Missionary Seminar in Toronto

On December 25th we were gathered together to begin our seminar. Brother Timo Martin spoke about the importance of the missionary work.
The purpose of the church is saving souls. In the first place our own souls and next our brothers and sisters and finally the souls outside. The next question comes, what is the purpose of our lives in this world? Again the answer is saving souls – our own and others.
God has given us talents which we must use in this work or we will be found as the man with one talent and being cast out.
“All who receive the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow men.” D.A. p. 822.

Paul said, “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel”. 1 Cor. 9:16
Is there an incentive to labour for souls? Sister White writes, “To see souls saved in heaven, this alone should be an incentive to labour for them.”

“Many would save their own souls if they would enter into the missionary work. ” Test. Vol. 5 p. 390
The whole church will be revived when the members become active in the missionary work, Jesus said, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest. ” Luke 10:2.
And the first person that the Lord should send, let it be you. Say to the Lord, “here am I, send me”. Then your whole life will change, as the life of Paul when he responded to the call to become an apostle to the Gentiles.

The next speaker was brother Oscar Oviedo. His topic was necessary qualifications needed for the successful work.
1. Earnest desire to save souls.
2. Compassion for the unsaved.
3. Consecration, self-sacrifice, love.
4. Childlike simplicity.
5. Without expecting praise
6. Not to care for our own feelings nor reputation
7. Cheerful spirit.
8. The presence of the Holy Spirit.
9. Practice what we preach.
10. Avoid business entanglements.
11. To be sincere
12. No harsh spirit, it denies Christ.
13. Talk of faith.
14. Not to criticize other workers.
15. To be hewn and polished in behaviour.
16. To imitate no one else except Christ.
17. Courtesy and kindness to those who defer from our doctrines.
18. Without selfishness.
19. Put on Gospel shoes. Eph. 6:15
20. Sense of sacred responsibility.
21. Avoid jesting and joking.
22. To have energy and to be thorough.
23. Obey the church leadership.
24. Self-discipline and order.
25. Methodical service leads to success.
26. To be ready to work 24 hours a day.
27. Willing to work at nights.
28. Eye single to honour of God.
29. Guard your health.

After lunch we continued with the presentation by Brother Ivo lonov titled “Methods for the soul saving work”. There are different methods we can use in the soul saving work.
We need to choose the right methods that go along with our talents. General rules apply to everyone. There are also methods that we should not use. The Do’s and Don’ts of Witnessing

“Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.” (Col. 4:5-6)
Like most things in life, witnessing had guidelines. Following is a list of 20 Do’s and 12 Don’ts. They should aid you while witnessing and help prevent serious errors. If, however, you choose to ignore them, witnessing will be difficult and awkward.

Do’s.
1. Do pray.
2. Do speak to please God.
3. Do read your Bible.
4. Do start with a positive witness for Christ.
5. Do keep things simple.
6. Do share your salvation experience with them.
7. Do know what you believe.
8. Do have a genuine love.
9. Do be simple and define your terms.
10. Do memorize appropriate Scriptures if possible.
11. Do be ready to learn from the people you witness to.
12. Do be patient and gentle.
13. Do listen attentively.
14. Do answer their questions.
15. Do ask questions.
16. Do let him save face.
17. Do bring him, if possible, to a decision about Jesus.
18. Do encourage him to study the Bible by itself.
19. Do use Scripture in context.
20. Do remember that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

Don’ts
1. Don’t attack directly or make fun of someone.
2. Don’t jump from one subject to another.
3. Don’t expect too much from him.
4. Don’t have a spiritual chip on your shoulder.
5. Don’t lose patience.
6. Don’t come on too strong.
7. Don’t debate peripheral issues or doctrines.
8. Don’t get sidetracked defending your denomination.
9. Don’t be uptight.
10. Don’t assume.
11. Don’t argue.
12. Don’t speak too fast or unclearly.

Brother Abel Conde had chosen a topic of health. Health reform is the right arm of our message.
By wrong diet, people commit suicides. Our work is teaching people the proper diet and living habits. Jesus and many prophets connected the work of healing with the Gospel message.

Brother Kanagarajah presented a topic of problem questions which come up in the Bible studies.
The first one he mentioned was Secret Rapture. The following Bible verses
prove this teaching wrong: 1 Thess. 4:16-17, Luke 17:26-37, Matt. 24:27, Ps. 50:3, Rev. 1:7. The second false teaching he presented was Immortality of the soul. To prove this teaching wrong he used texts, 1 Tim. 6:15-16, Eccl. 12:7, Gen. 2:7, Ps. 146:4, Ps. 6:5. Also the parable of Lazarus and the rich man was discussed.

