Global News

Preaching Festival Awards Ceremony, the First Half of 2022

As the COVID-19 pandemic was easing out and daily life was being restored, the members of the Church of God became busy. They diligently preached the gospel of the kingdom, the news of salvation, to all their loved family, acquaintances, and neighbors, whom they had not met for a long while. In the month of June, the Church of God was filled with the heat of the gospel, hotter than the heat of early summer. On July 3, Preaching Festival Awards Ceremony for the First Half of 2022 was held at Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute. It was organized to settle the gospel results of the first half of 2022, during which gracious gospel results were reaped through the two preaching…

South Korea

Jul 3, 2022

Church Dedication Service at Six Churches in the Metropolitan Area

In May, four new temples were dedicated to God; and in June, six churches in Suwon, Incheon, Gimpo, Dongducheon, and Namyangju enjoyed keeping dedication services. The Sabbath worship services along with dedication services were held at the Homaesil Church in Gwonseon, Suwon, and the Gwanggyo Church in Suwon on June 11; at the Yeongjongdo Church in Incheon, and the Janggi Church in Gimpo on June 18; and at the Jungang Church in Dongducheon and the Byeolgaram Church in Namyangju on June 25. Mother looked around every place of each church before the start of worship services and praised the hard work of all the members, saying that She could feel the members’ wholeheartedness in every corner of each church. Mother…

South Korea

Jun 25, 2022

Dedication Service of the Churches in Sejong, Yuseong, Deokyang, and Samsong, Korea

Despite a long period of social distancing due to COVID-19, the number of members increased steadily throughout the world. In Korea, the dedication ceremonies of four churches were held in May. The Sejong and Yuseong Churches held dedication services in the afternoon and evening (Third Day worship) each on May 17; and the Deokyang and Samsong Churches held the dedication services together with the Sabbath afternoon and evening worships on May 21. At the long-awaited news of dedication, the members welcomed it with joy. The congratulatory messages from nearby churches and prominent people from diverse fields were lined up. Mother prayed that tens of thousands of blessings would be bestowed upon the members who had worked hard to build a…

South Korea

May 17, 2022

Special Lecture for ASEZ by Vice Minister of Environment, Ecuador

Environmental pollution and climate crisis are the biggest issues of the international community in the 21st century. On May 5, in the seminar room of the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple in Korea, a special event was prepared for university students who are interested in global environmental issues and government officials who are promoting national policies for environmental conservation. This is the "Special Lecture by the Ecuadorian Vice Minister of Environment" held by ASEZ, the university student volunteer group of the Church of God. More than 700 university students from ASEZ in the metropolitan area, and officials from the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador participated in the lecture. Ecuador’s Vice Minister of Environment, Bianca Dager Jervis, who stood at the podium,…

South Korea

May 5, 2022

Sacred Assemblies of the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Day of Resurrection 2022

The Church of God has been carrying out various volunteer services for neighbors in the global village, based on the love of Christ. Christ’s love and salvation are contained in the seven feasts in three times, which start with the Passover every year. The Sacred Assembly of the Passover 2022 was celebrated in the Churches of God throughout the world on the evening of April 15 (the 14th day of the first month according to the sacred calendar). With the COVID-19-related restrictions being gradually eased and amid rising expectations for restoration to normal life, the church members participated in the feast, hoping that all people would receive God’s blessings by keeping the feast, as they had passed through a long…

Apr 15, 2022

ASEZ Honored With UNCCD Executive Secretary Award

The World Mission Society Church of God University Student Volunteer Group [ASEZ] was awarded the UNCCD Executive Secretary Award on June 17. ASEZ took part in the virtual choir competition to mark the 10 Years of Changwon Initiative, and received the highest award. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification [UNCCD] is a convention signed by the international community on June 17, 1994, aiming to prevent desertification caused by indiscriminate development, and to help the areas affected by desertification. In this Convention, 194 countries have joined, and its secretariat is located in Bonn, Germany. In 2011, the UNCCD COP 10 was held in Changwon, Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as Korea), and it adopted the Changwon Initiative which contains…

South Korea

Jun 17, 2022

Ascension Day Service & Sacred Assembly of the Day of Pentecost 2022

The members of the early Church, who had witnessed the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, delivered the truth of life and the hope of salvation to all people, being deeply moved and filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The book of Acts records that 3,000 to 5,000 people were added to the number of disciples at that time (Ac 2:41; 4:4). The members of the Church of God all around the world attended the Ascension Day Service (May 26) and the Sacred Assembly of the Day of Pentecost (June 5), hoping that the blessings of the Holy Spirit would be poured out in a more powerful way to lead all people to salvation in this age.…

