The American Missionary — Volume 43, No. 08, August, 1889Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 43, No. 08, August, 1889
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
For the next meeting, choose another object, as "Parsonage Building."
Distribute copies of the _Church Building Quarterly_ and again the
indispensable back numbers of _The Home Missionary_, and have extracts
read which show the discomfort, and even distress, which come to the
family of the home missionary. Propose aid in the form of a birthday
offering, in which every member brings in an envelope as many cents as
she is years old. The result may be surprising.
For other objects other plans, but in every case the way should be
prepared for _intelligent giving_.
It has sometimes resulted favorably to secure, at the beginning of the
year, pledges for some definite, well understood object, as a teacher's
or missionary's salary, or a share in one, which should apparently but
not really exhaust the resources of the society, and have the payments
made as early in the year as practicable. Then pursue intelligent study
of the other fields until the time is ripe for proposing generous aid to
the one which appeals most strongly to the combined judgment and
sympathy. And so on through the year, in which time the six benevolences
can all be reached. This somewhat irregular method of procedure has
perhaps no better defence than that it has been known to produce good
results. A society the intelligence and consecration of whose members
could be relied upon would doubtless find the plan of monthly pledges,
to be divided according to some accepted schedule, much easier. No
special labor would have to be expended to make the need apparent, or to
awaken sympathy for the object, or to choose the best means of attaining
it. Gifts would be systematic and uniform throughout the year and could
be counted upon.
The machinery, well oiled at the start, would run smoothly and quietly,
and woman's work would not be made unpleasantly prominent. But it seems
doubtful whether as many gifts would flow into the treasury and whether
the gifts would be accompanied by as much interest, sympathy and prayer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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