The Church of God’s Community Service Activities

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The Aurah supporters cheer for the athletes at the 2002 Busan Asiad Main Stadium.
The Aurah supporters cheer for the athletes at the 2002 Busan Asiad Main Stadium.

The Church of God carries out community service activities around the world, regarding mankind as a global family. The activities for the peace and happiness of humanity are carried out in all parts of the world, transcending countries, races, and ideologies. Based on the love of God the Father and God the Mother, members from all over the world join together with a united mind to help with disaster relief, poverty and hunger alleviation, and hygiene support. In addition to this, members take part in activities promoting well-being, educational support, environmental preservation, and supporting COVID-19 prevention efforts. Support is given, depending on the needs of each country. The church conducts efficient and systematic activities by cooperating with governments, organizations, and people from many different fields. By 2023, the Church of God has carried out more than 29,000 official volunteer service activities.

Overview of Community Service

On this earth created by God, all people live on it like one family. Industrialization brought remarkable developments in all fields such as telecommunications, sanitation, medicine, and aviation. Despite the many developments, mankind is still threatened by wars, hunger, various disasters, and diseases. One billion people suffer from food shortages,[1] and natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, and droughts cause even more severe damage due to climate change caused by global warming. New infectious diseases like COVID-19 are also sweeping the globe and impacting many lives. Mankind desperately needs a helping hand as they are suffering from materialism, individualism, and selfishness.[2][3]

Goals and Vision

Goals and Vision
Goals and Vision

What is most needed in this world is true love. God the Father and God the Mother, who showed examples of abundant sacrifice and love for the happiness and salvation of mankind, taught us, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[4] and “Be the salt and light of the world.”[5] Following Their teachings and examples, the Church of God carries out global humanitarian activities to create a bright future for 8 billion people around the world. These activities focus on life-saving efforts, human rights protection, environmental preservation, and harmony of humanity. All the members practice love for humanity, based on family love, for the global village so that families, neighbors, and the global village can be harmonized to achieve sustainable peace and happiness.


● Ideology

Mother’s love is the source of happiness
What mankind needs the most today is the love of a mother: giving love, a heart for looking at things beautifully, a broad heart like the sea, a heart of gratitude, the mindset of an owner, a heart of compliments, a heart of serving, and a heart of conceding to others. Just as a mother’s love, care, and sacrifice bring forth a family’s peace and harmony, when the global village, which is suffering from disasters and conflicts, becomes filled with mother’s love, mankind can gain peace and happiness.

People’s change can change the world
The smallest unit that makes up human society is a person. When a person changes, his family, community, and even the world can change. With the love of a mother who is the central figure in a family, we encourage each person to make a positive change, so that through their change, the world can be changed and become happy together.

Present Status of Community Service Activities by Field

Sharing Love With Neighbors for the New Year’s Day 2022
Sharing Love With Neighbors for the New Year’s Day 2022

The activities performed by the Church of God are broad, including emergency relief, poverty and hunger alleviation, health and hygiene support, water and sanitation, promoting well-being, educational support, environmental preservation and other areas. Recently, the church has been making more efforts to support pandemic prevention as the world has been suffering from COVID-19. These activities are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs], a list of common goals to support the international community.[6] These SDGs are the agenda that the international community has resolved to achieve by 2030 at the UN General Assembly. It is composed of 17 goals and 169 targets for the sustainable development of mankind under the slogan “Leave No One Behind.”[7] The Church of God is working together to achieve the UN SDGs by carrying out various activities in each country. For this, the church plans forums, seminars, and signature-seeking campaigns in order to draw people into participation and raise their awareness.[8][9]

*Church of God’s Contribution to Communities
Emergency Relief Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger
Health and Hygiene Clean Water and Sanitation
Promotion of Well-Being Educational Support
Support for Local Community/Nation Support for Family/Neighbor Communication
Environmental Conservation Support for COVID-19 Response 
The 2018 ASEZ Global Forum held at the Church of God in Faucett, Peru: Officials from the [https://unlirec.org/en/ United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean [UNLIREC and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities [UNFPA] participated in the forum.]]
The 2018 ASEZ Global Forum held at the Church of God in Faucett, Peru: Officials from the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean [UNLIREC] and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities [UNFPA] participated in the forum.

