Noah Brown: January 2026

A child delivers a letter of thanks and a gift to a veteran. {A.I modified}

Across different cities in South Korea, one pattern quietly repeated itself throughout 2025. Volunteers showed up - not for one-time events, but again and again - responding to real needs in everyday places rooted in consistent service, rather than visibility.

Throughout 2025, the Shincheonji Volunteer Group Daegu–Gyeongbuk Association supported 11,906 people, with a total of 693 volunteers participating across 109 locations, reflecting a strong commitment to public service through consistent field-based action. Services were carried out in several local communities, including disaster and recovery assistance and care for national veterans.

A major portion of the association’s efforts centred on large-scale wildfire recovery. For 61 days, 470 volunteers were deployed to 69 affected sites, where they carried out environmental cleanup and restoration work to help communities recover from fire damage.

Volunteer activities for veterans and their families were carried out over 10 days, with 213 volunteers assisting 604 beneficiaries. These efforts included personal visits, care support, and emotional engagement.

In particular, to mark the 75th anniversary of the Korean War, the Association organised a photo exhibition and cultural performances, helping citizens reflect on the meaning of remembrance and respect for those who served.

Moreover, beyond disaster and veteran-focused efforts, volunteer activities continued throughout the year, adapting to seasonal and community needs. These included:

*️National Liberation Day Taegeukgi display campaigns

*️Year-end blanket donations for vulnerable households

*️Environmental cleanup activities in preparation for the APEC Summit in Gyeongju

Through its 2025 activities, the Shincheonji Volunteer Group Daegu–Gyeongbuk Association highlighted how consistent, action-oriented volunteering can contribute to resilience, remembrance, and public trust at the local level.

Source: https://vo.la/ONUjJlm

No comments

Across different cities in South Korea, one pattern quietly repeated itself throughout 2025.

Volunteers showed up - not for one-time events, but again and again - responding to real needs in everyday places rooted in consistent service, rather than visibility.

Throughout 2025, branches of the Shincheonji Volunteer Group in the Seoul–Gyeonggi and Incheon regions carried out a series of community-focused activities, ranging from large-scale kimchi sharing for veterans’ families to small-business support, senior care, and environmental campaigns.

Rather than a single event, the efforts formed a connected “relay of care”, responding to different needs across communities during the coldest time of the year.

Seoul–Southern Gyeonggi: Expanding Support for Vulnerable Communities

The Seoul–Southern Gyeonggi Regional Association supported 10,810 people in 2025, nearly doubling the previous year’s reach with a reported 98% increase.

A total of 5176 volunteers participated across 251 days, reflecting steady growth in both participation and activity frequency. Services were carried out in many local communities and included:

✦Daily living and emotional support for seniors living alone and people with disabilities

✦Side-dish and kimchi sharing, home repairs, and visiting beauty services

✦Support activities for national veterans

✦Environmental cleanups, plogging, and mural painting

✦Disaster and recovery assistance when needed

Organisers explained that the growth was possible because activities were planned based on local needs and continued on a regular basis, allowing volunteers to provide consistent and meaningful help.

Incheon: One System, Seven Branches, Citywide Impact

In Incheon, the regional association coordinated seven local branches under a unified system, allowing volunteers to work together efficiently across the city.

Throughout 2025:

✦1375 volunteers participated

✦Activities were carried out over 148 days

✦Services reached 3229 residents at 66 locations

Environmental projects included river and park cleanups, plogging, drainage maintenance, and wildfire prevention campaigns timed to seasonal needs. Local residents noted that regular cleanups noticeably improved neighbourhood conditions.

Veterans, Housing, and Care Services

Incheon volunteers also carried out 19 veteran-support activities, including year-end kimchi sharing and public awareness campaigns related to memorial culture.

Housing-related services included 12 mural-painting projects, improving aging residential areas and encouraging resident participation. In addition, 12 elderly grooming services were provided, offering haircuts and personal care while also giving volunteers time to check in and talk with seniors. Some participants shared that these services became something they looked forward to regularly.

Structured Volunteer Models and Future Plans

The Incheon Regional Association organised its work into eight service categories, covering environment, veterans, housing, and care services. Several local organizations expressed appreciation by presenting certificates of gratitude, recognizing the group’s consistent presence and cooperation.

Both regional associations stated that they plan to continue focusing on:

✦Emotional care services

✦Housing and environmental improvement

✦Practical support tailored to local community needs

By emphasising continuity, coordination, and on-site action, the Shincheonji Volunteer Group aims to remain a steady partner to local communities in 2026 and beyond.

A Shared Principle: Consistent Help Where It’s Needed

Across Seoul, Southern Gyeonggi, and Incheon, the 2025 activities shared a common approach - regular, need-based service carried out over time. Rather than short-term events, the focus remained on sustained involvement and cooperation with local residents.

These year-long efforts show how organised volunteer systems can translate participation into measurable impact, strengthening trust and improving everyday life at the community level.

Source: https://vo.la/EkntCCe

No comments

Shincheonji Volunteer Group Masan Branch volunteers pose for a commemorative photo after completing their kimchi-sharing service. {A.I modified}

Across different cities in South Korea, one pattern quietly repeated itself throughout 2025.

Volunteers showed up—not for one-time events, but again and again—responding to real needs in everyday places rooted in consistent service, rather than visibility.

