II. Discipleship in UBF
- Outreach and Invitation of College Students
1. Personal Invitation (Friend Evangelism)—Fishing
One of the main evangelistic practices UBF utilizes is commonly known as “fishing.” In Matthew 4:19, Jesus said to his first disciples. “Come, follow me,” and “I will make you fishers of men.” In the same way that fishermen try to catch fish, UBF members try to invite students to one-to-one Bible study by going out to campuses and asking students directly, “Would you like to study the Bible?” The methods most other ministries used to invite students to church and Bible study typically involved one of its student members, becoming friends with fellow students and then eventually asking them to join one of their small group Bible studies or come to Sunday Worship Service. However, the problem that UBF faced was that most of its campus missionaries had already graduated, were married, and were not attending classes. Therefore, it was difficult for missionaries to make friends with students since they did not have much direct contact with student life. But fishing offered a solution to this problem. It allowed missionaries to go to campuses and talk with students in order to invite them to Bible study.
UBF members usually go out to fish at campuses in groups of two. Two was the preferred number because according to Mark’s Gospel, Jesus had sent out his disciples two by two (Mk 6:7). There are also pragmatic reasons for fishing in groups of two. UBF members could support each other when in groups of two (Ecc 4:9, 10). Realistically, to some people, the idea of walking up to strangers and asking them to Bible study was too hard to do. By themselves, they would become shy and nervous. But fishing with another member who had the same calling to evangelize could encourage them. Secondly, a more experienced member could go with someone who was less experienced in order to help them become more comfortable inviting students to Bible study. Although most UBF members go fishing in pairs, going fishing alone is not uncommon. However, going fishing in more than groups of two is rare. If a student saw a group of three or more people approaching them, it could easily seem too intimidating or imposing. Moreover, it would be difficult to converse in a group that had more than three potential speakers. As the saying goes, “Two’s company, but three’s a crowd.” Therefore, fishing in two’s or by oneself is the preferred number for UBF members evangelizing on campuses.
When fishing on campus, UBF members typically invite students by walking up to them and asking them, “Would you like to study the Bible?” or something similar. If a student seemed interested, the student and UBF members would exchange contact information and try to set up a time and place to meet for one-to-one Bible study. In this kind of Bible study, the UBF member and the student would exegetically examine passages and chapters from Scripture. Often, UBF members carry small printed sheets of paper, similar to business cards that contain the UBF member’s contact information and the church’s phone number and address. Typically, if UBF members meet someone while fishing, they usually won’t study with them then and there but will schedule Bible study with them for another more convenient time. However, especially if a UBF member were fishing by himself or herself, they might ask the student if they had time to study the Bible at that very moment. On the other hand, if a student rejects the invitation, which occurs more often than not, UBF members move on to another student. UBF members usually spend about an hour fishing and praying together before leaving the campus.
Although the primary aim of fishing is to invite students to one-to-one Bible study, fishing can also be an opportunity to invite students to small group meetings, praise on Fridays, Sunday worship services, or even less frequent events like regional or national conferences or small weekend retreats. In essence, particularly in the United States, fishing gives missionaries and all UBF members the opportunity to preach the gospel and evangelize college campuses.
In the United States, when UBF members began to fish at universities, they found that only a small percentage of students were not churched. Many had been raised in Protestant and Catholic families and either had a strong Christian background or were still active in their own congregations. Even still, UBF members did not hesitate to fish these students and invite them to Bible study. Even though the UBF members understood that the majority of Americans were Christian, about 82.0% according to the Association of Religious Data Archives 2005, the missionaries sensed that the students lacked a vital experience with faith and still were in need of a personal relationship with Christ.[1] Consequently, UBF members used fishing to invite students of different backgrounds, including Christian backgrounds, to study the Bible and grow in personal faith. This practice seems to be unusual because very few churches or organization do it, except for some cult groups. Through fishing, students come and study the Bible. Not all of them, but some of them begin to know Christ personally. Chicago UBF alone has on average 320 students coming to Sunday worship service. We see this as evangelism and evangelism with discipleship in mind.
