Your ShelfYour Projects

To Church Officers and Workers

14%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 11, 1915

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 56.

Read the full edition

To Church Officers and Workers

By The Committee

The annual week of prayer season has never failed to bring blessing and uplift. Never yet have we turned aside to seek the Lord's face but we have found his favor. This year the conditions in the world, we know, have appealed to our brethren as never before to seek God in prayer in behalf of the suffering peoples of earth who need to know his salvation, and for our own brethren and sisters in regions desolated by war. Many have had to forsake their homes and flee in distress, and churches have been so scattered that it would seem the members can never hope to meet together again in this world. Our prayers shall meet with theirs at the mercy seat in their time of trial. Events are moving rapidly, and the great day of God is hastening visibly.
And the calls that have come in God's providence for much greater activity in home and foreign missionary work, lay upon our hearts this year a heavier burden of prayer than ever before.
Plan to make the week as fully as possible a week of prayer and of revival and of rededication to service. Let church officers meet for counsel, and carefully plan all the services, led wherever possible by conference laborers. Work and pray for the revival of all and for the conversion of those who have not fully surrendered to God. Labor for the young people and the children, and encourage them in working for others.
On the first Sabbath, December 11, announcement should be made of the annual offering for missions to be taken up the next Sabbath, December 18, at the close of the morning service. Make sure that all have offering envelopes, so that the gifts may be made up during the week. There is call for the usual enlargement in all the mission fields. On all the stations missionaries will be praying that the home churches may authorize an advance where the doors swing widely open. But from populous Asia comes just now the most serious appeal we have ever had from mission fields. There has been such encouraging growth, such a springing up of believers, and such a breaking over of all bounds, that much larger resources of missionaries and means must be forthcoming. It is not man's call, or the call of the missionaries who find themselves overwhelmed, but it is the call of God's own wonderful providence. He is looking to us. Explain these things again and again in the meetings before the week of prayer, and encourage all to plan to meet this annual offering occasion as faithful stewards, doing business for God in his closing work.
May the rich blessing of the Lord be with every believer and every company as we unite in seeking God.
THE COMMITTEE.