THE PRACTICE HANDBOOK FOR THE DISTRICT SERVING ONES
SERIES TWO
THE GOD-ORDAINED WAY AND VARIOUS KINDS OF MEETINGS
Message Nine
The Service Meeting
Acts 13:1–2 Now there were in Antioch, in the local church, prophets and teachers: Barnabas and Simeon, who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen, the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And as they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for Me now Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SERVICE MEETING
The Watchtower of the Church
This meeting is the watchtower of the whole church. The saints are not aware of many things, but you know them first. The saints have not seen many things, but you see them first. The saints have no feeling many times, but you have some feeling first. It is in this meeting that everything is sensed first. Before the difficulties around you are apparent, you can sense them in this meeting. Therefore, many times when things happen, you have anticipated the situation and taken care of it already. As time goes on, your eyes should become keener and keener. You need to learn to use your eyes to look ahead to the things in the future. With more time your sense should become keener and keener, and you will be able to know what will happen and what will not happen.
Once the meeting of the overseers is strong, it will be easy for other things in the church life to be strong, because in the meeting of the overseers you can have much consideration about all the meetings. If the gospel meeting has become weak, we need to concentrate all our strength there, and the saints need to do likewise. The meeting of the overseers is the watchtower of the church, the place to keep the watch.
If this meeting is strong before God, all the other meetings will spontaneously be uplifted. This meeting is the center of everything. If this meeting is high, all the meetings during the week will be uplifted.
The Most Solemn Time
We need to know that no hour is more solemn than this hour. This is the most solemn time. Learn to look to the Lord in a single way. We need to know what to do before God. We need to be confident, godly, single for service, and without any barrier between us and the Lord. We should do all things well in every aspect. Then we will have a clear pathway ahead of us.
In all other times, we may be intimate with one another. However, when we come to this meeting, it is not a matter of how well we know each other, for this is the time we truly go before God. In ordinary times we talk about brotherly love. At this time we do not talk about brotherly love. This is the time for us to go to God together to be His servants. We are before God to receive directions together to go out to work. Learn to solemnly hear God’s word before Him.
When we do not know God’s will, we need to say so, and we should ask, search, learn, and pray before God.
When our condition is right and the brothers come together, it will be a simple matter without much difficulty. It is a serious matter for us to go before God. (CWWN, vol. 51, “Church Affairs,” msg. 1)
THE STRENGTHENING OF OUR SERVICE
BEGINNING FROM THE CENTER AND MOVEING OUTWARD
The main principle for the practical carrying out of this fellowship is to begin from the center and move to the circumference. This is the principle in Acts 1:8. The Lord said to the disciples, “You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” This principle can be likened to the ripples caused by throwing a stone into a pond; the ripples begin from the center and move to the circumference. Hence, the strengthening of our service should begin from the center and move outward.
To begin from the center is to strengthen the elders’ meeting of the church. The elders’ meeting is the most central service of the church. In addition to the elders, there is a large number of full-time serving ones in the church in Taipei. These serving ones are not elders, but they have substantial influence in the service of the church. For this reason we must focus on the elders’ meeting and on the meeting of the full-time serving ones. These two meetings are for the whole church.
The central service in the districts is the service meeting, which consists of the elders, the full-time serving ones, and the deacons in the district. These saints constitute the center of the service in the districts. If we want to strengthen the service in the districts, we should strengthen the service meeting. The best way to strengthen the service meeting is for the elders and the full-time serving ones to spend time together to touch the spiritual burden of serving. Then they should fellowship this burden with the responsible ones in the districts. In the service meeting the elders and the full-time serving ones should kindle the fire to stir up the deacons. (CWWL, 1960, vol. 2, “Balancing the Church Service and the Goals of the Church Service,” msg. 1)
THE PROPER PRINCIPLES OF THE SERVICE MEETING
The Need of Adequate and Thorough Prayer
Based on our experience, what is most lacking in the elders’ meetings is prayer; our prayer for the elders’ meetings is not adequate.…Strictly speaking, all the elders should pray not only during the elders’ meetings but even before the meetings, praying for this great matter of the elders’ meetings.
