Mission Evangelism

JANUARY 2002

# A LETTER TO YOU FROM MISSION EVANGELISM, INC.

The needs of this ministry:

IS Mission Evangelism worth your support? Here is what would stop if we were shut down:

. In 2001, 371,955 books were shipped out from here.

. In 2001, we mailed out 8,387 audiotapes-all of them Spirit of Prophecy book readings.

. In 2001, $21,000 worth of other of our books (not missionary paperback) on Important topics were ordered.

. In the summer of 2001, in a single mailing project, two different Spirit of Prophecy books were mailed to over 2,400 men and women In U.S. prisons. In addition, that same year, we mailed one or several free book copies to nearly 3.600 U.S. prisoners or individuals overseas—all of whom requested them.

. Since initially ordering them in 2000, we have given away over 65,000 free Sabbath bumper strips. The first print run was for 5.000; the second for 10,000; and the third (for 100.000) is now over half gone.

. And all the while, in addition to newsletters, still more books were prepared, some of which have been published, including Prophets and Kings, Acts of the Apostles. Beginning of the End. Evolution Cruncher, and International Meat Crisis.

As you are well-aware. Mission Evangelism, Inc., is a unique ministry. Many others are doing a good work, holding meetings, traveling to special gatherings, preparing sermons, and sending out newsletters. We are thankful for all that they do.

But Mission Evangelism provides a number of bottom-cost services which you can find nowhere else.

ITEM: The missionary paperbacks.

In the 1960s, a close friend who operated a successful independent book ministry for the church told me that the only way it could succeed was to charge five times the printing-house cost of the book. However, he was a practicing physician at the time and used none of the money for his own support. Go into any store in the land and check their prices.

As you know, we do not do that here. For example, Ministry of Healing costs you 40 cents a copy in the box, which is what we pay the printing house for it (not counting shipping to us). We ought to charge 40 x 5, or $2.00, a book in the box.

One independent publisher is doing something similar, and their paperback Spirit of Prophecy books are $2.95 a copy, in boxful quantities.

Overcharging? Not at all. They are practicing the same kind of sound business practice that you will find at your local dry goods store.

But here at Mission Evangelism, we believe we are involved, not in a business, but in a ministry. And a ministry requires donation support in order to continue operating.

For example, we pay a printing house, located near the Canadian border, 16.5 cents a copy. F.O.B. factory, to print our Steps to Christ. Then, for an additional charge, they ship the books to us. We must then load them into our warehouse, maintain it, provide cooling in the summer and heat in the winter to keep the books in proper condition. When you order a case of Steps to Christ, we have to process the order. That takes time. Labels have to be prepared, placed on the box, and it has to be hauled to the post office several miles away. We must also maintain forklifts and other equipment.

Yet we sell you that book for 17 cents a copy, in boxful quantities, plus postage to you. Do we make money on each box we ship you? Far from It.

In the fall of 1998, I told the folk here that I was tired of business as usual. All our paperbacks were marked up about 10 to 15 cents above the factory cost (before shipping to us). I explained that I had decided to lower the book prices to the bottom. There were folk in our accounting office at the time who well knew the facts about our financial situation, who declared in shock that if I did that, the place would go bankrupt Within a few months.

In January 1999, we issued the first lowest-cost book: our new full-featured edition of the 88 Great Controversy. A large 736-page book, larger in page count than any other paperback Great Controversy on the market-yet priced lower than them all (!): only 60 cents a copy.

Then we brought out our new full-featured 84 Great Controversy—at only 43 cents a copy. An incredible price for an earlier edition of a masterful book. And so it went. By faith, we kept ordering large print runs of key books and, then, offering them at flat-bottom cost prices. You know the result. Miracles took place. We now have 22 paperback titles. We praise God for all that has happened. We thank you for your most wonderful help.

But, as of July 2001, the situation turned downward. Donation income was reduced heavily. In September, it greatly worsened. In December, it really got bad. So now I write you this letter.

ITEM: The Variety Box.

