Gracepoint Fellowship Church and Koinonia Christian Fellowship at UT Austin

Grad Sunday

2009-05-29T17:18:00.003-05:00

Our first group of graduating seniors this year! Grad Sunday is a tradition we had back in Gracepoint Fellowship Church, Berkeley, and one that we are thankful to continue here. We weren't sure if we'd even have any seniors since this is our first year here, but on May 10th we got to congratulate and encourage our three seniors: Andy, Gillian, and Sobeyda. Here are some pics of the special day, including one of Andy sharing his testimony (which was really moving to hear). Praise God for His faithfulness in each of these precious brother and sisters' lives!

Year-End Bible Study

2009-05-12T14:28:00.005-05:00

Hard to believe, but our first school year as Koinonia at UT Austin is nearing its end. Two semesters of getting to know new students and friends in Austin, TX, two semesters of watching the tower's colors change, two semesters of Rudy's and small group dinners and Sunday Worship Service. Wow. Who would have imagined the ESC being filled with all these new friends, a short 9 months after our first Bible study with no visitors but plenty of meatloaf? =)

We celebrated with a Year-End TFN Bible study this past Friday. We had Korean short rib BBQ, a human scavenger hunt ice-breaker, a video slideshow that took us back through all the different events that happened this year as well as sharing from several students about how they experienced God this past year, a Bible study from Pastor Manny through Psalm 1, and finally an exciting Koinonia/GFC-Austin rendition of Jeopardy! with Bryan and Dominic as Alex Trebec & Co.

As we had a chance to reflect on the way God led each of us, staff and students alike, through our journeys with Him this past year, we gave thanks to Him for His faithfulness, in wonder that we got to participate in it and experience the joy of fellowship with Him and the other brothers and sisters. We look forward to the next year of God's work!

Frosh Padre Island Outing

2009-04-21T10:28:00.015-05:00

This past weekend, the freshman brothers and some of the staff went to Padre Island near Corpus Christi for one of the most jam-packed 24 hours of fun, bonding, and fellowship! We left Austin from the UT campus and began our 4-hour drive in three cars (“Van of Brothers,” “Easy Company,” and “Dog Company” – inspiration from the all brothers’ Bible study last Friday where we watched "Band of Brothers").

After some fun car games of Ghost Word and the Name Game, we finally arrived at the beautiful beaches at the Padre Island Seashore, where we were greeted by fine grained sand, crystal clear skies, and perfect warm weather. The moment we saw the roaring waves, many of us thought we were in a different country – I never thought I would see this in Texas!

We started our beach activities with some exciting games of football. The first match-up was the staff vs. the students (it’s pretty obvious who won that game) and the second was Dallas vs. Houston. Among some amazing and not so amazing passes and full-on face plants into the water, the most memorable play must be Pastor Manny’s catch over Wayne and Nguyen-Vy:

Next, we began the 2009 Padre Island Olympics starting off with an epic 100m dash and ending with the Long Jump competition. After Francis’ Usain Bolt-like victory from the 100m, controversy remained for the fourth place finish between Pastor Manny and John Lin. Check out the video footage yourself, and comment on who you think actually won?

Once evening drew closer, we started to build the bonfire and cook all of the delicious food: sausage and veggie packs, clam chowder and bread rolls, banana boats, and roasted marshmallows. After we had our fill, we had a time of singing some old campfire songs led by Del as well as some memorable performances from the students and the staff. One of the performances, a.k.a. the “Haha song”, unanimously earned the title of the “The Most Hurting Moment of the Trip.”

Afterwards, my personal favorite time was the 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year vision sharing as well as Pastor Manny’s exhortation to be excited about what God can do in our lives and to remain faithful to God and one another during college, committing to these visions together. Coincidentally, Corpus Christi means “The Body of Christ”, and it’s my prayer that we can experience being the Body together as we live out our faith over these short few years of college and beyond! This trip was definitely a highlight of the year, and I can’t wait to go back!

10K Photo Video

2009-04-02T15:24:00.002-05:00

10k, 10k very much

2009-04-02T12:12:00.020-05:00

(Isn't that a great title? I figured we'd try to spice this blog up with more of what are, in my o-pun-ion, the highest echelon of jokes.)

