There is no such thing as ruin
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Description
Book Introduction
This is the story of a pastor who has been working both as a pastor and at his job for eight years, with the dream of becoming a church together.
In an era of rapidly declining Christian populations and birth rates, this book explores the challenges of fulfilling pastoral missions, explores the various attempts made possible by pioneering churches, and explores the challenging realities of dual-career pastors.
This book does not discuss the biblical basis for a pastor's dual vocation or successful examples of dual vocations.
Rather, it speaks of the reality that one has no choice but to choose a dual career, and shows another way to continue one's pastoral mission.
“My life’s goal is still to become a church with someone and happily walk in the kingdom of God.” (p. 237)
In an era of rapidly declining Christian populations and birth rates, this book explores the challenges of fulfilling pastoral missions, explores the various attempts made possible by pioneering churches, and explores the challenging realities of dual-career pastors.
This book does not discuss the biblical basis for a pastor's dual vocation or successful examples of dual vocations.
Rather, it speaks of the reality that one has no choice but to choose a dual career, and shows another way to continue one's pastoral mission.
“My life’s goal is still to become a church with someone and happily walk in the kingdom of God.” (p. 237)
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
prolog
I have never forgotten a single day
Part 1: Deciding to Start a Church
Another cross
A pastoral ministry that builds fences, a church with common sense
The saying 'it's like that'
Need and Responsibility
Three Church Philosophy
Church starting at home
You are invited
Part 2: Just a church
First worship
What is the name of the church?
Finding a New Place of Worship I
Is it okay to get rid of the nursery?
“Children are taught by their fathers and mothers.”
“Then who boils the noodles?”
“I can’t teach sex education.”
Wednesday Online Prayer Meeting
I want to be visited by a pastor too
“I can’t live on 1.5 million won.”
If there is a funeral
It's just a small church.
Public Church Diary
Speaking of tithing
In Search of a New Place of Worship II
Registering with the presbytery is too difficult
Creating a church account book
Living by the Word
Advent: Living Following Jesus
Let's have a regular meeting
A leisurely Saturday
Establish a routine
“Pastor, there will be a revival!”
Pros and Cons of Pioneer Churches
There is no pastoral vision
Part 3: I go to work on weekdays
I can't believe I'm such an incompetent being
I am an employee of Hisho Co., Ltd.
How dare you swear in front of the pastor?
The doll mask wasn't embarrassing.
People for whom church is not their workplace
From Whose Fault Is It to Whose Share Is It?
I don't recommend dual jobs.
Who I am
Epilogue: There Can Be No Failure
I have never forgotten a single day
Part 1: Deciding to Start a Church
Another cross
A pastoral ministry that builds fences, a church with common sense
The saying 'it's like that'
Need and Responsibility
Three Church Philosophy
Church starting at home
You are invited
Part 2: Just a church
First worship
What is the name of the church?
Finding a New Place of Worship I
Is it okay to get rid of the nursery?
“Children are taught by their fathers and mothers.”
“Then who boils the noodles?”
“I can’t teach sex education.”
Wednesday Online Prayer Meeting
I want to be visited by a pastor too
“I can’t live on 1.5 million won.”
If there is a funeral
It's just a small church.
Public Church Diary
Speaking of tithing
In Search of a New Place of Worship II
Registering with the presbytery is too difficult
Creating a church account book
Living by the Word
Advent: Living Following Jesus
Let's have a regular meeting
A leisurely Saturday
Establish a routine
“Pastor, there will be a revival!”
Pros and Cons of Pioneer Churches
There is no pastoral vision
Part 3: I go to work on weekdays
I can't believe I'm such an incompetent being
I am an employee of Hisho Co., Ltd.
How dare you swear in front of the pastor?
The doll mask wasn't embarrassing.
People for whom church is not their workplace
From Whose Fault Is It to Whose Share Is It?
I don't recommend dual jobs.
Who I am
Epilogue: There Can Be No Failure
Into the book
The reason I decided to work during the week was purely for survival reasons.
If I were to pioneer, it was clear that the community would not be able to support me and my family.
Most people advised against seeking employment and instead looked for sponsorship, but the liquidity of sponsorship funds was precarious in many ways.
I felt like I was being swayed by the irregular donations.
I finally decided to look for a job.
I can take it easy when I say I lack faith.
I couldn't erase my wife and son from my thoughts.
No, they were the community members I had to think about most deeply.
--- pp.7-8
I wanted to actively respond to the world's ridicule that 'the church is unconventional.'
I believed that was the only way to hold the hands of those leaving the church.
--- p.26
It takes faith to work with experts both inside and outside the church.
Soon, I believe that God will establish the church not only through me, the pastor, but also through those who are better than me.
In order to see God's work, the pastor must first let go of his desire to do everything.
At that time, God opens the way for us to work with the best experts at the right time.
I believe that God's work begins with the courage to say, "I can't do it."
