The most painful moment during my 10 years as a pastor of Hanmaum church was to confront the spiritual dryness in our Youth Group. Almost like a paramedic performing CPR, I made many attempts to provide spiritual CPR within our church in order to bring spirituality into them. We moved the Youth Group service from a small room in the corner of the church to the main sanctuary. We translated the Pastor's column in the weekly bulletin into English, and Sunday worship praise is now sung in both Korean and English. We planted a dream that one day they will have their own “English Congregation”. We brought into their awareness that they are not just visitors at our church but the “true owners who have control and responsibility”. We taught our children that healing their broken spirituality depends on the sincerity of their own heart; no one else can do it for them. Many days I cried in tears for our children, and many more have offered precious devotions and sacrificed for our children.
Our children started to experience the Holy Spirit and got to know the living God. They started to pray by themselves and many received the gift of tongues. Their self-centered mind began to crumble and started to rebuild around God. They started to understand that they are not the center of church but God is. They begin to offer their hands to their friends taking care of each other, and pray for each other in tears. They were overly conscious of others when praising but now they have grown to the point where they can lead praise and service in front of the entire adult congregation. Some of the college students either still attending or graduated took part in the Mokjang Conference and now they have the heart to devote themselves as a Mokja in the English speaking Mokjang.
There is still a long way to go. Nonetheless, I am so very thankful. I am thankful to see the next generation opening up their hearts and beginning to breathe in spirit. In today's service, the next generation will lead the entirety of Sunday worship service. Pastor Jane who leads the New England Youth Group will give the sermon. The order of worship will be conducted by the English congregation, our next generation. I pray that through the worship today, we thank together, pray together and dream together.
Following the shepherd…
Pastor Jiwon Choi