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b_E_1926_December

HEKINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS 'AT HANU

December 1, 1926

ABOUNDING IN GOOD WORKS

'And God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”—2 Corinthians 9: 8.

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MOST professed Christians feel that at some time in their lives they would like to give a large amount of time and energy to the service of the Lord. But they are always so fearful that the wolf will come to their door, or that they will lose the car that is partly paid for, that they never get to the place where the good works begin; or if they do begin, there is but a beginning, and the results are meager and unsatisfactory.

Moreover, there is a great variety of opinion as to what constitute good works. In India, at one time, girls were engaged in the heathen temples in works which the heathen priests and pilgrims considered good works, but which we rightly consider scandalous and immoral. Roman priests offer masses for the repose of souls, for a consideration; and there are people who consider that a good work. Unscrupulous financiers rob the poor directly and indirectly and send some of them food once or twice a year, and consider that a good work. Evangelists frighten and hullabaloo people into

Babylon and consider that a good work. And there are many other “good works”, “many wonderful works,” which the Lord disowns.

The best of all good works is to put the truth into the hands of the people. They may not always accept it. They may not always partake of it. People do not always know what is best for them. But for a starving man, one that we know is starving, the best offering is food. Today there is a famine in the land, a famine for hearing the Word of the Lord; and we have the food that

alone case.

As show,

can meet the requirements of the

the report in this Bulletin will there has never been a year in

which those who have engaged in the Lord’s work have so abounded in that work as during 1926. We are sure that to every one of these the Lord has fulfilled the promises of our text.

As they have set their own interests more than ever to one side, and have sought to abound more and more in the

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ADVEKIISE I HE~~KTK1G~ ANI) I HE KINUHOM

good work of proclaiming the King and the kingdom, God has made all grace to abound toward them. Every need has been supplied. Help has come from unlooked-for sources and in unexpected ways. God is indeed “able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work”. What an encouragement this is for the year ahead!

Let us each make for ourselves for the New Year a higher quota of personal work, if that be possible ; and then let us live up to the quota, so that we may abound more and more in the good work of the kingdom.

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS TO DIRECTORS

The work during 1926 seemed to increase in volume as the months of the year passed by. The early activities of the year seemed to forecast that the results in the field for 1926 would be great. This was manifest by the planning undertaken by directors and the classes. From the early part of the year there seemed to be a planning for a great work and a definite laying of plans to accomplish that work. As early as June of the year many classes had exceeded the distribution of literature they had done during 1925, and a few classes had exceeded the quotas they had set for 1926.

Taking a general survey of the work, the only explanation we see as fitting to thia is the zeal and activity of the friends, their earnest desire to get the message of the truth into as many homes as possible. The year 1926 has seen a great effort on the part of the workers, and its results but testify to the work that the friends have done and what results may be accomplished in the future. Moreover, we have every reason to believe that the continued growth in volume year by year will depend upon the activity and zeal of those in the field.

Increased Sale of Studies

Analysis of the reports indicates that the greatest increase has been in the sales of sets of Studies in the Scriptures. A large foundation had been laid for the canvassing with the Studies in the Scriptures. For at least four years the territory has been covered with canvasses for booklets, individual copies of The Harp of God placed in hundreds of thousands of homes; and it would be only reasonable to expect that people in touch with the truth to this extent would come to see the necessity of adding the complete set of Studies to their home. Our observation is that the field for the Studies in the Scriptures is still a large one, to be taken advantage of by the workers in the field. The sale of individual copies of The Harp of God showed a decrease as compared with the sales of previous years. This seems to us to indicate that a certain quantity of one publication can be effectively sold in territory in three or four recanvassings; and that finally all who are interested will have purchased. This again but seems to point to the field that exists for the Studies in the Scriptures; and when offered in conjunction with the Deliverance book, the set of Studies and the Deliverance book at $2.78 come to the people, offering the same books at a lower price and with an additional service to that of the previous offer. The year 1926 seems to emphasize what can be done with the sale of Studies in the Scriptures, for the bulk of the work was accomplished before the Deliverance book was available to be offered to the public. Since there is at present a good quantity of Deliverance books ready for circulation, canvassing can proceed with an approach to the people along an entirely different line; yet that approach should have with it the set of Studies in the Scriptures.

We add this comment about next year’s sales because during the past year it has been noted that the sale of Studies in the Scriptures has been within a certain relation to the sale of Harp Bible Study Courses and Deliverance books; and since the Deliverance book is finding its way into a greater number of homes than did The Harp of God, we think that workers should aim to see that this larger proportion of homes is also served with a set of Studies in the Scriptures. As the following report for the year indicates, there is a large field for the sale of Studies in the Scriptures ; and plans for 1927 should be with a view toward maintaining this large percentage of Studies sales, equalling, if possible, the same percentage of sales to the Deliverance as has existed to the sale of Harps. Our records for the past three years have indicated that this has been about one set of Studies to every ten Harps that have been sold.

