New York, New York!

This week, I was in New York attending a meeting on Multiracial Congregation. It was a gathering of pastors in Reformed Church in America - all of whom have a special burden for creating multiracial churches. I had the honor to represent Asian American community in this group, and it was a very fun and benefial time for me. The group meets twice a year and the next meeting will be in Chicago - my hometown! It's not easy to take time off from my work as chaplan and also as pastor of CITC, but multiracial is one of our visions as a church and what I want to continue to study, learn, and pursue. Also, it's an all-expense paid meeting!

While I was in New York this week, I had the chance to walk around the old "World Trade Center." What a moving experience to walk around what used to be WTC. THe sacrifices so many people have made... The tragedy each family has experienced... It really allowed me to pause for an afternoon and reflect on life, death, and God.

Here are some pictures of the afternoon. Someone wrote a simple message to her now deceased dad... the cross still stands... a wall of heroes... a table of burning candles in the church across the street from where WTC used to be...

Elliot Chung

MAY THE LORD GO WITH YOU AND KEEP YOU IN HIS HANDS IN GEORGIA, ELLIOT!

Barbecue Party

It was a great time we had on Sunday evening, when everyone came over for a barbecue dinner. We had more people than expected, so we kind of ran out of food at the end. But, I think we all had just enough. Enjoy this picture that I think shows everyone's personality quite well. For those of you who are studying for the end of year papers and finals, hope this meal gave you some strength. And, may the Lord strengthen you even more!

MISSION IN THE CTIY (Long Beach)

This morning, we (Kathy, Jared, Regina, Pattie, Yoto, Jung, and me) went to the downtown park in Long Beach to hang out with some of the homeless people who also hang out there a lot... It's the second time we've been there on Saturday, and this time we packed 20 sack lunches just in case we meet some people who might appreciate a free meal.

We got together at 10am, made an assembly line to pack 20 lunches (ham & cheese sandwich, some cookies, orange, juice, and last but not least a bible verse to feed their soul...). We got to the downtown park around 11am (a little anxious and excited about what to experience), and as soon as we got there several people recognized us and came for a lunch! I guess they could tell from a mile away we were coming with a free meal. It was good that we didn't have to look for the ways to give out the lunches we made, but we were also worried that we were being seen as simply a meal dispenser!

Well, about half of our lunches got dispensed quickly, and things settled down. And, we could actually give our lunches individually and spend some time with them talking - which was the real cool thing for us. They were very receptive, open, talkative (some very knowledgeable and intelligent), and open to be prayed for. Each of us got some great connections with some of these "park residents" and wished and prayed for the best for them as we headed home eventually.

We didn't really talk about it, but we all knew we would want to come back again...

Also, we met another church group who has been coming out every Saturday for the past 9 months! They are planning to have a prayer meeting next week and invited us to join them. How awesome that God is using various churches to do small yet significant things for the people in the city!

Here are just few pictures from the day (I wanted to take some more, but very quickly I realized that I was there to spend time with these people not just to take pictures for our record). I lost all good "picture moments" but I have their faces in my heart. I just pray they also have our faces in their hearts as a witness of Jesus' love.

More images of Louisiana...

Katrina Mission Trip

Few of our church members went to Louisiana for Katrina Mission Trip. We don't hear too much about Katrina anymore now that it's been already a year since the devastating hurricane. However, they told us on Sunday worship time that it's still very much in the beginning stage of cleaning up the great mess that was caused by the storm. Things are still piled up all over the place, buildings still need to be domolished, and still no sight of rebuilding anything yet... Here are some pictures from the trip that they shared with the church. May we continue to keep this region in our prayer.

Here is a recent article on Katrina in Christianity Today.

EASTER WORSHIP

Hi everyone! I just want to say I'm most thankful for the worship we had on Easter Sunday. All the regular members were there and some new people were visiting as well. I wish I was able to capture some images in my camara so I can share them here. But, I know God was pleased and honored. The hope and power of resurrection! May the Lord continue to meet us at our worship! p.s. finally a picture for my profile.

Settling In...

It's been close to two months since we've been to the "Point" in Long Beach. It seems like two years - we definitely feel very much at home here. Now that we did all the paintings, moved all the furnitures around and stuff, it's not the time to do get our church moving forward, not just physically but spiritually.

There are so much to work on. Worship, Prayer, Bible Study, Spiritual growth, mission, leadership, etc... We are definitely going one block at a time, but I feel good that we are on the right track. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the things that rush through my head, but I also feel very proud and grateful that God has led us so far and know that he will contintue to do so.

So far, we've started monthly "Concert of Prayer" and monthly "Mission In The City". It was just a start, but an important step for us. We will also soon start Bible Studies and small groups. And raise up few more leaders...

