A Paradigm for Cell Church Ministry in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in South Korea
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Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertation Projects DMin Graduate Research 2010 A Paradigm for Cell Church Ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Korea Won Moo Song Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin Part of the Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Song, Won Moo, "A Paradigm for Cell Church Ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Korea" (2010). Dissertation Projects DMin. 124. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dmin/124 This Project Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertation Projects DMin by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT A PARADIGM FOR CELL CHURCH MINISTRY IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN SOUTH KOREA by Won Moo Song Adviser: Donald C. James ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Project Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: A PARADIGM FOR CELL CHURCH MINISTRY IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN SOUTH KOREA Name of researcher: Won Moo Song Name and degree of faculty adviser: Donald C. James. DMin Date completed: July 2010 Problem Small group ministry, known as the cell church, was thought to be the best response to the slow growth of membership in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in South Korea. However, the attempt to develop effective cell church ministries has failed to attract new. or even current, members. Yet. there are three non-SDA churches that have had success in setting up model cell churches. The purpose of this study is to explore possible reasons for the failure, examine the successful programs, and identify those steps the Korean Adventist church could adopt in order to establish a positive paradigm for cell church ministry. Method This is a comparative-descriptive study. The main task is to determine the qualities that characterize the SDA Church in South Korea as compared to three non- SDA churches with model cell church systems. One part is to understand the general ideas of the cell church system and its biblical background. The writings of Ellen G. White are also explored. Field research is utilized to examine a practical profile of cell group ministry as it is practiced by the three model cell churches. An attempt is also made to research the basic system of the Korean Seventh-day Adventist (KSDA) churches. Based on the results, the two systems (SDA and non-SDA with cell systems) are compared to find distinctive characteristics that the SDA church system could emulate. Through the comparison and biblical study, a paradigm of cell church ministry is suggested. Conclusion Cell church ministry must be a very effective tool for evangelism in the modem society of Korea. However, there are many barriers and hindrances to SDA success with cell church ministry, even though non-SDA churches had success with the system. To have success in cell church strategy. KSDA churches must innovate to build a new strategy of a cell church to fit SDA churches. The findings of this study should be applied into a new paradigm shift for SDA churches in Korea. Further studies must be continued to develop a practical plan and strategy of cell church ministry for the SDA church environment in the future. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary A PARADIGM FOR CELL CHURCH MINISTRY IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN SOUTH KOREA A Project Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry bv Won Moo Song July 2010 S' Copyright by Won Moo Song 2010 All Rights Reserved A PARADIGM FOR CELL CHURCH MINISTRY IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN SOUTH KOREA A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Ministry by Won Moo Song APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: Dean, SDA Theological Seminary Denis Fortin Date approved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS............................................................................................ vii LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................ vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................ ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS................................................................................................. x Chapter I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem................................................................................... 1 Purpose of the Dissertation................................................................................2 Justification for the Dissertation........................................................................2 Delimitations of the Dissertation.......................................................................2 Methodology......................................................................................................3 Outline of the Project.........................................................................................3 Expectations of the Dissertation........................................................................4 II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE.............................................................5 Understanding General Small Groups............................................................... 5 Defining Cell Church Ministry.......................................................................... 7 Distinctive Characteristics of Cell Group Ministry...........................................8 Locations...................................................................................................... 9 Multiplication of Cell Groups .................................................................... 10 Discipleship.................................................................................................11 Leadership System......................................................................................14 Basic Models of Cell Group Structure ....................................................... 19 Basic Tools and Materials for Cell Group Ministry..................................22 Meeting Practice of the Cell Group Ministry............................................25 The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Cell Church System........................... 28 The Strengths of the Cell Church System..................................................28 The Weaknesses of the Cell Church System.............................................30 iii III. BIBLICAL FOUNDATION OF A CELL CHURCH 32 Small Groups in Biblical Perspective..............................................................32 Possible Prototype Cell Group Community at Creation ................................. 32 The Early Small Group as a Cell Group..........................................................35 The Small Group Church that Jesus Initiated............................................35 Small Church Grouping as a Strategy for the Early Church..................... 37 Essential Elements of the Small Group Church in the Early Times........38 Oikos/Family of God.................................................................................38 Home Base................................................................................................ 40 Servant Leadership.....................................................................................42 Discipleship................................................................................................44 Special Strategies for Evangelism.............................................................47 Equality of Everybody...............................................................................47 All Believers as Priests..............................................................................48 Women’s Ministry.....................................................................................49 Powerful Ceremonies of Christ........................................................................52 Baptism......................................................................................................52 The Lord's Supper.....................................................................................54 Summary..........................................................................................................57 IV. UNDERSTANDING OF CELL CHURCH MINISTRY FROM THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE.......................................................... 58 Small Group Ministry and Ellen G. White ...................................................... 58 Early Influence of Home-Based Meetings .................................................58 A Strategy of Small Group Ministry................................................................61 Concept of Small Group Ministry..............................................................61 Training Strategy....................................................................................... 62 Home-Based Evangelism...........................................................................63 Mobilization of All Church Members........................................................64 Meeting Practices......................................................................................