Parish Evangelism
FREDEMCK L. FAGLEY
15/CALSlV^^'^^ '
Fagley, Frederick Louis,
1879- Parish evangelism
1 O 9 1
Parish Evangelism
^n?0iS5j^^
Parish Evangel
An Outline of a Year's Program
936183 ''O I
By
i.>4i
FREDERICK L.'^FAGLEY
Executive Secretary the Commission on Evangelism of the Natioftal Council of Congregational Churches
Introduction by CHARLES L. GOODELL, D.D.
Of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America
New York Chicago
Fleming H. Revell Company
London
AND
Edinburgh
Copyright, 1 921, by FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY
New York: 158 Fifth Avenue Chicago': 17 North Wabash Ave. London : 2 1 Paternoster Square Edinburgh : 75 Princes Street
Introduction
WHO shall lead the parish if not the pastor? How shall he lead if he himself knows not the way ? These are not the days for little men. If there are anywhere men of light and leading, prophets and seers, this is the day for which they were born.
*' The bravest of men may find stern work to do In the day of the Lord at hand."
At such a time every pastor must seek first for spiritual power and then for such methods as will best vitalize that power in the great task for which he is commissioned. If he is like his Master, he is a lover of men, father and brother, shepherd and physi- cian of souls. If he goes to battle against the world, the flesh and all evil, it is not to a charge or a single battle but to a campaign that he must address him- self. He must lay siege to the community. If he is wise, he is not after an audience but a congregation, not a crowd for an hour, but a company whom he can lead in worship and service, and whom he under- takes to build up in their most holy faith.
It is the part of wisdom for every pastor to supple- ment his own experience by that of others ; to study carefully those methods and plans which have been honoured of God and shown to be effective in pro- ducing the results for which his soul longs. It will
5
6 INTEODUCTION
broaden his outlook and give him increasing confi- dence to undertake large and far-reaching results. For this I know no book better than " Parish Evan- gelism." It is the product of the experience of many of the most successful pastors in the country. The atmosphere of the book is eminently sane and prac- tical, and at the same time deeply spiritual.
Dr. Fagley is a master spiritual diagnostician. He knows what the times require and addresses himself to vital concerns. Every chapter is full of meat. It will revolutionize many a parish, if the pastor will follow Chapter II, and, instead of trying to do all the work himself and ending in nervous prostration or a broken heart, have the joy of showing his people that there are not two kinds of religion, one for the pulpit and another for the pew, but that pastor and people can have common share in the toil and in the glorious reward of spiritual service.
The chapters on Visitation, on Preaching, on the Pastor's Training Class, and on the Prayer Life of the People are of thrilling interest and most reward- ing.
If any pastor does not know what path to take for evangelistic services, this book points the way. Now — Forward! March! !
Charles L. Gk)ODELL, D. D. Federal Council, New York City.
Preface
THAT the work of the Christian Church may be programmed to advantage has been demonstrated by the experience of many successful pastors and effective churches.
A study of the method and the message of many of these churches has been the basis on which the material here presented has been prepared. There is nothing new or untried suggested here — for every plan has been used by pastors in churches of many denominations.
The program which is the basis of the discussion has been endorsed by several denominations, by many City and State Federations, by the Commission on Evangelism of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America and by hundreds of pastors who have tried it and found it helpful.
It is sent out with the hope that it may be sug- gestive to ministers and church workers of the vari- ous churches of our Christian Brotherhood.
F L F
New York, N.Y,
|
Contents |
||
|
I. |
Parish Evangelism is Natural, Ef- fective AND Scriptural |
II |
|
II. |
The Membership or Evangelistic Committee |
i8 |
|
III. |
Planning the Year's Work |
28 |
|
IV. |
Fall Activities .... |
40 |
|
V. |
Fall Visitation and Pastoral Calling |
51 |
|
VI. |
January to Easter .... |
60 |
|
VII. |
Program of Preaching |
69 |
|
VIII. |
The Pastor's Training Class |
78 |
|
IX. |
Personal Work .... |
88 |
|
X. |
Deepening the Prayer Life of the People |
98 |
|
XI. |
Holy Week and Easter . |
108 |
|
XII |
After Easter . . . . |
115 |
PARISH EVANGELISM IS NATURAL, EFFECTIVE AND SCRIPTURAL
PARISH Evangelism is no new or strange type of evangelism. It is as old as the New Testament and as simple as the method of Jesus. It is the cooperation of a pastor and his peo- ple in definitely planned religious work to enlist in the Christian life and service those persons for whom their church is most responsible. It is the experi- ence of many churches that are doing eifective work in evangelism that if their efforts be directed along the lines of a well-defined program the results will be far greater than if the efforts are undirected. This form of evangelism is fundamental, natural, effective; its results are permanent, and it is scrip- tural.
