One to One ministry

Key verse: John 12:24

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

A while ago a kernel of wheat was found in the Pyramid of one Pharaoh. It was amazing to know that it was more than 3000 years old kernel. But the sad story was that it never fell to the ground and died. So it remained only a single seed for such a long time. But if it died, it might have produced million tons of wheat that might have fed all people on earth.
One to one ministry is imitating Jesus who died and bore much fruit. May God help each of us to be a kernel of wheat that dies as one to one bible teacher so that God may double German ministry and revive Europe as a missionary sending continent.   

1. The origin of one to one ministry

a. Biblical back ground

One to one ministry is God’s strategy to save the whole world.
After man’s fall God had a master plan, a big picture in his heart. It was to save all sinners on earth. But the Almighty God used a very unlike method to carry out his plan. It was one to one ministry. Why is one to one or one person so important?
1 Cor 15:21 says ‘Since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.” We ignore one man. But one man is not one man. He can influence the whole world.  V22 shows the relationship between one and all. “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” It says all are in one and one becomes all.
In this way the whole Bible is full of one to one stories. “Through one, God saves all.” This is the essence of our one to one ministry.
The Bible repeatedly demonstrates this paradigm; in order to bless all people on earth, God chose an old man Abram. Cod chose a small nation Israel for the whole world. To save 2 million Jewish slaves in Egypt God trained one person Moses for 80 years. Finally to save all people on earth God sent one tiny baby in a manger, our Savior Jesus Christ.
In the New Testament Jesus’ ministry was mostly one to one ministry: Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman, Zaccheus, a centurion, a synagogue ruler, a woman with unclean diseases, a man with demon possessed….most of all Jesus called his disciples one by one. He must have many one to ones with them through common life. They were totally changed from water into wine. They became from fishermen into fishers of men. One to one ministry is to imitate the life of Jesus in our daily life. Through one to one we learn Jesus and become like him. One to one bible study makes us go back to the bible and go back to Jesus.

b. Back ground from Church history

Jesus met Saul personally in one to one basis. He chose Paul to change the whole Gentile world. Paul raised Timothy teaching him in 2 Tim 2:2, “and the things you have heard me, say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” one to one ministry is to raise a reliable person to be able teach others too.
Philip had one to one with an Ethiopian Eunuch. Philip’s one to one bible study lasted perhaps less than 2 hours. But later we can see that Ethiopia became the only Christian Country last 2000 years free from Moslem neighborhood countries. One, one to one has such impact to change the whole country. The first century Christians had no churches like today except catacombs. They did many one to ones in their house churches wherever they went. The result of their one to ones was to change Rome into the Christendom in 300 years.
Then what happened? The Christians had no threats and no persecutions. Many became Christians and church became rich. Then one of the Popes whose name is Clement divided church into two groups: Priests and ordinary Christians or laymen. Since then only priests had authority to teach the word of God. All what the laymen had to do was to listen to the priests relaxing at the church chairs.
How long did this continue? It lasted till the Martin Luther’s reformation. Luther declared that all believers are priests. All believers should proclaim the word of God. But still this two group’ concept remained the same in the church especially in Korean churches.
How can we illustrate this church tradition? It can be compared that; the church as an airplane, the pastor as a pilot, church workers as stewards and church members as passengers. The pilot says, “all you passengers have to do is to have seat belts. I will let you arrive safely to our destination.” All the passengers have to do is to enjoy food, movies, even naps. So the pastor does almost the same job like a pilot. He made church members as passengers to do nothing but to the sermon once a week. They gave such implication that the pastor will safely take all congregation to the kingdom of God. So the laymen were not supposed to participate in preaching or teaching the word of God. No! In that way time passed.  
But God did not make his church to be like that. God wanted all believers to participate in the salvation work. A pastor who enables his church members to engage in One to one ministry shows a true leadership. The word leadership is composed of two words: leader and ship. True leadership is like a leader of a ship. The captain has his job to show the direction. He helps every crew or sailor does some job too: one takes the key, another row the boat, still another lift and down the masters, every one must do something. No one in a ship should be allowed to be lazy. Likewise one to one ministry is to make all church members participate in the work of God.
Look! How different they will be! A church only a pastor works so hard will grow slowly. But a church where everyone engages in one to one ministry will surely revive quickly and will double its ministry in due time.