Throughout December 2025, branches of the Shincheonji Volunteer Group in the Busan–Gyeongnam region carried out a series of community-focused activities, ranging from large-scale kimchi sharing for veterans’ families to small-business support, senior care, and environmental campaigns.

Rather than a single event, the efforts formed a connected “relay of care”, responding to different needs across communities during the coldest time of the year.

Sharing Kimchi with Veterans’ Families

One of the central activities this winter was a large-scale kimjang (kimchi-making) service for veterans and bereaved families.

In early December, volunteers from the Busan–Gyeongnam regional coalition and affiliated branches prepared and delivered 2.2 tons of kimchi (400 boxes) to 16 veterans’ organiwations across Busan and Masan. The recipients included disabled veterans’ associations and widows’ groups of fallen soldiers.

Later in the month, volunteers in Masan continued the effort, preparing an additional 1.2 tons of kimchi, which was delivered to veterans’ groups and seniors living alone. In recognition of this sustained support, the local veterans’ association presented the Masan branch with a certificate of appreciation.

Veterans’ representatives shared that the service was meaningful not only for the food itself, but for the respect and remembrance it conveyed.

Supporting Local Markets and Small Businesses

With local economies facing continued pressure, volunteers also focused on revitalizing neighbourhood commerce.

In Geoje, around 70 volunteers visited the Okpo traditional market as part of a shopping-support campaign. Volunteers purchased goods directly from merchants and distributed over 100 hand warmers, offering encouragement through both action and conversation.

In Busan’s Saha District, another group of volunteers took a more playful approach. Dressed as “secret Santas,” they visited 42 local shops, delivering small gifts such as towels and offering words of appreciation for business owners who had endured a difficult year.

Merchants shared that the visits provided emotional encouragement at a time when foot traffic and sales were declining.

Caring for Seniors and Promoting Environmental Awareness

In Yangsan, volunteer activities focused on senior care and environmental responsibility.

At a local community centre, volunteers hosted a year-end gathering for seniors as part of the “Baekse Manse” programme. The event included music, games, and small gifts, creating a festive atmosphere ahead of the holidays.

Earlier in the month, the same branch held a carbon-neutral awareness campaign in recognition of International Mountain Day. Volunteers encouraged residents to adopt small, practical actions to reduce environmental impact, emphasising that sustainability begins with daily choices.

Service Shaped by Local Needs

What connected these varied activities was not scale alone, but attention to context. Each branch focused on needs specific to its community—veterans, seniors, shop owners, or environmental awareness—rather than applying a single, uniform programme.

Volunteers emphasised that their goal was not short-term visibility, but continuity: returning to the same neighbourhoods, listening to local voices, and responding with care that fits the situation.

A Different Kind of Year-End Warmth

As the year came to a close, the Busan–Gyeongnam volunteer efforts showed how community trust is built through repetition, presence, and sincerity.

In cold weather and uncertain economic conditions, the warmth that reached these communities did not come from grand gestures, but from practical help delivered at the right time—one box of kimchi, one market visit, one conversation at a time.

Source: vo.la/xM8tv88

No comments

Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (hereinafter referred to as Shincheonji Church of Jesus) declared its commitment to fulfilling its mission as a Bible-centred believer living in this era by testifying to the biblical truth.

On the 31st December, while leading the New Year's Eve service at Shincheonji's Yeongdeungpo Church, Chairman ManHee Lee announced the slogan for 2026 as "The Year of Fulfilling Our Duty." He also urged the congregation to testify the word of Revelation to believers according to the Bible and make this year a year of fulfilling that duty.

The Chairman explained, “The biblical way of saying goodbye to the old year is not simply to see off one year and welcome a new one, as is the world’s standard,” and “From a religious perspective, saying goodbye to one (religious) era and welcoming a new (religious) era is the way to see off one era and welcome a new one, and from God’s perspective, this is even greater.”

He said, “In Revelation chapter 6, an era ends with the falling of the sun, moon, and stars, and in Revelation chapter 7, a new era begins with the sealing of the 12 tribes and the creation of the 12 tribes.” Chairman Lee added, “The 12 tribes sealed in Revelation chapter 7 have appeared in the world, so the good times of Songgu Youngshin (a common idiom meaning 'letting go of the old year and welcoming the new year') have come.”

He also said that the Book of Revelation records God's promise to bring eternal life through the Tree of Life during the time of Songgu Youngshin.

Chairman Lee said, “God said that He is with the 12 tribes in Chapter 7 of Revelation, so if we belong to the 12 tribes, we can also attain eternal life,” and criticised Protestant and Catholic pastors who slander Shincheonji Church of Jesus, saying, “Because they don’t know this properly, they say that when they die, they will go to heaven.”

He continued, “These 12 tribes are also the tree of life that bears 12 kinds of fruit each month, as recorded in Revelation 22,” and testified, “God made a promise to use this tree of life as medicine to heal the world and achieve the hope of eternal life.”

Chairman Lee emphasised, “Shincheonji, which has mastered the Book of Revelation, is the very embodiment of the Twelve Tribes and the Tree of Life.” He added, “Only the Tree of Life can save those who cannot enter heaven by adding or subtracting from the Book of Revelation. Therefore, we must fulfil the duty of this Tree of Life.”

Finally, he repeatedly emphasised, “Let us spread this light (word) to the whole world,” and “Let others see, hear, and understand this light so that they can come under the light and become part of God’s family.”

No comments

About me

Follow Us

Labels

recent posts

Blog Archive