“One-leads-one – New Doubling Movement” – a look at PCT churches in action
Reported by Lin Yi-ying
Written by Lydia Ma
According to PCT statistics, 6,797 people were baptized in PCT churches in 2005, 7,581 people were baptized in 2006, 9559 people were baptized in 2007, and 9852 people were baptized in 2008. These statistics would place PCT at the top of the list of Christian denominations in Taiwan with the fastest growth rate.
Every third Sunday of January is PCT’s “Missionary Sunday” and congregations are encouraged to participate in missions. In 2010, PCT General Assembly Evangelism Committee began promoting a new movement called “One-leads-one, New Doubling Movement” to highlight the importance of evangelism and missions. This movement has four key aspects:
1- Build a community of faith: More Bible-reading time and more prayer meetings
2- Build a life of faith together: Encourage one another through seminars and participating in “One-leads-one, New Doubling Movement”
3- Increase the number of domestic and overseas mission partner churches
4- Promote vocational training for seminarians and pastors
Every pastor in PCT – from the General Assembly to every local church – is excited “One-leads-one” movement and hoping it’ll help PCT members increase in number and in wisdom. But past experiences have also left many clergy wondering why previous evangelistic methods or tools have yielded minimal success – especially since PCT is renowned for quality Sunday School, Bible studies, and outreach programs. Many church leaders have wondered if the answer lies in inadequate evangelistic training or some other key component.
If a PCT pastor were to encourage church members or elders to share the gospel today, most of them would probably assume the pastor wasn’t referring to them, but someone else who seems more gifted in sharing the gospel with friends and strangers.
Such a reaction is the reason why Chiayi Presbytery’s Living Stone Church pastor, Rev. Lin Ching-yi, is convinced that more than mere intellectual knowledge is needed when sharing the gospel with others. Much like learning to drive a car, Lin says individuals need practice to master the nuts-and-bolts of how to share the gospel with others. Hence, she suggests that pastors take the lead by encouraging members to accompany them and watch them in action as they share the gospel with others.
Seeing her church grow from 20 adults and 10 children to 40 adults and 25 children in the past 2 years, Lin underscored that whatever evangelistic strategy churches adopt must first and foremost be a strategy that all elders and deacons can agree on so as to minimize obstacles and conflicts from within.
Lin reported that many in her congregation who thought they were ready later discovered what they knew intellectually about evangelism differed vastly from what they experienced in real life when they tried to share the gospel. These experiences prompted many of them to sign up for more discipleship courses at church and helped them encourage others by sharing experiences. Some even began to read the Bible together on a regular basis.
Rev. Yeh Chi-hsiang from Linsheng Road Presbyterian Church in Tainan noted that newly-baptized Christians are usually the ones most motivated and excited to share the gospel with others. That’s the reason why Yeh cannot emphasize enough on the importance of training or discipleship programs in churches.
In another part of Taiwan, Rev. Chang Jui-hsien of Taipei City Revival Church (Taipei Presbytery) recounts how he saw his church grow from 1 person to 80 people. Chang began by reaching out to a college student studying at Aletheia University and encouraged this student to invite friends to church for a meal and casual get-together. Though a small cell group was born from this meeting, the story didn’t end there.
Chang added that one of the students at this cell group gathering studied at Tamkang University, another university in Taipei. After he got to know this student and encouraged the latter to bring friends along, a new cell group for Tamkang University students was eventually created.
Chang’s outreach tool has been to make use of meals, casual chats, fun group activities, and fellowship meetings to reach out to students and share the gospel with them. Though every church’s approach may differ, he believes the key to sharing the gospel successfully is to show genuine love and concern for others because it softens and melts people’s hearts and so that they become more receptive to the gospel.
