• Journal of Internet of Things and Convergence
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2021

Modern society is rapidly developing into the Internet of Things and Big Data, and there are industries that develop even in the Corona era. However, the church is not developing and responding enough to the Corona era, and it is shaking the existence of the church itself. The essence of the church consists of worship, evangelism, education, service, and companionship. In the era of Corona, where non-face-to-face safety is important, the essence does not change, but efforts to embody the essence of the church in a socially responsible manner are needed. This paper discusses the social responsibility of the church in this respect, focusing on the five essential elements of the church. To this end, we examine the essential elements of the church and study the implementation methods suitable for the Corona era.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.65
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• pp.103-131
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to identify the direction of future Christian ministry by examining the educational/pastoral ministries of Korean churches during the COVID-19 period. The study used the case study method, where pastors from four different churches were the primary sources of data. Although each church has its own unique ministry, special early morning prayer meetings, family worship services, family Vacation Bible Schools, Bible writing and reading programs, and on-line discipleship training programs were common. In addition, each church implemented special programs that reflected the characteristics and needs of the church, like a talk show, visible radio, surfing meeting, and book-making of Bible manuscripts. Based on these results, ministry programs reflecting the church's pastoral philosophy, strengthening community consciousness, restoring the spiritual function of the family, utilizing online teaching methods, and psychological support for the underprivileged are proposed. In addition, the recovery of Christian publicity and the help from denomination or specialized institutions to develop the programs and online materials were suggested. Through this study, the direction of educational/pastoral ministry in a time of COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 is proposed.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.72
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• pp.7-24
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• 2022

Christian education for the world after COVID-19 needs to use rapid changes in the surrounding situation as an opportunity to overcome a new crisis so that the church can achieve its educational mission. If the biggest dilemma in the post-Corona era is that there is no authoritative educational prescription anywhere, the most reasonable option for church education in this situation is to emphasize and cultivate learners' ability to flexibly cope with rules that are completely different than before COVID-19. As a natural result of the crisis, Christian education needs to be more interested in the trend of social change in the pandemic era(glocalization, digital transformation, economic inequality, educational environment change, church crisis) and actively reflect its contents in education. In addition, while operating a mobile(or online) church school that combines offline and online, there is an urgent need for an innovative transition to a core church school where certain church schools and churches cooperate with each other, a church school that guarantees a safe learning space, and an ecological church school that is interested in education dealing with climate change and ecology.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.233-246
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• 2020

After the COVID-19 crisis, the world's terrain has changed completely to the extent that it has been divided before and after Corona. We are living in the era of new normals, things we never thought of before Corona19, such as wearing masks everywhere, maintaining social distance, sitting on one side in the cafeteria, and online face-to-face classes. Perhaps the most seriously affected by the COVID-19 incident is the church. How should the church respond to the various problems caused by COVID-19? This study intends to re-examine the five essential missions of the church in the post-Corona19 era. The five essences are the three essential functions of the intangible church: didake (teaching), kerygma (declaration), diakonia (service), and the two essential functions of the tangible church: koinonia (association) and leiturgia (worship). Of these, koinonia and leiturgia are the most seriously threatened by the restraint of face-to-face worship in the incident of COVID-19. In times of crisis, the church needs to strengthen its vertical koinonia with God in order to perform its didake function well and increase the efficiency of the horizontal koinonia among believers. However, in the situation where face-to-face worship is desired due to social distance, teaching and proclaiming the Bible is the most important part. For this, it is considered that a specialized ministry is needed to produce high quality contents.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.67
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• pp.11-44
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• 2021

