The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1929, Page 84

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84

restoration of the old, old Gospel, the reformation
of the Church,—it meant the rescue of unnumbered
millions of perishing souls.

Friend, do not hesitate, do not postpone action.
“Go!” Go, for God’s Word is a hammer; it is like
a fire, like a sword, a two-edged sword, which pierces
the heart asunder. His Word is life, a power of God
unto salvation. Heeding His command, begin in
your own home. Or can every one truthfully say
that he believes with his whole house? There is
possibly a wayward son or daughter, father or
mother, brother or sister, who has not as yet turned
to Christ and accepted Him as his only Savior or
who has forsaken Him and now walks the broad way
unto destruction. Throw out the life-line and rescue
the perishing.

Go and give. Do your best. The latter is also
necessary. The Lord has need of your gift; He has
need of it to carry on the blessed work where you
cannot go. Give, but give freely, give cheerfully,
and as the Lord has prospered you. But you say,
“J have nothing to spare.” You have nothing to
spare —nothing, nothing? Will you dare to utter
this statement in the presence of the Judge when
He ascends the throne of judgment? Will you then,
in the sight of a dissolving universe, the rising of
the dead, the world in flames, and nations convulsed
in terror, still plead, “I had nothing to spare to aid
* perishing souls”?

Men of God, young and old, let every one of us
be about doing our Father’s business. Let us work
while it is day. The night cometh when no man
can work. The Master’s call is imperative. Onward,
pastors and leaders; onward, men and women, boys
and girls! The Master Himself leads; may you
follow! Go and preach the Gospel. Onward, ever
onward, and compel them to come in.

Successful Home Mission Work.

The following simple, unvarnished article which
we read in the Southern Nebraska District Mes-
senger, will, we are sure, interest our readers, as
it did us: —

Mission-work is generally called successful when
the result is visible and external and can be stated
in numbers of people gained and in dollars returned
from the mission territory. Otherwise all mission-
work is successful whenever the pure Word is pro-
claimed and applied faithfully and with the ability
that God gives.

_ We refer to the work done in the Upland parish

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

(Pastor O. Heinitz). When the applications for
subsidy were received by the Mission Board in
January, the card from Upland had this notation:
“TInclosed you will find the blank subsidy request
card. I don’t think I will need it this year. In our
New Year’s meeting the congregation voted unan-
imously to become self-supporting. And I believe
the subscription-list will support the resolution.”
In a supplementary letter the writer gave us this
further information: “I am pleased to observe
a general spiritual improvement in the congrega-
tion. In 1927 99 persons communed; in 1928, 174,
a few as often as six times” (they have eighty com-
municants). “We have made our [synodical] budget
again this year, making it five years straight. It
may interest you to know how much the Upland
parish has cost the Mission Treasury. During the
five years that I am here I have received $1,575 sub-
sidy. The field had returned to Synod not quite
$1,700 in contributions to the budgeted treasuries
and charities.”

“Before closing, I wish to extend our sincere
thanks to the Mission Board for the subsidy re-
ceived, and I trust that the brethren will not feel
sorry for having taken the ‘risk.’ ”

About three years ago the Ash Grove-Naponee
parish was branched off from the Upland parish.
The communicant membership of Ash Grove is
sixty-five; of Naponee, thirty-eight. They are being
served by a pastor of their own (Rev. P. Ludwig)
and are receiving a subsidy of $200 annually. The
Upland parish consists of eighty communicant
members for Upland and twenty-eight for Franklin.
Franklin is a promising field, and the pastor and
people are considering the calling of a resident
pastor.

The Upland people bought a fine church a year
ago, which formerly belonged to Danish Lutherans.
They paid $1,500 for it, fixed it up, and have no
debts. The Ash Grove people also bought a church,
formerly a Methodist house of worship, in 1926
for $400.

So these are the facts. In five years the Lord
permitted us to build up two practically self-sus-
taining congregations (Ash Grove is getting $200
this year and possibly can do without the subsidy
next year). The money invested by Synod was re-
turned, and they will be helping with the pulling
of the nets in the future. And the prospects for
a third independent parish at Franklin are bright,
which new parish will also try to do without support
as soon as it possibly can.

That is why we called it a successful piece of