This Study Guide

This guide consists of a set of nine lessons covering the book Welfare Ministry. The division into sections was made so that the studies could be entered into conveniently at prayer meetings or other regularly appointed periods. In this way opportunity may be afforded all church members to become well acquainted with the message of this book. WM-SG 1.1

And apart from the divine instruction given to Ellen White regarding welfare ministry, she knew from a lifetime of personal involvement the joy that comes from sharing. An account of her many experiences in helping the needy and unfortunate constitutes the closing part of the book you are about to investigate. Its foreword suggests the reading of these personal experiences of Mrs. White and her husband, James White, before entering upon a study of the text of the book itself. It will be found that Elder and Mrs. White were engaged in this type of ministry years before any welfare program was organized in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. WM-SG 1.2

When Mrs. White went to Australia several years after her husband’s death, she stepped into a situation of financial distress caused by a nation-wide depression. Her response to the desperate needs she witnessed on every hand, especially during the years when she was trying to attract money for the building of a college, is significant and instructive. WM-SG 1.3

As to procedure, it is suggested that after studying the material in each lesson, the student turn to the questions. Page numbers in parentheses indicate location of the answers. Questions are to be answered, quotations are to be completed by filling in the missing word or words, the correct answer indicated in multiple choice and true-or-false questions. WM-SG 1.4

In addition to the use of this guide in connection with a weekly church study program, it can also well be employed by the board and staff of community service centers. These groups will also find the companion book, The Manual for Health and Welfare Services, to be especially helpful. WM-SG 1.5

This guide is made available through the joint effort of the Department of Lay Activities of the General Conference and the Ellen G. White Estate. A meaningful, prayerful participation in this study course can only lead to a deeper understanding of practical Christianity. WM-SG 1.6