Who is Pastor Samuel?

New Life's incoming associate pastor, joining full-time with his wife. He has ministry experience in Japan, the US and Korea. Pastor Young got to know him over the past year, including over dinner in Korea. He describes him as experienced, sharing a similar heart for ministry, valuing pastoral care and not just preaching, and seeing ministry as a calling rather than a job.

How old is Pastor Samuel?

Pastor Samuel is 35 years old.

Does Pastor Sam have kids?

No, currently it is just Pastor Samuel and his wife Eunjung.

Which Bible college did Pastor Samuel attend? How does he align theologically with our congregation?

Talbot School of Theology and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. We have discussed theological alignment at length, and have come to recognise a great similarity in the way we consider theology and submission to the local church presbytery. Where there exists difference, I believe we will benefit greatly from deep discussions and reflections. Otherwise, I see no cause for concern theologically.

Similar questions

• "Where was Pastor Samuel trained?"

What particularly inspired the hire of a second New Life pastor? Why not allocate Pastor Samuel to PG2 full time?

The hire of a full-time Associate Pastor for New Life has been sought out for many years, as it is not possible nor sustainable for one pastor to minister to this great number of people. Pastor Samuel applied to be a part of New Life, and so cannot just be allocated to a different ministry.

When will Pastor Samuel arrive?

TBC. The hope is late November or early December. Timing depends on his visa, housing and relocation, and he'll need time to settle into Sydney. The initial target was early November.

What will the roles and duties be for the associate pastor?

Similar to Pastor Young's, with Pastor Young leading on many things. They'll pastor, preach and teach together, including at PG2. Specific expectations will be set out after he arrives. Pastor Young asked the church to invite him into their lives and treat him as they would Pastor Young.

Similar questions

• "What would the role of the associate pastor look like?"

Will the three NL pastors be preaching at PG temporarily until we find a pastor, or will it be ongoing?

Pastor Young and Pastor Samuel will preach — there are two New Life pastors, not three; Steve is an intern. It's temporary: until a more permanent PG2 pastor is hired, or the Session decides otherwise.

Will the pastors only be responsible for the preaching at PG2, or is this including the behind-the-scenes pastoral care (i.e. pastoral oversight for ministry events, prayer nights)?

At the moment, it is only the preaching at PG2, until otherwise directed by the Session. However, there are many overlaps within pastoral ministry where pastoral care will naturally take place.

Similar questions

• "What does it mean for New Life to be looking after PG2 now?"

• "Does pastoring PG2 include preaching & mentoring, or just preaching?"

• "Does that mean Pastor Young and Pastor Sam will be taking on higher duties for PG2 (e.g. pastoral care, going to PG2 camps, etc.)?"

• "Would pastoral care for PG2 be fully coming from New Life, or would Pastor Kim still be in the picture?"

When will taking care of PG2 start from? Will that be at the beginning of next year?

TBC. The current understanding is when Pastor Samuel arrives, hoped to be late November or early December.

Is PG2 budget also absorbed into New Life? I ask as I'm curious whether then we won't have a separate PG2 pastor. It feels like we have an additional pastor, but capacity for Pastor Young remains full.

No. The budgets stay separate, and PG2 isn't under New Life's control; New Life is taking on the preaching. On capacity, Pastor Young agreed his is full. He's building a roster of who preaches where each Sunday, aiming for something sustainable, and expects a clearer picture over the coming months.

Similar questions

• "Is PG2 finances going to be part of New Life finances as well?"

When we eventually find a permanent pastor for PG2, would this also be covered by the New Life budget? How about other ministry expenses for PG2?

The search for a permanent PG2 pastor is a responsibility that rests on the Session of Saesoon. As such, this also will not be covered by the New Life budget, nor will any other ministry expenses for PG2.

Will New Life's ministries also be closely involved with PG2? E.g. discipleship, training, etc. What will that look like?

It would be a natural step to have closer involvement ministry-wise with PG2, but currently we are unable to confirm whether this will take place, or what it might look like.

If we are also given more responsibility towards PG2, should we also be serving more towards that area as older brothers and sisters?

Generally speaking, it would be great to see greater proactivity when it comes to serving all across the church. We would love to see more people serving in PG2 as older brothers and sisters in faith. We would also love to see everyone taking part in the ministries of New Life.

Would there be a training process for new and future PG2 teachers in the sign-up and joining process?

Ideally, we would like to consider PG2 teachers in a similar way to Life Group Leaders, and therefore would like for training to come under the same umbrella. We are exploring this possibility, along with what it would look like to provide Bible study material in the same way that Life Groups receive them.

Will the PG teachers have the opportunity to be discipled/theologically equipped? Similar to Life Group Leaders training?

We would love to introduce this, but are not able to confirm this as of yet.

