Caption: The Logo from the website for the Yonhap United Korean Presbyterian Church [provided by: https://igrejayonhap.com.br/]
Byline – Emily Jung
Finding the PACA community on Sunday morning is easy, because many of these families go to church somewhere in São Paulo. However, they will not all be found in the same location, as there is a wide variety of church denominations that PACA families attend.
Since PACA families attend different churches, their experiences of weekly sermons, their opinions of pastors, how it felt to participate in the service and being connected to other churches will differ from church to church.
Isabella Kim, a PACA student from 9th grade, attends Yonhap United Korean Presbyterian Church of São Paulo with her family. This church serves primarily the Korean community living in São Paulo and is located in Bom Retiro. The senior pastor is Jairo Chun.
She said at least 500 people attend the church every Sunday. Families who attend include a mix of toddlers, teens, young adults, and adults and all of them having a separate sermon depending on their age. Kim enjoys the connection she is able to make with the pastor of her church.
“Since there are separate teams and a pastor specifically for each one, it’s easy to have a good long lasting connection with our pastors,” said Kim. “My pastor likes to joke a lot, but also can be serious.”
If anyone was interested in attending her church, she said anyone was welcome to come, but if somebody wanted a welcoming ceremony their names should be given to the pastors. Guests are also welcome to visit once in a while, being able to attend with a friend or just to experience the devotions.
She said that she actually had friends from a lot of different Korean churches in the area, because of sports events and tournaments organized together by a group of Korean churches. They are also able to go on missionary trips and learn how to be a true missionary with trusted adults beside them.
Another student at PACA, Victoria Silva from 9th grade, recently started attending Zion Church, located in the Morumbi area of São Paulo. She had been a visitor many times before, but decided recently to become a permanent member.
The pastor of this church is Pastor Theophilus Hayashi. Silva said that his sermons have made an impact on her.
“You can feel the power of God through the words and the presence of the Holy Spirit walking around the place,” said Silva.”They always say things to help you in your daily lives and to help preach the gospel to the people around you.”
She said the pastors and the people were also very encouraging, and touched her in ways she didn’t expect. A lot of people who go to PACA also go to Zion Church, being able to connect with peers this way as well.
Another church that is attended by many teachers and students is Calvary International Church which is located in the Brooklin area of São Paulo. The service here is in English, and there are both English speakers and Portuguese speakers who attend the service. The lead pastor of Calvary is Seth Barkley. They have two live services each Sunday that people can attend in person or join online.
There are many other churches all over São Paulo that people from PACA attend. The most important part is that they are able to connect with others through God and to be in His presence together. This has been a blessing to all the students, teachers and families in the community who participate.
