Principles of Success in Church Missionary Work
DURING this missionary hour let us study together four elements of success, which, combined and applied to our church missionary work, are bringing a new condition of things into a large number of our churches. They are (this outline might be placed on the board to advantage):— - Enthusiasm
- Leadership
- Individual responsibility
- Simple plans of work pursued
Of enthusiasm Webster says: “It is inspiration, as if by divine or superhuman power; . . . enkindled and kindling fervor of soul.” Emerson says: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Be the individual enthusiasm ever so high, it must be encouraged, if it is to be retained and made to spread throughout the church. The elder should be thoroughly acquainted with the evangelizing influence of our periodicals, tracts, and other agencies that God has given us for reaching others; and he should lead out in using these agencies. The librarian should unite with the elder in studying and planning, and in suggesting methods of work to the members. With two such leaders in the smaller churches, and a strong committee of perhaps five, including the elder and librarian, in the larger ones, a good work can be accomplished. The members will respond, and the work will go forward, if the officers stand solidly together, and lead in the missionary interests. The weekly missionary meeting, if it is possible to hold it, forms a center for real work; and the monthly Sabbath service may be an opportunity for inspiration, education, and reports of progress. The leader’s responsibility is specifically outlined on page 116, Vol. IX, of “Testimonies for the Church:” “The leaders in God’s cause, as wise generals, are to lay plans for advance moves all along the line. In their planning they are to give special study to the work that can be done by the laity for their friends and neighbors.” Individual Responsibility
In his infinite wisdom, God has so arranged the plan of redemption that every addition to the church may become one more agency in the carrying out of his great plan. Why not accept this confidence God places in us? On page 86, Vol. IX, of the Testimonies, we are told: “Whatever our position,—whether presidents of conferences, ministers, teachers, students, or lay members,—we are held accountable by the Lord for making the most of our opportunities to enlighten those in need of present truth.” Again, on page 26, we read: “Let the church arouse and go forth to do her appointed work. Every believer, educated or uneducated, can bear the message.” “Heavenly angels have long been waiting for human agents—the members of the church—to co-operate with them in the great work to be done. They are waiting for you.”—Id., page 46. Simple and Continuous Work
A very timid sister was constrained to take a few tracts from the missionary meeting for circulation. Tremblingly she started out with them, and dropped one over the hedge into a neighbor’s yard. That neighbor became interested, and later accepted the truth. One day when the giving of that first tract was referred to by the one who gave it, the rescued neighbor inquired, “Why didn’t you do it before?” While in a clothing store in Los Angeles recently, one of our ministers engaged the proprietor in conversation on conditions in the world, and their significance. The man said: “Yes, I am studying along those lines myself. I have been getting some reading-matter at the vegetarian cafeteria that I believe you would be interested to read,” and he went to his desk and brought back some of our Apples of Gold and Bible Students’ Library tracts on the nearness of the end, and handed them to our minister. Think of it!—men of the world willing and ready to help give the message. Shall our church anterooms and cupboards be filled with dust-covered packages of truth because we are too timid or too indifferent to put them into circulation? At a recent missionary meeting there were present an intelligent lady and her boy—not Adventists—who were present at a similar meeting held six months before, at which time they were members of another church. We learned from this sister that it was the literature given her by members of our church that had been the means of bringing her into the truth. She has now ordered papers with which to work for her friends. How in harmony is this experience with the promise in the Testimonies (Vol. IX, page 86): “When we are successful in the work of soul-saving, those who are added to the faith will, in turn, use their ability in giving the truth to others.” One of our young men, who has the missionary spirit, and in his spare moments does some house-to-house work with literature, besides visiting seven or eight vessels with our magazines and papers, a few months ago began leaving the Signs with a lady visiting in town. While she remained, he visited her; and later, when she returned to her home, he kept up a missionary correspondence with her. The following is a copy of a recent letter from this worker to his conference missionary secretary:— “DEAR BROTHER: I will endeavor to relate to you how Mrs. —, of Wisconsin, received present truth. Having met this lady in San Pedro, and learned of her desire to know more about the teachings of the books of Daniel and the Revelation, I secured her address, and began mailing the Signs of the Times weekly to her. The paper had just started a series of articles on the book of Revelation. I also sent her a twenty-five-cent copy of ‘Thoughts on Daniel and the Revelation.’ The first letter I received from her showed that she was interested. She said that in their home they had about eight hundred dollars’ worth of books on history and religion, but none of them so religious as the Signs of the Times. Letters received a little later showed that she and others were becoming deeply interested; and before I answered, I received word that she had visited the Adventist church for the first time, and hoped to continue. This dear sister was baptized last Sabbath, and her brother will be baptized soon.” Such experiences as these more than pay for the hours of work which show no visible results. When we are faithful, the Lord in his mercy allows us to see results occasionally to cheer us in our work for him. Should not such incidents encourage us to press on? At a camp-meeting a short time ago, a brother said: “I was away up in the hills of South Dakota, and that man came up there and searched me out.” God wants us to be willing to search men out, and he has given us the facilities for multiplying the effectiveness of our efforts by the use of our tracts, periodicals, magazines, and books. Shall we not become better acquainted with them, and use them? It is refreshing to go into a well-attended missionary meeting, where something is being done, and listen to such experiences as the following, which were given in a recent meeting:— One sister had just received a letter from her brother, in which he told her that through the influence of the Signs of the Times, which she had been sending, his family were keeping the Sabbath, and had begun to hold Sabbath meetings with the neighbors. Another had heard from her boy at school that day, and was so glad that he had decided to go out canvassing. (He is in the field now, and having success.) Another sister reported the receipt of twenty-five dollars to help build their new church, it having come from a Presbyterian minister whose mother is a patient in her home. Do you not think that those who attended that meeting went away encouraged, and determined to be more diligent19in service? Although struggling to build a church, the work for others has not been decreased. As a result, they will have more members for the new church. Scores of such items might be given concerning the work where our churches are throwing themselves into it. At a recent camp-meeting, one librarian reported the addition of two to the home church—a man and his wife, formerly Socialists—who were on their Signs mailing-list. Bible work followed, and they are now in the church. The mother of a large family relates the following:— “I lived in Montana, sixty miles from a railroad; was not religious, and didn’t know of an Adventist in the State. A relative in Missouri accepted the truth, and began sending me the Signs. It came for more than a year before I read much of it except the Home department. Finally I was impressed to read more, and decided to keep the Sabbath. This opened a flood of light, and I found every one of those papers, smoothed them out, and studied them. This was before I knew anything of a conference in Montana. My oldest child was twenty years old before she heard a sermon.” This faithful sister now has five children in the truth; two are in church-school work, and one of these and another have been successful canvassers, having placed between two and three thousand dollars’ worth of books in one city during vacations. Should not the positive assurance that such results as these are within reach of our home missionary work bring in an enthusiasm that will put doubt, unbelief, fear, and every other barrier of Satan forever out of the way? Should it not give our church leaders new zeal in real missionary leadership, as they realize their relation to the activity of the church? Should it not deepen our feeling of individual responsibility, causing us to pledge our hearty support to every advance move undertaken; and lead us, one and all, to become more thoroughly acquainted with our literature, and to use it more liberally? Let us work while the day lasts; “for the night cometh, when no man can work.” Miss. Sec. Pacific Union Conf.