In the early 21st century, the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has arisen during the development of the technological science of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, has been a great challenge in all fields including politics, economy, industry, education and religion in Korean society. To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Korean government announced 'social distancing guidelines,' focused on the 'prohibition of three conditions'(crowd, closeness, airtight) for safety reasons. These quarantine guidelines made it more difficult for Korean churches and Sunday schools to operate. In general, looking at the statistical data of the major denominations of the Korean Church in the second half of the 20th century, shows that the Church has entered a period of stagnant or declining growth. Data also show that the number of students attending Sunday School is decreasing. The researcher identified four causes of the crisis faced by the Korean church and Korean Sunday school entering the 21st century. These trends are influenced by the tendencies of postmodernism, the deconstruction of modern universalism, the certainty and objectivity of knowledge, and the grand narrative and worldview of diffusion. Moreover, it is a phenomenon in which the young population decreases in contrast to the increasing elderly population in the age of population cliff in Korean society. Sunday Schools are also facing a crisis, as the youth population, who will become the future heroes of the Korean church, is declining. Finally, constraints of Church and Sunday school education activities are due to COVID-19 Pandemic. As analysis shows the loss of the Church's educational vision and a decrease in the passion for education. Accordingly, the researcher suggests four new strategies for the next generation of Korean Sunday schools, whose ranges from 200 members or less; this range covers the majority of Sunday School program run by churches in Korea. First, in the age of postmodernism, a time of uncertainty and relativism, Christian Societies requires teachers who are certain of absolute Christian truth and faith. Second, in an era of declining population cliffs for younger generations, a shift to a home-friendly Sunday school paradigm is needed. Third, during the COVID-19 pandemic, educational activities must appropriately utilize face-to-face and non-face-to-face communication. Finally, even in difficult times, Korean Sunday school should nevertheless remember the Lord's great commandment(Matthew 28:18-20) and restore the vision and passion of education to announce and teach the gospel. The researcher hopes that this study will provide small, positive steps in rebuilding Korean Sunday school educational activities for future generations in difficult times.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.63
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• pp.13-37
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• 2020

The World Health Organisation(WHO), paying attention to the spread and fatality of the coronavirus(COVID-19), which first occurred in Wuhan, China, declared a global emergency. Although many countries implement strict measures to slow down the spread, WHO officially declared a pandemic. COVID-19 has sparked fears of an impending economic crisis and recession. Due to the economic crisis caused by social distancing, self-isolation and travel restrictions, the collapse of the world economic system centered on free trade and the decline of globalization are mentioned. Political leadership that has not responded properly to the pandemic is challenged, and nearly all of society is rapidly changing to a non-contact and immobile culture. COVID-19 has seriously affected all levels of the education system, from preschool to tertiary education. The so-called old concept of deschooling is realizing in the field of education through digital media paradoxically. Church education is facing a serious crisis as well. Churches are seeking now a new normal that includes theological reflection on the pandemic, online worship, education, and non-face-to-face ministry to overcome the worst unexpected crisis. In the post-corona era, church education must actively seek alternatives in response to rapidly changing surrounding conditions and reconstruct educational philosophy(theology) that focuses on Christian values. In addition, it is necessary to start operating a mobile(or online) church school that combines offline and online. It is necessary to introduce 'Blended Learning' method that combines non-face-to-face and face-to-face learning, and by combining church school and homeschooling, churches and families need to share the responsibility of education in faith.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.68
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• pp.41-76
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• 2021

This paper begins with the question of whether "on-tact" Christian education, which has become the most new-normal phenomenon since Corona 19, will remain as a decisive form of Christian education even in the post-Corona era. In order to answer that question, this study explored whether on-tact Christian education has its own domain of experience and educational elements that cannot be replaced by face-to-face education, specifically focusing on "types of on-tact Christian Education", "discussion of digital church" and "digital epistemology". Through research on "types of onn-tact Christian education," it confirmed that, when viewed on the basis of 'participation' or 'communication', on-tact Christian education has an independent field of experience and educational elements. Through contemplation on "digital ecclesiology", it found that on-tact education is the decisive channel for Christian education to reach digital generation. It also found a new metaphor from the "network" concept for the public church and the Kingdom of God. This paper also found that we experience the perception of the body that is expanded through the combination between the body and technology in the digital world, and that this is a unique epistemology that occurs only in the digital world. Based on the above points, it affirmed that on-tact Christian education is not simply a means of supplementing face-to-face education in the era of COVID-19, but is a Christian education that has an independent field of experience and educational power that face-to-face education cannot replace. Thus it foresees that on-tact Christian education will continue to expand as a center and form of Christian education even in the post-corona era.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.71
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• pp.277-303
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• 2022

