Earlier this day at its Han Kyung-Chik Worship Hall (top photo), PUTS announced “50 days in joy with our local community,” an Easter season project starting on Easter Sunday (April 1 this year) and continuing till Pentecost Sunday (May 20), to communicate the Lord’s love to the school’s neighbors. Joining in the announcement ceremony were students, nearby residents, members of local government, and representatives of local organizations. In his sermon, Rev. Park Yeong-guk of Haebang Church said, “We hope that our lives will be channels that fully reveal Jesus Christ.”
Most of the neighboring restaurants were packed with students. Thirty-two freshmen from the Christian Education Department visited a noodle restaurant. Ms. Son Da-in (20) said, “This is my first time to visit a restaurant near the school, because I commute from Seongnam. It feels so great, eating noodles with my friends.” Sitting next to her, Ms. Choi Yu-min (24) added, “It’s nice to share joy with the local community this Easter season.”
The students were not the only ones enjoying the moment. Restaurant staff Ms. Mun Aengja (52) said with a smile, “The joy of Easter feels closer with these young people, reminding me of my own kids, visiting our restaurant. I hope the university holds events like this more often, to vitalize the local economy.”
Prof. Yoo Sun-Hee (Department of Christian Education, second from right) commented during lunch together with her students, “The motto of PUTS’ denomination, the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK Tonghap), is ‘Holy Church, Back to the World Again.’ I hope our students learn to seek justice while sharing many things with the neighborhood residents.”
Inside the Korean Red Cross blood drive vehicle, parked in the school plaza, there was a crowd of students and school staff members. Their nervous looks changed to smiles after their blood donations. Mr. Han Gwang-seop (25), a senior in the Department of Theology, said, “I’m glad to be able to donate my blood to someone whose face and name I don’t know.”
On this day, PUTS donated its Easter offerings of 3 million won to the Gwangjang-dong Community Center. The center will distribute 200,000 won each to 15 elderly residents who live by themselves. School representatives will visit their homes together with the Korea Electric Power Corp. to check the safety of their electronic appliances. Plans are being made for a woodworks exhibition, a movie showing, and concerts open to local residents.
President Yim Sung-bihn said, “Compared to Christmas, Easter tends to be reduced to a mere church holiday. I hope our project provides an opportunity for Easter to become part of Korean culture.”
Reporter DongWoo Kim (love@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Photo by intern reporter Shin Hyeon Ga
Original Article in Korean:
[지역 사회와 함께하는 신학대] 장신대 “주민 속으로” 사랑의 섬김: “부활의 기쁨 지역과 함께 나누자” ‘기쁨의 50일’ 프로젝트 실천 돌입
