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Class started by one person
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Chapter 13 - Class started by one person
Every year towards the end a new instructor’s name were printed for the layman’s department to serve and teach. No one could believe who was chosen for the newly made young adult Bible study. Because the person didn’t have a degree from seminary, and the person was not even over 40 but just barely passed 30. I couldn’t believe it either. I could not say what happened when people who I met all the time asked “what happened?”
During the New Year’s Sunday, I was in the first meeting. Because I was new, knowing several of the staff were famous theology professors and philosophers, but I was none of that and was wondering who would come but I still went in. My guess was not a miss. Only the supervisor, elder Won Gong and a student from the SoongJun University was there. It was difficult but I started anyway. I had requested that I couldn’t handle this class so I told the layman’s associate administrator about getting a new instructor and my situation. But I was still going in the next week to do the same but the situation didn’t change for the better. I was encouraged even when I met the Layman’s associate pastor to say my situation but he said “Because the Reverend KyungJik Han has prayed and made you the instructor do your best.”
If I had remembered correctly the same room “youth room” was where I had met during the time when I was leading the high school students full of warmth with passion but was now only cold. I recalled what missionary Sarah Bae said before she left, which were “love his word and study diligently” and “if the reverend calls you to serve then do so with an obedient heart.” She always reported the youth groups’ growth rate. I think she had recommended me and decided why not, and started. After New Year’s many people came because this class was new and some young adults wanted to know what was going on. Many of them were still new Christians.
I started with the studying of the Book of John just like missionary Sarah Bae taught. I had made small groups and “as foolish as the bold”, started to gather new members, and visited several of the members.
I taught the youth group with C.C.C. teaching materials and evangelized a lot. Many of those who were non-believers who came to the study also helped serve and fellowship with new comers. Some of the students who I knew were new; I had gathered them also during night time to study in the evenings. Sometimes we would meet in the corridor lobby in the missionary building if a place to meet was unavailable. I had made several of the student’s team leaders to lead their small groups.
The class grew shockingly large after about a year of studying. I think it was because many of the students had evangelized their friends. The teams were college groups to those who were working after they had graduated high school.
We were able to study with the most comfortable chairs and tables when the Layman’s office gave us a new place which was the elder’s meeting place to meet during the next year. It was a great feeling watching the group grow. Some even made a praise team to sing during Sundays to a hospital next block.
Sometimes we would go to the National Veteran’s Hospital to plant trees and to sing for the patients. The Bible study group was beautiful. I was learning how to evangelizing and teaching the Gospel, as a youth group Bible study teacher, something unexpected
happened.
I was teaching the young adult group as an instructor and was able to learn what a true “discipleship” and how powerful God’s words were. Three of the student’s I have taught became pastors and serve well now and several had become deacons or elders in the YoungNak Presbyterian Church.
After about 2 years Theologian ChangHwan Park has become the instructor. I had become the associate supervisor to help the Pastor Park. I still communicate with the elderly pastor (who is 90 years old now) who later served as the dean of the Presbyterian Theology Seminary of Seoul. Elderly as he is, he still serves and teaches new workers of God. I thank the missionary for leading me into this path and recommending me. I also thank the Reverend Han who gave me the opportunity to teach even though I was young and never been to a seminary. I also thank many of those who encouraged me. Leadership with only leading is not an easy task. Finally, I thank all the students who had gathered for the Bible study.
(January 2011)
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YoungNak Presbyterian Church World Gospel Mission 
Class started by one person