Challenges Facing Bible Workers

Challenges Facing the Bible Workers

Religious/Secular Contexts• Gradual decline in Christians’

attendance in churches• Steady growth in Muslim

attendance in mosques • Humanistic and individualistic

society

Challenges Facing Bible Workers

• Reason takes precedence over faith

• Deism takes precedence over theism

• Experience is more important than logic and reason

Training and Retraining

The Bible Worker in the British context• World religions• Cross-cultural communication• Computer literate • Post-modern world view• Ethnic diversity in a pluralistic

society

Context• Relativism- truth is subjective not

objective• Diversity of religion and culture• Common-law living• Intermittent pastoral and church

support• Conflict between ministry and

domestic roles.• Acquired skills sometimes deficient

to address mission task.

Cultivating Spiritual Influence

Daily integrating the supernatural with the natural to develop your power of persuasion in the England experience:

• Bible study• Holy Spirit• Prayer• Ministry

Understanding the Bible Worker

• Works with the Bible in the church • Teaches religious education with

the Bible • Works with the Bible in the

community • Clinches decisions with the Bible

• Clarifies doctrinal issues with the Bible

• Assists the pastor in teaching baptismal candidates using the Bible

• Teaches the Sabbath lesson with the Bible

How would you describe a Bible

Worker?

The Bible

• We are to take our Bibles, and go forth to warn the world. We are to be God's helping hands in saving souls--channels through which His love is day by day to flow to the perishing.-- Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 150. (1909)

The Bible

• The Bible is brought into families, and its sacred truths come home to the conscience. Men are entreated to read, examine, and judge for themselves, and they must abide the responsibility of receiving or rejecting the divine enlightenment. Gospel Workers , p. 192. (1915)

The Bible Worker in the Local

Church

• Identifies and prepares Sabbath School members for baptism

• Trains a cadre of church members in the art of Bible study.

• Conducts weekly Bible studies in the community

• Assists the Personal Ministry leader in territorial mapping

• Becomes acquainted with visitors attending the

local church• Follows up all visitors via

telephone calls or through personal visits

• Works with the Sabbath School leaders in leading children to Christ