This past Sunday, fifteen staff and students joined 17,000 runners for the Statesman Capitol 10k (that's 6.2mi for the mathematically challenged) footrace through the streets of Austin downtown. The starting gun was at 8:45am, and it was a brisk 40 degrees outside. The course wound through downtown, all the way back to P. Manny's house on Winsted, and back again. The staff who weren't running, and also YoungJu, sacrificed their sleep and came out to cheer for us at the 3 mile mark, and even brought the runners home-made breakfast tacos for after the race. Yum.

Three cheers to all who participated, and especially for those who came to show their support. Some were even inspired to think about possibly running (!) the Austin Marathon next February. Whether that was just momentary bravado brought on by the post-race euphoria or something more substantial, we'll just have to see =)

Oh, you want to know who got the best time? Good question! That was the subject of much drama, and in fact there were a few dramas surrounding this 10k race:
1) A certain young turk from amongst the brothers decided he would pick out the most formidable opponent among the older ones, and challenge him for the title of 'fastest 10k runner at GFC Austin.' There was intrigue, there was speculation, and to find out the results you'll just have to ask them yourself!
2) After several of the brothers finished the race (with respectable sub-50 and sub-60 minute times), they decided to cheer for the rest of the brothers who were behind them. Here's a sample conversation:
Brother 1: Hey, do you think Bro X is going to cross the finish line soon? It's been 60 minutes now.
Brother 2: Nah, let's grab another banana and then head over in a few minutes.
(...at the finish line...)
Brother 1: It's been an hour and a half now, no sign of Bro X. I only see grandmas and grandpas running now. Maybe he finished already??
Brother 2: (thinking) -Nah, no way. We did run by Winsted though, maybe he turned right and went home.
Brother 3: Yeah, maybe. Let's go meet up with everyone else.

Unbeknownst to these brothers, Brother X had already finished and was waiting at Dominican Joe's along with those who had come out to cheer for the runners. After finding out why the other brothers were so late in coming, he decided to play a little trick on them and pretend to struggle in to the parking lot a few minutes after they got back. Another snippet of conversation:
Brother 1: Hey man, good job! Wow, you made it finally! You survived!
Brother 2: My goodness, did you come straight here from the race?
Brother X: Yeah man, I sure did... AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO!

The look on Brother 2's face was priceless.

Valentine's Day of Compassion

2009-02-15T08:24:00.007-06:00

A group of sisters at our home church back in Berkeley decided one day that they wanted to do more on their Valentine's Day than buy into the sappy visions of flowers and teddy bears that it's evolved into. So they decided to venture out into the community and use it as an opportunity to share God's love with those who could use a little extra encouragement. Thus, 'Valentine's Day of Compassion' was born.

Our first ever Austin 'VDay of Compassion' was yesterday, and twenty five brothers and sisters from our church (including 18 students!) got the chance to visit the downtown Salvation Army center. We prepared frames for a photo-booth for the families, home-made cupcakes, and some songs and games to share with the families we'd be meeting.

We weren't sure exactly how many or who would show up to the evening, but by 7:10 pm we were joined by five families (most of the kids were boys) and we ended up having a hilarious time playing 'Electricity' and the most absurd rendition of 'Rock-Paper-Scissors.' Carlton gave a message on God's love, and we sang some great Joyland songs as well.

It was wonderful to be able to spend a holiday traditionally focused on one's own self and one's girlfriend/boyfriend (or why one doesn't have one!), to go out as a body of Christ and share His love with others, together. Hopefully we'll get to go back again soon and spend more time with the folks there.

McKinney Falls State Park - Bros Outing

2009-02-15T00:50:00.010-06:00

Who knew that a mere 15 minutes from campus lay a pristine Texas State Park boasting:

- A crater-filled rock formation
- The oldest (500 years old) tree in Central Texas
- Roaring falls
- A Native American rock shelter from the 1400's

Pastor Manny, that's who! Our fearless leader took some intrepid freshmen out on a manly hike last Saturday to enjoy some of the local beauty and get a breath of fresh air in-between problem sets. Okay, so it wasn't all that manly, given that it was 1.2 miles long. But we took some detours, burned some calories throwing rocks at primitive structures set up by Pastor Manny, and then ended the day outdoors in truly manly fashion - with a midday meal at Salt Lick Barbeque (some brothers confessed to wanting to fall sleep on the spot, right after eating the pecan pie a la mode dessert - but we didn't let them).

