Growth: Uncertain belief still counts as knowledge…

After going to a FKBC (First Korean Baptist Church of Louisville) for close to  year in Kentucky, it’s interesting how, after coming back home for a brief reprise at TCBC, I am now currently working Part-Time as the Worship Co-ordinator at RHCCC (Richmond Hill Chinese Community Church).

For those who were wondering about my brief blog hiatus, I was taking this time to really gather my thoughts and prayers about serving at RHCCC.  The opportunity to work at this church came from one of my friends and current fellow Seminary student, Colin Owen.  After he passed my info along to the worship pastor at RHCCC, things started to click from there.

I just started my first day the past sunday.  Coordinating this service is definitely going to be a challenge but also something I look forward to.  I am so glad to be able have an opportunity to grow in ministerial service at this church.  The pastors are people I sense have a great passion for sharing the gospel and Christ to the people around them and I am also amazed that this church… this CHINESE church is willing to attempt new things and has many resources at hand.  I especially hope that I can do what God is calling me to do in coordinating their English Worship Gathering.  This is definitely going to be a great place to test out my worship philosophy I’ve been developing since being at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
I guess right off the bat, there are two things that I am throwing around in my head in terms of this church and ministry I’m a part of.  I want to:

1.  Teach worship theology that is biblically-based and be true to what God wants out of His worshipers.  I hope I can do this through bible-studies and also other resources I am currently sorting through.   I hope to lead by example, develop friendships and do my studies at Tyndale with serving people at RH in mind.

2.  The second thing…  I think this is a touchy subject (so I’ll be a little vague, hehe), but I hope what I can do immediately…  is to change some perspectives of Richmond Hill from being “Rich Man’s Hill”.  There is a lot of things that is tough to deal with, but I think RHCCC has a potential to be very counter-cultural in a lot of its own public preconceived notions.  My hope is that this church becomes more missional in direction and takes an approach that missions is very much needed in this community right now.  RHCCC is in this area for a reason, so Christ is shared with the people in Word and in Love.

I listen to this awesome sermon from Tim Keller (yes again) called “Treasure Justice” and it has shaped my thinking in a way I know God is resonating in me.  Here’s a quote he quoted from another pastor:

“In a city, you should not be  using the city to build up your church, you should be using the church to build up a great city.”

- Ray Bakke

Ray Bakke is a big Urban ministry person like Keller, but what he says is nonetheless applicable to suburbia.  I could probably be overstepping my bounds in even bringing up this second point, but I will try nonetheless for the next while to lead a sense of being counter-cultural how Jesus would be.

Please, please listen to this sermon if you have the chance…

 Tim Keller – Treasure Justice

Here’s to a new stage in life, all I ask from God is for more humility and for Him to teach me and guide me so I can do what He’s invited me to do.