Church Facility Usage Fees

It's great to see our church facilities including our gym being used for many weddings these days. At first, we had a difficult time imagining and thinking of having our wedding receptions in the gym. The basketball nets, the scoreboard and the absence of a dance floor were all unappealing to us as a reception hall. So, several years ago when I suggested to New Life the idea of having their wedding receptions in the gym, it was not well received. I think Martha Stewart, who took weddings and receptions to the next level of extravagance and immaculateness, had a lot to ...

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Rules and Freedom

Life must be tiring for people who need everything to be done exactly as it should be. After all, in general, real life is messy. Life must also be tiring for those who insist on living without rules; there will be no order to their lives. To enjoy life fully, there must be a balance between rules and freedom. Our church tries to maintain a healthy balance between the two. Sometimes our church demands that rules be followed exactly. When people want to be voting members of our church they must follow set procedures. When we need prayer support, we don't make a general ...

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The Government Should Do The Job

I seldom contribute to relief funds when natural disasters hit South Korea even though it's my mother country. It's not that I'm indifferent to disaster victims or stingy with money. In fact, when I was in middle school in Korea, I once participated in collecting money for flood victims. A huge typhoon hit the southern provinces of South Korea and many people lost their houses and possessions. Two friends of mine and I decided to collect money for the flood victims by knocking on the doors of merchant shops near our school. The fact that we were youths in our student ...

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The Core Values of Our Church

In our staff meetings we study a book chosen by a staff member. We are currently studying "Built to Last" by J.C. Collins and J.I. Porras. It examines companies that have been leaders in their respective fields for more than 100 years. The authors try to find principles that made these companies successful for such a long time. One of the common factors for these companies is that they all have core values which are never sacrificed for the sake of profit. Competing companies that have not held values like these become successful for a short time but do not last. Our ...

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7 Significant Events For Our Church In 2004

As 2004 comes to a close and I reflect upon the past year, I'm thankful for the blessings God has bestowed on our church. I am especially thankful for 7 things that happened this year. 1. We reorganized the Mission Department. Shepherd KC Choi, who is a vice president at Bechtel - one of the largest construction companies in the world - played a key role in restructuring the department and outlining a blueprint for the next 10 years. Shepherd Don Kim was put in charge of the new department. Its first project was the Mission Festival, with guest speaker Jerry Rankins, ...

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Infant Dedication Ceremony

As Christmas approaches and we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, I'd like to share something about our baby dedication ceremony. Roman Catholics practice infant baptism, as do certain Protestant groups. But the New Testament does not record any cases of infant baptism. In Scripture Baptism was only administered to adults after they confessed their faith in Jesus Christ. So Baptists who acknowledge the Bible as their only authority for faith and practice do not baptize infants; instead, they conduct an infant dedication ceremony. I am frequently asked whether it is ...

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How To Find One’s Hidden Sins

In our staff meetings we discuss a book, one chapter each week, chosen in turns by every staff member. One book we studied recently was "Spiritual Leadership" by Oswald Sanders. Near the end of the book the author discusses possible hidden sins in leaders. These sins are very destructive because leaders are not aware of them and do not even realize that they are committing sins. It's only after much damage has been done to themselves or others that they become aware. Some of these sins are pride, jealousy, and self-centeredness. These sins are hard to recognize and get ...

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