DLGP

Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives: Crafting Ministry in an Interconnected World

Soul Advance

By: on September 3, 2012

Korea and the rapidly growing church was on the lips of every notable Christian leader in my country during my early days of ministry.   I remember often praying for the ‘spirit of revival sweeping across Korea’ to break out on our nation too.  Little did I understand that the answer to that prayer could only…

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Foodspotting – Advance Reflections

By: on September 3, 2012

Its been said that you discover a country best and most originally, if you are brave enough to look into the pots and pans, to smell and taste the exotic lusciousness from the carts and cook shops on the streets or in the mouth-watering ethnic restaurants. On the first evening of our advance to Seoul,…

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Korea Advance Reflections

By: on September 3, 2012

The South Korea advance was a time of refreshment and frustration.  For someone like me who has been journeying, trying new directions in faith, our time together was wonderful.  I felt a true camaraderie among the students and with those that led the Advance.  It was freeing to hear of the different places in which…

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I’m tired of the gospel…#dminlgp

By: on August 31, 2012

My time in Seoul has been a rich, rewarding and inspiring one.  So many highlights, but one experience that seemed to bring them all together and into focus. Yesterday I stood in the Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery (양화진), and on reading one epitaph found my breath taken away, tears stinging my eyes. “If I had a…

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Claiming weather as acts of God’s judgment? #dminlgp #seouladvance #typhoonbolaven #hurricaneisaac #johnpiper #jonestony #JohnPiper

By: on August 28, 2012

So I am sitting here in Seoul, as Typhoon Bolaven tears up through Seoul, with the wind and rain increasing in intensity. It reminded me of how Christians all to easily and to often lay claim to weather events as acts of God.  For example Hurricane Isaac is currently interfering with and affecting the republican convention (and see here) in the…

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Faith and Works #seouladvance #lgpdmin

By: on August 28, 2012

The extent of human hopelessness and suffering screened today on the North Korean situation is unfathomable. It broke my heart. But I know that every hopelessness can be redeemed through Christ. While social action stems from this conviction, often it seems the actual presentation of the Gospel is diluted and emphasis laid on ‘works’. Ms.…

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Giving Inner Permission

By: on August 27, 2012

If you are anything like me, I struggle giving myself permission to slow.  It’s often more gratifying to check off things on my “to do” list than to sit in silence with God! This morning I heard a common theme among our lecturers regarding the difficulty Korean ministers have in giving themselves inner permission to…

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Balancing Act

By: on August 27, 2012

Yesterday I visited Yoido Full Gospel church in Seoul, Korea. What impressed me was the intensity with with they prayed. The energy of a church of thousands praying together is admirable. Today as we talked with Korean pastors, the importance of spiritual formation came up. This is needed in order to preserve and strengthen churches.…

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Ebb and Flow

By: on August 27, 2012

The concern for the current crisis within the Korean church is timely and important, but it leaves me with more questions than answers.  The band Wilco, in the song “You Never Know” make the observation that, “every generation thinks its the end of the world.”  Coming from a context like Spain, where we have moved…

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What’s the purpose of Chrisitanity?

By: on August 27, 2012

One of the common themes we have been hearing at the LGP-DMin advance is that the church grew because, in essesnce, there was nowhere else to turn for hope during the bad times Korea was experiencing – except to Christianity. And now that things are good, people are losing the connection to Christ/Church because they…

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Meaning of ecumenical Partnership

By: on August 27, 2012

Listening to Myung Sook Cho being asked about (financial) support of other churches in South-Korea and her negating that (because of their different denominational or congregational backgrounds), I asked myself about the meaning of ecumenical empowerment and partnership in South-Korea. What does it mean, when we are hearing explicit rejections concerning Catholics in South-Korea (genereal…

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Church and its mission #dminlgp #seouladvance #lgp3

By: on August 27, 2012

It was a multi dimensional perspective on the Church and the Kingdom of God in Korea. The first presentation by Rev. Lee was encouraging in that even though the Korean church has grown as a result of seeds planted by western missions, it is constantly aware that it is planted in the Korean soil and seeks…

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Something to live for and something to die for? #seouladvance #dminlgp

By: on August 27, 2012

One thing that has struck listening to the Korean nationals sharing with our D.Min students is how Christianity was instrumental to the rebuilding Korea after the Korean war.   In the face of such devastation, Christianity having largely preserved the Korean language, took shape through faith and worship, into prayer and intense missional action.  There…

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Work Hard to Burn…Out!

By: on August 27, 2012

One of the comments Dr. Daniel Dongwon Lee shared in his presentation that relates to my work is the “Balance in work and rest” issue.It is too easy to wake up in the morning and my first action is to check my emails on my IPhone. Technology significantly increases our work load and the pressure…

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Themes I heard . . .

By: on August 27, 2012

There were some common themes that seemed to run through the presentations which apply to my ministry context.  The first is focus.  All the presenters attributed their success, at least in part, to clarifying their ministry priority and not departing from it.  A second theme is intentionality.  They talked about mobilizing resources according to a…

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religious competition

By: on August 27, 2012

This morning I woke up with thoughts regarding the ministry paradigm of “competition.”  Then, the panelists today mentioned that Korea is a “religiously competitive society”; not only within the Christian church (Protestants & Catholics) and between seminaries, but also between the variety of religious expressions within this country.  My thoughts are that we might consider…

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Salvation is not the Gospel- Heresy or Truth?

By: on August 27, 2012

What is the Gospel? It seems to me that the Korean understanding of Gospel is focused primarily on ‘The Four Spiritual Laws.’ Which for me, brings up the familiar question, ‘If you were going to die today, where would you spend eternity?’ While I appreciate/value/celebrate an emphasis on one’s relationship with God, I think that understanding is limited…

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Korean church

By: on August 24, 2012

I think I heard Rev. Bang said that each church that began asked at its inception how they could send out missionaries. So relevant today. Do you think that churches that do not get this, God allows to die?

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