“Spiritual growth takes place within a community. Just as physical life grows healthily from birth under the protection and care of parents, faith requires individual effort, but it grows healthily within relationships with believing brothers and sisters in the church—who can be called a spiritual family. There are people who have achieved success through their own efforts, but it is evident.
Having lived with my grandmother until adulthood without parents, I was accustomed to doing things on my own. Consequently, even after marriage, I immersed myself solely in my own work—which fortunately turned out to be ministry and missions—rather than family matters, neglecting my duties as a husband and father. However, while practicing “”repentance-centered meditation”” through QTin, God revealed to me that even that ministry and missions could be exploited for subtle, self-centered sins.
Fortunately, after encountering the Gospel during one-on-one Bible study in college and dedicating my life to Jesus, I have consistently received nurturing and protection within a community of faith. Throughout the many Bible studies and training sessions at the Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) and the Evangelical Fellowship of Christ (ESF), I was always surrounded by faithful brothers in faith.
The biblical passage through which Jesus met me was Acts Chapter 2, depicting the beautiful community of the early Jerusalem church members who became one family, selling their possessions to help the poor. Having grown up without a normal family, I believe that image of the church deeply moved me. Perhaps that is why the church became something I cherished throughout my life, and I was able to maintain a loving heart no matter how many problems or wounds a church caused. After becoming a pastor, I found it more rewarding to minister to churches in need of restoration and healing due to their problems, rather than to so-called “”good”” churches where there was much to learn, by building them up into healthy churches.
My 20 years of ministry at “”Dream Church”” allowed me to learn and experience many things. As the church started with a focus on young adults, it underwent continuous transformation, requiring me to think about new things every year; in that process, I was able to witness how God builds up the church. I am currently focusing on areas that need to be newly established within the church, and as always, this is connected to my own life. I want to put it into practice within myself first, taste and enjoy it, and then apply it to the church with conviction. That is why I tell our congregation, “Use your own life as a laboratory to test for yourself first whether the Gospel truly has power.”
Lately, I have been focusing on spiritually training my body. Although I still experience ups and downs, I am determined to refine myself and experience reaching holiness. Therefore, I will help our entire community enjoy that grace as well. Personal transformation and growth occur when we walk together with the church. The church is truly important.”