What the brothers need the most in the elders’ meetings is to be filled with a spirit of prayer. If this is lacking, the elders’ meetings will become a social group or a club that everyone comes to in order to discuss certain matters. In the elders’ meetings the brothers’ spirits should be open to the Lord and mingled with the Lord’s Spirit. Everyone should enter into the Holy of Holies and be filled with God’s shining and God’s speaking. In this way the elders’ meetings will have spiritual value. If all the elders meet in this way, our flesh, temper, and disposition will have no place. We often lose our temper because we lack prayer. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 2, “The Propagation of the Gospel and the Administration of the Church,” msg. 6)
For this reason I feel in my spirit that we should all be watchful. When we are busy with the Lord’s work, we must realize that we are engaged in a spiritual warfare.
The foremost need on the battlefield is to be watchful and alert in order to know what the enemy is doing and what he intends to do. The enemy always does things in a subtle and hidden way.…I hope the co-workers, elders, and full-timers will receive a burden from the Lord to spend much time before Him to pray corporately. Perhaps we need to devote this whole meeting to prayer. We will see how the Lord leads us.
We need to remember that in God’s work, there is no such thing as sheer luck, no such thing as gaining without effort. Moreover, there is no guarantee that if we labor and endeavor, we will succeed. We must realize that we are engaged in spiritual warfare. We must fight and be watchful in everything we do and in every step we take. I hope that we would take this word. We have been called by the Lord in His grace to gather here and receive a burden. We must know that we need to struggle, fight, and take possession of every inch through prayer. The last two lines of Hymns, #892 says, “We should, we must, we can, we will, / Fulfill God’s purpose faithfully.” This should be our attitude. We should not listen to the lies from the authorities of darkness; instead, we should offer prayers to God in steadfast faith.
Whenever we pray together, I hope that everyone will pray, not praying simultaneously but one after another. Our prayers should not be too loud or lengthy. They should be short and living, adding to the one before, so that all the prayers can be joined together as one strong, powerful prayer. We should pray as if we are playing basketball, knowing how to pass and how to catch the ball. I hope that our prayers will meet God’s standard and requirement and be according to His desire. (CWWL, 1986, vol. 2, “Crucial Words of Leading in the Lord’s Recovery, Book 1: The Vision and Definite Steps for the Practice of the New Way,” msg. 13)
Our First Goal Being Spiritual Pursuit
Our first goal is spiritual pursuit. The district service meeting should mainly be for spiritual pursuit. It is sufficient to spend a little time to discuss practical affairs because, for the most part, the way to handle these matters has been established, and it is not difficult to make adjustments. Hence, most of the time in the district service meeting should be spent in spiritual pursuit. The elders and full-time serving ones should take the lead to fellowship, pray, and pursue together with the responsible ones. (CWWL, 1960, vol. 2, “Balancing the Church Service and the Goals of the Church Service,” msg. 1)
Neither Democracy nor Authoritarianism
The church is neither a democracy nor an autocracy. Rather, it is a matter of fellowship. To make decisions in the general service meeting may be to unconsciously take the way of democracy, doing things according to the opinion of the majority. This is to neglect the authority and headship of the Lord. Even in the meeting with the leading ones in the service, all the brothers have the opportunity to express their feeling, but they should not expect that their feeling will become a decision. (CWWL, 1967, vol. 1, “Enjoying the Lord in His Word by Pray-Reading for the Building Up of the Church in Oneness,” ch. 13)
When the church calls a meeting for fellowship and decision, it does not act on the vote of the majority. Actually, the feeling of the majority often is wrong. Among the seventeen deacons, one must be the leader. Among the five elders, one must be responsible to touch the authority of the Holy Spirit to make the final judgment. If an ordinary brother or sister says something different and the responsible ones feel that this is the will of God, the church must make the decision based on the opinion of that brother or sister. In Acts 15 there were no so-called negotiations. There was no human opinion. No ground was left for the unspiritual. Therefore, the brothers and sisters must learn to live humbly before the Lord. The elders must be clear in their spirit. In this matter the leading brothers bear a heavy responsibility. If you are proud and self-assuming and do not learn your spiritual lessons properly, God’s business will be destroyed by your hand. In this matter the responsible ones must learn. On the one hand, they have to receive much dealing and learn many lessons before the Lord. On the other hand, they have to follow the pattern of Acts 15. They have to learn to listen to the brothers and sisters, to touch the authority of the Holy Spirit, and to make decisions before God. (CWWN, vol. 62, “Matured Leadings in the Lord’s Recovery (2),” msg. 36)
Not Being Afraid to Speak,
but Being Fear of Speaking in the Flesh
Whenever people in society hold a meeting, most do not dare to speak, because they are afraid of offending others or of getting them-selves in trouble. People with human experience say that it is wise to speak less and even better to speak nothing, but this is the way of the world. Before the Lord we should reject the world’s way. We should not be afraid to speak. However, when we speak, we should not speak according to our flesh but according to our spirit. It is one thing to not speak because we are fearful of speaking in our flesh, but it is wrong to not speak because we do not want to offend others. Only a genuine fear of speaking in the flesh is proper, but we still must learn to overcome our flesh.
Our spirit is a mingled spirit, a strengthened spirit; thus, we can exercise according to our spirit, not according to our flesh. When we speak, we need to exercise to not stand with our flesh and our views but only with our feelings before the Lord. Then we should convey these feelings by the spirit. If we do this, we will have genuine fellowship in the service meetings. Otherwise, we will be merely holding meetings to deal with practical matters. This will be a great degradation.
The Emphasis Being on the Process,
Not on People and Matters
In the Bible the emphasis of the elders’ discussion of matters is on the process, not on people and matters. If there is no process, we will be afraid of offending someone. Under such circumstances, nothing will be accomplished. Therefore, we must learn and need more fellowship with one another. As soon as we step into the elders’ meeting, we must be delivered from our flesh, our self, our feelings, our views, and our emotions. Furthermore, we must learn to live in our spirit in order to consider the matters and make appropriate decisions under a clear sky. At the same time, we need to learn to not be afraid of offending others because of speaking the wrong things. If you say something that is pleasing to me, I should not feel that you are standing on my side. If we have such a feeling or the feeling that someone is not standing on our side, this is very ugly. If someone speaks something that is different from our view, we should not think that they are opposing us. We must be delivered from such considerations.
When I say that you are right, it is not my intention to flatter you or exalt you to the heavens. When I say that you are wrong, it is not my intention to belittle you or trample you under my feet. Saying that someone is right or wrong should be according to the Lord’s feeling and according to facts. If you propose something and over seventy of the eighty elders approve of it, your flesh should not be happy. The flesh always likes to be flattered, exalted, and supported by others. If the response is one of disapproval, you should not feel offended. Our way is different from the way of a board of directors in the world. Many boardroom discussions are not genuine because the members of the board have already negotiated their positions behind the scene. We should never take this way; rather, we should learn to rely on the washing of the Lord’s blood and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, we should learn to put aside our flesh, our feelings, and our views. We all must learn to be in the spirit and discuss the facts of the situation. This is the proper way of discussing matters in the elders’ meeting.
Bringing Our “Urim” and “Thummim” with Us
We need to bring our “Urim” and “Thummim” with us when we fellowship in the elders’ meeting. In the Old Testament God revealed His leading to His people through the Urim and Thummim on the breastplate worn by the high priest (Exo. 28:29-30). The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved on twelve precious stones on the breastplate using eighteen of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The remaining four letters were engraved on the Thummim to complete the alphabet. The Urim was inserted under the twelve precious stones for illumination. These three items worked together like a typewriter to spell out words and sentences to reveal God’s intention.
The names of the tribes of Israel on the breastplate signify the children of God. Hence, if we want to know God’s leading for His people in the church, we must know how to read the condition of the saints. Therefore, while meeting together, we need to bring the actual condition of the whole church before the Lord for consideration; in this way we will be clear concerning what the Lord wants us to do and how He wants us to advance. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 4, “The Supply of the Word and the Increase of the Church,” ch. 9)
A FEW IMPORTANT MATTERS IN THE ELDERS’ MEETINGS
There are a few things that everyone needs to learn related to the elders’ meeting. First, we must learn how to bring up matters for discussion. Using the terms associated with a secular meeting, this means that we need to learn how to bring up a proposal. Second, once a proposal is brought up, we must learn how to discuss it. Furthermore, we need to learn how to make a decision. Finally, we need to learn how to implement the matters that have been decided. The progression of elders’ meetings should generally consist of these four things. After a matter is brought up in the elders’ meetings, everyone should discuss it; that is, they should fellowship about the proposal thoroughly. I am more inclined to use the term fellowship rather than discuss. We need to fellowship thoroughly concerning the matter, make a decision, and implement it definitively. The church in Taipei currently has more than fifty elders; once a matter has been decided, it is not possible for every elder to carry it out. Hence, once something has been decided, we should designate one or several elders to carry it out. In addition, we need to discuss and decide on the location and the timing of the announcement of any decision. We must learn how to do these things.
