Most congregations supplement their Lord’s day preaching then by what is called protracted meetings, or revival meetings. Such meetings accomplish much good, and they should be executed with a definite purpose in mind. Some definite purpose should characterize every activity of the church. When we hold another protracted meeting, we want to think of it as a means of helping us carry out the God-given charge to preach the gospel unto the people in East Nashville. As long as there is one soul within our reach who has not heard the truth or who has not been properly exhorted to obey it, you and I have not finished our job. Keeping the purpose of reaching the unsaved of this community clearly in mind as we plan and conduct our next meeting will contribute much to its success.
III
Advertising
You will agree with me that if we should depend entirely upon Lord’s day preaching and upon protracted meetings, we would never reach all the unsaved even in our own community. God has not prescribed that our efforts shall be confined unto these methods. He has given us a general charge to preach the gospel to all the world. He expects us to use some intelligence and some good judgment in carrying out this command.
And, friends, he expects us to use every means which is at our disposal in order to make the job complete. Of course, I mean every Scriptural or legitimate means. For no other sort of means would accomplish the purpose intended. We would make a very serious mistake, then, if we relied upon any one method alone. God expects us to use every method that is legitimate within its nature in order to carry out this charge.
What are some of the other things which can be done along this line? First, we can make a greater effort to get people to come to the meetings—supplement the public meetings by putting on a special effort to get people to attend them. Newspaper advertising would be very helpful. Personal visits and invitations to attend the meetings can be used to good advantage. Another means of attracting people to the place where the gospel is preached, is publicizing reports of what is being done. Nothing succeeds like success. And if a church will do what God intends for it to do, it will be news!
One preacher blamed the churches themselves for not getting more newspaper publicity. He said “If there were a church which practiced what it preached, it would get its name in the headlines of the daily paper.” If you’ll stop to analyze his statement, you’ll almost have to admit that he told the truth. We are not seeking publicity for its own sake, but the Bible says “Let your light shine,” and condemns the putting of your candle under a bushel where no one can see it.
When the church does something which is worthwhile and would serve as a fine example for others, it is our duty to give it the publicity which it deserves in order that others may profit by the example. Such is authorized by the commandment, “Let your light shine, that others may see your good works and glorify God.”
IV
Radio and Press
Another means which might be used to carry out this charge is radio preaching. Of course, there has been much of this done already in the city of Nashville, but there are many other places where it has not been done, and where it should be used as one of the methods of carrying out the commandment to preach the gospel to the whole world. Wherever the radio is used every possible effort should be made to form personal contact with those who become interested.
I know a number of congregations that are publishing short articles in the daily paper. The daily paper is a very fine medium through which to reach the public. The business world has known this for a long time. That’s the reason you see so many and such costly advertisements in our daily papers. Our merchants know that this is an effective way to reach the public. Jesus said that the men of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of light. It may be that this statement is applicable here, for too often churches have overlooked the use of the radio and especially the use of the daily paper as a medium through which to reach the public.