Apparently Salt Lick is the place to be on Saturday during lunch time, so during our hour-long wait, we learned a lot of new games. Some of us were better at it than others. But it's ok, because those brothers who were not, also happened to be the ones that brought us the most joy.

All in all a fun day was had, and when the falls grow back from a trickle to a roaring flood, we'll be back. And maybe we'll catch that humongous crawdad next time too.

Gone: "In 24 hours, today will be yesterday."

2009-02-09T17:25:00.005-06:00

That was the theme of our Koinonia Spring Welcome Night. Much like our NSWN (translation: New Student Welcome Night) from last fall, Spring Welcome Night was a chance for us to invite new friends to spend time with us, find out what our group is all about, and listen to a thought-provoking talk. The night started off with a delicious sesame-Yoshida sauce wings dinner, followed by neat video made by one of our brothers back at home. Pastor Manny then invited us to consider some of the deeper questions about life - who am I? where did I come from? what is my life's purpose? - framed by the fact that for each of us, time is slowly but surely running down the clock. For many it was their first time considering such issues; for those of us who have found answers to those questions, it was a good chance to think about them again.

Afterwards we tested each other's mental mettle with a wonderful round of 'Brain Bowl,' courtesy of Carlton, Bryan, and David Lee. Despite some fear-inducing integrals and tough logic problems, fun was had by all, and people's IQ's probably rose a couple points just from playing the game. Homemade boba tea drinks capped off the night, and many hung out afterward to chat, hang out, and even help us take down. Many of the frosh brothers also came early to help set up (as you can see, they are now pros at winding cable and blowing up balloons), which we were very grateful for! Hard work is always a good bedrock for good fellowship =)

Looking forward to seeing our new friends again at another TFN soon!

Christmas Gift Exchange

2008-12-10T00:10:00.000-06:00

Christmas is just around the corner! I can't believe it. We've come to the end of another year. It's just amazing how fast time flies. To cap off our first semester as Koinonia, we held our last major event of the semester.. our Christmas Gift Exchange. Everyone was told to bring a gift of about five dollars to participate in the game. Let me just say, some people chose to bring some unique gifts (i don't want to mention any names, but someone brought a picture frame, but it wasn't any old picture frame...it had a picture of himself in it).

So as you can see, people had the liberty to bring pretty much whatever gift they wanted. Now during the course of the gift exchange, we had these "challenge" cards where one person could challenge another person for that person's gift. One of the challenges was arm wrestling, another was to see who could break dance better (where I totally dominated wayne...sorry, wayne), and another was to see who could do the best boxing impersonation. There were several other challenges as well, but for your viewing pleasure, I've posted the video where the two contestants were judged by how well they could impersonate a boxer. Judge for yourself who you think is more realistic. :) All in all, it was a very memorable gift exchange. Not a bad way to end our first semester as Koinonia! Two more weeks of the semester left. Good luck students with your finals! Study hard and hang in there!

Thanksgiving Celebration

2008-12-08T22:28:00.009-06:00

Thanksgiving is a special time to remember the many ways in which God has blessed us our lives. Many of us were able to do just that, and we were also given the opportunity to express our thanks and joy through our first ever Thanksgiving Celebration! Praise God!

After a wonderful Thanksgiving service, we all headed on over to the Rec Center, where we reserved a multipurpose room that was perfect for what we needed. More than 70 people in all enjoyed the incredible turkey feast that night. But for those of us who were there that night, we know that the highlight was the special performances that several of our Koinonia members prepared. There was everything from line dancing, a string and wind instrument trio, and rapping to name just a few things we got to enjoy...See the videos below! Be sure to look out for Pastor Manny's freeze pose during the rap :)

Pedernales Outing!!

2008-11-10T23:08:00.008-06:00

This past weekend, Koinonia had its first official overnight getaway to beautiful Pedernales State Park!! It was perfect weather, and the day couldn't have turned out any better as we enjoyed awesome views of nature, and even caught a gigantic fish (courtesy of David and Andrew). For me, the best part was standing there in the middle of the river, my fishing line cast into the water, and just taking in the wonderful beauty of God's creation. The trees along the river were bursting with fall colors, which made it all the more beautiful.