c. one to one in the world

This one to one is used even in this world to make the best in their fields. To be a great artist you may come to Paris and learn under great artist’s care. To be a best musician you’d better come to Bonn, or Viena or Juliad in NY. It is very important under whose teaching you learn the music. Sports men need to be trained under a good coach. In Olympic last weeks one of the gold medalists in Gymnasium was a beautiful American girl. She got the gold medal because she had one to one with a Chinese gymnast who immigrated to USA. The mysterious oriental martial art was only transmitted secretly to his chosen disciples only. To get a Dr degree, I had an one to one with a well known missiologist, Dr. Scott Maureau of Wheaton University as well as Professor Robert of Trinity, a dean of missiology as well as my advisor Dr. Eun Moo Lee who worked in Indonesia more than 30 years as a missionary. In the West Point Military Academy there is one to one among the cadets. Each of sophomores meets one or two freshman once a week. Through one to one they give any kind of help to survive and overcome the strict academy life. Even today’s commercial world, they consider one to one marketing very seriously.
    Likewise one to one ministry enhances our ministry high in quality. It enables others to be qualified to teach others. It reproduces. In this way this one to one goes beyond one person, one church, one campus, one city, one country, one continent and to the whole world.
Thus far I talked about the origin of one to one ministry as God’s strategy from the bible, church history as well as successful way in this world. Now let us think of the effect of one to one with evidences in God’s nature and the real world.

2. The effectiveness of one to one ministry
   
The effect of one to one bible study lies in multiple reproductions. If a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and die, it produces not one single seed but many seeds. (John 12:24)
There are two methods in increasing numbers in mathematics. Addition and multiplication: Arithmetical progression and Geometric multiplication. The arithmetical progression means that you increase 10 every year, then the second year it becomes 20, the third year, 30 ,…it seems a lot. Ten years later it becomes 100. 20 years later 200. So 30 years later it becomes 300.
But if you use geometrical multiplication increase, it will be like this. The first year it becomes not 10 but 2, the second year not 20 but 4, the third year not 30 but 8,  then16, 32, in sixth year it becomes more than 60, it becomes 64, then not 70 but 128, then 256, 512, 1024, yes in 10 years it becomes not 100 but 10 times more, 1024. If it continues to grow geometrical increase in 21 years it becomes 1.25 millions and in 30 years I cannot tell how big numbers it becomes.    
God’s one to one ministry is not arithmetical progress but geometrical increase. God uses this multiple reproduction in his nature too. The cells grow in this geometrical increase. One cell divides in 2 then 4, then 8, 16, 32 in 10th time it increases already 1024.
So is it in physics. The principle of atomic bomb is the same. The fusion is the secret of atomic bomb. It begins with one atom. An impact is given to one atom. Then this atom becomes active to hit another atom which strike another atoms till the millions of atoms hit each other and becomes awesome atomic bomb that blows away a whole city.                    
One to one ministry is God’s geometrical reproduction method in spiritual world.
We can apply this in our church growth. Bringing people not teaching to teach others is like arithmetic growth. It makes people Sunday Christians. If you increase every year 10 new people, that is great. But they may come to church 30 years but still may remain as a single seed. That makes church grow but arithmetically. 
In 1960s Dr. Lee and mother Barry were different from most Korean church leaders. Both taught young college students the word of God. Many students became one to one bible teachers. They went to teach others at their colleges. At first there was great resistance. One theology professor rebuked his student saying “how dare you teach the Bible as a mere sophomore! I have been a theology professor last 20 years and still I don’t dare to teach one to one bible study!” Wow! Such was the atmosphere in early 1960-1990. Whenever our lay missionaries went and began to do one to one ministry in other country, they had similar resistance.
But UBF missionaries continued one to one ministry wherever they went. They raised one by one bible teachers slowly and steadily. This year God sent 3,400 members to Purdue conference. Most of them are one to one bible teachers. Now they went back to their mission field. We will see great revival in this fall semester through each one’s one to one ministry. God proved that one to one method is God’s wisdom and strategy for world mission.
Later some church pastors began to adopt one to one ministry to their churches. Now Onnuri church, Sarang church, Chicago Korean church, and several churches use one to one method in their churches during last 15-25 years. Even in Onnuri church has more than 3000 one to one bible teachers.
Before I came to Germany I attended “the 5th Latin strategic conference.” Around 50 senior missionaries from many Korean churches attended. Once they only talked about how many church buildings they can build. How many people they can send to the seminary? They focused many visible projects as their strategy. But to my surprise most of them shared “disciple making” as their strategy this year. I shared our UBF one to one strategy as disciple making method. After 4 days of conference we voted to see whose strategy seems to be the best. They chose one to one ministry. So I got the gold medal with $300 worth of gift card for buying books. This is the good sign that many more churches can use this one to one ministry to increase geometric way in their future church growth. May God spread one to one ministry not only to several Korean churches but to all churches of God throughout the world.

