His Month’s special center section highlights one ecclesia’s success with the “Learn to Read the Bible Effectively” seminars. Thankfully, the brothers and sisters at Brampton, Ontario have carefully documented three additional seminars to fill the need for follow-up instruction. And they have developed a brief manual of helpful suggestions based on their own experiences over a three-year period.
Never easier
In our generation, taking the word of God to our neighbors has never been easier. A whole package of materials is now available.
Initial seminar — The North Industry, Ohio Ecclesia developed the initial seminar complete with advertising leaflet, teacher manual, and student workbook and handouts. An outstanding set of overheads for this initial seminar has now been developed and is available as indicated in the special section.
In every case where ecclesias distributed an adequate number of leaflets or paid for sufficient newspaper space, the advertising approach has produced results — in many cases overwhelming numbers of registrants. The appeal obviously hits an area of much interest in our society. An initial hurdle was the cost of advertising, manuals and room rental but this has been overcome by the generosity available through the Simi Hills, California Ecclesia’s preaching fund. They will match, or in some cases of special need, exceed the sponsoring ecclesia’s allocated funds.
Some have been concerned about their ability to effectively present the material. After having seen a wide variety of brethren act as presenters, rest assured that virtually any of our exhorting or Bible class speaking brothers can do an adequate job. The material of the first seminar basically carries itself. In fact, we can note from personal experience, the less innovation, the better, as the presentations were obviously skillfully created, tested and adjusted to interest the audience and whet the appetite of many for additional study. Our experience has been that once a person is a presenter of the seminar, he is ready, willing and normally anxious to do it again.
Follow-up seminars —Many of us who were early to use the initial seminar floundered when it came to the follow-up work. In our case, we ended up spending 18 months on the Gospel of Luke. But now better ideas are available.
Having used all the courses prepared by the Brampton group, we can testify that they, too, are just right for those seeking further study. They move along at a good pace over a six to eight week period, gradually working in the first principles of the gospel in a very understandable and inoffensive manner. Overheads are available but, in this case, presenters are probably better off preparing their own as the group will be smaller and this will give opportunity to cover the material in a manner most suitable to those attending.
Again cost is a factor, but again the Simi Hills Preaching Fund is prepared to help.
The ecclesias are truly blessed to have this combination of resources available as most had become thoroughly discouraged with the result of public lectures. As Brampton noted, they were getting zero attendance of interested friends. While the lecture may serve a useful purpose for our young people, it is discouraging to think of them as geared for the public with no public response.
Evangelize or fossilize
The editorial title came from the Mid-Atlantic ASK Newsletter which coined it from a talk by Bro. John Bounaparte of the Singapore Ecclesia. The Newsletter article goes on to note: “Bro. Bounaparte’s title strikes to the heart of our duty in these days before the Lord returns. Our ecclesias will not qualify as ‘light-stands of Truth’ unless they are active in taking the message of salvation to all who are living in the area of each ecclesia. Are our ecclesias active in preaching work? Are we evangelizing? If not, then our ecclesias will cease to grow. They will become more like social clubs than lightstands of truth. Membership will decline, members will be mostly elderly: our ecclesias will ‘fossilize’.”
We may feel that if we are doing a good job bringing along our young people and individuals are preaching on a one-to-one basis, ecclesial preaching efforts are wholly optional. Yet the ecclesia in a given place is scripturally considered a living unit, made up of individual believers to be sure, but an entity in addition to them. Thus if the ecclesia is truly to be a candlestick, it should have an ecclesial witnessing effort.
At first the attitude on the seminars was to discourage ecclesial attendance, feeling having too many Christadelphians present would be counter-productive; some member might engage in confrontational conversations with visitors. The Brampton experience encourages the opposite, finding that, in the long run, it is best for ecclesial involvement in one form or another so that all feel a part of the effort and it truly is an ecclesial witness.
Or fossilize
One of the great advantages of Bible discussion with non-Christadelphians is that it keeps us accurate and vital in our own Bible understanding. If we deal solely with each other, we can easily slip into lethargic, non-critical thinking patterns. Someone makes a comment at Bible class and we all quietly nod our heads in assent even though some would disagree. Many of our children, having been surrounded by our theology since birth, assent to a point which needs critical review. With our interested friends, however, we have to resharpen our exposition and explanations and be ready to express Bible truth in cogent, clear terms.
A rather interesting situation occurs when one of our friends uses a paraphrase Bible or one with an extensive commentary. When that happens among us, we readily dismiss error as the result of translator or commentator bias. That’s not quite so easy with our friends as we have to address original languages and the scholarship of translations. How does one prove a scholar’s bias may affect his translation, or that commentators may be far off the mark? Supporting our opinion is challenging and is not accomplished with the quick, dismissive comment we would use among ourselves. One thing is certain, our brain cells won’t be fossilizing as we put together our evidence.
Energizing the ecclesia
As long-time Christadelphians are aware, many of us are concerned with losing our first love. As the Truth is passed from one generation to the next, we can lose the thrill of discovery and duty can replace enthusiasm. The words to the Ephesian ecclesia can nag at the back of our minds: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Eph. 2:4). One of the best antidotes to this condition afflicting an ecclesia is the blessed addition of new converts to the household of faith.
Their thrill at finding the Truth, often after years of searching, is infectious and greatly benefits the whole ecclesia. While fourth generation members may bring stability and the knowledge of useful traditions, the new convert brings the vital element of a first love that we all must have if the Lord will regard us as living disciples and not fossilized imitations.
The ecclesial pound
As the Lord addressed ecclesias as distinct entities, it is no doubt useful to apply the parable of the pounds to our individual ecclesias. Having been blessed with a belief in the Truth, the ecclesia can not just defend and preserve it. Holding fast the things that remain must be combined with gain to be given our Lord at his coming. One aspect of this gain must surely be a vigorous attempt to spread the good news of the true gospel in our communities.
As is evident from the efforts of many ecclesias, we have been blessed with a package of materials which makes possible a vigorous and effective witness in these last days. Let’s use what’s available to evangelize, to ensure that we don’t spiritually fossilize.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One