--- pp.90-91
Sometimes, I decided to remember that there can be a new way to renew the church in the playful questions of children, the absurd questions of new believers, and the sharp criticisms of non-believers.
--- p.106
Numbers and scale matter.
But there is just as much power in sincerity.
--- p.111
I hope that the gifts offered to God as a confession of gratitude will be used to save the poor, be shared with the needy and the struggling, and be used to spread the life of the Lord Jesus Christ to the world.
But that's not all there is to the donation.
The offerings are used to maintain the church and provide for the needs of its members.
For this work we should properly give offerings.
--- p.126
Words and gazes that urge us to grow make us anxious.
So, let's look for artificial seasonings.
Find a program that works and a method that works.
Every pastor has times when he or she is consumed by anxiety.
You shouldn't be influenced by that feeling.
Numerical growth may be possible, but life is on the path to becoming more dimmer.
--- p.174
It is the church that invites the pastor.
It is not a few people who have the final say, but all the congregation that invites the pastor.
An invitation is a request to take on the public affairs of the church on behalf of the pastor, as the church will take responsibility for the pastor's livelihood.
Therefore, we must have the mindset to take responsibility together.
--- p.221
Some people say that closing a church is a 'failure,' but that is a very human perspective.
If I were to pioneer, it was clear that the community would not be able to support me and my family.
Most people advised against seeking employment and instead looked for sponsorship, but the liquidity of sponsorship funds was precarious in many ways.
I felt like I was being swayed by the irregular donations.
I finally decided to look for a job.
I can take it easy when I say I lack faith.
I couldn't erase my wife and son from my thoughts.
No, they were the community members I had to think about most deeply.
--- pp.7-8
I wanted to actively respond to the world's ridicule that 'the church is unconventional.'
I believed that was the only way to hold the hands of those leaving the church.
--- p.26
It takes faith to work with experts both inside and outside the church.
Soon, I believe that God will establish the church not only through me, the pastor, but also through those who are better than me.
In order to see God's work, the pastor must first let go of his desire to do everything.
At that time, God opens the way for us to work with the best experts at the right time.
I believe that God's work begins with the courage to say, "I can't do it."
--- pp.90-91
Sometimes, I decided to remember that there can be a new way to renew the church in the playful questions of children, the absurd questions of new believers, and the sharp criticisms of non-believers.
--- p.106
Numbers and scale matter.
But there is just as much power in sincerity.
--- p.111
I hope that the gifts offered to God as a confession of gratitude will be used to save the poor, be shared with the needy and the struggling, and be used to spread the life of the Lord Jesus Christ to the world.
But that's not all there is to the donation.
The offerings are used to maintain the church and provide for the needs of its members.
For this work we should properly give offerings.
--- p.126
Words and gazes that urge us to grow make us anxious.
So, let's look for artificial seasonings.
Find a program that works and a method that works.
Every pastor has times when he or she is consumed by anxiety.
You shouldn't be influenced by that feeling.
Numerical growth may be possible, but life is on the path to becoming more dimmer.
--- p.174
It is the church that invites the pastor.
It is not a few people who have the final say, but all the congregation that invites the pastor.
An invitation is a request to take on the public affairs of the church on behalf of the pastor, as the church will take responsibility for the pastor's livelihood.
Therefore, we must have the mindset to take responsibility together.
--- p.221
Some people say that closing a church is a 'failure,' but that is a very human perspective.
--- p.235
Publisher's Review
Questions brought about by the current reality of Christianity,
“So how will we minister from now on?”
The church near my house closed.
It was a place that even ran a small daycare center, but after not turning on a single light for over a year, the cross tower was finally demolished and a large-scale remodeling began.
Looking at the large cross tower descending to the ground, I thought of the people who must have once filled this building.
Where did they go?
The decline in the Christian population is already a long-standing problem.
However, according to recent statistics from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, the number of pastors increased while the number of churchgoers and churches both decreased compared to 2023.
Considering the birth rate, it is soon concluded that there will be no place for pastors to go.
"If the Christian population continues to decline at this rate, will I still have a pastoral position in ten years? What's the point of learning from senior pastors if I don't have a pastoral position?" (pp. 24-25)
It was this recognition of reality that led the author to abandon his stable pastoral journey and start a church.
There was also a strong desire to restore the church, which had lost trust and become a laughing stock of the world, to its original form.
In this way, the door to 'Just a Church' opens with a worship service held by two families in the living room of a private home.
And he begins his life as a dual-career pastor, going to work three days a week.
In a reality where the perception of 'dual ministry' is still unfavorable, the author clearly states that dual ministry is a matter of 'life', not theology or doctrine.
It is natural for a small, pioneering church to not be able to support its pastor, and he expressed his personal belief that “being responsible for one’s family’s livelihood is an honorable life before God.”
If you were to say that this is the story of a 'pioneering church pastor' and a 'working pastor', you might expect it to be controversial at first glance, but that is not the case at all.
