My Plan For The Next 6 Months – Soo Kwan Lee

I’m taking a 6-month Sabbatical starting July 1. For the next 6 months, our Associate Pastor Soo Kwan Lee will assume my responsibilities as Senior Pastor. I have also asked him to write Pastor’s Corners. I will post his translated Corners on the NLF website, so that the English Speaking Congregation can get to know him. He may become the Senior Pastor of Seoul Baptist Church in the future if our congregation approves.

– Pastor Chai

My Plan For The Next 6 Months – by Soo Kwan Lee

I am starting to fill Pastor Chai’s shoes today as he begins his 6-month Sabbatical. I have been very busy in the last few months. I graduated from seminary, was ordained, and was appointed Associate Pastor for Seoul Baptist. Now I’m serving as Acting Senior Pastor of our church! When I look at the things Pastor Chai has been doing as Senior Pastor, I feel overwhelmed. The list includes delivering 3 sermons on Sunday, leading The New Life Bible class on Tuesday, writing Pastor’s Corners, leading the monthly meeting to lead people to Christ, and more. None of these tasks look easy.

Someone asked Pastor Chai if it is wise to put so many responsibilities on me at once. He answered, “The easiest way to learn to swim is to be thrown in the water. You learn how to swim as you try to keep from drowning.” So I’m asking the 333 Prayer Partners to pray for me to not drown.

My goal for the next 6 months is to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as when Pastor Chai is here. To do that, I will increase my prayer time. I believe that our church is peaceful and that our church members are happy because Pastor Chai prays 3 hours every morning. I will do the same.

Before I was ordained, I prayed for one and a half hours, from 5:30-7:00 in the morning. After I was ordained, I have been praying for 2 hours. For the next 6 months I have committed myself to praying for 3 hours, as Pastor Chai did. I have already received the prayer list from him that consists of the names of members of our church who have not received Jesus, unbelieving spouses, people who are taking The New Life Bible class, shepherds, people with urgent prayer needs, and people who dedicated themselves during the last Sunday service.

I will make as few changes as possible in the worship style and various ministries. I will follow the exact same order and say the same things during the Sunday worship services to make sure everything goes as if Pastor Chai were here. I hope that people don’t see this as lazy or lacking creativity. I will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in making decisions, but will constantly ask myself, “What would Pastor Chai do in this situation?”

I pray that many churches become strong and healthy as a result of Pastor Chai’s ministry during his Sabbatical. I hope that Pastor Chai comes back rested and spiritually recharged. I also pray that our church stays healthy, fulfilling the mission God gave us during the 6 months of his absence.