2. One-to-One Bible Study
The main ministry of UBF is its one-to-one Bible study ministry. Wheaton College Professor of Intercultural Studies and Mission, Scott Moreau writes, “While some might mistake UBF one-on-one discipleship methodology as more individualistic than collective, it can be seen that even the one-on-one approach to ministry is worked out in strongly collective ways.”[2] But the original one-to-one Bible study started from Jesus. In John 3, Nicodemus visited Jesus and had one-on-one interaction. Even though Nicodemus was a Pharisee, Israel’s teacher, and a member of the Jewish ruling council, through one-to-one Bible study, Jesus taught him how to be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God. The evangelist John stresses these one-on-one interactions between Jesus and other people throughout his gospel. In John 4, Jesus met a woman at a town called Sychar in Samaria. Jesus had a one-on-one interaction with her as well. When Jesus concentrated on the Samaritan woman through a one-to-one interaction, she was changed and became a disciple-maker, brining many of her townspeople to Jesus.
LeRoy Eims says about training on a personal basis, “The second prime means of developing a team of workers is to give each person individual and personal attention. It means meeting with each one on a man-to-man basis and having clearly in mind what your training objectives are for that person…..This brings us to some important questions. What do you do in these one-on-one sessions? ”[3]
UBF was originally founded for Bible study. Wherever there are people in UBF, there is Bible study. Four hundred-fifty Christian leaders from 50 countries gathered at Eastbourne, UK on September 1999 for the Joint Statement on Discipleship. They discussed the urgent need for discipleship ministry in the 21st century. They said the following important words:
Truth is a statement of one’s realm. Therefore, God gave the essential word to satisfy us….Now we are under the condition to save the word through the proclamation of message and education. Through the word of God, we should stimulate the thoughts and imaginations of young generations. Images can be a supplement to the word of God and music also can be lead to His glory and majesty, but the word of truth penetrates deeply our souls.[4]
Professor Robert A. Traina from New York Theological Seminary divided methodical Bible study into nine different kinds of Bible studies: inductive Bible study; direct, independent Bible study; literary Bible study; psychological Bible study; constructive Bible study; comprehensive Bible study; sincere Bible study; assimilative Bible study; and reverent Bible study.[5] Through Bible study, UBF concentrates on raising disciples who can evangelize the whole world.
It is important to emphasize Bible study, because the word of God is the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if anyone is touched by the word of God, he or she can be transformed into a new person. The outset of Jesus’ messianic ministry was Bible study first before healing the sick and casting out evil spirits. Walter A. Henrichen says of Bible study, “The Most important goal of follow-up is to teach the young Christian how to feed himself from the Word of God. Expose him to mature Christians who can feed him, and thus teach him ‘the whole counsel of God,’ but remember this can never be substitute for the person learning how to feed himself.”[6]
A common passage that is covered in UBF Bible studies, conferences, and Sunday sermons is John 21:16: “‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’” This teaches us that if one loves Jesus, the next natural step is to feed his sheep and share the gospel with unbelievers. Guided by this belief, there is a strong encouragement in UBF to teach the Bible to others, specifically to college students through one-to-one.
The call to preach the gospel to all college students is practically implemented through personal one-to-one Bible studies and shepherding (mentoring). The opposite of massive street evangelism, UBF focuses on raising disciples through one-to-one Bible study. Those who accept the invitation to study can expect inductive Bible studies of Genesis, the four gospels, Acts, and much more. Through one-to-one Bible studies and close mentoring and nurturing, the Bible teacher will try to lead the students to pray, reflect, and write testimonies based on the Bible passage that they studied. The ultimate goal is to help students, whether they are cultural Christians or atheists, to confess their sins and be “born-again,” with personal faith in Jesus. At the same time, the Bible students are encouraged to become “shepherds” (mentors) by inviting fellow students to Bible study or by preaching the gospel to fellow students. Thus, the one-to-one Bible study method, while time-consuming, can expand and build strong religious ties.
The one-to-one Bible study is personal and systematic. The questions are made for each lesson in each book of the Bible. Beyond the transmission of faith, one-to-one Bible study is the foundation through which other relationships within UBF are established. After regular personal Bible studies, the student ideally will be integrated into the church at-large. It is usually recommended that he or she take part in small group meetings, seasonal conferences (retreats), and Sunday worship services. Once a student attends the larger worship service, the mentor continues to operate as a cultural and organization liaison and helps the students integrate into the larger group. It is to be emphasized that this kind of integration and service is done purely out of love for the Bible student and growing disciple.
