Karen Lewis, Rocky Mountain Conference lay Bible worker program director, spoke to more than 50 Idaho conference members July 26–28 about using friendship and an open and honest approach to present the gospel.
In recent years, growth in our Adventist church has slowed. Lewis' presence and instruction was designed to help address some of the factors that may be contributing to our slower growth, including lack of member involvement, formality and coldness felt in many churches today, and post-modern thinking.
The good news is that these negative trends can be reversed with a simple commitment of each member rethinking his or her involvement in soul winning. Lewis herself has seen 71 of the 74 people she has studied with, using her lessons, join the church in recent years. Beginning with a friendly, open approach, many times providentially arranged, hundreds of members have seen their lives revived and new people coming to Christ and joining the Adventist church.
Lewis' practice of uplifting Jesus in each of her first nine studies, which discuss various aspects of the plan of salvation, has been singularly successful. After warming to personal friendships and beginning a new relationship with the Savior, people often see the logic and reason in the rest of Adventist doctrines presented in the remaining studies.
As a follow-up to Lewis' presentation, each Tuesday, in the Nampa Church, students and willing participants gather for encouragement, fellowship, and to report what God has accomplished.
Karen Lewis, Rocky Mountain Conference lay Bible worker program director, presents a weekend of training for Idaho Conference members. (Erv Furne)
