The Lighthouse Christian Church was the creation of Gregg and Bronwyn Donaldson, who moved with their family to Jersey from Mutare, Zimbabwe, in 2009.
The Donaldsons had started a church with the same name in Zimbabwe in 2000, but decided it was time to take their message elsewhere and felt ‘directed by God’ to Jersey.
‘We started as eight eager people meeting on Saturday nights at the La Motte Street Youth Centre in St Helier in 2009. The next few years saw us grow as a congregation and move venue several times around St Helier,’ said Mr Donaldson.
‘In August 2015 we moved into the newly renovated St James Youth Centre (the old St James Church) on St James Street, where we have been renting the facility for Sunday services, and the next big step in our development is happening tomorrow.
‘Having now outgrown our existing facility we have decided, rather than move our whole congregation to a bigger venue, we will start a new congregation – Lighthouse Church Waterfront – at the Cineworld complex on the Waterfront.
‘The existing St James congregation will continue to meet too, and so our church will become one congregation meeting in two sites on Sunday mornings. This gives us room for growth, and it develops new leaders and gives many more people an opportunity to be involved in ministry.’
The new congregation will be led by Adam and Kuda Dakwa, a young couple who work in the finance industry.
‘We are an independent, non-denominational Christian Church, and we welcome everyone to come and worship and learn about God together,’ Mr Donaldson added.
‘Our worship style is modern and relaxed, and we are fortunate to have 180 people from many backgrounds and nationalities worshipping with us.
‘We also have a heart for the world at large, and have been involved in helping other new churches start in England, Scotland, India, and Africa.’
For more information visit lighthousejersey.com. The first Lighthouse Church Waterfront service at Cineworld will take place at 10.30am tomorrow.
