Preaching the Truth

Bible Reading Seminars Report from Thousand Oaks, CA

During February, 1993, a four-ses­sion seminar was held at a public library adapting the North Industry, OH brethren’s format. We ran two large color newspaper ads at a cost of $1,000. There were 43 people who registered, with 39 present the first night and an average attendance of 25 for all four sessions.

In April, 1993, a four session fol­low-up seminar on Bible prophecy was held at a hotel conference room. Two newspaper ads were again used with a cost of $1,000. There were 24 sign-ups and an average attendance of 22.

For July, 1993, we advertised a “Reading the Bible Carefully” semi­nar based on Genesis. No specific number of sessions was indicated in the ads, which again cost about $1,000. This seminar was held at our hall, which is in an industrial park. Our address was advertised as “Wes­tlake Executive Center, Suite F.” No preregistration requirements were indi­cated in the ad; we merely said, “Join us at anytime, but for best results, be­gin in the beginning.”

We used Bro. H.P. Mansfield’s verse by verse notes as a guide for the classes. Starting in Genesis 1, we encouraged those attending to let the Bible make its impression on their minds, putting aside other views. Each week, we asked the class to read the next chapter and gave them a set of questions to try to answer.

Thirty people showed up for the first class which now continues into its thirteenth month. Of the original stu­dents, 13 are still attending, three of whom have been immersed. Currently, two more are studying for bap­tism and two others (possibly four) have expressed a desire for a class leading to baptism.

Classes in other areas

We assisted the Reseda ecclesia in their advertising and planning for the Genesis seminars. They now have three such classes running. One is led by a brother in semi-isolation with eight attending; the other two are held on different nights in the Reseda hall. Twelve students attend one of these with about 10 coming to the other.

Observations

Results are achieved by:

  1. Using the ideas originated by the North Industry brethren in making up the advertising. Their presentation in the ad removes obstacles to attendance by an unintimidating appeal.
  1. Sunday evenings are not a good time to attract interested friends. Answers to questionnaires and results at Sunday evening meetings bear this out.
  2. We had a difficult time attracting students from our first two semi­nars to come to anything other than the seminars. With our third endeavor, we solved this problem. We invited them to our hall for the Genesis classes. They have therefore been more recep­tive about attending lectures, etc. held in our hall.
  3. In the future, Lord willing, we will repeat the “Reading the Bible Carefully” seminars where we invite friends to our hall for a weekly study of Genesis. We recommend this method as an effective one to attract interested friends to a Bible class.
  4. It is important to begin the read­ing classes using the same philosophy as the North Industry seminars. Show those attending how to read the Bible, don’t try to convince them of our way. Our main push nearly every night is, “We must learn to let the Bible prove the Bible in order to remove the preju­dice of men in our understanding of God’s word.”

We told the students we would be­gin in Genesis 1 and would, for some time, not skip ahead to the rest of the Bible. We planned on reading the Bible like any other book; in other words, begin at the beginning, letting it make its impression on our minds. Thus, when we come to the serpent in Genesis 3 and some interjected that this is the devil, we ask them how a person reading the Bible for the first time could get that impression.

This method is successful in stilling the antagonists at the beginning. We continue this approach for three to four months. Then, having gained their confidence that we are Bible stu­dents who rightly divide the word of Truth, we begin to deviate from this approach and start bringing in other scriptural references to build on our understanding of Genesis.

Any desiring more information or clarification on these ideas can contact the undersigned. We have a large ad ready to go in our computer. It is 4 columns wide (about 6 inches) by 11 inches tall. It can easily be run in ei­ther black only or black with one color and can be readily altered to include local information. Once printed out from our computer, this can be taken to your local newspaper and run “as is” should any desire us to prepare an ad for them. We would strongly recommend the additional expense of color to catch the eye. One large color ad run 10 days to two weeks prior to the first class seems to do the job. Tom Graham, 2621 Riata Ct., Camar­illo, CA 93012 (805)491-2527, fax (805)491-2547.

A Christadelphian Play “The Little Ecclesia in Poland”

“The Little Ecclesia in Poland,” a play by Bro. Eyre about the brethren in Christ is available for $2 from the Tidings. This is a complete script with stage settings fully described. Bro. Eyre notes, “Deliberately the play has been written in such a way that quite naturally, within the action and with­out being too obvious, substantial por­tions of the text can be read while being acted: letters, titles of books, and written or printed material. In this way, the amount requiring full memorization is substantially reduced.”

In Victoria, BC, a play such as this, following a free dinner, attracted 60 interested friends.