Importance of Sustaining Home Missionary Work
By E. M. GRAHAM
“The church of Christ has been organized on earth for missionary purposes, and it is of the highest importance that every individual member of the church should be a sincere laborer together with God, filled with the Spirit, having the mind of Christ, perfected in sympathy with Christ, and therefore bending every energy, according to his intrusted ability, to the saving of souls.” —“An Appeal,” page 28. There are two ways in which we are required to carry out God’s purposes: one is by our personal efforts to give the gospel message to others, the other by our means to support workers and provide supplies. There are four main lines for which this support is needed: the gospel ministry in the home field, the missions in foreign fields, the running expenses of the local church, and the local missionary work of the church members. There are also special needs at times, for institutional work, conference supplies, and other things. The gospel ministry receives regular support from the tithe, the foreign missions from the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund, and in most cases definite provision is made to meet all the running expenses of the church, and to provide all that is necessary for its well-being. In some cases not only are the necessities provided for, but what may be termed luxuries are also purchased. Very little consideration, however, seems to be given to any definite or regular support for the missionary work of the church members. In many places there seems to be a feeling that if there is anything left over when everything possible has been provided for the comfort and convenience of the church, it may be used to buy literature to distribute in the district. If there is nothing left over, then the church cannot be expected to do any home missionary work, for it cannot afford it. This seems to me an entirely wrong basis for the matter. We should not plan alone for the work afar off and neglect that which is near, nor should we supply our own needs and forget the needs of those living at our doors; not that we should do less for the regions outside our church district, far or near, or that we should fail to supply the real needs of our church, but that we should also plan definitely for the regular and systematic support of the work in our own district, the place which the Lord has given us for our personal labors. For many years some churches have devoted the offerings taken at the morning service of the fourth Sabbath of each month to the support of the home missionary work. This is an excellent plan, as it gives the work a regular income. But to make it effective, the church officers need to give study to the work. They should find out how much literature can be effectively used each month by the members, how much of this can be sold, so as to procure its cost from the public, how much can be counted on from profits on sales turned in by the members, and what other supplies are needed for effective work. Then they will have a good idea of what they will need to raise each month. This should be set clearly before the church, so that the members can contribute intelligently. Offerings may also be taken at the week night missionary meetings for the support of the work. Members who live too far away to attend meetings should be invited to contribute toward this fund. It should be remembered, however, that as these isolated members are too far from the church to get supplies from it, they have to support their own personal work, and therefore may not be able to give very largely to the church fund. There are cases, however, of isolated members who have very few neighbors they can reach, or who have been blessed with plenty of money, and these can materially assist the local work of their church by liberal contributions. Plans should be laid to sell as much literature as possible, for two reasons. One is that persons usually prize what they buy more than they do what is given to them, and the other is that such work derives its support from the persons benefited. Many church members, not being dependent on this work for their living, can allow the profits on their sales to go to the church missionary fund. There will also be much literature needed for free distribution,—tracts for systematic lending, leaflets and tracts for giving away whenever opportunity permits and for missionary correspondence, periodicals for reading racks, hospitals, and other institutions, for friends and neighbors who will not buy, and for missionary correspondence. Much reading matter should be systematically circulated in places where ministers are laboring. There will therefore be need to make liberal provision for the support of this work. Brethren and sisters, let us not forget the souls around us. We are so used to seeing them, and they seem so well off and satisfied with what they have, that we do not realize their needs as strongly as we do the needs of those farther away from us. Yet under this outwardly satisfied appearance there are many aching hearts, many longings for better things, which only the truth of God can satisfy.