464. Privilege of being a Resource Church

Caleb • Lead Pastor
May 8, 2026

2 Minute Read

God is using our church as a resource church. God told Abraham "the Gospel", "I will bless you and all nations will be blessed through you." Many Christians believe getting blessed by God is the best part of being a Christian. As good as that is, the best part is to "be" a blessing. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. Giving is better than receiving. Thankfully, we get to give the blessings of doing church God's way back to those who are seeking to do the same. Total of 25 people attended the seminar. Most of them came from Canada (Montreal, Vancouver) but some from US as well. (Texas and Florida)

When I was leading the retreat at waterloo a few months ago, I met one of the seminar participants that stayed in my house 3 years ago. She was new and wasn't even part of house church then, and she said she came because she was pushed to attend. But when I saw her at the retreat, she was serving as a shepherd. At Vancouver pastor's conference last month, the pastor that drove us from airport was the senior pastor of a member who attended our seminar, and stayed in our house 2 years ago. I didn't get to see her but I heard that she was also serving as shepherd. Whether we feel it or not, we are making a huge impact in people's lives and the trajectory of many different churches, by offering this seminar.

I send our members to seminar with the same wish, which is to see them inspired to serve as shepherd and become ministry partner. And the church that hosts seminar knows this wish from other pastors, and that is why we prepare with fervent prayer for God to move all participants hearts. Because big change in a church often comes from the change of one person.

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From this Author: Caleb

September 10, 2026 • 3 Minute Read

475. My Family Update

It's been almost a month since I wrote my last blog post, so I'd like to share some updates about my family. We visited my aunt and uncle in Indonesia last month. They got to see my kids for the first time, and we spent a good amount of time together. They've been serving as missionaries for a long time, but I heard their ministry stories for the first time. Hearing their ministry fruit, hurt, and challenges helped me to get to know them better and pray more specifically. God gave them favour through a businessman who owns the mountain, who helped them build a nice house on top of a mountain. So our stay was very comfortable, and we enjoyed the nice view. Our time in Bali was great. August is hurricane season in Mexico, but it is the driest season in Bali, so we enjoyed continuous sunlight throughout our stay. Our kids liked Indonesian food (though limited to a few options), so we had a good time eating and resting. On our way back home, we had a 24-hour layover in Taipei (Taiwan). So we ventured out to stroll around Taipei 101, which is famously known for pro climber Alex Honnold climbing it without any safety gear. It was very urban and felt like we were in Korea. A bunch of us caught some colds during this time. After arriving home, we had a rough week battling jet lag and cold symptoms. But thankfully we are pretty much recovered now. We bought a used 2011 Honda Pilot in 2014. For the last 12 years, it served our family well, and we also used it extensively for ministry. (It was a non-official church van) But it had been acting up lately, and all the tires (including snow tires) were due for a change. Given its age and upcoming large expenses, we concluded it was time for a new car. We still need a 7-seater and cargo space for ministry, so we decided to buy another Pilot. We signed the deal on Wednesday (I'm writing this post on Thursday) and will pick it up on Saturday. The most exciting part for me is finally having Apple CarPlay and a power tailgate. Every time I go on a family vacation, I'm reminded that family is a wonderful gift from God. Just being present with my family gave me a great sense of joy and fulfillment. I reflected that this is why God wants to create a spiritual "family" through his church, because it is his heart: To dwell among his people forever. (Rev 21:3)

