Bulletin, October 1926

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October 1, 1926

them.”-

I HE KINGDOM OEHEAVEN'IOTWD

Separated for the Work

'Now there were in the church that was at Antioch, certain prophets [public-speakers] and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of

Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the holy spirit said. Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called

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IIEY must have had a good time at the church at Antioch when they had so many elders, five of whom

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are rpentioned in the text. .

.No doubt each of the five elders, and there may have been others, interested and instructed and comforted and blessed the church in his turn; but they must have done something more.

Some of those elders, and probably some in the congregation, got the right thought—that the object of an assembly of the Lord's people is not merely to worship the Creator and to appreciate the provision He has made for our salvation; not merely to love the Lord Jesus after the fashion which some call love, and which means to them only a state of mind, a sort of ecstasy or sentiment, but which is as impractical as that of a boy who loves his widowed mother so much that he does not wish to leave her for a moment, even to go out and work for her.

ADVEKIISE IHF "KFFRFAND'IHE KTNHDUM

■Acts 13:1, 2.

The worship is all right. It ought to have a large place in our hearts and a. reasonable share of our time. The love . is all right, too. including the sentiment ; bid if it stops at that, it is not real love. The Lord said to some, “Why call ye me Lord. Lord, and do not the things that I say?”—Luke 6:4(1.

A church which is active, but which has no desire to worship would be like “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal”. It might even destroy itself with activity and gain nothing for the Lord or for itself.—1 Corinthians 13:3.

11 nt a church might be overflowing with a certain kind of worship, and its members might have a large amount of a certain kind of faith; and yet the church as a whole and the members in it, as far as their usefulness to the Lord is concerned, might at well be dead, for “faith without works is dead.”—James 2: 20.

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We used to think that when a church had too many elders for its actual needs the best way to use its surplus talent was to seek other places in which to present the truth orally; and that is still all right when the way opens. But why not open the way immediately to the presentation of the truth in printed form? In a day of house to house work an active elder can see and personally present the kingdom message in some way to more persons than he is likely to have come and hear a Sunday discourse. And he will leave valuable permanent effects behind him.

/. B. S. A. Week

A detailed report of the books sold during I. B. S. A. Week is contained in the letter of instructions to directors. The director will bring the matter to your attention, probably at the first workers’ meeting. The report contains the total books sold as reported by 531 classes heard from at this writing. The classes report a total of 5216 workers in the field; and these workers sold 641 sets of 7 volumes of Studies, 1241 sets of 8 volumes, 6555 copies of The Habp of God and 18,881 copies of the Delivebance book. There was a total of 48,670 booklets sold and a total of 38.488 books'. The average sale per worker amounted to 4.97 during I. B. S. A. Week. . There is a general strain throughout all the letters we received reporting on the favorable attitude toward the truth. The workers found in the field a more general sympathy with the I. B. S. A. than has been reported in times past, such a sympathy as indicates that there are many people in harmony with the work of the I. B. S. A. who are anxious to see it move forward. How to enlist the efforts of these sympathetic ones to do a part in the furtherance of the work is what workers might concern themselves with in the future.

A suggestion that we have is in connection with the work of one brother. This brother makes a point of selling three booklets on the *■ same topic and urging the people who buy them to give a booklet to some of their friends. He has been extraordinarily successful in his sale of booklets; but as to just what proportion are passed along we. cannot say. We can gauge only from the number of people who purchase the three booklets on one topic; and this seem° to indicate that many people are glad to share in the work bv purchasing these extra booklets, and that they are interested enough to want to pass the information to their friends. ’This suggestion might be used by the workers, even though they do not sell booklets on one topic. It is a good suggestion when offering three booklets. It carries to the people the suggestion that they, too, can have a share in the sort of work that you yourself are doing.

All Territory “Good Territory”

Territory does not seem to wear out with constant work. Each succeeding year you have found, no doubt, new people who are interested, and also a greater number of homes receptive to the truth than in the previous canvassing; whether these homes were of people who previously purchased literature or whether they were new homes, we have not learned. In either case it would show a growing interest. If a large proportion of the homes that have purchased the books in the past are purchasing new publications, it is encouraging indeed to be able to serve these people with the message. It is in a way contributing to a silent force that has much sympathy with the ■work,.

