Yong Bae Park's small group workshop revives activities in Malaysia

Sudesh Balasubramaniam
November 2013

Left: Presenting a House of Vision, which essentially is the operating plan for how to achieve the goals within a home group. Right: A children's coloring contest, a project to serve the community, initiated by one home group

It has been awhile here in Malaysia that members have been meeting for small group activities in homes, to gather to read Father's words, pray and share. However, these gatherings never geared for outreach nor did they follow a clear set of guidelines with vision and a mission focus. With church growth and expansion of the blessing movement being our larger focus, these traditional gatherings of blessed families were ineffective.

That was set to change with the home group workshop conducted by Rev Yong Bae Park. From April 28 to 30, 2012, Malaysia FFWPU had a wonderful opportunity to hear from Rev Park on how the home group system had taken root in Korea. Over three days, key leaders and members from all over the nation attended the home group education workshop conducted by Rev Park.

Rev. Park's highly interactive presentation included group activities, role-playing and presentations. These simulations of actual home-group gatherings were an eye-opener. Members saw a new ray of hope. We were convinced that implementing the home group system would give a breath of fresh air to outreach activities in Malaysia.

Left: More than 46 percent of Malaysians are twenty-four years old or younger, so the members of this home group might move the nation; Right: Participants in a Malaysia Peace Blessing Family Festival come to terms with restoration through indemnity.

With guidance and encouragement from Rev. Park, brothers and sisters in Malaysia were inspired and believed home group is truly a gift from Heavenly Parent and True Parents not only in outreach for new members, hut, also as a platform to nurture and cultivate happy, healthy families among blessed families. I lone groups give every member an opportunity to participate in the ministry.

To kick-start the home group engine, members gathered on May 27, 2012 to participate in the Home Group Orientation Sunday Service. Members were divided into different groups, according to their centers. Two groups in the Kuala Lumpur Central Church (KLCC) formed according to spoken language; i.e., an English-speaking home group and Mandarin-speaking home group.

The groups divided accordingly and based on Rev Park's guidance (luring the workshop, formed their House of Vision. It was an active session with all members contributing ideas and participating. Members drew out their House of Vision and wrote out their Home Groups Vision and Mission on large sheets of paper using different colors. The groups presented their House of Vision and with cheers of Eog Mansei, the Malaysia home group was inaugurated!

Left: The cultural diversity in Malaysia has produced something akin to culinary heaven -- good food warms hearts. Right: The English-language home group in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital city, during a stage when they divided into English and Mandarin groups. Later, like other centers in the country, the groups were based on geographic area rather than language.

After the inauguration, home group members met and participated in the weekly gathering as guided by Rev Park to strengthen the internal bonding and to prepare the atmosphere and condition before we can start to welcome VIPs -- guests.

With good orientation and the groups getting a grip of the home group methodology, phase two commenced with reorganizing the home group based on areas where blessed families resided rather than the language spoken. Home groups were formed for Puchong, Kepong, Cheras and Petaling Jaya areas. All blessed families were now part of one of these home groups.

The newly formed home group based in Puchong had much success. Most of the weekly activities were organized at the Sutra Mas Condominium complex. Through the strong community built among the blessed families there, their home group activity also extended to community-based activities such a children's coloring contest, origami classes led by our Japanese wives and presentations on family values. They also organized culture-based festivals, such as the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival.

Having happy, healthy families is a universal concern and one that FFWPU Malaysia addresses through their outreach to the nation. This was one of many events that helped bring them into contact with thousands of Malaysian families.

Rev. Poh Yik Kun, a committee member of the Puchong home group has this to say, "We can see an improved relationship with the community and greater confidence to invite new guests as their response has been positive. This outreach involves the whole family and not just an individual. The idea of restoring "one family at a time" is now possible through home groups."

Home groups in Malaysia are set to play an instrumental role in nurturing newly blessed couples in their respective areas like an incubator.

According to Rev. Sam Yeoh, the national leader of Malaysia, "Little did we realize the timeliness of the home group system being implemented in Malaysia. Malaysia was selected as one of the Providential Nations and we made plans to inherit True Mother's Vision 2020. "

One of the crucial activities that would spearhead Malaysia's outreach activities were the Happy, Healthy Family Campaign. This campaign would support blessed couples' role as tribal messiahs to outreach to 430 new blessed couples each. At the same time, the campaign had an external focus as a nation-building activity to strengthen marriage and families.

Through the home group support network, over fifty events, reaching out to more than ten thousand families, have so far been organized. These new contacts go through a structured education system transforming them to become blessed families.

The culminating event for the campaign is the Blessing Ceremony, which would be held under the banner of a Malaysia Peace Blessing Family Festival. We planned this as an annual celebration where married couples rededicate their families to the cause of nation building and world peace.

The inaugural Malaysia Peace Blessing Family Festival was held on 13 October 2013 at the Malaysia Peace Embassy. Over 250 participants rededicated their marriages and families at this event, which Dr. and Mrs. Lek Thaveetermsakul presided over as the officiator couple, representing of Dr. and Mrs. Chung Sik Yong.

At the event, fifty-one qualified married couples went through all the ceremonies. Twenty-one of these newly blessed couples are undergoing the forty-day separation with further education preparing them for the Three-Day Ceremony.