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Home > Praise and Thanks Volume I |
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We wish to stay at your place for a night Pastor!
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Chapter 37 – We wish to stay at your place for a night Pastor!
San Jose’s Youth Born Again Mission had diverse members. Some of the members were graduated from college and just got a job; some of them are still attending, and high school students. Many of the members brought their younger siblings to help them grow in their faith, some, brought their friends to help them grow in Christ. One Saturday night, I was up in San Jose and preaching a sermon when a couple sat in the backside with a look of interest. They specially paid attention to me preaching about God. They were the parents of a high school attending daughter.
They had visited to see if the group their daughter was attending was not some cult group. They visited again when Deacon KyungSuk Lee was speaking as guest, and if I had remembered correctly, two or more times more when I was speaking. After being relieved, they had stopped coming. But one day the parents called me in Southern California telling me they would want to visit me. I said yes. When they came they wanted to stay at my 1 bedroom apartment. It was troubling. How could I let the whole family sleep in the living room? I knew they would have hotel fees. But why at a crowded 1 bedroom apartment I do not know. The next day after a meal, they said they had to visit another person in the afternoon in the area and then went back north.
Several days passed and the couple called. They wanted me to join them in planting a new church. They were attending an American church, but always wanted to plant a new church that was centralized in the gospel. After they had attended YBA (which their daughter attended) and, seeing that I was driving from southern California. They were sure that with their call I was able to gather more fruits of young adults becoming believers of God. Through the church I would not have to travel a lot and they would also pay me. They visited me to see how I lived, my wife, and most importantly my life as a believer. They came to see my daily life. I was praying with this situation when my older brother (also a pastor, gone to South America as a missionary) has returned. He was young enough to continue as the senior pastor. After moving church from Orange County to Los Angeles, where church would be more students and adults, rather than the students alone for the sake of church’s health and the fact that my brother knew more none believers in that area than I did, I had discussed with my brother, and the members of the church, and resigned. This church was where I had the short time, but a powerful training in my walk with God.
The couple was the starting point of the Silicon Valley Open Church member deacons James (YoungChul) Park and Esther (HyeSook) Park. They were faithful to God and were a great partner in faith. They had rented us a small cabin for us near where they lived. Before the church was planted the deacon’s family and my family would meet, they helped us settle down. The husband at that time had quit his job and started a new one and was in need of lots of financial support. Like a family with love, we gathered at the deacon’s house to have early morning service,
Wednesday and Sunday services to start. Whereas Southern California was an unfamiliar area to plant a church, in Northern California we had this couple who supported.
During spring time, we would have Korean BBQ party and invited people who didn’t go to church. Alone or as a church whole, I sought after those who had left the church and those who didn’t believe. Most people think it is better to gather non believers through a church member, but if you plant a church you have to break out of that thought fast. Most would reply “Sure we’ll come once.” I was able to gather a lot of students thanks to the deacon’s daughter. But I wanted a place for the students to be able to play and have sporting activities somewhere. At that time brother in Christ Daniel (SungHyun) Yu (now the assistant pastor in San Francisco Presbyterian Church) helped. So I decided quickly to see if there are any churches from Christian & Missionary Alliance near our area. In central San Jose there was a large church of our denomination. I met with the pastor there and soon had a church. The church only asked to have a Thank You Offering, and rented us 3 classrooms and a fellowship hall / gymnasium for basketball. Before we got this place, part of it was used as storage space and also used by Mexican brothers in Christ. How thankful! God had prepared such a great place!
We were so thankful that, after a short discussion with Deacon Park, painted the3 classrooms and had a carpet put on the floor. The American members wanted to see the newly decorated room, and after their service came and saw. They were glad and praised us. They were thankful that we decorated the rooms like our own house. We had service in the middle of the 3 classrooms, but soon it was starting to be become too small, so the American church rented us one of their fellowship halls named Fire Side Room. That place also started to become small so their basketball / auditorium. We used the chairs repaired when the American church changed their chairs.
I give thanks to the American pastor and the members who treated us like a family; moreover it was past the cultural barrier. One day, all the members of the church gathered. From early morning to evening they had cleaned out the auditorium and added curtains and repainted the interior. It was large enough to have 300 worshippers. I give thanks to all those who had helped repair the chairs, the drapery and paint jobs.
After 3 years, while the church was growing steadily, I was appointed superintendent of C&MA and had to resign from my dear church December of 2000. A lot of people had gathered in gladness to make a church whose foundation was in the word of God. In our church we had a TEE program (Theological Education by Extension) for about 2 and half years from a booklet called “Sheppard Life” in 3 groups. Everyone had studied very diligently and helped every way possible. Many of the members helped diligently, in serving and sharing God’s word. Even several students who played instruments gathered to have a musical benefit concert. We had gathered about $500 and sent it to the Red Cross. Our church had gathered about $3,500 from the “1st Praise Night (Praise and Thanks – Composed by GilSang Kwon and written by Paul Lee)” to fund the mission. One time a seminary student of foreign exchange student of a Korean descent from USSR had gotten sick. I made an announcement and all the church members helped. One of the students from Sunday bible school even emptied their piggy bank to help. Teacher Daniel (SungHyun) Yu who was in charge of the middle school and high school, left for A.T.S (Alliance Theological Seminary) but several members of the church still supported him.
It was a truly first open church like Philadelphia. I give thanks to God that even though it was a short time; I was able to open a new church. I give thanks that I was able to have my first ever “Praise Night”. I had thought of how to have a healthy Christian family especially for couples and I was able to publish a study booklet called “Christian Wedding Blueprint” and I give thanks again to Deacon Park who had helped and funded. Once again, I give thanks to all the American church members. Also the church staff, pianist / organist, and all the members I give thanks.
I wanted to stay in that church bit longer, but God wanted me to train me much more so called me into work with 100 or so pastors who work in 60 different churches. I had to leave with a slight disappointment of leaving and the delight of another place to start.
(February 2011)
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Epilogue 
We wish to stay at your place for a night Pastor!