THE KUKMIN DAILY

Church circles are offering their services to participants of the Incheon Asian Para Games, continuing their work in support of the just-previous 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

Rev. Choi Yeong-seop, director of the Asian Para Games Athletes Village Christian Building (Athletes Village Church), said on October 19, “We are continuing our volunteer service activities at the Asian Para Games without change, following the conclusion of the Asian Games…And we are making sure to serve not only the athletes, but also the volunteers who are serving them.”

Currently the main activities of Athletes Village Church are like those for the Asian Games: providing worship services, interpretation, a space for rest, and other related support. The core activity is worship services in Korean and English on Sunday mornings and afternoons, and daily dawn worship services.

“We’ve received positive responses to Athletes Village Church’s delivery of hot drinks at daybreak every morning, to the police and security personnel who guard the north, south, east and west entrances to the Athletes Village 24 hours a day, and to the volunteers,” said Rev. Choi.

For this day’s Sunday worship in Athletes Village Church, which is located on Moraenae-ro in Namdong-gu, Incheon, Rev. Im Myeong-hui (Seoul Gwangya Church), who ministers to homeless persons, preached the sermon; and members of Gwangya Church who have started new lives after being homeless, sang a special anthem. Athlete Park Se-ho, winner of the gold medal in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Para Games shot-put event, led intercessory prayer at the service, prior to his participation in the Games.

At the Athletes Village Church worship service on the 14th - opening day of the Asian Para Games - local churches, ministers and Christian organizations including the Incheon Christian Council prayed together for the success of the Games and for the evangelization of athletes and officials. On the 18th, believers from Incheon-area churches dressed in traditional hanbok to join in the opening ceremony and the parade of participating nations at Incheon’s Munhak Stadium.

This year’s Incheon Asian Para Games, taking place from the 18th to the 24th, are the largest in history, with the participation of 6,196 athletes from 41 countries. Among Korea’s 327 athletes and 147 officials, totaling 474 persons, the Athletes Village Church estimates that about 30% are Christians.

Reporter Jaechan Park (jeep@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)


Click here for the original article in Korean

Related Article