Caleb

Lead Pastor

August 14, 2026 • 3 Minute Read

474. Slowly but Surely

There are many things in my ministry that felt like a distant dream years ago, but are now a reality. One of them is having multiple people in a preaching rotation besides me. Though I wasn't actively trying to make it happen, I now recognize that God has been "slowly but surely" raising up communicators in the church. First it was pastor Anthony, and then shepherds (and spouses). Years ago, one of my mentors who used to be a church consultant visited our church to speak. After the service, he gave me a couple of pieces of good feedback, and one of them was the need to raise up multiple communicators in the church. Back then, I was busy improving my own preaching, so that didn't stick with me. But I did agree with his point that the church needs multiple communicators, so even if something happens to me on a given Sunday, someone else can preach. It didn't resonate with me then, but now I see its beauty and necessity. We have already seen its benefits. During my sabbatical last year, in addition to Pastor Anthony, shepherds (and spouses) rotated in preaching during my two-month absence. I heard great feedback after I came back. So I have asked our shepherds to volunteer if they want to do it again this year, on the Sundays when I am not present. A few shepherds signed up to preach, and they will speak for the next two Sundays. Though I remain as the main communicator, I love that I get to empower other communicators. I feel so blessed that not only do we have a second strong communicator in Pastor Anthony, but also many shepherds who can be part of the preaching rotation. I shared before that shepherds' preaching will not be exegetical but testimonial. Pastors have enough time to study the text and consult many resources to make it the main focus, but lay leaders don't have enough time to do so. They will choose a theme they feel convicted about during this season and use the text as supporting evidence to make their point. And as they must rely on their real-life examples to make their point, their preaching will be relatable and could be more impactful. As shepherds function as lay-pastors for their house churches, I believe they already live a very pastoral life and have what it takes to speak into our lives.

Caleb

Lead Pastor

July 17, 2026 • 2 Minute Read

473. God Did It

Praise team and I came back safely last Sunday, after serving in the Shepherd Conference and NLF Sunday service. During the conference, I heard so much positive feedback from the participants, including pastors. One pastor told me this: "Your team not just plays songs, but leads worship." I believe that is the utmost compliment a praise team could hear, and I was so proud of our team. During one morning session, the main speaker said he rarely cries in response to praise, but he did. (Funny thing is, I cried during that session in the middle of a fast song!) There was an undeniable presence of God during each praise session. My sermon at the NLF Sunday service was well-received as well. As I was preparing for the message, I prayed that I would not preach to impress but to benefit. After the service, many came to me personally to share how the message encouraged them, so I was glad they found it beneficial. All our shepherds and spouses who attended the conference shared that it was really helpful to them. I was very happy to see them connecting, interacting with shepherds from other churches, building wonderful friendships within the universal Church and learning from each other. Leading up to the conference, I wasn't sure what this would lead to, but after the conference, it was clear that God would use our church more to bless other churches in the HC ministry network. I saw it as an answered prayer to the prayer we make every week to become a resource church. Though we might be small, I was reminded that God used a shepherd boy to strike down a giant. He can use 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed the thousands. As we were about to leave NLF, a verse on the wall caught my eye. It said, "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." (1 Th 5:24 NIV) I felt like this wonderfully summed up our trip: God, who called us, enabled us. Jesus said, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be required". I didn't know how much we had, but through this trip, I realized how much God has given us. If God is increasing our capacity to serve, we just adjust accordingly, trusting that God will give us the ability and resources to do so.

Caleb

Lead Pastor

July 3, 2026 • 3 Minute Read

472. God Who Calls also Enables

Many of you already know, but our praise team is invited to lead praise time at the Shepherd's Conference next week. It is an annual conference that happens for shepherds and spouses in North America, and about 200 people attend. This year, all our shepherds and spouses are attending as well. Though the conference starts on Thursday, the praise team will fly out with me early on Tuesday to practice. They were also asked to lead praise time during Sunday service at NLF (New Life Fellowship), the host church, so they will return on Sunday evening. (I will also be preaching there on Sunday) Last year, when Pastor Eric came to speak at our members' retreat, he noticed something about our praise team. After the first praise session, he openly invited our team in the middle of his first sermon at the retreat. We were all surprised, and some thought he was making a joke. But when the official invitation came, we knew he was serious. I believe there is a special favour of God on our praise team, and his favor is always for the greater good of His people. So, I think God has called our praise team not to showcase their talent but to bless the greater body of Christ, particularly within the house church ministry network. Also, we believe it is our privilege to serve back the church that hosts HC lay leader seminar, pastor's seminar, and Shepherd conference every year. Just as we were blessed through their service, I believe God is giving us the opportunity to show appreciation through this. Our praise team has been practicing multiple times a week for the last 6 months. Even with such preparation, it is sometimes easy to doubt ourselves: "Are we good enough?" This is the type of doubt I wrestle with when I am invited to guest speak as well. But one thing I have learned over the years is this: **God who calls also enables.** God wants our success more than anyone else. He never calls us to fail. He sets us up to succeed. And when he gives us an assignment, he also gives us the ability to fulfill it. I am confident that this trip will be a great blessing not only to the participants but also to our praise team. Please pray for safe travel for the praise team and all who are attending.

