THE message of Christ must reach every kindred, tongue, and people before our Saviour's return. One of the areas of evangelism that will help us to hasten that day is in coordination. This means a planned program beginning with the office staff and reaching through all the departments of the church to every member. Total involvement and teamwork are needed if the church is to be the witness God wants and the public evangelistic meetings fruitful. With this in mind the Wisconsin Conference has developed a plan that is proving quite successful.
The Wisconsin Plan
Preparation begins six to eight months before the meetings are to be conducted. If the meetings are to be held in the spring, the coordinated program is launched in September or October of the preceding year. If it is a fall series, the program begins in February or March. Our first meeting is a planning session with the church board. Here the over-all program is explained and enthusiastic support enlisted from the church leadership. This meeting is conducted by the Ministerial Association secretary acting as the conference evangelism coordinator.
In order to make this a strong lay program, a layman and an assistant are selected to lead out in a Bible study program under the direction of the pastor. Also, at this meeting dates are set for the various conference departments to work in the preparation schedule.
About a week later the program is launched during the Sabbath morning service by the conference evangelism coordinator. The sermon presented stresses the finishing of the work of God and closes with an altar call. All who want to become involved in the preparation plan are invited forward in a re-dedication service. A specific appeal is made for members to participate in the Bible study program.
Training Classes
That same Sabbath afternoon the conference lay activities secretary conducts a meeting for the formation of Bible study teams, followed with an additional three or four training classes. The Bible study teams are given instruction on how to locate interests and start a study, how to conduct the study, and how to ask for decisions after each lesson. The Bible Says lessons are used but are not removed from the student's home. The teams are taught to enter the homes with a lesson of their own already filled in and are asked to go through the lesson briefly with the student each week. The lessons are never formally graded, but are discussed thoroughly by the student and study team. The next lesson is left for the student to study the following week.
Every Sabbath afternoon the local coordinator calls a brief meeting at the church for prayer, the passing out of new names that have come in from the Code-a-Phone or other sources, and for brief reports or experiences. Then the teams are sent out on their studies. This Sabbath afternoon meeting plays a vital part in keeping the enthusiasm strong.
During the same week that the training classes are being conducted the conference publishing secretary assembles a group of literature evangelists in the area for a group canvass designed to discover those interested in Bible studies. The literature evangelists take study teams to these interested homes the following Sabbath afternoon and assist in getting the studies started. Some of our best studies have begun this way.
Every Department Involved
As the Bible studies get under way appointments are set up that give every departmental man a part in the program. Each man works in his own area, but all are coordinated toward the same goal the evangelistic meetings that are scheduled. The conference MV secretary conducts a rally to involve all the young people in friendship teams, Bible study teams, or in other ways to help prepare for the meetings. The conference Sabbath school secretary guides the Sabbath school into a well-organized evangelistic team searching for souls. All former members or missing members are contacted, and new Sabbath school members are sought.
The conference educational secretary is asked to see that all children of baptismal age whether in church school or not, are given special baptismal instruction just before the series begins, so they will be planning for baptism and will be properly prepared. This way none of the lambs of the flock are missed. The conference temperance secretary visits the church and endeavors to build strong active temperance units in the church and school. Temperance programs can be scheduled for the public schools, and other projects launched to gain interest in our message.
About once a month one of the depart mental men is present for the worship service to help keep the program moving, each man working to upgrade his department by involving laymen in the preparation schedule. The conference public relations secretary works with the local public relations secretary, the evangelist, and pastor to help advertise the meetings in a way that will reach hearts. The conference stewardship secretary conducts a series of three or four lectures about a month before the meetings begin, on the principles of true stewardship of both time and money. All members are urged to rid themselves of any selfishness that might stand in the way of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
The pastor, of course, is in the center of every phase of the preparation schedule, visiting with the Bible study teams after lesson number nine, and keeping the various departments working together harmoniously. The last two weeks everyone is urged to visit all friends and interests, urging them to attend the series with them. The churches that enter into a coordinated preparation plan such as this will be ready for the evangelist to come. They will support the meetings, and souls will be won to Christ.