Will there be a possibility of combining a service for PG2 and New Life?

Due to a spacing issue, this is not currently viable, unless we meet in Saesoon Hall. However, a timeslot is not currently available for this.

Similar questions

• "So is New Life and PG merging?"

Will PG2 sit in our services?

No, PG2 will continue in a separate service for senior high school. However, we hope to introduce further opportunities for Year 12s to visit New Life's service.

Will there be separate PG1 and PG2 services then?

Yes.

Similar questions

• "So will PG1 and PG2 be splitting? And when would this start to take place?"

• "Does that mean PG1 & 2 will have separate services, or is that unconfirmed/getting figured out?"

What about PG1?

Pastor Young said this isn't his to answer. PG1 is expected to come under Pastor Dowan Kim of the Sunday School ministry, but the arrangement is still being worked out. Questions can go to the church's elders.

Similar questions

• "What about the PG1 children?"

• "How about PG1?"

• "Would the pastors and intern be in charge of PG1, or will that be separate?"

• "What would it practically look like for New Life to only take in PG2 and not PG1?"

• "Could you expand more on New Life being responsible over PG? Also, is this for both PG1 and PG2?"

Will support for PG also be shared with other parts of Saesoon? Sometimes it seems like we are often stretched for life group leaders, as our members truly value PG, and it has a high level of commitment.

PG as a whole still remains a Saesoon ministry, just as New Life does. Support for PG will continue under Saesoon. There does remain a high level of commitment, but often the responsibility over younger people carries extra commitment to ensure discipleship of the next generation.

To clarify, all New Life ministry expenses and P Young & P Sam's salaries will now come from New Life's tithes?

Yes. The Session still approves New Life's budget, which also includes a contribution towards Saesoon's facilities and shared costs.

Does that mean KM will no longer be funding any part of NL's budget? But still be funding rent? Are there any other expenses that we aren't aware of? How much more do we need to give to maintain?

KM will not be funding any part of New Life's budget. We will be giving 10% of all of New Life's tithes and offerings to KM.

On the subject of financial stewardship — does New Life not receive enough to be self-sufficient? Did we always receive help from KM? How has this changed, and what did/do our tithes go into?

We have had enough to cover one pastor's remuneration at the current payscale, and all of the ministry budget as we have been allocated since 2021, and have grown year-on-year since then. We now have enough to cover two pastors’ remuneration at a more modern payscale, along with a small stipend for our Ministry Intern, and ministry budgets. 

The way that the tithes and offerings work at Saesoon has always been the same — that we all give into one Saesoon account, and it gets allocated into various "buckets" (i.e. staff remuneration, missions giving, ministry budgets, mortgage).

Similar questions

• "Compared to our funds support we get now outside of New Life, in a percentage estimate, what is the difference with just New Life?"

Based on last year's expenses, are we tithing enough to cover ministry expenses (including pastoral salaries), including the budget? If not, what would be the impact on New Life activities?

Only just. Based on last year's giving, there's just enough to cover everything planned, with little room for surprises. Ministry directors are looking at trimming budgets, and the hope is that giving grows as finances become more transparent. For detailed figures, ask KK (Kevin Kim, New Life team leader).

What happens if the funds from our own ministry's tithing does not suffice its own expenses?

TBC in detail. The aim is to match spending to income and track it through the year, so there are no surprises. The New Life Finance Team, drawn from a range of financial backgrounds, has modelled giving staying flat, falling about 15% and rising about 15%. If giving falls short of forecast, the likely first step is deciding what to cut first. If something drastic happened, New Life might need outside support; that is also still to be confirmed.

Similar questions

• "Does the budget of New Life only consist of our tithing? If so, what if there is not enough tithe to cover all our expenses?"

How is the New Life budget bottom line expected to change with these new financial responsibilities?

Right now it covers ministry expenses with little to spare. If everyone who regularly attends gave regularly, there would be substantially more to work with. Pastor Young said New Life's giving has grown greatly over six years, but not everyone gives regularly or proportionally. He doesn't track who gives, and framed giving as a spiritual discipline that needs the Holy Spirit's help.

Does this mean we should be tithing more than now to keep New Life running?

Tithing is about more than just keeping the lights on and continuing our operations as a church. It is about the discipleship of our hearts. We will need to talk more on this.

Similar questions

• "As NL changes the way they do finances, will you be requiring NL to tithe more?"

• "How much do we need to tithe to be able to be self-sufficient?"

• "Approx. how much per person should each person at NL be tithing to be financially sustainable?"

What should be the absolute minimum that an individual should tithe to cover their expenses (meals, etc)?

No set number. No one should give to the point of going without food or into debt. Pastor Young suggested reviewing your income and spending, noticing what your spending says about your heart, and setting aside your giving first before allocating the rest. He offered to talk it through in person.