Caleb

Lead Pastor

June 26, 2026 • 4 Minute Read

471. My Testimony - Pastor Mitchell Perez

God's love found me at 16 years old while in my bedroom. I cried out to God to save me and use me. I repented of my hypocritical life. One way with my peers at school. Another way with my peers at church. Soon after, I made it my aim to live for God's Kingdom. I was consumed with letting Him do a great work through me. So I evangelized peers. Taught Bible studies. Served my church. My life was marked with passion. Boldness. Risk-taking. I would go on to Bible College and become a youth pastor at a large church at the age of 20 years old. But what began to happen beneath-the-surface was a brewing problem. See God, in His grace, brought fruit to many of these endeavors. People were getting baptized and growing under my leadership. Ministries grew by multiple metrics. I received much affirmation from leaders. But I didn't just receive it, I reveled in it. I'm not even sure I was aware of this at the time. Over time, I began to judge fellow Christians who struggled with doubt or those who didn't have the "passion" like me. I rebuked fellow Pastors that weren't as "biblical" or who weren't willing to sacrifice and work like me. I became the "older brother" in the Parable. But I was blind to see this. So then... God because He really really loves me... began to do a great work in me. He gave me the gift of sending me to plant a church that didn't result in explosive numerical growth like I wanted. If it had grown like I wanted - perhaps I would be yet another pastor scandal. Another leader that didn't have the character to handle the weight of such a ministry. Along with this gift - a Christian leader I looked up to, whom I longed to be affirmed by, crushed me with his words: "You're an unfaithful Pastor and if the Holy Spirit was truly anointing your ministry there would be fruit - your church hasn't even grown passed 30 people..." To be clear - He was wrong to say these words and they certainly weren't based in biblical teaching. But His words - sinful as they were - became a gift from God. In my brokenness, I believed these words from this leader. My shattered heart turned to God with anger. I considered leaving Christianity altogether. I willfully opened the door to pornography as a way to spite God. Though my actions were sinful. It revealed something profoundly important: "Mitchell, you're not as strong of a Christian as you thought were..." My God loved me so much, He broke me. And this was His great work in me. Bible scholars call this "sanctification". The lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus Because - as it turns out - God wants to reach the lost in the world. But He also wants to reach the "lost" in His children's hearts. We have a great mission for Jesus - Matthew 28 But the Spirit has a great mission for us - Romans 8 The Spirit wants to conform my character to Christ... I'm 38 years old now. And I'm so grateful for His great work through me. It's a privilege to be a pastor. A high honor. But I'm now so so so grateful for His great work in me. I've come to see that spiritual maturity is not: Learning more Bible Doing more good works Accumulating Church titles Spiritual maturity is when more and more of my pride is broken and I become increasingly controlled and content in the Holy Spirit. I hope my testimony blessed you. Thanks for reading.

Caleb

Lead Pastor

June 19, 2026 • 3 Minute Read

470. Easy or Excellent

Last Sunday, we had to gather online only as the school we rent had an annual event for that weekend. We were notified only a few weeks beforehand, so I quickly searched for potential places to rent, but either the location was too far, or the rate didn't make financial sense. So we settled on an online service, which was actually our last resort. So I had an option. Either use Zoom (which we did last time) or do a livestream. The easy way was to use Zoom. I already have all the settings prepared for the "thought of the week" video recording, which I use every week. Camera and lighting are already set up, and I just have to turn on the computer. But since Zoom cannot reliably stream live music, after talking with Jen, we decided to do a YouTube livestream instead, just like we did in the pandemic. And since I wasn't preaching that Sunday, I felt I had enough time to just work on the livestream. And we decided to set it up in our living room, and also asked the special praise team and the prayer person to attend in person. But the work was much more than expected. We had to move the sofas, bring all the sound gear up from the basement, and set up the livestream gear. Thankfully, my house church members helped a lot with the setup. But trying to refresh my memory and learning about livestreaming all over again took longer than expected. My mind was on it all week, and at one point I found myself asking, "Why am I doing it the hard way?" "Did I make a mistake when I could've easily chosen an easy path?" But that's when I remembered King David's confession. King David made a mistake by performing a census when God didn't instruct it, which caused plague to spread in Israel. Prophet Gad asked him to set up an altar to God at the field of a guy named Arauna and offer a sacrifice there to stop it. When David arrived, Arauna offered to provide everything for the sacrifice. But David refused the offer and said, "I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." (2 Sam 24:24). He paid for the field and oxen required for the sacrifice, and God was receptive to his sacrifice, and the plague stopped. We can sometimes choose the easy path. But there are certain things, at certain times, that we must be willing to pay the price. Choosing what is easy is not always rewarding. But choosing excellence always feels rewarding. And excellence demands cost. As all who joined online already know, there was an issue with sound, and things didn't go that smoothly as I expected. But my heart was still joyful afterward because we chose the difficult but rewarding path. And I believe God was pleased with what we offered to him. And I found it amusing that the sermon was also about excellence. Regardless of our experience, what is important in our worship is that God is honoured, and I believe he was.

