Shincheonji Volunteer Group Launches Global 'First Step' Program Mobilizing 60,000 Graduates for Community Service

The Shincheonji Volunteer Group has launched a global volunteer program called 'First Step' that mobilizes recent graduates from its theological education program to lead community service projects worldwide. This initiative represents a significant deployment of newly trained volunteers who completed the Zion Christian Mission Center's year-long course, with service activities planned across Asia, North America, South America, and Africa throughout early December. A November 2nd ceremony at the Shincheonji Cheongju Church in South Korea marked the graduation of 59,192 theology students from Class 116 of the Zion Christian Mission Center, including 2,248 pastors. These graduates now form the core of the 'First Step' initiative, applying their year of theological study through practical community service.

The program represents a structured approach to translating religious education into tangible social action during the holiday season. The initiative's implementation was demonstrated on November 30th in New York, where 65 Shincheonji Volunteer Group members conducted a beach clean-up at Jones Beach in Long Island. Despite challenging weather conditions, participants collected various debris including bottle caps and wrappers left in the sand. This event exemplifies the program's focus on environmental stewardship and community improvement as expressions of service and gratitude. Organizers indicate that the Shincheonji Volunteer Group plans to establish regular volunteer projects in New York and other locations, suggesting this initiative may represent the beginning of sustained community engagement efforts rather than a one-time event.

The program's timing during the holiday season emphasizes themes of giving and service as alternatives to material gift exchanges, positioning volunteer work as a meaningful form of community contribution. The scale of participation—with nearly 60,000 graduates available for service projects—suggests potential for significant community impact across multiple regions. The inclusion of trained pastors among the volunteers adds a dimension of spiritual leadership to the practical service work. This coordinated international effort represents one of the larger volunteer mobilizations by a religious organization, with implications for how religious education institutions might integrate community service into their graduate transition programs. The initiative demonstrates how theological training can be directly applied to address community needs through organized volunteerism on a global scale.