A Personal Confession from Pastor Greg
I’m presently assessing lots of emotional and spiritual information in the aftermath of our Eastland building dedication. There was a weightiness to it I hadn’t anticipated. I had some really good one on one time with Pastor Chuck. He is genuinely enthused about the work of the Lord here at Lighthouse. I also discovered that he is very sorry about the decisions he made and the people he backed in 1994 when our church was born. He issued a number of personal apologies to those who were impacted by those decisions. But he also told me that he is so thankful that God has a way of sovereignly overseeing even our failures and using them to accomplish His will on the earth. The truth is, if Pastor Chuck hadn’t made the decisions he made in 1994, Lighthouse Christian Fellowship would probably not exist.
That brings me to something the Lord has revealed to me personally concerning the birth of our church. Confession time: Deep in my heart I had always viewed the way our church was born as a negative. It was born of a church-split (or so I viewed it). So I tended to downplay those beginnings. No more…..In reality, Lighthouse was not born from a church split; it was born from Church deliverance. God put in motion an ingenius (although painful) plan to wrest a people out of a bad situation, so that He could give birth to a new work–a work He had in heart all along.
The Lord was speaking to me about this when I first came to Twin Falls 13 years ago. He gave me a passage of Scripture to tuck away in my heart that characterized the situation….’……1“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.3Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.4I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord…..’ (Jer. 23:1-4 ESV)
I knew from the beginning that God was doing a special work with a special group of people. I was privileged and humbled to be the one God chose as their pastor.
So….. I will no longer view the birth of our church in a negative way; nor will I apologize for God’s ways and plans. Nor will I take any credit for His work. Lighthouse is an amazing church with an amazing beginning and…….an amazing future. My love for you who were there at the beginning is deep and profound. I’m here for the long haul. What do you say we march forward together into the next exciting chapter God has prepared for His church-Lighthouse Christian Fellowship….Greg
Comments
20 Responses to “A Personal Confession from Pastor Greg”
Thank You, Pastor Greg… Honestly, I have been blessed and dissapointed many times over in each situation that has arisen over the years as we’ve grown away from and then joined again with Calvary Chapel. Although never speaking of such things has ultimately blessed us as a fellowship and caused us to take a higher road, it has not been without some cost to the healing process…. at least for me. Speaking with Kevin this morning blessed me so deeply when I realized that Pastor Chuck had made his own amends for the letters he wrote and the comments he made about us so long ago…. Not that we needed any of it to continue on but it does bring some sense of unity and reconciliation that would otherwise be lost. Your “confession” as my pastor and someone I admire greatly has brought to me what I hope to be my final tear in this long trek… and it is one of joy and happiness.. Thanks again
I have a new found respect for Chuck Smith and the Calvary movement. It’s amazing what a simple “I’m sorry” will do.
Greg,I always believed that the birth of LCF was Gods will. I had just moved to Twin and witnessed from an objective (new comer) view that You and Pam brought great healing and desperately needed love and leadership to a bludgeoned flock.
I remember the first service we had in the “upper room” at Kimberly. If I recall It was the temporary sanctuary. You taught us the song “As for me and my house”. It was a healing sauve applied to the wounded hearts. I knew at that point that God had sent you. NO DOUBT!!
My struggle was with weather or not LCF should have ever become a Calvary again. I had embraced full heartedly the idea that God had called us out for a new work. I realize now that has more to do with my personality and love for pioneering and stepping out than it did with discernment or knowing Gods will for LCF.
Even though I couldnt be there for the dedication, the fact that the event happened is the proof of Gods plan.
We all made mistakes, thought bad thoughts, misinterpreted Gods will etc… But now there is peace, joy, reconciliation and true agape love in the house of God, and for that we rejoice.
I am personally indebted to you. It was you who recognized Gods call upon my life and hired me as your first assistant pastor.
I thank you for hearing Gods voice and teaching me by example what it means to take up your cross and follow Jesus.
You and Pam coming to Twin Falls was (and is) a very positive, God ordained event that has changed the course of my whole families life and I know for a fact the lives of many others were drastically impacted in the most positive way.
THANK YOU!! LCF is beautiful in every way! from beginning to end.
Your friend and servant Brian Nickens.
Jeremiah 1:4-10
4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
9 Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
KJV
wow, beauty in ashes…
i am humbled to have read you wonderful men’s hearts… it gives me hope for the hurt we have experienced with our exodus out of jerome… but the positive is my ‘bludgeoned’ family, came back to a flock (LCF) that was based on healing from the beginning, and is still administering that healing these many years later… the calling started that way and continues on, i am humbled to call it home…. you have made us feel safe, and loved, as we made our quiet return.
thank you paster greg for adminstering god’s healing balm.. thank you pastor brian, for the six years of the chance of being those adminstering the healing balm to those that hurt in jerome… i count you two my pastors, my friends, my fellow brothers saved by grace.
a simple sorry is profound as stated earlier in a comment… so i say im sorry to brian
im sorry.
we feel alot of guilt and shame on behalf of jerome, we have wept so many tears…jason gave you his word that he would stay by the flock in jerome…. we didnt, we couldnt, it consumed us, in so many ways i cant explain here… and now we still feel the agony, but knew we needed to go somewhere to heal, to fall, to feel gods touch… that is what lighthouse and god has given us in his grace…. thank you… thank you…
I’m sure I speak for several people. I wasn’t part of the church in the beginning, I’ve been at LCF for 2.5 years and I fell personally blessed to have you Pastor Greg, Pam, Pastor Ron and all others for the long haul.
