This photo exhibition, which was prepared to convey the scenes and emotions of the '100,000 Graduation Ceremony of the 12 Tribes of Shincheonji: Class 114 of Zion Christian Mission Center' held at Daegu Stadium on the 12th of last month, was attended by church members, citizens, including journalists, local figures and pastors.

Shincheonji Chuncheon Church made it possible for visitors to vividly perceive the magnitude of the graduation ceremony and the emotions from that day. The photo exhibition displayed the signing of MOUs, which has the revealed Word from Shincheonji taught to respective church congregations worldwide, the 100,000 Graduation Ceremony as reported through global press, the mass cards performance depicting the reality of the fulfilment of the prophecy in the Book of Revelation, and a variety of photos that exhibit volunteer activities that have become a light in the local community.

An official from Philip Tribe said, “The 100,000 Graduation Ceremony Photo Exhibition has become a meaningful event where misunderstandings and prejudices are resolved through communication with citizens.” He added, “We at the Philip Tribe of Shincheonji Church of Jesus will continue to carry out various cultural activities that can be shared with local citizens.”

Meanwhile, Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, produced 103,764 graduates in 2019 and 106,186 in 2022, followed by 108,084 graduates in 2023, holding its third 100,000 graduation ceremony this year. Currently, 399 churches and seminaries in South Korea and 9194 churches in 79 countries overseas have signed an MOU with Shincheonji — and this number continues to grow.

These are the impressions of local resident Young-soo Kim (pseudonym, 50 years old) who attended the '100,000 Graduation Ceremony Photo Exhibition & Year-End Invitation' held on the 4th floor of Shincheonji Guri Church (Head lecturer Chang-hoon Kang), Seoul James tribe, of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, on the 22nd and 23rd December.

He went on to say, “Seeing this photo exhibition is not the end. After listening to the sermon, I hope to go to next year's graduation ceremony and become a Shincheonji graduate.”

In addition to Mr. Kim, those who attended the photo exhibition gave successive favourable reviews and changes in perception.

Politician Cheol-soo Kim (pseudonym, 50, male, Guri City, Gyeonggi Province), who attended the event on the first day, said, “I'm honoured to have met the members of Shincheonji, which held the 100,000 graduation ceremony, in a safe and orderly manner.”

Pastor Cheol-gyu Kim (pseudonym, 70, male, Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province), who attended the event, said, “I was surprised to see so many young people with a passion for faith, able to preach the Book of Revelation better than me. It was a time for me to reflect my own faith once again.”

This photo exhibition, which was prepared to convey the scenes and emotions of the '100,000 Graduation Ceremony of the 12 Tribes of Shincheonji: Class 114 of Zion Christian Mission Center' held at Daegu Stadium on the 12th of last month, was attended by about 400 believers and citizens, including journalists, local figures and pastors, over two days.

At the site, more people and citizens than expected lined up to view the photo exhibition, providing a glimpse of the changing perception along with interest in Shincheonji, which is growing rapidly every year.

Shincheonji Guri Church made it possible for visitors to vividly perceive the magnitude of the graduation ceremony and the emotions from that day. The photo exhibition displayed the signing of MOUs, which has the revealed Word from Shincheonji taught to respective church congregations worldwide, the 100,000 Graduation Ceremony as reported through global press, the mass cards performance depicting the reality of the fulfilment of the prophecy in the Book of Revelation, and a variety of photos that exhibit volunteer activities that have become a light in the local community.

The open house invitation, which was held in conjunction with the photo exhibition, consisted of a visual documentary of the 100,000 Graduation Ceremony of Class 114 of the Zion Christian Mission Centre, an opening performance, an introduction to Shincheonji, and head lecturer Chang-hoon Kang's lecture on 'The Growth of Shincheonji According to God's Purpose'.

On that day, Shincheonji Guri Church introduced the online and offline Zion Christian Mission Centre introductory, intermediate, and advanced courses that anyone with an interest in God, the Bible, and the Book of Revelation can participate in, explaining that the reason for Shincheonji's rapid year-on-year growth is the Bible.

