VISUAL aids on the sanctuary captivate the audience and simplify the message. Preachers who have used visual aids know from experience that such a presentation gets the message across with a clear conception far better than that attained in using a screen with pictures. As ministers we often take too much for granted in presenting the message. Audiences are composed of varied individuals, many of whom know little if any of the great truths of the Bible. Points are presented quickly and used as a basis of further discussion when in reality the listener has not yet grasped the point.
By using visual aids that remain in place during the entire presentation the listener has the opportunity to constantly turn to the visual aids. Points that have been uncertain in his mind are gradually cleared up. When the speaker presents the message from the screen many of the most important impressions are lost. The picture, illustration, or chart remains but for a moment or two and then it disappears when the speaker presents another picture. Visual aids keep hammering away at the basic truths until they are thoroughly understood.
In the Bladensburg church, located in a suburb of Washington, D.C., the pastor believed in his youth. He invited the young people to take his pulpit for eight consecutive weeks during the eleven o'clock hour to present the Voice of Youth series on the sanctuary using a new set of visual aids.
The picture with this article shows how these visual aids have been used. Sheets of aluminum the thickness of .040", were cut to the size of 21 by 26 inches. They were cleaned by rinsing them with a solution of vinegar and water. The visual aids, without any cutting or preparation, were glued to these sheets of aluminum by using the same type of glue as is used in put ting down Formica. Occasionally there were a few air bubbles, but these were easily taken care of by poking the bubble with a pin, taking the finger and pressing it down on the bubble to release the air.
To make the cost of the aluminum sheeting worth while, a set of the visual aids of Daniel and Revelation, which are exactly the same size, were glued to the reverse side so that they not only could be used in presenting the sanctuary but also, by turning them over, could be used in presenting a study on the great prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.
The entire stack of visual aids was placed on a table with the sides perfectly in alignment. A quarter-inch electric drill was used in putting a hole in each of the corners so that they could be used interchangeably by hanging them on nails that were attached to a strip of wood some 25 feet in length at a seven-foot height.
In this way two or three visual aids can be used, or they can be added to as the series goes on. Eventually they can all be displayed in keeping with the presentation. Thus, from night to night the presentation can be enhanced by rearrangement or the adding of new visual aids as the series progresses.
To thoroughly understand the sanctuary, which is the heart of our message, requires at least seven presentations. Likewise, in presenting the prophecies of Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. Instead of preaching this in a one-night setting we would gain much in developing decisions for the truth if we would present this in five or six presentations.
The results are most excellent. In the Bladensburg church twenty-four youth divided into four preaching teams and presented the sanctuary message using these visual aids. Ten have now been baptized, and there are six more definite commitments for the next baptism.
I had a personal experience that taught the value of visual aids to me. In the early days of my ministry in the little town of Sanger, California, I conducted a tent evangelistic meeting, preaching from the screen and using other methods. After some two and one-half weeks I attempted to present the cardinal truths, only to discover that my audience had disappeared. Through the gracious counsel of the district pastor, Elder D. R. Schierman, I changed my presentation to that of preaching on Revelation 13, and using visual aids of the beasts of Daniel and Revelation. Within three weeks I had such a crowd that I could not get them all into the tent. As a result, twenty-six precious souls were baptized, a phenomenal experience in a small town of less than 500 individuals.
These visual aids attached to aluminum sheets are most handy to store and to move about. They can be put into a small wooden box, approximately 3 inches by 21 inches by 26 inches. They will fit into the trunk of a car and lie flat on the bottom. They cost little to ship by truck or to take with you by air while conducting meetings in various places. Most important, they never warp and are very easy to handle.
The MV Department of the General Conference is able to supply you with the sanctuary visual aids for only $10.95 postpaid, or the prophetic beasts of Daniel and Revelation set for only $5.50 postpaid. Both come in a durable mailing tube. Allow three to four weeks for delivery. Please send your check with your order.
