Dear Theophilus Archive: Dec. 2000

Coming to Emmanuel

I have been attending Emmanuel Church for about five years now, but I still vividly recall my less-than-ideal first impression of the church.

I grew up in rural Maryland where I was the only Korean graduating in my high school. Then I went to a small private college in Lancaster where I was one of two Korean students in my entire class. Coming from such a background, I was pretty shell-shocked when I first stepped into the sanctuary of Emmanuel in the fall of 1995. Could there really be so many Koreans-young Koreans at that-in one place? Even the pastor looked like a college student! After the initial shock wore off, I felt extremely overwhelmed and lost in the crowd. I especially felt lonely and disoriented in the sea of people down in the fellowship hall. I did not know anyone nor did I stand out. Until now, I had always stood out as one of the few Asian people in a crowd. I usually consider myself an outgoing person, but I did not even know where to begin in this situation. Sadly, that was my first and last visit to Emmanuel Church for some time.

It took me one full year and a marriage (i.e., a companion) to return to the church to give it a second try. After Erik and I got married in the summer of 1996, we started searching for a suitable church that we could attend regularly. Initially, I refused to go back to Emmanuel. The memory of feeling lost and overwhelmed was still too fresh. But we finally decided to give it another try that summer. Erik and I started attending Sunday services and then decided to join a small group. We joined the married couples Bible study group. As we started to build friendships within the small group, I began to feel more comfortable with the church and the congregation as a whole. An empowering sense of ownership for the church began to grow within me. Through the small group, we were able to grow and begin to reach out to the congregation as a whole.

I believe my initial experience is not an unfamiliar one to many who attend Emmanuel for the first time, especially around late August and early September. I have heard many mention the commotion as one reason for not wanting to attend Emmanuel. This unique feature of Emmanuel-the enormous influx of new incoming students around late August and early September-is just one of the ways that Emmanuel is different from the traditional American church. And while the excitement of such a large crowd of people of the same age and ethnicity can be energizing, it may also be overwhelming to many newcomers. I was one of them.

Though such external factors should not deter one's spiritual walk, I believe fellowship is an important building block in spiritual growth, and feeling lost in a crowd is not very conducive to a sense of fellowship. So, if you are new to this church and are feeling a bit lost, what should you do to make friends and experience the fellowship of believers at Emmanuel (without waiting a year and marrying someone to come to church with)? For starters, the welcoming café offers an opportunity to meet people in a smaller setting, as well as information about the church. Go there. See who's there. See what this place is all about. Then join a small group. I did not feel like a part of the church until I joined a Bible study group. That was where I was able to truly get to know people, develop friendships, learn to fellowship in Christ, and grow as a Christian. The church also offers many opportunities to serve through different committees. Volunteer. Join a group of people working toward the same goal and building friendships along the way. Start taking ownership by putting effort into the workings of the church. Lastly, pray for the church, for God to give you courage, and for God to open up opportunities. I believe that the love and friendship I found here can be discovered by anyone willing to put in the effort.