Awards Ceremony for the 9th Annual American Youth Identity Search and Filial Piety Essay and Drawing Contest

The Biblical filial piety of the Hyosarang Mission Society is a campaign of Biblical filial piety. It involves seeking the question, "Who am I?" before God, and, like many of our predecessors in faith, being persuaded by God to live as His children and people. It also involves revering God, honoring our parents, who were chosen by God to give birth to us and raise us with love, and living according to His Word. This faith allows us to experience the joy of being unshaken by any worldly circumstances or conditions, as we abide in God's unconditional grace and love. The 9th Annual American Youth Identity Filial Piety Essay and Drawing Contest, held this year, was presented with awards, encouragement, and challenges by Representative Michelle Steel Park and Representative Young Kim, both members of the House of Representatives. These two representatives from our Korean community are inspiring our students with a sense of identity and courage as Korean Americans. The event was especially meaningful as it focused on the theme, "What if we boast about our families in faith?" It was a time to share the lives of families who worship, read, write, and meditate on the Word, and practice loving neighbors. The contest was open to students from kindergarten through 12th grade across the Americas for one month from April 18th to May 18th, and the excellent works submitted were judged by professional judges and awarded prizes as a reward for the hard work and challenges of all the youth.

The first part of the opening service began with an open praise by Pastor Kwon Sang-wook of Grace Korean Church. Pastor Park Yong-il and Hannah Park, who teach the Bible Panorama program at Hyosarang Mission, moderated the event, and Pastor Nam Seung-woo, leader of the Bible Reading School, gave an opening prayer. Evangelist Paul Lim of Westminster Abbey, through Acts 2:36-41, proclaimed the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the guarantee of the everlasting covenant, reminding us of the grace of God who has given us the promise of salvation. Pastor Kim Young-chan, who serves as the representative of Hyosarang Mission, welcomed the participants, stating that the future of the United States is unpredictable and that future generations will face a very fast-paced and evil era. In these times of crisis, we must recognize our responsibility to pass on healthy families and societies to our children. We must recognize that families are the foundation of our nation, and we must practice healthy, biblical filial piety. And the congratulatory address was given by Pastor Sim Sang-eun, the president of the OC Church Association, and by Pastor Yoon Woo-kyung, the president of the OC Christian Mission Association, followed by a congratulatory address by Pastor Lee Yong-hoon, the vice president of the OC Pastors Association.

The second part of the awards ceremony began with a celebratory performance by saxophonist Calvin Park. The essay section was followed by comments from the chair of the judging panel, Lana Min, and the illustration section, artist Jeong Sook-hyun. In the essay section, they commented on how the entries demonstrated how much the participants possessed their identity as children of God in God's love, how each family learned God's word and lived in faith. They also said that our families of faith expressed God's powerful power. In the illustration section, judge Jeong Hyun-sook said that all the entries were strongly inspired by the Holy Spirit to praise God, long for God's word, and live in faith even during the pandemic. She said that the entries creatively portrayed the theme of the week, "What if we boast about our families in faith?" Next, ABC USD Education Chairperson Soo Yoo (유수연) said that this year's "Hyo, Essay and Drawing Contest" by Hyosarang Mission has helped Korean-American students in the US to become spiritual leaders of the future Christians, and she is grateful for all their hard work. All 57 youth participating this year received certificates and prizes in the following categories: Encouragement Award, Judge's Award, Popularity Award, Scholarship Award, Excellence Award, Grand Prize Award, and Service Award. The 24 Encouragement Award winners in the drawing category and the Popularity Award in each category were presented by Chairman Yoon Woo-kyung, and the 13 Encouragement Award winners in the writing category were presented by Chairman Jeong Jae-young of the OC Elders Council. The Judge's Award winners went to three winners in the drawing category and two winners in the writing category from out of state. The Scholarship Award winners were presented by CEO Hannah Park Haven Education Group, and the Excellence Award winners in each category were presented by Elder Kim Jung-bae, Chairman of Hyosarang Mission. The two grand prize winners in each category and the grand prize winner in each category were presented by the President of the OC Council of Churches, Sim Sang-eun, and Pastor Young-chan Kim, president of Hyosarang Mission. Furthermore, as Congresswoman Michelle Steel Park was unable to attend due to a congressional schedule in Washington, D.C., Pastor Young-chan Kim, president of Hyosarang Mission, presented the awards on her behalf. Finally, ninth-grader Grace Kim, the grand prize winner in the essay category, recited her testimony of a life of spiritual blessings, where her family was restored and she found joy through Bible meditation, prayer, and worship, drawing an enthusiastic response from the audience.

Now, as we look forward to the 10th Hyo, Essay and Drawing Contest in 2023, we give thanks for the grace with which we were able to conclude the awards ceremony with the advertisement of Pastor Kwak Jae-pil and the closing prayer of Pastor Jeong Chan-gun, and we give all glory to God.

All members of Hyosarang Mission Church