From the Pastor
I was appointed to St. Mark’s in 2017. I proclaimed my ministerial plan at the charge conference in 2017: “Resetting St. Mark’s.” First, I reset St. Mark’s worship service with changes to the Sunday worship service form and order and through preaching sermons and leading communion services focused on Jesus. Now, as we gather in the sanctuary, all of us focus on Jesus. This is a spiritual resetting. Second, we reset the lighting system—first in the worship center, then in the education building, kitchen and Fellowship Hall. Third, we cleaned out the upstairs classrooms of the education building. They were full of old stuff. The Yucca Studios school uses three of these rooms now. Fourth, we removed the old sound system and set up a new sound system in the sanctuary. We experienced an amazing difference between the sound before and after. Fifth, we reset Sunday school as class meetings. Class meetings are a new way that supports communal and individual spiritual growth. Sixth, we began a Korean ministry. We are now used to more languages and cultures. After the charge conference in 2017, I said, “Let us watch the works of the Holy Spirit in the next year.” Through five years of resetting, St. Mark’s has become a new St. Mark’s. We are its witnesses.
This year, we start rebuilding St. Mark’s, a long-term project of five years. For the first year of this project, we began the campaign to increase the worship attendance rate to 70% or more. This campaign, 70% or more, needs to be the general lifestyle of St. Mark’s worship. I encourage you to do this. Each week I give you the opportunity to walk with Jesus and hear his gospel proclaimed. Come, walk with and learn from Jesus. This month, a member offered a $20,000.00 donation. We have received unexpected donations of more than $50,000.00 this year. I understand this as a mysterious sign showing that the Holy Spirit works in our project of “Rebuilding St. Mark’s.” I would like to say to you like I said in 2017, “Let us watch the works of the Holy Spirit in our project, Rebuilding St. Mark’s.”
– Rev. Yong Sub Sim
