The Yuma Arizona Aglow Lighthouse is growing rapidly. So many new people are attending their meetings that recently the group had to move to a larger facility. This Lighthouse is a beautiful mix of old, young, various ethnic groups, men and women. Below is an interview with Debby Brawner, Arizona SPC, and Yuma Aglow Lighthouse President, Kathy Garibay.
Debby: I noticed that at your meetings you have a mix of people, young, old, different ethnic groups, men and women. How are you attracting these people to your meetings?
Kathy: It's all by word of mouth, and people we know and invite. An average of 25-30 girls from the Crossroads Mission attend. A lot of us know people in the community, and we invite them. We are truly transparent with people of who we are, and what the Lord is doing in us, as a Board and a family of God.
Debby: What are you doing to attract young people?
Kathy: We use Facebook and email information. We also advertise on our Christian radio stations. A lot of young people are from the Mission but ones that have graduated the program keep coming back to our meetings.
Debby: What in your outreach meetings are you doing to adjust to the newbie attendees?
Kathy: We do not adjust to newbies and we don't make excuses about who the Holy Spirit is and what He does.
Debby: How do you bridge the relationships with people of different cultures, and young people?
Kathy: We have made an effort to have different cultures since we are a border town and we have two Indian tribes here in Yuma.
Debby: Tell me about the Crossroads Mission.
Kathy: The Mission has been a part of Aglow since 2008. Pricilla, the President at that time, had been praying for that ministry to be opened, and God answered. Pricilla, my daughter, and I started attending Wednesday night chapels. It has grown now to Monday Bible studies and Friday night chapels. Aglow is a part of their recovery as they are there for 4 months. We are there to pray and love them where they are at in their journey. Giving them the word of God and unconditional love to help them through their recovery. We don't give them religion but relationship. Crossroads Mission transports them each month to our meetings.
Debby: What are the attendees getting out of Yuma Aglow Lighthouse?
Kathy: What the attendees get from our Yuma Aglow Lighthouse is the love of Christ, His Word, and unconditional love.
Debby: How are your training the Aglow people to minister?
Kathy: How we train Aglow people to minister is that we lead as an example, and they follow. We make sure they are Spirit filled and that they have unconditional love and Grace for the hurting people.
Debby: Why do men keep coming to your outreach meetings?
Kathy: Men come to our meeting because our team member’s husbands come, and they invite people they know, wives invite their husbands. We believe that men and woman should come together like what Jane Hanson Hoyt believes.
Debby: How did Men of Issachar get started in the Yuma Aglow Lighthouse, and what keeps it going?
Kathy: Our Area President had asked my husband to pray about it, and we did. God reminded him of a word that was given to him a long time ago that he would be a fisher of men. So God helped him to step out and he accepted. What keeps Men of Issachar coming is that the board is made up of men who love God, they love the broken hearted, and they know that prayer and the love of Christ can heal other men and encourage them. They also bring men from the Crossroad Mission once a month, and invite people they know in the community. They believe that God has called them to reach out to men and love them, and that it is okay to be real with each other.