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South Korea — Scripture
Program to ‘Bring Forth this People to Christ’
Young Man Renews Lost Faith During Military Service
(South Korea)
Handwritten Bible Raises Money for Work in
Indonesia
Australia — ‘March for Jesus’
Holds Colourful Celebration at Olympic Stadium
Sports Scriptures in Demand Along Olympic Torch
Route (Australia)
Thailand’s
‘Queen of Rock’ Helps TV Celebrity Find Christ
SEOUL,
South Korea — The Korean Bible Society (KBS)
has pledged to continue supplying millions of free Scriptures over the next
20 years as part of a massive effort to build Korea on Christian foundations,
starting with young soldiers. Vision 2020: Bringing Forth this People to
Christ swung into action in 1996, and has already seen more than half a
million soldiers becoming Christians.
Initiated by military chaplains who recognised the enormous potential for Christian outreach among professional soldiers and young men doing their military service, Vision 2020 has the bold aim of converting 75 per cent of the country’s population to Christianity by 2020. The current Christian population stands at 25 per cent.
“Churches in military camps across the country are focusing on making new converts and baptising them,” explained the Rev Chang Moon Sohn, Secretary of Planning and Research with Vision 2020. “The aim is to baptise 250,000 soldiers every year for 25 years, between 1996 and 2020. This will mean that by 2020, 6.25 million young soldiers will have been baptised.”
The KBS began donating Scriptures to the military in 1994 as one of its programs to celebrate 100 years of Bible work in the country. With the beginning of the Vision 2020 movement two years later, the Bible Society stepped up its activities, bringing the number of Bibles donated since 1994 to 506,866. In the last four months alone, nearly 55,000 New Testaments have been given to newly-baptised young soldiers.
KBS General Secretary, Ho Yong Kim, believes that it is vitally important for the Bible Society to continue supporting the campaign, which is playing a vital role in laying the foundations for the country’s future.
“With the successful implementation of this campaign, young people who have become Christians in military camps are expected to form a foundation on which to revive and stimulate the growth of the stagnating Korean churches,” said Mr Kim. “This will in turn bring forth the evangelisation of the Korean people.”
As well as evangelising and baptising young soldiers, the 1,000 or so military-based churches nurture them in their new-found faith, providing Christian counselling and holding Bible studies.
Each new convert receives a Bible Society Bible or New Testament, especially designed to fit into the pockets of the field operation uniform. Scripture Portions, which deal with subjects of particular interest to young people and soldiers, are also provided.
The
Scriptures are highly sought after by the soldiers, who find them a source of
strength and comfort as they go through their training. One young man, Bong
Soo Cha, became a Christian during his basic training. He was so anxious to
receive a copy of the Bible that upon arrival at the military camp, he immediately
wrote a letter to the chaplain:
“Dear Chaplain,” he wrote. “I need the Bible, the holy book that contains the Word of God. When I was baptised at the training camp I was told that soldiers are provided with a cross to hang around their neck, and a pocket-sized Bible. As one of my colleagues here recently received a Bible in a parcel, I am requesting that one is sent to me too.”
A key element of the movement is to encourage local churches to become involved in the work in military camps through prayer support, contributions and collaboration. Furthermore, Vision 2020 is urging local churches to invite young soldiers who are on holiday, or who have completed their military service, to become church members.
Young Christian soldiers will be registered by a local church, which will send them regular mailings about church activities, as well as using other methods to encourage them to become involved.
This will provide a firm Christian base for the soldiers once they complete their military service. It is hoped that the families of the young men will, in turn, also become involved in church activities and turn to Christ. By 2020, there should be 6.25 million Christian families formed through this principle.
The Ministry of Defence has given its full support to the Vision 2020 movement, which, according to Mr Kim, offers benefits to the military and to the nation as a whole.
“By encouraging healthy religious living, Vision 2020 will help soldiers to establish their perspectives on life and death and nurture a positive spirit among them,” explained Mr Kim. “This will enhance their service to the military. Also, the movement will empower the soldiers as model citizens by teaching them a righteous ideology.” (WR 353/8 - 9.00) [PHOTOS]
Extract from a letter to a military chaplain, from Hyun Jae Lee, a young man doing military service
SEOUL, South Korea — “I will never forget the summer retreat where I first became a Christian. I was still at high school and was mentally and physically worn out, studying at night and working during the day.
