울산교회 설립 50주년과 함께 비전 5555의 시효는 완료되었습니다. 가장 미진한 부분은 첫 번째 5000명 예배자 부분입니다. 물론 어른 아이 할 것 없이 한 주일에 5천명이 모인 날이 없는 것은 아니지만 우리가 목표로 한 것은 평균 주일 출석이 5000명이 되는 것이기 때문입니다. 그런가 하면 마지막 5가 가리키는 다섯 교회 개척 및 개척 지원은 국내만 생각하면 겨우 달성한 수준이지만 국외 개척이 덤으로 주어졌다는 사실을 우리가 기억하면 희년을 맞이하여 더욱 감사하게 될 것입니다.
해외 개척을 말하면 맨 먼저 몽골을 떠올리게 될 것입니다. 인터콥을 통해서 몽골밝은미래학교 교장으로 부임해서 정작 교장직무보다는 권사님과 더불어 개척교회를 일곱 개나 세웠습니다. 그리고 대부분의 교회는 예배처소를 마련해서 정규적으로 모이고 있습니다. 다만 아직도 연약한 처지에 있다는 것이 안타까운 일입니다. ‘믿습니다’선교에서 ‘전략적’ 선교로, ‘방임’에서 ‘보호’의 선교로, ‘감동의 선교’에서 ‘합리적 선교’ 로, ‘개인 선교’에서 ‘공동의 선교’로, ‘개 교회 선교’에서 ‘협력의 선교’로, ‘단순선교’에서 ‘종합선교, 전문사역 선교’로 전환해야 하는 것은 단지 최 장로님이 개척한 교회들 뿐 아니라 일반적인 몽골교회의 현실이기도 합니다.
그리고 이어서 박영자 선교사님을 통해서 시작된 일본 후꾸오까에 텐바 이자카 교회를 손꼽을 수 있습니다. 자신의 이름을 알리기를 원하지 않은 한 성도님께서 일억 오천이라는 큰 금액을 후원함으로 예배처소를 구입하고 한글교실이나 한국음식을 매개로 일본사람들을 접선해서 복음을 전하고 양육해서 세례를 베풀며 잘 성장하고 있다는 소식을 듣고 있습니다. 거기가 소위 한 해 한 사람만 전도해도 성공이라는 나라라는 점을 감안하면 정말 잘 성장하고 있다는 사실로 감사하며 박 선교사님을 격려해야 합니다.
게다가 우리가 그동안 후원했던 고상해 선교사님을 통해서 상해 은혜교회도 꼽을 수 있습니다. 상해 은혜교회는 상해에 있는 한국인을 대상으로 개척해서 2년 전 개척예배를 드렸는데 지금 장년 230명, 어린이와 청소년이 120명이라는 놀라운 성장을 하고 있습니다. 작년 이맘때도 요청이 있었지만 가지를 못했는데 이번에는 꼭 와서 토요일, 주일 두 차례 제직세미나 인도와 설립 2주년 기념 감사주일 예배도 인도해 달라는 부탁을 받았습니다. 그래서 연초라는 부담이 없진 않았지만 우리가 세운 교회가 잘 성장하고 있는 현장을 다녀오기로 했습니다. 또 가는 김에 지난 3년간 제자초급, 사역훈련, 비전공유반을 수료한 주간반 학생들과 훈련을 담당했던 분들도 함께 가기로 했으며 이 사실을 기록에 담기 위해서 심창섭 목사, 그리고 두 세 분의 성도들이 함께 하고 있습니다. 좋은 소식을 위해 기도해 주십시오.
With the 50th anniversary of the founding of Ulsan Church, the term for Vision 5555 has come to its completion. The area that fell most short was the first goal of 5,000 worshippers. To be sure, there were Sundays when 5,000 people—adults and children combined—gathered together, but our true goal was to maintain an average Sunday attendance of 5,000. On the other hand, regarding the last '5'—representing the planting and support of five churches—we barely met the mark if looking solely at domestic efforts; yet when we remember that overseas church planting was graciously added as an unexpected bounty, our hearts are filled with even deeper gratitude as we greet this Jubilee year.
When we speak of overseas church plants, Mongolia naturally comes to mind first. Appointed as the principal of the Mongolia Bright Future School through InterCP, Elder Choi, together with his wife (a senior deaconess), went beyond his administrative duties to plant as many as seven churches. Most of these congregations have now secured places of worship and gather regularly. It is still heartbreaking, however, that they remain in a fragile and vulnerable state. The shift—from a mission of mere "I believe" zeal to strategic mission, from laissez-faire neglect to pastoral protection, from emotion-driven effort to rational mission, from individual initiative to communal partnership, from single-congregation projects to cooperative mission, and from simple outreach to comprehensive, specialized ministry—is an urgent necessity not only for the churches Elder Choi planted, but for the Mongolian church at large.
Next, we can count Tenbaizaka Church in Fukuoka, Japan, founded through Missionary Youngja Park. Through the generous donation of 150 million won by an anonymous congregant who wished to remain unnamed, a place of worship was purchased. We hear encouraging news that the church is growing steadily, reaching Japanese neighbors through Korean language classes and Korean food, sharing the gospel, nurturing new believers, and baptizing them. Considering that Japan is often described as a land where leading just one soul to Christ in a year is considered a triumph, we ought to thank God deeply for this remarkable growth and offer Missionary Park our warmest encouragement.