Eternal torment was the next problem question. To this we found Bible texts Mai. 4:1-3, Ps. 37:10, 11, 20, 28, Jude 7, 2 Peter 2:6, Rev. 20:9, Heb. 12:29.

Sunday sacredness was discussed at length and several other questions were studied. This concluded our first day of the seminar. December 26 we continued. Brother Timo Martin spoke about Bible studies. One important point is to keep up the interest. Begin with the studies that would be most interesting to the people. Use illustrations especially in the studies with children present. Cut short the study at the most interesting part and promise to continue the following week. Never keep them too long to tire the people. The personal discussions have always before the study rather than after.

The best way to find Bible study contacts is canvassing. Some people can canvass all day and be relaxed, others are under tension for the fear of strangers and for rude refusals. The only way to overcome this fear is to continue canvassing.
Brother Ivo continued with the interesting topic “the Church Key”. He presented 10 different keys to have a healthy successful church based on Acts 2:42-47.

The believers were associated together. They studied the Bible and prayed to God. They had fear and reverence toward God. They were united and had love among them. They had great joy and gladness. They were praising God.
After lunch Brother Augustus Rat-neiya presented a unique way to do missionary work by Tele Evangelizing.

He has experience himself with it, spending most of his time in a wheelchair. He has difficulty reaching people other ways. He spends an hour at a time on the telephone calling people from the phone book. Then he passes the names and addresses of the people who are interested to the worker who will visit them.

Brother Joaquin Hidalgo continued with a study of meetings. Different kinds of meetings are conducted. Some are a great blessing to all present, other types of meetings can drive people away from the church. Brother Mike Newby spoke about the Sabbath School, how important a medium for the soul saving it is. The teacher needs to be careful that no controversies and debates will arise. Also the teacher must not sermonize but ask questions of the subject.

The last topic in the evening was presented by Sister Reyna Conde about work among youth and children. She presented the following guidelines:
1. See Christ in the youth.
2. Show love and interest in them.
3. Meet them at their level.
4. Be patient with them.
5. Pray for them.
6. Be enthusiastic with them. Make them feel needed and important.

On New Year’s Day our seminar continued. Brother Timo Martin spoke about the literature work. The tools we have for the missionary work. It includes canvassing and other methods to distribute our literature out as leaves of autumn. Our literature work includes writing books, articles and flyers. The work in the print shop also is part of the missionary work.

Then all the books, magazines and flyers were presented which we have available in the I.M.S. publishing. Each one was invited to take some of the literature with them to distribute them in their neighbourhoods. With these tools even children can spread out our saving message.

Next Brother Abel Conde spoke about canvassing and colporteur work. He spoke about the experiences that he had during his canvassing years. In canvassing we do not gain only money but souls, great joy in the company of angels. He mentioned seven different wages that canvassing work gives us.

He brought an example of a canvasser in the Bible, Eliezer who was sent out on a mission by Abraham.
George King was one of the first canvassers in the Adventist Church. He became very successful in selling Adventist publications in the United States as well as in his home country Canada. He had a special method that he had developed in his 28 years of canvassing work.

Brother Kanagarjah continued with the topic of influence of example in the soul saving work. Our example can drive members and visitors out of the church or can help them to stay in. David writes: “Let not them that wait on Thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek Thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.” Ps. 69:6 He spoke about our influence on the members of the church and on those who are still outside. We need to lift up Christ in our behaviour, then we will have a good influence on others.
Brother Oscar Oviedo spoke about personal ministry which is done on a one to one basis. First we begin with sowing the seed. Once it starts to grow, then we continue to cultivate the plant to give it water and nourishment and finally comes the harvest, the baptism. This personal minis try we can do with our neigh hours also in our work places and schools. He also presented a method to call together three to five people for prayer bands without teaching the doctrines for a while. Eventually it will lead to personal work.

Brother Timo Martin concluded the missionary seminar with an appeal to each one to use their talents in this work. Even children can do their part. Others are to pray for those who go out to sow the precious seed.

“The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest. ” Matt. 9:37-38. Let your prayer be that the first one whom the Lord will send will be yourself. Let us make this New Year a year of soul saving efforts. Beginning with ourselves, our families, our churches and to the uttermost parts of the earth. AMEN