As of 2023, the Church of God has carried out more than 24,200 activities around the world by 2023. The Headquarters in Korea and the local churches around the world work closely together to quickly support areas in need. Members from all age groups, which include housewives, workers, college students, and teenagers, actively participate. Government agencies and public offices—city hall, ward office, and welfare offices welcome their volunteer services and spare no effort in cooperating.

From street and park cleanups to helping underprivileged neighbors and national disaster relief activities, the Church of God’s volunteer services are diverse and timely.

Emergency Relief

Volunteer service to recover from the Nepal earthquake in 2015
Volunteer service to recover from the Nepal earthquake in 2015

The Churches of God around the world make efforts to save the lives of people who have been affected by accidents and various disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, hurricanes, and heavy snow. In 2014, the church set up a free meal camp for those who were grieving due to the Sewol ferry sinking, and kept it open until the end. They not only took care of the victims’ families, but also public officials, volunteers, and media workers by providing meals for 15,000 people for 44 days.[10] When a great earthquake struck Nepal in 2015, the church members took the lead in lifesaving and recovery efforts, risking the aftershocks, and delivered food by helicopter 14 times to isolated residents in high areas.[11]As a school was destroyed by the earthquake, the Church of God reconstructed the school building through the Mother’s School Campaign for the students who were continuing their studies in temporary tent classrooms. In July 2015, the Church signed an MOU with the Ministry of Education of Nepal for the reconstruction of schools damaged by the earthquakes and established Mother’s Schools I and II in Sindhupalchowk and Kavre respectively.[12]

“ When we were in a very difficult situation due to the earthquake, the Church of God came to the site of the earthquake earlier than the government of Nepal and any other organizations and set up a school. I am happy thanks to the Church of God’s support and love for the students and their parents. “
— Rudra Hari Bhandari, Head of Education Dept. in Sindhupalchowk, Nepal [13]

Health & Well-Being

Members in Busan area participate in the blood drive.
Members in Busan area participate in the blood drive.

One of the representative activities for health and hygiene that the Church of God is carrying out is blood drives to save lives. To date, more than 1,000 blood drives have been held; approximately 203,100 people participated and 85,700 participants successfully donated blood. Considering that one person’s blood donation saves the lives of three people, it is equivalent to saving the lives of 255,700 people. This activity clarified myths and brought awareness in each country about the importance of donating blood and helped support the blood supply shortage.[14]
In addition, former and current medical workers in Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia visited vulnerable communities in disaster-stricken areas to provide them with dental treatment, medical procedures, emergency treatment, comprehensive checkups, prescriptions, and other medical support. The church is carrying out various activities for the health of people around the world.[15][16][17][18]

Response to COVID-19

The Church of God delivers donations for the prevention of COVID-19.
The Church of God delivers donations for the prevention of COVID-19.

Because of COVID-19, the whole world is suffering from the pandemic and is putting more effort into social and economic support, including pandemic prevention. In Korea, the U.S. Brazil, Peru, Ghana, and Malaysia, the Church of God donated pandemic prevention supplies—face masks and hand sanitizers not only to vulnerable communities and public offices such as police and fire stations, but also to government agencies, local governments, and medical and educational institutions. The church also constantly makes donations to support the living expenses of vulnerable communities.

