The Sabbath School Mission offering is not “just another offering.” It is the primary way our local churches support missionaries and frontline evangelism efforts all over the world. Unfortunately, giving to the World Mission offering has been declining for decades now. In recent years, church leaders have been sounding the alarm about the troubling trajectory of mission giving.
The 2008 General Conference’s Annual Statistical Report point out that “In 1930, Adventists gave $6.45 to the mission offering for every $10 they returned in tithe. By 2008, that number had dropped to 36 cents for every $10 given in tithe.”[1] Dr. David Trim, Director of the Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research, further explained how, “In 1932, at perhaps the height of the Great Depression, the average World Mission Offering per member was $5.83. It is striking and disconcerting to note, in contrast, that the average amount given per member in 2010 was $4.81: $1.02 lower than in 1932. This is despite the fact that inflation means the value of the 2010 dollars was already less than the 1932 dollars.”[2] Today, “The average Seventh-day Adventist in North America gives $21 a year to the World Mission Fund collected by the Sabbath School mission offering.”[3]
Because of this drastic drop of mission offerings, front line missionaries and church, school and hospital building projects in the mission field are suffering. But it does not have to be that way! Here is how you can help!
- Plan your mission offering to be 1% of your income
- Set an offering goal for your Sabbath School Class
- Make an offering appeal for missions before passing the envelope
- Go to Sabbath School and ALWAYS take an offering
- Start an investment project for Missions (Read More)
- Create a self-denial jar. (Read More)
- Follow a missionary’s blog and learn how your funds are furthering the Gospel (Read More)
[1] From the 2008 Annual Statistical Report of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The latest Annual Statistical Report, 2016, reveals that members gave 39 cents for every $10 given in tithe in 2014.
[2] David Trim, “Adventist Church Growth and Mission Since 1863: An Historical–Statistical Analysis,” Journal of Adventist Mission Studies, Vol. 8 [2012], No. 2, Art. 5
[3] Andy McChesney, “This TV Show Will Make People Upset,” Adventist Review, September 22, 2016
