A Bible Church Born in Cleveland, Now in Sharon Center
Lighthouse Bible Church has been preaching and teaching the Word of God since 1983, when it was founded in Cleveland, Ohio. Today the congregation meets in a newer building just east of Cleveland in Sharon Center, a small village in Medina County, where the focus remains the same: opening the Bible and letting Scripture speak. The church describes itself as a nondenominational, Protestant, evangelical Bible church, and its members come together each week around straightforward Bible preaching, congregational singing, and the Lord's table.
Sunday Mornings at the Lighthouse
Sunday morning is the heartbeat of the week at Lighthouse Bible Church. The service begins at 10:00 a.m. and follows a simple, traditional order: a time of music and announcements opens the gathering, and then the children are dismissed to children's church and the nursery for the remainder of the service. The preaching centers on expository Bible teaching, and the church regularly observes the Lord's table together. A Sunday school study runs from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. before the service, where the congregation has worked through studies such as Pilgrim's Progress. The Lord's table is celebrated during the service on those scheduled Sundays.
A Church Marked by a Sermon and a Table
At the center of Lighthouse Bible Church's life are two simple practices: the preached Word and the Lord's table. The preaching is the steady diet of the church, week in and week out, drawing directly from Scripture. The Lord's table is observed regularly, an act the doctrinal statement calls every believer to participate in as a regular rhythm of the Christian life. Together these two elements shape the congregation's identity: a people gathered around the Word opened and the broken bread shared, looking forward to the return of Christ for which the doctrinal statement urges believers to live in hope.
Confessing What Scripture Teaches
Lighthouse Bible Church holds to an extensive doctrinal statement it presents as sufficient in itself, since it is taken from the Bible and interpreted by the Bible. The statement begins with the conviction that all Scripture, as originally written, is inspired, infallible, and inerrant. It affirms one living and true God who exists in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and confesses that the Lord Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, rose bodily from the dead, and will return again at any moment. The statement teaches that all people inherit a depraved nature and are lost sinners in need of salvation, which God has provided through the shed blood of His Son on the cross of Calvary. Salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing, and once a person is saved, they are eternally secure in Christ. The church believes in believer's baptism by immersion as an act of obedience, regularly participates at the Lord's table, and distinguishes the baptism of the Holy Spirit at conversion from the ongoing filling of the Spirit.
Continuing the Ancient Gospel
The doctrinal statement concludes with words borrowed from Charles Spurgeon, who reprinted the Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 for his first church. Spurgeon's preface, which the church adopts as its own, calls the confession the ancient gospel of martyrs, confessors, reformers, and saints, and the truth of God against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. It urges believers to adorn their faith with their lives, to live in Christ Jesus, and to walk in Him, giving credence to no teaching but what is approved by Him and owned by the Holy Spirit. That note from the nineteenth century still sets the tone for a twenty-first century fellowship in Sharon Center.
Children and the Next Generation
Children are a visible part of the church's life at Lighthouse Bible Church. Following the music and announcements at the start of the Sunday service, children are released to a children's church, and a nursery is also available during the remainder of the service. The church has actively recruited and met with potential volunteers for these ministries, recognizing that the next generation is part of its calling. Baby dedications have been scheduled as part of the church calendar, with parents meeting beforehand with Pastor Kirby to discuss what the dedication means. The church has also invited families and volunteers to help with the annual Easter egg hunt, which begins at 9:30 a.m. on Easter Sunday before the morning service.
A New Home on Ridgewood Road
For nearly four decades, Lighthouse Bible Church met in various locations around Cleveland. In October 2022, the church finally opened the doors of its own building to the public for the first time, holding its grand opening at 1320 Ridgewood Road in Sharon Center. The new fellowship hall has already become a gathering place: the church has hosted a fall picnic on the grounds, complete with cookout staples and pizza, with vegan options offered, and has held a fireside acoustic music night with hot chocolate and snacks during the Christmas season.
Reaching Out: Operation Christmas Child and the Food Pantry
Beyond its doors, Lighthouse Bible Church supports a few practical ministries that meet local needs. Each year the congregation contributes to Operation Christmas Child, filling shoeboxes with gifts for children around the world, and the church welcomes donations of non-perishable food items at any time for the Salvation Army food pantry. These efforts are small in scale but consistent, and they reflect the church's desire to live out its faith in tangible ways alongside its preaching and teaching.
Staying Connected
Lighthouse Bible Church makes it easy to stay in touch. The mailing address is P.O. Box 271, Sharon Center, OH 44274, and the church can be reached by phone at 440-781-0501 or by email at lighthouse.cle@gmail.com. Sermon recordings are regularly shared on the church's Facebook group and YouTube channel, where listeners can also follow along with teaching series such as a seven-week study on Arguments for the Existence of God. Online giving is available through EasyTithe. The congregation is led by Pastor Scott Kirby, and the fellowship on Ridgewood Road continues to make the Bible the center of its life together.