Area Institutes continued
announcements were also made at both the Spring Rally and Fall Con vention of GLASS in 1956. The results: in 1957 institutes were held in Santa Ana, Central Los Angeles, Whittier, San Fer nando Valley, Pomona, Bell and Lakewood-Long Beach. Then came 1958 with seven more institutes (a new one in the San Gabriel-Pasa- dena area replacing the one in Bell, with the others all repeating) — and the amazing results described above. Naturally, all this hasn’t “ just happened.” It has taken work — lots of it — on the part of Mrs. Andersen, other members of the GLASS board, and the hard-work ing chairmen and committee mem bers from the various areas. There have been the problems of places, dates, schedules, arrang ing worthwhile programs, public ity, securing helpful displays from area bookstores and many other important considerations. But those who have made the necessary investment of time and energy have felt that it has been abundantly worthwhile.
From the audience, participation.
In general, GLASS recommends this procedure to areas planning institutes of their own: 1) Secure the approval of the Board of Chris tian Education, or whatever official permission is required from each p a r t i c i p a t i n g church. (There should be at least two churches.) 2) Each church should appoint at least two members (including the pastor and Sunday school superin tendent if possible) to be on the overall institute committee. 3) This Institute Planning Committee, rep resenting the sponsoring churches, should meet to plan the institute. Other essential items in the GLASS plan: Expenses are the complete responsibility of the spon soring churches as well as publicity and promotion. The course should include a minimum of 12 hours of classes. An open invitation is ex tended to all evangelical churches
within a five mile radius. Contact faculty members well in advance, preferably several months. Begin and close on time. Intersperse films and other visuals. Keep weekly at tendance records and give out cer tificates to those who have 80% attendance. What kind of results can you expect? If you are willing to make the necessary investment of prayer and planning and promotion and plain hard work, you’ll probably be able to look back on your local area institute with a testimony like that of Pastor Hubbard of Long Beach: “Why have I encouraged our people to participate in the Lake- wood-Long Beach area Leadership Training Institute under the aus pices of GLASS? The answer is simple. I am interested in offering the best possible program of train ing to our leaders and prospective leaders. These i ns t i t u t e s make available to our people an array of outstanding speakers which we could never hope to bring to an individual church-sponsored insti tute. The scope of combined plan ning has brought into focus numer ous personalities outside of the vision of any single church. Added to this is the great psychological value received by those who partic ipate along with 500 to 600 others. One cannot help but be more im pressed with the importance of Christian service and adequa t e preparedness when surrounded by so many other eager people! “How has our church benefited? The answer is simple. I have the best trained staff of leaders in the various departments of my church in its history.” END.
There was plenty of food a t each meeting. A t right is sponsoring committee: Ray Anderson, Moitié McCall, Mary Ferguson, Frances Anderson ( chairman) and Baptist Pastors Harold Carlson and Robert Hubbard.
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