Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1954-12-22

e-S POoA hhahucT IN WHICH many
Americans give financial support
to their churches. The New Years
theme Of this article L. ono Of
hope-for Il reminds US of = prin-
ciple OF giving which can mean
new lift for our churches, . prin-
ciple given US In the Sermon on
the Mount.
BY LEWIS @. WELLS
President. Wells Organizations
America and much Of the world
seems to be on the verge of a
spiritual awakening.
The vast throngs which turn
out for meetings of Billy Graham
and other great evangelists both
in America and abroad demon
strate that people are aware Of
the need for religion as they have
never been before.
The new concept of the church
as spiritual community center
also reveals that more and more
people are turning to God and
| church in this troubled atomic
age.
This provides a heartening out
look for the New Year. 1t is some
thing for which we can all thank
God when we ask His blessings
for the New Year. 1t may save
the world.
Encouraging as it is, there is
one disappointing element in this
trend toward an increased role Of
religion in American life. It is
simply this: Americans fail to
adequately back up their spirit
ual convictions with dollars.
Church authorities reluctantly
admit that at least 95 per cent of
all annual gifts to churches can
be considered as token gifts. Yet
it is fact that a token gift can
not pull more than a token inter-
est. In this series we have been
extremely critical of the practice
OF token giving.
There is hope for a remedy,
however. Token giving is a type
of sickness. But like many ills of
man there is cure. The remedy
is old-it came to US in the Ser
mon on the Mount. Christ told us
then: "Where thy treasure Is.
there will thy heart be Also
l have preached this message
| throughout my years as a counsel
or in church Embarrassing. 1t
works wonders. l believe that if
all ministers and lay leaders
would take up the Crusade and
preach this message vigorously,
! 1t would mean tremendous spirit
ual growth for millions of Ameri-
cans-not to mention what it
would mean in physical growth of
our churches.
Every family deserves an OPP
| portunity TO make a better than
token gift to a church, to help
develop a better than token spirit
ual interest. Consequently, it
should be the responsibility and
duty of church leaders to make
sure that every member family
is given very special opportuni-
ty to make the kind of gift that
can stimulate an increased spirit
ual interest.
This special opportunity should
be offered in every church, re-
gradleSs of the financial needs of
the church. 1t is not a question of
how much a church needs" but
rather "how much member
needs to give his own spiritual
good"
In our present day econmy there
is no question that our interests
follow our dollars. 1t is also true
! that our dollars follow our inter-
eSts. So there is a chain reaction,
once the motion has been started.
| The spiritual impact which in
varibly follows a marked increase
in the giving of church members
is unanimously recognized by
pastors and lay leaders of church.
es which have experienced sue
cesSful intensive building fund
canvasses. This spiritual by-pro-
duct of creative Embarrassing is
not difficult TO explain once 1t Is
understood that spiritual interests
always follow the increased CIV
ing of spiritual dollars.
William r. Harper, the dynamic
first president of the University
of Chicago, once had opportunity
to explain his success in applying
this principle to raising funds for
the university. introduced before
a group as the greatest beggar in
the world, he replied thoughtfully,
Il have never begged a dollar in
my life-but l have given a lot
Of people great opportunities for
usefulness"
This / believe is the key to sue
cessful church Embarrassing. Min
listers and lay leaders shouldn't
have to beg members of a con-
gregation for funds to support the
church. They should instead give
everyone in the congregation "op-
portunities for usefulness through
spiritual giving"
| The church will benefit and SO
will the individual. 1t will be as
Christ intended when he told us
in the Sermon on the Mount: