The Experience of One Church
By Estella Houser
From one of our Eastern churches a request came recently for envelopes for a special offering that was to be taken up, the librarian writing that they had found that the use of the envelopes increased their offerings. As an illustration, she mentioned their experience with the weekly offering envelopes for missions, stating that before they began to use the envelopes, their offerings averaged about ten dollars a year, but since the envelopes had been adopted, the offering had increased to about forty dollars a year, the offering for one quarter equaling that of a whole year without the use of the envelopes. This little experience needs no comment. The same has been true in many other churches. Where the needs of the field and our privileges in connection with them are constantly held before the people by the little envelope, which is simply a reminder of the great work entrusted to us, we find the offerings are larger than without the use of them, although none are more heavily burdened. Perhaps those who have been in the habit of giving have given no more, but a large number who have overlooked the matter because their attention has not been called to it, have been reminded by the little envelopes. No church elder should fail to give these a trial. Ten cents a week from each individual means the ability to increase our work in mission fields at least threefold. In this way every one may have a part in giving the last warning message to the world. The Mission Board will be glad to correspond with you about it. ESTELLA HOUSER.