The Words of the Bard Family

Report on March 25th Vision Seminar

Jim Bard
March 25, 2006

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Here is a brief report of our March 25th Vision Seminar.

Hoon Dok Family Church semi-annual Vision Seminar Held March 25th in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with special guest Rev. Joshua Cotter

Title: Oikos: Witnessing by Focusing on Human Relations

Music : With Rev. Cotter around one can always count on having an abundance of good lively music, and we did.

Rev. Cotter gave his personal testimony of how he came to seek God through music and was led at age 22 to San Francisco, where he met our movement. He shared with great passion moving experiences he has had in his life with members of our church and his family. For example, a simple love note placed in his daughter's lunch box caused her to weep uncontrollably in his arms for an hour. A tall German brother whose wife Rev. Cotter had taught shared in tears of his appreciation for having his beautiful wife and family. Rev. Cotter urged us to maintain, or perhaps rekindle, our passion for God and sharing the treasure of our faith. He had so much to share with us from personal experiences that he didn't have time to show his PowerPoint presentation.

Rev. Bard, FFWPU vice-regional director, delivered a presentation on Hoon Dok Family Church activities in Minneapolis from 2005.

Rev. Seo, FFWPU regional director, gave a presentation entitled "Oikos: Witnessing by Focusing on Human Relations" This presentation is loaded with good reasoning and methods for witnessing in daily life. (Details of these presentations are available via email from Jim Bard at or Rev. Seo.

Dr. Gordon Anderson, secretary general of the Professors World Peace Academy, reported on his research on cell churches. He explained the purposes of cell churches, how they naturally develop in a healthy church in the way of women's groups, a choir, sewing circles, men's clubs, etc. Cell groups were employed by Chinese communists and equally effectively by underground Chinese Christians. Today mega-churches need cell groups within their church to effectively minister to their members. Personal relations are always the key to witnessing. Dr. Anderson explained that "even though some may think that I would be persuaded by logical explanations of the Divine Principle in order to join our movement it was the personal care and kindness of my spiritual mother that drew me to study the Principle and to join." The cell group method provides the intimate setting that is most conducive for people to join our movement.

Testimonies were given from new members and their spiritual parents. Questions and Answer time was beneficial.

Rev. Cotter gave a sermon on "My House Can Change the World." He emphasized that we are the "salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" and ought never to forget that. He used a saltshaker to illustrate his point and that if we stay "inside of our shaker," we get "caked-up" and cannot add savor to anything, as we should.

Rev. Cotter, the Seos and the Pehlings (Kevin Pehling is a spiritual grandson of Rev. Cotter) had lunch together. Later they went to Sachiko Johnson's team Family Church meeting at Jim and Flore Mathison's house.

God be with you,
Jim Bard

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