The following letter is one of the many, reports we have received along that line:

There is a general and universal testimony that our message is being received better than ever before: and that previous work prepared the way for this year’s success. Same old story of “poor territory” turning out to lie good territory. In the village thirty miles out, two years ago a machine-loHd sold two Harps in one day. This year with one less in the party, they sold forty-three books-, mostly bound books, found interest in proclamations, indictments, etc., which had been put out, and some who seem still to be captive in Babylon showed eager interest and asked good questions, though still fearing to buy books. A young new brother who drove this party is anxious to go back and finish it up in that village; for many were at the fair.

C. B. Crook, Director, Youngstown, O.

I. B. S. A. Week was great probably because every one sought an opportunity to engage in the service in one way or another. We trust that though the coming ’winter months will not allow as fine weather for working it will yet encourage the workers to keep brushed up on their canvass, on the interest of the people, and on their topic of the truth by making the coming winter the best that each worker has had from the standpoint of service in the field.

One sister confined at home on account of illness sold ten volumes to persons calling at her home. A brother working with a band of twenty-three men took seven orders one noontime after lunch. The next day this brother booked nine orders after lunch, making sixteen; and since has sold two more, in all eighteen Deliverance books placed in the homes of eighteen out of twenty-two fellow workmen. Catholics, Protestants, white and colored made up this group. None seem satisfied with conditions in the various churches represented.

O. M. Wright, Director, Colored Class. Dayton, Ohio.

Radio Preparing Territory

Workers can depend upon other influences that are at work in emphasizing the message of the truth. Probably the efforts of some friend have interested one whom you will call upon; or quite likely the message has reached them, even though in an out-of-the-way place, by means of the radio. Such influences are continually creating a larger field for the message.

I found one lady away up in the mountains who bought a Hasp and a Desirable Government booklet as soon as she saw the publishers’ name (i. e., the I. B. S. A.). She says that she often hears the lectures over the radio and is interested in them.

Gilbert Smith, Middlebury, IV.

The coming months will open a field for back calls upon purchasers of single copies of the Delivebance book. Reports of I. B. S. A. Week indicate that there were over 18,000 copies placed; and‘up to this time we are inclined to think that there are over 100,000 copies disposed of. The orders pouring into the office indicate this. This provides a field twelve weeks distant for back calls with the complete set of Studies; and the success attending evening canvassing parties is encouraging enough to recommend that workers endeavor to lay hold upon this time, especially during the winter months, for canvassing.

The best individual report was by a sister who feels her lack of ability in presenting the message in just the right way. Last week she devoted sixteen hours to the service, placing a total of forty-four books and booklets, including three sets of eight and nine Deliverance books separately. The next high, e$t devoted seventeen, hours and placed a total of thirty-three, "including one set of eight and nine Deliverance books.

We are much enthused about the evening service, and were just waiting until we had concrete evidence to present as to the desirability of working at this time. Of the seventy-two books and booklets placed at Costa Mesa, the evening workers, consisting of one machine load, and devoting one hour each evening, sold sixty-one. Not only are better results obtained than during the morning or afternoon, but the friends do not get so tired. Nearly every one is at home at this time of the day, and very few are too busy to listen to the workers. The evening party worked from 5: 30 to 6: 30.

I. B. S. A. Week brought two new workers into the field, both expressing great pleasure in having had the privilege. These workers went out with others a short time and soon canvassed by themselves. One of these, a young brother, was very timid about starting. At one house he sold a set of seven, three booklets and took a subscription to the GA.

A young lady bought the set of eight. She said that she wanted to properly instruct her children. Having been brought up a Catholic she said that she knew her prayer book, but had to confess that she knew very little about the Bible. At present she attends no church. Two years before she bought the Habp Bible Study Course and received so much good that she was ready for the rest of the books. This was indeed a very happy experience. Dwight Kenyon, Director, Santa. Ana, Calif.

Sunday Canvassing

Then there are other times that can well lie devoted to the work. We have hesitated in emphasizing too much canvassing or calling upon people Sundays; but experiments from different classes induce us to recommend this at this time. After the Sunday morning newspaper has been gone over, the afternoon generally drags on the hands of many people. It is a time when workers will find most people, in fact, the whole family at home, and inclined to talk over and to discuss matters at leisure. Probably some work along this line can be inaugurated, or at least tried out, during the early winter months; and the work be well enough under way so that it will fit into the regular program during the severe winter weather of the new year.

