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Salt and Light

I. 2014 Annual Review

Based on 2 Timothy 4:2, we prayed to preach the word in season and out of season, but our one to one Bible study was not fruitful. Only by God’s grace we could serve several students faithfully. We wanted to grow into an influential Christian community, but came to realize that each person needs to grow and mature, and most of all, deeply learn from Jesus and follow Him more closely. Most of all, the Lord enabled us to pray more fervently through early Morning Prayer.

A. Bible study: In 2014 we studied  2 Timothy 4 and Ezra 7, John’s gospel 5-12 and 18-21, 2 Corinthians 4, 8-9, Malachi, Mark’s gospel 1-4, Psalm 40, and Matthew 1-2. I confess that it was God’s word that sustained our souls throughout the year. Indeed, the word of God “is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

B. One-to-one Bible study with students: Sky studied the Bible every week; Kristopher finished reading Genesis and Exodus throughout the year; Kathlene finished Exodus study and started Matthew’s gospel; Keniesha and Daniela studied the Bible regularly; Thomas and Michael kept their Bible study during the school year. Dale did not participate in one to one, but faithfully attended SWS after SBC and heard the word of God. Compared with last year, we could not engage in a positive one to one Bible study. We pray to challenge one to one Bible study by faith in 2015.

C.This year we had a SBC at YMCA Geneva Park with the theme: “Repent and Believe” (Mk 1:15). M. James Seo delivered Romans 8 powerfully and all our co-workers and Bible students took a rest both physically and spiritually. At our Leader’s conference in September, we studied about “worship.”

D. International mission work and regional networking: M. Paul Chang attended CIS directors’ conference in Israel as well as CIS SBC in Moscow to pray and support the work of God in CIS. We heard about UBF pioneering history from S. Joshua Lee from Korea and theology of salvation and the Holy Spirit from S. DeukHyun Kang from Korea. We had a united Christmas worship service with Guelph UBF on Dec 21 and offered for South Sudan UBF Bible center. Many of our co-workers and 2nd gens and Bible students attended the Well conference at the end of the year and came to understand and accept “the Father’s heart.”

E.  Co-working, raising children: Each missionary family had their own burdens and challenges, but God enabled us to struggle to build up a community of faith, hope, and love as well as mission. Sometimes, it was not easy to co-work, but by God’s help we learned how to forgive each other and work together for the best interest of the whole community. Our junior men co-workers delivered Sunday message regularly and made a progress in their message writing and delivery. M. Caleb and Hannah Park’s family served special song and Sing-Along for Sunday worship service along with 2nd gens. Dale became a member of our mini orchestra and contributed to make a better environment for worship service. Women co-workers served Sunday lunch throughout the year. Most 2nd gens had their own struggles to find identity and direction, but participated in the work of God. We believe in God’s guidance in each person’s life and pray for them to grow in the grace and truth of Jesus Christ and become genuine and influential Christians. We found the importance of supporting HBF and CBF ministry and began to pray for our growing children to be rooted in Christ and his word.

F. Thanksgiving topics: Maintaining gospel ministry in a postmodern society was a challenge for all of us. We often experienced many discouragements. However, our gracious God led each one of us to live by faith in Him and serve campus ministry. We often made God sorry due to our unbelief and immaturity, but God has been with us and helped us to build up a Christian community in and among us and used us as Bible teachers and prayer servants for young people in our time. Most of all, God enabled us to keep the lamp of prayer among us through early Morning Prayer.

II. 2015 Vision and Strategy

A. Our key verse for 2015 is from Matthew 5:13,14; “You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world.” We live in a kind of pre-Constantine era in North America. Christians are not a majority any longer, but a minority like early Christians. We want to learn of Jesus deeply and imitate his character and become salt and light in the place where we are and build up genuine and influential Christian community. For this, we want to study the word of God deeply and pray fervently. We want to challenge one to one Bible study as well as discipleship ministry by faith.

B. Plan: We will study Mark’s gospel and one of St. Paul’s epistles as well as one book from the OT. We pray to have a spring retreat at the end of April and Canadian SBC in July. We want to find better ways to support HBF ministry as well as serving discipleship ministry. We pray for our junior leaders to grow as good Bible teachers and excellent Sunday messengers.

C. Ministry Strategy: We pray to devote ourselves to the ministry of the word and prayer and to build up a genuine Christian community which can be attractive to many young people including our children. We want to continue to keep early Morning Prayer and offer our “Five loaves and Two fish” to serve fruitful student ministry and disciple-making ministry.

D.  Prayer topics:

1. To be salt and light where we are through deep Bible study and prayer and genuine community building
2. To serve fruitful student ministry
3. To pray for and support world mission