In order to obtain the lowest cost on paperbacks, you should have to purchase full-sized boxfuls of them, shouldn't you? Yet, in order to help you as much as possible, we hand-pack an assortment of all the missionary paperbacks into little boxes, and only charge you a little more than full-box price on those books! Why do we do that? Because this is a ministry. We are striving in every way to help you circulate the books. We lose on every Variety Box shipped out, and you and all those who will share those books gain. You can place a Variety Box on the car seat beside you and hand out books everywhere you go.

ITEM: The Spirit of Prophecy Audiotapes.

About a year ago, we learned that a friend was willing to provide us with audiotapes (cassette tapes) from our masters. He makes them on cassettes which he purchases for about 40 cents each. He labels them, places them in soft polyvinyl boxes, and drives here to deliver them to us for $1.10 a tape. He makes a profit. We are happy he does, for he has to support his family.

We sell them to you for $1.20 a tape, delivered. Why do we do this? Because sending out tapes is a ministry. We are engaged in ministry. We know that every tape mailed out will help precious souls stay close to God. We want to meet you later in heaven; and listening to these tapes, and acting on what you hear, will help you get there.

For example, Desire of Ages, our largest tape set (aside from Bible Commentary, Volume 7 A), costs you $21.00 + $4.20 p & h for 21 tapes. We should charge you $40.00 or more for an audiotape set of that book. But then we would be carrying on a business again.

If we sold Desire of Ages for $40.00 (which would only be $1.90 a tape), after obtaining one or two audiotape sets from us, many folk would give up. The cost would be too high. They and their family could not keep acquiring tapes and listening to them.

But, because we keep the price so low, we are shipping out large quantities of audiotapes every month, and we praise the Lord that we can do it.

In contrast, a radio ministry will ask you for a minimum of $5.00 per tape in tape sets. And those tapes only contain man's speculations, much of it erroneous and not God's Inspired Writings.

We have 65 Spirit of Prophecy books in audiotape format, a total of 617 tapes. It amounts to nearly 1.000 hours listening time.

I listen to these tapes every day, and it is like heaven to hear them as I prepare meals and sit down and eat.

ITEM: The Family Bible Studies.

We have the most complete set of Bible studies available for you. It is called Family Bible Studies, and has 384 pages and 31 lessons (including one on the Spirit of Prophecy).

These excellent lessons are printed on offset paper, in 5112 x 8112 size, and can be obtained either in bound editions or loose, so you can hand out individual copies as you give the studies.

The books cost us $1. 16 to print. Yet, in boxful amounts, we make them available to you for only $1.08 a copy, plus shipping-so you can give as many Bible studies as possible. This is the lowest cost price possible for full Bible studies-anywhere in Adventism. Many of our people have taken advantage of this wonderful opportunity, and are obtaining these books and giving Bible studies to friends and neighbors.

But, at times, they are confronted with students who do not continue beyond a few lessons. This ruins an entire book, part of which has been handed out. Yet because our books are so inexpensive, the Bible instructors can easily secure more copies and start new studies, either in home studies or evangelistic meetings.

A source of lowest-cost Bible studies has been a strong need. Since the denomination will not provide the lessons at such a low cost, we do. And these lessons express the historic beliefs and high standards of our forefathers. I myself have seen denominational Bible studies with the "salvation by faith alone without any obedience" theme.

ITEM: The Natural Remedies Encyclopedia.

We have had a deep burden for years to figure out how to provide our colporteurs with a way to support their families while at the same time placing the full-message books in the homes of the people. This is because the Spirit of Prophecy said it should be done. She even told how to do it: Use the health message as the entering wedge by which the full-message books will be placed in the homes by the canvassers.

The Natural Remedies Encyclopedia, with a $45.00 back cover price, provides this opportunity. We pay about $4.00 per copy for these large hardback quality books. Yet we make them available to you for only $4.20 a copy, in boxfuls of 10 (plus shipping),-if you agree to hand out, with each copy sold, a copy of Great Controversy, Patriarchs and Prophets, and Bible Readings. The actual cost to you is about $10.50 per set of four books, postpaid; yet you can easily sell that set for $35.00.

The Spirit of Prophecy said our church was supposed to devise ways so our canvassers could make a living while distributing the full-message books. They have tried and failed, so our kindly Father helped us figure out a way to do it.

