Retreat Highlights & Why We Have a 2pm Service Time
Thank you for the prayers!
Here's a recap of some of the Beautiful Church Staff Retreat highlights:
1. We had a great meal on Sunday night when we arrived. I love Pork Belly... man that was good! Sheeeesh!
After the meal, Pastor Ko (Senior Pastor of Beautiful Church) asked all the staff, "What did we accomplish in 2018?"
Slowly, different staff started listing different things. Personally, I only know a little bit of what goes on at the "BC-side", but what I did hear blessed me.
They accomplished a-lot in 2018!
2. Pastor Ko began to introduce one topic after another that needed to be prayed for. One topic that wrecked me was the many members in the church who were sick (some with cancer).
As I heard the staff literally crying out to God, begging Him for a miracle and for healing - my heart was touched. I suddenly began to cry because I felt this emotional connection to these people. All the names were given in Korean, I don't know who they were, but I knew the BC staff.
And because I'm close to the BC staff and I saw them weeping, I felt close to the sick though I didn't know their names.
We prayed for about 2 hours on Sunday night for different aspects of the church.
3. After the prayer meeting I talked with some staff members and we had great conversations. So much laughter! So many tears!
There were a couple conversations I had which were eye-opening to me. I saw how much energy and time many leaders were putting into their ministries. Seeing, on paper, how much ministry it was actually overwhelmed me. I thought to myself, "How can one person do all of this while having a family? Where's the rest?"
This retreat opened my eyes to the burdens that Beautiful Church and Beautiful Church pastoral staff carry. My heart grew in love for them.
~~~
Why do I want to tell you about these things?
Technically speaking, I don't have to go to this retreat.
As you know, THC is 100% financially independent. We no longer receive financial support from BC. We are also two separate churches within our denomination. We have two separate budgets. Two different Senior Pastors. Two different visions. Two different church names. We are not a ministry "under" Beautiful Church. We are a separate church entirely.
Do you get the point? We are different.
But the primary reason I wanted to go to this retreat and the primary reason I want to maintain healthy relationships with Beautiful Church staff is for the sake of the next generation.
The longer I've been at THC, the more clearly I can see the big picture of the vital relationship between THC and BC.
See, if THC completely leaves BC... if we leave and have our own building... a morning service time... etc.
If we leave, then what will happen with the next generation which relies, almost entirely, on THC members to disciple/teach them?
What will happen with the new graduating seniors of Youth group? Will they be forced to stay at BC and rebuild an EM (English Ministry) from scratch again? What will happen to the 15 or so THC members who are serving in Elementary & Youth in the morning services? Will they stay at THC or will they leave to continue being part of BC Elem/Youth?
I want you to see that though we are different churches with separate finances, leadership, etc.... we are actually better together... for the sake of the next generation.
Maybe it won't always be this way. Maybe God will lead us in the future to part ways. Maybe God will give us a building right next to our mother church building so that we could have simultaneous morning services... who knows.
One thing I do know is that leaving right now would not be wise for the reasons listed above.
So THC members, thank you! Thank you for having a Sunday corporate worship service at 2pm.
You are doing that for the next generation of THC'ers :)
Thank you for serving your guts out for these youth and kids on the BC-side...
You are doing that for the next generation of THC'ers :)
~~~
So the reason I wanted to go to this retreat is so that I can continue to foster good relationships with the leadership of BC SO THAT we can continue to work together for the bigger picture of the next generation of THC'ers
I've been your Pastor for the last 2.5 years. It took me a whole year to have a better understanding of the dynamics of this church. As someone who grew up at a predominately Anglo/Hispanic mega church... and then as someone who ventured out to plant a church that had little to no connection to its mother church... I had no idea the dynamic that existed within the immigrant church (specifically a Korean church).
As time has gone on... As I've continued to meet with Pastor Ko... The other BC staff... As I've met with Pastor John Cho and Hanna Kim, the more clear it has become to me.
It's better for us to choose to remain close at this time. This is better for the Kingdom of Jesus. There is about 150 little souls on the mother church side that are being blessed through your sacrifices. This is also better for us in the long-term.... through our sacrifices, we will see THC to become this flourishing and healthy church with an influx of young men and women coming into our church ready to make an impact for the King.
Let's keep casting seeds... keep plowing... keep sacrificing... keep honoring... keep serving... for the gospel :) For the fruit that will come in decades :)
Love your Pastor.
Here's a recap of some of the Beautiful Church Staff Retreat highlights:
1. We had a great meal on Sunday night when we arrived. I love Pork Belly... man that was good! Sheeeesh!
After the meal, Pastor Ko (Senior Pastor of Beautiful Church) asked all the staff, "What did we accomplish in 2018?"
Slowly, different staff started listing different things. Personally, I only know a little bit of what goes on at the "BC-side", but what I did hear blessed me.
They accomplished a-lot in 2018!
2. Pastor Ko began to introduce one topic after another that needed to be prayed for. One topic that wrecked me was the many members in the church who were sick (some with cancer).
As I heard the staff literally crying out to God, begging Him for a miracle and for healing - my heart was touched. I suddenly began to cry because I felt this emotional connection to these people. All the names were given in Korean, I don't know who they were, but I knew the BC staff.
And because I'm close to the BC staff and I saw them weeping, I felt close to the sick though I didn't know their names.
We prayed for about 2 hours on Sunday night for different aspects of the church.
3. After the prayer meeting I talked with some staff members and we had great conversations. So much laughter! So many tears!
There were a couple conversations I had which were eye-opening to me. I saw how much energy and time many leaders were putting into their ministries. Seeing, on paper, how much ministry it was actually overwhelmed me. I thought to myself, "How can one person do all of this while having a family? Where's the rest?"
This retreat opened my eyes to the burdens that Beautiful Church and Beautiful Church pastoral staff carry. My heart grew in love for them.
~~~
Why do I want to tell you about these things?
Technically speaking, I don't have to go to this retreat.
As you know, THC is 100% financially independent. We no longer receive financial support from BC. We are also two separate churches within our denomination. We have two separate budgets. Two different Senior Pastors. Two different visions. Two different church names. We are not a ministry "under" Beautiful Church. We are a separate church entirely.
Do you get the point? We are different.
But the primary reason I wanted to go to this retreat and the primary reason I want to maintain healthy relationships with Beautiful Church staff is for the sake of the next generation.
The longer I've been at THC, the more clearly I can see the big picture of the vital relationship between THC and BC.
See, if THC completely leaves BC... if we leave and have our own building... a morning service time... etc.
If we leave, then what will happen with the next generation which relies, almost entirely, on THC members to disciple/teach them?
What will happen with the new graduating seniors of Youth group? Will they be forced to stay at BC and rebuild an EM (English Ministry) from scratch again? What will happen to the 15 or so THC members who are serving in Elementary & Youth in the morning services? Will they stay at THC or will they leave to continue being part of BC Elem/Youth?
I want you to see that though we are different churches with separate finances, leadership, etc.... we are actually better together... for the sake of the next generation.
Maybe it won't always be this way. Maybe God will lead us in the future to part ways. Maybe God will give us a building right next to our mother church building so that we could have simultaneous morning services... who knows.
One thing I do know is that leaving right now would not be wise for the reasons listed above.
So THC members, thank you! Thank you for having a Sunday corporate worship service at 2pm.
You are doing that for the next generation of THC'ers :)
Thank you for serving your guts out for these youth and kids on the BC-side...
You are doing that for the next generation of THC'ers :)
~~~
So the reason I wanted to go to this retreat is so that I can continue to foster good relationships with the leadership of BC SO THAT we can continue to work together for the bigger picture of the next generation of THC'ers
I've been your Pastor for the last 2.5 years. It took me a whole year to have a better understanding of the dynamics of this church. As someone who grew up at a predominately Anglo/Hispanic mega church... and then as someone who ventured out to plant a church that had little to no connection to its mother church... I had no idea the dynamic that existed within the immigrant church (specifically a Korean church).
As time has gone on... As I've continued to meet with Pastor Ko... The other BC staff... As I've met with Pastor John Cho and Hanna Kim, the more clear it has become to me.
It's better for us to choose to remain close at this time. This is better for the Kingdom of Jesus. There is about 150 little souls on the mother church side that are being blessed through your sacrifices. This is also better for us in the long-term.... through our sacrifices, we will see THC to become this flourishing and healthy church with an influx of young men and women coming into our church ready to make an impact for the King.
Let's keep casting seeds... keep plowing... keep sacrificing... keep honoring... keep serving... for the gospel :) For the fruit that will come in decades :)
Love your Pastor.
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