University Bible Fellowship 1971-72
Sung Suh Han Kook, Sae Gae Sun Kyo – Bible Korea and world evangelism –
During the past 5 years in Seoul the general direction and overall goal of the University Bible Fellowship has become clear. The major work of the U.B.F. has been training students to be lay Bible teachers and training nurses, doctors, graduate students who are going abroad to be lay missionaries.
1. Training lay Bible teachers
The old Nevius plan called it the “layering method” – every believer a teacher of someone and a learner from someone else better fitted. Others have called it evangelization by multiplication, or making disciples who can make other disciples. We call it training Bible teachers. The core of U.B.F’s Bible training program is one person teaching one other person so that he can them teach some one else. Study materials have been developed in Genesis, Romans, Mark, John and Isaiah. “Daily Bread” notes have continued to be the most useful tool for encouraging daily personal Bible study and for helping someone else to get into daily systematic devotional Bible study. 6000 copies are printed each quarter. In additional to weekly student-led sharing meetings for groups of students from each campus students and staff have participated in conferences and in Bible Schools which have deepened the spiritual life of the Fellowship in both Seoul and in the provinces. The most recent conference was held in Seoul in March. Similar conferences are being led in the provincial chapters this month. Last March, just after the new school term began, the 6 UBF chapters in Seoul sponsored a conference to study the Book of Isaiah. This conference was for leaders and advanced students. The attendance was strictly limited. Only students who had finished courses in Genesis and Romans and who finished assigned pre-conference home work and who paid a conference fee of 10,000 won were allowed to attend. Some 250 students were officially registered and completed the week-long course.The study conferences held during summer and winter vacations usually have lower fees and have classes for new believers and inquirers.
2. Staff training
Since Bible teaching and the training of student leaders in the various centers is done by the staff, staff training is a very important part of UBF work. At present there are 17 active staff. In addition there are 3 men now in the army who will return to staff when they are discharged. There are 3 women, including myself. 8 of the men are married. All of the staff (except Mr. Lee, the director, and myself) came to know Christ and received Bible training during undergraduate days. The staff in Seoul, including staff interns, meets each Monday to study and pray and plan together. Provincial chapter staff members attend these meetings at least once a month. Week-long staff study work-shops have been held at the beginning of each school term at the Team Conference Grounds. The continuing spiritual growth and development in leadership ability and in personal maturity can be seen in the staff members in each of these study workshops.
3. Training lay missionaries
Many missionaries through the years have seen the potential in the Koran Church to make a missionary impact on the rest of Asia – and perhaps the world. The Korean Church from its very beginning has sought to send missionaries to other countries. (These missionaries have been frequently sent mainly to Korean nationals living in other countries, however.)Korea’s long history of non-aggression, of passively sitting quietly and taking what comes from her stronger, more aggressive neighbors has not encouraged in active role in the world mission of the Church. On the other hand, her geographical position, her deep understanding of suffering, her historic commitment to the Bible and the evident work of the Holy Spirit in the Church throughout her history, have fitted her in a special way to be used by God in His mission to the World in our times.Thousands of Koreans go abroad every year. A large percentage of those going abroad are students, doctors and nurses. Whether we like to see this exodus of people or not, it is going on. And perhaps God can use this flow of people abroad in his mission to the world. In the UBF missionary training program, we have been giving doctors, nurses and graduate students going abroad intensive Bible training and some help with English or German. We have also sought to give them missionary vision. At present there are 10 lay missionaries in the U.S., 8 in Germany, one in France, 2 in Viet Nam, one in Japan and 4 in Canada. There are 7 in the training program at present. After they go over seas we continue to pray for them, write them and try to provide Bible study materials. Each one tithes, agrees to study the Bible every day (using Daily Bread Notes) and seeks to study Bible with one other person.Our UBF students have grown in their realization that as God’s people they have a responsibility for the whole world. The fact that Christ came as an expression of God’s love for the whole world has become more meaningful for us all; and seeking to obey our Lord’s command to make disciples of all nations has deepened our understanding of the Scripture. One problem which we are praying about these day is our lack of meeting space in the Chong No center. There are 300 regular members in our Chong No UBF. The meeting place – which is being repaired now – can squeeze in 150 students. During this past year we have had to hold 3 study meetings each Sunday afternoon. There is also no adequate meeting place for the joint Bible Schools each summer and winter. Last January we rented the large auditorium of the Christian Building and the auditorium of the Catholic Student Center for our winter Bible School. There was no place large enough to accommodate the over 500 students who enrolled in the School. We are hoping to buy 100 Pyung of land from the Yun Ji dong property and someday build a larger meeting place.We are grateful for the interest and prayers of many of you for our staff and students. We would appreciate your prayers for the lay missionaries, who face spiritual and perhaps physical dangers as real as those faced by pioneer missionaries of another generation.
Commentary:
This is more or less the documented format of UBF which is still used to this day. In fact this document in particular is on UBF's website which is referred to as "Summary Work" http://www.ubf.org/about/summary-work