In Korea, the church urgently donated 30,000 face masks (KF94) to Daegu city, which was declared a special disaster area, and donated 230 million KRW to Korea Disaster Relief Association for disease prevention.[19] In Mongolia, the church donated 18,000 face masks to the Ministry of Health and fire stations, and gave donations and food to local governments for people in need. The church delivered 966 sets of encouragement gifts to medical institutions and government offices, 657 sets of groceries to vulnerable communities in Argentina, and provided 160 temporary lavatory facilities and disposable towels to 77 public schools in Ghana. In Venezuela, church members walked 5 kilometers to donate water to people suffering from water shortages amid severe economic difficulties. ASEZ University Student Volunteer Group and ASEZ WAO Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group of the Church of God encouraged medical staff and public officials, who are on the front lines of COVID-19 prevention, by delivering handwritten, heartfelt letters and snacks to them through the Cheer Up Campaign and the Heart-to-Heart Project. They also provided vulnerable communities with face masks, daily necessities, and living expenses.[20][21][22][23]

Clean Water & Sanitation

The Church of God also contributes to improving sanitation which worsens due to severe water shortages worldwide. The church installed nine water pumps in Cambodia for those who were suffering from water-borne diseases due to insufficient drinking water caused by drought or environmental pollution.[24]

Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger, and Well-Being Promotion

Volunteer services for neighbors are carried out throughout the year. The church helps their neighbors by volunteering at welfare facilities and helping farmers, which are important activities to support local communities. The church members visit short-staffed farmers living in the area where the church is located, and help them with sowing and harvesting, pruning, and thinning fruits to reduce their anxieties. Their hands are also of great help to countries with a large proportion of the agricultural and dairy industries, such as India, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Mongolia. In Cambodia, where rice is mainly grown, they help short-staffed farmers plant crops; and in Mongolia, where farmers prepare for livestock giving birth in cold weather, the church donates work gloves to livestock farms.

Educational Support

Character education for youths during summer 2017 at the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple in Korea
Character education for youths during summer 2017 at the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple in Korea

The Church of God provides support for growing children and adolescents by donating school supplies, rebuilding disaster-stricken schools, and improving school facilities.[25] The church also provides opportunities for foreign students to experience Korean culture, including Hangeul (Korean language) education. By organizing events for students such as character education and volunteer activities with their parents and friends, the church helps them build up their character and improve their social skills.[26]

Support for Community and Nation

Aura Supporters’ flashlight performance for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2003 Daegu Summer Universiade
Aura Supporters’ flashlight performance for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2003 Daegu Summer Universiade

The Church of God’s activities transcend national boundaries, race, language, and culture and have contributed to the friendship and unity of people around the world. The church organized Aurah Supporters to carry out activities such as cheering for each country’s athletes, interpreting, and welcoming them at international competitions such as the Busan Asian Games, the Busan FESPIC Games, the Universiades in Daegu and Gwangju, and the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup, contributing to the success of the competitions. The activities of sharing warmth and love across national borders became an example of transnational peace and unity. In addition, the church supported various international events, expanding cultural exchanges, and helping to achieve communication and harmony between countries.[27]

Support for Family and Neighbor Communication

The Church of God’s community service activities positively affects the promotion of happiness and communication among individuals, families, and communities. In this age when family and generational conflicts are intensifying, the church holds exhibitions such as the ‘Father’s True Heart’ Exhibition and “Our Mother” Writing and Photo Exhibition, promoting family love and harmony. The church’s Orchestra Concert and Seminars for Workers provide comfort, rest, and empathy to the neighbors who were exhausted from their busy lives.

Due to the non-face-to-face daily routine caused by COVID-19, the church gives comfort and hope online to people around the world. The church’s Happy Webinar, held under the theme of family happiness and cheering workers, was attended by many families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers, comforting their weary hearts. As of April 2022, more than 740,000 mobile letters were sent through the Flower Letter Campaign, conveying heartfelt messages with beautiful flower pictures. The Media Cast website provides various videos such as “Stars in the Desert” and “Exhibition ON” which feature the Church of God’s introduction, animations, and instrumental music in about 60 languages.

