Christ ministered to people’s needs before inviting them to follow Him—Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.”—The Ministry of Healing, 143.
(PaM 117.1)
Devise methods to reach the people where they are—Let every worker in the Master’s vineyard, study, plan, devise methods, to reach the people where they are. We must do something out of the common course of things. We must arrest the attention. We must be deadly in earnest. We are on the very verge of times of trouble and perplexities that are scarcely dreamed of.—Evangelism, 122, 123.
(PaM 117.2)
A “beehive” church will have a multi-faceted program for reaching the community—During the past few years the “beehive” in San Francisco has been indeed a busy one. Many lines of Christian effort have been carried forward by our brethren and sisters there. These included visiting the sick and destitute, finding homes for orphans and work for the unemployed, nursing the sick, and teaching the truth from house to house, distributing literature, and conducting classes on healthful living and the care of the sick. A school for the children has been conducted in the basement of the Laguna Street meetinghouse. For a time a workingmen’s home and medical mission was maintained. On Market Street, near the city hall, there were treatment rooms, operated as a branch of the St. Helena Sanitarium. In the same locality was a health-food store. Nearer the center of the city, not far from the Call building, was conducted a vegetarian cafe, which was open six days in the week and entirely closed on the Sabbath. Along the water front, ship mission work was carried on. At various times our ministers conducted meetings in large halls in the city. Thus the warning message was given by many.—The Review and Herald, July 5, 1906.
(PaM 117.3)
Seek until you have the joy of finding—The lesson of persevering faith and labor Christ Himself has taught us. In the parable of the lost sheep He has presented to our imagination no picture of a sorrowful shepherd returning without the sheep. The shepherd’s search ceases not until the lost is brought back to the fold. The woman whose coin is lost searches till she finds it. These parables do not speak of failure but of success and joy in the recovery of the lost. Here is the divine guarantee that not one lost soul is overlooked, not one is left unsuccored. With all our efforts in seeking for the lost, Christ will cooperate.—(Australasian) Union Conference Record, July 1, 1900.
(PaM 117.4)
Publications
Reading prepares the way for the spoken word—I have been shown that few have any correct idea of what the distribution of papers and tracts is doing. The missionary work, in circulating the publications upon present truth, is opening doors everywhere, and preparing minds to receive the truth, when the living preacher shall come among them. The success which attends the efforts of ministers in the field is not due alone to their efforts, but in a great degree to the influence of the reading matter which has enlightened the minds of the people and removed prejudice. Thus many are made susceptible to the influence of the truth when it is presented before them.—The Publishing Ministry, 398.
(PaM 118.1)
Get books into the hands of all who will read—In every important place there should be a depository for publications. And someone who really appreciates the truth should manifest an interest to get these books into the hands of all who will read.—Testimonies for the Church 1:473.
(PaM 118.2)
We should get out books that can be sold cheaply—Do not accept the temptations which will come to you with peculiar force to get out books which involve a large investment of money. The Lord is not in this matter. The thousands of dollars expended in illustrations could be invested in getting out books and selling them cheaply. As ministers attend tent meetings, they should have the privilege of taking these books with them, and selling them as cheaply as possible. With the money they receive above what the books have cost them, they should buy books to present to those of our people who cannot afford to purchase them, or to unbelievers, who may thus be brought to a knowledge of the truth.—Counsels to Writers and Editors, 168, 169.
(PaM 118.3)
Health Ministry
Combining medical missionary work and ministry of the Word, we can reach all classes—The gospel ministry is an organization for the proclamation of the truth to the sick and to the well. It combines the medical missionary work and the ministry of the Word. By these combined agencies opportunities are given to communicate light and to present the gospel to all classes and all grades of society. God wants the ministers and the church members to take a decided, active interest in the medical missionary work.—Testimonies for the Church 6:300, 301.
(PaM 118.4)
Ministers should sometimes gain listeners’ interest in Bible doctrine by first giving talks on health—In our sanitariums our ministers, who labor in Word and doctrine, should give short talks upon the principles of temperance, showing that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and bringing to the minds of the people the responsibility resting upon them as God’s purchased possession to make the body a holy temple, fit for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As this instruction is given, the people will become interested in Bible doctrine.—Temperance, 245.
(PaM 119.1)
If physicians and ministers will work together in the presentation of truth, more will be reached—The work you have been doing in the city is meeting Heaven’s approval. What you have done demonstrates that if our physicians and our ministers can work together in the presentation of truth to the people, more can be reached than could be influenced by the ministers laboring alone. I trust that your example in this respect may be followed by other physicians.—Counsels on Health, 543.
(PaM 119.2)
Family Ministry
Uplifting humanity begins in the home—The restoration and uplifting of humanity begins in the home. The work of parents underlies every other. Society is composed of families, and is what the heads of families make it. Out of the heart are “the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23); and the heart of the community, of the church, and of the nation is the household. The well-being of society, the success of the church, the prosperity of the nation, depend upon home influences.—The Ministry of Healing, 349.
(PaM 119.3)