The COVID-19 Pandemic, which began in 2020, has led to many changes in the Korean church. It created a situation in which not only the change and form of worship time, but also the definition, direction, and philosophy of ministry had to be re-established. In the early days of COVID-19 Pandemic, the Korean church recognized this as a crisis, but gradually regarded these as opportunities and tried to produce positive results. The Department of Education has also undergone many changes, especially in its summer ministry, and is expected to have undergone more dramatic changes in form, location and method than in any other church event or service. However, no accurate data on this has been collected. Accordingly, Mirae with Dreams (CEO: Pastor Kim Eun-ho), a corporation established by the Oryun Church for the next generation of ministry, conducted a survey on the summer ministry of the Korean church, which has been registered as a future member with dreams every year since 2020 when the COVID-19 fan dummy began. A similar survey was conducted in 2022 following 2021, and 260 churches responded, and the results are as follows. In 2022, the summer ministry of the Ministry of Education of the Korean Church returned to the form before the COVID-19 Pandemic. Unlike 2021, when many of them were held online, more than 81 percent said they had conducted summer camps offline, and 31 percent also conducted or attended outdoor camps. In terms of the importance of roles, when online was also the main focus, parents and teachers were equally viewed or emphasized, while in this summer's survey, 90 percent of respondents said that the role of teachers in charge or department was important. Summer events were mainly summer Bible schools and retreats, but 25% of all respondents said they conducted missionary work and evangelism at home and abroad. Compared to 2021, participation in summer camps has increased in all departments, including infant and kindergarten, elementary and middle school, and especially in infant and middle school. While preparing for the summer camp, most of the respondents said that the focus was on content and topics, and the main focus was on children's accessibility compared to 2021. As a result of synthesizing the description of the reason for the respondents who could not conduct the summer camp, about 40% said they could not conduct the summer camp due to a lack of volunteers. This is more than 30% who pointed out COVID-19 as the cause, which can be seen as an urgent problem to be solved at the Korean church and denomination level. In addition, this paper also mentioned detailed changes in each question, referring to the changes in summer camps from 2020 to 2022.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.68
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• pp.217-243
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• 2021

As can be seen from the statement by the UN Secretary-General that "COVID-19 is a crisis with a woman's face," women have experienced great crisis, pain, and difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the situations of women through statistical data and research studies. Through this study, economic, socio-cultural, and psycho-emotional aspects were dealt with in detail, and how these issues appeared in relation to "caring" were examined. In addition, as a response of the church to these problems and crises, pastoral theological reflection was promoted through "Ethics of Care" and "caring ministry". The "caring ministry" of the church extends not only to personal care within the church, but also to social, cultural, economic, political, and ecological issues, and the church has a missionary mission to respond to these issues related to disasters with a public nature. Furthermore, through educational ministry, the change of values and mindsets on "care" and inequality and Diakonia, the loving care of the church community, should be encouraged.

• Journal of Christian Education in Korea
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• v.78
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• pp.21-55
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• 2024

Purpose of study: The purpose of this study is to examine the crisis situation of Christian education experienced by Korean churches and theological education institutions after the COVID-19 pandemic, and to seek new tasks and directions that Korean churches should prepare for the recovery and growth of Christian education. Research Contents and Methods: Before reviewing the current crisis experienced by Korean churches and theological education institutions after the COVID-19 pandemic, the terms and concepts of Christian education are first reflected. In addition, the causes and phenomena of the Korean church and Christian education crisis after the COVID-19 Pandemic are examined through statistics, media, and church field data. The researcher identified the causes of the crisis experienced by Korean churches and theological education institutions as follows: 1. The influence of COVID-19 Pandemic: suspension of faith and educational activities, 2. The age of population cliffs: increase in the elderly vs. decrease in young people, 3. Neoliberalism: marketism, infinite competition, efficiency, winner-take-all, 4. post-religious era: post-Christianity, weakened communitarianism, and reduced number of Christians. The results of this study are four points as follows: 1. Crisis of church education: suspension of operation of Sunday school and feeling of failure, 2. Crisis of faith of young generation: nurturing unstable future church leaders, 3. Faith of adult generation: crisis and hope, 4. The faith of the elderly generation: light and shadow. Conclusion and Recommendations: The new task and direction of Christian education that Korean churches should pursue after the COVID-19 pandemic are as follows: 1. New conversion of Sunday school faith education: From schooling-paradigm education to faith education that integrates family and generation. 2. New conversion of theological education: From knowledge education to spirituality training. 3. Re-ignition of faith education for middle-aged adults: Activation of faith through worship and small groups, 4. New conversion of church elder education: The need to change from caring objects to creative religious life.