상해은혜교회 10주년 기념예배에 다녀왔습니다. 그러고 보니 벌써 은혜 교회가 시작된 지 10년이나 되었습니다. 참 세월이 빠르기도 합니다. 저희 교회를 섬기시던 고현철 목사님께서 선교사로 가신 후 상해에 한인교회가 꼭 필요하다는 현지 선교부의 정책에 따라 한인교회를 개척하게 되었지요. 물론 그렇게 하기까지는 한 집사님 가정의 헌신이 있었습니다. 남편의 직장을 따라 울산으로 오신 집사님께서 새생명 훈련을 받으시고 한 이년쯤 열심히 섬기시다가 다시 남편을 따라 상해로 가시게 되었는데 주위 몇몇 분들과 함께 개척에 나서면서 고 선교사님을 모시게 된 것입니다. 그러다 보니 자연히 울산교회가 함께 동참하게 되었습니다.
처음에는 저희 부부만 가는 줄 알았는데 갑자기 권사님 몇 분이 함께 가시겠다고 제안을 하셨습니다. “목사님 가시니까 따라갈래요.”라고 해서 그냥 그런 줄 알았습니다. 그런데 막상 가서 보니 그게 아니었습니다. 함께 가신 권사님들이 은혜교회 창립예배 때도 함께 하셨고 그 후로 십년 동안 은혜교회를 위해 꾸준히 기도하셨던 분들이었습니다. 여행목적에 는 관광이라고 썼지만 관광에는 별 관심도 없었습니다. 선교사님께서 그동안 선교보고나 기도제목을 특별히 보내온 것도 아니었는데 10년을 하루같이 꾸준히 기도하셨다고 합니다.
교회가 계속해서 자라면서 서너 곳에 개척교회도 세우고 장년뿐만 아니라 주일학교며 중고등부도 튼실한 교회가 되었습니다. 저희는 저희대로 서울에서 개척교회 때 함께 섬겼던 분들도 거기에 계셔서 참 좋은 교제를 가졌습니다. 주일 밤에는 개척 때부터 함께 하셨던 장로님 댁에서 차를 마시며 10년 동안의 일들을 나누는 시간도 있었습니다. 창립예배를 이 장로님 댁에서 드렸었지요. 장로님은 워낙 정확하신 분이라 창립예배 때의 모습이며 우리가 특송했던 사진도 보관하고 계셨습니다. 두 분이 명실 공히 교회의 어른으로 계속 자리를 지켜주셨지요. 중국이다 보니 여러 가지로 외부적으로 힘든 일도 있었고 내부적으론 관계의 힘든 일도 없지 않았지만 이제는 서로가 이해하고 사랑하며 교회를 위해 한마음으로 동역하는 사이가 되었습니다.
그런 얘기를 나누는 중에 권사님들이 너무 기뻐하시면서 말씀하셨습니다. 상해에서는 기도제목도 보내주시지 않았지만 ‘은혜교회가 부흥 발전하게 해 주십시오. 선교의 사명을 감당하게 해 주십시오. 좋은 동역자를 만나게 해 주십시오.’라고 기도했는데 하나님께서 어쩌면 이렇게도 일일이 다 응답하시고 넘치도록 허락해 주셨는지 감사할 뿐이고 너무 기쁘다고, 그래서 앞으로는 더 열심히 기도할 것이라고 하셨습니다. 은혜 교회에서 자라는 자녀들을 만나면서 한국어와 중국어뿐만 아니라 영어에도 능통한 이 아이들을 하나님께서 세계선교를 위해 어떻게 사용하실지 다음 세대가 기대되며 그들을 위한 기도가 필요하다는 생각이 들었습니다. 이번에도 순종함으로 나아가면 하나님께서 분명히 놀라운 응답으로 함께 하실 것이기 때문입니다.
I recently attended the 10th anniversary thanksgiving service of Shanghai Grace Church. Looking back, ten full years have already passed since Grace Church was planted. Time indeed flies so fast. After Pastor Hyun-Chul Ko, who had served our church, went out as a missionary, a Korean church was planted in Shanghai in accordance with the local mission board's policy emphasizing the desperate need for one. Of course, behind all this was the dedicated devotion of a deaconess's family. Having moved to Ulsan following her husband's job transfer, this deaconess underwent the New Life training and served faithfully for about two years. When she moved to Shanghai following her husband once again, she took the initiative with a few others to plant a church and invited Missionary Ko to lead them. Naturally, Ulsan Church came alongside to participate in this journey.
At first, I thought only my wife and I were going, but unexpectedly, several deaconesses proposed accompanying us. When they said, "Pastor is going, so we want to follow along," I took it at face value. Yet once we arrived, I realized there was much more to it. These deaconesses had attended the inaugural founding service of Grace Church ten years ago and had been praying unceasingly for Grace Church ever since. Although they had written "sightseeing" as their travel purpose on immigration forms, they had little interest in tourism. Even though the missionary had not sent regular mission reports or specific prayer requests over the years, they had prayed faithfully every single day for ten years as if it were just one day.