Those lowest-cost books can only be provided to colporteurs by a ministry, not by a business. A business, such as the Home Health Education Service (our denominational colporteur sales outlet) prints a Great Controversy for $3.00 a copy, Then they sell it to the canvasser for such a high price that he must try to sell it for $60.00 or more in order to begin to meet expenses.

We are regularly shipping out many boxfuls of Encyclopedias to canvassers in many places. But it is only possible because you are helping us.

ITEM: The Evolution Cruncher.

By the blessing of God, we now have the most complete refutation of evolutionary theory ever published. A full 928 pages in length, it is being shipped out at low cost to Adventist and non-Adventist pastors, schools, and ministries in America and overseas. Many young people, and older ones too, are learning the truth about evolution. You are going to have stars in your crown for making it all possible. You will meet those people later in heaven.

ITEM: Sabbath Bumper Strips.

This is an outstanding way to share the Sabbath truth with the world. Every bumper strip placed on a car will be seen by thousands of people within a few months time! Yet we are giving them away free! Those who read the strip at close range, learn that they can obtain a free copy of Great Controversy and Bible Readings from us. All this costs money, as you might imagine. No profit here. Because ours is a ministry, not a business.

The same holds true for the Sabbath Flower Seals and the Sabbath Gold Seals. We make them available at nearly the cost of the printed materials. Then there are the full-page Newspaper Ads. We now have eleven of them, ready to ship to you. All you need do is tell the newspaper office to add your post office box number and free offer at the end. We give these, ready-to-print, ads to you on a donation basis.

ITEM: Free books mailed out.

As if that were not enough, we are also mailing sizeable amounts of free books (1) to prisoners in the United States; (2) to requests coming from Africa, the Caribbean, Philippines, and India; and (3) from various free book offers. On this third item alone we sent 39 books just yesterday to people who sent in requests which came by email from the U.S., Europe, and Australia. People everywhere are crying for the truth! We must help them. In 2001, a prison chaplain in Florida asked that we stock his prison library With our books.

ITEM: Funds and books sent to missionaries working overseas.

These are workers active in evangelism who are accomplishing worthwhile work, yet who are not receiving help from the denomination. Sometimes they want funds; sometimes they prefer boxes of books. Either way, the cost is high. A $25 box of books to Africa may cost over $50 in postage.

ITEM: Our websites.

The cost of developing and maintaining websites is significant. Yet it provides us with a powerful Window of opportunity. A news release last week stated that more people go online to obtain religious information than any other kind. Health data is a close second.

At the present time, we have the following websites:

http://www.pathlights.com - This website is for everyone, especially non-Adventists. It now receives over 600,000 hits each month; month after month. It is full of data on home remedies, evolution, and abortion. It also has a colorful Bible correspondence course.

http://www.sdadefend.com - This website is for Adventists. As you may know, many of the informative websites for Adventists are either operated by liberal church members or those openly opposed to Ellen White and our historic teachings.

http://www.ellenwhitedefend.com - This website is primarily for Adventists; and provides a great wealth of data defending her writings (including the entire book. Prophet of the End). You may recall that, at the 1995 Utrecht Session, a delegate from Africa stood up and pled with leadership to supply a website which would provide such information. When completed, this website will contain more Spirit of Prophecy defense material than anything else on the Internet.

http://www.evolution-facts.org - This website is for everyone, and has an even larger collection of data against evolution. It is, by far, the largest you will find anywhere on the worldwide web.

http://www.bible-sabbath.com This website is advertised on our bumper strips. We are in the process of filling it up with useful information. Among other things, it will include the complete book, Beyond Pitcairn. Recently a friend, who does not live near us, kindly offered to help us place our extensive collection of materials here and there on our websites. This work is moving forward rapidly.

http://www.harrypottermagic.org – This website is an expose on the terrible attack of spiritualism and witchcraft on our society and children. It is also featuring a special children’s section with stories and information for children telling them the truth about spiritualism.

Someone may say, “Well, Vance, the answer is simple enough: Up the price on everything; that will solve the problem." No, it won't. Those who need the paperbacks, the Spirit of Prophecy tapes, and other materials will be far less likely to obtain them. Thus those materials Will be far less likely to be shared freely and widely with a world so in need of the final message. It is for us to continue on, doing what should be done. We are to pray for God's help and not slacken our work. Through those who believe we are doing the right thing, He Will provide the needed funds to keep us moving forward.

