Eungyong – it is not only my Korean name, but also the root of my sense of call. The name defines me as a second-generation Korean American woman, a mother, a wife, and a pastor. Names are important. Even in the Bible, we see examples of how names define a person or a poignant moment in their life, like God changing Jacob’s name from “one who grabs the heel” to Israel, “the one who struggles with God.” Growing up, I had a love/hate relationship with my Korean name. For one, it is difficult to pronounce and secondly, it literally means “Silver Bells.” Nothing like the name “Theresa Silver Bells Cho” to give one an identity complex. I once asked my father why he chose that name for me. He explained that the Chinese character for “Eun” means “silver” or “crystal clear” and “gyong” means “the sound of a bell.” He said that when I was born, his hope for me was that I would grow up to use my voice, ringing truth as clear as the sound of a bell. As I live out God’s call in my life and continue to discern God’s call, I strive to use my voice to do just that.
Depending on who you talk to, truth can mean different things. As Christians, we are always making every effort to live out God’s truth. One of the many things I appreciate about the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., is its intentionality to hear the different voices of God’s people, which is not an easy task, but a faithful one. I know this first hand, growing up in Reno, Nevada, daughter of a Southern Baptist pastor. My life experiences have led me down an interesting faith journey that is by no means finished.
BIO:
I grew up in Reno, Nevada and graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago with awards in preaching and theology. Before coming to St. John’s in 2003, I completed a full-year chaplain residency program at UCSF Medical Center, where I provided spiritual care to patients, families, and staff. I am active in all levels of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., including youth conferences, women leadership conferences, Peacemaking Conferences, General Assembly Committees, and recently served as Moderator for the Presbytery of San Francisco. I also have had a variety of life experiences that include teaching children with special needs and working in a multi-racial urban congregation in Chicago and Seoul, Korea. All this contributes to my passion for child advocacy, creating intergenerational worship experiences, and urban ministry.
I have published articles and written blogs in Christian Century, Sojourners God’s Politics, Christians for Biblical Equality, ecclesio.com, the Presbyterian Leader, and other blog sites.
I live in San Francisco with my husband, InHo Kim, and our two children.
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Ms Cho –
Just read your article on SOJO and found it very informative. I believe that women in ministry is vital to the future of the Christian church. (just me but not sure that I am personally ready for a female sr pastor)
Thanks for your article and just wanted you to know that I read it. I have to communicate to you this way as I have been kicked off Sojo. Guess it is OK for their authors to be on the edge as well as more liberal bloggers. As a conservative – guess I am expendable.
Really not concerned about them – understanding is much more improtant to me than cloning little ‘Wallisites’
When I asked my mother why they named me Randal, she told me they got it from the Bible. Someone must have written it in the margins somewhere of her Bible. Thanks for sharing your creative ideas.
Dear Theresa Cho,
We recently read your article “10 Ways to Revive a Dying Church” in Sojourners’s newsletter and thought it was great! We liked it so much we think all the elders in the Presbyterian Church in Canada should have a chance to read it, so we’ like to summarize it (and include a link to your original full version) on our website–www.eldersinstitute.ca in our Elders’ Toolbox. Please email me at elders@standrews.edu to confirm whether or not we can have your permission to use it. (Or does Sojourners hold the copyright for the article?)
Thanks,
Kathleen
Communications Administrator,
Elders’ Institute, St. Andrew’s Hall
Vancouver BC
Theresa,
or ideas that might work. I would really appreciate it. Thanks.
First, thanks for all that you post and share so freely. I really appreciate your insight and creativity.
I have been particularly interested in your prayer stations for toddlers as our church situation (I am the pastor of a small Pres. church in MA) is similar to yours in some ways.
I am hoping to do prayer stations around Worldwide communion and the peacemaking offering on Oct. 2nd and I was wondering if you had anything you had done that you would like to share
In Christ,
Chip Stapleton
Hi Chip,
I have a couple ideas for world communion that may work for toddlers. It is good to keep them simple and tactile. I did a station for feeding of 5000 that I think you could incorporate. Here’s the link: http://theresaecho.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/interactive-prayer-stations-on-feeding-the-5000-calling-of-disciples/
Scroll all the way down where you see toddler stations – activity one: about feeling bread at different stages and tasting different breads around the world.
I always think it is good to have a coloring page option, so for peacemaking, I put out these coloring pages during our 9/11 interactive. Again scroll all the way down. http://theresaecho.wordpress.com/2011/08/23/interactive-prayer-stations-on-10th-anniversary-of-911/
Hope this helps.
Thanks so much for this and thanks again for being so generous with your creativity!
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Theresa…you once wrote an article about some of the experiments that you were doing at Presbytery Meetings in SF…where can I get a link to that?
I pray you are well…
Nicholas
Hey Nicholas, if you look at this link, there are a bunch listed towards the end. http://theresaecho.com/pcusa/
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this article plus
the rest of the site is extremely good.
Theresa, I am a fellow WP blogger and have been following your blog for awhile. I really appreciate your writing–especially your creative ideas for worshiping with children. I am currently working on a family spiritual formation blog project and would love to include your voice among the contributors. If you are interested, please be in touch at practicingfamilies at gmail dot com
Blessings to you in the new year!
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