Pastors Appreciation Month
Read how our community has been shaped by the wisdom and care of our pastors.
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It’s the month of October, which means it is Pastor Appreciation Month! God has blessed Metro Church with such a wonderful group of pastors over the past thirteen years, and they have been a true testament to God’s provision of consistent, encouraging, and humble leadership. There is no doubt that our pastors’ reach extends far beyond preaching from the pulpit. Their families, friends, and our congregation have all been impacted in many more ways than one. Our pastors have been instruments in shaping our hearts, maturing our understanding, and teaching essential theology. Along with added tasks that came from moving to a new building this year, so many in the congregation can testify to the ways they seek to embody servant leadership on the basis of the Gospel, not themselves.
We asked our community group leaders one question: “What is one thing you learned from our pastors at Metro?”
These were their responses.
To Pastor Donny…
“Even though it’s a meme at this point (lol), I appreciate Donny’s continual reminders that everything I have comes from God, especially my new job. It is so easy to make it all about me and what I think I deserve from God. But God is the one who gives and takes and everything happens according to His purpose, for my good and His glory.” - Hannah Lin
“I learned about the beauty of the Gospel and the invitation to be intimate with Him. I’ve learned that my salvation doesn’t rest on my own faithfulness, but on the finished work of Christ, which frees me from my sin. It’s beautiful to know that He always desires to be in a relationship with me and for me to know Him more deeply.” - Alina Song
“At [Pastor Donny Cho’s] cost, I have experienced forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal.” - Hee Jun Rho
“At his cost, I have experienced forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal. Through his preaching, teaching, and friendship, I am learning anew what it means to live out the message of reconciliation: to be reconciled to God through Christ and, as a result, to be reconciled to each other. This has shaped me and my approach to having hard but necessary conversations in all of my relationships for the sake of Christ and His gospel. I’m extremely grateful.” - Hee Jun Rho
“Pastor Donny is a great teacher, but what’s been genuinely transformative is his demonstration of the life-changing power of true friendship—one that has inspired, healed, encouraged, challenged, honored, anchored, and shaped my life—and one that can only be embodied through the unconditional love and beauty of the gospel.” - Christina Choi
To Pastor Tim…
“For many, pastoral ministry is just another means to an end. The end is personal acclaim, glory, and fame. Yet, Pastor Tim has forgone all these things and boasts only in the cross. Pastor Tim exemplifies Apostle Paul's call to faithfulness and to rejoice always. Most of this service to the church is in the shadows, often unseen and unappreciated. Yet, his labors of love allow the Gospel, rather than himself, to remain in the spotlight at Metro. Pastor Tim is probably most recognized by his joyful style of leading worship. But it's not a style - it's a visible outpouring of his love for Jesus and His people. Thank you, Pastor Tim!” - Justin Park
“Pastor Tim is probably most recognized by his joyful style of leading worship. But it's not a style - it's a visible outpouring of his love for Jesus and His people.” - Justin Park
“Tim exemplifies what it means to serve courageously—keeping God’s glory as the true aim in every act of worship and ministry. From his fearless love for Jesus, expressed through his pastoral care of the worship team and the Metro community, I’ve seen how leadership is rooted in genuine care for people. His creativity has shown me how art and worship can intertwine, bringing depth and beauty to the life of the church.” - Daniel Cho
“One thing I’ve learned from Tim is how steady, gospel-driven leadership can shape a whole community over time. He never has to work for people’s trust - it just comes naturally because of the way he consistently loves the church and genuinely wants to see people grow in Christ. He’s not afraid to challenge us when we need it, and that kind of care has helped shape how I think about worship and spiritual maturity. He reminds me that worship isn’t just about singing songs on Sunday but rather a posture we carry through all of life before God.” - Kevin Ro
To Pastor Josh…
“Something I’ve learned from Pastor Josh is the importance of being bold with purpose. He’s shown me that it’s possible to speak truth to someone in a way that is both loving and honoring to God. By asking thoughtful follow-up questions and really seeking to understand the other person, I can offer meaningful advice—and also receive it—without taking things too personally. I also admire his boldness in leading the Outreach team and the way he equips us to love our neighbors well.” - Thatyana Kim
“I've learned how wonderful the Word is…” - Dennis Yoon
“I've learned how wonderful the Word is, as he has shared it with me over the years in all circumstances, both good and bad, to encourage, convict, heal, rebuke, teach, and help me see the beauty of the Gospel and the joy that comes from living in a new identity in Christ.” - Dennis Yoon
“Pastor Josh is one of the biggest influences of my life. He’s walked with and shepherded me for many, many hours. One thing I’ve learned from him is how important it is to depend on God’s Word and how that moves us to care for all people. He’s shown it through his counsel to me, and just hearing from so many different people, some I had no idea he was even in contact with, his care for them, and walking all the same.” - John Kim
To Pastor Brian…
“I have learned how to be a better friend and how to show hospitality to others because of him!” - Isaac Choi
“One thing I've learned from Pastor Brian is the importance of the intentionality of our time with people (it's not all about hanging out but actually taking the time to connect on a deeper level with one another).” - Thea Sinfuego
“It takes a supernatural kind of love to teach something as unnatural as repentance…” Kat Park
“Pastor Brian’s been walking with me for years and teaching me what repentance is and how to walk through it, both for myself and others. It’s the part I avoid most in my relationships (with God and others), ultimately due to my lack of trust in his sufficiency, fear of losing intimacy with others, and disobedience. Brian has patiently taught me how to approach it in a way that honors God—loving him and others as he’s called us to for his glory and his bride. I appreciate and deeply respect his dedication to God and his church, taking time to teach and implore his brothers and sisters to consider, meditate on, and live out what God teaches us in his Word. It takes a supernatural kind of love to teach something as unnatural as repentance, and I’m grateful that God has blessed me with a teacher and brother like Pastor Brian to show me how.” - Kat Park
To Pastor Andrew…
“One thing I learned from Pastor Andrew is how to love and disciple people while not compromising the Gospel mission. We are called to love others as Christ has loved us first and to make disciples of all nations. As I watch Andrew disciple others, he makes sure they are loved and cared for while also speaking truth from God's word.” - Eubene Shin
“One thing I learned from Pastor Andrew was how to approach decision-making with intentionality and poise. He's guided me towards God, not to find the "right" answers, but to seek Him for wisdom and trust in His plan and not my own.” - Emily Shin
“[Pastor Andrew has] guided me towards God, not to find the "right" answers, but to seek Him for wisdom and trust in His plan and not my own.” - Emily Shin
“One thing I learned from Pastor Andrew is humility. He always points me to Scripture to show Jesus's humbleness despite Him being the King, and how loving and patient Jesus is when walking with others. Andrew challenges me on how we can learn from Jesus, thinking critically while applying Scripture to any situation. He allows me to meet others where they are because he meets me where I am.” - Esther Lee
“Andrew has shown me what it looks like and the importance of viewing circumstances, hardships, blessings, and even people through the lens of Christ and the Gospel rather than through ones that I have created. He has taught me that true Gospel friendships care about each other enough to have difficult conversations with one another despite short-term discomfort because the Gospel is so much greater than temporary comfort.” - Cheyne Steinman
To Pastor Dan…
“One thing I've learned from Pastor Dan is the impact that genuine care and presence can have on others. He lives that out through his interactions with a confidence that can only come from the gospel, while also being incredibly down-to-earth and approachable. He is a living reminder of how faith makes you humble yet poised.” - Stacy Kong
“[Pastor Dan] is unafraid to engage with others and has a big heart to do so.” - Tina Ro
“Although Dan is our newest pastor, I have learned a lot in his short time with us. He consistently demonstrates what it means to be a team player. Sometimes, it is being out there teaching, and sometimes it is doing grueling labor that others don't want to do. I have learned patience through observing his care for friends, family, and our church. He is unafraid to engage with others and has a big heart to do so.” - Tina Ro
“I’ve learned how to be faithful and other-focused in the midst of many personal trials and challenges. Between moving, raising young children, working two jobs, and serving a new church community, he has remained a steady and dependable presence in my life and our church without drawing any attention to the challenges that he faces. The Kingdom of God is advanced through men and women like that, and I am so honored to grow and learn under him.” - Daniel Chung
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