What did the Visitors think of Discovering Revelation?

by Kameron DeVasher | Dec 6, 2023 | Public Evangelism

To better understand what people liked (or didn’t like) about our recent evangelistic series, we sent out an online survey to everyone who pre-registered to attend Discovering Revelation. Here’s what we they told us…

For all respondents, the primary way they learned about Discovering Revelation was through the handbills delivered through the mail, with Facebook advertising coming in second. Of course, those media advertisements are always most effective when combined with a personal invitation from someone they know. So don’t skimp on advertising—and don’t neglect the power of your personal influence to encourage visitor attendance!

What about the folks who pre-registered but didn’t attend? When asked why they didn’t end up coming, most said their plans simply changed or that they just forgot. The overwhelming majority of respondents, 90% to be exact, said they would attend if something like this were offered again. So don’t despair if most of your pre-registrants didn’t show up! They had enough interest in spiritual things to visit the website and register in the first place—and likely their lack of attendance isn’t a signal that their spiritual interest has waned. In fact, these should be some of the first people invited to your next evangelistic program!

Those who did attend were asked specific questions about their experience. For example, attendees were asked to rate (on a scale of 1 to 5) whether the venue was clean and inviting, if the hosts were warm and welcoming, and if the messages were presented clearly. Each of those categories received high marks. Additionally, attendees rated their overall experience at Discovering Revelation at 4.71 out of 5. While it’s not perfect, if that were the rating of a restaurant you were curious about, you’d probably give it try!

In addition to those quantitative measures, we wanted some qualitative feedback as well. When attendees were asked what they appreciated about Discovering Revelation, here’s just a sample of what they said:

• “Everything – but especially the deep study of God’s word & meeting new seekers/believers.” 
• “The teachings were refreshing and very clear for understanding.”
• “I wish I know this long before now.” 
• “Very well put together, very informative.”
• “The fact that you opened your doors to the public for this event is wonderful, I hope to see more churches doing things like this… I look forward to coming to more seminars when I can.”
• “Facts, even my son who is not a church goer agrees with.”
• “Absolutely everything! The Pastor and staff were amazing.”

Wonderful as it is to hear such positive responses, it’s also important to know how they thought the seminar could be improved:

• “Have it every week! Loved it!”
• “I cannot think of a single thing to improve what and how they presented.”
• “We jam it in 1 hour. Would be nice if it lasted a little longer.”
• “Schedule was a little confusing.”
• “I think you guys did a great job. Maybe slow it down just a bit. I understand the time constraints, maybe stretch it out another 15-20 minutes, if possible. Kind of how I feel about taking a few minutes longer on Sunday morning worship. He gave His all for a brood like us; it won’t kill us to set a few minutes longer to hear our Creator’s word, or sing one more song of praise. We owe it to Him. And The football game will still be there when you get to the T.V.. But that is just my own feelings.”
• “Allow discussion at the end of each session.”
• “Maybe have 3 to 4 day seminar’s on a single topic. There was so much information given on each topic is was hard to absorb all of it. Breaking it up into smaller weeks with only one topic of Revelation would allow people to delve deeper into each topic.”

This kind of constructive feedback is incredibly helpful and encouraging! Most of the concerns people expressed were related to needing more time to study, discuss, and digest the information presented. Many are hungry for truth and sincerely want to understand it “line upon line and precept upon precept.” (Isaiah 28:9, 10) This only underscores the counsel we’ve been given: 

“After the first efforts have been made in a place by giving a course of lectures, there is really greater necessity for a second course than for the first. The truth is new and startling, and the people need to have the same presented the second time, to get the points distinct and the ideas fixed in the mind.” (Evangelism, 334)

In the end, some 70 sites participated in Discovering Revelation. Just over 1500 people pre-registered, but most of those did not attend. At the same time, some 1000 visitors attended on opening night, the majority of whom did not pre-register! Thus, around 2000 non-Adventists either expressed interest in attending or actually did attend Discovering Revelation. These are souls with varying degrees of spiritual interest whom the Lord has brought within reach of our church families. Let us be diligent to befriend, invite, and offer to study with these dear folks as we seek, by God’s grace, to lead them into the truth for this time. 

