ON DECEMBER 20, 1959, the president of the General Conference, Elder R. R. Figuhr, honored the official opening ceremonies of the new evangelistic center in Osaka, Japan, with his presence, and by bringing a message expressing the interest and prayers of our people around the world.
Actual evangelistic work has been going on in the center since November 8, 1959. This article is a brief presentation of evangelistic procedures now being used in the Osaka Center.
Because our program is one of continual evangelism, it was felt that it would be impossible to keep up a large interest for an extended period of time if meetings were held as often as four or five nights weekly. Therefore, we have been experimenting with the plan of alternating a series of six Sunday night lectures with a one-week series of lectures from one Sunday night through the next Sunday night.
We have just finished our first such series and have been well pleased with the results. In the period from November 8 through December 27 we received the names of 467 people, most of whom having had their first contact with Seventh-day Adventists by coming to the meetings at the Osaka Center. Our first baptism was conducted on December 26, when two candidates were immersed.
The first six-week series was entitled the "Footprints of the Creator" series, and on the Sunday nights of this series the following topics were presented, leading to an acceptance of the God of Creation: "Footprints of the Creator," "Slaying Atheists With Butterfly Wings," "Creator of Earth and Sea and Sky," "In the Image of God," "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," and "Joy in Nature."
We have compiled our own Bible study courses, which we call the "Faith, Hope, and Love" series. These cover the entire scope of our doctrines under the three headings, with ten lessons in each course. In connection with our "Footprints of the Creator" series, we introduced the Faith course, holding Bible classes Tuesday night of each week.
A new feature that has been greeted with real enthusiasm by our evangelistic audience is the "discussion evangelism" programs that we inaugurated on Thursday nights in connection with our six-week series. A half-hour panel discussion is followed by twenty minutes of audience participation. Our panels consist of ministers and consecrated laymen who discuss the topic presented at the previous Tuesday night Bible class. The response of the audience, as well as their active participation in this type of program, has encouraged us to make this a permanent feature of our six-week series.
The initial six-week series, with evangelistic lectures on Sunday nights, Bible classes on Tuesday nights, and discussion evangelism on Thursday nights, was followed by a concentrated eight-night series during Christmas week. This was entitled the "Desire of Ages" series and dealt with the prophecies, events, and meaning of Christ's birth, life, and death. The majority of those attending made their first decision to accept Christ as their Saviour on the concluding night of this series.
Our plan is to carry on this program until every phase of our message has been adequately presented. On January 10 we began a six-week "Hidden Treasure" series that had as its objective a decision to accept the Bible as the Word of God. This will be followed immediately by an eight-night "Steps to Christ" series, leading to an acceptance of the plan of salvation.
After this we will conduct a six-week "Second Advent" series, covering the message of Christ's soon return and appealing for a decision to prepare for His coming. Decision cards, with a picture and the words of the decision that the individual can tear off and keep, are being prepared for each decision step. The "Second Advent" series is to be followed with a "Life in Christ" series, which will deal with the question of the state of the dead and its attendant problems, and lead to an acceptance of the Bible teaching on this subject. Following this there will be a "Way of Love" series leading to a Sabbath decision, and a "Christian Life"series leading to a baptismal decision. This will be followed with a series designed to confirm the decisions already made.
During the summer months we are looking forward to a Voice of Hope youth effort, and in the fall we are planning a concentrated three-month series with a field training school for ministerial students from Japan Missionary College.
Adding to the effectiveness of our evangelistic program at the Osaka Center are weekly English conversation and Bible classes, film and stereophonic music programs, fellowship suppers, a welfare center, health and cooking demonstrations, a reading room in the lobby, youth rallies, and a recreational fellowship program.
The entire second floor of the center is devoted to medical and dental clinic facilities, and as soon as a doctor is available this medical missionary unit will be able to contribute much to our evangelistic center work.
The Osaka Central church makes the center its church home. The members are not only actively cooperating with the center program, but attracting interest with the church and prayer meeting services, and Sabbath school and branch Sabbath school programs.
