As a church, we strive to live up to the motto: "Taking full responsibility to raise godly children." This doesn't mean that the church intends to take over the proper responsibilities of parents. It also doesn't mean that we have a perfect children's education program. Rather, it's an expression of the strong determination of our church, under the leadership of our Senior Pastor, to do our best to raise godly children in an era where all education is at risk. One of our goals is to have an Education Specialist. We don't want Youth Ministry to be a transitional place where young pastors practice ministry before moving on. We don't want Children's ...

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A while back, I went to the store to purchase a lid for a garbage bin. The store rep told me that they didn't sell the lids separately but then provided unsolicited advice to go ahead and purchase a whole new garbage bin and then make a store return without the lid. I politely smiled and refused that advice, but witnessing a lack of loyalty to one's employer left a bad taste in my mouth. It seems that it's more and more difficult to find people who are really grateful and appreciative of their workplace these days. In the old days, people had a strong sense of gratitude towards the company that allowed them to feed their families, and they stayed at ...

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According to a Korean pastor who visited our church, the fees for after-school learning programs and private tutoring in Korea are astronomical. It is common for households to spend half their total income these things. Even elementary students have a very busy schedule, learning art, music, P.E., English, essay writing, speech, etc., returning home each day at 11 PM. Consequently, children feel extreme pressure and stress, finding outlets by watching TV and immersing themselves in computer games. As I listened to what he said, I could not help but feel sorry for their parents, who are already burdened by high living costs. I also think that because ...

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I have often heard that a preacher must frequently listen to other preachers' sermons. While I try to do this as much as I can, it's hard to find time, so I do it while I work out, listening to sermons over the internet while I exercise. Recently I was listening to a sermon by a famous preacher in Korea and was astounded by what I heard. "I don't teach the Bible in my sermons," he said. He then shared how he usually begins writing his sermons at 3 AM on Sunday morning. He generally finishes it up by 7 AM, has breakfast, and then goes to preach. I was totally flabbergasted. How in the world does he prepare a sermon in 4 hours? Part of it is that he ...

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Many singles in our church are at an age appropriate for marriage. Because I know that for many of them, their long term prayer request is to meet their life partner, I am elated whenever I hear that a couple has gotten engaged. However, I cannot help but feel nervous at the same time. I always wonder how well they know each other, if they are prepared both emotionally and financially, etc. I think my concerns stem from the current divorce rate being over 40%. It's easy to think you want to marry someone based on initial impressions. If the other person is a believer, it may make the decision to marry seem that much safer. However, when they are ...

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This past week from Monday through Thursday I attended the 24th House Church Conference for Pastors at a church in New Jersey. The House Church Conference is a forum for pastors who have previously attended our House Church Seminars and are currently leading or preparing to start house churches to gather and encourage one another, present case studies, and learn about our Life Series Bible studies. This was the first time I attended. I clearly saw the passion in each participant and felt that the house church is becoming an inevitable force for the future. For me, the case studies of several pastors were most memorable. They came from churches that ...

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I casually flip over a calendar, and it says October 15. Today is Pastor Chai's birthday! Pastor Chai has always been out of office on the week of his birthday and this year is no exception - I'm sure he does this on purpose. So I will not be able to wish him a happy birthday and present him with a little cake. I believe that he is trying to be considerate of the congregation, not wanting to impose on them in any way. Having personally observed him, I feel that Pastor Chai lives a life that places the needs of the church as the highest priority, above his personal needs. From equalizing staff salaries to scheduling outside revivals and rallies in a ...

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