A Mighty Witness in 1926

Reports from the classes that have been organized indicate that during the past year there has been a total of 80,089 workers in the field. This is a weekly average of approximately 1540 workers. Our records do not take into consideration the individual sale of booklets. They are confined to the sale of Harps, Deliverance books and sets of Studies in the Scriptures. The total number of sets of Studies reported as sold to the people is as follows:

Classes

Sets of 8 volumes 13,006

Sets of 7 volumes 9,001

Harp and Deliverance 147,387 Colporteurs

Sets of 8 volumes 17,335

Sets of 7 volumes 7,789

Harp and Deliverance 141,057

Sale of booklets:

Classes 756,073

Colporteurs 369,476

The above, as compared with the work of 1925, shows an increase of 10,906 sets of Studies in the Scriptures over the sales of 1925, and a decrease of 4,033 copies of The Harp of God and Deliverance as compared with 1925 sales of the Harp. The booklet sales show an increase of 207,773 over 1925. The above figures indicate the distribution of literature, viz., books and booklets, that have been sold. Of the above totals, our records indicate that literature was placed in 817.214 homes throughout the United States during 1926. This, of course, indicates how great has been the spread of the truth. But it should be remembered that each one calling at the door has in most instances given a canvass and in this way brought to the attention of the people the message of truth. Reckoning on the number of people who have heard of the truth through the direct efforts of the class workers and the colporteurs, we estimate that there were approximately 7.091,900 homes reached throughout the United States by those who were in the field working. This shows a great total of people who have heard of the truth; and since this merely reports on the number of families that have been reached, the total population thus served would amount to over 22,000,000 people

Free Literature

In addition to this work, the territory of each class during the fiscal year of 1926 was covered twice; first with the distribution of 12,074,350 copies of the Message of Hope; and later in the year, the distribution of 12,-208,000 copies of the Testimony. A comparison of the figures of 7,000,000 homes reached and the distribution of the Testimony, viz., 12,208,000, indicates that classes during 1926 canvassed for the books over two-thirds of the families in the territory assigned to them.

To accomplish this witness required the setting aside of a great deal of time on the part of the workers. The results are the testimony of what the workers have accomplished. We know of no year that exceeds the results of 1926.

As to what extent the people have been impressed by the distribution of the Testimony and by the short canvass given at the door by the worker will be seen more directly in the work of the coming year; and with the results fresh in mind, the present seems an opportune time in which to look forward to a witness for the truth during 1927.

Each year, by its increase in distribution, indicates the number of people who are desirous of our message and of knowing more about our work; and that this growing number should be served with the message of truth is a testimony of the zeal and faithfulness of those who are the messengers of the Lord at this time.

Our reports from the field do not indicate that the effort required was any less; nor that the workers did not meet obstacles in their work. Rather, it manifests a competence that has come from the training that the Lord has given each one, that each might properly present his message; and as each year adds experience to this training it indicates that with the same amount of time that has been devoted in the past, greater results will be achieved. The year 1926 has been a blessed time; for the joy of the Lord has been commensurate with the opportunities of service engaged in; and no doubt all who look forward to 1927 do so with the confidence that there are still greater blessings in the field work.

Diligent Workers

It is difficult to examine the reports of all classes and to make allowances for the obstacles that each class would meet in order to estimate the real work that has been done. But of the classes that have reported regularly the following is the list of thirty classes that, considering the number of workers available, and the time the workers engaged in the service, report the greatest results in their territory.

The First Thirty Classes in U. 8. A.

1 Lakewood, N. J.
2 Bayonne, N. J.
3 Springfield, Mo.
4 Lynchburg, Va. (Colored)
5 Detroit, Mich. (Colored)
6 Bethel Family
7 Atoka, Okla.
8 Plainfield, N. J.
9 Wheeling, W. Va.
10 Washington, D. C. (Colored)
11 Abilene, Kans.
12 Baltimore, Md.
13 Easton, Pa.
14 Bridgeport, Conn.
15 Jackson, Mich.
16 New York, N. Y. (Colored)
17 Bremerton, Wash.
18 Warren, Pa.
19 Clinton, la.
20 Iola, Kans.
21 Waco, Tex.
22 Newark, N. J.
23 Cincinnati, Ohio.
24 Schenectady, N. Y.
25 Wilmington, Del.
26 Allentown, Pa.
27 San Antonio, Tex. (Colored)
28 West Palm Beach, Fla.
29 Boise, Ida.
30 Charlotte, N. C.

The new year has in its store many opportunities for serving the interests of the truth, and each of such opportunities holds a blessing for those who employ it to the Lord’s praise. We trust that the Lord will open the way for further service during the coming year, with such additional opportunities as will increase the blessings you are to enjoy, that they will well exceed your blessings of the past year.

With Christian greetings, we are