February 14, 1941 Co-Worker Letter - Herbert W Armstrong

 

OUR CO-WORKERS BULLETIN


VOL. II. Number 1. February 14th, 1941


Published every little while, by your radio-pastor editor, Herbert W. Armstrong, Box 111, Eugene, Ore., to bring spiritual edification and encouragement to our little family of co-workers who make possible the RADIO CHURCH OF GOD and The PLAIN TRUTH.


 

LISTENING AUDIENCE GROWS

GREETINGS! Co-workers! And GREETINGS to you who are NEW Co-workers since the last Bulletin, especially those who listen in from our Seattle station, KRSC.

Our listening audience grows! More people are listening to the TRUE Gospel of the Kingdom as it is broadcast by The RADIO CHURCH OF GOD, every Sunday. Listeners are enthusiastically telling friends and neighbors, and they, too, become enthusiastic when they listen.

Our heavy mail indicates a listening audience in excess of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE every Sunday! Think of that vast interested audience! And yet, that is only a starter. The Eternal willing---and His Word says it SHALL BE DONE---the true Gospel of the coming KINGDOM shall now quickly go to the entire world! More and more radio stations must be added! We plan to add a Los Angeles station next. With YOUR sacrifice and help, it shall be done.

I have been really surprised, and gratified, at the enthusiastic interest shown by thousands in The PLAIN TRUTH magazine. I have come to realize as never before what a POWER it is, and can become, for spreading the TRUTH and bringing worldly people who have not been interested in religion to an interested knowledge of the true Gospel. This has sobered me, for I realize the responsibility this imposes. God has placed in our hands a marvelous instrumentality for REACHING THOUSANDS WHO ARE NOT BEING AND CANNOT BE REACHED THRU ANY OTHER CHANNEL. Business men, professional men, even, are interested in The PLAIN TRUTH. And so, Co-workers, it must come out more often---regularly EVERY MONTH. It must be increased in size. Just as soon as you make this possible for me, this shall be done. Circulation is now up to 4,000 copies, and growing RAPIDLY. Constantly we are having to organize new methods and facilities for getting it out.

For our new Co-workers, just a word about our method of financing God's work. We do not ASK for money or contributions over the air. We do not CHARGE for The PLAIN TRUTH or anything we have to send out. The Gospel must go FREE---not sold with a price on it. We say very little about offerings for the support of this work in The PLAIN TRUTH. We want none to feel obligated to contribute, else many would be discouraged from receiving the precious TRUTH of God. Our work is a work of FAITH. We ASK, when we need money---and we ASK God on our knees. We trust Him to put it in the hearts of those He has made willing to voluntarily become one of our Co-workers. And when we have SPECIAL NEED, we make it known ONLY to our Co-workers. And this little Bulletin is just for our little family of Co-workers, whose hearts are in this work for God and souls. Where our treasure is, THERE our heart is, also. And so again GREETING new Co-workers, and GOD BLESS YOU. We welcome you to our family.

BIBLE STUDY QUARTERLIES TO BE PUBLISHED

Beginning with the next quarter, available for distribution by March 15th, we plan to publish BIBLE-STUDY QUARTERLIES. These will be suitable for the Church-school, or for special mid-week Bible study classes, for Young People's meetings, or for private home study.

They will fill a long-felt need. Some of our listeners and readers have written What they are using The PLAIN TRUTH as the basis for lessons in Sunday-school classes. We hope to make these quarterlies better adapted to such purposes. The lessons for the coming quarter will all be on the subject of "The TRUTH About ISRAEL," following the trend of the articles in The PLAIN TRUTH on "The UNITED STATES in Prophecy." This truth is so FUNDAMENTAL, so necessary to an understanding of the prophecies, and even the Plan of salvation, and there has been such a demand for it, we have decided this should come first. Quarterlies to follow will contain lessons on the basic prophecies, basic doctrines, lessons on Christian living, and subjects specially helpful to real spiritual Bible Christians and those who wish to be. According to our settled policy there will be NO PRICE on these quarterlies. We are proceeding in FAITH God will lay it on the hearts of enough of His children to pay the printing costs that these, too, may be sent out FREE. If you want one, write for it. If you wish to use them in an organized class, or if you can organize a special class for this purpose, write and tell me how many copies you will need.

We also have a VERY LIMITED number of copies of mimeographed special lessons on the origin of the earth and the devil.


 

A N N O U N C E M E N T

Mrs. Armstrong and I announce that our daughter, Beverly, is to be married to Mr. James A. Gott of Eugene, on Friday morning, February 28th, at ten o'clock, in the little church at the end of West Eighth Street, in Eugene.

Beverly is the soprano in the Radio Church quartette, whose beautiful singing of the old hymns is so familiar to our radio audiences. She will, of course, continue to sing with the quartette. "Jimmy," as we all call him, is a Christian young man, converted during the meetings held at the little Church last Fall. A general invitation is extended to all our friends to attend the wedding.


