The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Page 155

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

155

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help you, they can.” Why could we help him?
Because we not only treat outward symptoms, but
strike at the root of the disease, namely, sin, and
because we have the sure remedy for sin-cursed
souls — the blood of Jesus. Who sent that tired
mother and child to you, to us, for aid? The society
of Church. Why does little Willie come to our
center on a Tuesday for clothing? ‘The visiting
nurse of District told his mother she can secure
help at that place. Thus they come, needy in body
and soul. Both needs are supplied according to our
ability and power. Emphasis is laid on supplying
the spiritual needs. Caring constantly for the needs
of others, will you not help your own work in its
need to pay for its center that you now own?

This labor of love, this practical Christian work,
this work of mercy, of soul-saving, is conducted in
the Savior’s name, for the Savior’s sake, among the
Savior’s “least.” It is also conducted in your name,
in the name of your congregation, in the name of
our Lutheran Church.

We conclude believing the brother advised us
correctly when he told us to inform our people of
their work and its needs and that they would sup-
port it with prayers and gifts. ,

H. H. G:, in Allantic Bulletin.

The Success of Personal Evangelism.

This is reported from a city in the State of
New York. The pastor and thirty members entered
upon a systematic canvass of the unchurched in the
city. The pastor had some difficulty in securing the
canvassers, as is usually the case. Most of the mem-
bers excused themselves with the plea that they
could not go out and “talk religion to people.”
Finally, the pastor succeeded in persuading thirty
to go out and try it, largely as a matter of loyalty
to him. ‘The success of the fifteen teams of cam-
paigners was phenomenal from the very beginning,
and with their success their enthusiasm grew

~ stronger and stronger. A number of them admitted

that theirs was a joy such as they had never previ-
ously experienced. Within a week these teams
reported over a hundred applicants for baptism and
confirmation.

But this is not all. Thirty persons, former com-
municants of our Church elsewhere, were discovered
by means of this canvass. Some of them had lived
in the City for a long time, but their existence was

unknown to the pastor, largely due to the fact that:

their former pastors had not sent notice of their
removal. All these were induced to become active
members.

There were certain other interesting results.
Five persons who had deserted the Church of their
youth were brought back into the fold. One woman,
who had been confirmed in 1870, but had left the
Church to embrace some kind of Spiritualism, was
reclaimed. Four others, who, as a result of moving
about, had drifted away, have been reinstated.

The most outstanding incident in this record of
personal evangelism is the case of a man who for
twenty years had been the outspoken enemy of all
churches. The wife was, as she told the canvassers,
interested in church, though she was not a member
of any; but she described her husband as being
opposed to all churches. A team went a second time
to have an interview with the wife. While they
were talking with the woman, the man rather
violently came into the house. At once he began to
pour out his complaints, and he did so in language
that was anything but polite. However, the visitors
patiently let him say all he had to tell. As a youth
he had been accused in church of something which
he had not done. When he had rid his mind of his
grievance, the canvassers began their talk. And so
signally did God bless their arguments and pleading
that he promised to come to church and to be in-
structed in the Word of God. He and his wife, after
proper instruction, were baptized and received into
the communion of the Church.

The report tells us that among the workers were
an automobile salesman, a printer, a banker, a heat-
ing contractor, a postmaster, an insurance agent,
a sales manager, an undertaker, storekeepers, house-

wives, and factory workers. Such people may ‘be |

found in almost every town or city congregation.
Work like this ought to be done in every town and
city and countryside. This is the work that will be
done more and more as we come to a livelier reali-
zation that we should be “workers together with
Christ.” F.J.L.

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Saying It with Lard.

Rey. H. Ebelke tells the following interesting
story of the spirit of sacrifice that guides many
Christians in South America. He writes: —

“One of the professors of our college in Porto
Alegre was to visit my parish and to speak in behalf
of our college, soliciting both students and funds.

The congregation was informed of the professor’s.