Vast Possibilities of Systematic Work by A. J. S. B.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 2, 1910

Vast Possibilities of Systematic Work

By A. J. S. B.

THE writer recently attended a meeting of one of our churches in a large city, where the special topic under discussion was how it would be possible to collect sufficient means to purchase a church building. The amount desired to be raised was in the vicinity of $5,000. He proposed several plans to the members whereby this amount could be easily raised. Among the plans suggested were the following:—

Plan No. 1

From the 109 members, let five workers be trained who shall sell on an average 40 ten-cent magazines a day, giving their entire profits to the church fund. The profit on the sales of these five workers would amount to $288 a month, or $3,456 in one year. Let another five workers be developed who would sell only 20 magazines a day. The monthly profit on these sales would be $144, or $1,728 a year. Let still another group of five be trained who would sell only 10 magazines a day. The profit on these sales would amount to $72 a month, or $864 a year. Thus the profits on the magazine sales of these 15 workers would amount to $6,048 in one year, or an amount beyond that required for the purchase of the church.

Plan No. 2

Let five workers be found who can be trained to sell 20 magazines a day, the monthly profit on these sales being $144, or $1,728 a year. Let 10 workers be developed who will sell 10 copies a day, the monthly profit on these sales being also $144, or $1,728 a year. Again, let 20 workers be developed who will sell only five copies a day, the monthly profit on these sales also being $144, or $1,728 a year. Thus this little company of 35 workers would be able to donate a total profit on their sales of $5,184 in one year.

Plan No. 3

Train 10 workers to sell 10 magazines a day; their monthly profit would amount to $144, or $1,728 a year. Train 10 others to sell only five copies a day, the monthly profit being $72, or $864 a year. Let another 10 be trained to sell three copies a day, the monthly profit being $43.20, or $518.40 a year. Finally, let 10 more be found who can sell only two copies a day, their monthly profits being $28.80, or $345.60 a year. The total profits from one year's work, by these 40 workers, would thus amount to $3,456.

Plan No. 4

Let 50 workers be found who shall be able to sell only 10 copies each a week. The monthly profit on these sales would be $120, or $1,440 a year. Subtracting from this amount the $240 interest that would have to be paid if the amount were borrowed, there would be left $1,200 to apply on the principal of $5,000, which could thus be paid in a little over four years.

Other propositions were advanced, calling for the church-members to donate a certain number of magazines each month to the cause, thus enabling the agents to make a small margin of profit, sufficient to support them while engaged in this work. These suggestions are here produced simply to show the vast possibilities wrapped up in the sale of our ten-cent magazines. Several of our churches in different parts of the country have already adopted the plan of selling the ten-cent magazines for the purpose of raising means to carry forward various church enterprises.

A. J. S. B.