April 01, 1984 by

"Forget the Sunday school attendance contests," John Holzmann quipped with a twinkle in his eye. "How about a contest to see how many new missionaries you can recruit?!"

Holzmann, Hidden Peoples Party Director at the USCWM continued, "At least one Hidden Peoples Party host came away with a satisfied feeling when one of his guests said, 'Man! I've got to look into this frontier missions thing. I really think God might want me to go to one of these unreached peoples,..."

Pray

"Pray and work" is the way the U.S. Center for World Mission describes Hidden Peoples Parties.

The Center normally keeps a 211 hour prayer watch, individual staff members standing guard around the clock on four hour prayer shifts.

At the Hidden Peoples Party program was developed, prayer shifts were beefed up with three and four staff members standing guard at all times. The heavier prayer schedule continues.

"How can we not prey?" says one Center administrator. 'We're up against the full powers of Satan. He doesn't want to see us spreading frontier missions vision.

Work

Out it takes more than prayer to spread vision. As with evangelism, so with the Center's work of mobilization: human beings are God's instruments.

We can pray all we want," says Dr. Ralph Winter, General Director of the Center, "but unless we back up our words with appropriate action, Cod will not honor us.

"We have to get out there, roll up our sleeves and enlist people to reach their own friends and neighbors with the message of the hidden peoples.'

That's where Hidden Peoples Parties come in.

"I'm thrilled with the kinds of responses these parties are getting," says Hoizmann. "I think they may provide the easiest, most effective means ever devised for spreading frontier missions vision."

"Y'know? Why not have a missionary recruitment contest! If it would motivate people to get Involved, I'd say, let's do it!"

A Look at a Hidden Peoples Party

"THERE'S ONLY ONE REASON I know for hosting a Hidden Peoples Party," said Gerald Grimes upon agreeing to take on that responsibility.

We want to tell people about the needs that are out there in the world. And we want to tell them about a place  the U.S. Center for World Mission  that is doing something about meeting those needs.

A Hidden Peoples Party opens with a brief, thoughtprovoking "Pre-Test" that introduces the topics to be presented.

Immediately following, the slide show, Cause for Rejoicing (see review, pg. 8), is shown in two parts, the first section concluding with a quick review of the 'Pra Test."

Cause for Rejoicing portrays:

1. the task yet remaining in world evangelization;
2. why the U.S. Center for World Mission is strategic for completing that task, and what the Center is doing to achieve its goal of "a church for every people by the year 2000";
3. how party guests can share with their friends their discoveries about the missions enterprise and, at the same time, encourage there to become Founders of the Center.

A brief time is set aside for answering questions and for guests to make commitments to share their vision with friends.

Guests are encouraged to host additional parties of their own thus multiplying parties and party benefit.

Less than 90 minutes after It began, the party concludes with a time of informal fellowship over refreshments.

Multiplying Vision by Multiplying Parties

"Suppose you could spend one half hour no money. and you could multiply the effectiveness of your Hidden Peoples Party by a factor of 255. Would you do it?" John Holzmann was speaking to a group of Center staff members.

"Look," said John. "Your guests have mailed invitations out all over the U.S. You can't follow those people up. But parties elsewhere in the country have reached new people in your area. Who will invite these people to a party?"

"I believe at least two guests from your party would gladly host parties of their own, one party apiece, during the next month."

"If you called your guests, in half an hour or less, you could make your one party worth three."

"In fact, if your two friends each ask two of their guests to host parties, and those guests ask two of their guests to host parties, and so on down the line... wetl, if these parties are one month apart, by December your half hour of telephone calling could produce 255 parties!"

"And two things will happen. Two hundred fiftyfive times the 300 parties that have already been held will pay off the U.S. Center campus, and will produce a million people with new vision."

"We've got to keep spreading vision by bringing In friends who've never heard of the frontiers or of the Center; and we need to nurture Founders after they've given their one time gift."

"We need hosts who will invite to their parties people whom, perhaps, they've never met before: people who have recently responded to the invitations tent out by guests at parties held elsewhere at a distance.

"I think people who have attended a Hidden Peoples Party are the best candidates for hosting additional parties."

"I don't want to be shoving this idea down peoples' throats," John continued. "But I do want to encourage them to multiply their parties."

"I don't see any reason for being shy about asking party guests also to take part in something that can produce the kinds of results we see happening!"

One host is delighted that a guest of his is looking into full time frontier missions work as a result of his party.

"We will supply future hosts will, names toil addresses of Founders 10 invite to their parties, and we will send them enough materials that they'll be able, right at the party, to multiply their effectiveness by giving their guests what they still need to 'floss parties of their own."

"I believe a Hidden Peoples Party is a great way to encourage people to commit themselves to on¬going missions education, ... prayer,...giving, vision spreading,.. .even going to preach the gospel where Christ is not yet known!

YOU ARE NEEDED

YOUR PARTICIPATION Is vital if the Hidden Peoples Party program is so be a success.

You are needed to host a party for people, in your area who have recently reponded to invitations sent out by parties elsewhere. Invite your friends as well.

But please, take a moment right now to check the appropriate box on the enclosed business reply card and drop it in the nail.

(If you cannot find the card, please use the form on the back cover of this paper.)


or

The U.S. Center for World Mission recently announced the release of the long awaited slide tape presentation about the vision from which the Center grew.

Cause for Rejoicing is a compact audio visual tool designed for spreading frontier mission vision, for introducing people to the U.S. Center for World Mission, and for helping the Center to find new Founders.

Over 100 slides are shown against the backdrop of a brisk, 26 minute soundtrack that informs, exhorts and encourages.

The presentation has already proven effective when shown to Bible study groups, Sunday school classes, and small groups called together specifically for the purpose of viewing the program.

"It's definitely the best audio visual presentation I've ever seen on the hidden peoples." said one young man after viewing Cause for Rejoicing.

"I don't think you could find a clearer

explanation of what the Center is all about,"

said another viewer.

Beginning with an Introduction to the existence and needs of the hidden peoples, Cause for Rejoicing then shows reasons for hope that cod's plan for the nations will be fulfilled; tour specific examples of worldwide church growth are highlighted.

One person who had never heard of the Center or

It, work before viewing showthe show said, "I'll, encouraged 10 get involved when I hear these things about what God is doing in South Korea end Africa and Asia!"

Yet Cause for Rejoicing provides challenge as well as encouragement. Following the descriptions of advances of the gospel, viewers are brought face to face with the stark reality of the needs yet remaining in each of the five major blocs of unreached peoples  Tribais, Hindus. Muslims, Chinese, and Buddhists.

At this point the stage is set  in the mind of the viewer as it was in the events of the

mid 1970'5  for the emergence of the U.S. Center for World Mission.

After a brief look at the history behind the founding of the Center. Dr. Ralph Winter and his wife Roberta are called upon to speak about the Center's work: Its Strategy. Mobilization. Training, and Services divisions.

The program ends with an appeal for viewers to participate in the "Touch It" campaign: to reach out to ten friends apiece with an "Invitation to Hope  s letter that spreads hope and vision concerning the final frontiers, and that asks the reader to contribute a one time, $15.95 Founder's gift to the Center,

Cause for Rejoicing it currently available at no charge to the user in a "Hidden Peoples Party" package (see pp. 61).

To order Cause for Rejoicing, or to obtain further information, please call the Center's Hidden Peoples Party office, at (515) 797 1111. ext. 221.