Junior High, Worship
Teacher’s Foreword
Teacher Linda Cha
The Junior high baptism was a time of great blessing from God.
I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit working within the congregation not only to rejoice and bless the students, but also to reflect on my own spiritual life. I was deeply challenged and blessed by their acts of obedience to our Heavenly Father and the determinations that were made.
I truly believe and pray that these students will live a life of a disciple and work to expand His kingdom, each in their own special way. God bless you!
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Joshua Suh 전도사
This year’s Junior High Baptism was a great blessing for me as well as a time of deep reflection. As I heard the students’ testimonies and as I saw them go under the water, I was reminded that this could only be done by the working of the Holy Spirit. Though the parents, teachers, and fellow peers may have played a part, ultimately, only God could make the seeds of the Gospel that were planted to grow and to produce fruit. As I reflected on this, I saw how beautiful and how significant baptism was to a believer’s life and I was all the more blessed. As always, I am thankful for Pastor Lee, Samonim, and all the leaders who pour out their love through prayers. I’m also thankful for the Junior High staff who work hard to expand the Kingdom of God. I hope and pray that whoever reads through this post would be challenged and reflect on how great our God is.
Junior High Baptism Testimonies
Joshua Lee
Hello, my name is Joshua Lee and I am currently in 6th grade. Since my parents were Christians, I have been going to church even before I was born, and I have been spending my Sundays like that for my whole life. I always came to church as a place to play and meet my friends, and I never really came for the Sunday worship. I had heard about the importance of coming to church, but I never really felt it for real in my mind. As I came into Jr. High, I got to know God more but had more questions about him. Last winter, on the Jr. High retreat, our cabin leader had told us how they had felt when they first met God. I had never had that feeling before, so I wondered what it must have felt like. During the praise night, everybody felt like they were really praising from their hearts, and I felt like an outcast. But when we were worshipping, I had a feeling, as if God had taken away my worries, and let me feel like I belong. After the retreat, everything came back to normal. I had so much things to do, but I was very tired. I wanted to complain about it, but I realized that I shouldn’t be having a bad attitude but rather be thankful for all of this, because I was sinful like that before I was saved. But God forgave me and let me be with him. I am sure that I can go to heaven because the Bible says that if believe that God has died for me, then I will be saved and go to Heaven. This encourages me to work harder to learn more about God. This is why I am getting baptized to show that I am a person of God. But since I cannot do this myself, I must pray to God and do QT more often.
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Su-A Kim
Hello, my name is Su-A Kim. I first became a Christian in November 2016. I just assumed that I was a Christian because I was born in a Christian family, I went to church, and did Q.T. In doing all these things, I tricked myself into thinking I was a Christian. But all of these things nor can anyone save me. I was a sinner whom could not save herself, but only through Jesus was I able to be saved. The night I got saved, I accepted this stone-hard truth. The stone-hard truth was, Jesus died on the cross for my sins and he rose again in three days victoriously. I could not have saved myself, but because God sacrificed his one and only son to die on the cross for me, I was able to believe and be spared of the horrible punishment awaiting me. On that day, I asked my dad a question about the Q.T. The question was, “I get how Jesus died on the cross, but I don’t quite get how he resurrected in 3 days.” My dad explained why Jesus died on the cross and how he resurrected in 3 days. After, I finished my Q.T and I thought that was it. Gladly, it wasn’t. My dad and mom kept explaining to me about how God created the world and the heavens in 7 days and how and why Jesus died for my sins. My dad kept lecturing me for days and weeks. This precious information would go through one ear and come out the other. I was half-listening, half-ignoring whatever my dad was talking about. I did this to the point where my dad realized I was not even listening. My dad told me that I already believed in Jesus and that I needed to let everything go and give my all to God. He also told me that Jesus is a very kind savior and how he loves us very much. Next, my dad said, “Follow my exact words if you believe that Jesus is your savior.” I was praying the sinner’s prayer. After I prayed, I cried and laughed with joy now that I was a Christian. Two years have gone by since I prayed the sinner’s prayer. As I lived the 2 years of being a Christian, my life had plenty of ups and downs. But because I was a Christian, God helped me pull through. I would never be able to save myself no matter how many times I would try. Believing that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and resurrected was the only way I could be saved. During 2017 Jr. High Winter Retreat, I felt God’s presence around and inside me. I believe the retreat was one of my climax points in my spiritual life. Jesus is my savior who will always be there when I need him. As I go on to live my new life, I will try to spread the gospel with even more non-believing friends. And yes, even if I died today, I am 100% sure that I will go to heaven. I thank God for letting me become a daughter of Christ and how he helped me be here on this very day.
