A Crazy Time of Joy: How the AGST-EAST DMin Programme Shapes Ministry Leaders
How one ministry leader discovered growth, resilience and renewed joy in pursuing the Great Commission
When Luke Park Dae-Yeun began his Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Leadership studies at EAST, life was already moving at full speed.
A staff member of Korea Campus Crusade for Christ (KCCC) with 28 years of ministry experience, Luke had just returned home from overseas missions. His teenage son was adjusting to school, and the family had adopted twin baby girls that same year.
“Yes, my life was crazy busy,” he recalls.
Balancing family responsibilities, demanding ministry commitments and doctoral studies was no easy task. There were many moments when Luke considered giving up. Yet, through the encouragement of his faculty and mentoring group leader, Dr Raymond Go, he persevered.
“Of course, many times,” Luke says with a laugh when asked whether he had wanted to quit. “You can say they owned my journey.”
That sense of ownership would become central to both his doctoral research and his ministry.
Agape Room: Invisible Classroom of EAST
Invisible Classroom
The “Invisible Classroom” of EAST: Learning Through Friendship
Some of the most formative lessons at EAST take place outside the classroom. Elijah, an MDiv Teaching and Exposition graduate from East Asia, remembers sitting in the student lounge with eight other students as they shared how God had led each of them to EAST. He was amazed that people from so many places had been gathered for one common purpose: to be trained for God’s work.
Graduate Henry Aung: Do Fewer Things With More Love
Learning to slow down, know God, and embrace His heart for the world
In a culture that often equates busyness with faithfulness, slowing down can feel counter-intuitive. For Henry Aung from Myanmar, an MDiv Teaching & Exposition graduate at East Asia School of Theology (EAST), learning to slow down became an important part of his theological formation. Henry, 29, moved to Singapore with his mother when he was nine years old. During his studies at EAST, one of his steepest learning curves was discovering how “not to rush about with busyness, accept my limits, and do fewer things with more love.”
Happy Teacher’s Day 2026!
Happy Teacher’s Day 2026! We Appreciate You!
As Singapore celebrates Teachers’ Day on 4 September 2026, we at East Asia School of Theology (EAST) give thanks for the teachers who faithfully invest in the lives of our students. At EAST, teaching goes beyond imparting knowledge. It is about forming the whole person—Head, Heart and Hands—equipping men and women to think biblically, grow in Christlike character, and serve faithfully wherever God calls them. But what does a good teacher look like through the eyes of a student? Three current EAST students—Joel De Vera from the Philippines, Candy from Indochina, and Themreiso Lamlang Awungshi from India—share how their teachers have shaped not only what they know, but also how they live, serve, lead and follow Christ.
EAST Alumni Reunion Lunch at ASF’26
EAST Alumni Reunion Lunch 2026
EAST Alumni Reunion Lunch at ASF ’26
Cru East Asia staff will gather in Bangkok for the East Asia All Staff Festival 2026 (ASF26) in November. As part of this special occasion, join the EAST faculty and staff and Dr Chan Chong Hiok, EAST President, who is hosting the EAST Alumni Reunion Lunch there.
Date: Wednesday, 11 November 2026
Time: 12.00–2.00 pm
Venue: Bangkok
Attendance: By invitation only to all alumni attending the ASF26
The lunch will be a meaningful opportunity for EAST alumni attending ASF26 to reconnect with one another, renew friendships and fellowship, and catch up on what God has been doing in their lives and ministries.
A number of alumni have already registered, and we look forward to seeing you there. If you are an EAST alum attending ASF26 and would like to join the lunch, please submit your response by 12 September 2026. Your timely response will help us better coordinate the food and logistics.
Registration closed.
If you know other EAST alumni who will be attending ASF26, please invite them to the reunion lunch and share the registration link with them.
We look forward to a warm and memorable time of fellowship with the EAST alumni community in Bangkok!
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