I'm beginning to meet some new pastors and leaders in Long Beach. They have been here a long time and tells me it's the happening time to join a concerted effort to minister to the city of Long Beach. Two pastors I've recently met are Brad Fieldhouse at Kingdom Causes and Eric Marsh at Hope for Long Beach. They were great not only being an encouragement to me personally but providing an awesome resouce of various ministries in Long Beach. I feel that God has been doing a great work in this city and I feel excited that we can be part of it now.

Lastly, what excites me the most is that we have some new people starting to come. And, most of them are new to church period. I like the fact that many of our church's regular members are either recent or non-Christians. I pray that God can use our church to do his wonderful redemption work.

Personally it's been a very busy few months. Somewhat tired physically... But, thank you Lord! You are the Lord of all!

More pictures of CITC...

CITC members

Pictures of the new home

Here are some pictures of the new home "The Point" and a look at Long Beach Airport through a window.

A NEW HOME!!!

As we decided on our new vision of building a new church in Long Beach - back in January, we knew that the first thing we would need to do was to find a new location to meet. We had been meeting at our homes, a friend's office space, and etc. And, we were now praying for a place we could call home, 24/7.

Yes, we knew it was somewhat unrealistic - a group of few people being able to finance such a place. But, we began to pray and decided we would be willing to do whatever sacrifice we would need to make in order to have a place we could use everyday of the week. No, it wasn't because we wanted the comfort level of having a place of our own. It was because we truly believed that having our own place would not only help bring our somewhat scattered group together but also serve as the "mission post" for all of our future missions.

After several weeks of searching and praying, GOD FINALLY GAVE US THE VERY PERFECT PLACE we could ever ask for. The location was perfect, the layout of the space custom-fit for our purpose, and the owner was a Christian who was actually happy that we were a church coming into the building and gave us a great discount! Of course, this is simply a beginning for us, but we feel pretty good how God is blessing us in a very specific way.

We are definitly taking a big step financially. Somewhat nervous about it... But, God has eased my nervousness as several members of our church have shared with me how they are now able to give more offerings than before. It's like the two fish and five loaves of bread miracle. We give what we can give, and God will multiply it abundantly. May God expand our faith so we may be able to expect more from our God!

Lord, I thank you for all that you have already done for this church. Every single step has been a faith-testing process. And, you show over and over again you are wanting to lead each step. Bigger is not always better, and many is not always your will either. We just want to be faithful to your calling. Lead us, and show us the steps we need to take!

A prayer for Christians in Indonesia

The latest news from Indonesia is that a bomb killed 8 Christians and injured 45 more at a busy market that was selling pork - which, though legal, is seen as unacceptable to some in this heavily Muslim country.

May the Lord bring healing and comfort to this tragedy!
May the Lord of truth shine on this nation!

Food on Foot

On Christmas Sunday, Kathy and I went to volunteer at a homeless ministry in Los Angeles (FOOD ON FOOT). We didn't know what to expect, but we came away with a reminder that "consistency breeds confidence".

This group has been feeding homeless people in LA for 10 years - EVERY SUNDAY! And, this Sunday was a special Sunday, where the group was not only feeding the homeless but also giving them free bus tokens and a warm sleeping bag for everyone.

However, the key to this organization was not just to feed the homeless every Sunday but to also find them jobs. As they meet these homeless people week after week they would give them daily jobs first such as collecting garbage (for $10 worth of food coupons), and eventually they would find them part time and even full time jobs – in partnership with some of the nearby businesses.

Kathy and I didn't do much, but we felt grateful to be part of this special ministry. They do it every Sunday, so we can possibly come as a church again, or even regularly. I also thought about some things we possibly could do in the areas where we live. Perhaps for some of the recent immigrants who are having financial hardships??? Lord, open our eyes to see what is needed in our areas. Bring us to where you want us to be. And help us bring Jesus into those areas!

p.s. In these pictures, you see a long line of homeless people who had collected garbage to receive bus tokens and food coupons, a homeless gentleman who is 107 years old (receving a special gift from the organiation - free rent for the rest of life), and my brother and sister's family who came out to join us.

Christams Party (12.18)

Not everyone could make it, but it was a great time together! Merry Christmas everyone!

A wonderful evening!

It was a wonderful evening yesterday. A time of worship, sharing, and prayer. Being with people who are beginning to care for one another. Beginning to build a community of God... And, of course, the food was great! (I wish I had my camera with me...)

I feel like we are finally coming together as a community. The number doesn't seem to really matter. In fact the smaller the group, more likely that real relationships happen.

I know that God wants this church to grow, and in order to keep up with God's pace of growth we would need to make some changes along the way. But, for now, is God interested in sheer number of the group, or is He saying that we need to work on how we can serve one another better? Being blessed so we can be a blessing!

May the Lord keep us strong!

Now What?

So, now what's next???

This is what we know for now.