3. Me and One to one ministry (Look appendix 2)

    Before I came to UBF I went to church all my life. But my life was like a kernel of wheat that did not fall. I saw so many church going people were like me. They go to church all their lives but they are still single seed. But when I came to UBF. Dr. Lee and mother Barry’s bible teaching was different. It changed my life not to remain a single seed. It made me go and feed sheep through one to ones. One person I visited during my junior to his house in KwangJu is S. Abraham Chung. He was changed through one to one. He became a judge then a lawyer, a lay shepherd in Kwanak 5th chapter all his life. Last year his sheep came to Chicago as a consul in Korean consulate general. I saw the result of one to one continue.
    My first mission field was Guatemala. I began one to one with one sheep for three years. So she established a house church with one UBF shepherd. But I could not support them well. They left UBF. But 30 years later I met them in Guatemala. They were serving a church as a assistant pastor and Sylvia as servant in a seminary.
    After coming back from Guatemala, God allowed me to pioneer ChongRo 3rd in 1979-81. Several students did one to one bible studies. I left for Mexico. During this Purdue conference around 70-80 missionaries surrounded me to take pictures. They said they are ChongRo 3rd missionaries. Wow! I saw the power of small one to one ministry.
    After Chong Ro 3rd, I went to Mexico from 1982-85. When I was leaving there was a few one to one sheep. I remembered Guatemala failure. So M. Ab Hwang and Timothy came as successors. A few days before I left, I could not see any vision for Mexico. But God told me to go out and count the stars. So I went out but there was no stars. It was because Mexico was full of air pollution. I came back crying. Because “so shall be your offsprings” said the Lord. Then the Lord told me again to go out and count the stars. So I went out again. There I saw countless shining stars beyond the air pollution. God opened my spiritual eyes. “Amen” I said because the Lord said “so shall your offspring be!” Then 20 years passed. One day I returned to Mexico during Easter conference. In front of me there were 400 students. There were 800 shining eyes! Wow! It reminded me of God’s promise, “so shall your offspring be!” I forgot God’s promise but he was keeping his promise!”    
    Now I want to speak my failures and success stories of one to one ministry in USA. I came to Chicago in 1990. During around 10 years I tried harder than anytime to do 10-12 one to one bible studies and to bring many more students each Sunday. I thought I will soon raise many shepherds and my fellowship will be the biggest one in Chicago. It was because M. Maria was co-working with me. Dr. Lee was supporting one to one ministry strongly. Thus 10 years were passing by but nothing happened. No shepherd was raised. All my one to one students never grew up. Wow! I thought that USA is not my mission field. I was thinking to leave for some other country.
    But one day when I knelt down and prayed out of deep despair, I found the reasons were in me. I did many one to one bible studies with wrong motives: It was my selfish glory seeking purpose and motives.
    I knelt down and repented such terrible sins. From that day I decided to do true one to one ministry to please God and to save one soul. I became free from the number counting. Time passed by. Now I see what God is doing. Before the harder I worked, the farther God’s flock ran away from me. Now I see many are coming 10.20, over 30 on Sunday and to Purdue around 90 came from NEIU ministry.

What I am trying to talk through this? One to one ministry is a ministry before God. It is pleasing God and it is serving God’s flock. As our Lord served each of needy sheep, I must do similar one to one ministry as a good bible teacher till I leave this world.
 
I saw a Russian doll. As you know the doll has another doll inside. Some times there are five in one doll. But only the size becomes smaller than the bigger one. What can this tell us? This could be a bad sign for the ministry. The size becomes smaller and smaller till it becomes too small to look at. Should we become like this in our ministry? No! The opposite should happen. Our one to one ministry is the opposite direction. It begins with the smallest one. The next generation becomes a little bit bigger than the first generation. In this way generation by generation it grows bigger and bigger as we saw in our geometrical progress. May God bless UBF ministry to grow bigger and bigger in number and quality day by day and more and more through one to one ministry.

