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Home > Praise and Thanks Volume I |
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The starting of daily Young Adult Bible study in YoungNak Presbyterian Church
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Chapter 14 - The starting of daily Young Adult Bible study in YoungNak Presbyterian Church
During the 1970s there were difficulties in the factory because of the Oil Crisis.
But even with this Oil Shock the church seemed to flourish under the young adult’s group, especially since the weather was cold and the church even thought they have a heater, was not usable because of the oil shortage.
Even though, the young adult steering committee was planning a winter retreat for the committee members. At that time I had left my position after serving many years as director of the evangelical and volunteer group.
One day the head of the Layman group pastor SungJae Lee called me into his office. The pastor said “There is a winter retreat for the young adult group steering committee, but they still didn’t have a speaker so I want you to prepare a message for the retreat,” and had requested me to do so. I have to be the speaker of the Winter Retreat! Even though they were of my age or younger… I told the pastor that I was not a suitable person to do so, not did the committee felt I was competent as a speaker, but the pastor said there wasn’t much time left, nor could they find a speaker. So he urged me once more.
This was just difficult. The respect and pride of the pastor the people have today been very much different from what happened back then. For me if it was the pastor’s words, I had to obey. I said “I will do what is best,” and came back out of the office but there was a challenge up ahead.
But one certain thing was; I had gone to the Billy Graham Evangelical Crusade counsel personnel and was trained (in year 1972), one of the methods was the “Cartwheel Life”, I was so inspired and encouraged during the seminar presided by the Navigators staff that I still remember the seminar like it was yesterday clearly even though several months have passed.
As there is a saying “nothing is going to stop me now,” even though I wasn’t that good and was hasty, since it was a request from the pastor I decided to present the “Cartwheel Life” as the subject. Meeting was briefly done after I had finished presenting then hand out a questionnaire and does the group study then had reflection time with few selected people from the group. A group prayer and then it was finished. But when it started I felt uncomfortable meeting the steering committee members, as many of them were long time church goers, intelligent and had many gifts serving the church.
Before the gathering I came and prayed to God about this in the cold 3rd floor of the Mission Building, the members started to arrive one by one. Before I started the presenting I said “I am a young and inadequate, but the pastor suggested me to try and let us have a blessing by praying for me and amongst each other,’ and that’s how it started. But many of them had a look of dissatisfaction because the speaker was not the one they wanted therefore I was chosen by the pastor of the layman department. Because I was also only a few years older than the steering members, and have served with them before, but it started so I had to do my best to lead this meeting. First time I started this series with the central axis of the cartwheel being in Jesus. Some of the committee members started to have some reflection with what I was presenting. The Cartwheel Series was presented 2 hours daily for several days during the evenings. Because God’s words were living, many of the steering members were humbled by my presentation.
On the last day of the retreat all the steering members gave an assessment of the retreat and the speaker and what they had changed of their belief in-front of everyone by every member.
I really couldn’t believe my ears because many of them had said “This retreat has taught me some of the most central theme of our belief” or “I have gone to church a long time, but this simple “Cartwheel Life” was something new,” and some even said “Let’s do this again and have him teach all our young adults group” and lastly “Let’s do this again, but this time bring a friend along.” It was certain the board members were blessed by the word of God. This was a great blessing to the YoungNak Presbyterian young adults group.
After all the members had found a friend, and when they came in next week there were about 30 young adults gathered. We met in the same room we had gathered to same presentation as what I did during the winter retreat, but I wanted the steering members to participate some parts of the program and we met for about 5 days. On the last day there was an assessment time and people were asked if they wanted to keep this program. They wanted to expand the Young Adult group and were decided to do so. So even with a biting cold winter, all the people who had participated in the program came out the church yard to meet with the young adult who came for service and gathered them for a winter retreat.
On day one of the meeting about 300 young adults had gathered in the auditorium on the top for the mission building. I participated in the important sections while several other staff and members, theological seminary professor YoungHun Lee, SunAe Ju were teaching about the movement of the importance of reading and meditating on the Bible. After this session about 30 of the members who had studied “Cartwheel Seminar” with me were turned into group leader had them split up for bible study which lasted for an hour, then pray and finished. Even though the room was cold, because of the warmth of the young students made the room warm. After the meeting was done the leaders has gathered to have a brief praying time and reflecting time. I could see that many of them were blessed during this meeting. After about 5 days of this study group, several requested to have a weekly meeting for bible study on different days. Rather individuals can choose which day they wanted to have a bible study to gather and encourage and meditate on God’s words, and about 120 members desired.
The weekly bible study group started like this: About 30 members have gathered Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday for 4 days. The booklet I used was Quite Time (Discovery) which I had learned to use from missionary Sarah Barry and its importance of using it. Each person was to have a QT book and was encouraged to use it daily. I made the group study guide from the Four Gospels or the Letters of Paul and made groups study it. One time I was mediating on book of Colossians, I wanted to make a separate special Bible study booklet. I wanted more than a study guide; I made a teacher’s booklet also for this. While all this was going on I had the guidance of Layman pastor SungJae Lee who was counseling and teaching me how to progress the study group. I made the booklet and showed it to the pastor and asked if “is there any editing I need to fix? Then tell me which parts to fix.” The pastor gave me the original copy and said “these are very good; I will have the Layman department make this booklet.” So the printing company made the copy of the booklet. I thanked them very much and to this day I still have the original booklet. The title was “Rooted and built up in him” (Colossians 2:7).
Each weekday had about 20 minutes of preaching then had group study, during this time everyone worked on this booklet very seriously. I still miss the beauty of the group meeting which felt more like a brothers and sisters gathering.
The group bible study continued to grow and soon there were about 100 members. No one ever repeated the class twice. A word has gone out and soon other church members started to come and join the bible study and had fellowshipped with us. Since I was school teacher at that time I had free time during evenings.
Of course it was tent making. With the bible study going weekly, some of them even started to come out to the Wednesday evening service as well. All the young adult members would gather and pray after the service was over. Even though the martial law was in effect many times a year, causing a lot of hopelessness during the dark times. Several times the YoungNack Presbyterian Church young adult group was weakened many times. Even though the situation was quite bad, several of the young adults’ members and I would stay after Wednesday night service and pray about the country and the revival of the Christian activity, including ourselves. This was the small flame that started to spread after Wednesday worship service, which eventually all young adults gathered for prayer.
Thought I was inadequate, yet passionate I give my thanks to Pastor SungJae Lee for having me as the speaker for the Young Adults Group steering members retreat. While I was living in New Jersey for short time I met and gave him thanks, and also to the steering members’ acceptance of my lack of experience.
Many of them were humble. They had a dream of “Christ for My Country and All”
On Sundays after service, bible study leaders had gathered to prepare for the next class, some of the elders had gathered in the back. They were early goers on Sundays, but they said “we couldn’t just watch because young men like you who are our next generation who is gathered, I wanted to see what you are doing,” and encouraged us. I give my special thanks to all those who made this possible and the person that was in response. Some of them were layman department staff Miss InSook Hong. Always smiling and helping with typing study materials. She continued to serve for a long time then resigned. I also give the most thanks to God who was using the Young Adult group of YoungNak Presbyterian Church to be able to be spread the Gospel despite the rocky 1970/80s!
January 2011
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YoungNak Presbyterian Church World Gospel Mission 
The starting of daily Young Adult Bible study in YoungNak Presbyterian Church