Fundamental. In the first place, parish evangelism is the fundamental activity of the church. To enlist men and women in Christian worship and service is what the church is organized to do. We have this conception of the church's work very clearly in mind whenever we think of foreign missions; for while we recognize the fact that the foreign missionary program includes schools, hospitals, agricultural projects and social reform, yet we all have in mind
II
12 PAEISH EVANGELISM
as the one great aim of foreign missionary service the enlisting of men and women in the service of Christ and their training in Christian living.
We recognize also that the evangelistic work of the home missionary church is by all means its most important service. The first question asked of a home missionary enterprise relates not to its educa- tional, social service or other activities — all of ex- ceeding great value in themselves, as well as in rela- tion to the whole Christian enterprise — ^but we do ask, first of all, of any home missionary project. What have you done and what are you doing to win men to Christ?
When we consider our home church, however, we are often a bit hazy in our thinking. We think of it as an institution essential for the development of Chris- tian culture and the training of the saints ; as a hotbed in which are germinated all sorts of worth-while community enterprises, or as a platform for the pre- sentation of high ideals of Christian duty. All these things are essential to Christian civilization and they should not be left undone, but doing them does not make less the responsibility of the Church that it be true to the great foundation principle of its life — the bringing of people into vital relationship with God. Parish evangelism, which seeks to bring men to Christ and enlist them in the worship and service of the Christian Church in a natural way, is the most vital and fundamental activity of the Church of Christ.
Natural. Parish evangelism is a natural form of Christian activity. It looks upon the church as a growing organism which builds itself in natural ways,
PAEISH EVANGELISM IS NATUEAL 13
enlarging its life through the activities of its mem- bers and inspired, not only as to growth but also as to the direction of its growth, by the spiritual life which gives it reality. Every living organism is bound by the unchanging law of growth — that it must either renew its life or die. This is an inevitable require- ment of living things. Again, life is the develop- ment of a germ which has been endowed with the power of growth and this growth results directly from the activity of the various parts of the plant or animal body. Biology has taught us much concern- ing the many ways in which the divine principle of life works itself out in its environment and that in doing this it follows certain laws.
The church is a living body and its life is directed also by some fundamental laws. Among these are, that it must renew its life or die ; that it must grow from within, that is, from the center of spiritual life which gives it being and reality; and that its own activity is essential to its growth. Through a pro- gram of parish evangelism the church sets itself to study its own life and seeks to renew and to expand that life. By so doing the church not only enriches the quality of its life but enlarges its life as well along lines of natural growth.
Effective. Parish evangelism is also an effective method of recruiting. A survey of the various de- nominations reveals the fact that approximately one- half of the churches are practically standing still or declining. That one-third are making a reasonable growth, and that the remaining one-sixth have a significant growth. A study of the life and work
14 PAEISH EVANGELISM
of these effective churches shows that, with few ex- ceptions, each has a definite plan of work.
The material here presented has come out of a study of the program of many of these churches^ The methods here presented have all been tested and found effective by all sorts of churches — city, town and rural. The universal testimony of pastors who have used a program of evangelism is that it will work; that if the church will study how other churches plan and carry through their programs and will develop a program to suit its own needs and will carry that program through in a thoroughgoing fashion, the results will be most gratifying. I have never known a church to adopt a program for one year and after that to go back to the old hit or miss ways of other years. The most enthusiastic pastors for a program of parish evangelism are those who have been developing their programs through a period of years.
Lasting. The results of parish evangelism are last- ing. This follows because the methods of recruit- ing are natural. As a rule it is most difficult to find permanent results five or ten years after a highly organized, emotional revival. In a conference on parish evangelism of the pastors of a mid-west city it was brought out in the discussion that a thorough- going canvass of the membership roll of the churches of that city revealed the fact that there were but five members then living and working in the various churches of that city of the whole number who were brought into the churches as a result of a tabernacle revival held some eight years before. There is a
PAEISH EVANGELISM IS NATUEAL 15
very great place for the tabernacle form of religious work, but its chief result is not the building up of the membership of the local congregation. Its ideal more frequently is moral reform which if utilized by the churches will help their work very much indeed.
If our churches were willing to accept the taber- nacle type of meeting for the thing which it can do best, and not expect of it the impossible, results would be far more lasting. But the unhappy condition exists that the final results are far different from what the churches and ministers anticipate. It is true, of course, that no small number of those who unite with the church through its own activity drop by the wayside, but in spite of death and removal and backsliding, the churches show a considerable growth year by year, and this renewal of life and growth of the Christian fellowship depend when all is said upon the faithful service of pastor and people, who have worked in many instances without a definite program.
Scriptural. Finally, parish evangelism is the New Testament method. As Jesus went about His work during the years of His ministry He not only preached to the people but also sat down with them and quietly explained to them individually and in small groups the riches of God's grace. We have few records of His sermons, we have fewer records of commit- ments to His Gospel as a result of the sermons ; but we have many records of His conversation with men and women, singly or in small groups, when He ex- plained to them the meaning and value of life, and in this way He was able to woo and win them to
16 PABISH EVANGELISM
whole-hearted allegiance. The same thing is true of the apostles. They preached great sermons and won converts directly as a result of pulpit presenta- tion, notably on the day of Pentecost ; but far wider was the practice of meeting people in groups, in homes, sometimes in chapels or along the wayside, where the fundamental decisions of life were made under the influence of these men who knew God through Christ and who were able to interpret to needy hearts the realities of companionship with the living Christ. The church which concentrates on a definite program of parish evangelism in winning men and women to the fellowship of worship and service in the Church of Christ is following the method used by Christ and followed by His apostles.
The church whose pastor and people unite in a program of parish evangelism will discover two things concerning the work of the church. It will find that the new members who come into the church in this natural and normal way, who have been led to the decision by those with whom they are to live and work, who are received by the pastor who is to be their leader through the days to come, that these new members readily enter into the fellowship of service and worship of the church with every element in favour of their remaining faithful to the church. The church will discover also that its own life is deepened and enriched through fellowship in fruit- ful service and that there is, year by year, a growing efficiency in every department of its work.
When the church has decided to commit itself to a thoroughgoing evangelistic service it should, first of
PARISH EVANGELISM IS NATURAL 17
all, see clearly the need of a program of activity suited to its own life and effective in meeting the needs of the community ; and second, it should select either by pastoral appointment or church election an evangelistic or membership committee which would help in carrying the program through. In this dis- cussion we will consider next the organization of such a committee, and then the program for the local church and the elements that should enter into it.
II
THE MEMBERSHIP OR EVANGELISTIC COMMITTEE
THE evangelistic program for the church should originate with the pastor, as he is the official leader and religious teacher of the congregation. When he entered his pastorate he affirmed that he had experienced in his life the re- newing presence of the Spirit of God, that he had thought about his own experience in religion in such a way that he knew how religion ministers to the fundamental needs of life, and that he realized that men need above everything else to enter into his ex- perience of knowing Jesus Christ as a personal Re- deemer. In brief, that he was fitted to lead his people in spiritual things.
While the pastor is the religious teacher and leader of the parish, he must be able to see and to have his people see that the administration of a church and the promulgation of the Gospel is not a one-man task. He will realize as his program develops, if he had not before come to this conclusion, that there are in his parish men and women of exceptional re- ligious experience and broad knowledge of the needs of men and of the grace of God, who can do some things which are impossible for him ^o accomplish. Bishop Leete has well pointed out ttat the world will never be saved by a committee, and that in our
i8
\
THE MEMBEESHIP COMMITTEE 19
development of organization and the establishment of method in religious work we should ever be care- ful not to bind ourselves in too hard and fast a fashion to programs ; but that we should always have our plans flexible enough to be able to bend both our own program and our method of work to the will of the Spirit as it is made known to us as we work together with God.
While then we must guard ourselves against put- ting too much confidence in mechanical programs, we should bear in mind also that wise saying of Spurgeon that, " Prayer and means must go together. Means without prayer — presumption ! Prayer with- out means — hypocrisy ! " (Quoted by Leete, " Every Day Evangelism," page 48.) I believe profoundly in the doctrine of the importance of human coopera- tion in Divine regeneration. We may speculate that God could, if He so willed, overpower the wills of His children and compel entire obedience to His will, though such a thought contradicts our understand- ing of God's nature and love. Rather we should re- member that as Bishop Oldham said many years ago, " God for His own wise ends has conditioned the regeneration of mankind upon man's cooperation." There are instances where God seems to speak di- rectly to individual souls, rather than through an- other. The conversion of Paul is a most striking instance of this manifestation of Divine power. Yet while God, by a sudden revelation of Himself through the risen Christ, brought to Paul a conviction of his own sinful life, we should also remember the loving ministry of Christian friends who interpreted to Paul
20 PAEISH EVANGELISM
through their own experience in Christ, the mean- ing of his vision and opened the way for him into Christian service, where Paul found for himself the truth, ** If any man wills to do his will, he shall know of the doctrine."
As we study the experience of men who have come close to God we find that with few exceptions their introduction to God has been through some one of good-will and Divine spirit who has opened to them the avenue which leads to communion with God. Be- lieving as we do then, not only in the possibility but also in the necessity of human cooperation in re- demption, it is reasonable that we should study the testimony and the experience of others in planning how best to accomplish our part in this supreme task. This leads us at once out of the mystical into the realm of the practical — though we can never ignore the mystical or believe that any method alone can produce the conversion of another's life.
