Shalom Events

Our mission organization is a faith based community that centers on worship. Since the start of our ministry, we have considered worship as more important than any other events, and over a hundred people consisting of disabled members, their family and volunteer workers get together every Thursday at 5:00 p.m. and give glory to God by worshiping together. Through worship that God receives, the disabled families are able to lead a victorious life by the power that God provides, which becomes the motivating factor in reaching out not only to the local community, but also to the disabled people all around the world with the gospel of Christ. From time to time, by inviting local church pastors or missionaries as guest speakers and having special programs, we experience certain blessings that are not experienced in a regular local church. And the dinner after the worship service is lovingly provided by local churches.

In January of 2013, we completed the 27th Wheels of Love Project which spreads Christ’s gospel of peace along with practical help to the disadvantaged disabled people abroad. As long as our ministry continues, this is the project that we will continue doing. From the first Wheels of Love Project on September 30, 1999 up to now, by shipping a total of 10,672 wheelchairs and 43,290 miscellaneous medical equipment to Global Disability Communities, we have served 53,962 disabled people. This meaningful project is mainly funded by the yearly fundraising concert, “Love Story on Wheels.” We also receive financial support and medical equipment as donations all throughout the year.

The members of our ministries, along with the volunteer workers and senior deaconesses from the local churches who have interest in our ministries, gather together at the sanctuary every Friday (10:30 a.m. – 12:30 pm) and have a grace filled intercessory prayer meeting. We pray for various prayer requests which include not only those of our ministry but for the whole world. The prayers of the intercessors who pray without missing a single week, who know prayer is their mission, are the foundation of our ministries and our ministry’s great strength.

To observe the month of May, which in Korea is considered as “Family Awareness Month,” we treat the elderly in our ministry with a meal and gifts a little before or after Parents’ Day (5/8 in Korea) every year. We believe that serving the disabled & elderly in the local community as we serve our own parents is a God-pleasing ministry with a promise of blessing.

Every year as we celebrate Christmas, we grant scholarships to help those families with disabled members and who have financial hardships. What distinguishes our ministries’ scholarships is that we grant them not only to disabled students, but also to non-disabled students whose parents or siblings are disabled and need help desperately. The reason why we carry out this meaningful event during Christmas celebration is because Christ’s coming on earth is to “proclaim the good news to the poor.”

As a part of the program that serves the disabled people in the local community, the rehabilitation center is open 5 days a week (Monday through Friday) from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is composed of the rehabilitation exercise room and the multi-purpose rehabilitation room. Inside this center, rehabilitation exercise equipment is available and the space is also used as a reading room and a guest room. Through this space, we provide a resting place to the disabled individuals who have no special place to go to in Koreatown, while also using the space for counseling and evangelism. In addition, one professional organization partners that serves the developmentally disabled people in the local community runs various programs during the weekdays by utilizing the Shalom Rehabilitation Room.

Two of the most skillful hairdressers in Koreatown voluntarily care for the disabled members’ hair before service every Thursday. Popular among the ministry members, Shalom Hair Salon is a big help to many disabled members who have difficulties going to a regular hair salon due to their financial hardships and physical discomfort. In addition, for those who are suffering discomfort due to stroke or other physical disabilities, a doctor of Oriental medicine helps the disabled members by providing acupuncture and other Oriental therapy at the same time every Thursday.

To celebrate our anniversary every year, we go on a picnic, open to disabled families, some time during June or July. Worshipping God in nature, having a delicious meal, playing games – it is a fun and enjoyable day that we have once a year outdoors, and it’s also a day that the disabled and their family members release their stress. It is also an occasion to seek out the hidden disabled people and invite them, thereby giving them an opportunity to come to the outside world.

SDM Praise Team, which is consisted of the developmentally disabled members and the physically disabled who are in wheelchairs, practices every Tuesday, and blesses the believers during a Thursday service, a music concert, or at local churches when they get invited. Although it is not easy to have them practice and sing, their genuine praises are an inspiration to many people even though their musical talent may be below the normal standard. SDM Praise Team that praises and prepares with prayers, fighting!

As a part of the program that helps build up the families of the disabled members and bring spiritual restoration to them, we go on a family retreat every year in October (as long as there is not a special circumstance). A more beautiful and loving community is made primarily by having spirituality seminars and some time of relaxation and fellowship. On special occasions, with the help of generous supporters, we get to taste God’s mystery of creation and His power by going to different tourist attractions such as Grand Canyon, thereby making them into occasions to strengthen our faith in God as we pray.

“Love Story on Wheels,” the concert that is held every year, is the most effective and meaningful event that provides the funds needed to send Christ’s gospel of peace on wheelchairs and other miscellaneous medical equipment to the disadvantaged disabled people around the world. This music concert that is held in June or July every year is a ministry that brings glory to God through grace filled praises and personal testimonies by inviting new and various guests. It is a ministry that brings deep inspiration not only to the local churches and its members, but also to the Korean community as well, giving them an opportunity to participate in the missions.