Let us speak briefly to the leading ones concerning how to lead the meeting for the practice of fellowship.
If we want to lead new believers into this kind of fellowship, we must first tell them all the main points. We should not speak too much at one time. We should save considerable time to allow them to ask questions. Sometimes we can ask them to repeat what has been spoken to be sure they understand and are clear concerning those points. Each point should be discussed in detail so that everyone can understand.
After they are clear concerning the main points, we should ask them to commit to begin practicing. We should ask, “Brother So-and-so, how many minutes do you plan to use each day to practice, ten minutes or fifteen?” We should discuss their schedule with them and give them suggestions, helping them to set aside a suitable time. The time should not be too early or too late, nor too long or too short. This is a good way to fellowship with them. We may ask, “Brother, what time do you go to work? What are the things you need to do at home?” He may respond, “I am a teacher. I go to work at eight o’clock every morning. Since there are things to be done at home in the morning, I cannot set aside a time in the morning. There is no way.” In that case, we must help him find another time. We must lead him in this way and help others one by one. However, we should not get into unnecessary details or be too rigid. Once we get into unnecessary details in the meeting or we are too rigid, everyone will lose interest. We must do this in a lively way, helping them one by one to set aside a time and promise to practice.
We should help them in this way. We should reserve eight to ten minutes before the end of the meeting to ask them to pray for the Lord’s blessing to carry out what they have purposed to do in order that they can learn to pray and fellowship with the Lord from that day onward.
There is still a need at the beginning of the next meeting to ask them about the main points spoken in the previous meeting. Then we need to ask them whether they have practiced according to their schedule. If they are practicing, we should ask them to give a testimony to see if they have encountered any difficulties or problems. There may not be the opportunity to cover more items in this second meeting. We can review what was spoken in the first meeting concerning fellowship, make adjustments, give explanations and a supplementary word, and answer some questions. After speaking, we need to ask them to continue practicing.
I believe it is relatively easy to lead new believers into practical experiences in this way. This will help them sense that they have a way to go on and a place to bring their questions and receive answers. In this way, the new believers and those answering questions will benefit, and we can research and pursue our growth together. Moreover, this meeting will serve the purposes of speaking messages, fellowshipping, and praying. The entire meeting will be living and have God’s blessing and presence. People will also be able to touch something and learn something. Everyone will have a good taste and will thus be willing to come to the meetings.
Whereas the first points concerning the practice of fellowship are theory, the last points concerning the time, place, and procedures of fellowship require our practice. In particular, the point concerning prayer being the means of fellowship requires us to lead the brothers and sisters into a practice. It would be good to help the saints to be clear concerning these points over a period of five weeks. Only if the new believers are brought into such a living will the messages that they hear in the future have any effect on them. If they do not enter into such a living, we cannot say that the messages they hear will be of no benefit to them, but they must be in fellowship with God in order for the word to have a definite effect on them. Therefore, we must concentrate our efforts to bring the brothers and sisters into fellowship, teaching them how to pray.
Perhaps not many of the seven or eight thousand brothers and sisters in the church in Taipei live in fellowship with God. There may not be even three to five hundred saints who fellowship with God daily. It would be a great thing if we could lead the saints to practice fellowshipping with God so that after a period of time there would be two to three thousand brothers and sisters who daily fellowship with God. The result of this slow, fine work would be great and unlimited. If we want to be quick and use other means, any useful results will come even slower.
Therefore, it is worthwhile for the responsible brothers in every local church to pay full attention to this matter. On the one hand, we ourselves need to live in fellowship with more learning and practice. On the other hand, we need to try our best to help and lead others. It does not matter if there are only a few brothers and sisters initially. A large number is not necessary. As long as we lead the saints in a living, practical, and enjoyable way, the number of saints will increase spontaneously. The church will also be greatly blessed.