It has been mentioned several times in' our class that the friends were having good success placing the books In Sunday canvassing. However, that thought Of Sunday canvassing has never been received very favorably by some in the class.

Last week we received the enclosed program from the Santa Barbara Convention. I noticed that the program had “Sunday Service Drive”. So I made up my mind that this was the opportune time for me to try out the Sunday service work. When I mentioned It at prayer-meeting two opposed, saying that we were not to stumble those in the churches.

I went to the convention and arrived in time for the service work Sunday morning; and to my agreeable surprise I found it to be an excellent time; in fact, better than the following holiday, as we found more people at home. I want to say that this was the best convention I have ever attended and the only one where every man, woman and child, 100 percent, went out in the “house to house” work as they did on Sunday morning.

Though the field is more favorable to the message and it is being found generally that people are more interested in what the I. B. S. A. is doing, it nevertheless requires on the part of the worker to employ the lessons already learned in methods of work in order to place the volumes. The work has not gotten to the point as yet where people are willing and anxious to purchase some literature just because it is mentioned or because the term I. B. S. A. is mentioned. The work of the I. B. S. A. has to be explained to them. The message of the truth has to be brought to their attention. The kingdom blessings have to be emphasized; all of which requires a necessary equipment on the part of the workers. This feature we believe is one that contributes much to making I. B. S. A. Week a success.

During the entire year workers have had experience in the field. They have come to know how to approach the people, what they are interested in, and how to present the message; and I. B. S. A. Week coming, as it does, at the end of the summer’s work, finds the workers best equipped to present the truth.

“Tell it Out”—Even in Winter

Winter work should be kept up, then, in order that each worker might be realizing on the experiences of the summer. Tactics such as described in the following letter often help in placing the set. It gets into the homes of people the set of Studies and leaves the books then to do the work they are designed to do:

Our workers have used the colored catalog on six days. On four of the days part of the workers have been actually canvassing for from four to five hours. Every one declares them a decided advantage for the work. We have already placed eight sets and have orders for five or six more. In answer to the question, Did the catalog enable you to sell more sets? I think every worker here is ready to say, Yes.

The workers here have expressed this thought. The catalog helps to hold the attention of the people. It gives the timid . worker a help in starting. It gives the people a chance to gain a mental picture of what the set l<*>>ks like without making them feel that there is so much to read. .

One of our workers who has sold mostly booklets, only occasionally being able to place a Hakp, sold a whole set the first morning she started out with the catalog. Another sister who has felt that she could not sell books started out witli the catalog and has sold more books than those of us who have had more experience than she. She said that it gave her just what she needed to start in -with people. My own case is much the same. In the last two weeks, I have had orders for seven entire sets, in comparison with a total of two sets for the two years preceding. Of course I did not canvass for sets all the time or the total of those years might have been larger.

It may be that the Lord is waking up this community. A few of the books sold were in Glens Falls, but most of the work was done outside in places where there was not enough interest a year or two ago to even have one person from the village attend the public meetings for which our class arranged.

-----------—, Glens Falls, N. Y.

“God Giveth the Increase”

Extraordinary results are not always to be had, but it is encouraging to report to the workers as a whole some such results as are contained in the following letter:

One day while canvassing in the camp grounds I took orders for eight full sets from people living in tents. I have taken orders for 100 sets, 175 Habps and 300 small books in the four weeks that I have been working here. I have been "so happy in the service, and my heart also overflows with joy because of .the wonderful light that shines upon our pathway today. I can truly say that I have been permitted to enter into his joy, and that “the joy of the Lord” is my strength. .

Our recommendation, then, to the workers would be to look forward to the fall and winter work with a determination to devote a greater amount of time to the service than during the last winter and to endeavor to maintain the interest of the people in your territory and also your own experience in presenting the truth by frequently calling at homes and presenting the message. May we urge that this winter be as distinguished in its results as I. B. S. A. Week has been distinguished in its results.

With Christian greetings, we are

Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society