 

The RADIO CHURCH broadcasts are reaching out. Recently we have received letters from listeners in Canada, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and California. How I wish I had space in this issue of The BULLETIN to reprint many of the splendid letters we are receiving, so you could enjoy them with us and come to realize better the mighty power for God this work is becoming. We have just received a letter from a man who said he was just about to "end it all" in his discouragement, when, by accident, or, as he suggested, the will of God, he heard last Sunday's broadcast. It made him realize that what he needed was not suicide, but CHRIST, and he wrote a heart-touching appeal asking us to help him find his Saviour and salvation. Of course we are giving every personal attention to this man's case. I ask you to pray for him. Almost every day we receive letters asking us to PRAY for those in serious trouble or need. Will YOU join me in praying for them? God knows who they are. By this our family of Co-workers will be a PRAYING family. The Eternal can use us as a mighty POWER! Results beyond our dreams can be attained if we yield ourselves wholly into His hands.

TEN DAILY QUESTIONS

1) Did I awake spiritual, in happy prayerful attitude, and was I watchful to keep my mind from wandering this morning?

2) Have I this day kept my mind clean, my thoughts and contemplations on "the things above," in continuous happy, positive, prayerful attitude?

3) Have I, as a "babe in Christ," partaken three times today of spiritual food, by submissive Bible study and earnest prayer ALONE with God? Have I grown closer to God? Have I GROWN today in grace and knowledge?

4) Have I walked by FAITH, asking God for wisdom and guidance in all things, committing every little problem to Him, trusting Him with it?

5) Have I exercised self-discipline, denying impulse, doing what God's Word shows I ought to do instead of what I WANTED to do?

6) Was my speech and conversation today kind, cheerful, soft?

7) Have I exercised patience today? Have I been charitable toward others, showing tolerance and love, or resentment, jealously, anger?

8) Have I, while putting spiritual interests FIRST, been diligent in performing regular material duties today, doing my VERY BEST?

9) Have I made the most of my time, or been weakened by unwatchfulness?

10) What have I done for God's work and for others? Have I spent anything today to please self that might have been saved for God's cause?

"Wherefore, let a man EXAMINE himself."


 

SPECIAL--- AND VERY URGENT!

TO MY CO-WORKERS: Again I find it necessary to acquaint you with the problems that now confront us in this great and fast-growing work. Since the November-December PLAIN TRUTH was issued, a number of NEW readers, listeners to the SEATTLE broadcast, have sent in offerings, thus becoming part of our Co-worker family--- just as I knew by faith, they would. However, we still are in the "in-between" period, when our special fund for the Seattle broad- cast is exhausted, and the number of new Co-workers from the Seattle broadcast, and the amount being received, is still far short of making the new station self-supporting. As our new listeners get to know us better, learn more of the glorious TRUTH God has called us to proclaim, they will make the Seattle broadcast more than self-sustaining, helping us add other stations. But this will take another six weeks or two months.

I want to start the LOS ANGELES broadcast within two or three months---did want to start it by this time. But FIRST I find another preparation must be made. In order to handle the increasing correspondence, the growing circulation of The PLAIN TRUTH (now 4,000 copies), issue tracts and booklets on needed subjects, publish Bible-study Quarterlies, etc., we must immediately increase our facilities here in the office. We are very seriously handicapped by lack of office equipment. We even had to get along with card-board filing cabinets. I have no secretary or stenographer. Mrs. Armstrong and I have been working almost night and day trying to keep up this whole vast job ourselves without needed help or equipment. It has now grown beyond our capacity to handle it. Correspondence is having to be sadly neglected. Radio listeners are becoming offended because letters are not answered. We are doing our very best, but now, before adding another station and increasing the office work still more, we must add office equipment and hire at least one stenographer. We have no money on hand for this purpose.

People already are writing in asking why they are not receiving the next PLAIN TRUTH. There is no money on hand to print it. I never turn a line of copy over to the printers until making an advance payment to apply on the printing cost, and the printing bill is always paid in full before we accept the printed copies. WE RUN NO BILLS.

So we need IMMEDIATELY $50 for office equipment, $135 to publish and mail the next PLAIN TRUTH, besides enough added weekly income to hire a stenographer in addition to the present week-to- week expenses. And, besides this, we need now to begin raising a special fund of at least $750 to start and establish the LOS ANGELES broadcast.

This seems like a large need. But our God knows the need. It is for HIS work, and He has promised to supply every need. Dear Co-Workers, He is able to supply every cent of this need---and He WILL, if you join me in BELIEVING EARNEST PRAYER, and each does his VERY UTMOST, sending the largest offering you possibly can, even at great sacrifice. Our work is God's work. We must not slacken or let down. We must press forward harder now than ever! TIME IS SHORT! We are near the END! Soon the true Gospel will be BARRED from the air. Millions are offering to sacrifice their very lives for Hitler, or a worldly government that is DOOMED, and shall soon be replaced by THE KINGDOM OF GOD at Christ's coming. Are WE sacrificing, striving as hard in GOD's cause, as they for a doomed worldly cause? Let us press on with MORE zeal than worldly politicians and soldiers. Let us throw ourselves at this task as INSPIRED people---inspired of the Spirit and Power of the living God!

There have been very few of the larger offerings of $25, $50, $100 lately. While the larger number of smaller offerings are the backbone of this work, and even the smallest offering helps more than the giver may realize, yet it is these larger offerings which really meet these emergencies and give the work the impetus to push it over every obstacle. The need now is serious and URGENT. The work must not stop or let down---it must leap ahead! With your HELP, and your PRAYERS, under God's power IT WILL! Won't you send the largest amount you possibly can, even by giving up something you had planned, by return mail? God bless you, I know you will! Herbert W. Armstrong