A wise missionary statesman once said, "It is equally as important to save what we have as what we haven't."
In our denomination we have added many thousands of members during the past four years, but we have also lost thousands during that same four-year period.
Before we give any specific suggestions for "saving what we have" it is absolutely necessary for every pastor to create a soul-winning atmosphere in his church, from the Sabbath school right on through to the Dorcas Society. Once this spirit of soul winning is created, and your members have been shown how to win a soul and have seen some of their efforts bear fruit when individuals are baptized, then it is that your program of maintaining your members is well under way. Once a person has been instrumental in bringing a soul to Christ —has helped to give him spiritual birth—he will be in the mood to protect and help nourish that new believer. To win souls is our basic reason for being organized into churches. Once our members catch the vision of soul winning, the rest of our programs will fall into line.
It is said that the oldest picture of Christ is in Rome, and that it shows Him as a Shepherd with sheep surrounding Him. All through the Scriptures the picture of the shepherd predominates. If we are true shepherds of the flock we will love the sheep. It was love that made Jesus leave heaven and come to dwell among His sheep. As true shepherds we will have to live with our sheep—and we have to love doing it.
I like the story which I read regarding an accident. A streetcar hit a man and pinned him underneath. A crowd gathered and lots of people offered advice while they were waiting for the wrecker to come and pull the streetcar off the injured man. But there was one man in the crowd who did something. He got down on his hands and knees and crawled under the wreck and got just as close to the injured man as he could. He comforted and consoled him until the wrecker came and freed him. This was love in action. We need this kind of love in our churches.
Ellen G. White says: "The ministers may do their part, but they can never perform the work that the church should do. God requires His church to nurse those who are young in faith and experience."—Evangelism, p. 352.
"The members of the Lord's family are to be wise and watchful, doing all in their power to save their weaker brethren from Satan's concealed nets."—Ibid., p. 353.
Many of our people are out of the church today, not because they do not believe the message, but because they have been hurt. Oftentimes our folks get in a rush and during this rush some of the weaker folks are injured. And when people are knocked down and hurt they need someone to get down there with them and help them and lift them up.
We often compare our church to an army. I spent forty-two months in the army, and I know that every good army has an equally good medical corps. Our churches should have a good spiritual medical corps to help those who are spiritually weak or spiritually sick. That spiritual medical corps must be well organized to be effective.
Here are some suggestions for organization:
1. "When souls are converted, set them to work at once."—Ibid., p. 355. (Italics supplied.)
a. Encourage them to share their faith.
b. Put a piece of literature into their hands. Suggest that they give it to a neighbor or friend.
c. Encourage them to enroll friends and neighbors in the Bible course. Use the telephone directory if they cannot get out.
d. Create jobs for them if necessary.
e. As soon as possible assign them as junior ushers if they are of such material.
f. Use the women in Sabbath school to tell stories, give mission readings, participate in the Missionary Volunteer meetings, or Pathfinder activites.
(Instruct your church officers to use these new members as soon as possible.)
2. Insist That They Take One of the Bible Courses.
Perhaps they have taken one or two, but if studies have been held in the homes, or projectors used, always have them take a Bible course in addition. It helps them to become "rooted and grounded" in the message.
3. Buddy System.
Assign an older member of the church as the new member's buddy.
a. Have them keep in close touch with the new member.
b. Encourage him to attend all meetings of the church, especially the prayer meetings. This will help get the older members out as well. We have between 25 and 30 per cent of our membership attending prayer meeting as a result.
c. Check on him every week by telephone or a personal visit. Place the responsibility upon him for the safekeeping of that newborn babe.
d. Old members should invite the new to their home for a Sabbath dinner. Show him how we live and how we eat. Make it a simple, but friendly, occasion.
e. Provide transportation to church services if necessary.
In a larger church it has worked very successfully to organize the entire church membership into bands, using the church elders as division leaders. Each division leader will have a specified number of bands under his division, each band with a leader. These bands should be kept small, thus more people will be working and the load will not become too heavy.
The division leaders visit the band leaders in their divisions rather frequently, encouraging them in their missionary contacts with the people. Then the band leaders will get in touch with the individuals in their bands frequently. It is well to use your ordained deacons and dedicated deaconesses as band leaders, if enough are available. By using this method of church organization, we have not lost more than five per cent of our members over a twelve-year period. Between fifty and sixty have been baptized each year during this twelve-year period, and we have found that this personal contact does more than any other one thing to keep the members in the church.
4. Have a Sabbath Dinner for New Members.
Once each quarter we invite all those who have been baptized during that quarter to Sabbath dinner. The deaconesses of the church are responsible for the dinner. Additional church members are invited to attend so that the new members can have opportunity to meet them. If the church is small, the entire membership can be invited. Let it be known that this is not just a social gathering, but a missionary endeavor for our new members.
5. Send the "Review and Herald" to all new members.
They need to become aware of the worldwide scope of our work. If they are not able to afford it, have the church send it to them. This is imperative.
Then create a spirit of soul winning throughout the church and organize your membership for maintaining the new members.