In early February, True Peace Magazine met with Heo Eun-seon, Senior Manager of the Personnel Development Department, and Kim Young-ae, pastor of Hyojeong Youth Church, to hear the story behind its founding and explore the vision shaping this youth-led community.
A Church Led by Young People
The founding of Hyojeong Youth Church stemmed from a deep concern for the young generation. As True Parents repeatedly emphasized the importance of raising and nurturing young people, the need for a new type of community centered on Youths became increasingly clear. The church found itself facing a pivotal question: “What must we prepare today for the sake of the next generation?”
Through this process of reflection, the dream and vision of a “Youth Church” gradually took root. At the same time, the vibrant community of members in their 20s and 30s at Guri Grand Church offered precisely the strong youth foundation that such a vision required. As these elements converged, a bold new challenge was set in motion: the establishment of a young generation hub church.
The defining characteristic of Hyojeong Youth Church is that it is, in the fullest sense, a church owned and led by young people. Whereas a typical youth ministry functions under the care and oversight of the parent generation, Hyojeong Youth Church places young people at the helm—entrusting them with responsibility for every aspect of the community’s life and affairs. Its governance also follows a different model: rather than being directed solely by a pastor, the church is guided by a formal set of bylaws, with all major decisions made collectively by the community itself.
One of the key reasons many young people leave the church is that they struggle to find a meaningful role within it. When church activities feel disconnected from the realities of daily life, a natural sense of distance from the community begins to grow. To confront this challenge, Hyojeong Youth Church made a deliberate choice: to entrust young people with both genuine authority and real responsibility.
The preparation of the church itself was likewise carried out entirely by young people. Over six to seven months, they renovated and breathed new life into a building that had once served as the headquarters of Heavenly Korea Sub-Region 2. From laying floor tiles and applying sealant to assembling furniture and designing the interior, they invested both their hands and hearts into every detail. Branding elements such as posters and the church logo were also created by the young members themselves. Much like launching a youth-led start-up, every stage of the process unfolded through voluntary effort and shared initiative.
Beyond Worship: A Space Where Young People’s Daily Lives Take Root
As they prepared to establish Hyojeong Youth Church, Heo Eun-seon, Director of the Personnel Development Department, and Church Leader Kim Young-ae found themselves rethinking what “church” truly means as a space. It became a time of deep reflection—not merely on the church as a place of worship, but on the broader meaning of church and community itself. In that process, they recalled the stories of elder members who had pioneered the first congregations. Remembering the sacrifices of those who spared neither money nor time in building the community, they came to appreciate, even if only in part, the heart of those who had gone before them through their own experience of preparing Hyojeong Youth Church.
When the church officially opened last December, meaningful changes began to appear among the Youths themselves. As they joined in shaping the church’s operations and direction, a natural sense of responsibility and ownership took root. By debating budgets and designing programs firsthand, their perspective on the church shifted dramatically. Where once they had been mere participants, they had now become co-creators—owners actively building the community together. This transformation is regarded as the most significant change of all.
Another hallmark of Hyojeong Youth Church is the transformation of its physical space. The entire building has been designed with young people in mind, creating an environment where they can linger freely long after worship concludes. While many churches remain centered primarily around worship halls, Hyojeong Youth Church aspires to be an open, welcoming place that the younger generation can visit at any time. In practice, when the lights are on during weekday evenings, university students and young professionals often stop by naturally to share stories from their day. A “church you can drop into, even without a reason”—that is the vision Hyojeong Youth Church seeks to embody.
To bring this vision to life, the building has been thoughtfully equipped with diverse spaces where young people can feel at home. The lobby features a cozy café open to anyone in need of rest, while seminar rooms provide students with places to study or collaborate on group projects. A dedicated childcare room for infants and toddlers ensures that young couples with small children can attend worship without concern.
The church also includes gathering rooms where youth can freely meet for conversation and activities, as well as a rehearsal studio for the youth band to practice. Together, these spaces reflect a deliberate vision: to make the church not merely a place of worship, but a living environment that naturally integrates with the rhythm of young people’s everyday lives.
Creating a Reason for Young People to Come to Church
True Parents bestowed the new young people’s church with the name Hyojeong Cheongnyeon Gyohoe (孝情靑年敎會, hyojeong young generation church), a name carrying two profound meanings. Hyo (孝) signifies a heart of devotion aligned with Heaven’s Will, while jeong(情) represents the outward spread of true love.
Hyojeong Youth Church aspires to be a space where young people can not only experience this “culture of heart” in their daily lives but also actively share and expand it. To that end, the church is preparing a wide range of activities designed to help young people deepen their understanding of Heavenly Parent’s heart and encounter a living culture of true love in tangible, personal ways.
There is much that the church hopes to pursue going forward. In the near term, it is preparing a range of community activities, including university retreats, one-day workshops, and regular band performances. Above all, its primary goal is to develop a sustainable system so that the culture of community experienced by young people can continue to grow and be passed on.
Hyojeong Youth Church also keeps its doors open to all young people, regardless of where they come from. Many young people become disconnected from their church communities as they move away from home for university or work. Hyojeong Youth Church hopes to serve as a hub where such young people can reconnect with the community of faith. The Guri area, where the church is located, holds particular significance as well, as it was established by True Parents as a cradle of education. The church aspires to become a place where young people can learn, grow, and deepen their faith within a supportive community.
Park Jin-ho, a member of Hyojeong Youth Church, put it plainly, “The reality today is that young people have far more reasons not to go to church than to go. Rather than simply asking them to come, we need to become a community that gives them a genuine reason to want to be here.” In a world of increasingly busy lives and rapidly shifting values, young people’s ways of engaging with the world are constantly evolving. In this light, Hyojeong Youth Church is committed to being a community that offers young people meaningful encounters and experiences that truly matter.
Hyojeong Youth Church is determined to create those very “reasons.” Not a place where young people simply pass through, but a community of purpose—where hearts are opened and shared. A space where faith and friendship, laughter and hope flow freely together, and where the season of youth shines all the more brilliantly.
When you enter the church, you are immediately greeted by banners that clearly express the identity and vision of Hyojeong Youth Church:
“Bound together through filial heart,
a church where young people lead,
create, feel at home, and always find their way back.”
“Where the next generation shines—a young people’s church whose story is yours to tell.”
An open community for all—a church led by young people.
In this new and hope-filled vision of a “young people’s church,” Hyojeong Young Adult Church seeks to give compelling reasons for the young people to come and thrive.
