Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

is love. Jesus loves us and seeks theChurch for His bride, b) Add helmet ofsalvation to the Christian soldier.Prayer MeetingTopicFor May 12,1971PRAYER FOR THE NEWPACIFIC COAST PRESBYTERYEXTENSION MINISTRYLOCATED IN WALNUT, CALIFORNIABy Rev. D. Raymond McCrackenWalnut, California"...for I will work a work in your days,which ye will not believe, though it be toldyou" (Hab. 1:5b).These words have become a veryspecial promise to us. They have providedus with great hope as we have approachedand begun this new phase of ministry.Already the Lord has done manyastonishing works and opened doors whichwe viewed as impossible. For His goodnesswe do give thanks.Suggested Psalms: 100:1-4, p.237; 67:1-3,p. 161; 66: 1-3, p. 157.Suggested Scripture — John 4: 1-26 — Inthis passage note the following:How He established a new contact.How He developed and directed theconversation....or did He?Did the woman give evidence of a need?Did Jesus meet any needs? If sowhat?Keep before you — John 10: 1-21,especially vv. 14-16.THE WORK:LOCATION: After some intensivesearching, we believe the Lord directed thePresbytery to the community of Walnut,California. The address is 20563 BarnardAve. Walnut, California, 91789. Thesituation at the time of this writing is thatthe Presbytery carries a one-year leaseagreement during which time ground workcontact and study is being done. It is agood location for the following reasons:Walnut is a community having a largenumber of homes three years or less in agewith some brand new homes. A largeacreage, 4,000 or 73 per cent of the city iscurrently undeveloped or vacantagriculture land. This large acreage is thearea which represents the potential forWalnut in a county such as Los Angeles. Anew high school opened last year just twoblocks from us. A junior high openedthree or four years ago. There are many°ther physical improvements toonumerous to mention here.Our home is approximately 30 miles"Om the Santa Ana congregation and 34from the Los Angeles congregation. Wehave already been able to have fellowshipand worship with these congregations.In addition to the above mentionedpotential, Walnut is completelysurrounded with cities such as: WestCovina, La Puente, Diamond Bar, Covina,Rowland Heights, etc. Already a goodlynumber of people have come for Biblestudy from these neighboring cities.APPROACH: Through the use of abrochure, a calling program was carriedout. Advertisement was also carriedthrough a small local newspaper. Bothmeans proved effective.The Extension Ministry is nowcentered around two group Bible studies.A women's group meets on Mondaymorning; the other meets at 8:00 p.m. onTuesday. This is a study attended by folks,junior high age on up. The women's groupis studying Learning To Be A Woman bySmith, while the Tuesday group is studyingin the Gospel of John. We have found areal need for both types of Bible studies.THE STUDIES: The Tuesday eveningstudy is carried out in this manner. Thepeople are seated in a loose circle formabout our living room. Generally a fewminutes are given for introductions andvisiting for we have had to this writing anew person nearly every time. Since apassage is chosen a week in advance andsince cards of reminder and invitationcontaining the passage reference aremailed out during the week, we begin thestudy by assuming some familiarity with atleast the words of the passage. I then givea brief setting of the passage and suggestsome key thoughts which they might lookfor along with some questions which aredesigned to set them thinking.The group is then divided intosmaller groups which search out thepassage in detail. Again the groups cometogether and share significant thoughts andtruths stated in the passage. We thendiscuss how these truths apply to our livesnow in 1971.The Lord has given several goldenopportunities to present the direct plan ofsalvation...these opportunities coming viaspecific questions on the matter. We doask you to pray with us specifically at thispoint that fruit will grow to His glory.PRAYER:— That God's blessing will continue torest upon these studies because nothingcan be accomplished apart from Him.— That the Presbytery and its Commissionwill be given direction as they oversee andguide the work.— That people will be drawn to Christ outof darkness, and seeing Him will also wantto grow in Him and worship Him.— Spend some time in prayer for yourministrv.HOW CHURCHES HAVE FAILEDDr. W. Graham Scroggie pennedsome burning words that demand theattention of all church leaders. "We havebanked more on prestige than prayer" hesaid. "We have organized more than wehave agonized; we have allowed ritual toobscure reality; we have thought more ofconferences than of consecration. Inshort, we have displaced the Holy Spirit,and it is high time that we recognize thecause of our spiritual stringency."—SelectedIS CHRISTIAN TRAININGREWARDING?Here is a study of two families:Max Jukes lived in the state of NewYork. He did not believe in Christiantraining. He married a girl of likecharacter. From this union they havestudied 1,026 descendants. Three hundredof them died prematurely. One hundredwere sent to the penitentiary for anaverage of 13 years each. One hundredand ninety were public prostitutes. Therewere 100 drunkards, and the family costthe state SI,200,000. They made nocontribution to society.Jonathan Edwards lived in the samestate. He believed in Christian training.He married a girl of like character. Fromthis union they have studied 729descendants. Out of this family have come300 preachers, 65 college professors, 13university presidents, 60 authors of goodbooks, three United States congressmenand one vice-president of the UnitedStates. The difference in the two families:"Christian training in youth and heartconversions." The Bible-based schooloffers this to the youth of our nation.The above is a confirmation of HolyWrit:"Train up a child in the way heshould go and even when he is old he willnot depart from it" (Prov. 22:6).Christian School GuideSatan desires us, great and small,As wheat to sift us, and we all.Are tempted;Not one, however rich or great.Is by his station or estateExempted—LongfellowUNITED PRAYER CONFERENCEMay 9-16TOPIC: THE FAMILYSponsored byNational CY StaffLook for programsthe last week of MarchAPRIL 14, 1971 13