After a packed day at Pedernales, we went to our sleepover houses, where we did our Daily Devotions in the book of Psalm 73. After some good reflection and sharing time, we ate an incredible dinner, including pork ribs courtesy of Isaac and Jacob. Thanks guys! With our stomachs full, we played some group games and then some board games. And then to cap it off, Pastor Manny showed the freshmen what's up by pretty much dominating them in this tug of war game..When I get the video, I'll post it online to share for everyone's enjoyment..

It was a memorable outing to say the least. Hopefully those of you who weren't able to make it out on this trip will be able to join us for our next outing...

Ping Pong trash talking

2008-11-01T01:45:00.006-05:00

The ability to trash talk is one of those things you're born with. So you either have it or you don't. You see, Pastor Manny was born with it, and in fact, he has mastered the art of trash talking. Sometimes you see professional athletes who trash talk during their basketball of football game. But have you ever seen trash talking in a game of ping pong? If you haven't, that means you haven't seen Pastor Manny in action. Some time ago, Andrew and Wayne invited me and Pastor Manny to the halls of Jester, and started to muster up their version of trash talking. They said things like "you can't lose to a freshmen now can you Pastor Manny?" and "you're looking old there!"...Well, as I was saying before, trash talking is something you either have or you don't, and these freshmen simply don't know what's up. Pastor Manny was unphased. In fact, it made him smile all the more. Now in terms of who actually won the game, I won't go there...That's beside the point and is completely irrelevant..

Koinonia Kayaking

2008-10-28T22:39:00.006-05:00

This past Saturday, Koinonia went on a memorable outing to Zilker park. This was our second picnic at Zilker, only this time, the main highlight of the day was the kayak adventure. If there's one thing you have to do when you come to Austin, it's kayak in the lake. It was awesome! I think I must've seen at least 10 turtles while kayaking during that one hour as well. But to be honest, it's not so much the actual kayaking that I was looking forward to, because it's really all about the devastating water fights. And there was definitely no shortage this past Saturday. I think it's safe to say that pretty much all forty of us came back soaked. I'd like to mention that John Lin and I held our ground quite well. In fact, I think it's more accurate to say that we pretty much dominated out there on the water. Especially that time I pretty much dominated Matt Jones and Del's kayak. It'll be more of the same next time...:)

Food Fellowship

2008-10-18T13:39:00.004-05:00

When I think about fellowship times we share at Koinonia, one of the things that comes to mind naturally is...food!! Because we sure enjoy a lot of good food almost everytime we get together. I think most people will agree with me that food simply adds that joy to times of fellowship. Not too long ago, we had all the Koinonia staff over at the Windsor apartments, where Del & Joyce, Henry & Margaret, and Sarah and myself live. It was quite a potluck feast! We packed into Del and Joyce's apartment, and stuffed ourselves to an abundance of super delicious homemade dishes. Korean BBQ, octopus, honey walnut prawns, bean curd, and muscles to name a few dishes...and with Thanksgiving around the corner, this means there's more awesome cooking and eating inevitably on the way...

Fellowship over UT Football

2008-10-13T01:06:00.013-05:00

Texas is the #1 football team in the nation. There's no doubting that. A bunch of us from Koinonia crowded into Pastor Manny and Sunny's place this past Saturday to witness the incredible prowess of our mighty Longhorns. What a way to spend a Saturday! We ate hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, salsa, threw a football around in the backyard, and to cap it off, jumped in jubilation as UT took down the #1 team in the nation, Oklahoma, in what is already being dubbed a classic.
Though I was cheering each time McCoy connected with Shipley, inside I could not help but feel a sense of anguish, anguish because I was torn inside with this sad reality...The team I've grown to love, my alma mater, the Golden Bears of the University of California Berkeley, better known as Cal, simply cannot hang at the level of a UT or OU. As much as I would like to fancy the idea that Cal is a top tier program and on its way back to the Rose Bowl, the reality is that they are simply is not there yet. Yes. I admit it. They are not there. Don't get me wrong. I love Cal. In fact that is the reason why I must speak the truth. You see, I'm no fair-weather fan. I'm a true fan. I'm a golden bear. And I still hope. I hope that one day, I'll be able to cheer in jubilation over a Cal Rose Bowl victory...(i tried uploading a video but blogger is giving me problems. so a photo will have to suffice...look at carlton's hops!)

