1988 Southern Union Camp Meeting Schedules
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Evangelism/ Church Growth Institute Ron Halvorsen makes a point during an evangelistic crusade in Miami. by the Editors says Dennis Ross, co-director of the Evangelism Explosion Seminar Institute. To evangelize is to bring or The first instructions that Jesus vangelism is not the only announce good news. The good gave to His new followers were, thing in the church, EVAN- news, of course, is that Jesus Christ "Come ye after me, and I will make GELISM is EVERYTHING IN has provided salvation for all people you to become fishers of men." Mark THE CHURCH. This is the con- and that He is coming again to put an 1:17. Ecept of the Evangelism/Church end to sin and suffering. This is the Evangelism Explosion, one of sev- Growth Institute. Good News that the directors of the eral seminars offered to pastors and During the 1986 Southern Union Institute carry to men and women, laity, equips people to carry out the Conference session, it was voted that boys and girls, every day. It is also the Great Commission. We don't do this the Union needed to establish a vehi- Institute's burden to help the laity un- in our own strength but by the explo- cle for training ministers and laity in derstand that they have a vital role in sive, dynamic power of the Holy Spirit the area of public evangelism. giving this good news of salvation, operating in our lives, says Halvor- Since the birth of the Evangelism/ according to Ross. sen. The Institute trains pastors all Church Growth Institute, many minis- "Seventh-day Adventists have a over the Southern Union and North ters have attended various seminars special message for these times and America in an intense, one-week clinic. These pastors, in turn, are for further educational training, and therefore have a special reason for equipped to disciple their churches in laymen have trained as soulwinners evangelism. Our message is one of a 12-to- 16-week basic training course for God. In a year and a half there have urgency, as the cry of a coming storm, which meets one day a week. been more than 300 baptisms attrib- both warning of danger and pointing During basic training, a disciple uted to the Institute. out the way to safety. This cry is not learns how to effectively share his/her "The Institute believes evangelism limited to the paid minister, but must testimony. He/she learns how to is the supreme task of the church, the involve each member who knows that communicate the gospel and lead a one job Christ gave us to do. It is the Jesus is coming soon," according to person to Jesus Christ. only work in which we can engage that Ron Halvorsen, co-director of the In- This is done not only in a classroom will have results that last for eternity," stitute. setting, but in on-the-job training. Each trainee goes out with a trained person and listens as the trainer leads someone to Christ. In one year, the Evangelism/Church Growth Institute trained 42 pastors and 20 lay people in Evangelism Ex- plosion. Eighty-one were baptized as a result of Evangelism Explosion. These people were won to Jesus be- cause of the united efforts of trained lay people and pastors. Field School in Evangelism This course is especially designed for students at our colleges who are interested in going into pastoral, evangelistic ministry. It covers public and personal evangelism, preparing the student to hold evangelistic meet- ings and discipling courses in a local Ministerial and lay training are key elements of the Evangelism/Church Growth Institute. church setting. 2 ■ Southern Tidings May, 1988 as Developing a Message from the Public Evangelistic Crusades Text, Delivering the Message, Illus- trating and Applying Biblical Princi- The directors of the Institute not ples, Making Christ Central in Your only conduct evangelism workshops Exposition, Step-by-Step Sermon in the various churches and confer- Preparation, The Pastor's Library, The ences in the Southern Union, but en- Pastor's Devotional Life, Evangelistic gage in public evangelism each year Preaching, and The Sermonic Year. and are instrumental in leading hun- dreds of men and women to Christ. Seminar in Effective Preaching The Evangelism/Church Growth In- For Laity stitute conducts at least three Laity who have opportunities to evangelistic crusades a year to preach, or would like to learn how to evangelize the community and preach, will appreciate this seminar. strengthen the local church. This is It is a three-day seminar consisting of accomplished in extensive pre-work practical instruction on how to write that is done before the crusade even and deliver a sermon. Students also begins. Dennis Ross, during a summer evangelistic receive outlines of sermons. This The laity in the churches involved in crusade, invites listeners to accept Christ. course is especially beneficial in the crusades are discipled, nurtured multi-church districts