If it is tied more to our tithing, how come this doesn't also to some extent influence how we would like the finances to be used? E.g., how much it goes to salary vs ministry if there's an increase.

This does extend to influence the way finances are used. Previously, all giving went into the one Saesoon account, to be allocated separately. This does not always give the clearest picture of ministry needs at the granular level, as larger ministries that need to utilise finances in different ways are not able to be agile as needs change throughout the year. However, with this change, we hope there will be a greater ability to utilise the finances well, responsibly, and wisely.

What is one thing New Life is planning to do differently under the new finance model?

While it's a bit early to discuss big changes, it would make sense to get some structures in place that are future-oriented. As our giving grows, so does our budget for New Life. This will enable us to see what we can do within our ministries, ensure that we are remunerating our staff correctly, open up the possibility of further staffing and pipelines for ministry internships — there are many possibilities, but it will require prayer, careful analysis and planning, and approval from the Session.

Similar questions

• "Practically, how would this look like applied in the future?"

Will you hold regular finance updates?

New Life's Finance Team would like to hold regular finance updates.

Will there be visibility and transparency in New Life's finances, i.e. how are we travelling in terms of budget, pledged vs non-pledged giving?

This is something for the New Life Finance Team, but it is likely with regular finance updates.

Is there also a plan to conduct an audit of NL's finance expenditure?

This is under the New Life Finance Team, and has already been completed for 6 years running.

Would this give opportunity for more ministry fundraisers within NL to help with finances?

This is something that must be explored, because there is currently a church-wide decision in place to remove Sunday fundraising. We would likely have to look at other days for fundraising, along with the rest of Saesoon.

The budget would include children's ministry also?

Yes, Children's Ministry remains a New Life ministry, and is thus covered under our budget.

I'd like to better understand what Saesoon is expecting from us in terms of contribution. Since many of us in NL aren't comfortable communicating in Korean, how would you suggest we get involved?

Approach it with humility on both sides. Pastor Young relies on a translator app in Korean meetings himself, and the tools are better than a few years ago. If a Korean-speaking senior said they wanted to help but didn't speak English, you'd welcome them and work it out together. The Korean Ministry side mainly asks two things: join in what they're doing, and help with the next generation — for example by serving across Saesoon's ministries (FG, KG, PG and others), not only within New Life.

With the new pastor coming, would there be a new people training course for those who are new to church?

That's the hope, probably alongside a membership process. First, the pastors need to settle how they'll work together across New Life and PG2, and what the workload is.

Will we see ongoing sessions that help new Christians discover more about Christ? Such as introductory sessions?

We will first have to see what the workload looks like once Pastor Samuel joins, and we begin working together for New Life and PG2. But we would love to have this, and would love to have our members take part in this type of evangelistic effort.

Down the track, would there be opportunities for leaders to be trained theologically to be better equipped to disciple and mentor?

It's wanted regardless of the new hire. Since the previous vision a few years ago, New Life's discipleship has grown in breadth, but not necessarily in depth. Training depends on capacity and on doing it sustainably.

Will there be any changes to New Life's service structure? (Other than a new pastor)

The service structure itself will not change, as we have maintained the New Life liturgy as we have known it.

Any chance you can tell us more about the potential church plant?

We do not currently have concrete plans for a church plant. This was one of the vision items, but it was specified that this was a very long term vision goal, and we weren't sure when this would take place. One aspect of preparation is in the shaping of our community culture and individual character, that would make us into a church that could plant in the future.

What are Pastor Young's prayer points as we welcome Pastor Samuel?

For Pastor Samuel's visa, which must be approved before he can enter the country, his housing and the timing of the move. And for humility and unity between New Life and Saesoon. Pastor Young said both sides tend to assume and whisper, often out of fear about the future. New Life asking for more responsibility can be heard as "we don't need you", which isn't the intent.

Similar questions

• "With this new information, what can we as a congregation pray for?"

• "What are Simon's prayer points for this change and welcoming Pastor Samuel?"

How do you feel about this change, Pastor Young? How can we pray for you in this changing time? Are you okay?

I think this is quite a positive change, and I'm approaching it with great hope for the future that we are joining with God in building for our children's generation. I pray we will be able to plant seeds that will grow into trees that will give shade and fruit in due time. I tend to overthink and overplan, and am trying to find rest in God rather than drive myself crazy with all sorts of hypotheticals and contingency plans. Please pray that I can do this, and I can trust in the Lord's work. Please pray also for our church, that we can focus on what God is doing, rather than injecting our own views for what is best for the church.

Similar questions

• "How can we be praying for you and the (new) pastoral team?"

• "As a church, how can we be praying as this new change comes? For both yourself, Pastor Young, and Pastor Samuel"