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Study 01 of 13

Session 1—Mission, Objectives, and History of Personal Ministries

Personal Ministries exists to enlist every member of the church in active soul-winning service, a heritage traceable to the earliest missionary societies of the Advent movement.

Hands-free narration of this study — good for the car.

Synopsis

As a newly elected Personal Ministries leader, your first task is to understand what this department is and why it exists. Its mission is to provide resources and train church members to unite their efforts with the ministry and church officers in the final proclamation of the gospel of salvation in Christ. The aim is nothing less than to enlist every member in active soul-winning service for God. This is not a modern invention but a work with deep roots: it began with the Vigilant Missionary Society formed in South Lancaster, Massachusetts, in 1869, which inspired S. N. Haskell to organize Tract and Missionary Societies across New England in 1870. From these grassroots beginnings the work grew into the General Tract and Missionary Society, then the Home Missionary Department, the Lay Activities Department, Church Ministries, and finally, in 1995, the Personal Ministries Department as we know it today. Through every name change, the underlying objective has never shifted: to teach and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ in the context of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12, winning, holding, and training believers of every age for Christ. As leader, you inherit this long history of lay evangelism and are called to carry it forward in your own congregation.

Key points

  • The mission of Personal Ministries is to train members to unite with church officers in the final proclamation of the gospel.
  • The department's objective is to enlist, win, hold, and train every member for active soul-winning service.
  • Personal Ministries traces its roots to the 1869 Vigilant Missionary Society and the 1870 Tract and Missionary Societies.
  • The department has changed names repeatedly—Home Missionary, Lay Activities, Church Ministries—but its soul-winning purpose has remained constant.

Key texts

  • Revelation 14:6-12
  • Matthew 28:19-20
  • Acts 1:8

From the book

Session 1 · Handbook pp. 1–4 · Read the handbook

  • “The mission of Personal Ministries is to provide resources and train church members to unite their efforts with the ministry and church officers in the final proclamation of the gospel of salvation in Christ.” (book p. 2)
  • “Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary.” (book p. 3)
  • “The Home Missionary Department is not a campaign, it is a religious movement. It is a revival of pure religion in the church, and the going forth to bear it to others.” (book p. 5)

Put it into practice

  • Write out in your own words the mission statement of Personal Ministries and pray over it.
  • Learn the historical names your department has carried so you can explain its purpose to your congregation.
  • Identify how your church currently practices the historic methods: literature distribution, Bible studies, lay preaching, and community service.
  1. Comprehension

    1. What is the stated mission of Personal Ministries?

  2. Comprehension

    2. What is the aim of the Personal Ministries Department?

  3. Scripture

    3. Where did the movement that became Personal Ministries begin, and when?

  4. Scripture

    4. Why did S. N. Haskell organize Tract and Missionary Societies in 1870?

  5. Doctrinal Clarity

    5. In what biblical context does the Handbook root the objectives of Personal Ministries?

  6. Contrast

    6. Why is it significant that this ministry has such a long, continuous history?

  7. Doctrinal Clarity

    7. What does the quote from The Desire of Ages, p. 195, teach about every believer?

  8. Application

    8. As you begin this role, what excites or concerns you most about carrying forward this 150-year heritage?