May is a good time to plan our Autumn/Winter preaching efforts. Soon the Bible Schools will be upon us and it can become difficult to get a quorum together to move decisions forward.
Bible seminars are still the single most widely used method. We would like to invite ecclesias who have had ongoing programs in this area to share some of their ideas through the pages of the Tidings. In fact, we encourage submitting your ideas on any preaching effort in the hope that others may find them useful in their ecclesias.
We are especially interested in ideas about how to increase attendance. We can’t accomplish much if the chairs are empty. But we also need fresh thinking on other components that go to making up a spiritually profitable preaching effort. From advertisement design to content to choice of location to making the transition to our ecclesial hall there are some methods that work better than others and no doubt some of us have learned some valuable lessons that others will find beneficial.
[Along these lines be sure and read the article in this issue from the Brampton ON ecclesia. Next month we plan to have an article from the Reseda CA ecclesia. Both of these ecclesias have had ongoing seminars that have been very productive]
Financial assistance is available from the Simi Hills Preaching Fund (SHPF) for up to 50% of your projected expenses. These funds are not unlimited and requests are generally handled based on the order received.
SHPF would also like to encourage a few preaching efforts that may try to reach people in a way we have not tried before. If the proposed approach has ecclesial approval, the SHPF percentage towards the necessary funding can be higher.
Please submit your preaching ideas to The Tidings. Funding requests should be addressed to SHPF at ksommerville @unitedagencies.com.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One