Peer Student Ministry Assessments
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Their name: Jiin Park
Your Name: Soyeon Jo
Class: YOUT 201 - 001
Church Name: Dongbaek Jigichon Church
City, State: Yong-in, Kyunggi-do
Size of Student Ministry: 80
Ministry Rating: 5 out of 5
The Student
What did your peer like MOST about their student ministry back home?
Dongbaek Jiguchon Church in Korea is unique because this church is connected with
a school ministry. The senior pastor’s wife is the principal of an alternative school
and she helps the students there. Jiin told me that there are 2 advantages in this
ministry. First is the mentoring system. Every senior, who have been trained in
spirituality and living a healthy lifestyle, helps the other students who enter that
school later. All of them were served firsthand, and then they remember that period
and become a mentor themselves. Sometimes, she has a hard time but she can
overcome all of this with her community in Christ. The second advantage is the
various experiences a student can have. Students go to other countries for a vision
trip and they also experience extreme survival camp. They also have a concert party
and experience other events. They undergo training and have many other
experiences at the same time.
What do they like the least about their ministry back home? Offer some suggestions
for improving their criticisms based on information from the work text.
What is liked the least about the ministry is that some students give up and leave
this church and school because the training is hard to them despite some of the
exciting programs. The ministry prevents students from being exposed to worldly
things completely - social media, ungodly relationships with the opposite sex, gossip,
make up, smoke and alcohol, but they let people focus on eternal things. Most
students have a hard time because they have to stop their worldly habits. Therefore,
many students think that it is hard, but if their family encourages them and help
them to overcome that period, they will be a follower of Christ. Student ministry has
to go with their families. It will be more successful.
In their opinion, how well did their ministry do in communicating the truths of
Scripture? Explain their reasoning.
Every morning, all of the student have a quiet time with the Word and begin
studying. Also, they memorize one or two verses before having lunch and read one
chapter of Proverbs following each date before having dinner. The program gives
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them time to meditate in the Word. Other students who do not enter this school, the
ministry leaders contact them every Wednesday and send messages with verses and
share their meditations the following Sunday. After year, closing with the Word has
become Jiin’s life.
Was their ministry back home more of a youth group or a student ministry? Why? Be
sure to explain to them the differences between the two as described in your work text.
The student ministry in Dongbaek Jiguchon Church is not just a youth group but a
student ministry. It does not end with various programs, which is a method of
growing students to become God’s servants. It is not easy, but it is an effective
ministry to save teenagers and to make them holy, so that they may differentiate
themselves from the world. The ministry helps students become holy people by
allowing various activities and trainings, at the same time, it keeps away sin. This
ministry lets us know that teenagers can be real followers of Christ, not just being
people to be served by adults. This form of discipleship helps make others become
disciples.
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Their name: Chris Bae
Your Name: Soyeon Jo
Class: YOUT 201 - 001
Church Name: 701 Korean Church
City, State: Lynchburg, VA
Size of Student Ministry: 20
Ministry Rating: 5 out of 5
The Leader
How did you get involved in student ministry?
The youth pastor asked me to help him with this ministry. He has been looking for
leaders for a long time. He had hard time looking for the right leaders and when he
met me he thought I was good fit. As we got to know each other more he thought he
picked a really good person. Now, I am actively involved and I am helping the youth
pastor as much as I can.
What is your role as a volunteer? How many years experience have you had in this
type of role?
I have 2 years of experience as a leader in a youth ministry. Right now, I am doing all
kinds of things and wearing many different hats. At this point, the ministry is very
young so the responsibilities that I have is very broad but once the ministry gets
older my responsibilities will become more focused. My primary responsibility right
now is to help the youth pastor with whatever he needs help with. This usually
involves leading activities for the students.
What were the requirements your volunteer had to maintain as a leader?
i.e. (responsibilities, meetings, quiet times, church attendance, etc.)