Caleb

Lead Pastor

June 5, 2026 • 3 Minute Read

468. Journey over Destination

In life, it is easy to get caught up in getting to a destination. Because the destination is a goal, we associate it with fulfillment. But what I have learned from my Grand Canyon trip last year is that the journey can be as enjoyable as, if not more enjoyable than, getting to a destination. What I enjoyed the most wasn't the Grand Canyon, but driving along the scenic route and taking in the vastness of Arizona. All our life goals are destinations we want to get to. But when we are too fixated on simply "getting" there, we lose all the joy that is available in between. And when the journey is not accounted for, arriving at the destination doesn't feel that fulfilling. We think we are celebrating successful people for making it, but what we are really interested in is "how" they did it. It is true that without being successful, people won't be interested in hearing the story. But we know that what matters is not being celebrated by others, but not being ashamed of the journey we have taken. If the journey was cheating and conceit, the destination matters very little. Exercise is the same. There are many new weight-loss products that promise rapid weight loss. It can be very helpful for those who need clinical assistance. But it is not weight loss that people are after. It is the journey of self-discipline that supports the outcome achieved, giving them confidence that they chose the right path without giving up. The Seed has grown in the last 10 years. As thankful as I am for being where we are today, I am most thankful for the fact that we have taken a principled path, the journey that requires patience and discipline. We've tried hard to establish the house church ministry as we were taught, and we've wrestled with both small and big problems that have arisen along the way. But through it all, we have learned to hope in the unknown, to pray persistently in the midst of silence, and to trust in God's wisdom when our logic said otherwise. It is this journey that I am more proud of than where we are. At this 10th-year mark, I am more excited about the next phase of the journey we are taking than about where we will be in the 20th year. Let’s all enjoy the journey with a great anticipation of what God will do in us and through us.

Caleb

Lead Pastor

May 28, 2026 • 3 Minute Read

467. Baptism Is Just The Beginning

I think many people were touched by last Sunday's baptism. So I want to write a few things about baptism. Many people who have received Christ hesitate to get baptized when asked. It is usually because they feel they don't yet live a decent Christian life and need more time. I understand the sentiment. However, baptism is not the completion of the faith journey but its beginning. It is like a baby being born in a family. No one expects or demands that a baby who has just been born to live like an adult. It is good not to think lightly of the baptism. But if you are on the fence about getting baptized, I want you to remember that baptism is a public proclamation of your “decision” to be more like Jesus, not of your “progress”. Every decision is more likely to be completed when done publicly and with community support. The core idea of Christianity is well expressed in "It is no longer I who live but Christ in me."(Gal 2:20). We can't live a holy life; The only way is to allow Jesus in us to live his holy life through us. And we do so through prayer, reading scripture, corporate worship, belonging in a house church, and various spiritual disciplines. But it all happens after someone receives Christ. So, we don't baptize people who haven't completed the "Gospel Presentation Sessions" (GPS). It is because baptism is a celebration of salvation, not a means of salvation. During GPS, the gospel is clearly presented so that people have logical grounds to receive Jesus and precisely know where they stand with him. As it is conversational, almost all VIPs who come say it has tremendously helped them clarify their faith. There is also time to explain what baptism is. Also, some people hesitate to get baptized because they think they don't have a good enough testimony. Hearing others' dramatic baptism testimonies only seems to confirm that assumption. But people come to Christ through many different ways. Some do so through a dramatic experience, but many receive Christ simply because one or two verses answered their questions. Testimony is simply sharing the grace God has given, whether it is small or big. Some say they hesitate getting baptized because of their fear of public speaking. But I jokingly say that everyone who told me that reason is a liar. They all got up on the stage and shared it so well. I provide a detailed testimony guide, so there is nothing to be afraid of. If we look for reasons not to do something, we can find hundreds of them. Sometimes, the best move is to "just do it" because you might become the reason someone needed to make the same decision.

