Student Leadership

I love being at our college group leadership retreat. We had leadership retreat in the past three years. Every year, it gets better. A few things about the leadership meeting is that students open their eyes and see something beyond what they are used to see. I believe they see the potential they can be and grasp the vision that they can invest their energy and time.

In the first year of our leadership retreat, which was not used to them, I mainly challenged them with what is expected from leaders. Leaders must learn and grow in order to lead others. I believe in old saying, "if you stop growing today, you stop teaching (leading) tomorrow." Whether a leader like it or not, leaders are expected to lead. For leaders, in fact much are expected and demanded, in the aspects of spirituality, conduct, and lifestyle.

In the second year, I challenged our student leader to face the real issues in ministry. We had hours and hours of discussion talking about the issues of our ministry.

In this year, one of my main focus was to provide them perspectives. The perspectives of the leaders. At one conference I learned something so crucial about leadership perspective. At leadership conferences, a few main talks are always on the significance of the character of leader and on the leadership skills. One crucial perspective of leader is confident understanding of who I am, what I am serving, and where I am I going.

Coming back and engaging in ministry after the leadership retreat, I can see and feel the the energy and passion our student leaders bring into the ministry. I am so grateful form them. Now I hope to see in our ministry seasoned maturity of our leaders that lays strong foundation. My prayer is that our leaders raise the bars of maturity, expectancy, and resilience.

A few weeks ago, I went to KASE conference and had a conversation with a friend. We were talking about ministry, especially doing ministry at Korean church. Conversation was more of my venting out some painful experiences. Personally, my experience and observation about the church tells me that basically many churches are unhealthy. Church being unhealthy I mean Christians hurt and burnt by judgementalism (condemning others), legalism, religious elitism (too many modern say Pharisees), hypocricy, pretence, self-centerness (not caring the community--lack of ministry of mercy and compassion and social justice), I have far too many people experienced negativity in the church. Since that conversation, I have been thinking about my vision for the healthy church. I tend to think that the healthy church is marked by its transparency and authenticity. People need to be who they are, not pretending someone they are not. I like the concept of the "no perfect people allowed." It is creating a culture where sinners come as they are, they don't have to change anything to come to church. The Christ following community must be patiently wait and accept the people with respect and love. However, we hope that as they come and hear the gospel and attract to Gospel, they don't stay as they are, but transformation takes places over time in the environment where they are accepted and loved and challenged by the gospel itself. Church need to be a place where outrageous generosity of God practiced. A healthy church is also marked by three main ministries that Jesus had done; preaching of the good news, teaching, and healing the sick. Most churches has been at least emphasized the aspect of preaching teaching ministry. However, ministry of healing the sick, which includes feeding the hungry, visiting the prisoners, setting free the oppressed and bringing social justice on earth.

Cost of Riasing kid vs. its Joy

Raising a kid to age of 17 --before college costs $221,000. I have four children and it is going to be about a million dollars. Jeremiah was born about 6 weeks ago, and these day my wife and I are sleep deprived. I had a conversation with a church member about having kids. He was saying that having kids are good, but what comes with is a big of challenge; of course financial challenges, whole deal of raising infant--lack of sleep, carrying a diaper bag, crying.... what some people around me are saying is that they want to have kids, but they don;t want to go through those challenges. I tend to think that life itself is a challenge. Though at times it is tough to raise kids, but it is a huge blessing and pleasure to be a father. As I see my kids growing up, playing with them, I am indeed grateful to the Lord for such blessing.