모레 11월 11일 오전 11시 일본 큐슈 지방 후꾸오까 공항에서 약 30분 떨어진 치쿠시노 텐바이자카(‘텐바이자카’는 하나님을 경배한다는 뜻의 동네 이름) 그리스도 교회 설립예배를 드릴 것입니다. 박영자 선교사님은 본 교회에서 8년간 전도사로 사역하다가 95년에 서울로 가서 일본 선교준비를 했습니다. 그리고 제 1기 사역 기간에는 한국 교회와 성도들이 생활을 지원하고 일본에 있는 현지 교회가 장소를 지원해서 후꾸오까 토스에서 교회를 하나 개척한 바 있습니다.
울산교회는 제 2기 사역에 접어든 박영자 선교사님을 통해서 또 하나의 해외 교회를 설립하게 되었습니다. 몽골에 최복만, 김순예 선교사님이 세운 7 교회에 이어서 8번째 해외 교회가 되는 셈입니다. 사실 우리의 비전 5555의 마지막 5개 교회 개척은 국내만 생각했는데 하나님께서는 우리의 생각하는 것이나 간구하는 것에 넘치도록 역사하셔서 그동안 국내의 4개 교회(수지벧엘, 대구불꽃, 제2, 제3울산교회)뿐 아니라 8개의 해외 교회를 개척하게 하신 하나님께 감사드립니다.
사실 일본에 교회 개척 계획을 처음 듣고 지원 부탁을 받았을 때는 사실 아무런 답이 떠오르지 않았지만 제가 할 수 있는 최선의 행동은 하나님께서 일하시는 것을 기다리는 마음으로 그 자리에서 거절하는 대신 기도해 보자고 답했을 뿐입니다. 함께 소원하며 기도드리는 것 외에는 뚜렷한 대안이 나오지 않았기 때문입니다. 그것은 일본의 물가 때문에 처음부터 몇 억의 지원이 요구되는 프로젝트이고 과연 울산교회 성도들의 관점에서 일본 선교가 얼마나 현실적으로 긴급한 것으로 여겨질 것인지 를 생각할 때 막막했던 일입니다.
그런데 성도 가운데 한 분이 처음에는 3천만 원 정도를 기탁할 의사를 밝히며 해외 교회개척에 사용할 데가 있으면 좋겠다고 제안해왔는데 조금씩 이야기가 발전해서 5천만 원, 급기야 1억 5천만 원까지 후원하기로 동의해서 이 번 개척이 가능해졌습니다. 교회를 대신해서 이 아름다운 열매를 맺도록 헌신한 자매님께 큰 감사를 드립니다. 박영자 선교사님께서는 약 7, 80명의 손님들을 초대해 놓고 있으며 월요일 밤에는 그동안 전도해서 양육해온 중국유학생들을 위한 세례도 있을 예정입니다. 11월 11일 11시 설립되는 텐바이자카 그리스도의 교회로 인해서 우리 모두 함께 감사드리는 한 주간되기를 바랍니다.
The day after tomorrow, on November 11 at 11:00 a.m., an establishment service will be held for Tenbaizaka Christ Church in Chikushino, about thirty minutes from Fukuoka Airport in the Kyushu region of Japan (“Tenbaizaka” is a neighborhood name meaning “worshiping God”). Missionary Youngja Park served as an evangelist at our church for eight years before heading to Seoul in 1995 to prepare for mission work in Japan. During her first term of ministry, she planted a church in Tosu, Fukuoka, with the living expenses supported by Korean churches and believers, and the meeting space provided by a local Japanese church.
Now, as Missionary Youngja Park enters her second term of ministry, Ulsan Church has been blessed to plant yet another overseas church. Following the seven churches planted in Mongolia by Missionaries Bokman Choi and Soonye Kim, this becomes our eighth overseas church. Truth be told, when we envisioned the final five church plants of our "Vision 5555," we were thinking only of domestic plants. Yet God has worked abundantly beyond all that we could ask or imagine, enabling us to plant not only four domestic churches (Suji Bethel, Daegu Flame, and the Second and Third Ulsan Churches), but also eight overseas churches. For this, we give all thanks to God.
To be completely honest, when I first heard of the plan to plant a church in Japan and was asked for financial support, no clear answer came to mind. The best I could do at the time—with a heart waiting upon God to work rather than turning down the request on the spot—was simply to say, "Let us pray about it together." There seemed to be no tangible alternative other than joining our hearts in prayer and seeking God’s will. Because of the high cost of living in Japan, the project required hundreds of millions of won right from the start, and it felt overwhelming to consider whether the members of Ulsan Church would truly perceive Japanese missions as a realistic and pressing priority.