In addition, we can highlight Shanghai Grace Church, founded through Missionary Sang-hae Ko, whom we have supported over the years. Shanghai Grace Church was planted to reach Koreans residing in Shanghai, holding its inaugural worship service two years ago; today, it is experiencing astonishing growth with 230 adults and 120 children and youth. Around this time last year, I received an invitation but was unable to go; this time, however, I was earnestly asked to lead two officers' seminars on Saturday and Sunday, as well as to preside over the 2nd Anniversary Thanksgiving Worship Service. Although traveling at the beginning of the year carries its own pressures, I decided to visit the field where the church we helped plant is thriving so beautifully. Furthermore, daytime class participants who completed the Beginning Discipleship, Ministry Training, and Vision Sharing courses over the past three years, along with the leaders who trained them, are traveling together, joined by Pastor Chang-seop Shim and two or three church members to document this journey. Please keep us in your prayers that we may bring back wonderful tidings.
Met die 50ste herdenking van die stigting van Ulsan Gemeente het die tydperk van Visie 5555 ten einde geloop. Die aspek wat die minste bereik is, was die eerste mikpunt van 5 000 erediensgangers. Weliswaar was daar Sondae wanneer 5 000 mense—volwassenes en kinders tesame—saamgekom het, maar ons werklike doelwit was 'n gemiddelde Sondagbywoning van 5 000 siele. Aan die ander kant, wat die laaste '5' betref—die stigting en ondersteuning van vyf nuwe gemeentes—het ons dit binlands skaars behaal; maar wanneer ons onthou dat buitelandse gemeentestigtings as 'n ekstra genadegawe aan ons toevertrou is, word ons harte met nog dieper dankbaarheid vervul terwyl ons hierdie Jubeljaar binnegaan.
Wanneer ons van oorsese gemeentestigting praat, dink 'n mens dadelik aan Mongolië. Ouderling Choi, wat deur InterCP as hoof van die Mongoolse Blink Toekoms-skool aangestel is, het saam met sy vrou ('n senior diakones) veel meer gedoen as net sy amptelike pligte: hulle het maar liefst sewe nuwe gemeentes geplant. Die meeste van hierdie gemeentes beskik reeds oor 'n eie aanbiddingsplek en kom gereeld byeen. Dit bly egter 'n hartseer werklikheid dat hulle steeds in 'n brose en kwesbare toestand verkeer. Die oorgang—van 'n sending van blote "ek glo"-geesdrif na strategiese sending, van nalatigheid na herderlike beskutting, van emosiebelaaide sending na rasionele sending, van individuele pogings na gesamentlike sending, van afsonderlike gemeenteprojekte na samewerkende sending, en van eenvoudige uitreik na omvattende, gespesialiseerde bediening—is 'n dringende noodsaaklikheid, nie net vir die gemeentes wat ouderling Choi geplant het nie, maar vir die kerk in Mongolië in die algemeen.
Daarbenewens moet ons die Tenbaizaka-gemeente in Fukuoka, Japan, noem, wat deur sendingwerker Youngja Park tot stand gekom het. Danksy 'n ruimhartige skenking van 150 miljoen won deur 'n anonieme gelowige wat verkies het om onbekend te bly, kon 'n aanbiddingsplek aangekoop word. Ons ontvang bemoedigende berigte dat die gemeente stewig groei deur Japannese bure te bereik met behulp van Koreaanse taalklasse en tradisionele kos, die evangelie te verkondig, gelowiges toe te rus en hulle te doop. As 'n mens in ag neem dat Japan 'n land is waar die wen van selfs net een siel per jaar as 'n oorwinning beskou word, moet ons innig dankbaar wees vir hierdie merkwaardige groei en sendingwerker Park heelhartig bemoedig.
Verder kan ons ook die Sjanghai Genadegemeente uitsonder, wat ontstaan het deur sendingwerker Sang-hae Ko, wat ons oor die jare heen ondersteun het. Sjanghai Genadegemeente is gestig om Koreane in Sjanghai te bedien en het twee jaar gelede hul openingsdiens gehou; vandag beleef hulle 'n verstommende groei met 230 volwassenes en 120 kinders en jongmense. Verlede jaar om hierdie tyd was daar reeds 'n versoek vir my om te besoek, maar ek kon toe nie gaan nie. Hierdie keer is ek egter dringend gevra om op Saterdag en Sondag twee ampstweedraers-seminare te lei, asook die dankseggingsdiens ter viering van hul tweejarige bestaan. Al bring 'n reis aan die begin van die nuwe jaar sy eie uitdagings mee, het ek besluit om die veld te besoek waar die gemeente wat ons help plant het, so pragtig floreer. Bowendien reis die deelnemers van die dagklasse wat die afgelope drie jaar die kursusse in Basiese Dissipelskap, Bedieningsopleiding en Visiedeling voltooi het, saam met die opleiers wat hulle begelei het; ds. Chang-seop Shim en 'n paar lidmate vergesel ons ook om hierdie mylpaal op rekord vas te lê. Bid asseblief saam met ons vir goeie tydings.