Concerning the Worship Time Change
Dear Church,
We celebrate the birth of our Saviour with joy and thanksgiving during the Advent season. Jesus Christ is our everlasting hope and true light!
As I have alluded to you during our town hall meetings, the worship time for CoaH will change in the new year. Starting in January, the 2 pm service will move to 11:30 am in the main sanctuary. The move is the result of several considerations. Let me elaborate on two.
First, we want to amalgamate two English Speaking Education (ESE) times (12 noon and 2 pm) into one. In the past, for example, our English-speaking youth group was divided into two services. The new arrangement will bring them together, resulting in one English-speaking youth worship. This change will not only enhance the relationships among English-speaking youth, but also help focus on our goal of interdependence between the two congregations.
Second, we would like to bring English-speaking worship time into one of the prime-time slots on Sunday so that more people will attend the service with ease. Some KM members will also be encouraged to join the 11:30 am service if they are comfortable in English, especially if they desire to bring English-speaking friends from work or school to church.
The new worship times on Sunday will look like this:
• 1st service at 8 am (in Korean)
• 2nd service at 10 am (in Korean)
• 3rd service at 11:30 am (in English)
• 4th service at 1 pm (in Korean)
I will be on a regular rotation for preaching at the 11:30 am service. I must also let you know that this new schedule comes with some concerns. I heard from both the ESE and the KSE teachers that the gap between the second and third, as well as the third and fourth, is too short. This is the case because we do not want the fourth service to start too late.
Change is not always refreshing. In fact, some changes can be stressful. We have gone through so much change during the pandemic, and I realize that this change in worship time can be stressful to some of us. But I ask for your patience as we move forward for a better future for both congregations.
May the LORD bless you,
Pastor Minho Song
