Paidion Mission

Overview

Paidion Mission is a South Korean mission organization dedicated to teaching children and youth, the "next generation," from the Bible. Legally, it is an incorporated association. Paidion (παιδίον) is the Ancient Greek word for "child." The organization's motto is "The Next Generation of the Whole World upon the Word of God." It does not plant churches itself. Instead, it serves the Sunday schools of local churches by providing curricula, teacher training, and a range of ministry resources.

Founding and History

The organization was started in 1975 by a group of students at Chongshin University, chiefly Yang Seung-hun, Han Kyu-chul, Park Jong-deok, Han Kyung-shin, Kwon Myung-sook, and Kim Man-hyung. Yang has stated that the group began as a student club during his freshman year and that he led it for some thirty years. In 2002 Yang planted Saedaero Church and became its senior pastor; he is reported to have continued afterward as director of the mission's ministry training institute. To mark its thirtieth anniversary, the organization held an academic symposium at which Christian education scholars and ministry practitioners discussed the challenges facing children's ministry. The current chairman of the board is Han Kyu-chul, and the president is Ko Jong-yul.

Major Activities

The mission divides its work into children's and youth ministry, ministry training, cultural ministry, missions, and publishing.

• Curricula and Vacation Bible School: The mission produces lesson materials (Bible study curricula) for church schools and Vacation Bible School programs. It also holds annual training workshops for teachers.
• Children's worship albums: Each year it releases separate children's worship albums for school-age children (elementary students) and for preschool children. These albums are often used together with the Vacation Bible School theme.
• Teacher and minister training: Through its regional chapters, the mission operates training programs that equip lay teachers in local churches to become educational leaders. It also offers seminars and lecture videos (Paidion TV).
• Publishing: The mission publishes books on parenting, Christian education, biblical commentary, and spiritual growth.
• Overseas ministry: The mission has also held Vacation Bible School training workshops abroad, including in Mongolia, to train local teachers.

Organization

Paidion Mission is not an interdenominational body with member denominations. It is an independent incorporated association governed by a board of directors and a president. Under its Seoul headquarters, it maintains regional chapters and a ministry training organization. Its curricula and resources are distributed to individual churches, which select and purchase the materials they wish to use.

Assessment

Korean church media have credited the mission with opening a new chapter in children's ministry in the Korean church. Addressing the decline of Sunday schools in Korean churches, founder Yang Seung-hun has argued that children's ministry should center on educating adults, such as parents and teachers. He has also emphasized intergenerational community worship in which children and adults worship together. No formal controversies involving the organization have been identified.