Go Into All The World
In 1960 we began the policy of Adopting Missionaries. For a pledge of $600 above the suggested amount of support for the Atlantic District and The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod we were able to claim a worker as "our missionary." His name appeared on our church stationery. Reports from him appeared in our monthly "Acts of Calvary" and Sunday bulletins. On his return to the United States for furlough our missionary and his family visited Calvary. A close bond developed over the years. Our three adopted missionaries were:
Arthur Erb in the Philippines
David Schneider in the Philippines
Daniel Rath, Lutheran Bible Translator in Papua New Guinea
Our relationship with the Raths lasted for 18 years. When the Rath family (including three children) once came home for a furlough, they stayed in East Meadow for six months with the Whitsetts, who had four children at the time.
Starting in 1962 Mission Fairs were held for 8 years to develop mission awareness. There were exhibits in the gymnasium and Sunday School rooms. Many -- like a teepee and a bamboo hut -- were created by individual Sunday School classes. Some were on loan from a variety of mission outreaches. Poster contests kept the Sunday School children involved. A guest speaker representing the following areas of work rounded out our experience: Nigeria '62, Japan '63, Inner City '64, Spanish missions '65, deaf ministry '66, college work '67, Armed Forces chaplaincy '68, personal evangelism '70.
Interest in missions was encouraged among the Sunday School children. For years when children celebrated their birthday, they would put their pennies into the birthday bank while the children sang the Sunday School version of "Happy Birthday" ending with "Dear Jesus, bless .... the whole year through." That money was given to missions. At times the Sunday School set a goal for a mission project they wished to support. In 1995 the Sunday School had a Hop-a-thon to raise money for repairs to the Kobe Lutheran Seminary after a devastating earthquake in Japan.
Our system of direct financial aid has been an inspiration to us at Calvary and also to the congregations and agencies we've helped.
When Calvary celebrated Pastor Kern's 80th birthday in 1997, the congregation gave him a purse. Of this amount he invested $1200 in mutual funds managed by Aid Association for Lutherans. This fund -- the Calvary/Kern Mission Fund -- is near the $10,000 mark. In the future -- when the value of the fund is over $10,000 -- two-thirds of the dividends and realized capital gains are to be distributed to the Atlantic District Mission Fund. The remaining one-third shall continue to be reinvested until it reaches $10,000 and at that time the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Mission Fund will be the recipient.