4. The joy in doing one to one ministry (See appendix 1)
 
We do one to one ministry in UBF. Why? One to one bible study makes a shepherd learn Jesus more practically. Edgar Dale said about the effect of study: listening helps to understand 20%, seeing 30%, writing 50%, discussion in group 70%, personal experience through obedience 80%, teaching others 90%. According to this, one to one bible teaching makes the teacher learn Jesus 90%. That is true. When we do one to one bible study, we have a lot of chances to learn Jesus more than any other way. If we teach 10 one to one bible study with 10 different people, our understanding of the Bible become very deep. It makes us understand 10 times deeper than I study by myself. The word of God applies ten different kinds of people so excellently. This makes also have good materials for Sunday message writing. You will never lack what to write when you have deep one to one bible studies with around 10 people in your chapter.
One to one bible study is good because through all kinds of situation we can learn Jesus. If a sheep does not come on time, or he does not appear at all, it is the best time to learn Jesus. Instead of getting mad toward sheep, I can meditate about Jesus who patiently waited for me so many years. When crisis comes, that situation is the best chance to experience the power of resurrection. When we do one to one, all situations, whether good or bad can help us learn Jesus more deeply. Therefore one to one ministry is very highly recommendable for anyone to try.
Most of all one to one bible study is powerful because of the word of God itself. When we continue to teach one to one bible study, the word of God itself mightily works in the heart of God’s flock as well as bible teacher’s heart. The Holy spirit teaches both of them when they study one to one bible study. Heb 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and active. Shaper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.“ 
    Why do you do one to one? It is because it gives us such joy for those who do one to one bible study with God’s flock. Whenever I finish one to one bible study, I am full of joy by the word of God.
    Therefore we don’t need to say to others “do one to one bible study!” Rather it is good to do one to one and show the joy that comes from Jesus and from God and from doing God’s work. I have experienced such joy in one to one bible study. I want to continue to enjoy this heavenly joy all my life. Let Jesus give this joy to all UBF missionaries in this fall semester and to all Christians of all the churches of God too.
 
One word: “Let’s go back to Jesus through joyful one to one minist
Appendix 1: reference to one to one ministry

1. Definition of one to one ministry

One to one ministry is Jesus’ ministry. As Jesus did so we do one to ones. It is to imitate Jesus. It is to experience the power of the word of God through one to one bible study. We grow day by day in the image of Jesus and his personality. Then the side effect comes. The work of God multiplies too.
The base of One to one ministry is one to one bible study. One person meets another person and study the word of God one on one basis. Then the word of God mightily works in the life of sheep as well as shepherd.
However this one to one does not only study the Bible. It includes every aspects of one’s life. The bible teacher helps the learner to solve all the issues of one’s life with the word of God: school study, campus issues, friends, family, human relationship, finance, inner and outer problems, most of all sin problems, death and eternal life. It is different from discipleship course that last 6 weeks, 3 to 6 months or one year. It is a life long relationship like mentorship. But it is different from mentor because the bible teacher has a clear purpose to help his learner with all his personality yet the Bible is the main and most important text. One to one can be compared with a mother. She begins with pregnancy, bears the child with hard labor, changes diapers, feeds the baby with her milk, takes care of the baby, grows, disciplines, supports, make him independent, help marriage, still help after marriage all his life time. So the bible teacher begins with fishing, giving spiritual birth to born again, feed the word of God, disciplining, growing to be sent out as a leader, bible teacher, even a missionary. This is the method as God did with one person Abraham, as Jesus did with one person Peter, Paul with Timothy, Dr. Lee and mother Barry with Dr. John Jun, Mark Yang, Maria and Joseph Ahn.

2. The kinds of One to one bible study

    There is no one model case of one to one bible study. Instead there are many kinds of models. Jesus had several different kinds of one to one ministry.
-One time only one to one: Jesus with Nicodemus, Samaritan woman, Zacchaeus, a centurion etc: Philip with Ehiopean Eunuch, Annaneas with Saul,
-Repeated and life long one to one: God with Abraham, Jesus with Peter, 12 disciples for 3 years, Paul with Timothy,
-We can have long distance one to one these days through internet
- Telephone one to one bible study

3. Merits of one to one ministry

   – We can do anytime, anywhere, with anyone, with any subjects :

