Regardless of how large our tabernacle or hall may be, unless we are able to attract people to our meetings, our work is doomed to failure. And, after we have the audience before us, however large it may be, unless we have learned how to successfully secure their names and become acquainted with them in their homes, our work is still largely doomed to failure. I once read that a certain man had been fishing for six years, and in all that time he had not caught a single fish ! I'm afraid most of us would have become discouraged by that time and given up. But I am convinced that many of us as evangelists have lost a great many gospel "fish," because we have expected people to come to our meetings, sign their decision cards, and join the church without a great deal of personal work.
After twelve years of continuous evangelistic work up and down the Pacific Coast, if there is one thing above another that I am convinced of, it is that we need to do personal work in the homes of the people who attend our meetings. In order to do this, it becomes necessary for us to secure their names and addresses. In answer to a request from the Ministry editor, I shall here endeavor to outline a few ways and means that I have found successful in securing names.
First, let me say that I do not make it a point to secure the names of folk in our Sunday night crowds dtring the first few weeks. The people who come on the week nights are the ones who are usually the most interested, and are the best ones to work with for the opening baptismal classes.
We usually give the subject, "The Monkey God of Evolution," during the first or second week of the meetings. We announce in advance that there will be a big vote taken on that night, and urge everyone to be present. Before the sermon I tell the audience that I am going to ask everyone present to vote "Yes" or "No" on the question, "Do you believe that the doctrine or teaching of evolution should be allowed in the public schools?" I also ask them to put down the denomination to which they belong, for we are interested in the way the different denominations feel about the question of evolution. I sometimes mention that we will be glad to send them some of our free literature as a reward for their vote. In this way we get their names and addresses, together with their religious belief, and this is a great aid to us in our personal work.
Literature is mailed to these names the first week, and the workers begin visiting them the next week. For a week or two after this we call for those who desire literature to sign cards, and we usually get a fine response. For days in advance of the Sunday night that we plan to present the Sabbath question, we announce that we are going to have another big vote on that Sunday night. Here in Seattle this was on the fourth Sunday night, and we had our two big identical services as usual. The question on which we had them vote this time was, "Do You Think the Churches of America Should Unite ?" We had them vote "Yes" or "No," and put down their name, address, and denomination, as before. On this particular night, we had thirty-seven different denominations and beliefs represented. Then of course when the workers visited these people, they knew that they had heard the Sabbath question, and they could be worked with accordingly. Also we were able to check through our former list of names, and mark "Sabbath" beside the names of all those who were there on that night.
On another week night I presented "The Kiss of Judas in 1941" (based upon John Wesley's statement regarding ministers who pretend to preach the gospel and yet do away with the law), and I announced that we would give away a little twenty-five-cent book to all who could guess what the sermon would be about. Naturally, in order to do this we had to pass out slips of paper and get names. On the night I presented the lecture on "Science Reveals Which Day Is the Sabbath," in pictures, 1 asked the audience to vote on the question of whether we had proved beyond the shadow of a doubt which day is the Sabbath, and whether we could absolutely know that the seventh day is the Sabbath. Of those who voted on that week night, 275 voted "Yes" and only 9 voted "No." We never succeed in getting everyOne to vote on these different questions, but more than, half of the audience will not only vote, but will give their name and address and their denomination. Of course, the evangelist must be faithful in his count of the votes, and in announcing the result the next evening.
By using this system, together with the regular calls made, and offers of literature, we have seven personal workers "snowed under" with names of interested people who have attended the tabernacle meetings, in addition to more than five hundred names turned in by our own people, of loved ones and friends about whom they are anxious. I believe the man who attempts to do most of the work from the pulpit will lose at least half of his potential results thereby. After all, our tabernacles are erected for only one purpose, and our halls are rented for only one purpose, and that purpose is to win souls. I am firmly convinced that there is no substitute for the preaching of the word of God, plus personal work under the direction of the Holy Spirit, to accomplish this purpose.
