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In March, Lighthouse Publishing participated in REACH 2019, a two-day biennial event sponsored by Faith Builders Educational Programs. REACH helps conservative Anabaptist ministries connect with each other and with churches and individuals who are interested in supporting them. 52 ministries were represented and over 2,000 people attended.
We were impressed with the scale and variety of the work that is being done all over the world. The opportunities to support the Lord’s work are nearly unlimited, and many of these missions need staff and funding. It is truly inspiring to see how much is being accomplished through the generosity of Christian believers.
In the larger perspective, it is clear that our work at Lighthouse Publishing is a tiny segment in the great panorama of God’s work across the world today. This ministry to the prison population of our country is made possible by your heart of compassion.
We were blessed to hear firsthand comments about how Loaves & Fishes is being used in the prisons. We heard both from chaplains who are delivering the magazines into solitary confinement cells and from an ex-inmate who was blessed by seeing the magazine on a literature rack.
We also met several folks who were looking for material to use in prison ministry. A wide variety of workshops made the event more than worthwhile.
Since 2014, Lighthouse Publishing has operated as a ministry of Burning Bush Mennonite Church. Major decisions are made at our church’s business meetings and daily operations are overseen and routine decisions are made by our board chairman and treasurer.
We recently concluded that Lighthouse Publishing could benefit from additional oversight and accountability. Eleven men from six different churches have agreed to join an advisory board, which will meet annually and receive routine financial and operational updates during the year. The purpose of the board is to provide accountability, counsel, and non-binding recommendations for the ministry.
In March we had the first advisory board meeting at our facility, where we introduced the new board members to the ministry’s operations. We enjoyed getting acquainted and look forward to the encouragement, advice, and help that the board can bring us going forward. We are thankful for the men that have volunteered their time to bless us in this way.
We are happy to announce that the content creation and design stages for our next magazine issue are complete. The order is at the printer, and we should have 128,000 magazines in our warehouse by April 29. We hope to process the mailing in the first week of May.
We have about $24,000 on hand which will cover the printing and part of the shipping cost. We will need to raise an additional $6,000-8000,000 by the beginning of May in order to fully fund the shipping expense.
Thanks to everyone who has given to make the upcoming issue possible. May God bless you for your kindness. We are excited about getting another issue of Loaves & Fishes into the hands of our readers.
