# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1941_S196
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

io4 , Reports on General Missions

c. To kindle a passion for souls in the center of our people’s
thinking; , ,

d. To devote ourselves with greater energy to the promulgation
of the Gospel as an expression of thanksgiving for the blessings
we have received from God.

The following is a brief. résumé of the work done by the Call
of the Cross Committee: -

First Step: The groundwork for this great forward-for-Christ
movement was undertaken with the issuance of the little devo-
tional booklets in Lent, 1936. Since then nearly 6,000,000 of these
booklets have been distributed throughout our Church in its
homes. This back-to-the-Bible-and-prayer movement is bearing
spiritual fruit.

Second Step: Synod-wide Presidents’ and Visitors’ Conference
in River Forest, September, 1936.—A meeting which proved our
officials were imbued with a God-inspired determination to go for-
ward into battle-fields for spiritual conquests.

Third Step: Appointment of synodical, District, and circuit
Call of the Cross committees during 1937.

Fourth Step: Joint meeting of all District Call of the Cross
Committees in St. Louis, September, 1987.

Fifth Step: Meeting of 29 separate District Call of the Cross
committees with circuit Call of the Cross committees. (District
Assemblies.) These were held in the late fall of 1937.

Sixth Step: Pastoral conferences on “Let Us Search and Try
our Ways.” Early spring 1938.

Seventh Step: Circuit Assemblies.— A record of 245 circuit
Call of the Cross assemblies is without precedent in our generation.
About 10,000 men attended these meetings. They were held in
the first half of 1938.

Eighth Step: The Call of the Cross Committee made available
the Missionary Workman Manuals for the pastors and the congre-
gational committees. The primary objective and purpose of these
manuals was to give to. our congregations suggestions for the
work of personal evangelism. It was called “The Family Plan.”
9,175 of these manuals were sold at $1.50 per set (1 Folder “A”
and 4 Folders “B”). Thus far there have been distributed 1,700
“A” Folders and 8,015 “B” Folders. While much of the material
contained in the Missionary Workman Manuals was directly re-
lated to the Centennial year, the bulk of the material is applicable
to present-day conditions.

Ninth Step: Early in 1939 the second edition of Let Us Search
and Try Our Ways was made available to the conferences. The
title of that paper was “What Is My Relation to My Office?”