THE ATTITUDE OF FELLOWSHIP AND DISCUSSION
IN THE MEETINGS
Not Insisting or Forcing
In the elders’ meetings we should not propose matters lightly or casually, and when fellowshipping about matters that have been suggested, we should not have an insistent tone. We must take care to not give others a sense that our proposal must be done. We should not come with a demanding or forceful tone. We should have an objective spirit when we bring matters before the brothers. It should not be a problem if the brothers decide to do or to not do something. When we bring matters up for all the brothers to evaluate together, we should trust in God’s sovereign authority. If something comes from the Lord’s leading, the brothers will surely approve it; if the brothers do not approve it, this indicates that the Lord is not leading in this way yet, that the time is not right, or that the environment is not yet ripe. We should believe in the Lord’s sovereignty. When we bring matters up, we should not have a threatening, compulsive, or demanding tone, insisting that certain things be done; this way of doing things is according to one’s flesh and natural disposition, and we must avoid it.
Listening Attentively and Understanding in Detail
During the fellowship in an elders’ meeting, everyone should listen attentively when an elder brings up a matter. In the church in Taipei we should never think that a matter is not relevant because it does not apply to our hall and that we can simply allow others to decide and carry it out. Please remember that we are not bearing responsibilities only for our hall but that we are bearing our hall’s responsibilities on behalf of the entire church. Hence, when the elders of the church in Taipei come together to fellowship, a matter brought up by the elder in a particular hall should be considered by everyone. Everyone must fellowship over it thoroughly, understanding it seriously and in detail and receiving a burden together.
Everyone Functioning and Fellowshipping Much
yet Not Expressing Their Opinions
Furthermore, in bringing up and fellowshipping matters in the elders’ meetings, we should never think that speaking more means making many mistakes, that speaking less means making fewer mistakes, that speaking nothing means making no mistakes, and that therefore it would be best to say nothing even if we know something. This concept in society should not be brought into the church. We also must not think that those who are younger do not matter and should not say much. Such views should be completely eliminated. God has given us a sober mind and ears that can hear; moreover, we have a spirit within, and we have His Spirit in our spirit. Those who are a part of the eldership must function; this is a duty.
Regardless of whether the eldership is large or small, whether it is a small church with three elders or a large church with more than fifty elders, the eldership will suffer loss if everyone does not exercise to function. Each elder must exercise his portion. In regard to making proposals and fellowshipping, no one should be limited in his speaking, but his speaking should be in spirit. I hope that we will not bring in the customs of society.
I hope that everyone will learn to have much fellowship. Only through thorough fellowship can matters be transparent and be taken care of in a detailed, comprehensive way, because what an individual person knows is very limited. This does not mean that we should debate or express our disapproving opinions; it is wrong to have an attitude of debate. We should not come together to debate or to express opinions but rather to bring up matters and allow everyone to seek the Lord’s leading together. This is fellowship.
Fellowshipping and Speaking Clearly in the Open
Furthermore, if someone does not speak up during the discussion in the elders’ meeting, he should not say anything after the meeting has ended. Everything should be spoken clearly in the open in the elders’ meeting. Every sentence should be completed in the meeting. If not, there is no ground for anyone to say anything after the elders’ meeting. For example, we spoke of having a preparation meeting for the small group meetings in order to prepare materials and topics for the small group meetings. We also considered that Thursday evenings would be the best time for such a preparation meeting. After we decided to do this, someone waited until after the meeting to ask whether this would be a corporate meeting or a meeting in separate halls. In doing this, the brother broke the principle of speaking openly during the elders’ meeting and not waiting until after the fellowship and decisions to bring up questions. In the elders’ meeting that brother should have said, “I feel that bringing the core members of four hundred small groups into one hall would be rather difficult. There are too many people, and some live far away, making it inconvenient.” If he had such a feeling, he should have brought it up immediately; only this is fellowship. Not bringing up matters until after a meeting and then discussing it behind the backs of all the elders must be avoided.
