I am a ligament, what are you?

The image of a bridge, or a ligament (Eph 4:16) seems to be a good way of describing my past and the direction I sense God is leading me. Being Korean Canadian, I was born in Canada, but grew up as a Korean – eating Korean food, going to a Korean church, speaking Korean, visiting Korea – basically breathing Korean all throughout my life. In high school, God used me to be a bridge between the English and Korean speaking youth groups – I was involved with both and knew individuals in both groups. I was also involved in a city wide joint worship team, which had the purpose of uniting or bridging all the Korean speaking youth groups. I co-created a Christian club in my high school to unify all the Christians together. I also organized and ran a city-wide youth worship service when I was pastoring in Montreal. While pastoring in Korea, I co-created a network for English speaking youth pastors, where we would put on events together, pray together, plan together, and strategize together.

As the groups pastor at Beulah Alliance Church, I was part of a team that conducted a survey, which revealed the current and proposed areas of integration amongst the differing areas of ministry.  I was also leading a team that consists of several pastors, in order to bring greater unity to the group life in the church. There is now one front, instead of divided fronts.

When examining my future, I believe that there are three areas that God has ingrained on my heart: church planting, pastors, and multicultural ministry.

1. Church Planting: As Canada becomes increasingly postmodern, pluralistic, and multicultural, I believe that contextualized church planting is the key to reaching this next generation. Instead of planting a church to reach church hoppers or disillusioned Christians, I believe that it’s important to reach those who have never and will never step into a traditional church. I hope to plant or be a part of a church plant that has this goal.
2. Pastors: I have a strong desire to come alongside pastors to coach, network, teach, and resource them in any way that I can. This is the primary way I envision God using me as a bridge. As a result, whether it be through beginning or joining a non-profit organization, doing this ministry out of a church, denomination, or seminary, I hope to be a part of this much needed work.
3. Multicultural ministry: When I was in high school discerning my call to ministry, God spoke to me through two identical and continuing dreams where I came to an understanding of the uniqueness of second generation immigrants. Ever since then, I have had a deep passion to minister to second generation immigrants, but also to individuals of all ethnicities. This is an underlying passion and area that I envision pervading and being a a part of everything that I do.

Consequently, I want to be the kind of supporting ligament that Paul talks about – the one that joins and holds together the Body of Christ, so that through Christ, the Body would grow and build itself up in love (Eph 4:16).

So I think I’m a ligament…what part of the body are you?