HEALTH PROGRAMS have been used with tremendous success as an entering wedge in underdeveloped areas. Our hospitals, clinics, and such programs as Five-Day Plan, Heart Beat, and vegetarian cooking demonstrations have also been used to leave impressions for the truth in the home field and brought Seventh-day Adventists into favorable light in the community. A number of those who have been favor ably impressed later developed a deep interest in the message we proclaim.
Our health approach has had, and ever will have, great public relations potential as well as demonstrating in its many phases Adventist concern for the well-being of others.
Health also is to be an integral part of public evangelism (Medical Ministry, p. 289). But it will not in itself be the answer to all successful soul winning. In the Australasian Division concrete results in baptisms from the health approach have not been as large as those obtained from the more successful archeological approach. But there is a place for it, a definite place. It has proved quite successful in reaching those types and classes of people in the community who do not respond to conventional evangelistic methods.
All of us in Australia give time in a public program to the health message— some take one Bible lecture on it during the series, while others give two or three addresses and a couple of cooking demonstrations. Some go a little farther and have a special segment for a few weeks, with the use of films, slides and tapes, and cooking demonstrations. I think we should pursue this a little further and introduce our health message in its many phases all through the evangelistic series—perhaps as a fifteen-minute segment from night to night.
I believe there is room also for a straight-out health-oriented approach in a public outreach to the community. This is most effective when we team up with qualified medical men, devoted Christians, who can be encouraged to join us in such an outreach to the community. Many of these men are able speakers and can well take their place alongside of us on the public platform.
Blended Ministry Team at Work
On three occasions I have had the cooperation of Dr. Phil Cappe in this kind of a health-related evangelistic approach. At first he thought it might be just another "evangelistic gimmick" to get a crowd and felt he was just being used. However, he soon caught the spirit, and we worked extremely well together. Let me share with you the details of the approach that was developed.
From the outset we indicated that ours was a program presented by a doctor-minister team. In the first two campaigns in Sydney we followed the Five-Day Plan idea and announced a charge of $5 for the series. I feel this limited our audience. People will pay $5 for a Five-Day Plan to be rid of a specific habit, but apparently they will not pay $5 to hear about Better Living. In our third series in Christchurch, we advertised the program as free, with an expense collection. Eight hundred came from 70,000 leaflets. We offered them material and a folder for $2 if they registered at the next meeting. Two hundred registered for this out of a re turn audience of 500. We received much more in the way of offerings and the $2 fee than if we had advertised a $5 charge at the outset, and we attracted a much larger audience.
We sent a few invitations to friends of church members and to Five-Day Plan and other health-program contacts. One surprising feature was that Five-Day Plan contacts brought a poor response. I thought they would flock to the meetings. It appears they wanted specific help when they came to us for the nonsmoking campaign, but want to leave it at that. Maybe they will be reached ultimately by some other method.
The Meeting Format
Our general format was varied. The atmosphere was relaxed. Usually we followed this type of program:
- First night was introductory and designed to get the audience "hooked" on the idea. Subsequent meetings followed this pattern:
- Registration on arrival. Distribution of previous lecture material for their folders.
- Welcome.
- 15-minute world travel feature with slides.
- 15- to 20-minute talk by Dr. Cappe.
- 15-minute slide-tape feature (Loma Linda health materials).
- 10-minute exercise-water-diet segment in which the minister led out (to show he was not there just to push the Bible), with the doctor handy; and one of the team members demonstrated exercises.
- 5- to 7-minute segment of answers to questions from the box. (Dr. Cappe answered medical questions, and I answered spiritual questions.)
- 20- to 30-minute spiritual talk the spiritual segment.
The program was designed to develop the social, physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of life.
Outline of the Series
The purpose of this health-related evangelistic outreach was the same as any other evangelistic outreach the winning of souls for Christ. Decisions were made for Christ and His truth in each of the three campaigns, for which Dr. Cappe and I praise the Lord.
In order to bring people to decision, the spiritual talks had to progress to embrace the truth, and this we endeavored to do.
Night 1 Doctor: "What Am I?" Minister: "Who Am I?"
Night 2 Doctor: "Excuse Me, Your Posture Is Showing" Minister: "Real Happiness Is"
Night 3 Doctor: "The Best Things in Life Are Free" Minister: "Bridging the Greatest Generation Gap"
Night 4 Doctor: "Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Resentment" Minister: "Power Mightier Than the Atom"
Night 5 Doctor: "How to Postpone a Heart Attack" Minister: "God Is I Know!"
Night 6 Doctor: "A Trip Through the Digestive Tract" Minister: "The Greatest Thing in the World"
Night 7 Doctor: "Stop Poisoning Yourself" Minister: "What a Hope"
Night 8 Doctor: "Stress and You" Minister: "A Thousand Years Ahead"
Night 9 Doctor: "Nutrition Concerns You Too"
Minister: "Why Despair—You Can Make It"
Night 10 Doctor: "Nutrition and Weight Control"
Minister: "The Answer to Our Moral Mix-up"
Night 11 Minister only: Pointers to Health From the Creator
Night 12 Doctor: "The Outside Story" Minister: "An Amazing Prediction"
Night 13 Doctor: "All About Rest" Minister: "A Gift From God"
Night 14 Doctor: "The Fear of Can Minister: "Why I Am What I Am"
Night 15 Doctor: "I Choose Not to Smoke" Minister: "Ending Your Financial Worries"
Night 16 Minister only: "The Great Memorial of Creation"
Night 17 Doctor: "Simple Solutions to Winter Ailments" Minister: "Where Are the Dead?"
Night 18 Minister only: "God's Final Call to Mankind"
Night 19 Minister only: "Baptism of Water and of the Spirit"
Night 20 Minister only: "Messages From Heaven"
Night 21 Doctor: "In Conclusion" Minister: "Finding Truth Today"
(The doctor could not be present every night. On those occasions we had cooking demonstrations, health films, or slides and tapes, and guest speakers such as dentists. The first nine or ten nights it is vital that the doctor-minister team be there together to establish interest and confidence in the program. After that it is not quite so vital.)
A Few Suggestions
Be simple in the medical approach. Find a good Adventist doctor and sell him the idea.
It is vital that you both be relaxed on stage and use a bit of humor.
Make the program varied. Plenty of change is good, as people find it hard to listen to one speaker for a long time. Be bright, breezy, and down to earth in what you both say.
Remember it is not the answer to all evangelistic outreach, but it is another effective method. Go out and give it a try. God will be with you and will give success.
