450. Updates for January

I want to share some key events happening in January and some changes coming in the following year.

We start our new year with 10 Days EMP (Early Morning Prayer), and it has been a challenging but fruitful corporate practice. Personally, it is challenging because I have to prepare nine sermons based on a book. But through the process, I get to learn a topic more deeply, and I find it helpful for our members to be challenged in a different way than a Sunday sermon. Surprisingly, VIPs have been attending as well, and they seem to enjoy the group prayer experience and sharing.

On the last day of the 10-day EMP, I will be flying to LA to preach at God’s Family Church retreat. They also have two congregations, as we do, and their ESC has been growing, and their house church ministry has been getting stronger as well.

As I will be missing 1/18 Sunday, which we usually have our annual congregation meeting, I moved it to one week earlier (1/11), and the ministers’ meeting is moved by one week as well. (1/4) Due to my absence, there won’t be New Family Class (NFC) in January.

I will post more details later, but starting next year, I plan to have at least one study month a year. I will be present at church, but I won’t be preaching for a month, so I can focus on studying and researching a topic or working on big projects.

The last Sunday of the year 2025 is here. It still feels unreal that this year is already coming to an end. But I’m grateful that we have the opportunity to properly wrap up this year and renew our minds for the new year during the New Year’s Eve (NYE) service, rather than just rushing into the new year. Join the New Year’s service, and enter the new year with new promises from God. For “with God, nothing will be impossible.”(Luke 1:37)