As members left their weekly daytime prayer meeting at Cedarhome Church in Stanwood, Wash., on April 8, a fire truck passed by. One of the members pointed out a huge smoke plume coming from town—the Lighthouse Fellowship Church was on fire.
Unable to reach the Lighthouse pastor, Marvin Creelman, Cedarhome pastor, went to the Stanwood police department and left a message with them, offering the Lighthouse Fellowship the use of the Adventist church.
Their pastor, Mike Tarci, and some of their elders and members had been praying about where they would meet. The police chief told them that the Adventists had offered them the use of their church. It was the first of three offers they received, even as the fire was still burning. Lighthouse accepted the Adventists offer and, on Sunday, two Seattle television station crews showed up at Cedarhome Church to interview some of the Lighthouse members and film part of their first service after the fire.
It was a privilege to help these fellow Christians who are actively helping the community with a food and clothing program. In fact, at their first church service, they took up an offering for their church's neighbors who were homeless because of the fire. Lighthouse has since found another place of worship to rent.