- As Jesus did with all kinds of people: we can do with all kinds of people, the beginner in faith, the middle level, advanced and with any nationality: still we prefer local people wherever we go.
- Anyone can be an one to one bible teacher: Not only the pastor who graduated seminar but also a lay man, a student, a worker,  a single, married, teacher, lawyer, nurse, doctor, diplomat, Taekwondo master, mother, father, employer, employee, especially self supporting UBF lay men and missionaries. Anyone who received Jesus as his Savior and who learned from the bible.
- Any period: We can do in post modern time as well as first century especially in 21st century when people are isolated the most. They need one to one Bible study all the more. We live in this mass media society, internet cyber world. A lot of learning is done through mess media, internet. We can quickly and correctly learn from many kinds of internet sites information. Yet still very serious and sure teaching happens through one to one apprenticeship. Thus we need one to one more than any other periods. 
- Anytime: in good time as well as bad time, in all occasions, in time of losing job, in busy time, as old as 78 years old like mother Barry and in morning, evening, night, lunch time, but the regular and appointed time is the most ideal.
- Anywhere: you can do one to one Bible study at the car, at the dormitory, at your house, at the cafeteria, at the open campus lawn, in the class room, in Korea, in other country, in Moslem country, in Cuba, in missionary rejecting country and in all country. In any circumstances, in war situation, in turmoil, in the hospital bed. Still it is recommended to study one to one in the most quiet place.
- Any subjects which one cannot share in a group or in public can still be dealt privately with comfort and convenient environment between two. Not only deals with superficial issues but also deep mental, spiritual issues such as sins, death, eternal life issues.
- Any methods can be used: help daily bread eating, testimony writing, speaker training, go and teach one to one eventually

-  one to one is teaching others through modeling, showing examples more than just teaching with mouth.

- The church must teach the sermons (Kerigma), education of the decrees (Didake) and soul ministry (Paraclesis). One to one includes all especially soul saving ministry. It transmits the whole personality of the bible teacher as Jesus did to his disciples.    

- Both bible teacher and learner can grow together         

- Bible teacher: By taking care of one person, he has all the chances to grow to be a good shepherd: Mostly when the learner shows difficulties, that is the best opportunity to grow as a good shepherd. The teacher must solve all kinds of problems with the word of God and much prayer and by faith. Therefore the learner’s troubles become a challenge for a teacher to solve it with God’s wisdom and help through the word of God.
- Teaching is learning. Teaching makes one to learn more than 90 % of what he is teaching.
- The teacher can understand his one to one learner deeply. If he has several one to one learners, this one to one bible studies can be the best materials to prepare his Sunday message preparation.

- It helps a learner to reproduce

- The learner grows and can repeat what he learned from his teacher naturally: when Jesus left, what the disciples saw, heard, learned began to function by the help of the Holy Spirit.
- It can give cell split effect: by dividing one self half the cell becomes 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 so the one to one ministry can multiply eventually

4. Obstacles and solutions in one to one ministry

- Lack of understanding of one to one ministry: One to one seems very slow and ineffective: the teacher must know that this is God’s wisdom and God’s strategy. It will grow slowly but very surely when one does one to one till he raises others to be one to one bible teacher. But Satan plants doubt saying “ Through this one to one, you will never reach your goal to have a big ministry.”
- When one to one ministry seems to take too much time: Impatience arises: It happens especially when a leader wants to increase his ministry quickly with less efforts.
- To do one to one ministry with impure motives: To raise his ministry more than to serve God and to help learners.
- To do one to one bible study for the chart and to show others. All have to do with  self glory and selfish purpose rather than God’s glory and learner’s sake.
- When a learner fails to appear at the appoint time, or fail to come: the one to one bible teacher can use this a time to learn Jesus who endured him with patience
- When others look better than the learner I have: All men are sinners and the one looks good will show also as the terrible sinner soon
- When one to one bible studies had to be canceled for some time due to some emergency situation: restore as Jesus restored his relationship with Peter

5. The process of one to one ministry

- To meet and talk about life
- To show interest in the bible teacher and the Bible
- To begin to study the word of God
- The teacher may go to where the learner is
- They meet in the middle place
- The learner begins to come to where the teacher is
- Regular bible study continues
- The learner may confess Jesus as the Lord and Christ
- The learner may attend the teacher’s meeting or worship service
- The learner learns to teach his own learner where he is and someday in mission field as a self supporting missionary
- The teacher and the learner both grow through one to one ministry to be more like Jesus the good shepherd and a man after God’s heart
- The teacher has no word of God. Repent and be filled with the spirit

6. How to begin one to one at the church

- We need one person who knows and can do one to one ministry
- That one person begins with one person God allows
- Overcome the moment that he is doing useless thing or just waste time with one person who seems does not grow at all
- Keep one to one bible study till the learner can do his one to one with other person
- He may have another person as his one to one student and he can have several people weekly as his one to one students
- It does not mean that the teacher does not do anything except one to one bible study. Rather one to one is the very basic thing like eating and drinking three times a day.

