Successful Home Cell Groups by Paul Yonggi Cho; Harold Hostetler

Author:Paul Yonggi Cho; Harold Hostetler
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Cell Groups, Ministry
ISBN: 9780882705132
Publisher: Bridge-Logos
Published: 1981-06-24T22:00:00+00:00

10

Church Growth International

I have been telling people about these church growth principles since 1964, when I was invited to attend the General Council of the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri. In fact, that was the year I really began to travel, in spite of my illness and weakness at that time. Between 1964 and 1973, I was out of Korea at least three times a year, mainly to Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan, to talk about home cell groups and church growth.

After we moved to Yoido Island in 1973, our church began to become better known. That was the year Billy Graham held his big crusade in Seoul, and it also was the year the World Pentecostal Conference met in our church. In addition, the following year Campus Crusade for Christ sponsored a big conference in Seoul.

With so many Christian events occurring in Seoul, our church was becoming increasingly an international attraction. Invitations began to pour in, asking me to travel to America, to Europe, to Australia and to Southeast Asia to discuss church growth.

Beginning in 1973 I found myself traveling outside of Korea for up to six months a year. Surprisingly, most of the invitations were coming from Europe. I was invited to speak in West Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, England, Italy and Portugal. My books, which I continued to write, were becoming best sellers in Germany, Sweden and Finland. I was better known in Europe than in America.

On one of those trips in 1976 I had just completed a series of meetings in Germany. The seminars had been very well attended. On the Lufthansa flight leaving Germany, I was praying in my seat, thanking God for the wonderful time of sharing, and really feeling close fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Suddenly a very strong sensation of prophecy came upon my heart, as the Holy Spirit said to me, "When you get back home, I want you to build an international church growth training center to which you can invite pastors from all over the world. You are doing a good work in carrying this message throughout the world with your seminars, but I want to multiply the number of pastors who will learn these principles. The best way is for them to see firsthand what you are doing right in Seoul. Build a training center. Let them come and learn from you and see your church in operation. That is the best way for them to gain the enthusiasm they need to put this dimension of evangelism into their own ministries."

I was shocked. "How can this be, Lord?" I asked. "I am from a Third World country. We are what is called the 'mission field' by Western Christians. Surely such a training center ought to be built in the United States or Europe."

But the thought would not go away. I wondered about it all the way back to Korea. Afterward, when the thought persisted at home, I decided to spread a fleece.

"Lord, if this desire in my heart is from you, then I ask you to show me," I said.

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