The Ten-Cent-a-Week Plan
By I. H. Evans
EVERY Seventh-day Adventist whose heart is in sympathy with the third angel's message can but feel a burning desire to see the work of God prosper in the earth, and rejoice at every advance step that is made. When we hear of new fields entered, or new territory into which the standard of the Lord has been erected, our hearts leap for joy; but to establish the work in these regions beyond and to carry it steadily forward, requires a constant resource with which to sustain the workers who are in these distant fields. The ten-cent-a-week plan has been encouraged throughout our conferences. If each individual or family can not always pay the specified amount, each church should endeavor to make up a sum equal to what would be ten cents a week for each member. The poor sometimes have large families, and can not give this amount without great sacrifice, while there are others in the church who could easily give more, and not suffer in the least. To contrast what ten cents a week will do with what is actually done, one of our good conference secretaries has sent in the following statistical report from his conference. There are many other conferences that could undoubtedly work out a similar statistical report:— | Church |
Members |
Amount |
Amount per capita for nine months |
|---|
| A. |
75 |
$53.05 |
70 2-3 cts. |
| B. |
11 |
1.64 |
14 1-2 cts. |
| C. |
44 |
.60 |
1 1-3 cts. |
| D. |
93 |
.85 |
9-10 ct. |
| E. |
55 |
27.58 |
50 1-7 cts. |
| F. |
14 |
1.80 |
12 6-7 cts. |
| G. |
83 |
6.12 |
7 1-3 cts. |
| H. |
26 |
.25 |
1 ct. |
| I. |
69 |
2.62 |
3 3-4 cts. |
| J. |
8 |
|
Nothing |
| K. |
10 |
|
Nothing |
| L. |
13 |
|
Nothing |
| Totals |
515 |
$94.51 |
|
The average amount paid per capita for nine months was eighteen and one-third cents; the average amount paid per capita for one week, one third of a cent. Had we paid ten cents a week we should have paid, $1,854. The amount we did pay the first nine months this year was $94.51. According to the ten-cent-a-week plan, we withheld from the treasury $1,759.49. Had we paid one cent a week for each member, we should have almost doubled the amount which we did pay. Does not this call for earnest effort on our part lest we have the blood of souls on our skirts? We believe the Lord would be well pleased if we could bring ourselves to take a deeper interest in the foreign mission work. It is wonderful what a systematic plan can accomplish, when understandingly carried out. Will not our brethren and sisters throughout the field take hold of this plan, and help in carrying forward the gospel work? There may be other plans that you think would be more advisable and workable; but we hope that every church will contribute as much as possible for the support of the foreign missions. Then if each individual will pay an honest tithe into the Lord's treasury, it seems as if there would be an abundance of funds with which to carry forward the Lord's work. We greatly desire that our churches may cheerfully and gladly respond to the calls of the present time to assist in building up our work. I. H. EVANS.