Project Archives

PROJECT: Steps to Christ
By Jim Barclay, PROJECT Founder. This article appeared in the Lake Union Herald, June 8, 1976, from a presentation given to the Lake Region Conference as the project commenced on its first major campaign to
reach all of Chicago, Illinois.

PROJECT: STEPS TO CHRIST is a unique, practical research program for the North American Division. The purpose of the project is to first identify the fundamental instructions given in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy regarding the proclaiming of the Gospel. The second purpose is to apply these instructions to the specific geographic area of Illinois. Thus, Illinois is being considered a microcosm of a larger world, possessing a very large city (Chicago) as well as a significant country area. The state is composed of approximately II million people speaking 100 languages, living in 4 million residential units located in 4,756 cities.

The leading question we must ask at this point is, Can we ever really expect to successfully proclaim the Gospel to this world of Illinois? The answer is yes, based on the following instruction: "When we give ourselves wholly to God, and in our work follow His directions, He makes Himself responsible for its accomplishment." Christ's Object Lessons, p. 363.

The next logical question is, What are His directions for proclaiming the Gospel? We will try to enumerate some of them in a sequence that will bring out the high points of God's work plan.

I. God created man (to whom we must proclaim the Gospel) a free moral agent, and God's purpose does not coerce the will of man. This leaves man free and personally responsible for making a choice.

2. God created man amenable to the moral law with a conscience to realize the sacred claims of the divine law, and a heart capable of loving it as holy, just, and good. This leaves man personally capable of making a choice.

3. God's design for soul winning encompasses a team effort. "Divine and human agencies are combined in the work of saving souls." Review and Herald, March 1, 1887.

4. The work of the divine agency, the Holy Spirit, is expressed as follows: "My Spirit alone is competent to teach and to convict of sin. Externals make only a temporary impression upon the mind. I will enforce truth on the conscience." Testimonies, Vol. 7, p. 159.

5. The work of the human agent is expressed as follows: "The proclamation of the gospel is the only means in which God can employ human beings as His instrumentalities for the salvation of souls."  Review and Herald, October 13, 1904.

6. To proclaim the Gospel requires an action. That action consists of providing every person in every home the privilege of hearing and/or reading the gospel message.

7. To provide the world of Illinois with the privilege of hearing and/or reading the gospel message requires us to bring this right to every home's attention.

8. The responsibility for doing this work does not belong primarily to the paid ministry. "It is not the Lord's purpose that ministers should he left to do the greatest part of the work of sowing the seeds of truth."  Testimonies, Vol. 7, p. 21.

9. God has given us a team of instruments to proclaim His message. They are the living teacher with a voice, and the published word which is the silent messenger.

10. To utilize this team of proclaimers we must recognize one characteristic that both possess in different degrees. That characteristic is mobility-the ability to go places for God. The living teacher has limited mobility; the published word can go everywhere.

The immediate purpose of the research is to apply these principles to the world of Illinois. To do this we must recognize two basic types of problems-the large city type of problem and the rural country area made up of smaller towns and farming land. We have chosen to begin to work with the less complex problem-the city of Chicago.

The plan calls for carrying the privilege of hearing and reading the gospel message to one million homes in the city of Chicago this summer and to respond to those who are interested.

We appeal to the Chicagoland church members of both the Lake Region Conference and the Illinois Conference to form an army of workers that will do this work quickly in the next few weeks. Follow your local church leader's instructions promptly and it will be done.

We appeal to all church members that read this article. Pray that as this work is done the people will respond to the call of the Holy Spirit as it presses the delivered message to their hearts.

We will need your regular continuous financial support to carry the message to the second million homes. Mark your offering envelopes PROJECT: STEPS TO CHRIST.