After being closed for an extended period of time due to COVID, many churches are glad to return to in-person service. Church leaders, however, are concerned about the steep decline in congregation attendance and what adjustments are needed to keep the environment safe for worshipers.
At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, churches began offering Sunday services online and held online fellowship and prayer events to make things engaging online. Despite these efforts, attendance has decreased with little in sight to forecast a big return back to the pews.
In response, pastors have turned to new, innovative methods and resources to increase their congregation size and attract new congregants who are seeking again for a faith community whether online or off-line. Ranging from interactive Zoom activities to online communions, the attempts of revival are numerous but questionable in their effectiveness. Some pastors have begun going back to seminary programs designed to equip ministry leaders with new insights and methods of preaching. Some have opted to choose the less expensive route by attending online courses and seminars open to the public.
One seminar in particular is catching the attention of many with its promise: a full, Biblical explanation of the Book of Revelation, a prophetic book in the New Testament of the Bible that details end-of-the-world events and Jesus’ return at the Second Coming.
The recent pandemic and other disasters have created a renewed interest in the end of times prophecies contained in the Book of Revelation and other parts of the Bible. The COVID vaccine has especially stirred up great controversy within religious circles as many congregants worry about the vaccine being the mark of the beast foretold in Revelation. The Book of Revelation is infamous for being difficult to understand, with many books and commentaries written on just this topic alone and its relation to COVID and other worldwide pandemics.
As many are seeking answers to their questions about Revelation, pastors are beginning to realize the need for ministers to know these answers and incorporate them into their regular sermons and scriptural studies. In response, Shincheonji Church of Jesus, an international Christian organization, is hosting a series of seminars and Bible studies that explain the Book of Revelation, its prophecies, religious symbolism, and its impact on us today.
The Revelation Seminar series is to be held online and will be hosted publicly from October 18th to December 27th in a twice-a-week live broadcast via social media platforms and YouTube. The series is entitled “The Testimony on Prophecy and Fulfillment of Revelation, God’s New Covenant.”
The seminars will be led by Shincheonji Chairman Lee Man-hee, a witness to the events of Revelation who has seen and heard all the events of fulfillment. He is on a mission to spread his testimony to all who have a willing heart to listen and a curiosity to learn about Revelation’s true meaning and hidden secrets.
These seminars follow a series of seminars that have taken place since August, where more than 1,700 pastors and ministers, and 28,000 individuals attended online. The topics covered were about the responsibilities of a religious leader today in guiding the community of faith during this time of pandemic.
Seminar attendees are hopeful that the seminar will help them with providing fuller explanations and enriching sermons to the congregation that are aligned with the current times and people’s concerns about God’s will in this day and age. With the online sphere being the new major platform for evangelism and ministry, the success and impact of such seminars will be especially critical in bringing revivals to the church community.
The seminar will be broadcasted on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/ShincheonjiChurchofJesus
