Lighthouse Ministries
Founded: 1996
The document below is the written history of the Lighthouse as told by our Program Director, Wendy Overholt at our 2004 Fall Banquet.
A Brief Look at the History of Lighthouse Ministries
What began as a dream became an even greater reality. In 1995, one person shared the dream to put in a basketball court adjacent to First Mennonite Church and replace the brick and dirt parking area with concrete and a set of hoops for the neighborhood children to play. Adjacent to the court stood a shed which was renovated to became a teen center--reminiscent of a time some 20 years earlier when the church ran a teen center in a converted house across the street.
By 1996, with one staff and one volunteer and an operating budget barely over $4000, the Lighthouse was born. First Mennonite Church already had an elementary outreach -- Venture Club, and a senior high youth group for nearly 20 years. The need for a Jr. High Club became evident and in June of 1996 six Jr. High students became the first of many to participate in the newly established club.
In 1997 the Lighthouse staff (Darin & myself), were approached by John, a youth ministry major with a love for God and a heart for inner city youth. He expressed the desire to hang out at the Lighthouse basketball court with the neighborhood youth who came to play during the summer. John found that as he spent time in play with these kids that he was also able to build relationships. As the school year drew closer he relayed the desire of the youth to have a safe place to play after school. After prayerful consideration and discussion the Lighthouse After School Play Program was established in time for the new school year. Attendance varied in the early years from 15-30 youth attending each day. It became evident that students also needed a quiet place to study and receive tutoring help. The Tutoring Program was added the next school year and several Malone College students were recruited to volunteer their time in tutoring and play supervision. Over the years the play and tutoring programs have continued to grow in size and number creating the need for an increased budget and additional staffing.
The other day as I was looking through old photographs in preparation for tonight, two young men--Johnny and Ricky Dale who are both Junior’s in High School -- came to see me at the Lighthouse. As we talked, they helped me look through hundreds of pictures dating back to the beginning of Lighthouse and found themselves in many of these early shots --having been part of the Lighthouse for over six years themselves. It was fun to walk through a picture memory with them but more than that it served as a reminder of how many kids I’ve met over the years and how the time they’ve spent in play, tutoring and evening clubs has helped to shape them into the young adults they are becoming. As the Jr. High leader when Johnny and Ricky Dale were part of the club, I often wondered how much they were getting out of the lesson time--these were two of my class clowns--but as we sat and talked I was surprised at how much they remembered in addition to the fun stuff. They’re still figuring some things out as they mature but they’re asking good questions and trying to make wise decisions.
Later that same day Latasha, one of the girls from the original six members of Jr. High Club stopped in --she has been out of High School for three years but continues to check in with Darin, myself and others from the Lighthouse and First Mennonite Church.
These two visits got me to wondering how many different kids have participated over the last 8 years—together, Darin and I figured out that over 850 different kids have participated in Lighthouse Programming since 1996!!
It has been our mission from the beginning to impact youth with the love of Christ. This remains our vision and has grown to encompass all areas of the lives of the youth attending the Lighthouse. We began collecting data four years ago to determine the effectiveness of Lighthouse programming and to show us what areas are our strengths and what areas we need to improve. In a short while, June Phelps will be sharing some of these findings with you.
For the last five years the Lighthouse has experienced the blessing of service teams--which include youth groups from Canada and Pennsylvania. These teams each spend a week living at the Lighthouse doing odd jobs such as painting, cleaning up the neighborhood, running Bible school, hanging out with the neighborhood kids, assisting with summer and other club activities and for the past three years they have successfully staffed and set-up the now annual Lighthouse Neighborhood block party. Additionally, they participate in educational components centering around city life, life in general and what it takes to be a follower of Jesus Christ in today’s world. These week long experiences continue to impact the Lighthouse neighborhood and the team members long after they return home.
Today the Lighthouse employs nine people and has a volunteer base of 16 individuals. Programming includes After School Play with 30-40 kids attending daily, Tutoring & Homework Assistance which helps 15-24 students each day, Reading Club-which Marci will tell you about later--, Summer Program Activities for up to 20 kids per activity, Venture Club , Jr. High Club, Senior High Youth Group, and Service Teams with an annual operating budget of over $63,000.
God has continued to put people in place as Lighthouse Ministries has grown and had additional needs made known. In addition to fundraiser’s such as tonight’s banquet, the funding from local foundations, churches and individuals support this ministry. To each of you who have supported this ministry in the past and to those of you who may support us in the future, I thank you on behalf of the neighborhood of south east Canton, the kids who participate in various programs, and Lighthouse Ministries.
The driving force behind each of us who are a part of Lighthouse Ministries continues to be the desire to impact the youth of Southeast Canton with the love of Christ through activities which allow us to provide a safe place to play, do homework, learn about God and to build relationships. Thank you for encouraging us to continue this work.