Environmental Conservation

The Church of God has carried out environmental cleanups more than 9,000 times in many regions and countries to preserve the global environment. The church has had more than 790,000 people participate, contributing to raising a sense of global community and awareness of environmental protection. ASEZ WAO, the Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group, carried out the No More GPGP (Reducing Plastic Use) Project around the world, and it was also introduced as the participation of civil society in the 2021 P4G Seoul Summit, and received attention from all walks of life.[28]

“ The Church of God has helped the underprivileged, given joy to the elderly in many nursing homes, and opened a new chapter by improving the urban environment. This group (the Church of God) truly engenders happiness. “
— Paul Denby, an examiner when the Church of God received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service from the U.K.[29]

Global Partnerships and Recognition

Global Partnerships

General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol from the Church of God delivers a speech at the UN CERF High-Level Conference. (Data provided by the UN Web TV)[30]
General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol from the Church of God delivers a speech at the UN CERF High-Level Conference. (Data provided by the UN Web TV)[30]

The United Nations [UN] invited General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol to the 2016 Central Emergency Response Fund [CERF] High-Level Conference and highly praised the Church of God’s charitable and volunteer activities around the world. Pastor Kim Joo-cheol attended the conference and promised to continue to cooperate with the UN in his speech. In 2010, General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol visited the UN Headquarters in New York and delivered a donation of $100,000 to the UN CERF to help Haiti, which was damaged by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. During General Pastor’s visit, the UN suggested forming a partnership with the Church of God.

For details, refer to: Pastor Kim Joo-cheol From the Church of God Gives a Speech at the United Nations and The Church of God Donates to the United Nations
“ There is so much poverty and hunger around the world. We hope that the Church of God and the UN will work together from now on. From the United Nations’ perspective, you can actually make a difference. “
— Amir Dossal, Executive Director of the United Nations Office of Partnerships at the time of donation for Haiti earthquake victims in 2010 [31] 
ASEZ Conference with Futurist Jerome C. Glenn
ASEZ Conference with Futurist Jerome C. Glenn

The Church of God has been carrying out regular activities in various fields such as environmental protection and disaster relief in cooperation with governments, local authorities, organizations, and people from all walks of life for the bright future of the global village. ASEZ, the church’s university students volunteer group, has conducted activities in 168 countries and with 226 civic groups and international organizations.[32] At the 2018 ASEZ Climate Change Response Conference, Duberli Rodriguez Tineo, who served as the Supreme Judge of the Judicial Power in Peru, visited Korea and gave a lecture. In June 2019, futurist Jerome C. Glenn, the CEO of The Millennium Project, attended the ASEZ Conference and discussed the sustainable future with university students.[26] Jerome Glenn promised to give generous support and feedback by promoting the activities of ASEZ members online.[33]
More than 57,000 people from many different fields, including Ban Ki-moon the former UN Secretary-General, and Robert Huber the Nobel laureate in Chemistry agreed to support and cheer on the volunteer activities of the Church of God young adults.[34]

Awards Received

Presidential Group Citation, Medal of Merit, and Presidential Citation awarded to the Church of God by the three governments of the Republic of Korea
Presidential Group Citation, Medal of Merit, and Presidential Citation awarded to the Church of God by the three governments of the Republic of Korea

The Church of God has received more than 4,600 awards, including the order of merit, citations, and certificates of appreciation from many countries in recognition of its wide range of social contributions. The church received the Presidential Group Citation, Medal of Merit, and Presidential Citation from three governments of the Republic of Korea and received The President’s Volunteer Service Award (Gold: highest honor for a group) 48 times from the U.S. In 2016, the Church of God in the U.K. received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, which was unusual for a religious group, which gained attention from the media at home and abroad. The Church of God has also won The Green World Award and The Green Apple Award, international environmental awards, for carrying out environmental protection activities around the world.[35]
Local governments such as the Atlanta City Council in the U.S., Municipality of Huancayo in Peru, and Municipality of Esmeraldas in Ecuador issued proclamations or resolutions commending the activities of the Church of God. The cities of Denver, San Diego, and Charlotte in the U.S. have established anniversaries related to the Church of God to raise members’ spirits and encourage citizens to participate in volunteer service.[36]

