What I learned from 2025

I know it’s already February, but I wanted to share some thoughts on 2025. At our recent New Year’s Eve service, we watched a recap video that reminded me of all that happened in our network in 2025. I think for me, the events that stuck out the most were the passings of one of our pastors, Pastor Will, who had an aneurysm, and Judy, who died of brain cancer. They were both really tragic events, but what I am left with is an overwhelming sense of gratitude because I got to know, receive love and be influenced by both of them. Their lives made me see and realize afresh what’s truly important in life.

I had the opportunity to go the hospital to share my last words with Judy. So many people were lined up and when it was my turn, a small group of us were able to go in and surround the hospital bed. Through that time, I got to hear others’ thanksgiving toward Judy, and I was just amazed at how she did so many little acts of kindness for people in her life. I myself got to receive acts of kindness from Judy that I will treasure. A couple years ago, when my father passed away, Judy gave me a page of her personalized verses that she clung onto in her struggle against cancer to comfort me and point me to God.

Most recently, right before Judy passed away, I was about to lead a mission trip to Thailand mission and I was stressed. Judy asked me while I was running off to do last minute tasks what my favorite candy was. A little perplexed, I answered — Nerd Clusters! Next thing I knew, at the sendoff she had her husband Chenghui deliver a care package to me with Nerd Clusters inside. This was at the height of her pain and discomfort with the brain tumor, and so it showed me that to this degree she was so others-centered. I felt very privileged to hear many more stories like this in that hospital room. Through Judy, I realized that one of the most important things in life is to love people concretely like she did.

From Pastor Will’s funeral, I learned that it’s very important in life to prioritize gathering as God’s people. With hundreds of us descending on the Acts2 Training Center in Elgin, IL for the memorial, I was moved thinking about how God intended for His people to gather together in order to help each other through life’s challenges. Pastor Will’s death was sudden, shocking, and sad, but gathering together infused courage and strength in me and I think everyone who was there too. Each person’s face was a reminder of our connection through the blood of Christ and our years of building up God’s church together.

Recently we learned about God’s instruction to His people on the importance of gathering:

God designed us as relational beings, and so we need to see each others’ faces regularly to affirm our identity as God’s people and to renew our commitments to one another. That was one of the reasons for purchasing the building for the Acts2 Training Center. It’s to be a place for us to gather, get trained up for God’s work, and in this case, to come together to honor the life of our precious brother in Christ. I left that place with a very real sense that heaven is real, that God is sovereign, and that as long as we are faithful to God and one another, we’ll be able to get through whatever life throws at us.

Joanna Kang helps to lead our youth ministries in the Bay Area, CA.