One way of securing the names and addresses of interested persons who attend our evangelistic meetings, is to pass out cards similar to the following: (See PDF)
This plan brings a lively response; and in order to meet the demand for these sermons, we endeavored to find some way of multiplying them at small cost. We soon found an automatic-feed multigraph at a very reasonable price. A member of the church bought it, and gave it to the church. The church board has since added about $200 worth of equipment. We have printed the evangelistic sermons, and the dodgers for the effort (not the initial folder, but all subsequent dodgers) on this multigraph. Of course, the labor is free, and the only cost is for paper and ribbon for the machine.
These sermons do not take the place of Present Truth; but, as already stated, they serve as a means of securing the names and addresses of those who are interested. Also they give the listeners an opportunity to go over some of the texts used in the sermon; for these sermons, though written up before I preach them, are all made from the same notes. When these printed sermons are delivered to the people, we have an opportunity to learn their reaction to the spoken sermons at the tent.
We have organized about twenty of the men and women of the church into a seminar, and every week for about a year we have been teaching them how to work for others. We intrust the distribution of the sermons to these folks, and have a card system in duplicate. They write on these cards the reactions of the people, and copy from their cards onto our file at the tent. Then the Bible worker and I are able to work with those who are most interested, and thus conserve our time and energy.
Here is a sample card:
This plan has worked admirably. We have been able to use the greater portion of the church membership, and they all feel they have a part in the work. There are 20 helpers in the seminar, 34 in the choir, 10 lady ushers, and 8 deacons. The deacons help place the extra chairs when the crowds cannot be seated in the tent. This means that seventy-two laymen are engaged in active work. But there are more; for 150 of the church members are manifesting their interest by helping to give out circulars every week.
We also have two laymen conducting street meetings every Saturday night. The young people and several of the other members help with the music. Also, two other laymen are conducting Sunday night meetings outside the city, as a result of which several are keeping the Sabbath, and some are about ready for baptism. A brother and his wife have opened a mission. They secured a fairly good building for $5 a month (the owner co-operating because of the nature of the work), and hold Sunday night, Wednesday night, and Sabbath services there. Though the mission is only about a month old, they have organized a Sabbath school of twenty-four members.
With a large church like this, which has quite a bit of talent, I feel that the members should be actively engaged in labor for others, and have done all I could to foster this kind of work, and to encourage other members of the church to begin some kind of labor for others. I feel, personally, that the Home Missionary Department of this cause must be more thoroughly developed in every local church. What can a secretary do alone? Very little. Surely it is time for every minister to realize the latent possibilities in his congregation, and, as the Testimonies instruct us, to teach them to work for others.
I am working out a plan whereby every member of the seminar will have an opportunity to tell the church what God has allowed him to do. I hope to arrange this program so that two or three times a month we shall have a different order of worship than just a sermon on the Sabbath. If we can get the members of the church to relate live, interesting missionary experiences, it will electrify the congregation as no sermon can. "An occasional sermon" will be the rule, then; not a sermon with an occasional missionary meeting. Of course, this program of soul-winning endeavor on the part of our church members will mean hard work, and the minister will have to keep a steady, firm, and well-balanced hand on the helm. But it will pay, and pay in large dividends, I believe.
Charlotte, N. C.
*This article was received during the writer's pastorate in the large Miami, Florida, church. This will explain allusion to illustrations of the large town.—Editors.
