The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1920, Page 20

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_ without leaving home.

20 The Lutheran Pioneer.

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Besides our Christian day-schools we have in
New Orleans a higher school, bearing the name of
Luther College, and at Greensboro, N. C., is Im-
manuel College. This latter school has a theo-
logical seminary as well as a normal school con-
nected with it, and there are also two rented
dormitories for girls.

The number of workers on the field is increas-
ing from year to year. The people on the field in
the past two years gave much more than they ever
did before for the Christian education of their chil-
dren and the maintenance of their churches. The
friends of the Negro Mission have also been steadily
growing in number from year to year, and our
prayerful hope is that this growth in gifts may con-
tinue, and that an increased interest in this neces-
sary work will continue to manifest itself in the
future. F. J.T.

A Letter.

We take the following from a letter written to
a young friend several months ago: —

“First of all, I wish to express my gratification
to you because of your interest in the great work of
missions. It is the great work of the Church, in-
deed, and it is to be regretted that not all Chris-
tians are convinced of its great importance. . . .

“The Mission Study Class that I referred to in
the PIONEER several months ago was one consisting.
of a number of ladies belonging to one congrega-
tion, who meet once a month or oftener for the pur-
pose of study and discussion. Some book on mis-
sions is taken up for study, the PIoNEER is read by
every member at home, and the book and PioNEER
articles are discussed in the meetings. Very good
books for study are, for example, Our Colored Mis-
sion, I]lustrated and The Child in the Midst, both
of ‘which may be had from the Concordia Publish-
ing House, St. Lonis,-Mo. A good plan is to have
two leaders ‘for each meeting, one to lead in the
discussion of a chapter of the book selected for
study, and the other to-lead in the discussion of the
PIoNEER articles. These leaders should, of course,
read up on their work. before the meeting, and come
prepared to answer reasonable questions.

“And now a word to you concerning your wish
to do mission-work. You will be able to do that.
If circumstances at home
permitted you to go to/some far-off couhtry. among

_ heathen people, I should encourage you to prepare

1

for such work. But since your people cannot get
along without you, it is plainly your duty to stay
at home and help them all you can. But your stay-
ing at home need not hinder you in doing mission-
work. You will be able to do that without leaving
home. I am sure that if you look about a little,
various people will come to your mind who are not
as yet connected with any church. Among them
there may be such as you could persuade to go to
church if you tried. Why not try to have them go
with you? And then tell your pastor about them
and have him help you. I am sure he will be de-
lighted to have the opportunity, since a true pastor
is always on the lookout for prospective members
of his church.

“I know of a pastor who was laughed at when
he spoke of doing mission-work in the town io
which he had been called. He was told that there
would be no chance at all for mission-work, since
all the outside people that cared to join the Lu-
theran Church had done so in the past sixty years.
But despite this talk of the people, he went to work,
and by God’s help, during a ministry of about ten
years, he has been able to receive into his church
150 persons who would not be Lutherans to-day if
he had not gone after them.

“A person need not be called a missionary to do
mission-work. A person need not go far away from
home to gain souls for Christ. Right in your neigh-
borhood, living all about you, are people who should
and, perhaps, could be won for the Lord. Your
next-door neighbor is perhaps such a person. Jesus
and His apostles first worked among their own
people and neighbors. In fact, Jesus never got
farther than His own people in His work, and the
apostles did not leave Jerusalem to work among
strangers until they had worked there for a long
time. By their work at home they showed that
they would be good: workers away from home.
A person that has the desire to bring souls to
Christ need not go far to find such souls.

“So, then, I would say to you, dear friend, stay
ut home with your.parents as long as they need
you; do your full duty by them gladly and will-

ingly, and know that that is a part of the work’

God wants. you to do. And as the opportunity
offers itself, speak to those who do not yet know the
Savior, as you find them among your acquaintances
and neighbors, and invite them to go with you to
your church. ‘That will be your mission-work, and
the angels will rejoice to see you do it. God will
certainly bless your work!” F. J. L.