Suggestive Program for Fourth Sabbath Home Missionary Service by A. J. S. B.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 6, 1910

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 87, No. 40.

Read the full edition

Suggestive Program for Fourth Sabbath Home Missionary Service

By A. J. S. B.

(To be held Oct. 22, 1910)

Opening Song—“Is Your Lamp Burning?” “Hymns and Tunes,” No. 1244; “Christ in Song,” No. 481 (old edition, No. 404).

Scripture Lesson—Isaiah 61.

Prayer.

Song—“Ask Not to Be Excused,” “Hymns and Tunes,” No. 1243; “Christ in Song,” No. 513 (old edition, No. 422).

First Reading—“An Appeal to Our Lay Members.”

Second Reading—“Home Missionary Work.”

Music; or text symposium by Missionary Volunteers and children.

Third Reading—“How to Regain the First Love.”

Monthly report of Missionary Volunteers.

Prayer for officers of church missionary society.

Collection for home missionary work.

Explanation of reporting system by leader and missionary secretary.

Announcement of plans for weekly missionary meeting.

Closing Song—“Blow the Trumpet,” “Hymns and Tunes,” No. 1245; “Christ in Song,” No. 683 (old edition, No. 600).

Benediction.

To the Elder or Missionary Leader

(Not to be read publicly)

Before organizing the church tract and missionary society, let the leader show by means of circles on the blackboard, or on a large sheet of paper, the relation existing between our various missionary organizations. See outline on page 3 of Home Missionary Leaflet, No. 3, entitled “Home Tract and Missionary Work.”

Plan of Organization

The following recommendations by the General Conference Committee outline very clearly the steps to be taken in organizing the church tract and missionary society:—

Membership.—That the membership of the church missionary society include— (a) All church-members.

Church Missionary Committee.—That the work of the church be under the direction of a missionary committee, made up as follows:— (a) Elder or leader. (b) Assistant leader, who shall be the leader of the Missionary Volunteer society. (c) Missionary secretary, formerly known as the librarian. (d) Assistant missionary secretary, who shall be the secretary of the Missionary Volunteer society. (e) Sabbath-school superintendent. (f) Church-school teacher, or leader of the junior society of Missionary Volunteers.

Officers.—That the officers of the church missionary society consist of— (a) The elder or leader. (b) The missionary secretary (librarian). (c) The assistant missionary secretary.

A brief outline of the duties of the church missionary secretary, a facsimile of the individual missionary report Blank, together with suggestions regarding the making out of reports, the holding of weekly and monthly missionary meetings, etc., will be found in Home Missionary Leaflet, No. 3.

Missionary Volunteers

Let the Missionary Volunteers and the children take an active part in the program: (1) by rendering a monthly report of work done; (2) by contributing special music if desired; (3) by reading missionary texts, each selection to be written out on a slip of paper, and numbered. Let those who are to read be stationed in various parts of the audience, and rise as their numbers are called. Ten suggestive texts: 2 Cor. 6:1; Isa. 32:20; John 20:21; Matt. 21:28; Isa. 60:1; 2 Cor. 5:14; Eccl. 11:1; 1 Cor. 3:9; Mark 13:34; Isa. 6:8. If preferred, brief selections from Volume IX of the Testimonies may be substituted for some of the texts. Let the selections be rehearsed in advance, and read clearly and distinctly.

Report Blank

Near the close of the service, let the leader call the attention of the members to the individual missionary report blank, together with them to take up as many of the suggested lines of work as possible. It is not expected that every member will report something done in each of the lines indicated. The blank is prepared to meet the wants of all classes of workers. Let the church missionary secretary pass a blank to each member, to be filled out and returned at the time decided upon by the church missionary committee.

Weekly Missionary Meeting

Before dismissing, definite announcement should be made of plans for the weekly missionary meeting.

A. J. S. B.