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Mina Gwak
Hello, my name is Mina. When I first went to church, I went because my family and friends went, and I wanted to play with my friends. All my friends said that Jesus died on the cross, so I said so too because I didn’t want to be left out. But, in the 4th grade VBS, I understood who God was in my heart. During Pastor David’s message at the end of VBS, I had a time to think about why I hadn’t accepted God as my Lord and Savior. I realized that God was my one and only Lord and Savior. At the end of the day when we all just had a time to pray, I accepted Christ as my Lord and savior. I declared that my faith would not waver in God and accepted the gospel message, the great gift of salvation from God. But, when my teachers asked if I wanted to be baptized, I responded in excuses. I was scared to say my testimony in front of an audience. When Winter Retreat came, my life was changed when the teachers all said that whoever was saved shall walk in obedience in God, and the first act of obedience for a saved Christian is to get baptized. I decided that I would be a Christian that follows God through any obstacle or hardship. I am determined to spread the gospel to all my non-Christian friends and family and try to do QT every day because that’s what pleases God. I am very thankful for the precious life that God has given me. So, I’m here today, to declare my new life and become a Christian that follows God and spreads the gospel, until he comes.
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Daniel Kwak
Hello, my name is Daniel Kwak and I’m in the 6th grade. I regret that I did not get baptized in the new tub after renovation. But I am still happy. I was born in a Christian family, so I have gone to church at least 3 times each week. I did not remember but I received an infant baptism after 3 months I was born. Naturally, there was a lot of Christian friends and teachers around me. It was natural for me to go to church, every time I went to church it was very exciting. I never worried about why I was a Christian. I grew up in Cornerstone Church and I saw my mom and other church members getting baptized. Even junior high and high school department…I had an indefinite plan about being baptized in my future. I told myself, “Now is not the time. Now is not my time.” Because I was too unconfident and anxious to get baptized in front of a lot of eyes looking at me. But, God came to me when I was in 2017 VBS. He changed my life and I wanted to know him better. He made me know what was wrong. In pastor David’s final message, I declared that I wanted to have more faith in GOD. And I realized that it was not natural I believe God and I go to the church. I had to accept the Christ is the Lord and my savior. And then, in 2017 Winter retreat I got confidence to get baptized. At Winter retreat, it was a blessing. I had fun, I prayed for my longest and worshiped the Lord the best I can. I stood up in VBS and Winter retreat because I wanted to get baptized. I wanted to get baptized because in teacher Jiho’s class I had learned that I had to get baptized when I first accept Christ. Because it was the first act of obedience. I realized how sinful my life was. I wanted to change through Jesus. I declare today to live as God’s man. It was difficult to express my feelings and happiness when I was writing this testimony all through. But now I know that it is the greatest of all Christian blessings. I thank that God made me and send me to this land and allow me to get baptized today. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (Corinthians 10:31) If someone asks to me about that verse, “yes” I will. I will try to do, I will start a war with myself. I promise following this. I will try to do QT every day and go to “새벽기도” every Saturday. I will practice praise team faithfully. I will live in God’s glory in my school, house, and with my friends. So, I will live as a man of God.
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Andrew Kwon
Before I truly met Jesus, I was only going to church because it was fun, and my friends went. I never really cared about the fellowship. I only wanted to have fun. But then as I got older, I realized church isn’t about fun. It’s about the fellowship with God. At past VBS’, I felt the Holy Spirit knock on my heart, but I never answered. However, at the winter retreat, Pastor Sung was telling everyone to pray. While we prayed, he asked for the people that didn’t accept God to stand up. I had a feeling to just stand up and when I did, I felt the Holy Spirit knock on my heart. This time, I finally answered. As I grow more in God, my life will surely change. My first change, is to love everyone, no matter how different they may be. Another change, is to do more QT and prayer, so I can grow more and more in God. The last change, is to spread the gospel to all non- believers. Not only is my job to believe in God, but it is also to spread the word to all.
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