We have a natural habit of not speaking up publicly out of a fear of offending others, a fear of saying the wrong thing, and even a fear of shouldering the burden and responsibility. Instead, we like to talk behind the back of others. This is the case in both the Far East and the West. Hence, in the United States I have made it clear to the brothers that they must fellowship if there are issues; they should not have private conversations over the phone. Everything must be brought up and fellowshipped in the elders’ meetings. There is no need to discuss anything privately; everything should be brought up in the elders’ meetings. There is no need to mention names; simply discussing the principles is sufficient. We should not avoid problems or try to be the good guy. We must get out of the habit of not speaking openly in the elders’ meeting and having private discussions outside of the elders’ meeting.
Neither Worrying Too Much nor Being Suspicious
but Rather Stating Facts
When a brother brings up a matter in the elders’ meetings, we should immediately be alert in our spirit, listen properly, and pay attention with our whole being. Even if it is a matter related to a certain hall, it actually concerns the whole church. As an elder, we have the responsibility to listen and observe. If we have a feeling, we should speak boldly. We should not worry too much about what we say. Our intention should be to simply state facts, not to suppress or oppose others. We should believe that a brother’s speaking is not intended to suppress others. We should not be suspicious of one another. If there is a situation involving mutual suspicion and suppression, the elders’ meetings will become degraded and corrupt. This would be a shame, and it should not happen.
No matter who speaks among the elders, we should not be suspicious, thinking that the speaking is directed toward a particular person. A suspicious attitude will give Satan the ground in our corrupted flesh. In the elders’ meetings, everyone should have the absolute freedom to speak their feeling. However, we should not speak with a tone that tries to subdue others, strongly expressing either approval or disapproval. We need to bring up our feeling by stating only the facts of the matter.
The Fellowship and Discussion
in the Book of Acts
In the New Testament, only Acts 15 gives an example of fellowship and discussion among the early apostles and elders. In the record in this chapter, the brothers came together to fellowship regarding the matters of circumcision and the keeping of the law. When Peter rose up to speak, his speaking was based on the facts (vv. 7-11). Then Paul and Barnabas told of the signs and wonders that God had done among the Gentiles through them (v. 12). These matters were brought up in a pure way. We should note the phrase when much discussion had taken place (v. 7). Even though the word much indicates that considerable discussion had taken place, the content of the discussion was not recorded. Only the facts that Paul, Barnabas, and Peter spoke were recorded. Later, James, who was quite respected, rose up and told the brothers what they should do based on his opinion (vv. 13-21). In the end everyone decided to do this. This is a very good example of discussion in an elders’ meeting.
Verse 28 says, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.” This shows that the Holy Spirit concurred with the decision of the apostles and elders. In this instance Peter testified, Paul and Barnabas testified, and then James made a decision. Indeed, they gave the Holy Spirit some ground, and the Holy Spirit was leading them, even though they did not give the Holy Spirit the absolute ground. We cannot say that their decision did not have the working of the Holy Spirit; neither can we say that their decision was perfect. The Holy Spirit goes along with us according to how much ground we give Him. This is the principle of incarnation; if the cooperation that we render to God does not reach a certain level, the Holy Spirit cannot do much.
In the elders’ meetings of the church, the way and process of the meetings, the way of bringing up matters, and the way of discussing matters should not be worldly. The elders must be in the spirit, fearing God, and their wording and terms should be careful, not casual. Even if there are only three elders meeting to discuss matters, the terms and utterances in their speaking should be appropriate and accurate because these are matters being considered before God; that is, the elders are bringing the saints in their locality before God to seek His leading. Hence, whether in our wording or in our way of speaking, we must be careful and not casual. We must never consider the discussion in an elders’ meeting to be a casual matter. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 2, “The Propagation of the Gospel and the Administration of the Church,” msg. 6)
There Being a Record of the Meeting
There should be a record of the elders’ meeting that includes the date, place, agenda items, content of fellowship, and so forth. For items on which there is unanimous agreement, there should be a record of who will make the announcement, at which meeting the announcement will be made, who will carry out the matter, and so forth. The elders should be proper and systematic when administrating the church. If some things happen after an elders’ meeting, the elders can wait until the next meeting to make a decision. If the situation is urgent, another meeting can be convened. In summary, when the elders consider a matter, the decision should not be made by just one person, nor should someone simply inform others in order to control the situation. Such a way is not proper; such an administration has no weight. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 2, “The Propagation of the Gospel and the Administration of the Church,” msg. 5)
