SFTS Student Starts Street Ministry in San Francisco

Last updated on: September 24, 2013 at 10:39 pm by Deborah Arca

SFTS Student Starts Street Ministry in San Francisco 2013-09-24T22:39:28+00:00 Deborah Arca

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

[Editor’s Note: Before coming to Patheos, I spent a decade of my life and career at the San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) in Northern California. I’m deeply grateful for the ways it changed my life and deepened my faith. This press release from the PC(USA) Presbyterian News Service about an SFTS student who is ministering to the homeless touched me today and I wanted to share it here.]

By Christopher Schilling
Presbyterian News Service
Reprinted from Chimes

What started with a McDonald’s hamburger and a cup of coffee from Starbucks has turned into a full-fledged street ministry.

Last October, San Francisco Theological Seminary M.Div. student Yong Gee Cho felt a call to reach out to the homeless population in San Francisco. Cho, who is originally from Korea, has been working recently in college ministry in Boston and in parish ministry in San Francisco.

He didn’t know how he could help the men and women who were living without homes in his city, but he felt called to help them in some way.

“It started out just by me buying McDonald’s hamburgers and cups of coffee from Starbucks,” Cho says. “I would then just approach different people who were living on the street and ask if I could share a meal with them.”

By sharing hamburgers and cups of coffee with homeless men and women on Saturdays, Cho began to start conversations with them, talking not only about their spiritual lives but about their entire life stories.

“Some of them were dealing with addictions, some of them had other deep personal pains,” Cho says. “I felt it was my call to share God’s love just by listening to them.”

Cho soon realized he needed help. That was when he met an older woman in his community who was so touched by the work he was doing with homeless people that she offered to provide financial support to cover the cost of the sandwiches and cups of coffee.

“It was such a wonderful blessing to have her support,” Cho says.

This wasn’t the only surprise Cho found as his ministry began to grow. He soon met a local hairstylist who offered to assist him on Saturdays by providing haircuts to those who needed them. Later, Cho met a dental student from the University of California-San Francisco who offered to provide free dental care.

Cho recalls one homeless man he met in San Francisco who was suffering from the effects of lice. The volunteer hairstylist was able to remove the lice from his hair and body, and Cho provided him with a set of donated clothing.

“He told me he looked like a businessman,” Cho says. “He was really overjoyed.”

While seeing people in such difficult places and situations can be painful, says Cho, remaining focused on sharing God’s love is what enables him to continue to serve those on the streets.

“I think the church is about reaching out to the community,” he says. “It’s not just about ministering to people in the pews, but ministering to those who aren’t in the pews. Christ met the people who were not the churchgoers but those who were marginalized.”

Cho says his ministry has been a moving experience for him and for his children as well. He frequently brings his children with him when he ministers on the streets. He says this teaches them about issues related to poverty as well as about serving those in need.

“Bringing my children has helped them learn to meet those we are serving,” he says. “It allows those who are homeless to meet my children and for us to connect on a deeper level.”

Cho is hoping to expand his ministry to provide more care and services for those in need. He also hopes to start a street worship service that will include music.

While Cho continues to explore what God has in store for his ministry, he remains appreciative for those who helped inspire and guide him through the creation of his outreach to those on the streets. Cho especially credits two SFTS professors: Jana Childers, professor of homiletics and speech-communication, and Laurie Garrett Cobbina, Shaw Family Chair for Clinical Pastoral Education.

“They have been tremendous mentors to me and have helped guide me in ministry,” he says.

Cho says he has been applying what he learns in the classroom to his ministry out on the streets, which he describes as a ministry of meeting people and sharing God’s love.

“My ministry is about trying to meet people where they are,” Cho says. “That’s what Christ did and what we are called to do.”

Uncategorized

Previous Post

September 23, 2013

Give (The Department of) Peace a Chance

Next Post

September 25, 2013 FEAR

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Author Interviews Battle Over the Body and Blood of Christ Bearing Beauty Book Reviews Christian Education christian spirituallity christianity Christmas Church Church Leadership Contemplation Creation Care Death and Dying Death Penalty Disruptive Change Disruptors Series Easter Education Evolution and Faith Future of Progressive Christianity Gun Violence Health & Wellness Holy Week Interfaith Israel-Palestine Leading Differently Lent LGBTQ Living with Cancer Meditations on the Cross Mental Illness millennials Mimetic Mondays Monday Meditations Movie Reviews New Monasticism Pando Populus Parenting Patheos 10+1 Q&A Series PC(USA) Politics Pop Culture Practical Theology Series Prayer progressive christian Race Relations Reformation religion Religion and Politics Religion in America Rethink Church Social Justice Spirituality Spirituality of the Body Stump a Scholar Technology and Faith Thanksgiving Theodicy Trust Me Church Uncategorized Why I'm Still Christian Youth Ministry

Select a Month December 2025 April 2025 January 2025 September 2023 September 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 November 2021 October 2021 May 2021 February 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 June 2020 May 2020 March 2020 June 2019 March 2019 January 2019 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Christian tradition uses the rosary for prayer?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Catholicism Anglican Baptist Presbyterian