The first requirement is to have love and compassion for the students. Without these
it is hard to stay as a leader. A person can have all of the skills that he or she wants
but without love and compassion it is hard to enjoy doing ministry. The second
requirement is trust. Trust is really important as a leader especially with the youth
pastor. If there is no trust, then the entire leadership of ministry will fall apart.
How do your spiritual gifts contribute to your ministry?
My first gift which is my dominant traits is honesty. It was because of this gift that
the youth pastor picked me. I am very open and honest when I communicate with
others. I do not like to lie. I find that there is no pride and honor in lying to others. It
is through my honesty that the youth pastor can trust me and communicate with me
very effectively. As far as my gift pertains to the student, my honesty teaches the
students to not lie or cheat.
5. Tell me a story of how you saw God use you in this role. How has being a volunteer
benefitted your life?
When I was younger, I always wanted to be involved in youth ministry. So
throughout my life I was looking for and opportunity to serve in one. After I
graduated college, that feeling went away. So I was not looking to serve. It wasn’t
until I met the youth pastor that I became involved in it. He just told me I should be
involved in it without any explanation. There were no details given to me. All he said
was that he thought I should be involved in it. I could’ve just said no to him right
there but I didn’t. I decided to give it a try. Ever since then, I have been serving in
that ministry. This ministry has benefited me socially and spiritually. It benefited me
socially because I am more active in communicating with others. It benefited me
spiritually because it helps me become an example for this student in what the love
of Christ is.
Their name: Hyun Choi
Your Name: Soyeon Jo
Class: YOUT 201 - 001
Church Name: 701 Korean Church
City, State: Lyunchburg, VA
Size of Student Ministry: 20
Ministry Rating: 5 out of 5
The Professional
1.What is your role? Describe your responsibilities.
The first thing is to lead the youths in their spiritual walks. I also create and
maintain fellowship among the English speaking youths. I serve as the worship team
leader. I mentor the worship team and help them grow in their roles as worship
leaders. My second responsibility is to create and plan activities for the students to
participate in, integrating Biblical concepts for the students to learn and apply in
their lives.
2.How did you arrive in this position? i.e (Your calling to ministry, education, past
experience, etc.)
I was a leader in the college ministry for a year when the church decided to create an
English ministry for the students who are more comfortable with English. I had
served in youth ministry in the past, so the church leaders asked me to lead this new
ministry. I also had experience leading many different kinds of worship teams and
majored in worship. The previous worship team mentor stepped down, so I was
asked to lead the worship team as well. Because my calling is to serve in youth
ministry, I believe this is how God is training me.
3.What is your definition of a successf Peer/Adult Leader Student Ministry Assessments ul youth
ministry? What would you say is a healthy student ministry?
Success is not measured by the number of student in the ministry. A successful and
healthy youth ministry consists of student that are growing spiritually. A healthy
ministry focuses on creating Disciples of Christ. The students will discover their gifts
and purpose in life. A successful student ministry trains students to use their gifts to
further God’s kingdom.
4.What is your strategy to develop and maintain a successful/healthy student
ministry?
The first priority is making God as the top priority. The second is to have a strong
leadership team. By having a strong leadership, the needs of the student can be met
and if the student have any problems or issues then the leaders can help counsel
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them. The third priority is to have an open ended relationship between the leaders
and the students. Communications is really important in all types of relationships. If
neither party is willing to communicate their concerns, problems, or issues then
nothing can be resolved. Having in open source for communication promotes a
healthy relationship.
What is the current condition as it relates to “church connection” (i.e. the students
being integrated into the life of the whole church) and being “family friendly”? (i.e. What
relationship does the ministry have with parents?)
The English youth ministry gives English speaking student a home in the Korean
speaking church. These students had been reluctant to come to church because they
felt out of place. Now, they have a place in the church where they belong. The
parents are constantly updated with what the students are learning and doing.
However, the English ministry has quite a bit of autonomy in the church because it is
a very different arm of the church.
Integrity statement
“ I, Soyeon Jo , have interviewed each one of these three people personally and through the way I
was supposed to communicate with them.”