Our heavenly Father Will not let this ministry stop. Our primary work is twofold: defending and promoting our historic beliefs, and defending and promoting the Spirit of Prophecy. We intend to keep doing both.

Yet our Father would have us tell you, from time to time, what is happening here. I cannot recall the last time I sent you such a letter. But it has been awhile. I may need to write you again in the coming months, perhaps not. But I can know you will want to know what is happening here. Your heart is bound up in this work, as is ours. Together we will keep pushing forward, and in heaven we will meet those with whom we have shared the books.

I have been asked why we especially focus on lowest-cost books rather than magazines, newspapers, or tracts.

Magazines, newspapers, and tracts are very helpful and we are thankful for those making them available. But, over the years. I have observed that nothing has the lasting power of books. People do not tend to throw away books. They read them, they put them on bookshelves, they give them to someone else, they sell them in a flea market or to a used bookstore. People see books as something akin to a piece of furniture. Think about which reading matter you keep in your own house, year after year after year.

We are concerned to provide the reading matter, which will give the most lasting impact on the receiver and those with whom he associates. It is a known fact that, many times, the one converted by a book may be someone other than the one the book was given or sold to. Ellen White predicted that many will not be opened and read, till years later.

Of course, all other forms of missionary literature are also extremely helpful. I have been asked why we no longer print missionary tracts in large quantities as we did in the 1980s. Tracts are wonderful. but we do not receive enough funds to pay for someone to man the presses and ship out the tracts. As you know, we have a greater variety of missionary tract titles than most any other publishing house in the denomination.

So, instead, what we do is to fill tract requests by sending one tract and explaining that the person has our permission to make as many copies of it as he desires at a Jiffy printer or photocopy shop-and share them as widely as possible. In that way, he becomes one of our associate printer/missionaries.

I have been asked what I have been working on recently. .

For the past several months, I have been deeply involved in producing more books, which will be issued eventually as the Lord provides.

One which, for years, I have wanted to prepare is now finished and ready for the printers, as soon as we have the funds. It will provide answers to the following: What are the special deceptions in these last days? We do not have to keep the law of God (and the Sabbath With it). We go to heaven or hell as soon as we die. Those in hell burn forever.

What are the special errors that cause people to run from their heavenly Father, mistrust Him, and even hate Him? First, the error that God is the cause of all our problems, the cause of accidents, injuries. sickness, and most every other unfortunate event. Second, the teaching that God is going to burn people forever in hellfire.

So I have finally written a book that covers all the above topics, plus spiritualism and Basic Steps to Christ. It will cost about 33 cents. If you would like to help us get it into print, send a donation earmarked "for the hellfire book" (not its actual title).

I have been asked what are the latest developments in that special new book which we mentioned earlier, which will contain basic Steps to Christ, basic Great Controversy, basic Sabbath, and basic healthful living.

The English text of the book was finished over a month ago. The Spanish translation, done by two very competent friends, is completed. The cover painting is finished. Now we

As soon as we are able, we will go to press on a large print run. You will be very happy with the finished result. The English edition of the book will sell for close to 17 cents a copy. The Spanish edition may be a few cents more. (Spanish generally fills more paper than its English equivalent.) (These books are now available and we are working on a Portuguese edition!)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ONGOING HELP. That is the only way we can keep this expanding project moving forward.

Last, but not least, would you sit down and write on a blank sheet, the words "Topic Suggestions", Below that, thoughtfully list the subjects you would like me to write about in the future. It can be one or several. Underline the ones you consider most important. The topics may be in doctrinal, historical, scientific, health, etc. areas. I will spread out the sheets before the Lord, as did Hezekiah, and do what I can. Thanks for working with us to help many others.

Vance Ferrell

Please sent inquiries, order and gifts for support to:

## MISSION EVANGELISM

HCR 77, BOX 38A,

BEERSHEBA SPRINGS, TN. 37305

USA

Phone- 931 692 2777

Fax- 931 692 3013

For information on the missionary Books in box-lots and all the other missionary items see-

http://www.sdadefend.com/missionary_books.htm

http://www.ellenwhitedefend.com/missionary_books.htm

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