7. In order to have power to do one constantly,

- The shepherd must have strength and power in spirit through deep daily bread and prayer and personal bible study or group bible study through bible material making or senior missionaries and shepherds group bible studies. For this the central Bible study material making is so important for all UBF throughout the world, it has such impact like the eye of the hurricane. It begins small in one corner of the HQ but it will soon have power to sweep the whole UBF of the world… then thus far mother Barry and Dr. Lee’s Bible study and Mark Yang and his bible material group, now we need to have such eye of the Bible hurricane. For this we begin to study 8 members. May God bless this bible material making team not only in HQ but in each continent, each region, each nation, that studies bible diligently to feed sheep correctly and diligently as of first importance. Based on this many good one to one Bible studies are carried out, then to double our ministry is no problem, more than triple, quadriple and 100 times more even in our generation. If we don’t do this and do something other diligently, we will make our building on the sand that collapse quickly.
- We should go back to the bible and go back to the one to one bible studies. Not only top leaders and first generations do one to one but also second generations, HBF, MBF and CBF must learn how to do one to one shepherd life toward their younger ones.
- Now days we try to do many things to double our ministry and revive God’s work. That seems not bad. However, the very basic and foundation of God’s salvation work can be done through one to one ministry. It should not be the only way. No. God has so many methods. But one to one can be one of God’s mighty strategy to save lost souls in all generations especially post modern people.
- How can we double ministry by 2010? How can we raise 100,000 missionaries by 2041? No problem. If we do one to one ministry we would make even more than one million missionaries. This is the power of God’s one to one bible study.

Appendix 2: My one to one experiences

1. Early UBF one to ones (1966-1975)

I went to church for all my life before I came to UBF. I was a so called “mote” Christian. (Mote Christian sounds like “Mot He: which sounds like “I cannot do anything!”) I came to church every Sunday. I was a chorus member and once a student meeting president in HBF. That was all I did at the church. I had no sense of problem. It was very normal in our church. Because almost every church member was just like me. As I remained as a single seed for some 20 years so almost all church members were the same, they remained as single seed doing nothing.
When I came to UBF in 1966 in my sophomore, I was shocked by Mother Barry and Dr. Lee’s bible teaching. Their bible teaching has such power that I could not sit down at UBF. In my junior I ran back to school. I was like Andrew. “I met the Christ, come and see.” I brought around 50 freshmen in one time. But they soon left all. But one of my junior remained. It was because we had one to one relationship. When he went home in KwangJu during his freshman summer vacation, I visited him by train. He came to summer conference. Through this he remained as a lay director of SNU 5th chapter. His sheep came to Chicago consulate general as a diplomat missionary. I saw the result of one to one continues even 40 years later.

2. Chapter pioneering through one to one (1976-1985)

I cannot forget how God began Guatemala, Mexico, Chongro 3rd pioneering through one to one ministry. My wife did not follow me. So I was alone. Others asked me whether I was a NK diplomat. As everyone of you did, I had to begin all by myself. At first what I did was to begin worship service on Sunday. The next thing I did was to find a ‘one to one’ bible student. But many times there were no students around me. I did not know how to go to the campus. I had no car and no time. But there were always people around me. They were embassy local drivers, cleaners or secretaries. I began bible study with them during lunch time. They all proved later that they were like David’s mighty men for me. After several months’ of bible study, they began to introduce college students among their friends or relatives. When I was leaving Mexico, one house church was established. But I could not see any hope for Mexico because Guatemala ministry had no remnants after my departure. Now the date was approaching to leave for other country. When my heart was heavy with anxiety of future work of God, God’s word came to me. “Jose, go out and count the stars if you can.” So I went to look up at the sky. But there was no star in the sky. It was because of air pollution in Mexico city. I came back crying tears. Because the word of God said “so shall your offspring be!” But the word of God came to me again, “go out and count the stars!” So I went again. There in the dark sky I could see so many stars beyond the air pollution. God opened my spiritual eyes and showed stars. “Amen” I said.
20 years later I had a chance to go back to Mexico for Easter conference. To my surprise there were around 400 Latin students. It meant around 800 shining eyes were twinkling before me. It reminded me of the stars in the sky God showed me 20 years ago. Wow! I forgot God’s promise but God was keeping his promise “so shall your offspring be!!!” I saw how much God can bless small one to one bible studies eventually.
Later I came to Spain in 1988 after UN in NY. When I arrived at the Madrid airport. One Korean junior diplomat told me that he was waiting for me. It was Pablo Star Oh. He asked me to teach him the Bible. I said “wait!” It was because I was only thinking of Spain college students. One week later he told me again. So I said again “wait!” The third time he asked me “Please teach me the bible.” I said “I told you wait!” Then one day he invited me to a big dinner to his house. Since I was alone without m. Maria and my family, I enjoyed his delicious dinner. Then he confessed why he was waiting for me. He got a big car accident. He and M. Pauline and 2 children almost died. But he repented at that moment “Lord, save me and my family. I will study bible and live as a servant of God as I promised before!” So God survived his family while his car was totally broken. I found that it was God who brought me to Spain one year earlier than our normal movement. We began one to one every Wednesday after delicious dinner. Then two times a week. For six months before I resigned the bible study continued. They studied Genesis and John with all the testimonies too. M. Pablo Star Oh succeed me and delivered Sunday messages in Spain after I left. This family later went to Argentine, Costa Rica, Chile serving many of our missionaries in their mission field. M. Pablo Star Oh went to El Salvador as an Ambassador. He is a blessing to M. Isidro’s house church. Wow! I am so amazed how God blesses one to one ministry to affect so many chapters and Latin continent and the world.
When I returned from Spain and Guatemala I began ChongRo 3rd chapter through one to one Bible studies with a few people. Among them several people became chapter leaders such as Paul Chang, Hamilton Canada, Paul Dang in Milwawki 1, Cephas Harvarrd chapter, Paul Kim in one of Korean chapter. Through them many one to one leaders grew last 30 years since 1979. In this Purdue conference some missionaries who are from Chong Ro 3rd wanted to meet me to take a picture. To my surprise they were almost 70-100 missionaries. Wow, they are the fruits of several one to one bible students and now they are raising their own one to one bible students all around the world!

