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Conference Category: Korea UBF New Year Staff Conference
Chapter: South Korea UBF Chapters
Date: December 2-4, 2024
Location: Pilgrim House in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province
Title (Theme): "Praise to God for a Living Hope" (1 Peter 1:1-16)
Total Attendees: 91 (Korea UBF staff members, 6 missionaries, UBF General director Pastor Ron and his wife, Deborah Ward)

In the opening message, John Shin, the Secretary of Korea UBF, delivered a message titled "A Royal Priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9,10), deeply engraving in our hearts our spiritual identity as a royal priesthood, providing us with comfort and strength. After the opening message, we gathered in small groups for the first session study, and during the evening, Pastor Ron Ward delivered a powerful message titled "Praise to God for a Living Hope" (1 Peter 1:1-16). We learned that those who changed the course of world history were not the powerful authorities of the world, but believers who possessed a living hope, and we recognized the great grace that God has given us in choosing us to have an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading living hope. In the New Year, we received a concrete direction to embrace living hope, love suffering in the world, live a holy life, love the Lord's word, and fervently love our brothers. Then, Professor Kwon Ho from the Korea Presbyterian University gave a special lecture titled "The Preacher, the Path of Tears and Glory" (Jeremiah 20:8,9). As preachers and one-on-one Bible teachers, we made a resolution to once again commit our lives to God's word in the New Year as God's heralds and servants entrusted with the gospel message.

On the second day, Stevan Kim (Jinju) delivered the second session message titled "The Joy of Sharing in Christ's Sufferings" (1 Peter 4:1-19). Through this message, we learned that participating in Christ's sufferings shapes us into precious lives like pearls, and we resolved to actively partake in Christ's sufferings this year. Nehemiah Kim, Korea UBF director mentioned that truly attractive people are those in whom God's Spirit dwells, and such individuals are those who bear disgrace for Christ (1 Peter 4:14). While we may be willing to suffer for Christ, enduring disgrace is challenging; thus, in the New Year, we aim to have a more proactive attitude to preach Christ, evangelize, be rejected, and suffer disgrace while learning from Jesus, becoming attractive people where God's Spirit dwells.

In the evening, we heard mission reports from missionaries James Kim (Karlsruhe) and Anna Jeong  (Brunei), as well as moving mission reports and reflections from Stevan Kim (Wonju), Young-ho Na (Kwangwoon), Mark Yun (Jongno 1), Seung-won Kim (Suwon Woncheon), and Caleb Kim (Pocheon). We were greatly blessed and moved by the testimonies of the hardships faced by missionaries in the mission field and the difficulties encountered by pioneering shepherds through their refined experiences.

On the third day, Spurgeon Lee (Daehangno) delivered the third session message titled "Be Examples to the Flock" (1 Peter 5:1-14). His touching message, shared through his long journey of shepherding, moved many to tears. He encouraged us to use our energy to set an example when we want to assert authority over the flock. We thank God for the abundant grace and direction given through the messages, special lectures, mission reports, and reflections, providing us with spiritual fellowship and rest.