As the church continued to grow, it planted three or four daughter churches, blossoming into a vibrant community with not only strong adult ministries but also flourishing Sunday school, middle, and high school ministries. On our part, we also enjoyed warm fellowship with some people who had served alongside us during our church-planting days in Seoul and were now living there. On Sunday evening, we gathered at the elder's home—where the church had begun—to drink tea and share memories from the past ten years. In fact, the very first inaugural service was held in this elder's living room. Being an exceptionally meticulous person, he had preserved photos of the founding service and even snapshots of our special praise offering. He and his wife have truly remained faithful pillars and elders of the church throughout all these years. Because it was in China, there were inevitably external trials, and relational challenges within were not entirely absent; yet today, they have become a community that deeply understands, loves, and partners with one heart for the sake of the church.
While sharing these stories, the deaconesses beamed with immense joy and shared their hearts. Even though no specific prayer requests had been sent from Shanghai, they had prayed: "Lord, grant Grace Church revival and growth. Enable them to fulfill their missionary calling. Send them wonderful co-workers." They expressed deep thanksgiving and overwhelming joy at how God had meticulously answered every single prayer and blessed them so abundantly, resolving to pray even more fervently going forward. Meeting the children growing up at Grace Church—fluent not only in Korean and Chinese but also in English—filled my heart with great anticipation for how God might use this next generation for world missions, reminding me how earnestly we need to pray for them. For if we step forward in obedience once again, God will undoubtedly accompany us with wondrous answers.
Ek het onlangs die 10de herdenkingsdiens van Sjanghai Genadegemeente bygewoon. As 'n mens daaraan dink, is dit alreeds tien jaar sedert Genadegemeente begin het. Die tyd vlieg werklikwaar so vinnig. Nadat ds. Hyun-Chul Ko, wat ons gemeente getrou bedien het, as sendeling uitgestuur is, is 'n Koreaanse gemeente in Sjanghai geplant ooreenkomstig die plaaslike sendingraad se beleid dat 'n Koreaanse kerk daar onontbeerlik was. Agter dit alles was daar natuurlik die toewyding van 'n diakones en haar gesin. Sy het weens haar man se werk na Ulsan verhuis, die Nuwe Lewe-opleiding voltooi en sowat twee jaar lank met groot ywer gedien. Toe sy haar man weer na Sjanghai gevolg het, het sy saam met 'n paar ander gelowiges die inisiatief geneem om 'n gemeente te plant en sendeling Ko genooi om hulle te lei. So het Ulsan Gemeente vanselfsprekend deel van hierdie geloofsreis geword.
Aanvanklik het ek gedink net ek en my vrou sou gaan, maar skielik het 'n paar ere-diakonesse voorgestel om saam te reis. Toe hulle sê: "Aangesien die dominee gaan, wil ons graag saamgaan," het ek gedink dit is sommer net 'n spontane besluit. Maar toe ons daar aankom, het ek besef daar steek veel meer daaragter. Die ere-diakonesse wat saamgegaan het, was destyds ook by die stigtingsdiens van Genadegemeente teenwoordig en het die afgelope tien jaar getrou vir die gemeente gebid. Alhoewel hulle "toerisme" as reisdoel op die vorms ingevul het, het hulle eintlik min belangstelling in besienswaardighede gehad. Selfs sonder gereelde sendingverslae of spesifieke gebedsversoeke van die sendeling, het hulle tien jaar lank onvermoeid en getrou volhard in gebed, asof dit een enkele dag was.
Soos die gemeente bly groei het, het hulle drie of vier dogtergemeentes geplant en ontwikkel tot 'n hegte en stewige kerk—nie net met 'n lewenskragtige volwasse bediening nie, maar ook met 'n florerende Sondagskool en jeugbediening. Wat ons betref, het ons heerlike gemeenskap geniet met gelowiges wat jare gelede in Seoel saam met ons in die vroeë jare van gemeentestigting gedien het en nou daar woon. Sondagaand het ons by die huis van die ouderling gekuier wat van die heel begin af betrokke was, om tee te drink en herinneringe van die afgelope tien jaar op te haal. Die heel eerste stigtingsdiens is immers in hierdie ouderling se sitkamer gehou. Omdat hy so 'n noukeurige man is, het hy steeds foto's van die stigtingsdiens en van ons spesiale lofsang bewaar. Hy en sy eggenote het waarlik as getroue steunpilare en leiers van die gemeente op hul pos gebly. Aangesien dit in China is, was daar vanselfsprekend talle uiterlike beproewings, en verhoudingsuitdagings binne die gemeente was ook nie heeltemal afwesig nie; tog het hulle vandag gegroei tot 'n gemeenskap wat mekaar intiem verstaan, liefhet en met een hart saamstreef tot eer van die gemeente.
Terwyl ons hierdie dinge gedeel het, het die ere-diakonesse met groot blydskap getuig. Al het hulle geen gebedsversoeke uit Sjanghai ontvang nie, het hulle eenvoudig gebid: "Here, skenk herlewing en groei aan Genadegemeente. Stel hulle in staat om hul sendingopdrag te vervul. Seën hulle met goeie medewerkers." Hulle het hul innige dankbaarheid en vreugde uitgespreek oor hoe wonderbaarlik en oorvloedig God elkeen van daardie gebede verhoor het, en hulle het hulleself opnuut verbind om in die toekoms nog vuriger te bid. Toe ek die kinders ontmoet wat in Genadegemeente grootword—vlot in Koreaans, Chinees sowel as Engels—het my hart vol verwagting geword oor hoe God hierdie volgende geslag vir wêreldwye sending sal gebruik, en het ek besef hoe noodsaaklik ons gebede vir hulle is. Want as ons ook nou in gehoorsaamheid vorentoe tree, sal God ons gewis met wonderlike antwoorde seën.