ⓒ 2005 WATV

On March 9, Awards Ceremony at the General Assembly 2005 was held in the Okcheon Training Institute Gymnasium where the warm spring sunlight came in. This awards ceremony, which was held the day before the first day of the New Year by the sacred calendar, had a profound meaning of settling the result of the gospel work for the fourth quarter and the last one year as well, and of starting a new goal.

The gymnasium was crowded with 3,000 awardees who obtained good results by doing their best in the gospel work, following the will of God for the last year.
In the ceremony there were various kinds of awards as it was the year-end settlement: Excellent Church Prizes for Preaching according to the church size (large, medium and small churches) and Excellent Individual Prize for Gospel Fruit, Prize for Large or Small Group Leaders (according to the age classification,) Excellent Prize for Education, Prize for Branching, Prize for Raising Gospel Workers, and other existing prizes and so on. The range of the awardees expanded greatly, so more members had a chance to get awarded on the stage than before.

Firstly, the worship service began with Mother's prayer, "Please, Father, let all Your children over the world be born again, so that they may be combined with faithfulness, humility, wisdom and courage and may go all over the world and save a lot of souls with love and sacrifice in 2005." Mother said, "To love one another is the fulfillment of the law," and added that we can be the 'Faith Community With Same Fate' who go to heaven together when all the members share sadness as well as delight. Mother also gave a special teaching about the true love, saying, "Those, who like to be humble, consider others first and put into practice the true love of God, who came in the nature of a servant and served sinners and sacrificed Himself even to death; Father loves the humble." Mother also told us to do our best in saving our dying neighbors, by showing mercy like the good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke.

ⓒ 2005 WATV

After the worship service, the awards ceremony began. Whenever an awardee's name was called, there was a resonant clapping and shout. It was an applause for the awardees and participants who labored hard for the gospel for a year. They cheered for other churches' awardees as well as their own churches' winners, so the mood heated up. A Korean traditional music performance, a male quartet, an exciting folk dance of the chorus children and other performances were staged in the middle of the event and produced a highly elated atmosphere.

Videos, which were showed at the beginning and at the end of the event, gave a great impression and teaching to the members. Especially the video titled, 񟭄 Gospel Settlement HighlightThose Who Brightened the Year 2004,' showed the scenes of the awards ceremonies of the last 3 quarters; it gave the members an opportunity to remember the last year and have a new resolution.

The large or small group leaders, who were given the honor of an excellent prize for pushing on the gospel work only with depending on God for a year, had an interview on the stage. With humility, they told of the secret of bearing such much fruit, "It was not me who did it, but I could be awarded for God allowed me fruit after He saw my earnest heart even though I was still lack." A member made a mention of the importance of giving thanks, "God allowed me more thankful things when I gave thanks to God all the time, following the word, 'Give thanks in all circumstances.'" Another member expressed the importance of prayer, saying, "I was given a lot of good fruit as the result of asking God His ability by praying, for I know that I am not able enough."

A large group leader had been continually given prizes including the Excellent Prize for Large or Small Group and the Excellent Individual Prize for Gospel Fruit throughout four quarters even though she is over 50 years old. She touched the hearts of all the listeners, by asking God more good fruit with tears, "I want to do the gospel work that I will never regret in heaven, only by depending on God with prayer and unity."

Another awardees also gave all the thanks and glory to God, and showed their firm will to be awarded at every Awards Ceremony by bearing more fruit in the new year. All of them emphasized that anyone can get a good result when obeying God's word; they say, "This good result has given to us when we did as God said."

ⓒ 2005 WATV

Last year, particularly the overseas ministry achieved a remarkable result at every quarter. At this 4th Awards Ceremony as well, the overseas churches' advances were great. Peru Church received an Excellent Church Prize for Preaching and Excellent Group Prizes for the Male Adults and Female Adults. The overseer gave thanks to God, saying, "Everything was done by the plan and help of God. Though language, culture, life style and a lot of things are different, the people of God listen to the voice of God wherever they are, so everything went smooth even though we were lack of the language ability and everything." He also showed his hope, saying, "We want to be kept being used preciously as the instruments of God who can preach the truth to Samaria and to the ends of the earth by depending on only God."

The overseer of Nepal Church said, "In overseas churches, the members' hope for heaven is very strong because all the circumstances are difficult. God encourages us with a lot of fruit, knowing our earnestness. We give thousands thanks to Father and Mother," and he also showed his ambition, saying, "Our only hope and goal is to preach hard, so that all the people who do not know the truth can hear the words of truth and the Church can be established in all over Nepal this year."

"By searching the old, learn the new." Like this saying, we expect the members to complete the heavenly gospel by the Practice of Love this year, on the foundation of the Result of Smile and Unity that they achieved by obeying the word of God during the last year. We also hope that we all become the prophets of love who engrave the word of God, "I will give to everyone according to what he has done."