Dear Leading Brothers,
A number of brothers have asked for talking points to share with their saints on the burden for the Core Saints Training (CST). We have therefore condensed Bro Minoru’s sharing from his SEROT Saturday afternoon speaking with the leading ones both below and attached. We hope that this will lead many serving saints to join the Core Saints Training, both brothers and sisters, making themselves available to be perfected for the strengthening of the church life.
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Talking Points for Core Saints Training

Burden: For next year, how should we go on? We would like to have a “Core Saints Training” for more saints, including sisters. Previous experience in Southern California showed that a perfecting or training for the core group of brothers and sisters goes a long way. In Southern California the Spanish-speaking and Chinese-speaking saints have done this. It was compressed into part of a day, but sometimes included overnight to squeeze a lot in. Results seemed quite good.

This is not a small thing to be done in Northern California. This is the first time we’ve done this, so it is unique and very special. The burden is to raise up a model, even a model for LR. The model is not just of GOW but the church life in a complete sense, covering truth, life, church, and gospel.

What is Covered:

• The emphasis is not as much on truth as on practice. Go on according to GOW and organic structure of the church. These are the two corresponding parts.
• Organic structure means the individual person, then 2s or 3s, then small group, and finally district (=church). Help the core saints to see the picture and help saints to build up the church with an organic structure. We need both the container and the content. All is in the context of the GOW.
• You will be given some tools to go back and practice, and bring everyone into the same vision of present day practice of the church life.
• We also would like to cover other matters: e.g., for all—re-training for Lord’s table meeting, for brothers—how to speak, for sisters—how to prophesy. Hopefully this will upgrade and enrich the church life. If we have 600-700 like this, a lot will happen.
• A robust church life needs labor if we mean business for revival. The saints will profit a lot from it and it will help them to improve their service to the Lord. All of this will help the churches to grow and spread.
• There are no homework assignments, but an expectation to apply what is learned to the trainee’s own situation in their church life. There is no requirement for weekly group study.

Who Should Join:

• “Core Saints” are by elders’ recommendation; it is not a free-for-all. The core saints definitely include the 300 SEROT brothers and other brothers who bear responsibility at a district level and at a group level, plus sisters who are “deaconesses” or care for a group meeting. Active college age saints are welcome, and there is no “age cap,” so 50+ saints are welcome. We could have 800-900 saints.
• Include those who at least are bearing responsibility in a small group or for college age who bear some responsibility in a college group, and they have a heart for this training—then they should come. Also, of course, include those who are serving in some definite capacity in the church already.
• There is no requirement for both husband and wife to come if it is not feasible. Childcare is not available at the training venue, so it must be arranged for in the home locality.

Training Dates (2017):

Jan. 21: All languages combined at Hyatt SFO.

Mar. 18: English, Spanish, and Korean languages in Berkeley.

May 20: Chinese language in Berkeley. The Chinese language material will be the same as English.

July 22: All languages combined at SSFCC.

Sept. 16: English, Spanish, and Korean languages in Berkeley.

Nov. 18: Chinese language in Berkeley.

Training Schedule: CST goes from 9 am-12 pm (2 sessions), and 1 pm-4 pm (2 sessions).

How to Join: The website is norcalcst.org. Registration fee is $100/year. Elders must recommend any potential trainee.