I boarded a plane bound for America in order to speak at an April church growth seminar, and sat down beside a man who introduced himself as a businessman. By the time the plane had taxied down the runway for takeoff, we were engaged in a healthily paced conversation.

We talked of our various interests and I remembered that I had just seen the membership figures on *Central Church's March 31 report. "Many say that ours is the largest church in the world," I commented. "Our last monthly report showed a total of more than 11,000 members. In March of 1981 alone we had an increase of 6,700 members."

The businessman looked stunned. He shook his head and exclaimed, "That sounds freakish!"

Immediately my thoughts reverberated to the beginnings of Full Gospel *Central Church, when it rested under a makeshift tent. In the same brief moment that I scanned back into *Central Church's past, I remembered its expanding prayer ministries. Knowing the power of prayer, I responded, "There is nothing freakish about Full Gospel *Central Church."

As our conversation came to an end, I began to realize how strong an undergirding that its prayer ministries had given *Central Church. Prayer ministries have been a primary cause for its continuous growth. There are eight basic principles that have made prayer a power source in our church.

Need Directed.. At *Central Church's initial location in Taejo-dong, when it's only structure was remnants of military tents sewn together, there was nothing naturally desirable to draw people of the community to worship services. But even from its inception the ministry of *Central Church was focused on meeting the physical, mental and spiritual needs of people.

The church's activities were not limited to Sunday and midweek services. Instead, it was a 24-hour ministry of prayer. The distinguishing mark of the church became the prayers of its pastors for people burdened with all kinds of problems. This prayer, in turn, was supported by need-directed preaching, which activated the people's faith, helping them become the creatures of faith God intended them to be. I remember several people who came to our tent church because their doctors or relatives had given up on them. But through proper prayer and preaching they returned to lead healthy, wholesome Christian lives.

The pattern established at Taejo dong persisted when the church moved to Sodaemoon and to Yoido. *Central Church's prayer ministries have continued to find people's needs, and to pray with them until God brought solution.

Specific. People involved in our church's prayer ministries are encouraged to be specific in their requests to God. When a cell leader locates a need or a problem, he will share that need with the cell group, and jointly they will pray to God for specific resolution.

The operation of these prayer ministries are being developed primarily in home cell meetings and at Prayer Mountain. Written requests received at Prayer Mountain are distributed to members of the pastoral staff, who make specific mention of the names and problems of people when they pray for them. And there is always rejoicing in the cell meetings and at Prayer Mountain when they hear that one of these specific prayer requests has been answered.

Persistence and Fasting. Through prayer the Christian is building the Kingdom of Heaven. Many times, however, people do not receive an immediate answer to their prayers. They seem to forget that God is not a spiritual grocery clerk to be given a shopping list of requests and supplications. *Central Church's membership has learned from Christ's teachings that one musts be persistent in prayer in order for God to be fully released to do His work.

Blended with Counseling. All the members of our 220 pastoral staff are involved in direct ministry to people, and spend several hours each week in counseling. Many physical and mental problems are related to spiritual problems. Unless spiritual problems are solved through prayer blended with counseling, little progress can be made in solving other problem It is toward this purpose that members of *Central Church's pastoral staff counsel in their offices, in the home cell meetings and in home visitation. Even at Prayer Mountain there are two counseling offices in strategic places in order to offer Spirit-led counseling to those who go to fast and pray.

Prayer in the Spirit. Prayer in the Spirit, as well as with understanding, is a theme throughout *Central Church. All our pastors and cell leaders are required to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. They consider tongues to be an enrichment to their prayer lives, for it is a prayer language God has given them. This gives a new dimension to their prayers, allowing the Spirit to pray through them with greater results. The use of the Spirit's prayer language also sensitizes their relationship to the Holy Spirit, helping them to know what form of counseling to give needy and seeking individuals.

Prayer in Unison with God's People. In all *Central Church's main services there are at least two times that the congregation prays in unison. During these times some people pray in the Spirit, and others pray with understanding. One practice visitors most often comment about in our church is the congregation's fervency in prayer, and how they will not stop praying until a bell is rung, which signifies an end to praying and a continuation of the service. It is during these times of unison prayer that many people later testify that they received healing and solutions to their problems.

Times of Extended Prayer. The Wednesday and Friday all-night prayer services gave the membership opportunity for extended prayer together. The Wednesday night meetings are not programmed, but are designed for people to individually present their needs and requests to God.

The Friday night prayer service is a programmed meeting with preaching, singing, prayer and ministry to the sick. It is an extremely productive time of helping people to solve their problems through prayer, as attested to by a large number of healings and miracles. Youth and other special groups meet in small auditoriums on Friday night for further prayer.

Bethlethem Chapel in *Central Church's main building is continually kept open for any who want to pray when no services are scheduled. Each Wednesday afternoon a special service is held in an auxiliary auditorium for any who want to wait on God in prayer for the purpose of receiving the Holy Spirit. The four daily services at Prayer Mountain also provide occasion for extended times of prayer.

Continual Expansion and Enlargement. *Central Church has grown from its inception because of the power of its prayer ministries. And as it has grown, it has been necessary for the church to continually enlarge its prayer ministries.

Participation in early morning prayer meetings is traditional practice in Korean churches. However, many of *Central Church's members found it impossible to make the long journey to church before beginning a day of work. To fill this need, thirteen small and large halls scattered throughout the city of Seoul had been rented by July of 1981 for members who wanted to gather for early morning prayers. All-night prayer meetings recently expanded, and are now held nightly in the church.

With its membership reaching the 200,000 mark in the autumn of 1981, the facilities at Prayer Mountain have already become too limited. It is projected that a new auditorium with a seating capacity of 10,000 will be completed on Prayer Mountain by December of 1982. But, even by then, more plans will have to be made to expand the vital prayer ministries at *Central Church.

Article copyrighted 1981 by "World of Faith" magazine, Special Issue 1981, Volume 3, No. 2, Pages 8-9. This magazine is no longer published, but has been replaced by "Church Growth,".available at P. O. Box 7; Seoul 150, Korea.