Yet, God moved in the heart of one of our church members. Initially, she expressed a desire to donate about 30 million won, asking if there might be an overseas church planting project where it could be put to use. As our conversations progressed, her commitment grew to 50 million won, and eventually she agreed to sponsor up to 150 million won, making this church plant possible. On behalf of the church, I extend my deepest gratitude to this sister whose sacrificial dedication helped bear such beautiful fruit. Missionary Youngja Park has invited about seventy to eighty guests, and on Monday evening, a baptism service will also be held for Chinese international students whom she has evangelized and discipled. As Tenbaizaka Christ Church is established on November 11 at 11:00 a.m., may this week be a time when all of us give heartfelt thanks together.
Oormôre, op 11 November om 11:00 vm., sal die stigtingsdiens plaasvind vir Tenbaizaka Christus Gemeente in Chikushino, sowat dertig minute vanaf Fukuoka-lughawe in die Kyushu-streek van Japan (“Tenbaizaka” is ’n buurtnaam wat beteken “om God te aanbid”). Sendeling Youngja Park het agt jaar lank as evangelis in ons gemeente gearbei voordat sy in 1995 na Seoel is om haar vir sendingwerk in Japan voor te berei. Tydens haar eerste bedieningstermyn het sy ’n gemeente in Tosu, Fukuoka geplant, waar Koreaanse kerke en gelowiges haar lewenskoste gedra het en ’n plaaslike Japanese gemeente ’n bymekaarkomplek voorsien het.
Nou, met Sendeling Youngja Park se toetrede tot haar tweede bedieningstermyn, het Ulsan Gemeente die voorreg om nóg ’n oorsese gemeente tot stand te bring. Na die sewe gemeentes wat deur Sendelinge Bokman Choi en Soonye Kim in Mongolië geplant is, verteenwoordig dit ons agtste oorsese gemeente. Om die waarheid te sê, toe ons die laaste vyf gemeentestigtings van ons “Visie 5555” beplan het, het ons slegs aan binnelandse gemeentes gedink. Tog het God ver bo ons denke en gebede uit gewerk, sodat ons nie net vier binnelandse gemeentes (Suji Bethel, Daegu Flame, en die Tweede en Derde Ulsan Gemeentes) kon plant nie, maar ook agt oorsese gemeentes. Ons bring ons opregte dank aan God hiervoor.
Eerlik gesê, toe ek die eerste keer van die planne vir ’n kerkaanplanting in Japan gehoor het en om ondersteuning gevra is, het ek geen klaarblyklike antwoord gehad nie. Die beste wat ek in daardie oomblik kon doen—met ’n gemoed wat wag op God se werking pleks daarvan om die versoek summier van die hand te wys—was om te antwoord: “Kom ons bid daaroor.” Behalwe om saam te begeer en te bid, was daar geen duidelike alternatief nie. Weens die hoë lewenskoste in Japan was dit ’n projek wat van die begin af honderde miljoene won sou verg, en dit was ’n ontmoedigende vooruitsig wanneer ’n mens dink aan die vraag of die lidmate van Ulsan Gemeente Japanse sending werklik as ’n dringende saak sou beskou.
Tog het God een van ons lidmate se hart aangeraak. Aanvanklik het sy aangedui dat sy sowat 30 miljoen won wou skenk en gevra of daar ’n oorsese gemeentestigting is waarvoor dit aangewend kon word. Soos ons gesprekke gevorder het, het dit gegroei tot 50 miljoen won, en uiteindelik het sy ingestem om tot 150 miljoen won by te dra, wat hierdie aanplanting moontlik gemaak het. Namens die gemeente spreek ek my diepe dankbaarheid uit teenoor hierdie suster wat haarself toegewy het om sulke pragtige vrugte voort te bring. Sendeling Youngja Park het sowat sewentig tot tagtig gaste genooi, en Maandagaand sal daar ook ’n doopdiens wees vir Chinese internasionale studente wat sy deur evangelisasie en dissipelskap begelei het. Mag hierdie week, met die stigting van Tenbaizaka Christus Gemeente op 11 November om 11:00 vm., vir ons almal ’n tyd van gesamentlike danksegging wees.