External links

Related videos

  • Church of God’s Community Service

References

  1. ↑ A World of One Billion Empty Plates, reliefweb, September 23, 2022
  2. ↑ Does a money-is-all attitude cause alienation? A cross-cultural comparison of Korea, the US and Sweden, Sunwoo Kim, Wiley Online Library, September 5, 2014
  3. ↑ Individualism in the United States: A Transformation in American Political Thought, Stephanie M. Walls, Bloomsbury, February 26, 2015
  4. ↑ "Matthew 22:39".
  5. ↑ "Matthew 5:13-14".
  6. ↑ 17 Goals to Transform Our World, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS, UN
  7. ↑ Leaving no one behind, United Nations
  8. ↑ "ASEZ Global Summit 2019: A Quantum Leap for Change towards Zero Crime". ASEZ.org.
  9. ↑ ASEZ Proposal for UN SDGs, ASEZ.org
  10. ↑ "[World Mission Society Church of God] They were there where pain was". The DongA Ilbo. July 14, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Warm Support to Overcome COVID-19, Making Brighter Future in Global Community". Woman DongA. February 1, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Completion Ceremony for Shree Bhawani Primary School Building in Nepal". English WATV.org. November 28, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Humanitarian Work Came From Mother's Heart". Shindonga. February 2, 2017.
  14. ↑ "'Worldwide Blood Drive to Give Life Through the Love of the Passover' Was Held Over 1,000 Times". WATV.org. June 20, 2021.
  15. ↑ "The Church of God in Mexico City, Mexico, carried out a volunteer medical service with the "love of Mother"". English WATV.org. July 8, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Healing Even the Hearts of Local People with Love". WATV NEWS. December 23, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Sharing Medical Heart with Mother's Love". WATV NEWS. December 27, 2012.
  18. ↑ "For Those Who Need Mother's Love". WATV NEWS. December 30, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Church of God Supports and Gives Hope for "Global Family" in Africa". Monthly Chosun. April 14, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Church of God's Active Support for COVID-19 Masks Across Korea". The DongA Ilbo. July 9, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Church of God Supports with COVID-19 Response in Peru, Venezuela, Nepal and Other Countries". Maeil Business Newspaper. July 2, 2020.
  22. ↑ "3.3 Million Church of God Members Talk About the 'Path of Hope in Our Global Village'". Shindonga. January 3, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Church of God Donated 30 Million KRW as 2nd Donation to Hope Bridge to Overcome COVID-19". JoongAng Sunday. November 2, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Donated 9 Water Pumps to Cambodia Kandal's Region with Water Shortage". WATV NEWS. December 31, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Building Completion Ceremony of Shree Primary School in Nepal". English WATV.org. March 2, 2016.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "World Mission Society Church of God Opens the Age of 3 Million Saints on 55th Anniversary". Shindonga. June 7, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Setting an Example for the World with Humanitarian Work". Weekly Donga. March 13, 2018.
  28. ↑ "[Religious Topic] Church of God Young Adults Call Themselves as "Enivronmental Evangelists" with Confidence". Monthly JoongAng. June 17, 2021.
  29. ↑ ""Mother's Heart," The Secret of Global Communication". Monthly Chosun. August 14, 2019.
  30. ↑ Video: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k14/k142otatsh
  31. ↑ I Support the Church of God, WATV.org
  32. ↑ "Church group that cleans up Old Trafford wins International Environmental Award". News4Trafford. November 17, 2021.
  33. ↑ ASEZ Conference with Jerome C. Glenn, ASEZ.org, May 19, 2019
  34. ↑ "A Step to World's Happiness for Family, Neighbors, and Whole Mankind". Weekly DongA. January 16, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Church of God members win Int'l environmental awards". The Korea Times. November 24, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Proclamation of the Church of God Day". WATV.org.
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