Savior is thrilled to welcome Esther Shin Chuang as our new Pastor of Music and Worship. Get to know Esther and her family a bit in the post below as we welcome them into our community.
Where do you live now and where are you from?
I’m from many places. I was born in South Korea, then my family moved to the States when I was a year old. I grew up in Austin, Texas until I finished first grade. Then we moved back to Korea, and then when I was 13 years old, we moved back to the States, this time to New York City for my music education. I lived in New York most of my life until 8 years ago when God called me to Moody Theological Seminary in Chicago. Currently, I live in Park Ridge with my husband Tony, who is a preacher and evangelist, and my daughter, Adrielle. My husband and I do ministry together very often (he brings the word, I bring the music to people), and we have a website for those who are interested.
What do you do when you’re not at church?
First of all, I’m a full-time mom to a two-year-old. So that takes most of my time! I go to fun places with her and spend lots of time with her at home. I’m also a concert pianist and singer, so I prepare for my upcoming concerts by practicing piano and singing daily. I like to swim, and I go to the gym regularly to swim, which gives me physical energy for the day. I also like to open up our home. We open up our home to our neighbors for house parties and house concerts. When I’m relaxing, that’s when my husband and I are watching a movie at home.
What is an interesting fact about you?
My husband and I have a heart for those who do not know Christ. So, wherever God opens the doors, we share the gospel. God has opened many doors in many countries for us to minister. Through church services or even crusades, my husband would preach and I would lead the musical worship or do evangelistic concerts. But we are not only sharing the gospel in these “faraway countries,” we try to do that in our neighborhood as well. I believe that wherever God placed us is where we should shine Christ’s light. When we first moved to our neighborhood few years ago, my husband and I knocked on over 100 houses introducing ourselves. We then invited them to our home for house parties and concerts. Our neighbors were suspicious at first, but they started opening up their hearts. They were first strangers, but now many of them have become our friends. As we got to know our neighbors, we started sharing about our faith, the gospel, inviting them to church, and praying for them. We pray that many of them will get to know Christ, and that we will always be a light wherever we are.
How does the ministry you lead serve the life of our congregation?
My role is to encourage the congregation to love God more and worship him more through my ministry of music. There is power in music, and music helps you remember the lyrics. Each song we sing at church are filled with truths about God. When one is going through a difficult time in their life and cannot even utter words to God, maybe the lyrics of the hymn “Lord I need thee” will come to their mind and will become their prayer and worship for that day. When one is going through sadness and despair, the words to “It is Well” may comfort their soul, and will bring praise in their lips despite what they’re going through. I pray that the songs I choose will become the words and thoughts of the congregation, and that the theological truths in the songs will enable people to worship God more earnestly.
How can people get involved in the ministry you lead?
I would like to know the songs that really speak to each person’s heart. Feel free to email me or let me know in person, so that I could keep those songs in mind when I select the worship songs. I believe that understanding the congregation’s heart songs is important. Also, being part of the music team is such a privilege. If you have musical gifts and you want to serve God through the musical worship team, feel free to talk to me. Even if you feel like you’re not a professional musician, that’s okay! There’s always something someone can do in the music team, so just talk to me.