Worship, Games, and New Friendships: Shincheonji Malawi Holds First Joint Service with Local Churches

Sometimes the strongest bonds between communities aren't built in formal meetings, but on a playing field — through relay races, tug-of-war style games, and a Bible quiz that gets everyone laughing together. That's exactly what happened in Blantyre, Malawi, when Shincheonji Church of Jesus's Malawi region, under the Bartholomew branch, held its first joint worship service and sports day with local partner churches.

Bringing Churches Together Under One Roof

The event, held at Namiwawa Secondary School and announced on August 26, was organized by the Malawi region of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, led by instructor Lim Jae-eop. According to a regional representative, the goal was to build unity among churches across Blantyre and to help foster a culture that protects and supports faith communities. A total of 129 members turned out for the gathering, including congregants from Holy Spirit Church and Gethsemane Church.

Worship First, Then Play

The day began with praise and worship, followed by a joint service centered on the importance of love and peace among believers. Once the spiritual program wrapped up, the school grounds transformed into a lively sports day — one designed so that children and women could take part alongside everyone else, not just spectate from the sidelines.

Friendly Competition, Real Team Spirit

Participants split into two teams and competed across a full slate of games: an O-X Bible quiz, a charades-style guessing game, jegichagi (a traditional Korean shuttlecock-kicking game), three-legged races, group jump rope, and relay races. Scores were tallied across all the events to determine an overall winning team, with trophies and stationery handed out as prizes. True to the spirit of the day, once the games wrapped up, everyone pitched in together to clean up and tidy the venue.

Organizers also made sure the event ran safely, setting up shade tents and stationing six emergency responders on site along with first-aid supplies in case they were needed.

What Church Leaders Took Away From the Day

For the pastors whose congregations took part, the day left a lasting impression. Pastor Esther Mtambo of Holy Spirit Church said she came away having learned how important unity and bonding among church members really is, and that she picked up plenty of insights she can bring back to apply within her own congregation. Dr. Henry Nkwale of Gethsemane Church expressed gratitude for how much the event helped strengthen the bonds within his own congregation. Associate Pastor Dave Chiwalo added a hope that events like this wouldn't be a one-time occurrence, but something the churches continue holding on an ongoing basis.

More Than Just a Game Day

What made this gathering meaningful wasn't just the competition or the prizes — it was the shared experience of worship and play breaking down the usual boundaries between separate congregations. When members of different churches sing together, compete on the same field, and clean up the same venue side by side, the sense of "us" quietly expands to include people who started the day as members of another church down the road.

If the hope expressed by local pastors is any indication, this first joint service and sports day in Blantyre may be less of a one-off celebration and more of a starting point — the first of an ongoing tradition of churches in the region coming together, not just to worship, but to genuinely grow closer as a community.

Source: Bucheon Times (부천타임즈)