AL' ' l"L"~ l X Jl l ll l. E CO'.\'FERE'.\' CE ]928. H l' '.\'A'.\' IJ l ll LE l'.\' ST IT Vrn, CH .\ '.\'GSIIA
The Biola Evangelistic Bands Th e Biola Evangel is t ic Bands are groups of Chin ese evangeli s ts and stud ent evange li st s, sent o ut by the Bible In st it ut e o f Los A ngele s, in Hunan, to do a wo rk o f wides pr ead, a nd at th e same time, \·e ry intensiYc e\·ange li sm. mainly in the fie ld s hi the rto un reached by th e Gospe l. The spec ia l sph ere o f thi s wor k is no t in citi es where Gos pel work has been go ing o n for Y<'iHS und er a permanen tl y estab li shed age ncy, but in th e outlying untouched <li ;; rri cts . A fie ld is enter ed only 0 11 the writt en invitati on o f the mi ss ion r espons ible for that field. Th e work cons is ts of ho use- to-house evange li sm. conve r sa tion with indi vidual s a nd littl e g roups in th e homes of the people, a nd th e g iving o f suitab le Gospel liter at ure to those who ma ni fest an inter est in the message. \,Vhcn peop le become interested th e Bibl e Classes a re o rgani zed, and an effo rt made to lead them to a fuller knowl edge o f the truth as it is revea led in Goer s \ •Vo rel. Open -air servi ces a lso arc held in markets and o ther suitabl e public places, and evening evai:ge li stic se r vices conducted in some r ented building o r large inn. During a peri od of nine months wo rkers vis ited ove r 200.000 homes and di st ributed ove r 700.000 Gospel books and trac ts. hun dr ed s o f homes wer e clear ed o f th eir ido ls, a nd in 33 pl aces se lf-su ppo r ti ng centers of wo r ship wer e es tab li shed wh ich, by Goc!'s bless ing, will become true se lf -support ing churches. Every day af ter their private Bibl e study and praye r. the men of each band have an hou r a nd a ha l f o f un ited Bibl e st udy conducted by th e leacl r r of the band , be fore they go o ut to th eir day's work. Thi s st udy is pa rt o f a regular sys temat ic co ur se cove rin g a peri od of two yea rs. A yea r or two of so lid wor k in one of the Biola Eva nge li st ic Bands g ives a unique and inval uabl e exper ience. £yery student of the Hun a n Bibl e In st itute is most ea rn est ly recommended to do a t least one year o f thi s work. lt far more t ha n doubl es the va lue o f the two yea rs' cou r se at Changs ha, a nd the mi ss ion that makes the add iti ona l sacr ifice and permit s th e student to remain fo r the e:-c tr a yea r, howeve r much they may be pr essed for hel p. will be richl y r ewa rd ed . As soon as a st udent g raduates from th e Bibl e Schoo l and beg in s work in one of the Biola Evangel ist ic Bands. he is paid a reasonab le sa lary, a nd so is no longer dependent on hi s mi ss ion for the da ily needs either of h imse lf or hi s famil y. 50
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