Meanwhile, Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, produced 103,764 graduates in 2019 and 106,186 in 2022, followed by 108,084 graduates in 2023, holding its third 100,000 graduation ceremony this year. Currently, 399 churches and seminaries in South Korea and 9194 churches in 79 countries overseas have signed an MOU with Shincheonji — and this number continues to grow.

Thanks to Chungju citizens’ voluntary environmental clean-up work, the area around Danyang County, North Chungcheong Province, has been transformed into a pleasant area.

On the 26th December, the Chungju Branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group  (Director Jae-jun Oh) carried out its ‘Green Nature’ environmental clean-up activity in the area of Danuri Aquarium in Danyang County.

Green Nature strives to pass on beautiful nature as a legacy to posterity, including wetland conservation activities, environmental clean-up to protect major facilities and cultural assets, environmental disasters recovery, environmental protection public interest campaigns, and creation of flower paths in illegal waste dumping areas. This is the volunteer work of Shincheonji Volunteer Group.

About 50 members of the Chungju branch participated in this volunteer service as part of the environmental cleanup.

The volunteers were divided into two teams and started from the dock of Danyang Lake cruise ship, passing through Danuri Aquarium and Byeolgok Intersection, and moving 3km to the cruise ship, including Jungang District University and Danyang Primary School, picking up about 300 litres of waste.

Despite the cold weather, the Chungju branch worked hard through environmental clean-up work, and nearby shop owners and citizens also expressed their gratitude.

A citizen who observed the volunteer work of Chungju Branch repeatedly said, “Danyang is a tourist attraction, so many tourists come here, so a lot of waste is inevitably generated, so I am really grateful that they came to Danyang and participated in environmental clean-up activities.”

Volunteer Mr. Kim said, “I was very moved when I came to Danyang and saw the beautiful scenery, and I felt proud to see that the Danyang area was clean just by adding a small touch. I hope it will be helpful to Danyang citizens.”

An official from the Chungju branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group said, “We carry out volunteer work to protect the environment not only in Chungju but also in nearby areas, and we decided to carry out this activity with the thought that it would be good for the neighbouring city of Danyang to become green as well.” He added, “We will continue to do our best to protect the future environment together.”

An elderly person at the Seongnae 1-dong senior citizens centre, who received Christmas hair services from the Gangdong branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group, hugged a volunteer and said this.

On the 21st December, the Gangdong branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group visited the senior citizens centre in Seongnae 1-dong (neighbourhood), Gangdong district, Seoul and began volunteer work for the ‘Beautiful Seniors’ project. Seven volunteers participated that day.

Beautiful Seniors is a volunteer activity of Shincheonji Volunteer Group to support a healthy and happy retirement for the elderly under the slogan, ‘One beautiful day is beautiful enough.’

This volunteer activity exuded warmth as volunteers showed up in Santa costumes to celebrate Christmas. After having their hair cut, senior guests took pictures with volunteers dressed as Santa.

A beneficiary of the hair service said, “I've a year-end meeting in the evening, so I’m glad I can now go with my hair done beautifully.” Expressing his gratitude, he said, “I’m thankful that I can come here every time and have my hair cut beautifully. I’m just waiting for the day I have my hair cut.”

Volunteer A said, “Even though it was cold, many senior residents remembered the day we first met and have come. I was actually encouraged to see how happy they were after receiving the treatment.” She said, “They put chocolate in my hand as an expression of their thanks. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”

Volunteer B said, “I was grateful to be able to smile brightly with the senior guests while wearing a Santa hat, volunteering to provide a hairdressing service, singing songs, and smiling brightly with the seniors. I was grateful that they greeted me and I told them I would continue to see them in good health next year.”

An official from the volunteer group said, “We were worried because of the cold weather, but were grateful that the seniors contacted us first, asking when we would be coming.” He added, “The seniors’ bright appearance after having their hair cut was beautiful. We will spare no efforts to ensure that they do not lose that smile in the future.”

Meanwhile, after completing the hairdressing service, the volunteer group bowed and presented rice cakes an expression of gratitude and good health, creating a warm atmosphere.

The Seongnam branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group held the ‘European Flower Design-Christmas Wreath Making Event’ to celebrate the end of the year on the 21st December.

This event was part of a quarterly companion plant donation service to the Seongnam City Association of Persons with Disabilities, and was planned to promote emotional wellbeing through plants by making Christmas wreaths using fresh flowers.

