Shin Kwang Church of NY receives 2013 Esther Award

September 1, 2013

Shin Kwang Church of NY (SKNY), a Korean congregation of the Reformed Church of America’s Queens Classis, led by Pastor Rev. Jae Hong Han, will receive the 2013 Esther Award from NBTS. SKNY provides health services to people in their own neighborhood as well as internationally through mission trips. Each year the Seminary confers The Esther Award on an individual or church like SKNY whose Christian response to public need is truly remarkable.

Everyone is invited as NBTS President Dr. Gregg Mast presents the award at 6pm on Wednesday, September 4, during the Seminarys worship service, First Things First, that convenes the new 2013-14 school year. To honor the SKNY community, NBTS has named seminarian Lateya Foxx as the Shin Kwang Scholar for 2013-14. Ms. Foxx will receive a full-tuition scholarship. The community will join in a traditional Korean feast following the service. RSVP to Yasha People at ypeople@nbts.edu or 732-247-5241 x 103

Medical outreach is a key part of SKNY’s public service. For people without medical insurance in their own Queens neighborhood, SKNY opens its space for clinical diagnostic services and health seminars in areas such as mammograms and breast cancer, colorectal screenings, pap tests, anemia and cholesterol screening as well as regular blood drives. To encourage academic achievement, every year SKNY provides five neighborhood high school students with $1,000 scholarships. The church generously shares their facilities as a meeting place for the Christian clubs of many local schools and community organizations. And the church serves as a center of Korean culture and language.

Every year SKNY sends a mission team to Haiti that provides a medical clinic, eye exam with free eyeglasses, and even vacation Bible school! Many SKNY church members participate in mission trips to Nicaragua and Guatemala through the Silver Mission organization. Last year, SKY members joined a mission trip to Kazakhstan with a sister church. See their medical travel adventures online.
(Note to English speakers: use Google Chrome as your browser because it will translate some of the Korean for you.)