Worthington Memory http://www.worthingtonmemory.org Contributor: Worthington Presbyterian Church -------------------------------------------------------------------- [Front Cover] [Image of Jesus] His Church Must Grow 1954 Expansion Program Canvass WORTHINGTON PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WORTHINGTON, OHIO Dedication To the laymen and laywomen of Worthing- ton Presbyterian Church, this book is dedi- cated. By their vision and faithfulness, and by their sacrificial giving, they will show their love for God and man, as many of our leaders, liv- ing and deceased, have done in the past. The pages that follow will open the gates of a new life to us as Christians and a vision of our responsibility for the future of our church. This book holds a challenge for us today ... a promise of attainment for tomorrow. A Message [photograph of Rev. Raul W. Johnston from Our Minister Dear Friends: As members of the Presbyterian Church of Worthington, we are the children of a great heritage. A church with such a past must always look to a greater future. With the growing birth rate, we must endeavor to prepare ourselves, expanding both our spiritual horizons and our physical facilities to meet the needs of tomorrow. We must add our strength to the efforts made for us, so that our children and our children's children may receive training in the faith of their parents. Our Church school facilities are literally bursting at the seams. Even with our new building, it is still necessary to have two Sunday School sessions to accomodate all of our children. Our Sanctuary was originally built to hold not more than 190 people and we have been averaging 230 at each service. Our plans now include a temporary seating arrangement for an additional one hundred and thirty-nine people when the heating plant is moved. This is to be effected as soon as possible. The next steps then, are clear. We must have the faith of our fathers that we are working with God. In the Bible, Jesus tells of certain men asked to enter the Kingdom "and they all began to excuse." Our people will not make excuses. We are all going to help and we shall all enjoy the victory. Let us sacrifice time, talent and treasure in order to build for others as others have built for us. Faithfully yours, [signature - Raul W Johnston] 1 My Sacrificial Pledge [left column] The need now is for truly sacrifical pledges. After careful consideration, discussion and prayer, the first ques- tion each of us must decide is "How much should I give?" The size of my pledge will depend upon: 1. My love of Christ and our Church. 2. My interest in our church program. 3. My recognition of the urgent need. 4. My financial ability. 5. The manner in which the pledge is paid. 6. My willingness to make a sacrificial pledge. 7. My ability to understand the spiritual value of a sac- rificial pledge. 8. My desire to encourage others to make generous gifts. Most of us have never before made a truly sacrificial pledge. It is true that we have made gifts to the church at times before. Even so, we must admit that these are often "token gifts." This means that we could give more, but we do not think a large gift is necessary. This financial effort gives many of us the first oppor- tunity to enjoy the satisfaction of making a real sacrificial gift. Pray earnestly about that gift, for the decision to make a sacrificial pledge is one we can reach only by asking for Divine Guidance. We know that we cannot take our worldly goods with us when we leave this world. We also know that all we have is His. Our Canvass Fund is a way to make good use of the generous bounty with which He has blessed us. To take part in the building of a church is one of the greatest experiences in the life of any Christian. Until we have made an investment in the building of a church we are accepting the far-sighted charity of others every time we or one of our children use a church 2 [right column] Remember again, that a sacrificial pledge to our Canvass Fund is more of an investment than a gift. We, as members of this church, constitute a family. Our church building is the home of our Church Family. The construction cost of a family home is considered an investment rather than a gift. Certainly, then, the pledges which we make to the enlargement of our church should not be thought of en- tirely as gifts. They should be recognized as vitally im- portant and lasting investments. Sacrificial Pledges are important to the success of our Building Fund Canvass and vital to the future of our church program; moreover, the greatest importance of sac- rificial pledges is to the subscribers themselves. There is no other joy or pleasure that can come to a human heart com- parable to that which results from a sense of having sacri- ficed for the Cause of Christ. There would be no Christians today if it were not for the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. There would be no church today were it not for the sacrifice of our Christian forefathers. We. too, in this present generation should be willing to make a sacrifice in order that our Christian heri- tage can be strengthened. Therefore, prayerfully prepare to make your sacrificial pledge and then sign it in the presence of Jesus Christ. Let everyone give as his heart tells him, neither grudg- ingly nor under compulsion, for God loves the man whose heart is in his gift. "Beautify the place of My sanctuary; and; I will glorify the place of My feet." (Isaiah 60:13.) "Mankind was never more happily inspired than when it built a cathedral." -Robert Louis Stevenson. Why A Church [photograph of Marvin C. Ross] Improvement Program? Ours Is Truly a Great Task That shall require great thoughts, great love, great loyalty and great efforts. God always gives men great things to do. Our Cause Is Greater . . . For it is none other than the building of the Kingdom of God. With God we build true greatness. [left column] To those loyal Christians who built our church and to all of those who cared for it through the years, we are grateful. On the whole, our church building is in good condition and attractive. If this is true, why all the talk about the need for changes and repairs? I remember the parlor stove in my boyhood home. It was big, trimmed with nickel, a good heater and heavy. It was a good looking stove and worked well. I also remember the struggle my Dad and I had putting it up each Fall and taking it down again each Spring. I