Since the middle of April, brethren in the U.S. churches have been participating in fund raising projects to help ease the financial strain inflicted upon the Work this year by the state of California. Overall participation has been very enthusiastic and imaginative. The brethren have participated in a wide variety of projects ranging from small individual efforts, such as canning, to large group activities like cleaning up a stadium after a rock concert.
To date over $455,000 has been raised by these projects. However, something more valuable has resulted in many Church areas. These efforts have acted as a unifying force to draw God's people together. This, as many have expressed, is perhaps even more important than the revenue generated.