The primary connection with the mentor via personal Bible study and shepherding is also important because groupings within the congregation are not based on ethnicity, race, class, or hobbies, but on the basic shepherd-sheep relationship. Larger groupings in the congregation are based on who studies the Bible with whom, thereby making the fundamental unit of group connection cross-cultural from the very beginning. Who one usually sits with, socializes with, and eats with within the congregation is directly connected to the cross-cultural shepherd-sheep relationship. Even if the missionary may feel more comfortable and share more commonalities with fellow Korean missionaries, in love he will spend most of his time in the congregation with his Bible student. This incarnational shepherd-sheep relationship trumps ethnic, racial, generational or class ties.
Within the one-to-one shepherd and sheep relationship, Bible students are shown significant affection and attention at or beyond the level that parents and friends provide. UBF missionaries commonly feed their Bible students, help them with their schoolwork, lend them money, or give them career advice. If the students need a place to stay, they may live with the students or find them housing with some of the other church members. Students get an extremely involved “shepherd,” one who may be more engaged in their personal life than anyone else ever has. Once students are “born-again” and commit to the congregation, they in many ways get a new family through the ministry. All this is done out of love for the student and his or her life affairs.
For boundaries based on culture, race, ethnicity to diminish within the group, it is important that a greater bond or base for similarity, which sociologists call homophily, emerge.[7] In UBF, this overriding connection is the drive for world campus mission, the importance of engaging in one-to-one Bible studies and raising disciples among college students. The ministry has the clear purpose to preach the gospel to college students whether as a shepherd at a local college or as a missionary on the campuses of a foreign country. UBF, as an organization, also has distinct roles; one is a missionary, “shepherd,” or a “sheep”--either a disciple-maker or disciple in training.
3. Small Group Bible Study (Campus Bible Studies)
One of the characteristics of disciple training is small group Bible study, which is an organizational approach that began during the Pietism Movement.[8] Beginning in the 20th century, psychology, sociology, social work, business and other fields have been increasingly interested in the dynamics of small groups. The field of Christian ministry also began to stress the importance of small group activities. Small group activities enhance efficiency and provide satisfaction that is based on intimate human relationships. People in this modern age encounter an overflowing flood of information in contrast to any time in the past and live within complex social networks that sometimes afford little time to have meaningful contact with others. Therefore, in today’s world there is a lack of intimacy and personal relationships, which small groups can provide.
John H. Oak is a senior pastor of Sarang Church in Seoul, Korea who has greatly contributed to disciple training among Korean churches. He emphasizes the importance of “house churches” in order to restore the original function and purpose of the church, and at the heart of his methodology are small group activities. In the past, families were centered on their members and relatives. These kinship bonds provided a variety of relationships and a social safety net that supported the individuals within it. However, today, even the nuclear family has dissolved because of emotional separation and parental divorce, a statistic now at 55% in the United States. While Pastor Oak was pioneering his church, he noticed that college students avoided regular churches and joined missionary organizations that emphasized “house churches,” and in essence, small groups. He began to investigate the causation of this tendency, and his conclusions were that missionary organizations were attractive to students because: they were centered on the gospel; used a small-group methodology; participated in two-way rather than one-way communication, in which pastor speaks to his audience in a sermon; and created meaningful personal mentoring relationships.[9]
UBF uses small group Bible studies in order to train college students to become better equipped disciples. Students receive disciple training through small group meetings and learn how to confront social issues and church problems. Pastor Joshua Lee recalls his experience as a student with UBF’s small group meetings as follows:
Usually, seven or eight people sat in a circle in an empty lecture room or on the campus grass and studied the Bible. The Engineering campus of Chonnam University was scattered with lecture buildings which dyed the whole campus with the color red. At that time, whenever class was over, we sat down on the grass between the cosmos flowers to study the Bible. Then we were filled with God’s grace when we left the campus. We can never forget such beautiful memories of Bible study on the campus grass. This kind of group Bible study spread like wildfire. And in 1965, there were more than 100 groups.[10]
These small group Bible studies could help to give the Word of God to a large, yet manageable,
group where the group or the group leader could address the specific questions of any individual member. Sarah Barry also describes the early small group Bible studies in this way: