11/12/50

Scripture: I Corinthians 3: 9-23

Text: I Corinthians 3: 9; “For we are laborers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

Loyalty Sunday is a good time to remind ourselves that, as people of a Christian church congregation, we are “laborers together with God.” That phrase is Paul’s. He was writing the first of his letters to the Christians in the church at Corinth. James Moffatt’s translation of Paul’s statement at that point reads like this: “We work together in God’s service; you are God’s field to be planted, God’s house to be built.”

Our Loyalty Sunday is the day that we put sinews into the arm of the church, making concretely possible our common Christian purpose. Of course loyalty is expressed in a variety of ways. One way is by regular church attendance. The mother of four children wrote a spicy article in her church denominational magazine recently. Speaking of the experiences of motherhood in regard to taking four young, and not always enthusiastic, children to church, she tells the truth -- they did not always want to go every Sunday. They propositioned their parents variously --- “How about going to church every other Sunday?” “No, our family goes to church every Sunday.” “Well, how about three out of four Sundays?” “No, our family goes to church every Sunday.” “Well, how about not going when there is a fifth Sunday in the month?” “No, our family goes every Sunday.”

When these same youngsters, grown older, had gone off to boarding school, one of the girls remarked during vacation time at home, “You know, it’s funny. There are girls at school who say they wish they knew how to go to church. That’s sure something the kids in this house know how to do.” The mother went on to say that the whole family got the feeling that it is important to go to their church in Hanover, as anybody could see for themselves sooner or later. The church has always been important to their town. But it’s more than going to church in Hanover. That church is part of the church all over the world --- and their family knows it.

Worshipping God is important. So is being with other Christian people and letting everybody know you belong to the church. Singing, and praying, and listening and giving are important. And the mother says they got so they never felt enclosed within the walls of a building that seats 2 or 3 hundred people. For they found that their church is but a part of a kingdom whose bounds are the ends of the earth. “We give thanks, and pray -- for all the family of all the church in all the world.” They became so convinced of it that 3 of the children prepared for full-time leadership in the ministry.

Loyalty to the church is expressed in attendance at public worship. It is also expressed in personal service. And it is surely expressed in giving.

This past week, there was mailed to your address a copy of the proposed budget for this year in 1951, together with an explanation of expenditures for this year and a covering letter explaining our church needs and opportunities. On October 23rd, representatives of the various boards and activities in our church met with the Finance Committee to propose the budget for next year. What they worked out was presented to the church business meeting on November 1st and adopted as the proposed budget for 1951. Now it is our privilege to indicate what we expect our contribution to be, so that this budget may be fully underwritten, and even oversubscribed for the coming year.

Looking back a moment to that mother of a teacher’s family to whose observations I referred a minute ago, you recall she mentioned their giving in a church that they knew to be a part of the “church world-wide.” Every congregation with a healthy Christian spirit reaches out hands of mutual help and fellowship. In terms of finance, we do that through the item called “benevolences.” Perhaps a better expression than the word “benevolence” would be “Our Christian World Mission.”

I am sure you will be interested to know how each dollar of what we give through “Our Christian World Mission” is spent. 40 cents of it goes to work here in Wisconsin -- in Christian education, student work, summer conferences, aid in getting strategic new churches started (Mr. Flynn comes to the Women’s Association on Wednesday from such a church), aid to small but important churches that need help to provide their pastors with a passable salary on which to live, field supervision and counseling and necessary state-wide church administration. A little of it goes to Northland College.

24 cents of our “benevolence” or “Christian World Mission” dollar goes to areas of need and opportunity in our country through the Board of Home Missions. It includes help to several Negro Colleges, missionary service to the Dakota Indians, ministry to students, promotion of lay leadership, organizing and nurturing new churches in at least 29 high potential areas where population grows faster than church facilities (these never overlap with other major denominations, for they are selected by interdenominational comity committees), summer conferences for leaders, and so on.

Another 24 cents goes to Christian work in 15 missions around the world in about a dozen countries outside our own. Most of this goes into the salaries of about 384 missionaries, their expenses of travel, and so on. And the 384 missionaries serving under the direction of our American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions is not enough! 30 years ago we had 724! More are being recruited, and still more should be sent. Thirty were recruited and sent two years ago; that many will probably be sent this year, and 50 are urgently needed for 1951. They go not to rule the new Christian churches of other lands, but to help them in many ways, by preaching, teaching, healing, helping in agriculture, literacy improvement, social welfare, and other ways.