Pastor Manny Usain Bolt Kim

2008-10-09T11:22:00.004-05:00

Everyone remembers the incredible performance of Jamaica's sprinter Usain Bolt at the recent Olympics in Beijing. What sticks out about Mr. Bolt is the way that he demolished the competition, but also the flair with which he accomplished it.
Last Friday night, Koinonia went bowling, and let's just say, Pastor Manny was on fire, very similar to how Usain Bolt was in Beijing. I mean, he had such command of that bowling ball that he was pulling out strikes and spares at will. Though the eldest competitor in all of Koinonia, Pastor Manny showed the young ones what's up...
In the video, you'll see his impressive skills, as well as some striking similarities to Usain Bolt...

GFC Austin Inaugural weekend

2008-10-07T17:21:00.006-05:00

There are times when it's hard to put into words all that you've experienced from an experience or period of time. I think this past weekend is one of those times. On Sunday, I had the privilege of being a part of the Inaugural Service of Gracepoint Fellowship Church - Austin. It was a special time indeed as many people packed into the sanctuary with UT students, special guests, and nearly 70 of our dear precious brothers and sisters from the Bay Area. It kind of felt like I had been transported back to Berkeley at times seeing so many familiar faces...

Our senior pastor from GFC Berkeley, Pastor Ed, brought the message from Romans 16. He challenged us to be like the early church, that we might become a people who are close to one another because of our bond in Christ. After reading Romans 16:1-16, it's very clear that Apostle Paul had this intimacy with fellow brothers and sisters scattered throughout the world. Pastor Ed also challenged us to become people who claim one another in love. That is what the church is, a place filled with people who claim each other in love. I think this is an appropriate message for me personally as I serve here in the Austin church. I'm reminded that the reason I moved out here is to become a person who loves God and people zealously.

Well, Ultimate Week and the Inaugural are all over now. As I look back, I'm just so thankful for the many friends and leaders who flew out here this past weekend to be with us. It gives me great strength to know that everyone back at home in Berkeley, Davis, and Taiwan continues to run this race alongside all of us here in Austin, and that we are all in this spiritual battle together, contending together to honor our awesome God. So it's official...Gracepoint Fellowship Church Austin has been birthed! Happy Birthday GFC Austin!

Rudys! Rudys!

2008-10-02T00:18:00.005-05:00

It's Rudys time! Yes, indeed it was for our 12 friends who arrived from California just two days ago. I must say, Rudys BBQ is the best place to go for a bite to eat with a group of 10+ people who are hungry, and wanting something tasty. And what's even better is that it's cheap ...about 5-7 bucks/person.
Well, I'm very excited to see them all here in Austin. They've been working real hard (though not obvious in this picture here), and have been an encouragement to the rest of the Austin team members.
And what a week this is going to be with them all here! Tonight we had a devastating time of fun outdoor games at South Mall for our Ultimate Sports event, and last night we had a great time at the Anna Hiss gym for our Ultimate Games event. I'm looking forward to this Friday, our Ultimate Study Break event, and of course our climax on Sunday, the Inaugural Service for Gracepoint Fellowship Church Austin. For more info on these events, definitely check out the details at our college group Koinonia website
By the way, I know for those of you who were there tonight at the Ultimate Sports event, it might have seemed that some of us "older" ones were a bit slow during the game capture-the-flag. I can't speak for everyone else, but I know that for at least myself I was wearing sandals and this definitely hindered me from playing at the top of my game :)

Zilker Picnic

2008-09-23T12:05:00.007-05:00

There's something undeniably attractive about sizzling patties & hot dogs, with a mound of hot, grilled onions on a nice day in the park. Many of us got our first taste of the awesome Zilker Park this past Saturday with an incredible day of eating and playing. We all got to the park at 11am (I know this is early for many of you college students out there but you made it!) and began with a game of ultimate frisbee. Although my team eventually ended up losing 5-4, we put up a good fight. While we were engaged in a serious frisbee battle, Pastor Manny and brother Maurice were busy grilling tons of cheesburger patties and hot dogs for us. Right after our frisbee game, we all flocked over to the picnic tables like wild hyenas who had been famished for weeks. Those patties went fast!

