Let me introduce to our readers a joyful group of young Korean Americans I had the pleasure of meeting recently.

They are two dozen members of the Timothy Ministry of the Berendo Street Baptist Church in Koreatown.

On two consecutive Sundays, June 4 and 11, the group entertained poor people of Hollywood who came for Sunday dinner at the Lord’s Lighthouse, the community outreach program of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Their joy exuded from them, and it was contagious.

For nearly everyone at the Lord’s Lighthouse, this was their first introduction to Korean culture, and they loved what they saw: conveying Christian love through dancing and mime.

“As I watched them perform, I felt a connectedness to the group,” said Charles Suhayda, director of the Lord’s Lighthouse ministry. “I felt that the Korean dance and music ministry helped generate an atmosphere of goodwill and reconciliation in our culturally diverse urban outreach program.”

“The group was so beautiful,” said Liza Sanguinetti, coordinator of the children’s program at the Lord’s Lighthouse. “They were so intense in expressing Christ’s love.”

That’s precisely what the group intended to do: put into practice God’s love.

Every weekend, members of the Timothy Ministry gather at their church, spend three to four hours studying the Bibile and rehearsing for their future performances. Their activities are not confined to performing. Once a month, they serve meals to the homeless at a downtown shelter.

Their visit to the Lord’s Lighthouse was just one of half a dozen programs they do every year at non-Korean churches in Southern California.

Their ministry is not limited to the United States.
Next month they will head for Turkey for one month to do performances and spread God’s message. They are now busily raising money for the trip by washing cars, writing letters and visiting potential donors. .

When they return from Turkey in August, they will make an annual trek to an American Indian reservation in central California. There, they will spend a week performing and studying the Bible with residents, many of whom consider Christianity white people’s religion. Most stimulating hours for them will be updating their relationships with children with whom they have exchanged letters during the past year, according to the ministry’s leader, Yoon Taek Oh, 32. .

What motivates the youth to actively participate in the Timothy Ministry is the truth that the more love they give, the more love they receive from God, they said.

They acknowledge that pursuing this truth by going to church and fulfilling God’s mission may be an idea unpopular among their generation. But they said that they are ready to answer when they are challenged by their unbelieving peers.

Eun Taek Kim, a 10th grader at Cerritos High School, said that he likes to say, “I know how to have fun as much as you do. And, I chose to follow Jesus Christ out of my free will.”

“Faith is not an option,” said Hoon Song, 24, who is majoring in music at USC. “It is the most basic, precious (principle) to maintain in this difficult world.”

Do Myung Lee, 20, a student at the Los Angeles City College, said, “I’d like to say, ‘Why don’t you try to gamble for something good by coming to church?”’
* * *
The 15-year-old Timothy Ministry is a part of the Korean Campus Crusade for Christ , run by 39 workers. Oh said that he discovered his life’s goal when he met Christ at the age of 17. A Cal Poly Pomona graduate with an engineering degree, Oh now plans to go to the Golden Gate Seminary to “be better used by God.”

Following Christ is not old-fashioned, Oh said. “It’s been always in the main place (of human lives), enabling you to live a life exciting and full of joys as well as to be confident in life no matter what difficulty you may face.”

Jack Hall, who with his wife, Miriam, has been preparing food for nine-years at the Lord’s Lighthouse, said that the Korean youth groups’ visits had a wonderful impact on the church’s community outreach program.

“I thought that our kids were so inspired, ” said Hall, an actor and a former restaurant owner. “I just thought that the enthusiasm that they brought was wonderful.”Others at the Lord’s Lighthouse said they hope to see the Korean youth group again soon.

As for me, I felt heartened that at a time when so many Korean youngsters only think of getting ahead academically, I ran into the Berendo Street Church group. They are worthy role models for Korean American youngsters.