OUTREACH is for EVERYONE

1. OUTREACHis for EVERYONE General Conference Women’s Ministries EVANGELISM MANUAL Training Program

2. OUTREACH IS FOR EVERYONE Chapter 8 Seminar Style Evangelism General Conference Women’s Ministries Department

3. “Every church should be a training school for Christian workers. Its members should be taught how to give Bible readings, how to conduct and teach Sabbath school classes, how best to help the poor and to care for the sick, how to work for the unconverted. There should be schools of health, cooking schools, and classes in various lines of Christian help work.

4. There should not only be teaching, but actual work under experienced instructors. Let the teachers lead the way in working among the people and others, uniting with them, will learn from their example. One example is worth more than many precepts.” Ministry of Healing, pp. 148, 149.

5. Seminar style evangelism is more formal than one-on-one Bible studies or small study groups, but not as formal as a full scale evangelistic meeting. The seminar style invites more dialogue and participation than is common in an evangelistic meeting.

6. How Do You Prepare for a Seminar? • Much of the preparation for seminar evangelism will be the same as for a large evangelistic meeting. One difference is that the presenter will be a lecturer or teacher rather than an evangelist or preacher.

7. It is important for women to work together in evangelism. We can encourage each other and share ideas. We can pray together for guests and also for each other, keeping our team accountable to God. When women work together for a good purpose, through God’s guidance they can accomplish more than they imagined.

8. Seminar evangelism is enhanced when dedicated women from the church come with the primary purpose of making friends with those attending. It is even better if they bring their own friends, family, and neighbors each night.

9. Keys to Success • There are four keys vital to the success of any evangelistic endeavor, but especially important when conducting seminars.

10. 1. Prayer partners praying for the success of every meeting, even during the meeting. • 2. Bible focus. People need to hear you say over and over that you interpret the Bible (for example, Daniel) “by what the Bible says;” that you let the Bible explain itself.

11. 3. Make very clear to your seminar audience that your purpose is to uplift Jesus Christ. Talk of Jesus; • 4. Explain that we study last-day events, not just to understand the last days, but also to be prepared for the last days.

12. The Evangelistic Team at Work • It is not wise to try to do an evangelistic seminar by yourself. Others need the experience and the blessing. Not everyone’s spiritual gifts are the same. Various talents and personalities are needed in a successful program.

13. Pointers for Team Members • Help team members understand that whether they are asked to help with registration, with setting up the seminar, or with special music, those jobs are secondary. Their first priority is to build relationships with visitors.

14. As you get to know the visitors, sit with them in the seminar, learn their names and call them when they miss a night—not to scold them for not coming, but to show an interest in them, to show that you really care. • When you are talking with visitors, don’t share future subjects.

15. Sympathize with guests when they struggle with truths new to them. • Above all, you are there to be a friend. • When visitors first come on Sabbath, invite them home to dinner if possible. Let them see how you keep a joyful Sabbath.

16. Guidelines for Seminar Leaders • The following guidelines for leading an evangelistic seminar were written by someone who joined the church through a Revelation seminar, and subsequently lead Revelation seminars.

17. Use the overhead projector and screen each evening, or similar visual aids, such as a computer, video projector, large TV, blackboard, or chart. • Make clear to your attendees the first night that the seminar materials are free. • Make certain the hall will be opened for you at least one hour before your meeting begins the first night.

18. If you have a small seminar group, or if you are meeting in a home, sit around a table or in a circle in the living room. Before people arrive for the meeting, have your tables arranged and seats in place. • On subsequent nights, place on the table only the next night’s lesson.

19. Call the assigned helpers from your church to make certain you have enough help for your expected crowd. For opening night, you should plan on two helpers for every 10 to 15 visitors expected.

20. Have one helper make out name tags as the people come in. • After the meeting each evening, collect quiz sheets and offering envelopes left at the tables. • Keep accurate and up-to-date records. • After a few nights, you can begin a book table, with another helper to run it.

21. The first few nights, encourage people to bring friends. • Remember that the people are to do the lessons ahead of time so you can just go over them during the session. • If you plan to follow up with an evangelistic series and not finish the lessons in class, be sure to make clear on opening night and regularly thereafter that this is a prelude to a more detailed presentation to come later.

22. Visitation is the key to success. As friendships develop and people have an opportunity to share, you will be able to more fully share the gospel. (For a more detailed description of visitation, see Chapter 12. “Visitation and Getting Decisions.”)