A UNIQUE PERIODICAL PRODUCES
AMILY VANGELI SM
by Vanita Kronquest
N ow who would be ’phoning me from that far East?” Bus Schal- ler, Schaller racing car cam manu facturer protested. The clear-cut voice over three thousand miles away an nounced, “I got the cams in fine shape, but I want to know more about this unique little paper called PLUS accompanying the order. Hardly ex pected this type of thing from ‘racing people.’ ” Besides discussing t h e things of God for fifteen minutes, the easterner gloated over the courage and spiritual concern of this Califor nia business man. Milk customers of Johnson’s Dairy woke up one morning with PLUS added to their door-step dairy orders. Olson’s Drug prescriptions came off the assembly line with thought stimu lating, compact, spiritual prescrip tions for the world’s ills in the form of PLUS. Doctor’s and dentist’s offices saw people feeding their minds and souls with PLUS while they waited fulfillment of appointments. PLUS, the courtesy gift, supplied by alert Christians (usually couples or families) is unlike t h e ordinary tract. Its brief sharp items of interest; dressed up statistics; humor with moral application; poetry within reach of all; pithy points topped with spiritual tones and bold type Scrip tures add up to interest for all deno minations and walks of life. It was a Catholic who assured in writing, “We can hardly wait for PLUS to come. We especially enjoy the Bible verses chosen.” An eastern mother of a boy who had ordered a motorcycle cam wrote of the spirit ual impact PLUS left upon her son. A family, difficult to touch for Christ telephoned, “We want to thank those responsible for putting out PLUS.” Through PLUS being, mailed along with invoices from business houses,
letters came in from Ohio, Georgia, Tennessee and more local areas closer to Turlock, California where PLUS ENTERPRISES was bom. The indifferent, Catholics, business men, school teachers, young and old watch the mails twice a month for PLUS. Because it has one short “ re ligious” (spiritual — punch item) amid Other choice reading, it is accepted by all. It was back in 1956 that Woodrow and Evelyn Young were overwhelmed with the realization that about 95% of the Christian families in our churches are not active in evangeliz ing other families. Also, that in spe cial meetings only about 2% to 4% of the people really respond to a defi nite plan and appeal to evangelize and follow-up. The Youngs reasoned, “ Families whose doors are normally closed to the Gospel would accept a periodical like PLUS.” “Woody” as he is known to friends set out to get the pastor’s slant. With almost no exception, pastors were en thusiastic about the family evange lism plan. With his son Bill, they contacted two hundred homes in the Turlock, California, ar ea. Almost every Christian couple admitted their
yearning to reach other couples for Christ, but lacked “ know-how.” Some recalled cold canvassing for special campaigns and rally days, but many doors were closed faster than they had been opened. At other homes peo ple protested, “We’ve got our own re ligion” or “ There’s plenty of time yet for that stuff.” But, the PLUS plan did not call for ringing doorbells. With the courtesy gift card accom panying the first issue of PLUS a warm feeling of receptiveness is im mediately created. The simplified program calls for Christian families or couples to provide a definite list of names of those for whom they are subscribing to PLUS. They agree to pray daily for the salvation of these people. They also agree to be alert to any opportunity to present Christ to them. Young’s slogan is “ Every Christian home a mission station; every un reached family a mission field.” He also believes that if every Christian family would take seven or eight families or couples upon their hearts for daily prayer and follow-up, none would be left without a chance to become evangelized. Every home could be opened to the Gospel.
Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Lindquist talk with Director Woodrow T. Young of Plus Enterprises about registration of names who will receive Plus. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lindquist were students at The Bible Institute of Los Angeles.
AUGUST, 1961
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