By Kim Ju-young, Freelance Journalist
(4th-Dan Taekwondo Black Belt / Level 3 Instructor)
I recently volunteered at a sports mission forum at Bloomvista Hall in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. As a recreational athlete with a 4th-dan taekwondo black belt and a Level 3 instructor certification, I had the chance to hear ministry stories and testimonies from people sharing love through sports, including taekwondo and table tennis.
I’m taking a break from taekwondo while recovering from knee surgery, but meeting these sports missionaries stirred a strong desire to support them through intercessory prayer.
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What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of sports?
Memories of volunteering as a taekwondo instructor in the Philippines and Poland…
For me, it’s the hours spent sweating in my dobok, or taekwondo uniform, the people I practiced kicks with, and that satisfying feeling after a good workout.
But this forum reminded me that sports can also bring people together—and that those relationships can become a way to share the love of Jesus.
Sports Mission Forum: Meeting So Many Fellow Christian Taekwondo Practitioners
I’m a recreational athlete with a 4th-dan taekwondo black belt and an instructor certification. Knee surgery has me taking a break from training for now, but at heart, I’m still very much a taekwondo practitioner.
That probably explains why I was so excited to meet people using taekwondo in their mission work. Sharing a love of the same sport already gives us plenty to talk about. Being able to share our faith, too, made those connections even more meaningful.
So many people serving in ministry crossed my path at this gathering…
I truly believe we’ll meet again, whether through training or somewhere along the way in our mission work.
Bloomvista Hall in Yangpyeong, where the sports ministry gathering took place
The Energy Behind the TAM Instructor’s Presentation
One of the highlights of the forum was a presentation by a TAM taekwondo instructor based in the United States.
He also led worship from time to time, and his passion and energy came through throughout his talk. I could feel both his love for taekwondo and his commitment to the next generation. I kept thinking, “He has the kind of energy that could take this ministry far!”
For context, TAM Foundation stands for Taekwondo Alliance for Mission Foundation. Based in California, the organization brings taekwondo practitioners together to help neighbors in need—especially children facing difficult circumstances—and build a brighter future for the next generation.
TAM Center is also planning to share its ministry through an upcoming webinar, so that’s something to keep an eye out for.
Listening to Seon Woo-jin, the head of TAM Mission, reminded me that taekwondo can bring people together across languages and borders. Even when we don’t fully understand one another’s words, we can put on our uniforms, bow, learn movements together, and connect.
Imagining those connections made the future of taekwondo missions feel even brighter.
Sharing a Table with Yang Young-ja!
Any fellow table tennis fans out there?
One meal at the forum was especially memorable: I got to sit at the same table as Yang Young-ja, who won the women’s doubles table tennis gold medal with Hyun Jung-hwa at the 1988 Seoul Olympics!
Now that’s a story I’ll be telling the family!
Just meeting someone who helped create such an unforgettable Olympic moment would have been exciting enough. Sharing a table at a gathering devoted to sports ministry made it even more meaningful.
Taekwondo and table tennis may be different sports, but they share this possibility: using the talents and experiences we’ve been given to connect with and serve others.
The Next 50 Years of Sports Ministry: Moving Forward Together
Volunteering at this 50th-anniversary sports mission forum left me with a question I’m still thinking about: “How do we prepare for the next 50 years of sports ministry?”
Kim Yong-gi, Head of World Sports Mission
One message particularly stayed with me: if the past decades were about pioneering and expanding Korean sports ministry, the years ahead will require stronger connections, greater cooperation, and a deeper commitment to raising up the next generation.
That spirit showed in the thoughtful care so many people gave the young volunteers at the event, too. I’m truly grateful.
Churches and mission organizations, sports organizations and coaches, athletes and missionaries, and lay Christians bringing expertise from their own fields—all have a part to play.
Rather than expecting one group to do everything, we can go further by sharing our strengths and moving forward together.
I heard that same emphasis in the vision Sports Movement Korea presented at the forum.
Service over competition: Freely sharing training resources developed over many years so that Korean churches and organizations can put them to use.
Ongoing training, not just one-off events: Working toward a three-stage training system that makes disciples 365 days a year.
Going where the next generation is: Rather than simply waiting for young adults and children to come, reaching out to them in the places where they live their lives.
Missionary Im Guk-hyeon, serving in Russia, whose words deeply moved me
If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.
It’s a familiar saying, but hearing it in a room full of people from different organizations gave it new weight. Encouraging one another’s ministries and sharing what we’ve learned can give us the strength to take the next step.
Loving People More Than Technique
The vocalist who helped make our time of prayer even more grace-filled
One sentence from the materials we read together has stayed with me as I reflect on the forum.
“What I want to tell you is this: love people more than technique.”
The point wasn’t that sports expertise doesn’t matter. It was that mission work also means patiently walking alongside someone, sharing their pain, and showing the love of Jesus through the way we live.
I was also moved by the reflection that the people who stay with us longest are those we’ve cried and prayed with—and those who began as disciples and became partners in ministry.
In sports, we can often see skill and results right away. But the fruit of waiting patiently for someone, spending time together, and opening our hearts to one another isn’t always immediately visible.
That makes this a ministry that calls for even more prayer and patience.
Taking a Break from Training, but Still Taking Part Through Prayer
Since my knee surgery, I’ve missed being able to move and train as freely as I used to. But listening to the people I met at the forum helped me realize that I can still take part in a way that’s possible for me right now.
Through intercessory prayer—praying on behalf of others.
I want to remember and pray for those who are connecting with people through sports, caring for the next generation, and sharing the gospel wherever they serve.
I pray that missionaries serving in unfamiliar places will have the strength to keep going, that God will bring fellow workers alongside them, and that every person they meet through sports will come to know they are loved.
And as for me, even with this less-than-cooperative body of mine, I want to take my time discerning what I can do in the place God has given me.
Leaving the Mission Forum in Yangpyeong
Grateful for the people sports have brought into my life…
I came to this sports mission forum as a volunteer, but I left feeling that I had received so much more: stories, encouragement, and heartfelt connections.
These are people who use the sports they love to meet others, build lasting relationships, and serve. I’ll continue to remember their ministries and support them in prayer.
And to my fellow Christians who love taekwondo: I hope we’ll meet someday, whether we’re training together in our doboks or crossing paths unexpectedly on a mission field.
Venue | Bloomvista Conference Facilities, Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Kukkiwon Taekwondo Dan Uniform / Taekwondo Dobok
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I regularly share new updates from my travels on YouTube, too.
I’d love for you to follow along.
Written by
Jigu-byeol Sigol-jwi (“Country Mouse on Planet Earth”), a blogger and YouTuber sharing books, reading, travel, and everyday life