춥고 긴 겨울이 지나고, 이제 뜰에는 산수유가, 산에는 생강나무가, 길가의 개나리도 노란 꽃을 피우는 아름다운 봄에 울산의 청소년들을 두고 관심을 나누고 싶습니다.
<십대들의 둥지>는 적어도 30년은 훌쩍 지난, 아주 오래전에 시작된 청소년단체입니다. 그 때나 지금이나 ‘공부하라’라고 다그치는 어른들은 넘쳐났지만 청소년을 향한 어른들의 따뜻한 배려는 흔하지 않습니다. 처음 김병진 님의 마음속에 청소년을 향한 사랑의 씨앗이 움트기 시작했습니다. 시작부터 <십대들의 둥지>는 이름대로 ‘십대들’의 ‘둥지’ 역할은 했지만 건강하게 계속되기 위해서는 어른들의 자상한 보살핌이 필요했습니다.
처음 십대들의 둥지를 시작한 김병진 님은 당시 울산에서 목회자로도 섬겼고, 그 이후에는 중앙아시아 지역에서 선교사로 활동하시다가 지금은 인천지역에서 국내에 잠깐씩 들어오는 선교사님의 거처를 제공하는 사역과 외국인노동자들을 섬기고 계십니다.
오늘 부인 김경애 선교님과 나눈 톡입니다.
청소년들을 위한 <십대들의 둥지>를 제가 만났을 때는 조직으로서 이사회도 있었고 총무도 있었지만 재정적인 후원도 관리도 부실했고, 간사들의 불미스러운 처신의 소문도 있어서 대대적인 수술이 필요했습니다.
그때가 25년 전쯤으로 기억됩니다. 그때까지 한 교단에서 거의 독식하던 이사 구성도 새로 하는 것을 전제로 당시 울산교회 담임이던 제게 넘어왔습니다. 보살필 뜻을 함께 한 분들이 거의 매주 한 차례씩 조찬모임을 하면서 5천만 원 정도의 재정적인 적자를 한 분 장로님의 대여로 청산했습니다. (뒤에는 갚을 능력이 없는 청소년 단체였으므로, 장로님이 후원금으로 처리하고 말았습니다.) 그리고 울산교회 고등부를 담당한 심창섭 님이 사무국장을 맡아서 재정비하게 되었습니다.
고양으로 올라간 지 꼭 4년 만에 울산으로 다시 내려와서 3월 12일 아침 7시, 터미널식당에 모인 둥지이사회에 참석했는데, 달걀프라이와 김을 비롯해서 식당의 메뉴가 변치 않아서 반가웠고, 청소년을 향한 관심과 사랑이 아직도 유지되고 있는 것이 감사했습니다. 게다가 더욱 고마웠던 것은 기드온 300 용사와 같이 매월 둥지 후원자가 남아있다는 사실입니다. 물론 그동안 코로나 등으로 어려워서 50분 정도가 후원을 중단했고 둥지가 제대로 챙기지 못했지만, 그동안 헌신해 주신 것을 꼭 감사하고 싶은 마음이 제게는 있습니다.
“감사합니다. 여러분들의 헌신으로 십대들의 둥지는 아직도 명맥을 유지하고 있습니다.” 한 때는 울산에서 시작한 <십대들의 둥지>가 국내외에서 생겨나기도 했지만, 아직까지 남아서 제 구실을 하고 있는 곳은 울산이 유일합니다. 현재 이사진은 이사장 김수웅 님(동부교회 장로, 이세치과 원장), 대표는 박종국 님(다운공동체교회 담임)이고 차기, 차차기 대표까지 내정되어 있는 분위기입니다.
무엇보다도 울산의 청소년들을 사랑하시는 하나님 아버지가 계시니 우리에게 희망이 있습니다. 또한 하나님의 마음으로 후원하는 분들께 다시 한번 감사를 드립니다.
Now that the long, cold winter has passed and a beautiful spring has arrived—with cornelian cherry blossoms in the courtyard, spicebush in the mountains, and yellow forsythia gracing the roadsides—I would like to share my heart and concern for the youth of Ulsan.
"Teenagers' Nest" is a youth ministry established long ago, well over thirty years ago. Back then, just as today, there were plenty of adults constantly prodding young people to "study harder," but warm, genuine care and understanding from adults were rare. It all began when a seed of love for young people began to sprout in the heart of Pastor Byeong-jin Kim. From the very beginning, "Teenagers' Nest" lived up to its name by serving as a true "nest" for teenagers, yet it required thoughtful and affectionate care from adults to continue growing healthily.
Pastor Byeong-jin Kim, who initially founded Teenagers' Nest, served as a pastor in Ulsan at the time. Later, he served as a missionary in Central Asia, and he is currently ministering in Incheon, providing temporary lodging for visiting missionaries and serving foreign migrant workers.
Here is a message I exchanged today with his wife, Missionary Gyeong-ae Kim.
When I first encountered "Teenagers' Nest" for young people, it had an official board of directors and a general secretary, but financial support and administrative management were frail. There were even troubling rumors regarding the conduct of some staff members, making a thorough reorganization necessary.
I recall that this was about twenty-five years ago. On the condition of restructuring the board, which had been almost entirely monopolized by a single denomination, the leadership was entrusted to me as the senior pastor of Ulsan Church at the time. Those who shared a heart to care for the youth gathered almost weekly for breakfast meetings. We managed to clear an accumulated financial deficit of around 50 million KRW through a loan generously advanced by an elder. (Later, knowing the youth organization had no means to repay it, the elder graciously wrote it off as a donation.) Furthermore, Shim Chang-seop, who was leading the high school department at Ulsan Church, stepped in as secretary-general to reorganize the ministry.
After exactly four years away in Goyang, I returned to Ulsan and attended the board meeting of the Nest at the Terminal Restaurant on the morning of March 12 at 7:00 a.m. I was delighted to see that the menu—fried eggs and seaweed sheets—had remained unchanged, and I felt profoundly grateful that the care and love for youth were still burning bright. What moved me even more was realizing that monthly supporters, steadfast like Gideon's 300 warriors, still remained. Of course, during difficult seasons like COVID-19, about fifty people had to discontinue their support and the Nest could not follow up properly, yet my heart is filled with a desire to express deep gratitude for their enduring dedication.
"Thank you. It is because of your devotion that Teenagers' Nest continues to stay alive." Although branches of "Teenagers' Nest" once sprang up across the country and overseas from its beginnings in Ulsan, Ulsan is the only place where it remains today, faithfully fulfilling its calling. Currently, the board is led by Board Chair Su-woong Kim (Elder at Dongbu Church, Director of Ise Dental Clinic) and Representative Jong-guk Park (Senior Pastor of Daun Community Church), with successors already nominated for the next terms.
Above all, because we have our Heavenly Father who deeply loves the youth of Ulsan, there is enduring hope for us. Once again, I extend my heartfelt thanks to all who support this ministry with the heart of God.
Noudat die koue en lang winter verby is en 'n lieflike lente aangebreek het—waar die kornoeljekersies in die tuin bloei, die speserybosse in die berge geel vertoon en die forsythias langs die pad hul goue blomme oopvou—wil ek my sorg en belangstelling deel vir die jeug van Ulsan.
"Tieners se Nes" (Teenagers' Nest) is 'n jeugbediening wat reeds lank gelede, meer as dertig jaar terug, ontstaan het. Destyds soos vandag was daar oorgenoeg volwassenes wat jongmense aangespoor het om "harder te leer," maar warm en opregte deernis van volwassenes teenoor die jeug was skaars. Dit het alles begin toe 'n saadjie van liefde vir jongmense in ds. Byeong-jin Kim se hart begin ontkiem het. Van die heel begin af het Tieners se Nes sy naam gestand gedoen as 'n ware "nes" vir tieners, maar om gesond te kon voortleef, was die liefdevolle en getroue versorging van volwassenes nodig.
Ds. Byeong-jin Kim, wat Tieners se Nes destyds begin het, het toe as leraar in Ulsan gedien. Daarna was hy 'n sendeling in Sentraal-Asië, en tans dien hy in die Incheon-omgewing waar hy tydelike verblyf bied aan besoekende sendelinge en omsien na buitelandse gasarbeiders.
Hier is 'n boodskap wat ek vandag met sy eggenote, sendeling Gyeong-ae Kim, gewissel het.
Toe ek die eerste keer met "Tieners se Nes" vir jongmense te doene gekry het, was daar wel 'n raad van direkteure en 'n algemene sekretaris, maar die finansiële ondersteuning en bestuur was swak. Boonop was daar ontstellende gerugte oor die gedrag van personeellede, sodat 'n ingrypende hervorming noodsaaklik was.
Ek onthou dat dit sowat vyf-en-twintig jaar gelede was. Op voorwaarde dat die raad—wat tot op daardie stadium byna uitsluitlik deur een kerkverband oorheers is—herstruktureer sou word, is die leiding aan my toevertrou as die destydse leraar van Ulsan Gemeente. Diegene wat die hart gedeel het om na die jeug om te sien, het byna weekliks vir ontbytbyeenkomste vergader. Deur 'n lening van 'n sekere ouderling kon 'n finansiële tekort van sowat 50 miljoen KRW uitgewis word. (Later, aangesien die jeugorganisasie geen manier gehad het om dit terug te betaal nie, het die ouderling dit genadiglik as 'n skenking afgeskryf.) Daarna het Shim Chang-seop, wat die hoërskoolbediening van Ulsan Gemeente gelei het, die rol van sekretaris-generaal oorgeneem om die bediening weer op koers te bring.
Presies vier jaar nadat ek na Goyang verhuis het, het ek weer na Ulsan teruggekeer en op die oggend van 12 Maart om 07:00 die direksievergadering van die Nes by die Terminaal-restaurant bygewoon. Dit was verblydend om te sien dat die spyskaart—gebakte eiers en seewierblaaie—onveranderd gebly het, en ek was diep dankbaar dat die liefde en besorgdheid oor die jeug steeds behoue gebly het. Wat my selfs nog meer geraak het, was die wete dat daar steeds maandelikse ondersteuners oorgebly het, soos Gideon se 300 dapper manne. Natuurlik het sowat vyftig mense weens moeilike omstandighede soos COVID-19 hul bydraes gestaak en kon die Nes nie altyd behoorlik kontak behou nie, maar in my hart leef daar 'n diepe begeerte om almal van harte te bedank vir hul jare lange toewyding.
"Baie dankie. Danksy u toewyding bly Tieners se Nes vandag nog staande." Hoewel takke van "Tieners se Nes" wat in Ulsan begin het, mettertyd oral in die land en selfs oorsee ontstaan het, is Ulsan die enigste plek waar dit vandag nog voortbestaan en sy roeping getrou vervul. Tans bestaan die direksie uit voorsitter Su-woong Kim (ouderling by Dongbu Gemeente, direkteur van Ise Tandheelkundige Kliniek), verteenwoordiger Jong-guk Park (leraar van Daun Gemeenskapskerk), en opvolgers vir die volgende termyne is reeds aangewys.
Bo alles het ons hoop omdat ons 'n hemelse Vader het wat die jeug van Ulsan innig liefhet. Nogmaals my innige dank aan almal wat hierdie bediening met die hart van God ondersteun.