11/15/59

Scripture: Read Psalm 24

Text: Psalm 24: 1; “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”

More than a century ago, some of the people who lived and worked along the banks of the Wisconsin River here wanted to worship God in religious services. They were pioneers in a place where there was yet no Congregational church. An occasional itinerant preacher came to Grand Rapids or Centralia. But there was little organized religious activity; and there were some who desired it.

One proof of this desire is an aged subscription paper fastened inside the front cover of volume I of the records of this church. The heading of that subscription paper reads in this wise:

“We the undersigned citizens of Grande Rapids do hereby promise and agree and bind ourselves to pay the amounts as here below sett opposite our Respective names unto the Reverend Jesse Edwards for a proportion of his Services at the above named place, Say from the first of June, 1856, to the first of October 1856 every fourth Sabbath. Two Sermons, and from the first of October 1856 to the first of June, 1857, Every Second Sabbath, Two sermons.” This formal document was dated at Grande Rapids September 1, 1856. The names of 20 subscribers appear thereunder, and their pledged amounts ranged from $2 to $20, for a total of $105. That was a day when a clergyman might have to get along on no more than $300 a year, or take his pay in logs to be run down the river in the spring to some saw mill. The list of signers includes names like Joseph Hausbrook, H. S. Jackson, and Seth Reeves.

It would appear that that subscription solicitation might have been the first Christian Enlistment campaign in this community. At least it is a fore-runner of many an Every Member Canvass of Loyalty Sundays since then.

The Rev. Mr. Edwards, mentioned in the document, was an “Old School Presbyterian,” who came over from Plover. That was a day when Presbyterian and Congregationalist folk mingled freely, and cooperatively in a combined conference.

From work like that of the Rev. Jesse Edwards, and others who worked with him, and following him, there evolved an interest that not only established a Congregational Society, and an organized church choir, but finally resulted in the formal establishment of a Congregational church, under the pastoral leadership of J. W. Harris. After years of scattered services, and then frequent services, the church was finally organized on March 27, 1862 with ten charter members.

Within a couple of years the church’s first house of worship was erected, and its program of activity and service was expanded. The church has occupied 3 separate houses of worship through the years; has grown to a congregation of more than 700 members on the active roll, has conducted an active Sunday School through the years; organizes its young people into Pilgrim Fellowship and Scouting groups. Its Boy Scout troop was the first to be organized here, and one of the very first in Wisconsin.

Now we come to that time in the church year when we review our church’s service and mission, and determine our own subscription of substance and loyalty to its programs.

[insert here pages 1-8 from 11-11-56]

--- church and welfare work and who deprive themselves of the real joy of giving, in adequate measure, to the Christian cause.

There are people who set up a standard for systematic giving. A friend of mine, of former years, was married to a wife who had inherited a very substantial estate. One day he commented to me on the difficulty she had had in deciding how much she should give to the numerous church, mission, community, and other philanthropic causes in which she was truly interested. But when she decided on proportionate giving, and set aside a definite, and generous percentage of her income for her giving, even putting it in a separate account, then her giving became a joy to her as well as a benefaction to her causes.

I urge each of you in this congregation not to let yourself off as lightly as you can, but to consider earnestly what you really can do as good stewards of the possessions, the time and the talent that come to your custody.

For several weeks, our Church Council, made up of representatives of each board and organization of the church, has met to consider carefully what is essential to the underwriting of our church’s program in the coming year. The proposed budget, which was mailed to the homes of this parish a week ago, is not the arbitrary decision of one person or one committee. It is the studied proposal of representatives of our whole church life.

If any persons or families have not had opportunity to study the proposed budget through failure to receive this mailing, they will find copies of it on the pink sheets at the literature tables; and we would appreciate your request to bring our mailing list up to date.

Our church council has felt that several operating items should be advanced, in line, at least, with rising costs of living and maintenance. The council proposes, further, a significant advance in our benevolence giving to our Christian World Mission.

Our regular benevolence dollar supports many causes. About 40% of it goes to work through our Conference, right here in this state of Wisconsin. The major portion of the remaining 60% is divided almost equally between the work of our Board for Foreign Missions and our Home Mission Board, with small amounts going to the Congregational Christian Service Committee and Christian Social Action Council.

A special emphasis of the next two years is the Christian Higher Education Fund of our churches. Congregationalists were responsible for the funding of many of the better known colleges and universities of this nation, and for colleges abroad where our missionaries have stood beside devoted native folk. But we have been far behind other denominations in continuing our backing of the schools which we helped to establish.

And so we now have a nationwide goal of seven and one-half million dollars to help undergird Christian Higher Education. Some of it will be used to encourage worthy, hard pressed church-related colleges. A gift from our Board of Home Missions helped to bring Northland College to accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities. It also encouraged private donors to increased support of the college. The campus ministries to students of Congregational preference all over the state and nation should be expanded to include better services for students at every campus of the country. 40% of this Fund will, after expenses, be sent into education work abroad through our American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Even this amount is small as compared to the need in requests already on file with the American Board for assistance to schools for which we have a responsibility.

40% of the Fund will be allocated to the Home Boards for strategic work here in the USA. 20% of the Fund will be administered by our own State Conference here in Wisconsin.

There is a brochure on the Christian Higher Education Fund which you will find on the literature tables. You are welcomed to take a copy. The four pages in the exact center of the brochure describe the work and the opportunity here in Wisconsin.

Our Church Council feels that we ought to take responsibility for subscribing not less than $2,000 per year, in 1960 and 1961, to the Christian Higher Education Fund.

We give support to our Theological Seminary in Chicago, a part of our support being derived from the Anna McMillan memorial fund for the training of ministers. Small increases are recommended in our support of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, the National and the World Council of Churches; and an increase in our support of the Green Lake Pilgrim Camp where so much benefit is derived each summer for our delegates to youth camp, family camp, and adult summer groups.

Our local budget includes an item for Future Development and Expansion. This is absolutely essential to the work of this church. Our church nursery is in quarters much too cramped in size. Some of our church school classes are conducted in spaces much too small. In order to keep pace with our essential needs, and to grow as we must, with our community responsibility, we must provide more useable facilities, either in our present plant, or more likely, by plant expansion before long. We must have careful planning under expert guidance, and space in which to work in the future. Any member of our Board of Religious Education, and officer or teacher in the church school, can tell you how urgent is this necessity.

In order to fully subscribe this budget, an increase in pledging of at least 10% is needed. And so I urge every member of this church and congregation, and each one who, though not now a member, worships here and works with us, to consider thoroughly the whole matter of Christian giving. The success of the Christian enterprise in the whole world rests with what we do in each local church such as ours. Ask God what He expects you to do! Then let your actions acknowledge the answer you receive.

For the sake of a world choosing between the godless way and the Christian way; for the sake of the Christ who became poor that we might become rich in him; for the sake of more peace and joy and dedication in our own souls, let us give adequately. Let us give an increase. And let us give time, talent, and service with our substance. And if we do give adequately, everybody --- ourselves, our neighbors and our God --- will be happier.

God bless you and guide your decision.

[Signing of pledges -- collection and dedication (standing) of pledges]

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Delivered November 15, 1959.