where the pas- and taught with the intention that they tor is often gone. The seminar is a will in turn reach into their community The student attends and works in a condensed version of the minister's communicating the good news of field school conducted by co- seminar, and includes how to begin, Jesus Christ. directors Ron Halvorsen or Dennis how to choose a text, the parts of a The Evangelism/Church Growth In- Ross in an area in the Southern Union. sermon, getting over nervousness, stitute seeks to provide a base for Mornings are devoted to classes cov- putting the sermon together, and de- church growth that will last long after ering Evangelism Explosion, all as- livery. an evangelistic crusade. pects of public evangelism, and prac- tical soul-winning ministry. Emphasis in the afternoon is geared toward visi- tation, with an evening crusade in progress, according to Gail Skilton, Is Adventist evangelism rebounding? coordinator. All courses are held in Many knowledgeable observers believe it is. the summers in conjunction with a The decade of the 80s has produced special challenges for Soul-winning, major evangelistic effort. Pastors par- especially among the white population. ticipating are required to complete According to one unofficial survey the number of full-time evangelists in the course with the students. Pastors the North American Division fell from more than 100 to a low of some 35. from the field must be approved by Attendance declined. Advertising materials seemed to lose their appeal. the Evangelism/Church Growth Insti- Some churches were reluctant to host public crusades. Member attendance tute staff. Approval by the Religion was less than in previous years. Departments of Southern or Oak- "I have observed an upswing in the number of churches requesting wood college is required for students crusades," reportsJames Greek, evangelism coordinator for 011ie Gulf States who receive six hours of credit in prac- Conference. tical and evangelistic work, says Skil- "We have more pastors willing to engage in public evangeli$m," concurs ton. Roy Caughron, Georgia-Cumberland evangelism coordinator. Attendance is on the rise. Nearly 300 visitors crowded into the Huntsville Hilton January 9 for the opening of Dan Collin's crusade. Motivational Seminars Georgia-Cumberland Evangelist Wendall Stover opened to nonAdventist crowds of 184 in Valdosta January 9 and approximately 250 in Columbus The Institute conducts motivational March 11. seminars for pastors and church Southern Union Evangelist Lyle Albrecht opened to some 200 guests leaders as a part of its service in the March 4 in Mobile. Southern Union. The purpose of this A three-night series by George Vandeman March 11-13 in Chattanooga seminar is to provide experiences as was attended by more than 500 guests. Three hundred fifty of these signed well as the basic principles that have up for one of 15 area Revelation Seminars. helped to motivate people to success. More individuals are being baptized, too. According to Florida Conference This seminar also teaches the im- President M. D. Gordon, baptisms in his conference from January to March portance of a healthy self-image, how have been twice those during the corresponding months in 1987. to set goals and reach them and the Ralph Ringer and George Whitsett report 20 baptisms in Athland City, importance of the "right attitude." All Tennessee. Local church membership was less than 50. of the principles given in this seminar Albrecht's 1988 crusades in Gainesville, Florida, with Steve Joannou, and are extremely valuable to pastors and in Mobile with Ken Harding, Clyde Smith, and Benton Davis, resulted in 25 church leaders and will help prevent and 30 baptisms, respectively. "burnout" in their service for God and Ron Halvorsen and Dennis Ross, from the Southern Union's Evangelism/ to the church. Church Growth Institute, report 300 baptisms during an 18-month period. (See accompanying article.) Seminar in Effective Preaching Revelation Seminars continue to be effective in soul winning. For Ministers Supporting the evangelistic thrust is the Department of Communication. This seminar is designed for the Through use of demographic data, professionally designed and tested pastor or administrator who is in- advertising materials, effective targeting of receptive populations, and terested in developing preaching careful selection of both electronic and print media, attendance has in- skills. It is a three-day seminar offered creased and cost effectiveness improved. to conferences and covers such topics Volume 82 SOUTHERN TIDINGS (USPS 507-000) Number 5 May, 1988 Published monthly by the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Box 849, Decatur, GA 30031. Southern Tidings ■ 3 Second-class postage paid at Decatur, Ga., and additional offices of entry. Subscription rate—five dollars per year. POSTMASTER: send changes of address to SOUTHERN TIDINGS, Box 849, Decatur, GA 30031.