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In addition to participating in Saint Mary Way at Santa Maria Junior High School on October 11, 2025, for faith development, I am also active in church ministry activities. I have been a member of the GII HOK IM TONG CICADAS church since around 2015 or 2016, so it has been quite a long time. My active involvement in various forms of ministry only began in 2024, specifically when I was in eighth grade. Through this ministry, I learned to take responsibility and socialize within the faith community. Both experiences I mentioned, the Saint Mary Way and my service at church, have equally shaped my spiritual journey. 

Serving in the Church is a noble calling to worship. Every service performed, whether as a liturgy officer, choir member, or other part of the congregation, helps build the community of believers. By serving, we not only give our time and energy, but also learn humility and cooperation. This experience teaches us that the church is the body of Christ, where every member needs each other. Furthermore, church ministry is a concrete means of developing the talents and gifts that God has given us. Ultimately, through this simple ministry, we participate in manifesting God's love for others and deepening our personal relationship with Him. 

Before becoming a youth congregation member like I am now, a few years ago, I was a member of the general congregation, where most of the members were older than me, and that situation made me feel quite awkward. In the general section, I was less active in serving because I didn't really understand how to actively contribute in that section. However, every time I worshiped, I still tried to open my heart to learn more. But I slowly realized that spiritual growth requires a process that is not short. I believe that God sees my heart's desire to continue to grow.

As time went by, I was no longer a member of the general congregation, but rather the youth group!

I joined the youth group in 2023. At first, I thought that being a member of the youth group would be boring, but it turned out to be the opposite of what I had thought. In the youth group, we are encouraged to be more active in serving God at church. At GII HOK IM TONG, the youth group has a community called “Arise,” created so that members can be more active in serving, such as being ushers, singing, and participating in the offering. However, unfortunately, I did not join in the ministry at that time because I didn't know much and was still very afraid to socialize. 

After 2023 passed, 2024 arrived. In 2024, I began to actively serve in the church. My duties included distributing offering bags to the congregation. The red and blue offering bags symbolized the congregation's surrender and gratitude to God.

Through these offerings, the church is able to support various spiritual activities, fun events, and the maintenance of the house of worship. I, who serve in this area, am called to do so with respect and gratitude, because they are handling something that is consecrated to God. Not only do I hand out offering bags, but I also take turns standing at the church entrance to welcome congregants as they enter the church. At my church, we are commonly referred to as “Ushers.” The warm greetings and sincere smiles from the ushers on duty create an atmosphere of hospitality and acceptance from the very first step. This service is not just about handing out songbooks, but more about embodying the love of Christ that welcomes everyone. And ushers are called to be the first face of the church that reflects the joy and care of the congregation as God's family.

From beginning to end, even when I was serving, I gave my whole heart to God. I never once felt burdened or forced to serve God. Perhaps at first I felt a little afraid of things that hadn't even happened yet, but I tried to fight that fear and I succeeded. During my time as a youth church member, I also got to know many different people. Over time, all the church members now feel like family because every week we do something called CGC. In CGC, each of us shares our activities and tells stories about things we want to share from the past week, so we come to understand each other. Finally, I am deeply grateful and have no regrets whatsoever for still being given the opportunity to serve God with all my heart.