3. one to one in USA (1990-2008)
 
Finally I want to share my failures and God’s restoration of one to one ministry. Till not I did not mention at all about any failures of one to one except Guatemala ministry.
18 years ago I came to America to support UBF HQ ministry. Dr. Samuel Lee wanted all leaders to have 12 one to one bible studies. He wanted all fellowship leaders to bring even one more every Sunday. I said “No problem Sir!” And I almost did 10-12 one to one bible studies every week. I brought many new members to SWS. Now I am under Dr. Lee the best leader, my wife is with me with my children too. I am working hard more than anytime. Therefore my expectation to make my fellowship the biggest in Chicago was just a matter of time. At the first Christmas my new fellowship brought about 104 members! Wow! When I could use all my past shepherd experience, missionary experience, diplomatic skills plus the support of M. Maria Ahn as well as my shepherd Dr. Lee’s strong encouragement,  it seemed that I could establish a fellowship with 120 members soon. No Problem! Therefore I worked harder than any other time with great enthusiasm. Thus 10 years were passing so fast. What did happen? No one grew as an Abraham of faith. All 10-12 sheep are just the same as I began one to one bible studies. Some of them became worse than the first time I met. That means I still had to visit them every week, and many times they did not keep their promises and they were not at home and did not appear in the bible studies. Wow! The more I tried harder the further they wanted to run away from me. Why does this happen to me!!!!??? I still was doing 10-12 one to ones. The Sunday worship service numbers were not increasing rather decreasing …… wow! Dr. Lee checked every Friday how many I brought last Sunday worship service…..  and how many I will bring this Sunday. I always said, I will bring more than last Sunday…. But I always broke my promise because my sheep ran away from me as times pass by…..
Did I come to a right mission field? I doubted one day about my mission in USA. I said “I may not be a good shepherd for American people. My mission field must be Latin America…..” It is because I did not know why nothing happened even though I worked harder than any place and any time with all my efforts together with m. Maria Ahn!!!
It was because my one to one ministry was something wrong. Just doing 10-12 one to ones or bringing 10 or 20 sheep every Sunday did not mean anything! Why not? One day out of deep despair I knelt down before God. I was ready to go away from Chicago, to some other places….There I found all my faults and mistakes before God. It was because I lived not before God but before Dr. Lee. I wanted to be recognized by him as a good and able missionary. I found my motive to do 10-12 one to ones was to show how faithful shepherd I was before men! I wanted to hear from other junior missionaries “How good shepherd Jose Ahn is! I wanted to save my face as a UBF senior before many junior missionaries. My mind had no idea to please God alone. My eyes did not concern how God’s flock need help and care. My concern was to make us one to one sheep to raise my name and to show myself as a good shepherd before men. Outwardly it seemed okay. Outwardly I worked so hard! But inwardly I was working for my own glory even using God’s flock. I was trying to glorify myself through one to one ministry or SWS attendants. My direction was 180 degree different from the good shepherd Jesus’ direction. I was a hired shepherd. No I was just like a robber or a thief. That was why nothing could happen. If something happened that should be strange. I could see very clearly that my one to one ministry does not please God. I realized God does not want my 12 one to ones or hard working. God wants me to love God and to be a good shepherd for God’s flock. How terrible sinner I had been! I found myself no difference from Saul who was working hard to put early believers into the prison. So all my sheep wanted to run away from me. It was because I did not care of them at all. I only wanted to make use of them to fill my one to one chart and Sunday worship service number.
That day I decided to live before God and not before Dr. Lee or before other missionaries. I repented all my selfish sins to live for my glory. I left all the glory of this world, but I was seeking the glory in UBF. What a contradict person I was!
From that day on, I did not care Dr. Lee’s rebuke for not bringing many on Sunday. I decided to receive his rebuke. I decided to be despised or humiliated by others as if I were a new and young missionary. I began to concentrate to real one to one ministry. I concentrated to one good one to one ministry more than just many for my name’s sake. I got freedom from man’s eyes. All I wanted to was to please God and to serve God’s flock with pure heart and pure motives.
