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Pastoral Ministry
Doctrinal Grounding
Give Bible studies to the newly converted to fully and firmly
establish them in the truth—Direct the mind to Him who guides and
controls all things. Christ will be the manna and the spiritual dew to
these newly converted souls. In Him is no darkness at all. As men
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of spiritual understanding conduct Bible studies with them, telling
them how to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit, that they may be
fully and firmly established in the truth, the power of God will be
revealed.—
Evangelism, 284
.
Have special meetings with new members—Candidates who
have grown to manhood and womanhood should understand their duty
better than do the younger ones; but the pastor of the church has a
duty to do for these souls. Have they wrong habits and practices? It
is the duty of the pastor to have special meetings with them. Give
them Bible readings, converse and pray with them, and plainly show
the claims of the Lord upon them. Read to them the teaching of the
Bible in regard to conversion. Show what is the fruit of conversion,
the evidence that they love God. Show that true conversion is a change
of heart, of thoughts and purposes. Evil habits are to be given up. The
sins of evil-speaking, of jealousy, of disobedience, are to be put away.
A warfare must be waged against every evil trait of character. Then the
believing one can understandingly take to himself the promise: “Ask,
and it shall be given you.”—
Testimonies for the Church 6:95
.
Teach new converts to study the Scriptures—Upon all new con-
verts should be impressed the truth that abiding knowledge can be
gained only by earnest labor and persevering study. As a rule, those
who are converted to the truth we preach have not previously been
diligent students of the Scriptures; for in the popular churches there is
little real study of the Word of God. The people look to the ministers
to search the Scriptures for them and to explain what they teach.—
Evangelism, 367
.
Reading grounds people in the truth—Though the minister may
faithfully present the message, the people are not able to retain it all.
The printed page is therefore essential, not only in awakening them to
the importance of the truth for this time, but in rooting and grounding
them in the truth, and establishing them against deceptive error. Papers
and books are the Lord’s means of keeping the message for this time