The Midsummer Offering
By G. B. Thompson
An Appeal to Church Officers
SABBATH, July 26, is a most important day for all our churches and scattered believers. It is the time when the Midsummer Offering is to be taken for foreign missionaries. A great responsibility rests upon church officers to make the services on this day of special interest, and fruitful in gathering a liberal offering for missions. Others may forget these services, but church officers never. Others may rest easy and carry no special burden, but not so with the leaders. To do so is to be recreant to a sacred trust, and show ourselves unworthy of the position of responsibility to which we have been called. If church officers do not carry a burden, who will do so? Remember you are called to your position for such a time as this.11It is not enough in some mere prefunctory way to mention the offering, and be satisfied with the small sum that may be given. We must make preparation for the services; we must plan, pray, and lift for a liberal offering. Church leaders should manifest such enthusiasm as will be a real inspiration to the whole church. Urge its importance and the duty of giving liberally. The duty of those whom God has blessed with this world's goods to give large gifts should be pointed out. By doing this the offering will be increased manyfold. Special readings have been prepared for this occasion. These are of the most interesting character, and should stir us to great liberality. Many thousands of dollars of God's bounties given to us should be returned to him on this day. Has your church raised a sum equal to twenty cents a member per week? If not, the church is behind, and will need to make a strong effort to catch up. If officers in the local churches take hold of this matter as they should, this sum can easily be raised in every church. I greatly fear this burden does not rest with the weight upon local officers as it should. As an officer in the church it is your business to see that the church does its full duty in this as well as in other matters. The Midsummer Offering affords a splendid opportunity to make up what we may be in arrears on the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund, and the officers in the local church should not feel satisfied until they have accomplished this much, at least. Absent members should be corresponded with, and all the members of the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made you an overseer encouraged to lift to the utmost of their ability. Let this be an occasion when the treasury of God's needy cause will be replenished with liberal gifts from a consecrated people. G. B. THOMPSON,
Secretary North American Division Conference.