A light on 14th Street since 2008
How a small Lincoln congregation became a full reentry ecosystem for a city that needed one.
Ministry before it had a name
Long before Northern Lighthouse Church officially organized, its founding pastors were already doing the work that would define it: showing up at the Community Corrections Center – Lincoln (CCCL), a state reentry facility just down the road, and treating the people inside as neighbors, not causes.
In 2008, that ministry formally organized as a congregation of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). The name we chose said what we believed: a lighthouse doesn’t exist for the ships already safely in harbor. It exists for the ones still finding their way through the dark.
A history shaped by the pastors who built it
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1997
Ministry roots begin
Pastor Simon “Sam” Keyzer begins a season of ministry in Lincoln that would eventually become Northern Lighthouse — grounded from the start in outreach to the Community Corrections Center.
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2004 – 2009
Early pastoral partnership
Pastor Richard DeVries serves alongside the congregation during a season of growth and formation.
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2006 – 2022
Sustained shared leadership
Pastor Jeff Heerspink’s long tenure overlaps and extends the congregation’s formative years, helping steady it through its organizing and growth.
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2008
Northern Lighthouse organizes
The congregation formally organizes as a church of the Christian Reformed Church in North America — putting a name and a home address to a ministry that had already been finding people in hard places.
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2019
Sam Keyzer becomes Pastor Emeritus
After more than two decades of ministry, Sam steps into the role of Pastor Emeritus — and keeps right on leading our Emerging Leaders track.
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Today
A full ecosystem of care
Pastor Jon Keyzer leads a congregation of about 115 people running a year-round reentry program, a free car-repair ministry, small groups, and a leadership pipeline — all from one building on N 14th Street.
Radical acceptance isn’t a slogan here — it’s our address
We go into hard places on purpose
Our own statement of belief says it plainly: following Jesus includes going into hard places — like prison — to minister to those who are hurting, marginalized, and feel forgotten. That’s not an outreach committee for us. It’s the center of who we are.
Come as you are, stay as family
We’re a barrier-free facility with transportation available for those who need it, including a standing ministry alongside people with intellectual disabilities. Radical acceptance means removing the obstacles, not just saying the words.
Want to meet the people behind this story?
Our pastors and staff would love to meet you — in person on a Sunday, or right now on our Leadership page.