IMPORTANT NOTE! Measures such as attendance later in the series and number of spiritual decisions made are currently unavailable due to the lack of feedback from host sites. If your church held a Discovering Revelation series and has not yet completed the exit survey, please do so ASAP! Click here to begin.

How to Increase Meeting Attendance

by Mark Howard | Oct 4, 2023 | Public Evangelism

The number one reason that evangelistic meetings fail is because the church assumes that presenting information is enough to secure meaningful presentations. Far too often, we hear people saying, “Well, they’ve been told. It’s up to them whether or not they accept the truth!”

True, it is up to the individual to accept or reject the truth. But even a cursory study of the methods of Jesus will demonstrate that it is not enough to merely mention the truth out loud. Evangelism is about people. It means engaging them where they are and ministering to their needs.

It is easy to tell which evangelists are going to succeed. The ones who preach and make a beeline for their car generally fail. The ones who head to the door to greet people after the meeting—the ones who linger until the last guest leaves—those are the soul-winners.

When a minister has presented the gospel message from the pulpit, his work is only begun. There is personal work for him to do. He should visit the people in their homes, talking and praying with them in earnestness and humility. There are families who will never be reached by the truths of God’s Word unless the stewards of His grace enter their homes and point them to the higher way. (Gospel Workers, p. 187)

To my ministering brethren I would say, By personal labor reach the people where they are. Become acquainted with them. This work cannot be done by proxy. Money loaned or given cannot accomplish it. Sermons from the pulpit cannot do it. Teaching the Scriptures in families,—this is the work of an evangelist, and this work is to be united with preaching. If it is omitted, the preaching will be, to a great extent, a failure. (Gospel Workers, p. 188)

If half the time now spent in preaching, were given to house-to-house labor, favorable results would be seen. Much good would be accomplished, for the workers could come close to the people. The time spent in quietly visiting families, and when there speaking to God in prayer, singing His praise, and explaining His Word, will often do more good than a public effort. Many times minds are impressed with tenfold more force by personal appeals than by any other kind of labor. The family that is visited in this way is spoken to personally. The members are not in a promiscuous assembly where they can apply to their neighbors the truths which they hear. They themselves are spoken to, earnestly, and with a kindhearted solicitude. They are allowed to express their objections freely, and these objections can each be met with a “Thus saith the Lord.” If this work is done in humility, by those whose hearts are imbued with the love of God, the words are fulfilled, “The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.” (Evangelism, p. 463)

As with the other components of your meeting, it is essential to plan a visitation program carefully and execute it faithfully. The Voice of Prophecy team generally assembles all of the pastors and volunteer visitors on the first Monday morning of a campaign. We systematically read through the names of every person who has attended the meetings—and we say each name out loud. It can be time-consuming (up to eight hours if you have a couple thousand guests), but it is one of the most important exercises you can engage in near the beginning of the campaign.

Read through all the names as a team, including guests who have labeled themselves Seventh-day Adventists at registration. (Some who identify as Adventists may have never been baptized; others may have lapsed but have shown up for the meetings. There may be others who have been taking the Discover lessons and already identify as Adventists, but have not actually joined the church.)

Your task is to assess each name carefully. As you read them aloud, ask if anyone knows the individual you have just mentioned. If they do, assign the name to their team. If no one knows the individual, ask which of your visitation teams would like to visit them.

Never assign names randomly or by zip code. You want to ensure that the person making the visit actually wants to, and doesn’t have so many names that keeping up with visitation becomes impossible. There is something about requesting a name that compels a person to be faithful about following up.

When the names have all been read and assigned, it is time to hit the streets. You have approximately one week to 10 days to make friends with everyone coming to your meeting. If you fail to make personal contact, you will find the decision process much more difficult later on—but you will find friends are willing to ask honest questions and raise genuine concerns. They are more likely to continue attending, while strangers will simply disappear the moment they hit a speed bump in their experience.

The Voice of Prophecy team typically meets every day that does not have an evening meeting—usually every Monday and Thursday. We review the names, assign any new ones, and report on how things are progressing. We pray over the names as well.

Additionally, we often plan a Sabbath afternoon meeting with all of the Bible workers/visitation volunteers prior to the seminar meeting. Not everyone who volunteers will be able to meet on a Monday or Thursday morning, so the Sabbath afternoon meeting (around 4-5 p.m.) allows you to review the visits of the past week, answer questions, and give instructions for the next week.