Acceptable Methods for Raising Church Building Funds

Acceptable methods for raising funds for church buildings involve systematic planning, personal sacrifice, and honest labor, rather than worldly entertainments or questionable commercial practices.

Spiritual and Systematic Giving 🕊️

• Systematic Benevolence: The most consistent method for funding church work is through systematic giving, where everyone lays by in store as God has prospered them 1 Corinthians 16:21TT 378.1.

• Self-Denial and Sacrifice: Funds are often raised through personal self-denial, such as selling unnecessary trinkets, ornaments, or idols and putting that money into the Lord's treasurySpM 82.5.

• Family Collections: Using "silent messengers" like self-denial boxes in the home encourages both parents and children to save means for the advancement of God's cause20MR 92.3+2.

• Missionary Acre Fund: Members can cultivate a portion of land and devote the profits specifically to building funds or debt reliefRH December 3, 1903, par. 2+1.

Industry and Public Appeals 🏗️

• Honest Labor and Personal Investment: Building projects are supported by the dedicated labor of believers who "take hold" of the work and invest their own resources to establish institutionsCG 315.2+1.

• Donations and Pledges: Soliciting liberal donations and subscriptions from both members and interested persons in the public is a successful way to meet expenses15MR 62.1+2.

• Book Sales: The sale of specific literature, such as Christ's Object Lessons, is a designated "Christian way" to raise funds for schools and buildings rather than relying on begging or worldly policyIR September 2, 1903, par. 5+2.

• Public Collections at Meetings: Taking up collections during evangelistic efforts or camp meetings is an appropriate way to cover the costs of halls and local needs6LtMs, Lt 112, 1890, par. 5+3.

• Harvest Ingathering: This campaign engages the community and arouses the sympathy of those not of our faith, bringing a flow of means into the mission and building treasuriesPaM 272.4+2.

Methods to Avoid 🚫

• Worldly Policy and Fairs: Raising money through church fairs, festivals, parties, or theatrical plays is considered a strategy of Satan and an unhallowed alliance with the worldFEE 192.3+2.

• Gambling and Raffles: Methods like lotteries, raffles, and petty gambling for church support are strictly prohibited and indicate a decline in vital pietyFEE 192.3+2.

• Unconsecrated Labor: Offers of labor that require high wages and board are not the spirit needed for building the house of GodCG 315.2.

• Merchandise of Grace: The historical practice of selling indulgences to fund buildings like St. Peter’s is viewed as making merchandise of God's grace and building upon the wages of iniquity Matthew 21:12HF 80.2+1.