Tears came down as I was praying for the 32 participants who will be coming to this year's House Church Seminar for Lay Leaders. They are coming from 13 different churches from the states of Washington, California, Illinois, New York, Tennessee and Texas and the countries of Canada and Brazil. Praying for them brought different memories and thoughts to my mind. I remembered how I used to go to church conferences in the earlier years of New Life. And if I thought that a conference was good, then I would take New Life leaders with me later so we could learn from other churches. My one and only desire was to help New Life become a biblically healthy ...

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From the Pastor’s Desk (182) You have heard me making brief comments about Facebook the past two Sundays during my message.  Since I didn't explain in detail my concerns about social media, I think it is necessary for me to share my thoughts about it with you at least once. First, there are many positive things about social media including Facebook.  We can use it to connect people from all over the world for a common purpose or to accomplish some things.  For example, New Life LT (Leadership Team) members use Facebook page to share, discuss and make decisions.  I am also connected to friends from the church in New York ...

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In the past two years, I have been given a senior citizen’s discount on coffee at McDonald's – on three different occasions.  Just a few weeks ago, I pulled my hamstring while running a little faster than usual.  Recently, while dining at a sushi restaurant with some New Life members, I asked a waitress how old I looked.  She said that I looked about 55 years old.  I couldn't believe what she said.  When I asked her the same question again, she said that I looked between 50 and 60 years old.  She wouldn't go below 50 years in guessing my age. The truth is I am 50 years old, my body is breaking down and I guess I look old.  Okay, I do ...

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I participated in the bi-annual House Church Conference for Pastors in Louisville, KY from Monday to Thursday this past week.  There were about 130 pastors, pastors' wives and a few missionaries.  This was my sixth conference and the highlight of the conference for me was hearing the five speakers presenting their case studies about house church ministry in their church context.  The sharing is always filled with joys and pains, successes and struggles, discouraging setbacks and encouraging changes which cause all the participants to laugh and shed tears at the same time.  When the speakers end their presentations all the participants give ...

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Everyone knows "Extreme Makeover."  It's about a rich person helping a poor family that is going through a very tough time by building them an extremely fancy house.  The show was quite sensational because there were tear jerking stories, exciting demolitions, fun-filled vacations and thrilling surprises in the end.  However, I have always wondered how those families with their brand new homes are doing after three, five or ten years.  Assuming that the houses are completely paid for, are the families able to pay their taxes and utilities, which must have gone up significantly due to the increase in value and size of their homes?  Are their ...

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As you know, Roca Blanca is a very special place for me because that was the first place that I went to for a mission trip with some members from the KSC in the spring of 1995 and then with the youth group members in the summer of the same year.  Ever since then, I used to go there every year for the next several years. Mission trips to Roca Blanca were always hard because we went to tough and difficult places without much civilization.  However, one of the joys and blessings of going down there for me was to work with Laura Pratt who is a missionary nurse who has been working alongside of the founders of the mission base, Duane & Sue ...

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It is very easy for pastors to discriminate church members based on their educational, professional or socioeconomic status.  James warns us about this. "My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, 'Here is a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" (James 2:1-4) The reason ...

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