Caleb

Lead Pastor

May 22, 2026 • 3 Minute Read

466. Kitchen is Off-limits

Last Sunday, there was an incident during KSC shepherds meeting happening at Richland. A few kids climbed kitchen table top and stood on it, and school saw the scene through CCTV footage. As the school stressed not to use the kitchen for health and sanitary reasons for their students, the school expressed great shock upon watching the incident. So they notified us that if any more kitchen related issue happens again, they will terminate the lease. The email came to the facility related point of contact: facility team leader, finance team leader, and myself. We were all shocked to see the footgage, and also regretful that it happened. As it happened even in the presence of kids' parents, we realized preventing this from happening is almost impossible as long as there are kids in the cafeteria. So we agreed that we cannot take any more chances and decided to communicate to KSC to not use Richland building indefinitely. KSC leaders were very sorry, and they understood our decision. We considered putting warning sign and putting some barriers around the kitchen but it would be impractical to do it every single week and looking at the video, it became obvious that kids could easily sneak in anytime even with barrier. Some might feel that it is a too strong of a measure. But boundaries must become stronger for the things we cannot afford to lose and we cannot afford losing our worship space. Richland is located at a location where it is not too far from KSC, located on Yonge street which allows our members to easily use public transportation. Such building is rare to find in our area. So we believe this is the best place of worship for us for now. We have always cooperated with KSC building usage but we realized stronger boundary is now needed. Exact details of the building usage is in discussion but what is for sure is that any KSC meetings that involve kids being present in the building won't happen. This will also impact some children ministry team related meetings, as they involve kids and KSC parents with kids coming to the building as well. It reminds us of the sobering reality that we can lose what is precious in our lives with one mistake, and we must be diligent in protecting what is precious. Any time you see new comer or new youth, please remind them that kitchen is off-limits. But even with this negative news, we can still find what is good about this situation. God makes all things work together for the good of those who love him(Rom 8:28), and that good involves us becoming more like Christ as well, including being a good steward.

Caleb

Lead Pastor

May 14, 2026 • 3 Minute Read

465. The Principle of "Roughly-Thoroughly"

This is translated from Pastor Kwack's pastor blog During my time as an intern-pastor, I spent about ten years making and installing signs. What I learned during that time was the principle of "Roughly-Thoroughly" (대강철저). When you work, there are things that can be done roughly and things that must be done thoroughly. If you do thoroughly what only needs to be done roughly, you waste time and money. Conversely, if you do roughly what should be done thoroughly, it may seem like you're saving time and money at first, but when problems arise later, you end up wasting even more. The principle of "Roughly-Thoroughly" applies in many areas of our daily lives. Whether raising children, managing a household, navigating the workplace, or building relationships, the key is to distinguish well between what can be done roughly and what must be done thoroughly. This principle seems to apply to our life of faith as well. I was taught that the most important thing in the life of faith is relationships — loving God and loving our neighbors. If we neglect the most important relationships in our faith while pouring our energy into everything else, we need the resolve and practice to reorder our priorities. The purpose of the church's existence is to save souls and make disciples. When you think only about the purpose, the direction the church should go seems simple, but the reality of ministry is not simple at all. Amid diverse people and rapidly changing circumstances, it is easy for urgent matters to take priority over what is truly important. If our time and resources were unlimited, there would be no need to wrestle with "Roughly-Thoroughly." We could do as much as we want, care about as much as we want, and invest as much as we want. But reality is the opposite. Time is always short, energy is easily depleted, and resources are always limited. Because of this, it is easy to think that spending more time produces better results and that doing more work means being more faithful. However, the moment we try to do everything well and hold onto everything within our limited time and resources, there is a great chance we end up doing nothing properly. "Roughly-Thoroughly" seems to be less a method for overcoming our limitations and more a wisdom for using them rightly. The principle of "Roughly-Thoroughly" — focusing on what is valuable within limited time and building meaningful relationships with limited energy — seems to be the path to wisely living out the life that God has given us.

