Ministries of the Lighthouse

The Lighthouse Community Inc has been operating since 1992 providing a range of practical and spiritual services to the community.

SRE – Special Religious Education (Scripture)

The Scripture teachers from The Lighthouse Community have been teaching SRE, commonly known as Scripture at Bondi Beach Primary School since 1992 and at Bronte Public School since 1983.

Information on SRE taught by The Lighthouse Community Inc in NSW Schools is provided below:

The Lighthouse Community Inc SRE Information

Christian Community

OUR CHRISTIAN FOCUS

The work of The Lighthouse is to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of people in our community based on the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Bible.

Our Calling

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.  He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted…” Luke 4:18 (The New King James)

“ … to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts.  What I am interested in seeing you do is …sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families … if you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins, if you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down and out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight, I will always show you where to go.”    Isaiah 58:6-7, 9-11a (The Message)

Our calling is to live out our response to these words as a Christian Community.

Friday Night Church – known as Friday Night Group (FNG)

Friday Night Church has been running since 1992 firstly at the St Andrew’s Rectory in Bondi, then meeting in the Library and Staff room of Bondi Beach Public School and now meet as a House Church at 14/35 Ocean St Bondi NSW 2026.  We welcome people to come to come to know more about God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and to have a real relationship with God.  We share a meal together, sing, talk to God, then have a short talk and discussion based on the Bible. We meet every 2nd Friday (pension week) – refer blog post to see where the next FNG is on.

Community Support

Practical Support

The Lighthouse still offers a variety of practical support to members and others in the Bondi/Waverley area but, as this is now provided by volunteers, the extent of the service is limited by their availability. This year we were able to provide:

Transport – for medical appointments and occasional outings and shopping trips for those with mobility difficulties.

Advocacy – ensuring that those who do not speak English as their first language or understand the systems have access to the various services to which they are entitled.ie Centrelink, Legal Aid, insurance claims etc.

Practical Assistance – small domestic or maintenance tasks that those with chronic illnesses are not able to achieve and which are not covered by other agencies ie changing light globes, moving furniture or belongings, making beds, small repairs, paying bills

Home Visits – when people are chronically ill and have difficulty going out, they can enjoy some socialising in their own homes or by phone.

Prison Support –for many years, volunteers have offered support to some inmates. All those receiving visits have now been released but we still offer our support, as they readjust to life outside, with visits and phone calls.  There is one inmate at Goulburn who especially needed our support this year as his mother died. We were able to organise a special funeral service for him with the prison chaplain and social worker.

Hospital Visits – this year, when Lighthouse members were hospitalised, they needed support visits and some practical assistance ie laundry, shopping, paying bills, and prayer support.

Men’s Group – A group of men from local churches meet each Tuesday at 6:30am to pray for and encourage each other.

Waverley Community Men’s Shed

The Lighthouse Community was instrumental in the set up of the Waverley Community Men’s Shed though Rodger Jamieson who was the President for the first 3 years of its setup and operation.

The Shed is in its seventh year of operation and is open Mon – Wed from (10.00am – 3.00pm) and already has many members. The Shed continues to meet the needs of predominately older men offering a place to have a chat, learn new skills, and contribute to individual and community projects such as building boxes to relocate quolls and possums and assisting other community organisations.  The address is on the War Memorial Hospital Site 125 Birrell St Waverley NSW 2024 – phone 02 9386 5998.

Prayer Ministry

Our of our joys is to pray with people who are having a difficult time and to bring their needs to God who is their provider and healer. the aim is to encourage a deeper relationship with God.

Mission and Community Support Australia and Overseas

The Lighthouse Community helps to support various projects in Australia and Overseas:

• Aboriginal Ministry – Aunty Jean Phillips Leadership program
• Tear
• Christian Blind Mission
• Grace Care Child Program in Uganda  – supporting an orphan’s education see information about the program