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CHapter 40 - My Lord Yahweh-yireh
After leaving my beloved DongSan Alliance Church, I wanted to start my final ministry that I have prayed for a long time. It was the Church Health Academy (CHA), which raises new workers for God, and was an establishment of network to help each other in God. Since I had experience working with young adults, did many bible studies, and planting churches. I also wanted to share what I had learned from my denomination and the experience of it.
While I was serving the Korean district of my denomination I had learned about world mission. I had learned how to appoint new pastors in a new church, and to open a new church in proper manner. I learned many things while I met many seminary students, or those who wanted to join our denomination. If a Pastor only focuses on church duties, he or she forgets what is going around, so it was my best to help and pass my knowledge. It was to help have a healthy church. I wanted to be a part of it.
I had taught through a denominational program called SEAN – Study by Extension for All Nation (or TEE – Theological Education by Extension) for a long time. It was a good practice for my fellow pastors and to pass my knowledge on how to properly raise new workers.
While I was a superintendent, I took some of my time to be trained by the Timothy Bible Ministries (Walk Through the Bible). I had attended many sessions. I had learned from the well known seminars called “Old Testament Panorama” and “New Testament Panorama”, along with 7 rules of “John Maxwell Leadership” etc. which was required to raise new healthy church workers. I wanted to introduce other workers in God these seminars through the Timothy Bible Ministries. I am currently also involved in church resource ministry as a board member. Through this ministries I help raise new workers in God.
I give thanks to all those in the denomination who trained me; also I wanted to thank two people specially for providing CHA materials and training. One is Pastor JaeHak Lee who is the representative of the Timothy Bible Ministries. He develops new materials in order to make healthy churches. He is rather quite, but has a deep thought and leads the seminar enjoyably. He had trained many pastors to be able to lead other seminars. I was one of them also. He was glad to pass his knowledge and experience to others. Through this seminar I was able to know what the central point of certain sermons, and it was a great help for me to preach. While I was serving as the superintendent, and looking forward to my future ministries to New Jersey DongSan Alliance Church, I was able to teach several seminars through the Timothy Bible Ministries and John Maxwell Leadership. I give thanks to all the workers there and Pastor JaeHak Lee who taught in gladness.
Another person was Pastor DongGun Park who is the secretary of the Christian Reformed Church denomination. He was a working man, so he had become a pastor quite late. But he is a rather rare pastor with worldly experience in work. Also he was very dedicated and integral in God’s work. He was the pastor I met short time after I had become the Korean District superintendent. He was a great team worker. Through him I was able to learn “Church Planting Seminar” and learned how to raise new workers in Church Resource Ministry. I was also able to teach what I had learned.
I was challenged by how to raise new workers in God in learning professionally. I give thanks to God that I had an opportunity to meet people like them. I give thanks to Pastors JaeHak Lee and DongGun Park.
Before moving to San Jose, I was talking with a pastor in Virginia about the CHA ministry several times. My daughter and her husband were looking for a job in Virginia. But here, there was no luck in finding a job. But from Mountain View in California a job position was opened for my son in-law so his family had to move back quickly. I don’t know if the change of scenery or weather was affecting my wife, because she had a stroke and was admitted to a hospital. It was good news that we detected it early. That is why she wanted to move back to California which was much warmer. During this time we had our first granddaughter, so I was living with my in-law’s house together. At that time I had to go to churches in different states to do seminars. So it was hard for me to leave my wife alone in the house. Therefore I had moved back to San Jose because our family had lived in there for a very long time which was very familiar to our family. I knew several people through 2 churches planting and the Youth Born Again Mission. Deacon Kyug Lee, whom I had mentioned in previous chapters, provided me an office so I am able to have an easy access to office, and to visit people.
I give thanks to God again for providing me another ministry. Deacon Lee had rented an office and his place was 1st floor. The building was 2 stories. The 2nd floor had a large room and a large space enough to have a bible study or seminars. This place was an open space by Pastor Bryan (BongGi) Baek who wanted to have an open studio for pastors. He had sold his house to provide us such a nice place. This place is called “Urim Center”. Deacon Lee and Baek are friends who served the same church for a long time. I have met Pastor Baek many times long time ago. The Urim Center was mostly in charge by his wife, Mrs. Lilly Baek. They were always thankful of the pastor who had selflessly sacrificed for the work of God. I had used a space from Deacon Lee’s office. The 2nd floor was naturally an open space for me to have bible studies or seminar.
I was able to have meetings with other Pastors, and had several seminars there. Every Tuesday noon and Thursday evenings I had bible studies. But in November of 2011, the owner was changed so the current 2nd floor is unavailable for use. But next to my office there was a room enough for 6 people to gather and have bible study so I am using that place well. God had provided me this place long before I had arrived. He is my Lord, Yahweh-yireh.
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
Psalms 107:1
(February 2011)
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