Category: Pastor’s Blog

A Word from Pastor Sun Hee
²¹ And they came, everyone whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and brought the Lord’s offering to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the sacred vestments.  – Exodus 35:21

It’s finally here! In September 20, we are dedicating the Virginia Maniti Williams Ministry Center to Lord and His mission. I am so excited about this, as we have been anticipated this for sometime now. It has been definitely on our mind for the last few weeks as we watched some visual signs of close to completion —to name a few, thank God for having bathrooms back and back side entrance is open for the first time! The final touches are on the way as we speak.

I cannot help but thinking of Exodus 35, where the whole community (Israel) that Moses called and invited to help build the tabernacle. Everyone is invited and involved. If you read the whole chapter 35, you would find familiar spirit that we shared in building up our place of worship and place of His mission to be carried out. God has called us to contribute in many different ways –our prayers, financial resources, energy, time, hearts and talents. I am so thankful for all of you who have responded His call with faithfulness. As in verse 22 following this call of building tabernacle, it is written that “So both men and women; all who were of a willing heart brought…” This is the image that I hold dear to my heart as I think of you. We were of indeed a willing hearts to serve our Lord. This gives us the confidence that when we follow His call together, we can do anything, even if we might be small or humble individually. God will take our offering of hearts and willingness and turn them into something that of great things in God’s Kingdom. I am reminded of His great promise when we put our minds and hearts in His purpose—“Though your beginning was small,
Yet your latter end would increase abundantly.” (Job 8:7 NKJV)

My fellow workers, this is definitely not an end but another awesome beginning. Let us be at one heart with our common vision of the Great Commission –make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name o the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Let us follow the stirring of the Spirit and continue to ‘build’ God’s ministry long after our Ministry Center is completed! It’s time to celebrate and time to get to work!

A Word from Pastor Anne
Building Corner

Many of you have seen parts of the new Ministry Center. So much has been done this past month! It is very exciting!

We passed several inspections at the end of April and beginning of May! Sheetrock and taping is happening throughout the building. Painting and texturing inside and outside may be done before you get this. The elevator is installed and passed inspection. The retaining wall was built, an irrigation line was replaced and sidewalk is in the future playground area. The drop ceiling is installed with lighting. Flooring and doors are installed. Bathroom plumbing and kitchen cabinets and counters are being completed. Sliding walls are coming.

Additional work is required by our inspectors to increase the Great Hall fire rating and meet the Building code. We expect to finalize plans with the City in order to proceed with this final portion of our construction. This will be an additional unexpected cost that we expect to take care of when needed.

We still expect to have a soft opening in the summer with a dinner dance, open house and other activities.

Please save Sunday, September 20th when Bishop Brown is coming for our building dedication. Join as we have a great and much anticipated celebration!

The Virginia Maniti Williams Ministry Center is our shared legacy. This is happening on our watch. And the even greater legacy will be the people who come to know and become fruitful followers of Jesus-building God’s Kingdom and blessing others in the name of Jesus.

Please continue to pray for guidance, safety and trust in God. We are getting ever closer to completion of this part of where God is leading! Furnishings will come next.

What a great year this is as we finish the 50th anniversary of our church and 20 years here at our present location. And there is so much more yet to come!

God’s Holy Spirit is mighty!

A Word from Pastor Sun Hee
A Personal Invitation to DISCIPLESHIFT

Although I’m sure you have already made a lot of great plans for the summer, I’m hoping that you might consider adding one more to your plans. There’s a really amazing one-day conference that’s coming up on August 8^th, and I think it would be great if many of you join me in attending and participating. This conference is called DISCIPLESHIFT and it will focus on leadership and discipleship wrapped in the culture of innovation. As it’s website says, this “one-day conference is like none other”!

Here’s a more detailed description of what the conference is about (taken from the website):

DISCIPLESHIFT is an innovation conference that will be held on August 8, 2015 at The University of the Pacific in Stockton, California for the primary purpose of training lay and clergy leaders in the California-Nevada Annual Conference in the areas of innovative and collaborative discipleship and leadership for the 21^st Century. Drawing from some of the key innovators in both the secular and church worlds, this highly participatory and lab-oriented conference will be filled with moments of information, inspiration and innovation useful and relevant for ministry in the church and in the world.

I’m so excited about this conference for many reasons, but one reason is because I serve on our Annual Conference’s Leadership Development Mission Focus Area that is the body that is responsible for putting on this event. While serving on this team, I got a chance to meet one of the “Innovator Presenters”, Charles Lee, who is President and Chief Idea Maker for a company called Ideation. Engaging in conversation with him filled me with great inspiration and stirred the “innovative” seed within me as well. It’s great to sometimes get a perspective on ministry from a “secular” angle. And it’s great when the repeated problems of church that we have been dealing with are given a fresh stab with innovative ideas. Actually, Charles Lee, is just one of many voices that you will hear at this conference.

You can go to the event website at: www.discipleshiftconference.com to see the full list and description of the presenters as well as take advantage of an early bird discounted registration rate of just $88 (good until June 30). The day’s schedule is there on the website as well.

I don’t know how much you think about the church and the way the church, in general, does leadership and discipleship. But I actually think about it a lot… I guess I have to since I’m a pastor. And in my thinking, I realize that I am hungering for newer ways of doing ministry so that we can reach new people in new places. I think that is the beauty of DISCIPLESHIFT. It will teach us how to get unstuck from the old ways of doing things and learn to embrace innovation. It will also teach us how to do ministry together. Clergy and Laity alike. Pastors and church members together. That’s why I’m hoping you will join me in being blessed in Stockton this summer. It wouldn’t be as great if it were just me going… so let’s take the SHIFT.

Blessings for a great summer,

Pastor Sun Hee

P.S.  If you have any questions about DISCIPLESHIFT, please do not hesitate to contact me!