We are no longer following the vision we had in the beginning - becoming a church that meets in a shopping mall - in our case, the Block at Orange. In the beginning it was a vision that I was introduced to by the outside organization that was willing to support us, and even though I once thought it was a right match with me and the core group of people who have been gathering around me, now it is apparent now that it was simply a mismatch. To give an example, out of the 20-30 people who have gathered to be part of the church, no one really lived close by the Block at Orange or considered it as their own community. Just looking at the people we now have, it's clear God has brought us for something other than ministering to the community at and around the Block at Orange.

Now the question is, if not for a vision to start a church at the Block, then for what is God bringing us together? Upon much prayer and reflection, the obvious reason seems to be something about our multicultural makeup. You see, we really had 2 major visions for our church. One was to become a "Mall church" and the other was to become a "Multicultural church". In the beginning we thought we could pursue these two visions concurrently, but now it seems clear that God wants us to focus on one over the other. And, the main one for us is to build a multicultural community of God, and if it doesn't happen to be at a mall.

So, we are no longer meeting at the Doubletree Hotel right next to the Block. There really is no reason for that anymore. For the month of December we are meeting at people's home - for more intimate fellowship and prayer. And, we will start meeting at an office space in Santa Fe Spring in January - while continuously looking for a more permanent place. As of now, we aren't completely sure of exactly which city, but it seems like God is moving away from central Orange County to somewhere in South LA county.

And, our overall vision? Becoming a church for many ethnic groups in LA that need churches. The Korean community, which I'm personally part of, has a lot of large and growing churches. But, some other ethnic groups, such as Indonesian, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and many Middle Easterners, do not have healthy growing churches to go to. Whether they are the first generation immigrants from these countries or their second generation children, they are in need of a lot of outreach and ministry. And, our church seeks to minister to them as best as we can. And, I believe the people God has already brought amongst us - from those countries mentioned above - are for this very reason. How wonderful it would be to redeem, equip, and send new followers of Christ from these largely unreached ethnic groups into the ends of the earth!

With this new vision, the numerical growth of our church might be slow. But, now that we are completely on our own - apart from any expectation and goals from outside, we believe all we need to do is simply be faithful to what God has called us to do. As I'm writing this, I'm being blessed by God in my spirit with a new ounce of joy and faith! May the Lord nurture and multiply this mustard-seed faith in us!

Lord, you are my Lord, and the Lord of our church! Be glorified!

A Re-start?

It's been aaaaaaaa while since I last wrote here. Waiting for the right time to summarize, update, and give future plans on what's been happening at the church... But, that perfect time, as often is the case, never came. And, today is as good of day to write as any other previous days.

For the past month, it is true that I have felt a little knocked down. About a month ago from today, the outside organization that has promised to be our financial supporter has decided to back out. And, since this organization was the only major supporter we have had (comprising about 75% of total budget), it was big enough news to reexamine everything we have been pursuing - at least the way we've been doing things.

In the beginning, I only treated it as a "financial" issue. I said to myself... "Alright. We lost our biggest donor. Tough! But, so what? just go out and get some other donors. And, we will be on track again!" However, as the month has passed by, I began to realize that this was more than just a financial matter. God has revealed to us that it was almost a restart for our church. You see, what happened to us financially really gave us an opportunity to look at ourselves in terms of everything from our identity, our mission and vision, and our goals and strategies.

I tell myself and others that the past 6 months was like a paid-internship. We were financially supported to do something we didn't have any previous experience of. And since it was paid by someone else, we were doing things largely based on what we were being told by the one who has hired us as an "intern". I, among others, learned a lot - all good lessons. But, the time finally came upon finishing that paid-internship whether we would continue on the path we were brought into or go out and do something on our own. Both voluntarily and involuntarily, we are now following the latter route. The only upsetting part is that I wish we would have been prepared better for this turn of event. I wish we would have known this to be a temporary paid internship, not as a permanent support system which we had thought...
Oh well, life goes on.

The bottom line: We are no longer dependent on anyone for our finance. Also, we are not following anyone else's suggestion as to what kind of church we should build. Of course, it's God's church and his vision for us. We now simply don't have to hear God via others. For this, we are more scared than ever, yet more freed and motivated than ever also. It is said that whenever there is a crisis there is an opportunity. It is a financial crisis for us, but I believe it also is a new opportunity to build our church on the right foundation - one that is more solid than anything else we have had until now.

Where to go from here? We are currently reassessing everything. We are no longer meeting where we used to meet. We are looking for a new home, even new vision and people. Financially, all of the 3 staff members will go unpaid (we lost one staff member but gained a new one). Perhaps we will all live together and share things together - yea, the way how the original church was in Acts!

May God protect us! May God show us the way. Yes, we already know the true way in Jesus Christ. May we be faithful to the calling God has given to us...

Thanksgiving Dinner (11/26)