My wife will no longer be working after April 15. She has been working about 20 hours a week part time but was recently informed that her position will be eliminated. My wife has worked her entire adult life except for a brief period after our son Danny was born. Even then, she worked until the very day of his delivery. This wasn't our intention. Our plan was for her to work up until 2 weeks before the delivery date. But her labor started 2 weeks early, on her last day at work. So she ended up working until the day he was born. This is not a good time for her to stop working. Our church is in the middle of building project and we made a commitment ...

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I am proud of New Life Fellowship. I feel like a father watching his child grow into beautiful adulthood. At first, you were completely dependent on the Korean Speaking Congregation (KSC). We paid Pastor Eric's salary and provided space and facilities. As the English Speaking Congregation (ESC) grew, you pulled more and more of your own weight. You started by supporting half of Pastor Eric's salary. You continued by volunteering to take care of 3 "G"s for the church: gardening, grass and garbage. When Pastor Paul was hired as Youth Group Pastor, you took responsibility for half of his salary as well. Now you've hired your own pastor, Jaemo. The ...

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There are several types of pastors. Some pastors are best described as visionary. When these pastors start a church, they plan it with an organizational chart fit for 1000 members, even though the initial membership is only a handful, often just family members. As membership grows, he fills ministry positions in the org chart with workers. Many pastors of mega-churches are this type of pastor. Another type doesn't start with a specific type of vision or long term plan. They become pastors because they see needs that they feel God has called them to meet. So they usually start churches without an organizational plan. They build their churches bit by ...

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When there have been changes of administration in Korea, people from previous administrations have often stood trial for corruption. When I read about these trials or watch them on TV, I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I feel that they should be punished for the wrongs they did. On the other hand, I feel sorry for them because while they did engage in illegal activity, it was something that every official was doing, so they're being unfairly singled out. The people who have been on trial have usually responded to prosecutors' questions by saying, "I don't remember." The press accuses them of stonewalling or lying. I'm sure that some of them have ...

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A while ago I heard that a well-known Korean-American pastor disappeared when he it was found that he was having an affair. Some guilty pastors simply lie and deny their guilt even when confronted with evidence. To his credit this pastor chose to disappear rather than face his accusers and lie. When I heard this news I felt mixed emotions. I felt sorry for him, his family and his congregation. On the other hand I felt angry that he shamed God and became a stumbling block to the advancement of the Gospel. Pastors who commit sexual sins are usually not bad people, but men of integrity and good pastors. I think that their falls are caused in part by ...

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There are people in our church who come to house church meetings but not to Sunday worship services. Some do so because they don't want to face certain church members. They claim that our church members cheated them in business dealings or that they didn't return money they had borrowed or other things like these. When I heard these kinds of accusations I was saddened. When the accused were our shepherds or deacons, I got angry. But I no longer get upset when I hear similar accusations against our members or leaders because I have learned from my experience that it is often not the accused but the accusers who are in the wrong. There are irrational ...

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The most popular phrase among Koreans these days is "well-being". Every magazine is filled with articles about well-being. When I was young, Korea was so poor that the primary concern was simply survival. Now Korea has become so prosperous that mere living is not enough; well-being has become important. Well-being is an eclectic word. But for most people it seems to mean a physically healthy life. Most articles on this issue deal with physical health. Sometimes I wonder why people are so crazy about health. I saw an interview on TV with a bodybuilding champion, and the reporter jokingly asked him what he did with all the muscles he spent so much ...

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