But through God I found strength, and I was able to go on to university. During my freshman year I was devoted to church activities. I even used to travel home from my university town every weekend in order to attend my church. But I stopped doing this and became more interested in worldly pleasures. Eventually I fell into a depression and thought about committing suicide.
I slowly got better through psychiatric treatment, and although I truly missed the joy of knowing Christ, I lacked the courage to return to church. Time just passed by and I received notification that I had to serve my time in the military.
When I first stepped into the church here at the training camp, tears started to flow from my eyes. Throughout the church service, I could not stop myself from weeping. I prayed: “Lord, please do not let me go. Hold me beside you.” From that moment, I knew that God would be beside me every moment of my life. My faith was restored.
Since then, I have faced the tough military training with prayer and courage. I know that I will overcome the difficulties of military life with a praying heart.
I am writing this letter as a token of my deep appreciation for the church and its work of leading lost souls like myself back to Christ.” (WR 353/9 - 9.00)
JAKARTA, Indonesia — A copy of the Bible entirely written by hand made its public debut in West Java, Indonesia, earlier this year. The project, organised by the Indonesian Bible Society (LAI), took two years from start to finish and involved a total of 3,000 writers from 44 churches and 54 other groups. The bound Bible spans approximately 15 inches from cover to cover.
Participants paid for the right to copy the Scriptures at IDR5,000 (US 60 cents) per verse. Verses from Revelation, Psalms, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs, however, cost extra, and those particular four books were written in gold ink. The project raised a total of IDR200 million (US$25,000), and the money is going to support three Bible Society publishing projects.
The money it raised was not the project’s only benefit, however. The General Secretary of the Indonesian Bible Society, Drs Supardan, said it had brought friends and supporters of LAI closer and had made them more aware of the hunger for the Bible among people who could not afford to buy a copy. (WR 353/10 - 9.00) [PHOTOS]
SYDNEY, Australia — In June, 25,000 Christians in Sydney gave a public display of their faith in a March for Jesus culminating in a celebration at Stadium Australia, the site of this month’s Olympic Games.
The marchers, who included families and young children, converged on the stadium from four parks around the city. Each group was dressed in its own particular colour – red, yellow, blue or green – and carried balloons to match.
Linked by live radio coverage, the four groups set off from their gathering
points between 2km (1.25 miles) and 5.5km (3.5 miles) from the stadium, and
streamed through the city in a huge and colourful display, arriving between
1.30 and 1.45pm.
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The celebration which followed consisted of entertainment, prayers and spiritual messages presented by leaders from various denominations. The Archbishop of Sydney, the Most Rev Harry Goodhew, presented the official welcome, and a variety of choirs, dancers and other artists performed in the main area. The choirs included a mass children’s choir, a 3000-voice Korean choir and a signing choir dressed in black with contrasting white gloves in order that their hands might be clearly seen.
A Parade of Nations involved people from the various countries that worship in Australia in their own cultural groups. Children, too, took part, marching onto the field carrying the flags of the nations. A giant ‘flashcard’, held up by 1,500 schoolchildren and displaying the word ‘Eternity’, finished their presentation.
In a ceremony called the Sharing of Water, Aboriginal elders and the Chairman of the Federal Aboriginal Board led in the pouring of drinks of water for church leaders and parliamentarians.
The gesture symbolically repeated the acts of hospitality shown to white settlers by the Aborigines in indicating to them where water could be found. Although this saved the settlers’ lives, it was repaid by a number of acts of gross inhumanity on the part of the white people.
An organisation called Logosdor presented a shortened version of their Olympics
Gospel outreach program ‘More Than Gold’.
The climax to the day came with a presentation of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus
accompanied by a fireworks display. Afterwards, many people spoke of the spiritual
impact it had made on them. Organisers said that some 400 people had committed
their lives to Christ at the event, 300 of whom were children.
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The Bible Society in Australia provided 200 copies of the Sports New Testament, Towards the Goal, and 200 copies of Towards the Goal Gospel of Mark.