Nine and one-half cents is shared with victims of war. And two and one-half cents in invested in Christian Social Action.

Our conference Missionary Committee suggests that each Congregational Church in this state accept a goal of about $6.00 per active, resident member, which goal we can accept and meet if we give the amount adopted in our proposed budget. We have met our apportionment in missions in full, and a little over, for the past 6 years and very nearly gave what was asked of us for 4 years before that. Our church is one of the leaders in so doing. We can be proud of that. But we need not be haughty over it, either. One Congregational conference in our nation adopted a missions goal of not 6, but 11 dollars per member -- and 10% of the churches in that conference accepted that goal the first year!

Now what about the work here at home? We are deeply privileged to worship in a house of general good repair and good taste. We have improved it a lot and need to improve it further. There are new literature tables in this room and new carpeting is now on the way from the factory. The new kitchen is a joy to every woman or man, old or young, who goes in it to help or just to see. The ladies’ powder room is a very decent improvement.

All of these things cost more than the original estimates on the work, so that our trustees found it necessary to borrow $8,000 during the summer to meet our obligations. We want to subscribe our current budget in full and to retire that debt just as soon as possible.

You can see what the other estimates of expense are by examining the pink budget sheet. (And, by the way, if you or your family did not get a letter enclosing that sheet this week, will you, whether you are a member of the church or only an attendant at worship, write your name and address on a piece of paper and hand it to an usher or to me? We need constantly to bring our list of addresses up to date.)

There are other things we need for our effective work. Our building must not go much longer without having the masonry pointed. Our church school needs improvement in facilities, most particularly for teaching and caring for the little children. But our first obligation is to underwrite this budget for the year. If each of us will raise his pledging 10% we can do it with certainty. Our other obligation, just as important, is to pay our debt. This can be retired properly if, in addition to a 10% increase in our pledging for the regular budget, many of us will make extra contributions for repaying the loan.

At this point, I am happy to share some good news with you. This past week, our treasurer received, from Mr. George W. Mead, a special gift of $4,000 toward retirement of that debt! Members of this church, with that kind of help from one member, I think the rest of us ought to pitch in and pay off that debt this coming year!

Do you know what a going concern, what a busy enterprise, this church building and this fellowship is? Not only do 160 to 170 of us meet here, on the average, each Sunday morning for common worship. But there are as many children and young folk and teachers busy in the four departments of the church school every Sunday morning the hour before this service. Women’s Association, Mayflower Circle, Men’s Club, The Ark, the Boards of Deacons and Trustees, the ABC, and the Cub Pack meet each month. 3 Girl scout troops and a large troop of Boy scouts meet every week as does the choir.

There have been 5 church weddings here his year; 4 families have met here in funeral remembrance of their departed loved ones.

Union efforts

Lenten Services (Good Friday last spring, 6 Wednesday services next spring.)

Union Thanksgiving service last year.

Reformation Sunday evening last November.

6 sessions of community leadership training school.

2 weeks of union Daily Vacation Bible School in summer.

Community services beyond Union efforts

Winnebago District Women’s Rally

D.A.R. Workshop

CWMA about once a year.

Dinner for “Wings Over Jordan” choir.

There is a large amount of work carried in homes which issues from here; 3 circles once a month; church school board; committees.

We can take pride in the usefulness of our equipment and the service given by scores and scores of people here in a program that touches many hundreds of folk. Let’s keep improving it all for the good of our community, for our own advancement and for the glory of God.

In the book of Nehemiah, enemies of Israel had been told the Jews were rebuilding this wall. They mocked the builders -- calling them “feeble Jews.” But under the direction and prayerful encouragement of Nehemiah, those same Jews did finish rebuilding their precious wall “for the people had a mind to work.” [Nehemiah 4: 2-6].

This church’s program of service can be assured, and its modest indebtedness be lifted, if we have a mind to work -- and we do have such a mind!

Alfred Grant Walton, one of the elder statesmen of our denomination, wrote the words on the first page of today’s calendar: “So I shall give - that God and truth

May live - and to the point of sacrifice

I will support my church

The voice of righteousness,

The light of hope

The bulwark of eternity.”

Many of us have come this morning with pledge cards filled. Others will want to fill them now. Some may wish to increase their first intention. Some will want to note an extra gift on the card for the debt retirement.

Ushers -- distribute more pledge cards.

In the quiet of this beloved place, will you sign them earnestly, with prayerful consecration and glad sacrificial hearts.

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Delivered in Wisconsin Rapids, November 12, 1950.