Home | First | Prev | Next

THE NEED FOR FULL-TIMERS
AND THE FULL-TIME TRAINING

In February of this year, we pointed out that some people are job-dropping full-timers and some are job-keeping full-timers. Every one of us should live entirely for the Lord’s interests on this earth. Although you have a job, you are still working for the Lord. This way depends on your taking what you have received from your job, aside from amply supplying the needs of your family, and offering it entirely to the Lord to meet the needs of the work and of the full-timers. This is extremely important and has a bearing on the speed of the advance and spread of the Lord’s recovery.

The Full-time Training in Taiwan started on August 12. In order to be accepted, there are three requirements. First, you must have a college degree; second, you must be single without the encumbrance of a family; and third, you cannot be over forty years old. Thus far, there are five hundred applicants from Taiwan, over twenty from the Philippines, one hundred forty-eight from the United States and Canada, thirty-two from Europe, and four from Ghana, Africa. There are also two language teachers from New Zealand. Today the world has become small, so language has become very important. Hence, in the Full-time Training there are five foreign language classes, and there is also a training class for the Chinese language. There are one hundred sixteen teachers taking turns to teach. Generally, one group teaches for a month, and then another group of teachers takes over. In addition, there are twenty to thirty serving ones for special items, such as caring for the medical needs and for the meals in the training center. Thus, there are about seven hundred students and numerous teachers and serving ones residing in Taipei. Hence, this is a great move in the Lord’s recovery. Thank the Lord, once the news of the training went out, churches everywhere contributed much to this work. It is estimated that this training will cost about one million U. S. dollars. The churches in Taiwan will pick up the burden for four to five hundred thousand dollars. This shows us that the weight of the burden requires that all the churches over the entire globe be in one accord to ease the load in a coordinated effort.

Regarding the gospelization of Taiwan, we have a set of plans. Starting from January of 1988, one thousand full-timers will be raised up in Taiwan and grouped into one hundred teams of ten to spread into the villages. Each team will go to a village to knock on doors for one month. At least ten to twenty people will be gained in each village. Then after one month a small new church will be produced. Then two from each team will stay to take care of the meetings, while the other eight hundred will form another eighty teams to continue on to eighty other villages, doing the same thing for a month. By doing this for four months, there will be churches established in all of the villages in Taiwan, accomplishing the goal to gospelize Taiwan.

Initially, we said that we would gospelize Taiwan in five years. Many people said, “How is this possible? Where will the twenty-five hundred full-timers come from?” Thank the Lord for His provision! Through the quality educational system, transportation, and economical establishment of the Taiwan government, Taiwan is now able to produce five hundred full-time brothers and sisters and provide for their support without any lack. Perhaps there is no need to wait until January 1988, but by January or July of next year, 1987, the move to spread the gospel can already begin because many of the full-timers will have had a year of training and will be ready to go. I have also told them that after Taiwan has been gospelized, they will go on to foreign countries, unless the Lord has a special leading. I deeply believe that this tremendous strength will have a great impact in the spread of the Lord’s recovery. This is our long-range view. May the Lord fulfill it!

ADVANCING IN CARRYING OUT
THE NEW WAY SEQUENTIALLY, NOT BEING IN A RUSH

We have already seen how, after door-knocking and the establishment of the home meetings, we should lead the new ones into Truth Lessons and into the church life. First, we must set up goals, and in carrying them out we must not be in a rush. Rather, we should slowly and sequentially move forward step by step in a steady way. We may use driving as an example. First you may decide that you are going to Los Angeles. There are many ways to get to Los Angeles, and they are different depending on the circumstances. According to the weather and the time, you will pick the safest and the least troublesome way. Similarly, there are many ways to carry out the teaching of Truth Lessons. You can teach it home by home, or you can combine three homes and read together. You can have twenty to thirty people or forty to fifty people come together. This all depends on the practical situation. While working it out, understand what is important, pace yourself, move on systematically, and do not be rushed. In this way, you will not suffer loss. Hold on to this principle, adapting and making changes according to the situation. You must always know clearly within yourself how to do it and where to start.

We can also learn from one another through much fellowship. However, not every place can carry things out in the same way. Presently, the Lord’s table meeting in the church in Anaheim is not held in the meeting hall. This may be right and feasible, but not every local church can do this. As far as Anaheim is concerned, this practice did not take place due to a moment’s inspiration, nor was it carried out on a day’s notice. This came about after more than half a year of exercise, consideration, and research, arriving at the conclusion to have this practice. We should, in all the churches everywhere, consider and learn what to do according to the situation of each church.

LEARNING TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP
IN FINANCIAL MATTERS

We have also pointed out that our desire is to have one full-timer for every twenty saints who are meeting and to have the place that produces the full-timers provide for their support. However, the situations in the churches differ. Some local churches are strong financially but are unable to produce full-timers, whereas other local churches have plenty of students, with few earning money, and are unable to support many full-timers. Hence, in the matter of finance, may all the churches around the globe be in one fellowship. We do not have a central financial administration, nor do we wish to have central control. The Bible gives us the best example; that is, there should be much fellowship in financial matters among churches and between meeting halls. Those churches that are rich financially should care for the churches that are lacking. The move of the Full-time Training now and of the expansion in the future not only involves Taiwan and the United States but also India, Burma, and the Arab countries. They are all in this move and should enter into this fellowship.

Looking at the needs in the world, we can do nothing but give our all and be faithful to bring forth one full-timer per twenty persons in order to open up the situation so that our expansion may go forth to meet the need of the Lord’s present move. May we be sufficiently strong in what we do, not cutting any corners or hindering God in any way. If we offer up all of our energy and financial capacity, and everyone all over the earth moves in one accord, how much the Lord can bless us! However, we do not have a central administration. Rather, we have mutual fellowship among the localities. May we all learn to have a good practice in this matter. In the Body there is no pressure or coercion. There are only supply and fellowship.

A CONCLUDING WORD

I hope that the brothers and sisters will receive the points fellowshipped in these messages. The carrying out of the new way ordained by God does not depend solely on the elders and the co-workers. Rather, the whole Body needs to take action—to go door-knocking, to establish meetings in the new ones’ homes, and to continue steadfastly in feeding, building up, and teaching the truths. Furthermore, there should be the continuous spread of gaining new homes, one after another. On the other hand, we should also offer up our finances—not only a part but the whole—in order to produce more full-timers for the move to spread the Lord’s recovery on this earth.


Home | First | Prev | Next
Rising Up to Preach the Gospel   pg 36