New name begins new chapter for former Lighthouse church
Sometimes in life we all need to be rejuvenated to function properly.For the people of Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, that moment came recently when it changed its popular name to a new one, Gateway Fellowship, which church members believe exemplifies the calling God has in this world.
“It’s been like a fresh start for us here,” said Pastor Larry Hasemeyer. “Not to say that we needed a new start, but sometimes we need new doors to open up to create new opportunities for us, and this has been a nice way to refocus on what we want to accomplish as a church. We want to be a church of outreach, and during Biblical times, the gate was the center of attention in most cities. This name change doesn’t change who we are, but it does bring into focus our purpose and helps us catch up with where we want to be.”
According to Hasemeyer, as they entered into 2009, the focus of the church was on a season of closure and readiness for new things — on closing doors and opening gates.
“It seems the Lord has been readying us for a new season,” said Hasemeyer. “It would seem that the Lord has opened a door for us to walk through and continue the journey of our appointed purpose. To be honest, I cannot convey to you the entirety of what this all means. I am confident, though, that the Lord has spoken. I am confident that we have responded rightly and in the right timing.”
Anytime change is made from what has been a staple in your life for quite some time, there is always trepidation. Hasemeyer knew that a change of this magnitude could not be taken lightly.
“Lighthouse has been a great home to us all,” said Hasemeyer. “We have seen much and accomplished much as Lighthouse Christian Fellowship. Changing our name will never change any of that.”
It was approximately three years ago that the Lord began to stir Hasemeyer’s heart in this new direction. The focal point in which he felt God was leading him was based on Genesis 28:17, the story about Jacob’s encounter with the Lord’s presence, in which God’s word states, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the Gate of Heaven.”
“I had read this passage many times, but this time the Lord ignited my spirit with a new revelation that would not dissipate,” said Hasemeyer. “He showed me how He has called us to be a place of access. The Lord has placed a ladder between us and heaven. I began to see our property with a different vision. I saw this place as a place with an open heaven, where blessing flows and where God’s grace is released to our region and then to the world. The Lord began to give me vision for ministries that were to be established on our grounds as a gate of heaven.”
The signs pointing to the name change began to accumulate for Hasemeyer and the church.
It was in May of 2006 that the church broke ground for the Friends for Friends Community Resource Center. The headline of a local newspaper that covered the event read, “A Gate to Heaven.” In September of 2006, Higher Ground, a ministry team from Nashville, Tenn., came into the church. Eddie Combs broke out in a prophetic song of the Lord over this church. It was “This church is a Gateway to the world.”
“I just about came undone as the Lord put a prophetic confirmation of what He was about to do into my heart,” said Hasemeyer.
Still, the pastor did not feel that they had prayed enough about the situation, so they continued to pray and wait.
“Time passed and the Lord continued to confirm to us, especially in our times of intercession on Sunday mornings,” Hasemeyer said. “The leading of the Lord began to intensify in those anointed times of prayer. Throughout 2007 and 2008, a stream of prophetic words kept them on course and gave them confidence to continue their journey of change.
“Along with my concern to rightly hear and follow the Lord’s direction has been a fear that this will be misinterpreted as just trying to be trendy or attempting to give ourselves a makeover,” said Hasemeyer. “Believe me, we are not attempting some church growth gimmick here. I cannot say that I have been more prayerful about anything we have ever done here at Lighthouse. My desire to not miss God has tempered my every thought in this process.”
When put to a vote, the church body responded in overwhelmingly fashion, with a 98 percent confirmation.
A new church name, but the same people making grand things happen in the name of God.
“Every time God renamed someone in the Bible, He gave them a new assignment,” said Hasemeyer. “In the Old Testament, God brought people out of bondage and poverty. He alleviated problems that plagued people in everyday life. That’s what we want to do as we serve as a gateway to Heaven.”