Basic HTML Version
we agreed, that this slight difference in cost is negligible, when
it will make the whole building look at least 50% better. This
stone is being shipped, now, by freight, from quarries in eastern
Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
We encountered considerable delay in getting this stone
ordered. The quarry from which the stone we wanted comes, had been
shut down, but we found that another near-by quarry is now open,
supplying the same identical stone, and we finally ordered it. It
should be on the siding at Big Sandy in another week. Meanwhile
the work is proceeding.
This part of the building will cost probably a total of
$10,000. We need another $4,000 to complete it. Therefore I have
to ask you to RALLY ONCE AGAIN, and make another big double-effort,
to send in SPECIAL offerings, entirely over and above your regular
tithes and offerings you send for the work.
I feel strongly, brethren, that we should then proceed and
build on the lounge room on the very front of the Tabernacle, and
have it ready before the Feast of Tabernacles next fall. This will
not cost as much as the finishing of the smaller church auditorium,
because the most costly part of the materials for the lounge room
---the giant perlins, or beams overhead to support the roof, are
already on the grounds and paid for. In addition to this, I feel
we ought to try to ENCLOSE the two sides on the large main
auditorium and install all the glass work and the doors (already on
hand and paid for) on the north side of the building. And we also
ought to try to build at least 100 of the small booths before this
coming Festival, if at all possible. Last year we had about 65
tents pitched on the grounds, and some 35 house trailers. All
others had to stay in motels or hotels. It's impossible to build
all of the booths so that we can offer housing to ALL who will come
this fall, but if possible I feel we ought to try to erect at least
100 of them. Even this would not take care of a fourth of the
people who will come.
So all this means we should CONTINUE sending in SPECIAL
building fund offerings---over and above tithes and general
offerings for the work---EVERY MONTH, or even more often if you
can. We've simply got to put our shoulders to the wheel---put our
WHOLE HEARTS into the work of God, and of HIS CHURCH, which he has
made OUR Church.
THIS IS THE ONE GREAT PURPOSE OF OUR LIVES RIGHT NOW. Of
course the great, powerful Gospel work to the whole world is FIRST
in importance. We must put that FIRST, over and above our own
local churches---for those of us fortunate enough to be able to
attend one of them. But we must also make ADDITIONAL and SPECIAL
sacrifice for the work of the Church itself, and right now, for the
Tabernacle which is the one great central NATIONAL meeting place
for us ALL.
At least two, perhaps four or five, of our new members in
ENGLAND are coming clear across the ocean for the Festival of
Tabernacles this fall. Isn't that WONDERFUL? Let's bend every
effort to have the main tabernacle building finished up, and at