July 01, 1979 by Ralph D. Winter

As you flip through this magazine you have to watch out that you don't get caught reading too many interesting things - because you simply don't have the time!

But you can at least check the table above which shows our snail's pace progress toward our WATERSHED date, Sept. 15th. However: I must explain certain curious things.

1. Do you see "June 7th" on the top line above?

That's right now, as I'm writing these words yet you are probably reading these lines about June 29th. You may even be wondering how I can calmly talk about a Sept. 15th "watershed" date when we might yet be done in on June 15th!

2. Well, while we really can fail Sept. 15th, God has now suddenly given us a way of escape for June 15th, if we need it: If necessary, we can delay purchase of the essential off-campus housing and meet our June 15th campus payment with funds already paid toward that housing. Note: We don't want to delay the housing purchase because the price will gradually rise - but that is better than losing the campus!

3. So that's why Sept. 15th (not now June) is the real watershed.

That is the date of our last large quarterly payment, namely $360,000. After that, the payments are $175,000 every three months, and don't you think it seems reasonable that if we can get up enough momentum by then we can sustain it after that? That is, if we can with God's help encourage enough people not only to send in their own one-time Founder Gift and encourage others to do the same . . won't that process keep going? Let me explain how.

CURIOUS FACT NO. 2

We don't expect opposition. In our scant 30 months of "in utero" development, all kinds of famous people have come to our side. Amazingly, no one, absolutely no one has ever both heard us out and turned us down. This project was founded by welleducated and highly experienced missionaries, developed with the advice and help of over 40 mission executives and mission leaders as consultants, and was investigated in depth by keen businessmen, pastors, and laymen. Credibility just is no problem.

And, our very uncompetitive, nonthreatening, one-time, small-gift ($15.95) funding policy has allowed over 30 of the leading mission agencies -- without our pressing them - to befriend us and help us (write for our Fact Sheet A).

So what's left? Very simply - for all those people who know about our causethe task is easy: Pass' the word on.'

How simple it would be if everyone who has already given $15.95 or more would get some of our brochures and pass them on! Almost 11,000 have already given; IF each one found one more person per week, we'd leap right over the moon. Isn't this curious: we'd have 1.000,000 people giving $15.95 in just 7 weeks if everyone who gave (beginfling with our 10,783) were to find one more person each week. And note: we would harm no one, destroy no existing cause, etc. However, however, however

CURIOUS FACT NO. 3

However, a stern warning comes to us. Experts tell us that even granting the fact that we send back to everyone who gives $15.95 a book, a poster and three brochures, only one out often will likely go on to share this challenge with others. Isn't that curious?

OK, the amazing fact then is 'that you, dear reader, (please don't take offense at this) really cannot help us very much with your own money. Not enough of you have followed this series closely; not enough of you have endured to this page! Does this fact doom us? Will those numbers on the bottom line above suspensefully fall short as the next four issues report in to you how we are doing?

Please don't worry. Just pause a second and ask God right now . . .Ask Him if He would like you, in the midst of all your present committments to reach out to this one thing more, to find out more about us, to get some brochures and pass them on.

Don't listen to us. Every page of this magazine pleads with you for good causes. Ask Him about the need for you to help share the challenge of a major, new, devout, Godly. 'et experienced mission center, helping all mission -agencies and churches, pointed exclusively to the last frontiers.

In other words, how many people have real confidence in you? Can you, as a Pastor, leader, dare to move quickly, to sound us out, call us up, ask us how you can spread the challenge of the peoples of the world still beyond our present outreach and help establish a strong center to make that happen?

OK, here's the final good word! We expect to visit 20 cities between now and Sept. 1st. Yours can be one of them. Firm: Portland, Boston, Minneapolis, Wash. D.C., Kansas City. Los Angeles. Hopeful: Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Seattle, Yours?

PASTOR-TO-PASTOR

many, many pastors have reached out, to help us:

"Dear fellow pastor, Without touching your own budget, your church can make a strategic contribution to total world evangelization through the U.S. Center for World Mission! Our church did. Our people responded.

Yet subsequent giving to world missions through my own. church did no, dip, but has taken a quantum leap.

I believe in the unique work of the U.S. Center for World Mission. Dr. Ralph Winter's vision to stir denominations and local churches to reach the still unreached 16.750 cultural peoples units of the world is thrilling and realistic.

As a former missionary and presently a member of the Executive Committee of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, one of my greatest concerns is the church's weakness in overall strategic planning for total world evangelization. The U.S.C.W.M. is one of the few agencies doing this. Those brothers merit our prayers and financial support because of the unique role they are seeking to fill.

Their financial plan is simple and workable. Every Christian and church can afford to share in it. All they ask is a one-time gift of $15.95 from 44,000 more Christians to clear their last big quarterly payment on their campus-center in Pasadena for a new thrust to the 16,750 people groups left in our world without churches or missions among them.
But the time must be now. These 44,000 one-rime donations are needed by September 15.

As a fellow pastor, I encourage you to let your people share in the blessing of this urgent, extremely strategic project for world evangelization. At Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church I announced it two Sundays. Many checks came in. Our people were challenged by the vision. Giving to other church causes has not suffered." (Donald E. Hoke. Senior Pastor Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, Knoxville. TN. Phone (615) 693-.6l32)

A MISSION EXECUTIVE

Recently, for example, Vergil Gerber, the highly respected secretary of the Information Office of the IFMA and EFMA (two groups of about 150 mission agencies) said: "The latest statistics count some 16,750 cultures without churches or missions among them. The man who, perhaps more than anyone else, is responsible for refocusing our attention on these large blocs of the world's population - principally Muslims, Hindus and Chinese who are beyond the reach of present churches and missions, 2.5 billion of the world's 4.2 billion population - is Dr. Ralph Winter Director of the United States Center for World Mission in Pasadena, California. "The establishment of the U.S.C.W.M. itself is one of the most significant events in world missions in our generation."

A MISSION STRATEGIST

Dr. Donald McGavran, perhaps the most influential mission strategist in the world today said: "I cannot recall any Christian organization only 2 1/2 years old that has gained such widespread support and the confidence of leaders from all over this country. This is unique in our time."

Since last time: As the table above shows, 389 people have written in, 140 of which responded to this page.

Now we have 75 students in our Institute of International Studies. Almost all from secular schools, "drinking-in" Biblical, Historical, and International mission studies. .

We now have four more in our Institute of Chinese Studies. We have 17 cities lined up for face-toface (non-fund raising) meetings stressing new vision for frontier missions. See list. What mission agencies have done for the USCWM.