General Conference Bulletin, vol. 1

ARE YOU LENDING A HELPING-HAND?

A. O. TAIT

AT this season of the year we have the greatest opportunities presented for getting the truth before the people through our reading-matter. We have the long winter evenings, and even during the day people are not so busy as they are in the summer time, and they have much more leisure time to read. And no true Seventh-day Adventist who realizes the importance of the third angel’s message should be indifferent to the opportunities that are thus presenting themselves. And this season of the year, above all others, is the best time to work for securing subscriptions to our pioneer periodicals, the Signs of the Times, the Good Health, and the American Sentinel. Many people are casting about for some paper that they would like to subscribe for, to have in their families during the year, and let us not fail to be on hand with our papers, for they contain vital principles of truth. GCB October 1895, page 567.5

The neighborhoods of every one of our churches and isolated Sabbath-keepers and as much of the adjoining territory as possible should be thoroughly canvassed during the next few weeks for these papers. We advise our brethren and sisters to get together to consider this work; some may have a burden to canvass for the Signs of the Times, some for Good Health, and others for the American Sentinel. Then let them go over the territory faithfully, working for subscribers for these papers. GCB October 1895, page 567.6

We trust that while the brethren and sisters generally may spend a little time during these winter months in working for the papers, a large number may be found who will devote their entire time to the canvass for our periodicals. It must be apparent to all that a paper which makes its weekly or monthly visits to a home is a constant reminder of the great truths it contains, and that the chances are better for the truth to be impressed upon the people through reading the periodical which comes so frequently, than through a book or tract that is passed into the home but once, and which may not be read at all. GCB October 1895, page 567.7

Then we must keep before our minds the fact that all classes of reading - books, papers, pamphlets, tracts, — must be kept before the people. One individual will be attracted through the reading of a book; another would not take the time to read a book, but would perhaps become interested in a tract; and still a third would not look at a tract, but would read a paper. Through all of these avenues we may reach the people with the third angel’s message. GCB October 1895, page 568.1

We would like to offer a suggestion in re-canvassing for our periodicals. We believe that there are hundreds of our people, particularly among the sisters, who could devote their entire time to this kind of work, and make a good living at it. If we have tried to canvass for our periodicals, and have found that a living could not be made, would it not be well to make use of “helps” in this line the same as is done in the regular subscription-book canvassing? We are sure that there are many of our brethren and sisters who could make a success of canvassing for papers, but could not succeed so well with subscription books. We believe that the “Gospel Primer,” “Christ our Saviour,” and other small books might be used as “helps” in this periodical canvass. GCB October 1895, page 568.2

Now is the season of the year when we should be active and aggressive along these lines. The undersigned would be glad to correspond personally with any who are specially interested in this work. The secretaries of your State tract societies will also be glad to correspond with you. In taking up this canvass for our periodicals, and in securing “helps” to be used in connection with the canvass, you should do your business through your State tract society secretary. A. O. TAIT. GCB October 1895, page 568.3