unwilling to participate. The fact that the Lighthouse is mostly older gentleman seems very different and very significant.
• Third, The Lighthouse is completely non-denominational. Many who are familiar with the condition of Christianity in the USA know that we are particularly prone to divisions along lines of doctrine & tradition. This spirit is certainly alive and well in Altoona's spiritual climate. However, the Lighthouse has served as an example of how we as a community can rise above that trend.

Consider the following Psalm:

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore."
Psalm 133

If you would like to know more about the Lighthouse Men's Fellowship click here to view their website.

Today:

• Pray that the Lord would bless the Lighthouse in its attempts to bring Christians together.
• Pray that the Word of God would penetrate hearts and that lives would be changed.