Sunday Service
- Adult 1st Service: 9AM
- Adult 2nd Service: 11AM
- Youth Service: 10:45AM
Only Do What’s Most Important
Life has become so complicated and there are so many things to do that we simply cannot do everything we need or want to. It is imperative for everyone - whether an individual or an organization - to be selective and do only those things that are important. Everyone's priorities are different. For a business, a good reputation is important. In ministry, relationships are important. With child rearing, discipline is important. For Christians, regular quiet times are important.
Sometimes, what we think to be important turns out to be not so. When I was in seminary, I ...
I Am the Shepherd-Overseers’ Pastor
When we instituted house churches many years ago, some members were hurt when I announced that my role was just to be a pastor for house church shepherds. I didn't mean to offend anyone. I just wanted to boost the authority of our shepherds and let church members understand that it should be their shepherds, not I, who took care of them.
It's now time for me to make a similar declaration which may hurt house church shepherds: I am no longer a pastor for shepherds. I am only a pastor for shepherd-overseers.
Actually, I need to be a pastor for shepherd-overseers for the ...
I Love My Mother-In-Law
Years ago, after my wife and I had been dating for a while, I decided it was time for me to introduce myself to her family. So I bought a bouquet of flowers and went to her house. I rang the doorbell, and when her mother answered I made a Korean-style bow, prostrating myself on my hands and knees with my forehead almost touching the floor, and introduced myself as Haisoon's boyfriend. I found out later that after I left, my future mother-in-law turned to her daughter and said, "How about you? I like him!" It was love at first sight between future son and mother-in-law.
...
Join A Traditional Church
House churches are autonomous local churches. Seoul Baptist Church is the united entity of these house churches. A united body needs to exist because certain things can be done more effectively this way than by individual groups. For example children's education, mission projects, community service, and in-depth Bible studies.
Because Seoul Baptist Church is solely the united body of many house churches, one cannot be a member of Seoul Baptist without first becoming a member of a house church. Apart from its house churches, Seoul Baptist does not exist.
Since they were ...
Feeling Bad About Not Being Able To Help
On Sundays I come to church early in the morning to pray. While driving, I rehearse that day's sermon. I am often so focused on my rehearsal that I forget that I am driving.
On one such Sunday morning a while back, I was rehearsing on the way to church. A traffic light turned red and I stopped without thinking, continuing to rehearse. Then I heard a tap on the window. I had been so absorbed in my rehearsal that it startled me. I saw a Hispanic man motioning for me to roll down the window. I cracked it open and asked what he wanted. It was difficult for me to fully ...
The Kingdom of God Is Growing!
I just prayed for the Kosovo Team and saw them go off to the airport on Thursday afternoon. This is the second to our last short-term missions team this year. When Cambodia Team gets sent off on Saturday, 7/23 and comes back in August, we will have completed all of our short-term missions trips for this year: Djibouti, Camp Barnabas, Mexico, China, Kosovo and Cambodia.
I still vividly remember taking six brothers and sisters from New Life in my minivan and going to Camp Barnabas for the first time in the summer of 1998. That was our first mission trip as a church. ...
Reporting House Church Attendance
A few years ago, a well-known elderly pastor visited our church. He wanted to understand the difference between small groups in traditional churches and our house churches. To him, the difference was slight; house church meetings just emphasized sharing more. After several minutes of deep thought he slapped his knee and exclaimed, "Traditional churches attract people through preaching and various programs and assign them to small groups, but house churches reach out to non-believers and send them to Sunday services. The roles are reversed, right?"
Right! Small groups are ...