Lighthouse Community Weekend
“Something significant for ex-communist countries happened 8-10 March, 2019 in Niš, Serbia,” writes Sonja Stojanowic. “It may have looked like a fun get-together for old and new friends, but it was a statement, albeit a small one, that the Lighthouse Community means business and that there are ordinary Christians committed to the ex-communist countries they live in.”
Read the rest of Sonja’s report:
The Lighthouse Community (LHC) was started in 2018 by Kevin and Emma Reilly, who eleven years ago moved to Gdansk, Poland, to plant a church, leaving behind everything they knew to start their new life, taking four small children with them. One of their motivating factors for starting LHC was the isolation felt by many who have taken the plunge to leave their homeland for the sake of the gospel. LHC has brought together a small group of pioneers, like a family, where we can share our joys and our troubles, our encouragements and our difficulties with people who know how it feels. It has the vision for planting all over Europe.
The countries represented at our weekend together (whether by church plants, other works, or vision for the future) were Poland, Serbia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania. We looked at what it means to be a pioneering family, and explored some aspects of culture that affect how we live our lives and build church. There were times of worship, prayer and ministry, as well as (in true Serbian style) a lot of food eaten together.
The icing on the cake, and maybe the most important part of the weekend, was the time we spent together, chatting and sharing our lives, being open about the struggles we face. Ex-communist countries are notoriously hard to reach for many reasons, including the culture of “sameness” among people, which is partly the legacy of communism. In practice it means that the opinion of everyone else matters, and so it’s a real challenge for those who want to believe something different to their family and friends.
All in all, it was a significant weekend for all present, and for the countries we represent.
Want to know more?
If you are interested in learning more about LHC and are considering your role in any of the countries mentioned, please contact Kevin Reilly on kev.gdansk [at] gmail.com or lighthousecommunity2215 [at] gmail.com
Alternatively, you could join some of us at Bishops Stortford on 6 July 2019 to find out more about what God is doing among the Post Communist Nations of Europe.
