From Doing Work to Shaping Work

Hello, this is Steve.
It’s been a while since I last shared an update with you.

Over the past several months, I’ve been taking time to reflect deeply on how to share about my ministry.
Because of that, I wasn’t able to send out newsletters as regularly as before.

In the past,
it was natural for me to share stories from the field— personally preaching the gospel, and witnessing the fruit of that work firsthand.

But now, my role has shifted.

Instead of being on the front lines, I am serving in a leadership position—
supporting, guiding, and developing missionaries who are in the field.

As I adjusted to this new role, I found myself wrestling with an honest question:

“Is it right for me to share these stories,
when they are not things I personally accomplished?”

At times, it even felt as though I might be speaking about the fruit of others’ labor as if it were my own.

That made me hesitant, and for a while, I found it difficult to even begin writing again.

In the midst of this,
an image began to form in my mind:

"an orchestra conductor"

In an orchestra, each musician focuses on their own instrument, carefully producing their own sound.

But for those individual sounds to come together as one beautiful piece of music,

someone must step back, see the whole, and guide, connect, and unify the performance.

Reflecting on this image also led me to think about the nature of ministry in Korea.

Often, ministry has centered on faithfully serving in one’s own individual role—
like musicians focused on their own parts.

But there has sometimes been a need for stronger harmony—
for alignment, connection, and shared direction.

Through this, I realized that someone needs to take on the role of

seeing the bigger picture, setting direction, and helping bring everything into alignment.

And I began to understand that this may be the very place God has called me to serve in this season.

So now, rather than standing at the center as a single “player,”

I am serving as a conductor—
helping missionaries flourish in their own calling, so that together, a greater and more beautiful work can emerge.

Currently,
I have the privilege of serving about 100 missionaries across more than 10 countries.

My role is to shepherd and support them so that they can serve in the places God has called them in a healthy and sustainable way.

Because of this shift,
the stories I share going forward
will not simply be about what I have personally done,

but about what God is doing through our team together.

🇰🇷 Ministry in Korea

I’d like to share a bit about what is happening in Korea.

We currently have 14 missionaries serving here, including myself.

If I were to summarize my role in one sentence:

I help build the foundation that allows missionaries to serve in a healthy, sustainable, and effective way.

This includes areas such as:

• Administration
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Leadership development and training
• Fundraising and partnerships
• IT, legal, and labor systems

These are often unseen areas, but they are essential in enabling missionaries to focus fully on their ministry.

A Meaningful Development

One of the most meaningful developments
over the past few years has been

establishing a long-term financial system
for our younger missionaries.

To be honest, in many ministry contexts in Korea,
retirement preparation for pastors and missionaries is often insufficient.

As a result, retirement can feel less like a season of rest and hope, and more like a time of uncertainty and concern.

In such an environment, there is a real risk that ministry can shift from serving out of calling to serving out of necessity for survival.

But God has opened a different path for FCA Korea.

Today, FCA Korea has:

• A structured system with national benefits (insurance)
• A stable organizational framework
• A properly established retirement system

In particular,
for our missionaries in their 20s,

we have implemented a Defined Contribution (DC) retirement plan,
where a set amount is invested each year into long-term global market funds (such as S&P-500–based funds).

This is not just about creating a system.

We have also incorporated financial education and training in asset management,

working over the past 3 years
to build a structure that supports
not just ministry—but life as a whole.

A Tangible Example

To give a clearer picture:

If approximately 6 million KRW is invested annually, with an average annual return of 7%,

this could grow to approximately 560 million KRW (about $400,000 USD) over 30 years.

This is not just about money.

It is about creating a future where our missionaries can finish well—

not with fear, but with freedom, gratitude, and dignity.

Looking Ahead

I find myself looking forward to the next 25–30 years.

These young missionaries,
currently with an average age of 29,

will one day grow into mature, seasoned leaders—

and I hope to see them
pass on their roles to the next generation

with joy, health, and a sense of completion.

And in that day,
I pray that we will truly see

“a generation of ministers who look forward to retirement”
as a reality in our context.

Thank you for walking this journey with me.