In a winter marked by cold weather and rising living costs, a warm story of service quietly spread across communities in South Korea, as more than 5200 graduates who completed a Bible education course in late 2025 chose to begin their next chapter not with celebration - but with service.

From November 25th to December 14th 2025, a large-scale volunteer initiative titled “Graduation Special Service – First Step” was carried out by graduates of the Zion Christian Mission Centre’s 116 Class, along with church members. In South Korea and overseas, a total of 12,200 congregants took part.

In Korea, on 29th November 2025, graduates belonging to the Thaddaeus Tribe of Shincheonji Church of Jesus gathered at the rear plaza of Gumi Station and participated in a kimchi-making event, where they made and donated 1.5 tons (420 heads) of kimchi to the local community.

The kimchi-making site, filled with over 200 graduates from every region of the Thaddaeus Tribe, including Daegu, Pohang, Gumi, Gyeongju, and Andong, resounded with laughter, teamwork, and the spicy aroma of kimchi. Graduates of Class 116 worked side by side, filling cabbage leaves with care and packing each box with hope that it would bring comfort. The finished kimchi was then delivered to eight local social welfare and veterans organisations, in recognition of those who fought to safeguard the peace of the country during the Korean War.

Veterans of national merit who received the gift said, “This is a gift that will be of great help to those in need as we approach the end of the year.”

An official from Shincheonji’s Thaddaeus tribe said, “It is very meaningful that the graduates have connected the biblical teachings they learned to societal sharing.”

The kimchi-sharing was not just a seasonal event. It was a meaningful first step for Class 116 graduates who wanted to live out the biblical teachings they had learned. Their actions expressed care for those who once protected the nation and for neighbours who may feel the weight of winter more than others. As winter continues, the kimchi will nourish many homes, but the love shown through these days of service will shine even longer.

Source: vo.la/PwV5NmS