Thus around 8 years had passed. My fellowship became the lowest among 24 fellowships in Sunday number and one to one ministry. But I did not care. I wanted to care even one true and good one to one bible study. Thus time past as quickly as when I was working hard for other purposes. This time my life was like a bird flying in the high sky. It did not matter whether I was successful in my one to one bible study. I still loved all my one to one sheep. I did one to one not for me but for them. It did not matter how many come to my fellowship on Sunday. In this way Jesus gave me freedom from my selfish ambitions, from others opinions, from the fear of failure of success of God’s ministry. I did joyful one to ones with one person.
When I was repenting and fishing at the campus in one new semester in 1998, God allowed Darren to invite himself to study the word of God. But he stopped coming NEIU soon. His house was more than one hour distance from school. I did not know how to find his suburban house. But strangely God moved my heart as he moved to visit S. Abraham Chung in my college junior with pure shepherd heart. I knew this is only sacrifice itself and I had nothing to gain from this long distance driving to his house once a week on Saturday. By God’s grace he was always at home because he was sleeping on Sat morning after one week hard working. So our study continued for one year. He said he really wanted that I might not come to his house any more! But I came anyway by God’s help. Then the next year he suggested that I may not come to his house any more. Rather he wanted to come out to meet me at the middle point between our two houses. So we met the second year in a hamburger house above the express way, exactly half of our distance, 13 miles from my house and from his house too. I thought he really liked bible study since he never missed his bible study. But he confessed later that each time he was coming to say that it would be his last bible study with me. But he never found chance to tell me this. It was because when we were finishing our Bible study, the holy spirit moved his heart. So he prayed full of spirit of thanksgiving for the bible study and made another appointment. Thus another year has passed. In the third year God moved his heart and he suggested coming to NEIU bible house rather than in the middle of the two houses. Thus the years passed one by one till now ten year anniversary is approaching in September 8. God moved his house to come to worship service, to join Friday leaders’ meeting, to feed one sheep Victor last three years, God blessed him to be forgiven from all his terrible sins of sex addiction, adultery. God endured him till he allowed him a beautiful house church with m. Helen of Venezuela. He needs still growing to have Jesus’ full image. But he became a reproducing shepherd and disciple maker and his wife feeds two to three one to one sheep faithfully last one year and a half. Hew! Did I finish my job? No! One to one bible teacher’s job never knows retire. After marriage they still need good consultation through our one to one bible study. Now they ask me about their sheep, their having children, future possible missionary preparation.

Thus last 10 years passed by….now I am happy with Jesus! Now I am just happy to be God’s flock. What is happening around me? It is amazing to see how God is working! He is sending many to be one of the biggest fellowship in Chicago,,, wow! Last Purdue conference around 90 came from NEIU…..when I was trying such hard…. God did not give but took all away…. Now I am doing very freely not demanding God or sheep to stay with me, God is freely giving many one to one coworkers, sheep around me. Now I have no anxiety as before whether they would run away from me or not. If I continue to feed them and be a good shepherd for each of them loving, serving what they need….God will surely bless this one to one ministry abundantly to be 30, 60 and 100 times more.
Now I see the importance of my self bible study through Hebrew and Greek study and I may be able to read the Bible in its original languages. I may find the original meaning as well as original culture, back ground of each book as it was written… and then have right interpretation and application. I need to read the Bible itself more diligently which I neglect because of so many things to do. Let me go back to read, to study and to apply it through one to one bible teaching to God’s flock.