Not Privately Disclosing Any Decision
before It Has Been Announced
The matters that have been decided in an elders’ meeting should not be disclosed by anyone prior to being publicly announced, not even to an elder’s wife.…The decisions in an elders’ meeting are not a small thing. If the elders go home and tell their wives, thinking that such speaking is a trivial matter, great problems and difficulties will frequently arise. For example, the elders may decide to have a special meeting on Wednesday and to announce it on the Lord’s Day before the special meeting. If a problem comes up before the Lord’s Day, the decision may need to be changed, but if an elder tells his wife, who then leaks the news, many will know before the announcement is made. Then, if the circumstances change and there is a need for a different announcement, problems will arise. Hence, the elders’ decisions should not be casually spread; we should be willing to wait for the open announcement. This is something that we all must learn. We should never think that this is a small matter and be careless. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 2, “The Propagation of the Gospel and the Administration of the Church,” msg. 6)
Not Only for the Church in One Locality but for the Body
The elders should not have a concept that they should care only for their locality or that those who are gifted in speaking should be in their locality. Such a concept is improper and should not exist. The elders should not take the lead in a locality just to care for the church in their locality but rather to lead the church in their locality for the sake of the Body; the elders should use the persons and materials in their locality with thanksgiving. If the church in one locality needs the help of a brother in another locality, the elders should not hold on to him; instead, they should be willing to give in completely on this matter. If a certain brother is needed, the elders should have fellowship with the brother, and if the brother has a burden, they should let him go. The elders should not care about gaining a position for themselves or competing for something on behalf of the church in their locality. In administrating the church, they need to have a heart that cares not only for the church in their locality but for the Body.
When an elder serves in a hall, he should not bear responsibility for just that hall but rather for that hall on behalf of the church in Taipei. If there is a real financial need in his hall, he can present it at the corporate elders’ meeting, and if the elders feel that there is no need to spend so much, then he should not spend so much. This is not a matter that he needs to argue about. We are not just for ourselves, for our hall, or even for our local church. If we all have this kind of spirit, there will surely be blessings among us.
Not Making Comparisons
but Having a Broaden View Fixed on the Lord
Furthermore, we should not make comparisons among the churches. We are all human and surely know about human weaknesses. The Lord Jesus is a man, and He knows all the human weaknesses. If someone says that Taiwan is not as good as the United States, we may feel ashamed, but if someone says that the United States is not as good as Taiwan, we may secretly feel happy. However, the brothers and sisters in the United States will be unhappy. This is a real situation because we all have natural feelings. Any feeling that comes out of our natural being should be dealt with. If these natural feelings are not dealt with, our hands will not be clean with regard to the work of the Lord. Then everything that we touch will become unclean.
In summary, we should not care about gaining a position for ourselves. We should not seek for benefit on behalf of our hall or our church or even care about the Lord’s recovery in just our own country. We should have a broadened view fixed on the Lord; everything should be for Him. If we keep this principle, we will be saved from many troubles. (CWWL, 1985, vol. 2, “The Propagation of the Gospel and the Administration of the Church,” msg. 5)
THE RESULT OF SERVICE—
THE SAINTS BEING EDIFIED
AND THE CHURCH BEING BUILT UP
We must not consider the meetings in a light way. Every service in the church should be carried out seriously. However, according to my observation, the serving ones often regard the meetings as routine and are therefore negligent.…In the meeting they expect someone else to pray, and as a result, they become poor. A weak meeting causes the church to suffer a great loss. We must consider this matter before the Lord.
If we are faithful and the Lord has mercy on us, the service in coordination, the service in the Body, will be built up as a model in the church after two or three years. This will be the result of building. First, the elders, co-workers, and responsible ones must have thorough fellowship concerning their spiritual pursuit and service. Then our activities and work will not be carried out individualistically; we all will be involved through fellowship. The result of such service is that all the saints will be brought into the fellowship. Not only so, the supply of the word will be prevailing, the meetings will be strong, there will be mutual visitation of the saints, and the functions of the saints will be manifested. As a result, the saints will be edified, and the church will be built up. This will issue in a largescale model of the church being manifested for other places to receive the help. May the Lord have mercy on us. (CWWL, 1960, vol. 2, “Balancing the Church Service and the Goals of the Church Service,” msg. 1)
Discussion:
1. How to pray corporately in the service meeting?
2. How to pursue the Lord’s word in the meeting?
3. How should the responsible brothers discuss matters?