much prefer my present automatic heat. That's just typical of the progress which comes with time and effort. We want to make some changes in our church building. Emblematically speaking: We want to [right column] take out the parlor stove and put in automatic heat. We want to rearrange our space to better serve our present and future needs, give our entire equipment a modern touch and make additional space which we need. Let's remember the story of the talents: The servant with one talent kept it awhile and then returned it. He had taken good care of it but the Master said that wasn't enough. He should have improved upon it. That's the new plan for our church. With prayer, sacrifice and real effort, it will be a successful venture which will stand as a monument to all of us for years to come. [signature] Marvin C. Ross Canvass Chairman 3 ARCHITECT'S SKETCH OF PROPOSED ENLARGED SANCTUARY 4 How You Can Make Your Gift You and your family are requested to begin E. Our willingness to trust God and be- now giving serious-and prayerful-consid- lieve His promise eration to the amount you will try to give for our Church Building Fund, for the size F. Our interest in the Church program of our pledges and the success of this can- vass will depend upon: G. Our recognition of the need A. Our Christianity H. Our method of paying the pledge A fellow member, who has made his B. Our financial ability pledge, will call at your home before May 22, with a card for your pledge. C. Our willingness to sacrifice The following tables will help you to de- D. Our desire to encourage others to sac- termine the amount of your 150-week pledge rifice on the basis of weekly or annual contribu- tions: WEEKLY for 150 Weeks ANNUALLY for 3 Years Total Total $10.00 ..................................$1,500 $5,000 ........................... $15,000 8.00 .................................. 1,200 3,333 ........................... 10,000 7.00 .................................. 1,050 2,500 ........................... 7,500 6.00 .................................. 900 2,000 ........................... 6,000 5.00 .................................. 750 1,666 ........................... 5,000 4.00 .................................. 600 1,500 ........................... 4,500 3.00 .................................. 450 1,000 ........................... 3,000 2.00 .................................. 300 750 ........................... 2,250 1.00 .................................. 150 600 ........................... 1,800 The new income tax regulations allow deductions of church contributions to 20% of annual income. Your Church does not challenge your ability to give . . It challenges your willingness to give as a follower of Jesus Christ. 5 PROPOSED PLAN ... [Illustration] 6 [Illustration] ... OF NEW ADDITION TO OUR PRESENT BUILDING 7 [Photograph of Etta F. Kibler] Our Opportunity We are proud of our Christian inheritance. We are proud of our beautiful church with it's bustling activity, but as someone has said, "Privilege begets re- sponsibility." Next to our responsibility to God comes our responsibility to keep the faith with those who have left us such a great heritage and to press forward to a high goal, that those who come after us may pick up the challenge to accomplish even greater things. To-day we are challenged by the opportunity of reaching toward a new goal, that of providing an adequate building for the needs of our ever-growing Church School. Our rapidly growing community looks to us for leadership and guidance in Christian Education. Jesus said, "Let the little ones come unto me-and do not hinder them." Lack of space is hindering the teaching of the Word, the development of a well-planned program of Christian Education for our children, youth and adults. Efficient, con- secrated teachers, and children eager to learn are handicapped and discouraged by overcrowded conditions. If we are to keep the faith we must go forward! It is not only our responsibility but our privilege. The best in us is challenged as we face this opportunity. An Opportunity and A Challenge [signature] Etta F Kibler During the past few years our Sunday School has grown, almost phenomen- ally, and the result has been an increasingly crowded condition. For example, where Minister's Assistant there used to be three classes in the Primary Dept., to-day there are nine; in the Junior Dept., there are six classes where a few years ago there were only three. The Kindergarten and Nursery Departments should have just twice as much floor space as they now have. The Young People of college age have no facilities at all in our present build- [photograph of ing; although we have an increasing number of this class of young people in the Robert R. Paton] church family, we are making no effort to provide them with Sunday School train- ing. The present attempt to meet the situation by having two sessions of Sunday School is causing considerable hardship for the volunteer staff and should not be regarded as a permanent solution. The increasing number of students is creating a need for better office facilities, for records, youth budget work, a library for books and visual education materials, a meeting place for the Superintendent to confer with staff members. The staff is anxious to bring to your children the best religious training pos- sible. We have the finest study materials published, we have a corps of consecrated teachers, and we have an enthusiastic body of students, but we urgently need SPACE. Your help is needed in providing this now for the youth of our church. Christ told his disciples to encourage the children to come to God. It was one of the first lessons he taught them. We must do our share to-day to carry out this lesson in our community. [signature] Robert R. Paton Sunday School Superintendent 8 Our Responsibility There is nothing complicated or high-pressure about our financial plan. We are simple asking that each member and friend of the Church set aside a generous and sacrificial por- tion of his income each week for a period of 150 weeks and that he give Christ and His Church a true priority on his contributions during that period of time. These gifts must be OVER AND ABOVE OUR PRESENT CONTRIBUTIONS to the regular operating budget. The program of the church must go on, and a curtailment in budget- giving would be short-sighted churchmanship. Beginning about the time you receive this booklet, every member of Worthington