God thank you for putting into action the things that have made the Lighthouse what it is today, the best place to worship the lord with the best pastors and helpers. Us sinners are in very good hands and I hope you know how appreciated you are.
Thank you ALL for your hard work and dedication to the flock. I know that no matter where I am in my walk with Christ I can always count on you to be there.
Hello Pastor Greg, One is on a voyage from Florence Ky and passed your church many times as I worked for Idaho Home Health on my short stay in the Northwest and one time before I journey on to Montana and relocate again to KY, my heart confesses one has been so pulled to attend your church at least once before my return to my home in Bromley….thank you Jesus. Your video helped me to feel welcomed…amen. Ms.Diana Moriarty Vineyard Church Of Florence Ky
It wasn’t a split, it was an Exodus.
The building dedication was like old home week for me. It was amazing the people that hadn’t changed at all.
Susan Hatch, it was great seeing you and Terry, but I have to ask, “Do you have a picture that is aging?”
Also there were some that I had a hard time recognizing, I won’t say who.
(I can’t believe I knew so many old people)
Pastor Chuck was nothing but class and brought about healing for so many and encouragement for all.
Kevin, the reunion was great, thanks for remaining the tough sentimental nut you’ve always been.
I thought of Curt often that night.
There are lots I would like to address personally here but I would be most ashamed if my post was longer than Brian’s. (Heh heh heh, Hi Brian)
Thanks Greg for your leadership and example.
I heard that!
:0)
Just remember, that was YOUR beginning. Lighthouse has many beginnings. Each time someone comes to the Lord at Lighthouse, or comes to learn and love at Lighthouse is a new beginning. How beautiful and new Lighthouse is with each visitor, passer by, or devoted attendee. How blessed we are for your beginning.
I like what you said Melissa. There are so many of us who have no idea how Lighthouse was in the beginning, because we were not around then. Oh, but we do have our beginnings, our new lives in Christ Jesus. How good it is for us to celebrate all the new beginnings when each new person comes into our family in God.
I was in Sunday school with Kevin as our teacher when LCF started. Then moved away with my family and I ended up moving back to Twin 6 or so years later. God had been calling me back to where I was taught his word and where I started. I fought with God for while and then came back to LCF. This church ment a lot to my parents and now to me. Its where I go to be feed and I get to worship God with so many people that love him too! There is nothing greater then God’s glory. The LCF is a blessing.
The Lighthouse in Twin Falls was a miracle… in fact a very fresh breath of air for Twin Falls. I tried to do all i could as the Lord lead to see that those precious sheep had a pastor that loved them and fed them. Pastor Greg has done just that. Though I myself have gone thorugh very difficult times and made many mistkes myself I know that our Lord Jesus can work through the most difficult things. His grace and mercies are bigger than all of our sins and mistakes. I pray that the Lord continues to bless The Lighthouse and the leadership there. Who knows, one day maybe I’ll be able to share there again. I really love Pam and Greg and that wonderful family. I miss you all so much. Not only did the Lord build a loving fellowship but He also inspired some of the most inspired worship music many of us have ever heard. All God’s Blessings!
Pastor Lew Phelps
Hey Lew,
Good to hear from you. Thanks for the kind words. I’d love to connect with you. Would you email me at: pastorg@lighthousecf.org
Blessings brother,
Greg
Hi … I am doing a web search for information about Lew Phelps … this is the one place I found a pretty current hit. PLEASE — if anyone has a current email for LEW, or if you see this LEW, please write back. John REALLY WANTS to reach you!
Love,
Susie
Pastor Greg, I happened upon Lighthouse’s website while seeking the church’s street address for something Claudette had to mail to Pastor Dan. I read your personal confession. It was so sweet reading about Pastor Chuck’s apology as well as how the Lord healed your heart in regards to the beginnings of Lighthouse. What was especially sweet were the many affirming responses to your “confession.” What a wonderful fellowship of believers. YOu and Pam are much loved (I think you know that–glory to God!I regret that Claudette, Nathan, and I only were able to experience the fellowship at Lighthouse for one evening. I hope and pray that we can visit again for a longer period of time. Agape!
WOW! God is good. Healing is good. Growing is great! What a marvelous work that continues here in Twin. I have to remember everyday how blessed I have been to be a part of it, the moving of God’s spirit on a humble, hard working people. We clung to the knowledge that God was in control and that He would be glorified. AMEN! Thank you Greg for your love and support, Pam you are the best and your kids are like my own. To the rest of our family, you know “I LOVE each of you in the most special way. In the LOVE of our Lord!”
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What a blessing to have been a part of this fellowship of believers since before we even became LCF. When we made our “exodus” as some put it it was very sad. I still cry to think of it in that we had brothers and sisters that stayed and there were some hard feelings to overcome. Thru prayer we were able to stay together and we thank God for sending you and Pam to us Greg! I sat back for a season to watch because I was leary to get hurt again but your love for God and God’s Word shined thru and that is what we needed and need, so thank you and God bless you and your family for coming to Idaho and this bunch of crazy believers we call LCF!