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Dear Theophilus Archive:: July 2001Alumni Column :: Relationships in NYCBy Helen Kim
I found out that living and working in New York City, it's not easy to get involved in the local church. No one is constantly checking on you or keeping you accountable. Rather, you find yourself getting involved because you make the time to get involved, and more importantly, because you want to get involved. It wasn't easy for me to get involved in church again. However, God has recently been showing me that a true fellowship is often as important as my own relationship with Him. In such a big city, people pride themselves in their independence and individuality. However, I've realized that we are just needy individuals. I was depending solely on my relationship with Him, and I began to sense that I needed my brothers and sisters to continue this race.
New York has become the city for many "Emmanuelites," and it is always good to meet with our fellow brothers and sisters to see how God is watching over us. The strong foundations and relationships that have been laid in college have allowed us to challenge one another to keep one another accountable.
This article appeared in the July 2001 issue of Dear Theophilus
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I just wanted to give you a brief testimony of what God has been doing in my life as well as several other alumni in the City of New York. I think that the majority of people would say that the first couple of months out of college are usually very difficult. Having to readjust the free lifestyle that we enjoyed in college to one that seems so routine and regimented in the working world was very difficult. My life had changed so much from being completely engrossed in ministry and involved in the church to adjusting everything around my work schedule. However, a key lesson that God taught me while working was to treasure my own personal relationship with Him.
Recently, God has opened opportunities for me to get involved in the body through the Remnant Church. Just as West Philly has become such an integral part of Emmanuel's ministry, God is using the Remnant to reach out to the people of New York City. Several of the alumni, Sarah Lim, C.aland.ra Pa.rk, Jason Ro and myself have gotten involved in a new contemporary service at the Remnant called Come and See. Come and See is an evening service led by Pastor Vince Truong (from Del Cordero) to cater to newcomers and to many second generation Asian-Americans who have strayed away from the church. God has blessed Remnant with a new building to provide an environment where people feel welcome and unthreatened. By getting involved in the church, God has opened my eyes once more to see how big His heart is - especially for this city. It's really exciting to see Him move in people. I'm sure the other alumni would agree with me when I say that we've been growing in our faith by having the privilege to serve in this manner.
