My Pastoral Identity: Stepping Stone Everyone has their own unique life experiences, and it is inevitable that every personal life is connected to communal life which refers to history. My father, Kisoo Yoon also has unique life experiences, going through the history of World War 2 and Korean War. He was born in 1929 in Pyongyang, the capital city now of North Korea, raised in his grandmother’s Methodist tradition. When he was 22 year old, his pastor died a martyr to his faith because of persecution by the army of North Korea during Korean War. The pastor asked my father heartily to go to South Korea and become a pastor before he died. The pastor wanted my father to work continually for the Kingdom of God. My father left his hometown, but …show more content…
Early one morning, in 2007, I heard God 's voice while I was praying for me at my church. I immediately answered God with a sob, “Yes, I will. I will start!” That was because I obviously understood what this voice meant. God wanted me to start worship service for infants and toddlers. At that time, in my church, a worship service for infants and toddlers was not set up. Moms could not attend worship service because of their little babies and were getting tired out their life without worship. God kept giving me a burden in the Holy Spirit to set up worship service for them. However, I was too selfish to obey God. To tell the truth, I turned my face from that burden. I wanted to go to main sanctuary as soon as possible because my daughter was almost ready to join in pre-k worship service. However, the sudden voice of God changed my life. I started to “Start!” I set up worship service unofficially, and started to worship with 3 toddlers first. Their moms finally could go to worship God. After one year, I became a director of toddlers’ Sunday school for under 3-year-old from 2008 to …show more content…
My ministry metaphor, Stepping Stone implicates being connected. Making the connections between one and the others needs not only for our personal life, but also for our spiritual life. As churches, we all need to try to connect one generation to others, one individual to faith communities, the marginalized to their neighbors and a sinner to God 's grace. In these connections, all healthy Christians can make this world a better place to live together. Thus, as a caregiver, I believe that it is important to build stepping stones or to repair broken stepping stones for many reasons and finally to create an environment for people to experience God. Also, as a caregiver, my work to do is crossing together next to those who are in need mentally, spiritually, physically, financially. While walking on stepping stones, each person comes to know where they were going and where they should go in God’s will. People sometimes may fall into the river or lose their balance on the stepping stones, struggling with loneliness, addictions, moral chaos, disabilities, false teaching, and identity disorder, and so on. However, God always holds them on their path of faith, I
Angela Garcia’s The Pastoral Clinic is a riveting collection of illness narratives depicting the lives of heroin addicts, specifically in the underserved area of Espanola Valley, New Mexico. She genuinely provides her audience the reality behind a marginalized population that suffers from an addiction crisis as well as the presence of institutional structures that criminalize addicts for their illness. This paper will focus on care and chronicity as two central ideas of Garcia’s work from two lenses of understanding. The first lens is the Foucauldian approach to bio-power and bio-bureaucracies, a mode of analysis that the author utilizes quite sufficiently to support her argument of “restoring the embodied, economic and moral dynamics of addiction” (Garcia 2010, 10 ). This approach illustrates care as a product of chronicity and vice versa. The second lens is Gramsci’s theory of hegemony and resistance, a mode of analysis
In my paper I will talk about my visit to The Community Church at Murphy's Landing (CCML). I have chosen this particular Church because it is a family church type and my neighbor goes there and she encouraged me to go with her. I went there with my neighbor on April 6, 2014.This church is an appropriate for this assignment because the people there are welcoming me with an open heart and they are willing to help and provide me with information. When I visit the Church’s site I read these words “We know visiting a new church can be intimidating. But, we want to help you to be as comfortable as possible when and if you join us”. The people gather in the church weekly to glorify God in joyful worship. The expressions of worship on CCML take many forms a prayer, a hymn of reverent awe, a guitar ringing with a chorus of praise, or a warm handshake and a welcoming smile. Their weekly services begin at 9:30 each Sunday at church. Also, they have weekly podcast if anyone wants to listen online. They have many types of services for parents, kids and students. People at CCML were so friendly; they gather around me and start welcoming me, one by one. People there introducing themselves to me, one after another and provide me with their contact information and help. Then we start talking about the church services and Christianity in particular. The mission of CCML was knowing, growing and loving. They seek to live out our mission by worshipping together as a local community of believers, growing in spiritual maturity through discipleship, education, and small groups, caring for one another within the context of the larger church body and small groups, and Communicating the love of Christ to our world, both through local outreach and global mis...
Philosophy of Ministry: God's desires come first, I must always live my ministry God's way. I must live as a Christian (1 Corinthians 9:27) I must have a proper relationship of surrender to the Leader. In my personal life or in the Church I must understand that Christ is Head and Chief Shepherd (Ephesians 1:22, Hebrews 13:20). The “management” of Church is about relationships with God and Man, not just maintaining a social organization.
Korea was “an ocean of tears.” Most of the families kept crying for hours while they were embracing each other. Even though they were not saying a word but weeping, they were still communicating with each other the pain that they went through while they were apart. They got old during fifty years of separation but they recognized one another and told each other that they still have the same look. They were overwhelmed with joy while they were talking about their lives. They were also mourning to hear some of their families had passed away while they were separated. They were in great relief and exceeding joy at the same time. Keller says “this same dynamic is at work when you lose some possession you take for granted,” he continues, “when you find it again (having thought it was gone forever) you cherish and appreciate it in a far deeper way” (Keller
Thomas Merton was born in Prades, France in 1915 to a family of artists from New Zealand and the United States. By the early age of 16, Merton was orphaned after prolonged bouts with poor health claimed the lives of each of his parents. As a student at Cambridge, Merton overlooked his studies and led a life of relative moral degradation. After he impregnated a young woman, he was ordered to return to the United States (where he had lived briefly in his youth). In 1935, Merton enrolled at the University of Columbia and soon discovered an atmosphere that allowed him to excel in academics. During his time at Columbia, Merton began to fervently investigate the beliefs and teachings of Catholicism. Due to the profound effects of this Catholic study
I grew up in a home with a family that attend church weekly and was active in the church family. I knew about God and about His son but I never remember the story of salvation and the personal need for a savoir. As a teenager I walked away from the religion that I thought did not offer my anything. In my thirties, my husband was diagnosed with cancer and I immediately started my negotiations with God. Little did I know that He was not a negotiator but it was during this time in my life that I needed God more than He needed me. Since accepting the gift of God’s love, the salvation of a Savoir, and the renovation of my heart, I look to God for the path of my life. I share Gods truth through my career change to a Christian nob-profit that’s vision is to share God’s love to the community through the platform of pregnancy care and family services. Personally I have fulfilled God’s call to help the less fortunate by adopting a sibling group and participating and supporting mission trips to third world countries to support his children and missions there. My final piece of God’s plan I feel lead to complete is to volunteer my professional expertise and finances to work with a mission group that provides laboratory services to third world mission hospitals. I have done one trip for them and am currently planning a trip to Honduras in the new year. My day to
In addition to the individual level, religious identity (achieved identity) for understanding consumer behavior becoming more and more attention has been paid. It in relation to religious communities which is personal belongs. Currently, the vast majority of the world 's religions are held for consumption a critical attitude, born of greed in their opposition to consumption, waste, and self-indulgent hedonism (Ross, S A. 1991)Since the 21st century, in-depth development of economic globalization and multinational companies, not only provides to the worlds economy a huge boost, but also brought to the worlds economy many uncertainties. In response to these changing marketing environment, many scholars began to try from a cultural perspective
I was very surprised at a few facets as I ventured my way through these job descriptions. One of the first things I noticed is how few full time positions there were on this list. I had always figured a church position would be a full time job because that is the kind of church I grew up in. However, to see that a worship pastor’s position was only a 10 hour a week commitment was quite surprising, but that makes sense in a smaller church. Thus, it has caused me to think about new opportunities for other part time work outside of the church. I suppose I’ve never really thought of a back up plan because I was so sure I would be in a full time pastor position.
The following essay will evaluate the importance of the journey that takes place from Systematic to Practical theology; this view will be explored through Ronelle Sonnenberg’s research done regarding ‘being together’ in a youth setting. This essay will first build on the basis of Practical Theology; furthermore addressing the importance of the community aspect within a youth setting; this will lead to the process that takes place between a Systematic stance, leading to a Practical theological stance.
I was disgusted and weakened from all of the rude remarks I had been getting throughout the week. Later that night, I decided to go, but something just wouldn’t allow me to. A man whom I had never seen before approached me and said, “what’s a girl like you doing at a place like this?’ Offensively, I responded by saying, “What do you mean? Everyone else is here, so why can’t I be here?” He said, “No, this is not a place for you. Go home.” I became angry with him, and I kept refusing to go home. Calmly, he was steady pleading for me to go home, and suddenly, he disappeared. Five minutes later, my uncle saw me and made me go. I was very upset. Around 1:00 A.M, I heard many different sirens coming from up the street. I ran up the road, anxious to see what was happening. When I arrived at the scene, I discovered that three people had been shot badly. Immediately, I began to thank God for protecting, sheltering, and having His angels to watch over me. I learned that being in ministry was not for the faint at heart. I could not wear my feelings on my shoulders or even think that ministry was all about how I felt. When you are truly of the Kingdom of God, some things are just non-negotiable.
I believe we’re all on a journey, and by letting our spirituality envelop us we our able to find our purpose. A big prominent question I face in my life, and think about often is, if we learn about our spirituality are we able to begin a spiritual journey, and find our purpose?…… I have one answer… YES! The world has shown us that spirituality envelops us, and by learning it, and living by it we are able to discover our purpose, and accept our spiritual destiny.
The shepherd and sheep relationship is the best illustration for the relationship between pastor and parishioners. When Jesus asked Simon Peter does he love him three times and said to him “Feed my sheep”, the shepherd and flock relationship has been set. Since Jesus is our good shepherd (Jn. 10:11a), he laid out a good example for us to follow - to lay down his life for the sheep. (Jn. 10:11b) Thus, the wellness of both in and out of the parishioners should always be the concern in the pastors’ hearts. Soul care for the people is essential. Christian friendship is the foundation of Christian soul care. Pastoral ministry including preaching, teaching, and worship forms the broad context of pastoral counseling. Pastoral care is within pastoral ministry but broader than pastoral counseling. God’s love is the source and motivation. Within the pastoral care, there are spiritual direction and pastoral
There are two sides to a person’s family and one side of my family has been traced all the way back to slavery. My father’s side of the family originally came from a Georgia plantation. Although my father is Afro-American, his great-great-grandfather was a general who owned slaves. From Georgia my father moved to New Jersey. After settling in New Jersey, my father enlisted in the military and began his life as a military man. My mother’s side of the family is all from Puerto Rico. My grandparents moved my mother and her sister to America when they were very young. They moved to Macedonia, Illinois. When my mother got older she too enlisted in the military as a nurse. My mother met my father while they were both serving in the military in Germany. After they both finished their time in the military, my mother mov...
A pastor has a great responsibility to minister the Word of God and to be a shepherd to his people. The pastor must be committed to biblical truths when he engages the work of the ministry. Some of these truths include: The Bible is the infallible Word of God, his preaching must be from the Word of God, and he must do proper exegesis to get to the authorial intent and proclaim that to his congregation.
“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). As Christians we are given the duty of preaching God’s Word to all and to extend the knowledge of salvation to the expansions of the Earth. We are taught to be pure examples and to avoid and rebuke all forms of evil. Knowing this to be our calling, how to stories fit into this picture? I believe that stories play an important role in our role as Christians in the following ways: to communicate the Gospel, to rebuke evil, and to enjoy God’s creation. However, although stores are an important aspect of the Faith, they come with a warning and a few challenges to overcome. They can be useful if used correctly, but they have the potential to lead to sin.