The lecturer on that day was the director of the Hosanna Flower Art Centre of the Korea Flower Design Association, a full-time instructor of flower arrangement and Korean paper craft at the Yongsan Cultural Centre, and provided a time for healing while making wreaths through basic gardening classes using cypress and cedar trees.

An official from the Seongnam branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group said, “In the West, there is a precedent of making wreaths using parasitic plants that ward off misfortune and bring fortune and hanging them on the front door as a wish for good luck.” He added, “In this way, the members of the Association of Persons with Disabilities are also hoping for good luck and good health.”

A member of the Association of Persons with Disabilities who attended the event said, “It was a time of calm and healing as we touched and smelled phytoncide-filled flowers along with Christmas carols,” and added, “It was the first time in a long while that I was able to properly feel the Christmas atmosphere at the end of the year.”

The director of the Seongnam City Association of Persons with Disabilities said, “It was an enjoyable experience to feel the end-of-year atmosphere as the programme was planned in accordance with the Christmas season.” He added, “I'm grateful to the volunteer staff for preparing a special programme for the Association of Persons with Disabilities every quarter.”

Man-gi Jin, head of the Seongnam branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group, said, “Through this event, I hope that members of the Association of Persons with Disabilities will make precious memories, have a warm end to the year, and have a healthy new year.”

The Gangwon Branch of the Youth Volunteer Group We Are One concluded a three-month blood donation campaign and held the ‘We Are Red Life Sharing Campaign 2023 Life ON YOUTH ON Blood Donation Closing Ceremony’ at the local public relations centre.

The We Are One Gangwon Branch has become an example to the local community as news spreads that more than 3500 young people actively participated in donating blood to save lives over a period of about 100 days.

About 50 people, including Geon-san Shin, director of the Gangwon Blood Centre, and Hyo-seong Lee, director of the We Are One Gangwon Branch, attended the event, which included presentations on blood donation cases, watching highlight videos, and preparation meetings for next year's blood donation campaign.

A total of 3586 people participated in the blood donation from July to October 2023, and the youth volunteer group We Are One Gangwon Branch recorded a blood donation equivalent to 19,041,500 KRW.

In order to aid the blood donation campaign, the We Are One youth donors took great care of their health by taking iron supplements and vitamins. Although some donors were afraid of needles, they gathered courage and actively participated in saving lives.

It is particularly touching to see that branches of We Are One have taken the lead in establishing a blood donation culture even under difficult conditions.

We Are One Sokcho Branch had no blood donation centre due to local conditions, so it had to move to a nearby area and mobilise a bloodmobile.

Gangwon Blood Centre, which confirmed the enthusiasm of We Are One Sokcho in donating blood, deployed two bloodmobiles to support the blood donation. Through this, a beautiful story that encouraged blood donations by not only members of We Are One, but also ordinary Sokcho citizens, was created. The warm hearts of these young people gathered together over the course of three months, contributing greatly to stabilising the blood supply.

Blood donation volunteer Na-eun Park said, “I think it is truly valuable donating blood, because through this, I can convey love like the light, rain, and air.”

Geon-san Shin, director of the Gangwon Blood Centre, said, “The difficult periods for blood supply are January to February and July to mid-August, so we would like to express our gratitude to the We Are One Youth Volunteer Group for donating blood at a time of need.”

Hyo-seong Lee, director of the Gangwon Branch of We Are One Youth Volunteer Group, said, “We are grateful that many young people in Gangwon province actively participated and took the lead in raising awareness of the importance of life and dedicating it to the local community during a time when blood is scarce.” “We will work hard for the development of society,” he said.

The Masan branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group (Director Chang-ho Seong) recently held a kimchi-sharing event to spread warmth to the local community.

This annual volunteer activity was carried out with the active participation of about 20 members of the Masan branch.

The cabbage that was trimmed pre-event was carefully put in with seasoning on the day of the event to make kimchi.

The kimchi produced as a result was delivered to the Masan-Gyeongnam Branch of the Defoliant Veterans' Association of Korea and the Masan-Gyeongnam Branch of the Korean War Veterans Association.

