From the Pastor’s Desk (284)
As I visit your house churches, I am often greatly encouraged because I see beautiful communities of Jesus being built as you do life together and faithfully reach out to your VIPs. I thank God for you. To help you have an even better house church meeting, I would like to share the following practical guidelines. Please apply them in your house church life.
Be on time!
Being on time is a sign of love and respect for others, whereas being habitually late can be a sign of selfishness and disrespect. Therefore, as Christ-followers, we must strive to be punctual.
Life happens, especially on Friday evenings on ...
Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk (283)
Happy New Year, New Life!
I have shared this with you several times before, but in 2012, towards the end of the House Church Seminar for Pastors, I prayed to God: “God, I will do whatever You ask me to do in spreading house church ministry, as long as the invitation doesn’t conflict with New Life’s schedule.” It’s been almost 13 years since I prayed that prayer, and I believe I have been faithful to God in keeping the promise I made to Him.
This year will be a full and eventful one for our church. Please mark these important dates on your personal calendar. Do your best to be fully present for these ...
Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk (282)
On this last Sunday of the year, I regret that I won’t be able to worship and share God’s Word with you. I will be in Carson, CA, worshiping at Podowon Church, where the senior pastor will lead his final service with his congregation before retiring.
This pastor has faithfully served as the senior pastor for 24 years and 11 months and has been doing house church ministry for about 20 years. He is truly one of our brothers in Christ and a part of House Church Ministry International.
A few years ago, during the pandemic, the church faced a significant trial. An entire village left because the village leader ...
Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk (281)
We will hold the 2025 Missions Rally from January 31 to February 2, with Dr. and Mrs. Taeho Ko as our speakers. Dr. Ko moved to the U.S. in his teenage years, and Mrs. Ko, after spending a few years in Paraguay, also came to the U.S. as a teenager. They grew up in New York City, attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), earned degrees, and met each other there before getting married. After working for several years on the East Coast as engineers, they relocated to Houston for work.
The Kos and I have mutual acquaintances. Before their move to Houston, they reached out to me for advice on where to live and ...
Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk (280)
Last October, when the team leaders and the house church seminar and conference-related leaders met with me to set the calendar for this year, we realized it was going to be fuller than ever before. However, the thought that came to my mind wasn’t, “Will we be able to do all this?” but rather, “What will it feel like to do all this?” No matter how daunting and insurmountable the task that God calls us to do may seem, we know that He never tells us to do anything to hurt, break, or make us miserable. Instead, He calls us to make us stronger, deepen our faith in Him, and give us an opportunity to experience ...
Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk (279)
My wife has been teaching ESL at a local university where there are tons of Muslims from various nations. She loves to share Jesus and house church whomever she meets and builds relationship with. Last year, she invited several of her students to our Game Night. I think about four students came and enjoyed the evening. When she asked if they wanted to visit a house church, three accepted the invitation and came. She also invited other students and connected them to another house church. They also came and visited.
About a year later, one is still coming out to house church. She and her dad were living in Houston ...
Read More
From the Pastor’s Desk (278)
(The following is what I sent to your shepherds on Monday. I want you to do the same that I am asking your shepherds to do.)
Shepherds and wives,
Good morning!
I am calling all of you to Early Morning Prayer in the church sanctuary!
"Without prayer we will slowly but surely die!"
If prayer is a declaration of dependence on God and sign of humility before Him, then prayerlessness is a declaration of independence from God and sign of pride before Him. A life that is independent of God will end up in disaster. You have experienced this in your own life and have seen it happen in the lives of your ...
Read More