Food for Thought from Rome and Slovakia

From Pope John Paul II in Rome:

“Perhaps the hardest-fought battle between Church and regime involved family life, for the Communists understood that men and women secure in the love of their families were a danger. Housing, work schedules, and school hours were all organized by the state to separate parents from their children as frequently as possible. Apartments were constructed to accommodate only small families, so that children would be regarded as a problem. Work was organized in four shifts, and families were rarely together. The workday began at 6 or 7 AM, so children had to be consigned to state-run child-care centers before school. The schools themselves were consolidated, and children were moved out of their local communities for schooling.” (Witness to Hope, p. 97)

From a pastor in Slovakia:

“How did the Communists ruling Eastern Block countries set about destroying the Church? They told the Christian community: ‘We will never try to stop you from going to church. Go to church every Sunday. Listen to those sermons. But remember this: There are to be no Bible study groups, no prayer groups, no Sunday schools, no youth groups. Just go to church and listen to those sermons. And all sporting events for children and youth are to be held on Sunday mornings!’ That strategy succeeded in all but destroying the church.” 

Several years ago, researchers probed the question, “How do people come into a relationship with Jesus and His Church?”  Their research revealed the following: 

                                                            Evangelistic crusade: 0.5% 

                                                            Special needs: 1 to 2% 

                                                            Pastoral visitation: 1 to 2%

                                                            Church program: 2 to 3%

                                                            Walk-in: 2 to 3%

                                                            Sunday school: 4 to 5% 

                                                            Pastor: 4 to 5%

                                                            Parents, relative, or friend: 75 to 90%

Jesus does not call us merely to worship in a church on Sunday mornings. He calls us to soak ourselves day in and day out in His Word, and, by faith, to embrace and live according to what He teaches. He calls us to live in caring, sharing, serving community every minute of every day of every week of every month of every year. Without a doubt, the family circle is the most important spiritual school and influence of all. Little wonder that the Communists did all that they could to destroy the family circle. We would do well to ask ourselves, “What can we learn from all this?”

Crossways International is committed to helping parents and people live in community by equipping them to show their children and youth the Jesus that God wants them to believe in and follow.

Harry Wendt

South Korean Food [for Thought and Action]

I have visited South Korea 24 times, and to date 20,000 Korean pastors have attended a Crossways training event. Protestantism was introduced into Korea in 1884 by two pastors from the United States, one a Presbyterian, the other a Methodist. A few years after they began their work, a conference was held to establish a methodology for mission. Nevius, a European missionary working in China, urged Christian communities in Korea to adopt the following approach:

• You may build a church structure as long as you can pay for it yourselves--no subsidies!
• You can have a pastor as long as you can pay the needed salary yourselves--no subsidies!
• The church must be built on the Adult Bible Class system.

The Presbyterians bought into the system; today, they have about 7.5 million members in South Korea.  The Methodists did not; today, they have about 1.5 million members. Draw you own conclusions. My number-one interpreter in Korea used to serve as senior pastor of the 30,000 member Choon Hyun Presbyterian Church in Seoul. Among other statements in that congregation’s mission document are the following:

• Each member must read three chapters of the Bible every day, and five chapters on Sunday.
• All members must contribute a tenth of their income and then begin making their offerings.
• Each member is to study the Bible at the feet of someone who knows more than he or she, and each member is to teach someone who knows less than he or she.

Food for thought, yes; guidelines for action, yes. 

Harry Wendt