The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1920, Page 12

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12

- The Lutheran Pioneer.

SSS eee
—————

employed, shall have the opportunity of furthering
their education, and making themselves efficient
servants of the Church. We feel confident that this
opportunity will be cheerfully embraced.

And now, dear reader, we could tell you more
—tell you how we meet at conference and en-
courage each other; how we depart with hearty
handshakes and fraternal greetings, ete. We could
even tell you how Rey. A. Wiley, pastor of ‘Trinity,
thrilled us with the announcement that hot choco-
Jate and hot coffee had been prepared for us by the
good ladies of’Trinity. And how it did puncture
that cold weather! But, doubtless, you now have
an idea of our proceedings. We hope so.

May God, who has again permitted us to as-
semble and discuss those things pertaining to the
upbuilding of Christ’s kingdom here on earth, give
us and you new courage, new zeal, new strength!
We ask it for Jesus’ sake. Wm. S., Jr.

News and Views.

Immanuel Chapel, Brooklyn, N. Y., has a build-
ing fund. And on January 1, 1920, it had exactly
$26.35 in treasury., This fund was instituted on
October 19, 1919. ‘The nine regular contributors,
including two children, mentioned $25 as the
amount they would strive to have in treasury by
the end of the year. With the assistance of threc
or four others who added their mites, they have
gone over their mark. No doubt, you have already
questioned the advisability of such a small number
of people, who practically comprise the number of
Tegular supporters of ,a congregation, starting a
fund for the purpose af buying property in the ex-
pensive Metropolitan District. That calls for more

talk on the subject of

_ THE CoNGREGATIONAL BUILDING FUND.

_ Exactly the same question as the one mentioned
above was advanced when a like number of mem-
bers of Bethany Congregation in Yonkers started
a building fund more than eight and one half years
ago. In fact, one of the members asked at that
time if we thought that any of our grandchildren
would live to-reap the benefit of our effort. How-

‘ ever, in spite of such discouraging questions, we
started with a few sets of old discarded envelopes.

And as the congregation grew, the building fund
‘grew with it. Some who at first did not see the

ve ‘practical side of the undertaking, gradually became
ak convinced of its usefulness and added their assist-

,

ance. To date, we have contributed among our-
selves more than two thousand dollars. Others have
learned of our ambitions, and have offered encour-
aging, helping hands, so that now, after a few years,
we have a building fund of more than twenty-five
hundred dollars. And never has our contributing
to this cause hindered us from supporting either
our own congregation or other causes.

Yes, dear reader, it does pay to start a building
fund. Even if at first the number of contributors
is small and the prospects are vague. Every one
of our mission-congregations, including your own,
should have a building fund —a sinking fund, into
which the members can, without disturbing the
regular church treasury, put eclra nickels, dimes,
and quarters for the express purpose of acquiring
the necessary church property. And there is no
better time to start such a fund than when the con-
gregation is young; when the members have the
“first love” and are anxious to take a hold wher-
ever the opportunity is presented. It is true that
our first and foremost thought in congregational
work is not money. But it is only natural that
a congregation should from the very start, like a
new family, begin to think about acquiring a home,
and, without neglecting other important things,
begin systematic saving and _ sacrificing for that
purpose.

However, not all of our mission-congregations
are young any more, and not every one of them has
to worry about getting a house of worship. Thanks
to the good Lord and to the members of Synodical
Conference, many of them have for a number of
years been blessed with a comfortable chapel. Mem-
bers of such congregations ‘possibly feel that they
do not need a building fund. But before you allow |
yourself to become-confirmed in that idea, permit
me to ask you a few simple, direct questions. Does
your congregation own its church property? If
not, is it not about time steps were taken that some
day it may own this property? Furthermore, haye
you ever stopped to think of the hundreds of thou-
sands of dollars which your Mission Board has tied
up in church property throughout our large mis-
sion-field? And do‘you realize that this is causing
a drain on our mission treasury which means, not
only, that your pastor and the other missionaries
must receive inadequate salaries, but also that fields
much in need of the Word must be neglected ?—
Just think oyer' these ‘questions for a while and
I will discuss them Seber with you next. time.

f W. O. Hirx.