Please meet Jen! She’s a new addition to Lighthouse’s staff and she’ll be serving as the Women’s Ministry director alongside Mel Hu. Learn a little bit about her through these questions and answers, then give her a warm welcome!
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Hi! My name is Jen Kira. I am married to Pastor Kim Kira here at Lighthouse and we have four kids, Caleb, Josiah, Karissa, and Carson (CJ). Kim and I have been married for 20 years and I have attended Lighthouse since its birth! I grew up in Huntington Beach and attended Wintersburg Presbyterian Church from a young age until I got married. I went to UCSD for my undergrad, UCI for my teaching credential and got my Masters in Biblical Counseling from the Master’s University.
What are your hobbies and interests? What do you do in your free time?
One thing I enjoy doing in my spare time is jogging. I love running marathons around the country and world. While I am jogging, it’s a great time for me to spend time with the Lord and to listen to worship music or messages from God’s Word. For fun, I also love spending time with friends and family, shopping, and being in my pjs relaxing.
As you may know by now, the Lighthouse staff loves food. What are your favorite foods?
I LOVE food (a must being married to Kim). My favorite type of food is Japanese and Korean. I LOVE a good cookie too.
Are there any interesting facts we should know about you?
One interesting fact about me is I grew up my entire life with horrible eyesight. I had to wear crazy glasses that were super thick or contacts my whole life until I got Lasik (a true miracle from God). I used to be known as the “girl with red glasses,” for much of my life. I had some major ‘awkward’ teenage years.
How has your time in the church office been? What are you looking forward to?
My time in the church office has been such a blessing. Being married to Kim I only got to hear second hand about staff lunches, time with staff and what a blessing staff was. Now I get to experience it myself. I absolutely LOVE how the entire staff enjoys being together and really gives their all to love God and love others. It’s contagious to be around them and helps me to want to grow in my service of the Lord.
What will your role be on staff at Lighthouse?
My role at Lighthouse will be the Director of Women’s Ministry. I will help oversee the Women’s core, the various women’s ministries at lighthouse, and help to teach and train new servants.
In what ways are you looking forward to doing ministry at Lighthouse?
I am thankful that I have been able to do ministry at Lighthouse since we started. In my new role as the Women’s MInistry Director, the biggest thing I am looking forward to is melding the Women’s Ministry with all the other ministries at church! Being on staff will really allow me to hear the needs of more ladies and to grow in striving to meet them! I am also very excited to walk alongside other women to help them grow in their love for Christ and to create more avenues for them to serve and grow as disciples of Christ. This will be an exciting time of solidifying the structure of Women’s ministry so that we can make it more accessible to all the ladies who come to Lighthouse.
How can we, as your church family, be praying for you?
I would love prayer for this new role as Women’s Ministry Director. I was very hesitant to do it as I feel inadequate in many ways. Please pray that I will be faithful to lead the ministry in a biblical and God glorifying way. I would also love prayer that I would faithfully balance my many hats as a wife, a mom, a teacher, a counselor, a friend, and as a church staff member. I love all these areas in my life and want to do my best in each area for our great God.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I am so thankful and excited to take this new position. I am really looking forward to meeting more of the Lighthouse ladies and growing in serving them in the upcoming season!