Caleb

Lead Pastor

Currently Reading

May 8, 2026 • 2 Minute Read

464. Privilege of being a Resource Church

Our church views it as a privilege to host lay leader seminar. Not all churches can host as there are qualifications required. HC is not taught, but caught. That's why seminar participants not only learn about house church ministry through lectures but through visiting house churches. God is using our church as a resource church. God told Abraham "the Gospel", "I will bless you and all nations will be blessed through you." Many Christians believe getting blessed by God is the best part of being a Christian. As good as that is, the best part is to "be" a blessing. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. Giving is better than receiving. Thankfully, we get to give the blessings of doing church God's way back to those who are seeking to do the same. Total of 25 people attended the seminar. Most of them came from Canada (Montreal, Vancouver) but some from US as well. (Texas and Florida) When I was leading the retreat at waterloo a few months ago, I met one of the seminar participants that stayed in my house 3 years ago. She was new and wasn't even part of house church then, and she said she came because she was pushed to attend. But when I saw her at the retreat, she was serving as a shepherd. At Vancouver pastor's conference last month, the pastor that drove us from airport was the senior pastor of a member who attended our seminar, and stayed in our house 2 years ago. I didn't get to see her but I heard that she was also serving as shepherd. Whether we feel it or not, we are making a huge impact in people's lives and the trajectory of many different churches, by offering this seminar. I send our members to seminar with the same wish, which is to see them inspired to serve as shepherd and become ministry partner. And the church that hosts seminar knows this wish from other pastors, and that is why we prepare with fervent prayer for God to move all participants hearts. Because big change in a church often comes from the change of one person.

Caleb

Lead Pastor

April 30, 2026 • 3 Minute Read

463. The Seed 10th Year Anniversary

The first week of June this year marks the 10th anniversary of our English-speaking congregation, The Seed. Since we are one church with Korean-speaking congregation, we only celebrate Mokmin church's anniversary — but 10 years feels like a significant milestone, so we want to do something special. We are preparing a celebratory program, and also prepare special food and free anniversary T-shirt, to encourage VIPs to attend. We're also planning to take the very first group photo of the entire English-speaking congregation with the new T-shirt on. I'm not someone who typically likes to make a big production of things, but this idea came to me last year while I was envisioning this year's ministry. I'm not someone who looks back often, but I felt strongly that rather than being the only one who remembers how God's grace has carried us through these 10 years, it would be meaningful to look back through the ministry records together with the members of the The Seed. When we're caught up in the busyness of ministry week after week, year after year, it's easy to forget the grace God has given us — but if we take special time to reflect, I believe we'll find ourselves freshly moved by just how great His grace has been. The English-speaking adult congregation first began in 2012. At that time, we held separate services — the first service for adults and the second for youth. However, attendance at the adult service was low and not growing, and even students who had graduated from the youth group felt awkward in the adult service and kept attending the youth service. Around that time, I heard that the English-speaking congregation of Vision Church in Orlando (called "Harvest") was doing Intergenerational Ministry, so I went to observe. I saw a great potential but still didn't have a strong conviction. But I felt like God was nudging me to give it a try — so, in a spirit of obedience, I decided to merged the two ministries in 2016 under the unified name, The Seed. When the two ministries merged, at first I was simply satisfied with the larger worship attendance numbers. But as we continued, I discovered many unexpected blessings. Worshipping together naturally fostered friendships across generations, which helped preserve and pass on the faith heritage — and as a result, we began to see a smooth transition from youth house churches into adult house churches. Currently we have 6 adult house churches, and 6 youth house churches. Growth has not been rapid, but starting from a single prototype house church 13 years ago, the fact that we have grown even this much is something I am deeply grateful for. I hope and pray that through this anniversary service we would experience not nostalgia but strong anticipation in what God could do through The Seed in the next 10 years.

Caleb

Lead Pastor