Faith in every gift
Korean Central Presbyterian Church of Cleveland’s story of mission through the Giving Catalog
Share the good news. Share resources.
That’s what church is all about, the Rev. Joshua Kim has come to learn in the 20 years he has been pastor of Korean Central Presbyterian Church of Cleveland, Ohio.
The church now embraces the Presbyterian Giving Catalog as a meaningful way to embrace this spirit of sharing. Now in its 12th year, the Presbyterian Giving Catalog is filled with a wide variety of gifts that provide real and positive impact around the world. The Giving Catalog is available both in print and online, in English, Spanish and Korean — options that have been greatly appreciated by KCPC, a church with both English- and Korean- speaking worshipers. Though they learned about the catalog only two years ago, KCPC sees that the Holy Spirit has been preparing them all along, guiding their journey toward deeper generosity and involvement in God’s global mission.
For 50 years, KCPC has been a close-knit community sharing both life and faith. Founded in 1977, when Cleveland had few immigrants, the church grew as international medical professionals — many from Korea — settled in the area and became founding members.
Today, this Korean American Presbyterian church is one unified body with two worshiping congregations — one English-speaking and a larger Korean-speaking one. Together, they welcome more than 450 people each Sunday morning. Yet the heartbeat of the church is found in what they call “family groups,” small gatherings of 5-7 families who meet monthly in homes for Bible study, prayer, fellowship over tea and shared meals. These intimate groups nurture faith, build relationships and live out mission together.
Over the past 15 years, KCPC’s hospitality has increasingly turned outward, energizing congregants’ commitment to mission. Since 2011, their long-term partnership in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, has flourished through medical outreach, hosting children’s Vacation Bible School, equipping local leaders through pastors’ seminars, and sharing meals with the community. After 12 years, a church was planted — a testament to shared resources, love and faithful presence. Now KCPC is extending that spirit of abundance in Costa Rica, building lasting partnerships grounded in the gospel.
Though only a small team travels on these short-term mission trips, the whole church supports these journeys through fundraising, prayer vigils, and shared stories — uniting the congregation in a collective spiritual experience of giving and service.
This collective engagement stirred a deeper question within the congregation: “How can we transform into a missional church?” No longer content with mission as a once-a-year event, they began to seek ways to participate in God’s mission every day, in every place. As Kim put it, “Mission is the essence of the church.” That conviction became a turning point — shifting the church’s focus from occasional outreach to a lifestyle of mission, lived out locally and globally.
It was during this time that the Rev. Sam Young Kim, Stewardship Officer for Korean Constituents in the PC(USA)’s Stewardship & Funds Development ministry, visited the church. He introduced KCPC to the Korean Missional Support Fund. The connection struck a deep chord. “As a Korean church that received the gospel through the American Presbyterian Church and was evangelized through its efforts, we found this to be deeply meaningful,” pastor Joshua Kim reflected. With heartfelt gratitude for the Presbyterians who shared the gospel in Korea generations ago, KCPC now gives back and honors that legacy through annual contributions to the Korean Missional Support Fund. This commitment is so central to their missional identity that it’s now a regular part of the church’s annual budget.
As KCPC continued seeking ways to involve every member in mission, they learned about the Presbyterian Giving Catalog — a discovery that expanded their mission participation in new and profound ways. Distributed to every family group in the church in English or Korean, the catalog opened new possibilities for participation across both worshiping bodies. “We promoted the Giving Catalog throughout the entire church and distributed it to each household group, encouraging them to participate,” Joshua Kim said.
The variety of options — and the ability to give one-time or recurring gifts — was quickly embraced by the congregation. One family group might support clean water one year and choose to give meals the next. Every quarter, a church elder collects the orders and donations from each family group and submits them all together on behalf of the entire church.
KCPC embraced the Giving Catalog not just as a tool for mission, but as a spiritual practice — an invitation to listen to the Holy Spirit and respond with intentional generosity. “There are so many things to choose from. And there’s something for every interest,” Joshua Kim said.
He recalled one congregant who was so passionate about clean water that he donated $5,000 to the Presbyterian Giving Catalog’s clean water options. Joshua Kim remarked, “God has used that program to motivate people’s hearts. But every gift is important. Just as Jesus used small gifts to feed the 5,000, here small gifts allow us to be involved in so many missions.” The 2024-2025 Giving Catalog offers a total of 45 items — large, small and in between — to fit every congregation’s missional interests and every individual’s budget.
“It’s so affordable!” Joshua Kim continued. “Small resources can still be active in God’s command.”
For KCPC, mission isn’t just one ministry among many — it’s the very reason the church exists. “Mission is very important in the life of the church,” Joshua Kim emphasized. “It is not a program, but the reason why the church exists on earth. We must be involved in mission — locally and globally — as God’s community.”
The Giving Catalog has become a meaningful way for KCPC to live into that calling. “We’re just a regular, normal immigrant church in the United States trying to be true to the Word of the Lord,” said Joshua Kim. “There are many difficulties and hardships as immigrants, but ... there is a certain purpose that God has given to us here in Cleveland for the past 50 years: to share the good news of the gospel with the community.”
And for KCPC, sharing the good news often looks like sharing tangible resources—whether that’s an irrigation pump, a garden well, meals for hungry families, or a dairy cow. “By sharing, we become more abundant,” Joshua Kim reflected. “This is how we live into our calling: to give, to serve, and to love.”
Earlier this year, the Rev. Dr. John Wilkinson, director of Stewardship & Funds Development for the PC(USA), visited KCPC to receive their gift to the Korean Missional Support Fund and witnessed this generosity in action. Of his visit, Wilkinson said: "I was privileged to preach and share the Lord's Supper with this lively, engaged congregation. Worship was uplifting, especially the music and the prayers led by an elder. Clearly the congregation is engaged in its community and the broader region. Its commitment to Presbyterian Special Offerings and the Giving Catalog — and its commitment to pray for those with whom funds are shared — is a great model for us all."
Looking ahead, Joshua Kim is hopeful about how the congregation will continue to grow in a mindset of abundance and joyful generosity. “How can we be the true church in this world?” he asked. “Share the good news of the gospel and share our resources with others. It’s the very simple, basic truth we try to keep.”
Join Korean Central Presbyterian Church of Cleveland in living out a mission of generosity and grace. Discover how you, too, can share the good news and tangible resources through the Presbyterian Giving Catalog. Click here to get started.
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