Pastoral Ministry

Offering Appeal

An offering appeal should include both the practical need and the spiritual motivation for giving—I appeal to the congregation that regularly assemble at our Tabernacle: Will you not bring in your offerings to lift the debt from the Lord's house? I appeal to those who send their children to Battle Creek, where they unite with us in the worship of God: Will you not assist us to lift this debt? I invite all to be especially liberal at this time. Let cheerful freewill—offerings be brought to the Lord, let us consecrate to Him all that we are, and all that we have....—The Review and Herald, January 4, 1881. PaM 181.3

Offering appeals should emphasize the motive in giving more than the amount given—We have the privilege of listening to God's word in our place of worship; but this building, called the Lord's house, has a heavy debt. Shall not we who worship in this commodious edifice put forth earnest efforts to do our share in lifting the debt from the Tabernacle? The poor may be encouraged by the thought that the smallest sums, given in sincerity and cheerfulness, are as acceptable to God as are the thousands cast into the treasury by the rich. There are but few as poor as the widow who gave her two mites as an offering to God. The gift was small, yet it was all her living, and she was commended by the Master. He regarded the two mites of the poor widow as a greater contribution than the rich gifts of the wealthy. He did not measure the value of the offering by its amount, but by the motive, the cheerfulness and purity of the action.—The Review and Herald, January 4, 1881. PaM 181.4

Christmas should be a special time for bringing gifts to Jesus—Yesterday was Christmas. Did you do as the Wise Men did by offering your gifts to Jesus? Or has the enemy changed the order of things, and directed the worship to himself? The gifts are now bestowed upon friends instead of Him who has made so great a sacrifice for us. All the gifts should flow in another channel, where they could be used in the salvation of men.—The Upward Look, 374. PaM 182.1