CHURCH GIVING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1393, 4 May 1915, Page 2

CHURCH GIVING.

SOMR WHOLESOME ADVICE. The following appears In the vicar’s report delivered at the annual meeting of All Saints' parishioners last Thursday night, on the subject of church finance : “ Just a word about the ideal of church finance. We should make a determined effort to see that the expenses of the church are met by direct giving : either through the offertories or the subscriptions. It is far from gratifying to a man who conies to do spiritual work, to find that his services are so poorly appreciated and esteemed, that the congregation find it necessary to organise sing-songs, garden parties, and other forms of amusement to pay his stipend. What a parody ! Of course we shall have our social functions where we may meet each other, and garden parties, etc. to maintain property, but do try and pay my stipend by direct giving. Remember the support of the church is the joy and responsibility of the many, and not the privilege of the few. And that the ‘ widow’s mite ’ is as welcome as the more costly offering. And. in all our gifts the ideal must be, ‘ Neither will I give unto the Lord of that which doth cost me nothing.’ This brings me to another thought, that it would be a good plan if every church member had a systematic form of giving: that is, to put aside a certain sum each week for church work. Sometimes we are prevented from attending church, e.g. by illness, but if our offering was put aside and then made when we next attended, we would I think fulfil David’s ideal. If this had been done during the interregnum our offertories would have shown a considerable improvement.”