The chairman of the Masan branch of the Defoliant Veterans' Association of Korea expressed his gratitude, saying, “You are helping veterans' organisations through various volunteer services, and I am grateful that you are sharing kimchi for our members in these difficult times.” Shincheonji Volunteer Group Masan Branch expressed their gratitude and said that they will continue to provide help whenever service is needed.

One member shared his thoughts, saying, “I'm very grateful to be able to convey a heart of warmth towards war veterans’ families,” and added, “We will continue to look after our neighbours and make efforts where help is needed.” It showed that this event served as an opportunity to emphasise the importance of service and instil a valuable sense of solidarity in the local community.

An official from the Masan branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group said, “Thanks to the volunteers who joined us at the end of the year, we were able to successfully complete our kimchi-sharing campaign,” and added, “The winter is cold, but we hope to create a warm winter with kimchi.”

This was said by a pastor who attended the ‘Class 114 100,000 Graduation Ceremony’ photo exhibition held at Shincheonji Wonju Church, Philip Tribe, of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony.

Photo exhibitions showing the 100,000 graduation ceremony and the emotions of that day were held in various regions of the Philip region, and the response from citizens was very positive.

The Wonju Church is holding a photo exhibition at its public relations centre, and various photos have been placed so that ‘misunderstandings and prejudices’ about Shincheonji can be resolved by looking at just one photo.

As it was an event attended by over 100,000 people, pictures of believers lined up at the event venue showing order and safety, beautiful Heavenly Culture artistic performances, and photos of bright facial expressions were displayed.

Byeong-soo Kim, the person in charge of the photo exhibition, said, “We chose about 100 photos out of over 10,000 photos with much consideration so that you can feel the realism through the photos,” and added, “I hope you can feel the image of Shincheonji’s heavenly culture to your heart’s content.”

In addition, Shincheonji Gangneung Church held a photo exhibition at the Zion Mission Centre in the region on the 15th and 16th December, and prepared an audio-visual room where you can experience the scenes of the 100,000 graduation ceremony, the changing of domestic and international church signboards, the signing of an MOU (enabling the revealed word from Shincheonji to be taught to respective church congregations worldwide), a graduation gown experience, and a photo zone.

In the evening when the photo exhibition was held, there was a special time under the theme of 'Why you need to know the Bible' and the crowd was so large that there were not enough tables and chairs prepared.

Donghae Church also made Shincheonji Church known to local residents and established a place of communication for coexistence with the region.

Mr. Lee (67 years old), head of a civil society group, said, “I had no idea of the magnitude of Shincheonji Church and the sheer number of its members.” He added, “In particular, after watching the video of the 100,000 graduation ceremony card section, about 10,000 people came.”

“It was impressive to see so many people come together as one and express the contents of the Book of Revelation in a coherent manner,” he said.

Chungju Church held a photo exhibition at the Zion Mission Centre twice on the 9th and 16th December, and had a meaningful time with the attendance of about 20 local figures and over 300 citizens. There was also a highlight video and a cafeteria containing moments from the 100,000 graduation ceremony. 

Mr. Kim, who attended the event, said, “Just looking at the photos is amazing, but I think it would have been even better if I had seen it in person.” Expressing his determination, he said, “It was a time to appease my regret for not being able to attend the graduation ceremony — I will definitely attend next year.”

Chuncheon Church hoed the ‘Shincheonji Year-End Invitational’, a 100,000 graduation ceremony photo exhibition, at a prepared location on the 22nd by inviting friends, family, pastors, and residents. The event was decorated with time for communication and refreshments with participants, including a Shincheonji Q&A, Zion mission center course introduction, and a graduation gown experience.

An official from Philip Tribe said, “The 100,000 Graduation Ceremony Photo Exhibition has become a meaningful event where misunderstandings and prejudices are resolved through communication with citizens.” He added, “We at the Philip Tribe of Shincheonji Church of Jesus will continue to carry out various cultural activities that can be shared with local citizens.”

The youth volunteer group We Are One Gwangju-Jeonnam Branch held the closing ceremony of the We Are Red Life-Sharing Campaign ‘2023 Life ON, Youth ON’ at the Korean Red Cross Gwangju-Jeonnam Blood Centre on the 15th December.

The closing ceremony of the Life-Sharing Campaign on that day was held in the following order: ▲Watching the We Are Red campaign highlight video, ▲Announcing the results of We Are Red blood development and future plans, ▲Congratulatory speech by the blood director, and ▲Awarding a plaque of appreciation.

The Gwangju-Jeonnam Blood Centre of the Korean Red Cross considers the period from January to March and August to October, when blood supply is low, to be a period of blood supply crisis due to the holiday seasons.

In celebration of its first anniversary, the We Are One Gwangju-Jeonnam Branch held a blood donation campaign from July 21st to October 18th to resolve the blood supply shortage and practice the sharing of life as blood supply is imperative due to the summer holiday season and Chuseok holiday.

To participate in this campaign, students and working professionals used their weekday lunches and weekends to donate blood. A total of 7733 student members participated in blood donation, including after lectures. The amount raised through blood donation cards and vouchers reached 39,025,000 KRW (£235).

According to We Are One, the stories of the participating members were diverse. There were members who donated blood for the first time in their lives and others who participated because their family members had received blood transfusions. In addition, there was a member in his 20s who donated blood an average of 10 to 25 times a year, and has donated blood 128 times so far.

Dong-soo Kim, head of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Blood Centre of the Korean Red Cross, expressed his gratitude in his congratulatory speech, saying, “We Are Red was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most blood donation requests last year, which is great.” He added, “Thank you for joining us in saving lives through young people’s blood donation during difficult times.”

One member who participated said, “I was even more grateful to hear that I could help people in need of blood transfusions by donating blood. Above all, I was grateful that I was able to save the lives of my neighbours without revealing myself.” “I also wish to participate next year by taking good care of my health this year,” he said.

An official from We Are One Gwangju-Jeonnam Branch said, “In the We Are Red blood donation campaign that was carried out nationwide, the Gwangju-Jeonnam branch started with a goal of 7527 donors, and was able to achieve the goal with the active participation of 7733 members.”

He said, “I am grateful to the members who joined us and the hearts of those who were unable to join us because they did not meet the standards set in the pre-test.” He added, “In order to carry out another blood donation campaign next year, many members will actively take care of their health. Together, we will overcome the blood supply crisis.”

As a result of the Sokcho branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group (Director Jun-woo Jeong) leading by example and consistently carrying out volunteer work, they received a commendation from the head of Sokcho City Volunteer Center on the 14th December.

Sokcho City and the Sokcho City Volunteer Center (Center Director Jong-su Ha) held the Sokcho City Volunteer Conference at the main auditorium of Sokcho Culture Center on the 14th December.

This competition gives various awards, from government awards to Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial awards, to organisations and volunteers who have permeated warmth in the region throughout the year.

The event was decorated with the screening of Sokcho City promotional videos, volunteer activity videos, and various celebratory performances.

On that day, the Sokcho branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group was honoured with a commendation from the head of Sokcho City Volunteer Center.

So far, the Sokcho branch has consistently participated in joint volunteer services by theme hosted by the Sokcho City Volunteer Center and has also taken the lead in field volunteer work for flood damage recovery.

In addition, large-scale environmental clean-up volunteer work was carried out by about 200 people mobilised to clean up household waste left behind by tourists after the closure of local beaches and to create a clean city.

A briquette service for low-income households and the ‘Wall Story’ project, a mural painting service that fosters communication between residents and the region, also spread warmth.

Furthermore, free medical services for those in greatest need, including the ‘Visiting Health Doctor’ campaign, and ‘Love Your Country, Share Peace’ campaign to improve the welfare culture of veterans organisations, 'More the Better' volunteer work which shares companion plants for neighbours in need of emotional support, and meal service for sports clubs for people with disabilities are held throughout the year.

The Sokcho branch participated in a total of 57 volunteer sessions with 750 volunteers throughout the year.

Jun-Woo Jeong, head of the Sokcho branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group, said, “It was an honour to be invited to such a meaningful event with the citizens who participated in the miracle of elevating Sokcho City to city status on its 60th anniversary, and we are especially grateful for the recognition given to the dedication and contributions of Shincheonji Volunteer Group.” “We will take the lead in serving and dedicating ourselves to the continued development of Sokcho, a tourist city,” he said.