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Home Prophecy Spirit of Prophecy Section Selected Quotations - EGW ( 6,000 phrases ) Phrase - Church ( phrases about the Church ) [ 122 ] Large Church(es) ( 41 )

Larger Churches ( 16 )

Quotations from the writings of Ellen G. White with the phrase . . .

larger Churches

Our duty to act as missionaries for God in the very position where He has placed us has been greatly overlooked by us as a people. Many are eagerly turning from present duties and opportunities to some wider field; many imagine that in some other position they would find it less difficult to obey the truth. Our larger churches are looked upon as enjoying great advantages, and there is among our people a growing tendency to leave their special post of duty and move to Battle Creek or to the vicinity of some other large church. This practice not only threatens the prosperity and even the life of our smaller churches, but it is preventing us from doing the very work which God has given us to do, and is destroying our spirituality and usefulness as a people. {5T 184.4}

Even at this eleventh hour, there should be decided advancement made in the matter of a special preparatory work. In all our Conferences there should be well-organized plans for the instruction and training of those who desire to give themselves to the cause of God. Our city missions afford favorable opportunities for education in missionary labor; but these are not enough. There ought to be connected with our schools the best possible facilities for the preparation of laborers for both home and foreign fields. There should also be in our larger churches special training schools for young men and women, to fit them to become workers for God. And far more attention should be given by our ministers to the matter of assisting and educating younger laborers. {GW92 284.2} {HS 281.2}

Many families, who, for the purpose of educating their children, move to places where our large schools are established, would do better service for the Master by remaining where they are. They should encourage the church of which they are members to establish a church school where the children within their borders could receive an all-round, practical Christian education. It would be vastly better for their children, for themselves, and for the cause of God, if they would remain in the smaller churches, where their help is needed, instead of going to the larger churches, where, because they are not needed, there is a constant temptation to fall into spiritual inactivity. {CG 307.1} {CT 173.2} {6T 198.1}

Many families, who, for the purpose of educating their children, move to places where our large schools are established, would do better service for the Master by remaining where they are. They should encourage the church of which they are members to establish a church school where the children within their borders could receive an all-round, practical Christian education. It would be vastly better for their children, for themselves, and for the cause of God, if they would remain in the smaller churches, where their help is needed, instead of going to the larger churches, where, because they are not needed, there is constant temptation to fall into spiritual inactivity. {CL 23.3} {Advocate, June 1, 1902 par. 10}

There should be decided advancement in the matter of special preparatory work. In all our conferences there should be well-organized plans for the instruction and training of those who desire to give themselves to the work of God. Our city missions afford favorable opportunities for education in missionary labor; but these are not enough. There ought to be connected with our schools the best possible facilities for the preparation of laborers for both home and foreign fields. There should also be in our larger churches special training-schools for young men and women, to fit them to become workers for God. And far more attention should be given by our ministers to the matter of assisting and educating younger laborers. {GW 75.3}

Ministers should not do the work which belongs to the church, thus wearying themselves, and preventing others from performing their duty. They should teach the members how to labor in the church and in the community. There is work for all to do in their own borders, to build up the church, to make the social meetings interesting, and to train the youth of ability to become missionaries. All should cultivate spirituality and self-sacrifice, and by their means and their earnest prayers assist those who enter new and difficult fields. They should co-operate actively with the minister in his labors, making the section of country around them their field of missionary effort; and the larger churches should labor to build up and encourage those that are weak or few in numbers. {HS 291.1}

if in the larger Churches

I have often thought how much more abundantly we should be blessed if in the larger churches there was a well-organized band of workers, who would become missionaries to cities and towns, teaching others the precious lessons they have learned, of truth, of righteousness, of a judgment to come. All should be learners, but not ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth. Be diligent students, and all the time practice what you learn. This will give you an experience which will be of the highest value to yourselves, and will surely benefit others. God has given us light, which he has commanded us to let shine; and if some souls embrace the truth in a locality, organize them into a church as soon as it can be wisely done, and let them do what they can to build a humble house of worship, as they have done in Willis, which they can dedicate to God, and where they can invite his presence to be with them. He says, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Then let the larger churches which are free from debt, come to the help of their sister churches, and give of their intrusted means toward these smaller places of worship, that the small churches may not be oppressed and discouraged under a load of debt. Let us not like the priest and the Levite, pass by on the other side. What blessings would be meted out to the churches that help in this way, and what love on the part of the poorer churches, as they realized that they were watched over for good! And with this help freely and cheerfully rendered, would come enlarged views of Christian helpfulness and duty. A bond of brotherhood, and love strong and tender, would be created between the members of the churches, large and small; and all petty jealousies and envies would be burned out by the love so substantially expressed. {RH, July 21, 1891 par. 11}

In all our schools instruction is to be given that will lead the students to put on the white robe of the righteousness of Christ. In our larger churches special personal efforts should be made for fathers and mothers, that they may understand the consecration that is required of them that they may do effectual work for the salvation of their children. Earnest prayers should be offered for the institutions established for the education and training of our children and youth, that those who receive instruction there may grow up to honor and glorify God. {12MR 223.3}

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