The Fundamentals - 1910: Vol.12

40

The Fundamentals a work within herself, in which her members may become individual and definite workers for the Lord Jesus Christ, and the winners of others to Him. In some of our churches, this method and means of reaching others has been carefully and thoroughly organized, so that regular organizations of young people and others go out regularly to do this work in their neighborhood, inviting others to attend the church and afterward winning them individually to Christ. We do not find that all such visitors are able immediately to become per­ sonal workers, but we do find that this work tends to lead them to desire to do that work, and in many instances leads them into efficient service. In our own church, hundreds upon hundreds have been won in this way, and we now have from fifty to sixty young people who are doing this work regularly, week after week, the result being that the influence is felt upon all our services, and hundreds are present at our services who would not be there except for this personal invitation and direct association. We would here quote from a recent book upon this sub­ ject,* which I prepared for the work in our own church here in Chicago: “Some five years ago, in reviewing carefully a ministry of about fifteen years, I was convinced of certain effective and many ineffective results. This practical inventory led me to consider the method, means and value of relative activities. I t was very clear to me that much public work had not yielded results equal to certain private and personal Service, although the latter is more easily known and tabulated. I t was also evident that the work of the preacher and pastor is not con­ cluded in bringing men to Christ, but in inspiring and train­ ing them to become the winners of others. “In talking with colleagues in the ministry and gathering occasional evidence from varied churches, I discovered that a great weakness in the Church exists in a lack of masculine

*“The Invitation Committee,” published by Presbyterian Board of Publication, Philadelphia, Pa. Leather, 25 cts.

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