After we had finished stuffing our stomachs, we were ready for more action. This time, we hit the volleyball nets and played several games up to 25. And we ended the day with the epic match - California vs Texas...Knowing that the California team didn't have any experienced volleyball players, with exception to Kelly Lin, I thought Texas would dominate or at least put up a good fight. Well, my view of Texans changed after the match. Let's just say that I think our Texas friends should stick to rodeos and football...
See more pictures from our picnic!

Hilarious!!! Line Charades!!

2008-09-20T18:22:00.008-05:00

I think most of us know how to play line charades. Basically, the point is to try and imitate exactly what your teammates do, so that you can pass along that sequence to your next teammate, and preserve that message to end of the line. The team with the closest rendition to the original sequence wins. Well, I think that's something someone forgot to tell these guys in the video. This past Friday night after Bible Study, we ate some nice root beer floats, and then we played a memorable round of line charades in which we acted out scenes ranging from "goldfish going up for air" to "students cheating on an exam." In this movie sequence, you'll see that the scene being acted out was two people driving in a car, blowing out a tire, and then changing it. It's amazing how easy it is to tweak that message without even knowing it...
One thing's for sure...Koinonia is not a band of actors :)

Brothers Small Group

2008-09-17T22:21:00.004-05:00

Today we had our third small group meeting of the semester! As usual, we started with a sumptuous dinner, catered from a local Chinese restaurant, shared some laughs, and then we broke up into our respective small groups to talk about one of the most important questions we could ever ask - What is Life? I'm thankful that God has given us this chance to discuss questions such as this, which are so important during this season of life, college. I remember when I was in college, the kinds of things I thought about, the habits I formed. And it's true what many people have told me. The decisions I make and the lifestyle I choose to live in college have a great effect upon the rest of my life. Having been out of college now for some time, I can see the truth of such words.
I'm hoping that through this weekly small group all of our students would seriously think about the questions that really bear weight in this life, and give serious effort to know and live out the Bible, which is the truth. Looking forward to many more great small groups and memories to come!

Historic Night - First Austin NSWN!!

2008-09-09T16:37:00.004-05:00

A week and a half ago, Koinonia Austin had its first ever New Student Welcome Night, also known as NSWN. I don't know what we were thinking when we, the Austin team, thought we could pull this event off by ourselves with our limited manpower. Thankfully, 13 of our brothers and sisters from our Davis sister church, Waypoint Community Church, flew out for nearly an entire week to help put the evening together. They did so much from creating props, barbecuing, shopping, tabling, decorating A-frames...you name it, they probably did it. And with such cheer not to mention. It was also great to see many familiar faces, and being able to house them in our various apartments and homes for that week.

All I can say is Praise God for an amazing night where nearly a hundred students came to hear about Koinonia and God! Though it required a lot of hard work and sacrifice, in the end it was all worth it. Let's see what's in store for the rest of 2008!

Houston, we don't have a problem!

2008-09-09T10:54:00.003-05:00

This is my first entry to my first blog. I think it's fitting that I describe the incredible time the staff at Gracepoint Fellowship Church, Austin had at Houston this past weekend. We went to visit NASA and got to go into Mission Control! It was truly an awesome experience.

Being there at Mission Control reminded me of a couple things. First, that I was sent from Berkeley on a spiritual mission to the UT Austin campus. Second, that I'm blessed with an incredible church, that acts like Mission Control, where every member plays an important role in the big picture. In the movie Apollo 13, everyone in the room worked together for that same goal of bringing the astronauts back to earth safely. I realize the church is to be like this. I'm so thankful to be supported by my home church, Gracepoint Fellowship Church Berkeley, and for the abundance of rich relationships I have in this family of faith. We are a small church here in Austin, but back in Berkeley, it's comforting to know that our Pastor Ed Kang and his wife Kelly Kang, and our entire church are supporting us.