A
T H E K I N O ’ S B U S I N E S S
February, 1941
Prayer Widens the Circle Biola Bible Women Face Numberless Opportunities By A GRATEFUL OBSERVER
I T WAS “blue Monday” to many a housewife sweating over her week ly wash. It was an occasion for self-pity to many a clerk settling back into unwelcome routine after a gay week-end. It was the usual distracting first-day-of-the-week to many a busi ness man retaking the reins of his work to start it moving again. But through out the premises of the Bible Tnstitute of Los Angeles, a different spirit pre vailed—a spirit of expectancy, of buoy ancy, of new enthusiasm. For Monday morning at Biola means a special wait ing on God for His blessing and direct ing of the week’s activity, a sharing of problems and triumphs, a united pre senting of them before the throne of grace. Down in the auditorium, students and faculty had gathered for an hour of praise and prayer. From the upstairs student parlor came a burst of song— the business force, secretaries, engineers, and other employees had met to put the week’s work into the hands of the Lord in whose name the round of daily duty would be performed. But in a little room on the sixth floor —a former dormitory room—was an other group, not so well known to the public, little seen by the student body, but a very vital part of Biola’s program for winning and training souls for the Saviour. Mrs. Lyman Stewart sat by a student desk in the center, presiding over the Bible Women, who crowded the small room to its capacity. All week long and many- a year of weeks before that, they had been busy with seed-sowing and harvesting in the hearts of girls and women throughout Los Angeles and near-by towns, meet ing each day with different groups of needy souls. That very afternoon they would be back at their posts again— but not without the mighty reinforce ment of spiritual strength that comes from waiting together on God for their own heart needs and committing the cares of their work to Him. Among Girls For some the audience would be com posed of a lively crowd of high school girls, known as Euodia Club, where the Word of God would be taught, the girls would learn to share their prayer re quests, to pour their problems into the ears o* a sympathetic leader, to make a concerted stand for their Lord among their schoolmates—yes, and many a
girl has let the Saviour into her heart because some friend has brought her to club. A growing company of young women, saved in Euodia and catching a vision of service there, have gone on to Biola, gnd then to the far-flung mis sion fields of the world. Fifty-four Euodia Clubs are now meeting every week under the leadership or supervision of the Bible Women. This particular Monday morning, a Euodia teacher presented a need. Her heart was aching over a junior high school girl who had come to her with a shocking question: “Miss ------, is it a sin to commit suicide if you do it be cause you want to go to heaven?” How the child needed some one just then to counsel and guide her! And how many more teen-aged girls like her are need ing the Word of God to hold them steady as they begin to take their places in a perturbed and godless world of grown-ups! Saving a Life It was a former Euodia contact that recently was the means of saving a young girl from suicide. The young man to whom she was engaged had met a tragic death. In the last awful minute, under frenzied pressure, the girl had promised to meet him soon, by taking her own life. She was watching her chance; she must keep her word. Yet she was frightened. Then she re membered Euodia. She had been to the meetings only a few times, and that some years before, but somehow the one gleam of hope in her dark hour was finding and talking to the leader of that Euodia Club. Frantically she called her on the telephone. The teacher hastened to her and heard the whole ,sad story. The result was another heart turned to the Saviour—and a young life saved! An Eteri leader also had good news to share. Between twenty and thirty girls had been coming t o ' each of her classes for older girls, where after a light supper, the evening was spent in Bible study. From the parent Lyceum Club, organized over thirty years ago and still holding its meetings every Tuesday night in the Bible Institute building, have developed twenty-five Eteri Clubs held by the Bible Women in outlying communities and towns. The teacher who voiced the praise for her groups told of a young woman from a Christian Science home whose
Photo by W itzel MRS. LYMAN STEWART Superintendent o f Bible Women E VER since the gifted founder of the Bible Women’s work, Mrs! T. C. Horton, went to be with Christ In 1920, the superintendency of this impor tant phase of the ministry of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles has been ably carried by Mrs. Lyman Stewart, who was unmistakably chosen of God for this service and selected also by Mrs. Horton. Through the grace of God, Alls fruitful evangelistic effort not only has been maintained throughout thirty years, but also has been extended. . At the present time, 111* classes are being conducted each week by 15 Bible Women and 31 volunteer workers. This number Is composed of 28 adult classes, 25 Eteri Clubs, 54 Euodia Clubs, and 4 classes In elementary schools. Most of the groups are in the vicinity of Los Angeles, although there are five In Ari zona and five in Oregon. ^During a re cent month, the total attendance in all classes was 7,809. It is Impossible to estimate the full results of this Bible teaching ministry, but the following facts will furnish cause for praise to God: In one year, In connection with the Bible Women’s classes, 714 persons professed to re ceive the Lord Jesus ^Christ as Saviour, 441 surrendered their lives to Him, and in many other hearts there was a quickening of spiritual life and a new yearning to win souls.
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker