How to make our evangelistic efforts self-supporting is certainly a pertinent question at this time. Statesmen of different nations, struggling with the pressing problem of balancing their governmental budgets, have found that the most direct way to accomplish this is to increase their revenues and decrease their expenditures. Our evangelistic budgets may be balanced in the same way.
We must carefully watch all expenditures in regard to rent, light, advertising, etc. The man who plunges recklessly into expenditures will not balance his budget in normal times, much less now. Before starting an effort, or incurring any expenditures, we must definitely plan to hold all expenses down to a point where the offerings will cover them either in full or that percent of them agreed upon with the conference executives when the effort is planned.
Care in expenditure will help greatly in balancing the budget. The writer went to a certain city last year to rent a theater seating 1,800 persons for an every-night three months' effort. When the manager was interviewed, he held out strongly for $250 a month rent, and $12 additional each week for the janitor service. After talking to him for a time we were able to get him to throw off the $12 a week for the janitor, and to make the rent $150 for the second and third months. This meant a saving of $244 for the effort.
Next we looked into the cost of lighting. We found that the theater was favored with a low rate per kilowatt hour, but that there was a fixed charge of $35 a month, which had to be paid first, plus whatever the kilowatt hours consumed amounted to. We went over the situation carefully with the electric company, and by cutting out all unnecessary circuits, they agreed to cut down the fixed charge to $12.50. This meant a saving of about $66 dollars for lights during the effort.
When it came to the printing of announcements, etc., instead of giving the job to the first firm we went to, we had several figure on it, and thus were able to save considerable on this item during the effort. By being careful in our expenditures on rent, lighting, and printing, we were able to effect a saving of about $325 without in any way limiting the effectiveness of the effort.
Of course it took considerable time to work these matters out this way. But $325 is fairly good pay for three or four days' work for the cause on the part of its representatives; and it was this very saving that made it possible to balance the budget for this particular effort. If it had not been for the savings effected by careful planning at the beginning, we could not have balanced the budget in this effort.
In order to balance the budget of any series of meetings, the evangelist in charge must thoroughly believe that it can be done. If he does not have that confidence, it is almost certain that he will never accomplish it.
At the very start of his meetings the evangelist should definitely lay on his audience the burden of meeting the expenses in their offerings, occasionally reminding the people how much has been spent, and how much they have given, and arousing in them a desire to make the two meet. In all evangelistic campaigns of other churches the people who attend are expected to contribute enough to cover the expenses, with a large offering on the last day of the meeting for the evangelist personally. Surely in our efforts where there is no offering for the evangelist, we can definitely expect the people to contribute enough to cover the running expenses.
The use of a special envelope on the order of the thirteenth Sabbath envelope will help in securing large special offerings from time to time. I like the idea of making a special pull on Friday night after I have opened on the previous Sunday night. At this time an appeal can be made to bring $10 or $5 or $1 on Sunday night. Then have the ushers go through the audience with the special envelopes for the people to use for their offering on the second Sunday night. This plan always results in increasing the offering several times above what it would be ordinarily. This envelope plan can be used about every two weeks along through the effort, or oftener if it seems best. At the close of the series a large thank offering can be worked up which will bring the total offerings to the desired amount.
The people will respond to the right kind of effort. This is God's work, and He will help us to get sufficient money to carry it forward.
Lakeland, Fla.
