The Ohio Independent Baptist, September 1971

-It orks!- by Rev . Donald Sewell As I v-,as \.\ alking do\\ n the corridor of a local hospital, I heard a head– nurse sa) Hthe onl 1· thing that \.\ ill sa\e his life 1s a blood transfusion.'' e\.\- blood! As I went on to the room to \ 1 1t one of our sick members, I tJ1ought of v,.. hat the nurse had said and ho\.\' it relates to the ew Testa– ment principle of a growing church: and I thought to my·se]f how important , 1sitation 1s to the local church . It is like blood in the human body - it 1s the ver 1· life of the church. Someone has said that the church that does not evangelize will be dead in one generation. yow I realize that the Holy Sp1r1t is the very heart , life, and po" er of a e\.\- Testament church; and \\'here such life is evi– denced. there will be an active, en– thu iastic visitation ministry . We hear pa tors complain about problems 10 the church, and there are some. We hear people sa)' our churches are dead, and pastor and people both con1plain that they do not see people 'Nalking the aisles in our churche~. When all - the ills of the church are diagnosed, the one disease that will be d1 covered will probably be a deficient v isitat1on program. od has clearly outlined in the bool~ of Acts that the v.'a)' to build a 1 e"' Testarnent church and to reach 1,cople witJ1 ti1e ospel of J csus Christ i an orga11izcd isitation progran1 that i local-churct1 ce11tered. hi l1as l>ec11 pro,,ed in man)' of our cht1rches aero s An1erica... I llere are on1e sir11plc prin– ciples tl1at are ir1 o) ed in t1avir1g a succe ful ,,i itation progra,11. I h ~ fir t i 1l1e J> A 1..0 R as tt1c e to a ucce ul ,,i itatio11 11rogra111. er} 1 tl1ing ri nd fall or1 lea ler- t111> and o tt1 pa tor 111u t l>c a 1 1t1ng pa tor if }1e 1>e t l1i p OJ lc ~o "'.i it. A pastor needs to set goals 1n h1 own personal ministry to make a certain number of visits per week. A pa tor must not only visit h1m.rclf but al o constantly encourage and pro– mote the vi itation program in all of !he services of the church. Since we visit on Thur day, I u e Wednesda)' night to not only promote the visitation program, but also to ask people to tand and commit themselves to be with u on Thursday night for vi ita– tion. The econd principle is that of PRIORITIES. It is quite obviou as \.\e tt1dy the Word of God that one of the ministries that was given high priority 1n the early church was that of vi itation - ' And daily in the ten1ple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesu hri t" (Acts 5 :42). The visitation program demand top priority in the program and calendar of any local church There ts no ubstitute for vi itation. nor 1 there any club program that can be 1n1tiated to take the place of a 81bl1cal "'isitat1on progran1. ince \\'e t1 uall) 1 accon1plish what "'e want to accon1pl1sh \ t\ttation hould ha,·e a higl1 pr1or1t) 1n the m1n1str) of ot1r local church. A 1t1ird principle 15 that there 111t1~t he a f>l... A A v1~1t<.1t1on progran1 that is not organized and pla11ncd \Vilt soon die out for lack of interc. t. 1 here 11eeds to be a vi itation secretary \\ l10 a(leqt1atcl) a11d cflicat.::ntly takes cure of tl1e rt::cord ~ and prospect ards . ·r11is a11 t::itl1t.::r l)e a al, rit:d sc retar)' or a ,oluntecr. 111 tl1c 1>lan l)I' a vi it1. tio11 1>r gra111, it is 111y convi tio11 tl1at a IJ ial 11igl1t of tl1t \Veek l>c set a id n the c}1 t1r 11 a lend r tl1at i gi v n o, er 01111)1 lei ' to thi n1i11istry. 1\ I ur 1 1 011i ' I Pr grain rr1 d t11 rt1 le J)ICIUI s l 1111 1anu -b s I 1 \\ 111 g a 1> cl I t , f t 11 e \ 1 1 t a t 1 11 I 13 a ll t I st h t11 • I 1, I ll o, t1 1o Ile, 001 , Id :.,, II 1s O()t 111 re tl1 f} , rutl r , ti I a Jllu1 d , el Jl d tl1rot1gt1 e 1> 1 •~r J, A a d Ir t r u I I f t t1eIr \ I I I I I J It J ll I 11 1 nut:I 13aJltt t l1t1r 11 a .. ,ng tt st ad gr , th 111 ~ ul i 1ng r 11 ,1tl1 tile g J> I' BAPJIS the tolk at t t 11dance and REV . DONALD SEWELL visitation supper in metropolitan and uburban areas has pro\'ed to be bene– ficial in recruiting Chri tian \Vho e employment hinders them from arr1v- 1ng 1n time to help vi it This ha proved helpful in our \ 1 1tat1on, and a yearly schedule is printed cheduling every lady who is able to help u prepare and er've the meal. In our planned program of , 1 1tation here at Emmanuel Bapt1 t Church. ever 1 adult class is respon ible to ee that all 1 itors and pro pect - rece1\ e a per onal vi it on vi itat1on night . The plan ot ottr \ i 1tat1on progran1 al- o include \ 1 1t that e, er, Chr1 t1an • can become 1n'volved 1n . tich a • pro pect call , can,·as call . ab entee call . and oul-'winning call The dif– ference bet\\-een a mob and an arm\' t\ organization. We cannot expe t our \ t\itat1on program to continue effec– t1\ el, \\ ithout an organized plan. A 11 other pr 1 nc 1 p 1 e that 1" ..1 n ab l) · lute nece~ 1t, for a frt11tft1l , 1s1t.1t1on progr .. 1r11 1 Pf R I TF CY. ,.\ farn1e1 doe n<)t plant a field of C<)fn 111J l1ar\\!\t 1t in one ,,cc:k. or e,cn in ont: 111011th. To 111, d light and jO)', 1 l1ave et'11 tl1at , 1'i1t .. 1tion i · frt1itft1l ,vhen it i~ l)t:r!'ii tl"ntl pra ti ed ()\ er a pr - lo11gcd pc11t)d of t i111e . 111 n1e in– sta11 c , it has t ke11 't;Ver, l , ,i -- its t r 'th a f·1111il fr hri t: but there i~ ·:t i,, a) rejoi ing tl1 t c Illt; ,vitll tl1"' 1 c, r,i 11g. he be t ,, ' t kill a , i italil 11 1,rogrnn1 i" tl. t 111p raril n el it f r tl1 t1111111er r t p t - J) nc it t 111ak r n1 f r 111 thing el . lie \lit tin 11ighl i jt1 t in1p It 11t a tl1c pr, r n1 eting nigl1t \\ e 111t1 t l Jler i tent. fi ft 11 pr 1 n l Jl I 1 t }1 a t P f I \\ 1 t1 n dr:. 11 ar 1n trtt t d a t tl1 n 1l,1l1t t 1 1t nd th und l t , nd fli er elf t \ 1 l t, Oll h l \ e , PT MB R, 1 71 5