Many churches have reaping meetings in the spring and fall. Here are four tips to maximize your results.
- Intensify prayer for specific people.
- Worship Service – Take a few minutes each week for silent prayer or prayer by 2s or in small groups to pray for people you’d like to see make a decision for Jesus. Encourage people to make prayer lists of who they plan to invite to the meetings.
- Sabbath School – During your inreach or outreach time during Sabbath School let the class members share about divine appointments they have had recently and how the Lord may use these to bring people into His church family.
- Groups – Encourage leaders to encourage their groups to come and bring family and friends.
- Involve young people in the meetings. Ask Youth leaders, Children’s and Youth Sabbath School leaders, Pathfinder and Adventurer leaders how they and their class/group/club would like to be involved with the reaping meetings. Perhaps they could lead out with greeting, parking, music, children’s program or even preaching/teaching!
- Invite people to decide for Jesus and baptism before the meetings begin. When we prepare at least one person for baptism before the meetings begin somehow the Lord sends us more than if we are waiting until the meetings.
- Investigate potential locations. Many reaping meetings are held in a church sanctuary. But sometimes we can reach more people if we meet in a hotel seminar room, recreation center, fellowship hall, community center or even in a home or homes.
“The conversion of souls to God is the greatest, the noblest work in which human beings can have a part. In this work are revealed God’s power, His holiness, His forbearance, and His unbounded love. Every true conversion glorifies Him and causes the angels to break forth into singing. “{Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7: 52.1}
“Earnestly and untiringly he [every true minister] seeks to inspire the believers with a desire to win souls for Christ, remembering that every addition to the church should be one more agency for the carrying out of the plan of redemption.” {Acts of the Apostles 207.1}
“Bring the people to the point to decide. Show them the importance of the truth–it is life or death. With becoming zeal, pull souls out of the fire…” {Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1: 152.1}
The Lord will help us stay focused on Him and His harvest while praying for more workers!
Dan Serns 