The church among the poor in Bulkwangdong struggled. The day began at 4:30 a.m. as Cho and Choi beat on an empty gas can to call the faithful to prayer. The rest of the day was spent in home visitation, ministering and praying with any who would allow them. Laity would pray in the tent or join Mrs. Choi and Pastor Cho in ministering visitation. Prayer continued in the tent all day long.[1] By 1960 the church had grown to two hundred members, and the Hurston family arrived to help in the work, parking their camper trailer next to the tent. John and Maxine Hurston joined in the pattern of daily early morning prayer followed by day-long ministering visitation. John Hurston wrote: “Rather than have a parade of evangelists and speakers to attract a crowd, we focused on teaching and motivating believers to minister and reach out to others. For that to take place, there had to be a structure of lay leaders. The growing crowd soon became a vibrant congregation.”[2] The church soon grew to six hundred members in 1961 and relocated to Sodaemon, where the Assemblies of God constructed a building to house the church which included an auditorium that would seat fifteen hundred.[3] Attendance grew to eighteen hundred by 1963.
QUOTE [1]
NOTE
DISCERNMENT QUESTIONS
RESOURCES
[1] The quote is a selection from David O. Kueker’s Fuller Seminary Doctor of Ministry project submitted in September, 2007, entitled Diagnosis, Dialogue, and Decision: A Threefold Process of Revitalization For the Illinois Great Rivers Conference.
It is shared here in recognition of its 12th Anniversary along with comments to update and provide perspective on the material. The original project was a Training Manual/Study Guide of three Seminars supported by three chapters of research and an Introduction. The material is available for download at www.disciplewalk.com/Resources.html. In 2009 it was provided for purchase as a softcover book entitled Designing Discipleship Systems: Christian Disciple Making For Any Size Church, Any Theology through CreateSpace.com.
[2][3] [4][5] [6][7] [8]
All Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Please review the page How and Why We Use Quotes.
[1]Ibid., 22-24, 27.
[2]Ibid., 63.
[3]Ibid., 25-26.