The writing is warm throughout.
From the moment he shared his pioneering plans with his wife, to the process of finding like-minded people, to the journey of deciding on a church name and living out the Word with the congregation, to the taste of the world experienced while working for the first time in his life, the author, who is both a pastor and an office worker, writes in a way that is both cheerful and often touching.
The twist is that he does not recommend dual ministry.
That probably means that the path is not easy.
Instead, he advises those who wish to pursue a dual ministry path to balance ministry and work by “thinking carefully, sometimes reducing, and sometimes giving up a little.”
What to consider, what to remove, and what to give up will vary from person to person, and above all, for that form of ministry to be maintained, the church community must tolerate the pastor working during the week.
So, the role of the believers is great here.
Dual ministry is a path that the entire church walks together.
The absence of any case studies to refer to could be a reason to hesitate about starting a church or taking on a dual ministry.
I hope that the author's eight years as a pioneering church pastor and office worker will serve as a new challenge to those who have been given the mission of pastoring during difficult times.
If you are hesitant to change because of the anxiety of 'what if it fails', I would like to share these words from the author.
“…it is more difficult than ever for small churches to survive.
I have a lot of thoughts, but no stress.
Because it's not my responsibility.
I believe that God, the master, will lead us in His own way.
If you need my time, talent, and effort, I will give it to you without holding back.
But that's it.
The results are entirely God's.
So, you can close the door, but you can't go broke.” (p.236)
If you stand before God as a faithful servant, wouldn't God praise you even if the church doors are closed?
It may sound like a far-fetched story, but this is ultimately the essence of faith.
In fact, we believers should live by that faith.
“So how will we minister from now on?”
The church near my house closed.
It was a place that even ran a small daycare center, but after not turning on a single light for over a year, the cross tower was finally demolished and a large-scale remodeling began.
Looking at the large cross tower descending to the ground, I thought of the people who must have once filled this building.
Where did they go?
The decline in the Christian population is already a long-standing problem.
However, according to recent statistics from the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, the number of pastors increased while the number of churchgoers and churches both decreased compared to 2023.
Considering the birth rate, it is soon concluded that there will be no place for pastors to go.
"If the Christian population continues to decline at this rate, will I still have a pastoral position in ten years? What's the point of learning from senior pastors if I don't have a pastoral position?" (pp. 24-25)
It was this recognition of reality that led the author to abandon his stable pastoral journey and start a church.
There was also a strong desire to restore the church, which had lost trust and become a laughing stock of the world, to its original form.
In this way, the door to 'Just a Church' opens with a worship service held by two families in the living room of a private home.
And he begins his life as a dual-career pastor, going to work three days a week.
In a reality where the perception of 'dual ministry' is still unfavorable, the author clearly states that dual ministry is a matter of 'life', not theology or doctrine.
It is natural for a small, pioneering church to not be able to support its pastor, and he expressed his personal belief that “being responsible for one’s family’s livelihood is an honorable life before God.”
If you were to say that this is the story of a 'pioneering church pastor' and a 'working pastor', you might expect it to be controversial at first glance, but that is not the case at all.
The writing is warm throughout.
From the moment he shared his pioneering plans with his wife, to the process of finding like-minded people, to the journey of deciding on a church name and living out the Word with the congregation, to the taste of the world experienced while working for the first time in his life, the author, who is both a pastor and an office worker, writes in a way that is both cheerful and often touching.
The twist is that he does not recommend dual ministry.
That probably means that the path is not easy.
Instead, he advises those who wish to pursue a dual ministry path to balance ministry and work by “thinking carefully, sometimes reducing, and sometimes giving up a little.”
What to consider, what to remove, and what to give up will vary from person to person, and above all, for that form of ministry to be maintained, the church community must tolerate the pastor working during the week.
So, the role of the believers is great here.
Dual ministry is a path that the entire church walks together.
The absence of any case studies to refer to could be a reason to hesitate about starting a church or taking on a dual ministry.
I hope that the author's eight years as a pioneering church pastor and office worker will serve as a new challenge to those who have been given the mission of pastoring during difficult times.
If you are hesitant to change because of the anxiety of 'what if it fails', I would like to share these words from the author.
“…it is more difficult than ever for small churches to survive.
I have a lot of thoughts, but no stress.
Because it's not my responsibility.
I believe that God, the master, will lead us in His own way.
If you need my time, talent, and effort, I will give it to you without holding back.
But that's it.
The results are entirely God's.
So, you can close the door, but you can't go broke.” (p.236)
If you stand before God as a faithful servant, wouldn't God praise you even if the church doors are closed?
It may sound like a far-fetched story, but this is ultimately the essence of faith.
In fact, we believers should live by that faith.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: November 14, 2025
- Page count, weight, size: 240 pages | 264g | 125*188*15mm
- ISBN13: 9791191018325
- ISBN10: 1191018326
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