Pres- byterian Church will be visited and given an opportunity to invest in this great program. Payments may be planned according to the wishes of each individual subscriber. Since the total needed for our building program is a large sum if thought of in terms of cash gifts, we would jeopardize the probability of attaining our goal by attempting to make total gifts in cash. Total gifts can be much larger on the installment plan, so it is easier to make gifts in the amounts needed on a weekly basis. Pledge cards will be presented to members of our Church. It should be remembered that making a pledge in this campaign is not like signing a note for the amount subscribed. We are simply asking that you indicate on the pledge card how much you feel you will be able to give during the three-year period. IF YOUR FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE for the worse, or if you should suffer any misfortune which would make the continuation of pay- ments an undue hardship upon you, your subscription may be decreased or discontinued sim- ply by notifying the Church office. If your financial circumstances change for the better, we hope you will want to increase your subscription. It is our hope to provide for our Lord as He has provided for us, and in proportion to our giving ability. What Is My Share? [left column] The paramount question is not: "How much does my Church need?" It is: "How much do I need to give as a faith- ful Christian?" The Christian Standard of Giving begins with $2.00 per week for the Church Budget and half for the Building Fund. Those with capital resources should con- sider 5% to a Building Fund. This kind of giving calls for strength of will and courage to sacrifice. Invariably, this kind of giving strengthens faith and brings the kind of interest that permits a Church to grow and render greater Christian service. Only Sacrifcial Giving will enable our Church to raise a major share of our total of $150,000, at the same time continuing to give the same [right column] undiminished support that we gave last year to our Annual Budget. Sacrificial Giving is the kind we do for those we love. We think in terms of HOW MUCH can we give those we love. Selfish giving asks HOW LITTLE can we give and get by. Sacrificial Giving results in a pledge for a larger amount than we thought would be possible for us. In our Building Fund Canvass, our pledge should be for the largest amount we have ever given and, if we are over 60 years of age, for the largest amount we can ever expect to give. Our pledges will reveal our gratitude for God's blessing, our love for Christ, our concern for the work of His Church. MY PLEDGE SHOULD BE One determined after prayer for God's guidance................. One that brings inner conviction of Christ's approval.......... One about which I can talk to others without apology. 9 [Photographs] CHILDREN'S DAY 1953 . CONFUSION, NOISE DISCOMFORT . More Sapce Would Relieve the Situation 10 Where is God on Weekdays? The above question was recently put to an American Army Chaplain by a United Nations soldier at the conclusion of a Sunday divine service held not far behind the front line trenches of the bitter Korean battlefield. There is no record of the Chaplain's reply. But, let us consider the simple sincerity of the question. It is one that many of us have asked ourselves at one time or another. Why have we asked the question? Let us be honest with ourselves . . . it is because we have allowed ourselves to become "Sunday Christians." Yet, God is with us every moment of the day. But in the midst of the busy humdrum of our labours and our pleas- ures we have become too flushed with the excitement of the world around us to worry about the welfare of our souls. It is almost grudgingly that we sometimes sacrifice a few fleeting moments to pause in the midst of a trying business day to seek God's guidance. SACRIFICE-that's the word. Time, talent and the good health to work for a livelihood are just a few of God's highest blessings, blessings that He can give and that He also, if we neglect or abuse, can take away. So when you are prompted to share your blessings with others you are merely returning to God something which He has loaned to you. Is the sacrifice so great? True enough we are not all equally endowed with wealth, good health, nor do we all pos- sess the same talents. Yet as God has blessed us are we expected to share our blessings with others-"for it is in giving that we shall receive." We thank God for the men and women of this church who from week to week, without thought of reward, give of their time and their talents in the furtherance of God's work amongst us on weekdays. So it is, that God will also walk with you through every day of every week when you, through prayer and sacrifice, are prepared to return to Him a just portion of that blessing which He has given you. In doing this you will be richly blessed and will personally be given the answer to the question that the soldier asked his Chaplain. 11 [Photographs] "GROWING PAINS" 12 There Are Two Seas . . . THERE are two seas in Palestine. One is fresh and fish are in it. Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over it, and stretch out their roots to sip of its healing waters. Along its shores the children play. The River Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills. So it laughs in the sunshine. And men build their houses near it, and birds make their nests; and every kind of life is. happier because it is there. The River Jordan flows on south into another sea. There is no splash of fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds, no children's laughter. Travelers choose another route, unless on urgent business. The air hangs heavy about its waters and neither man nor beast nor fowl will drink. What makes the difference in these neighbor seas? Not the River Jordan. Not the soil in which tbey lie; nor the country round about. This is the difference. The Sea of Galilee receives but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it, another flows out. The giving and receiving go in equal measure. The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It will not be temp- ted into any generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it keeps. The Sea of Galilee gives and lives. The other sea gives nothing. It is named the Dead Sea. There are two kinds of people in the world. There are two seas in Palestine. BRUCE BARTON