After the fireworks came an all-night youth concert, with leading Christian artists sharing their faith through their music. The concert and nearby prayer vigils ended with a Dawn Service. Mal Garvin, the National Co-ordinator of March for Jesus, led the sunrise service, which included reports brought by many participants about the way God had been working in their lives over the previous 16 hours. (WR 353/11 - 9.00) [PHOTOS]
CANBERRA,
Australia — Thousands of people who gathered in cities and towns along
the Olympic torch route recently received sports Scriptures as part of the Bible
Society in Australia’s (BSA) outreach program for the Olympic and Paralympic
Games.
The sports edition of Gospel of Mark – Towards the Goal – was distributed by the Salvation Army, who followed the torch as it made its way around the country. Travelling in a ‘hospitality bus’, the Salvation Army team also provided onlookers with refreshments.
According to Joy Inglis, a member of the Salvation Army team, Towards the Goal proved extremely popular – with 3,000 copies distributed in Queensland alone – and provided an ideal platform to get sports-oriented people to talk and think about the Bible.
“The Gospels have given us a tremendous opportunity for ministry,” said Mrs Inglis. “I have had some wonderful conversations with people. Even members of a marching band from the United States have taken copies – it just shows you that the Olympics is a world mission.”
The publication, which includes the testimonies of some of the world’s leading athletes, has drawn widespread media interest.
It was also particularly attractive to children. Initially drawn to the Salvation Army bus by the offer of face-painting, many children were delighted to receive Scriptures which featured their sporting heroes.
“The kids just love it,” said Mrs Inglis. “And once you make friends with the children, the parents become genuinely interested.”
By the time it reaches Sydney on September 15, the Olympic flame will have travelled 27,000 kilometres (16,875 miles) through Australia, carried by 10,000 runners. In total, the journey from Olympia, Greece to Sydney will take 120 days – the longest Olympic torch relay in history. (WR 353/12 - 9.00) [PHOTOS]
BANGKOK,
Thailand — With a string of number one hits
on Thailand’s music charts and a duet with Tina Turner under her belt,
Anchalee Chongkhadikij has been dubbed the ‘queen of rock’. Her music
career has won her acclaim at home and abroad, and she has even ventured into
the film business, where she has also excelled as an actress.
Mrs Chongkhadikij is also very open about her Christianity and hosts the only Christian television programme in Thailand. Last Christmas she co-hosted a show with another celebrity, Hataya Wongkrachang, who recently became a Christian through her witness.
“I heard about Jesus long ago but did not become a believer,” said Mrs Wongkrachang, a famous DJ and television presenter who is particularly popular among young people. “I wanted to learn English, so I went to an English church. But I did not become a Christian, because I thought that my life was OK.
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“Then in 1998 I was hosting a television show and Mrs Chongkhadikij was the guest. She began speaking about her Christian faith and it got me thinking because I was pregnant at the time and had begun to wonder how my children would grow up. When I had my twins, I bought books about motherhood. One of them was written by a Christian author who quoted from the Bible, but I found it very difficult to understand.”
Later, Mrs Wongkrachang interviewed Mrs Chongkhadikij again, this time on the radio. “She spoke about her faith again, but I said categorically that I was not going to become a Christian,” continued Mrs Wongkrachang. “I had a big head! But I could not stop thinking about what she had told me, and I had several long talks with her on the telephone.
“That Christmas I went to a church service with her and heard the story of Jesus’s birth. The preacher went on to talk about his later suffering, when people turned against him.
“I began to weep and realised that it was time for me to get to know the real things in life. I began reading the Bible regularly and went to church every Sunday. Mrs Chongkhadikij gave me a book for new believers. I began to understand the Bible after I had prayed, and although there are still many things in my life that I need to change, I trust God to help me.”
Mrs Chongkhadikij herself became a Christian 10 years ago through the witness of a friend. Originally from a traditional Buddhist family, she left her spiritual roots behind her to pursue her rock music career. Although she felt that something was lacking in her life, she would not listen to her sister, who had become a Christian.
“Then one of my friends became a Christian and impressed me by telling me about the love of Jesus who died for my sins,” explained Mrs Chongkhadikij. In 1990 she began reading the Bible regularly and became a Christian shortly afterwards. (WR 353/13 - 9.00)