Jun 5, 2022

Messiah Orchestra Concert for the Passover 2022

Just like a flower announces spring that has come after a long winter, a special event was held to present comfort and hope to the people around the world, exhausted from the long pandemic. On March 27, which was fifteen days before the Passover, the "Messiah Orchestra Concert for the Passover 2022" was held at the Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute. The concert was broadcast live to 64 countries as a video conference program through the outside broadcast van. The Church of God interpreters provided simultaneous interpretations in 28 languages including English, Spanish, German, French, Hungarian, Chinese, Hindi, Vietnamese, Telugu, etc, so that it can help audience enjoy the performances. The event was held twice at 11 a.m. and at 5…

South Korea

Mar 27, 2022

Online Summer Student Camp 2021

It has been a year and six months since the coronavirus pandemic was proclaimed. In the prolonged contact-free era, not only adults but also teenagers are suffering from uncertainty. As the path of communication has narrowed significantly due to school closures and social distancing, quite many students complain about anxiety, sense of deprivation, and depression, and there is a raised concern that people are losing the ability to communicate and empathy, and that they will have difficulties in building relationships with other people. The Church of God held an online summer camp for middle and high school students, following the online winter camp. The camp helped the students feel stable emotionally and presented the correct direction of life to them.…

Aug 1, 2021

The Church of God Holds the 3rd Bible Webinar

A time like a gift to comfort the hearts of those who are weary in life has come. On November 21, the Church of God held a Bible webinar. In a time when individuals feel isolated and alienated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Church of God communicates with neighbors through various online events such as “Happy Webinar for Workers.” The Bible webinar was held for the third time this year at the Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute in Korea by filming the event and broadcasting it in real time. The Church of God members all over the world watched the webinar with their family and friends while adhering to preventive measures. A total of about 4,000 people in Korea accessed…

South Korea

Nov 21, 2021

ASEZ and ASEZ WAO Honored With Green World Award and Green Apple Award

ASEZ, the Church of God University Student Volunteer Group, and ASEZ WAO, the Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group won the Green World Award and the Green Apple Award in succession. These two awards are the international environmental awards organized by the Green Organisation—an international environmental nonprofit organization in the United Kingdom. Established in 1994, these awards annually recognize and reward outstanding environmental practices globally, spanning both private and public sectors. The evaluation process considers nine criteria, including environmental benefits, innovation, and sustainability of the activity. The Green World Award, an extension of the Green Apple Award, is particularly esteemed, reserved for organizations that excel across all criteria. Due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the…

U.K.

Nov 15, 2021

Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles 2021

Despite continuous disasters, incidents, and accidents, including the coronavirus pandemic which has been lasting for almost two years now, the Autumn Feasts in which God’s blessings are promised came as they always do every year. The feasts of the third time among the seven feasts are the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles; and the representative feast name of them is the Feast of Tabernacles. The Churches of God all around the world spent busy days, carrying out a large-scale movement of repentance and the Holy Spirit Movement, commemorating the Feast of Tabernacles. From the Feast of Trumpets to the Day of Atonement On October 7, the Feast of Trumpets, the first feast among…

Oct 7, 2021

‘Worldwide Blood Drive to Give Life Through the Love of the Passover’ Was Held Over 1,000 Times

Blood supply shortage continues due to the decrease of blood donors since the COVID-19 pandemic. Adhering to the guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19, the members of the Church of God in and outside Korea are donating blood in groups with the mind to cherish life. On June 20, the 1,000th “Worldwide Blood Drive to Give Life Through the Love of the Passover” was held in Zimbabwe, Africa. On the 23rd, the 1001st blood drive was held in Peru, South America. The members in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, donated blood at the National Blood Service in Bulawayo; and the members in Ilo, Peru, donated blood at their church, supported by Ilo Hospital and Ilo Health Network Center under the Ministry of…

Jun 20, 2021

Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group [ASEZ WAO] Carried Out Volunteer Services in the First Half of 2021

Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group from the Church of God [ASEZ WAO] carried out regular volunteer services this year, too. Over 5,000 man-days were spent on carrying out rounds of volunteer services to clean up the world environment and share love with neighbors in the midst of bleak situations caused by COVID-19. In some regions, they contributed to protecting the environment and making regional development with organizations who promised to cooperate during previous activities. No More GPGP COVID-19 drastically increased the use of disposables, which put the environment at risk. ASEZ WAO has been carrying out the awareness-raising activities to pick up indiscreetly thrown away plastic trash and reduce the use of plastics, through plastic reduction campaign “No More GPGP.”…

Jun 6, 2021

University Student Volunteer Group [ASEZ] Launched a Campaign for World Environmental Day

June 5 is World Environmental Day. The Church of God University Student Volunteer Group [ASEZ] launched a campaign, “The Cost,” for World Environmental Day. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the serious consequence that the earth and mankind must pay for daily consumption. Synthetic fibers, which are commonly used as clothing materials, emit 5.5 kg more greenhouse gas than natural fiber per T-shirt, accelerating climate change. Textile dyeing plants use 20,000 chemical substances, and the industrial water discharged at this time accounts for 20 percent of the world"s industrial water pollution. Microplastics and fibers released by a single domestic wash of a T-shirt threaten the marine ecosystem. It takes at least over 200 years for a shirt to decompose…

Jun 5, 2021

Ascension Day & Day of Pentecost 2021

When the Israelites were freed from Egypt in ancient times, they crossed the Red Sea through the mighty power of God. Forty days after the crossing of the Red Sea, God commanded Moses to come up to Mount Sinai and showed him His will. Ten days later from then, Moses went up Mount Sinai again to receive the stone tablet of the Ten Commandments. The work of Moses is a shadow of the work of Jesus. Jesus showed Himself to His disciples for forty days after His resurrection, and on the fortieth day, he went up to Heaven from Mount of Olives. Watching Jesus’ resurrection and ascension with their own eyes, the disciples were greatly moved and dedicated themselves to…

May 23, 2021

The Church of God Holds ‘Happy Webinar for Workers’

The non-contact era arrived by the outbreak of COVID-19. Direct meetings and gatherings have decreased, and communication barriers have been raised. Although the number of people who are neglected in society is likely to increase, it does not necessarily mean that there is no way to gather together. Thanks to online communication tools, we can communicate even without contact, being less constrained by time and space. The Church of God held the “Happy Webinar for Workers” to bring happy energy to families, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. The word webinar is a blend of web and seminar. This webinar is an online version of the “Happy Seminar for Workers” that was launched in 2018. The “Happy Webinar for Workers” was held…

South Korea

May 19, 2021

The Church of God University Student Volunteer Group, ASEZ, Take Part in the Wildfire Recovery Efforts in Rep. of South Africa

ASEZ members in Cape Town, Rep. of South Africa, conducted wildfire recovery efforts. On April 18, a fire broke out at Table Mountain in Rep. of South Africa, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The fire was put out in four days amid strong winds, but 600 hectares of forest were burned, and nearby eleven structures, including six buildings of University of Cape Town [UCT], were damaged. The Church of God members are moving out the crates filled with material, lining up in a long line at UCT Library that has been damaged from a wildfire. On April 29, when the firefighting was completed to some extent, ASEZ members took part in recovery efforts for the damaged…

South Africa

Apr 29, 2021

Cleanup Movement for Earth Day

Every year, April 22 is Earth Day. This year, the Church of God members all around the world carried out environmental cleanups in each country to raise environmental awareness. About fifty members of the Church of God cleaned the streets in Kamana and Khaimah, Arequipa, Peru. Taking every preventive measure against COVID-19, they picked up trash on the streets and removed illegal advertise on the walls and utility poles. On hearing this news, the district office of Khaimah provided cleaning tools and protective equipment for the coronavirus. The head of district Khaimah took part in the cleanup and delivered a certificate of appreciation to the church. In the U.S., the Church of God University Student Volunteer Group, ASEZ, helped out.…

Apr 22, 2021

The Sacred Assemblies 2021 of the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Day of Resurrection

As COVID-19 enters its second year, the sense of alienation and despair each individual feels due to isolation has worsened. However, hope is bound to bloom in the midst of trials just as spring comes after a cold winter. The Passover, which is celebrated every year, contains hope and promise like spring sunlight: the forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life. The Sacred Assembly of the Passover was held in 175 countries around the world on March 27 (the 14th day of the first month by the sacred calendar) at evening. The members of the Church of God all around the world celebrated the Passover online at home with their family members or individually while strictly adhering to COVID-19 prevention…

Apr 4, 2021