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Welfare Ministry
All United to Finish the Work—Those who have the spiritual
oversight of the church should devise ways and means by which an
opportunity may be given to every member of the church to act some
part in God’s work. Too often in the past this has not been done. Plans
have not been clearly laid and fully carried out whereby the talents of
all might be employed in active service. There are but few who realize
how much has been lost because of this.
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The leaders in God’s cause, as wise generals, are to lay plans for
advance moves all along the line. In their planning they are to give
special study to the work that can be done by the laity for their friends
and neighbors. The work of God in this earth can never be finished
until the men and women comprising our church membership rally
to the work and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church
officers.—
Testimonies for the Church 9:116, 117
.
Christ Can Be Represented in All Lawful Callings—All should
be taught how to work. Especially should those who are newly come
to the faith be educated to become laborers together with God. If this
duty is neglected, the work of the minister is incomplete.
But God does not want His people to hang their weight upon the
ministers. As a steward of the grace of God, every church member
should feel an individual responsibility to have life and root in himself.
All who are ordained unto the life of Christ are ordained to work for
the salvation of their fellow men. He who loves God supremely and
his neighbor as himself cannot rest content with doing nothing.
Did the professed believers in the truth live the truth, they would
today all be missionaries. Some would be working in the islands of
the sea; some, in the different countries of the world. Some would
be serving Christ as home missionaries. Not all are called upon to
go abroad. Some may be successful in business lines, and in this
work they may represent Christ. They may show to the world that
business may be conducted on righteous principles, in strict fidelity
to the truth. There may be Christian lawyers, Christian physicians,
Christian merchants. Christ may be represented in all lawful callings.—
Manuscript 19, 1900
.
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Example of a Faithful Church—Sabbath morning, November
10, 1900, we entered the San Francisco church, and found it crowded
to its utmost capacity. As I stood before the people I thought of the
dream and the instruction which had been given me so many years