It is the common testimony of pastors who have made use of some of their consecrated men and women as a membership or evangelistic committee that their own power is multiplied many fold; that many men and women are led into fruitful service, and that the whole church becomes enthusiastic in the work which it is organized to do — the enlistment of men and women in the worship and service of the Christian Church. It is to be understood, however, that the evangelistic or membership committee is but to lead in the work and that there will be tasks for all who are willing to help. The appointment of the committee should serve to unify the church
THE MEMBEESHIP COMMITTEE 21
around its year's work and to give the program im- portance in the mind of the church. Nothing will so unite a church in an enterprise as to have a plan presented to it which recommends itself to the people as something worth while. The value of a com^ mittee to plan and execute the work of the church has been demonstrated in other lines of activity. For example, the erection of a new church building or the every-member canvass. When a church plans to erect a new church building we have all noticed the spirit of optimism which it manifests, how it overcomes obstacles and accomplishes the seeming impossible. These results come from the union of consecrated men and women in a worthy enterprise where all are working together to certain definite ends. While the building project centers in the building committee, there is not a single organiza- tion connected with the church but what feels and reflects the pulsing power of unified activity. We have likewise all noticed the way in which as simple a thing as a social by the ladies' society, which draws into its activity a large number of women, will give quickening activity and deepening interest in all of the departments of the church.
These things but illustrate one of the fundamental characteristics of human life, which is that folks like to do things together. Call to mind the interest young men take in army drills. What could be more prosaic than the drill field? Yet because a large number are doing the same thing at the same time and trying to do it in the same way, there is a thrill of cooperation and of brotherhood which brings great
22 PAEISH EVANGELISM
satisfaction to those taking part in the exercise. One of the world's renowned physical trainers has said that he owes his success and fortune to this desire for doing things together. In his physical training depart- ment he has nothing new, and he asks the men Iwho join his organization to do nothing which they could not as easily do alone, but which as a matter of fact they will not do alone; yet they will join together under his leadership and find great pleasure as well as benefit in doing together the simple things which renew their physical life. When the pastor thinks of this trait of human nature he will be convinced that to make effective his ministry he must be wise enough in his own generation to profit by what we know of the psychology of life, as well as what we know of the revelation of God's grace.
There are three specific functions for such a com- mittee. First: To advise with the pastor as to the details of the local program. 'Every pastor discovers with very superficial observation that his church is a peculiar church and that his situation has certain in- dividualistic qualities which are not common to other parishes. This common observation of ministers is true, for as one man differs from another in per- sonality, so do communities vary. If a program is to be effective in meeting the needs of a local com- munity there must be a clear understanding of what those needs are. The pastor who perhaps has not been long a resident of the community has an ad- vantage by which he can survey the community as a v.'hole and set down some of the characteristic needs. But at the same time if he trusts to his own
THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE 23
observations alone he is quite likely to overlook some of the fundamental characteristics of the community life. He will frequently err in his appraisal of men and will not be sensitive to the traditions of the parish, which to those who have lived there during their lives are among their most sacred possessions. The second function of such a committee is: To assist the pastor in carrying through the program which is decided upon. Most of our people are con- vinced of the truth of the Gospel. You can scarcely ever meet a man or woman who does not believe that there is a God, that Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of mankind, and His life the ideal for all men, and that we are created in the spiritual likeness of God and endowed with the possibility of eternal life. In other words, the churches through the long years of consistent service and proclamation have virtually convinced our people of the truth of God and of Christ and of sin, salvation and eternal life. As Dr. Fosdick has so well said, the careful survey made at the time of the enlistment for the great war showed that there was scarcely an atheist among the American youth. Where we fail is not in securing the assent of the people to the truths of religion ; but in bringing the people to a whole-hearted com- mitment to the worship and service of Christ. When the committee has outlined its program it should then proceed under the leadership of the pastor to carry out that program of enlisting men and women in the worship and service of the church where they will learn to practice day by day the Gospel of good-will and enter more fully into communion with God.
24 PAEISH EVANGELISM
And third, the program will be set forward if the members are able to give effective support to the p, ogram in the various church organizations. It is essential that members of the committee be drawn from the various organizations, that they may be able to present the program to those organizations and secure their endorsement; that there be members of the women's society and the men's group, and of the Sunday-school, who will know from the beginning the development of the program, be familiar with its details and be able to secure the cooperation of the organization in which they labour in the united enter- prise of the church. This membership or evan- gelistic committee is needed to assist the pastor to plan his program and to help him to carry it through.
The Composition of the Committee The committee should be composed of at least two classes of individuals. First, those who are mem- bers because of their representative capacity; this will include members of the Board of Deacons or Elders, of the church school, of the women's or- ganization, men's organization and young people's societies. These members may be selected by the pastor or be designated by the heads of representa- tive organizations. But in whatever way appointed they should be persons of natural leadership in the organizations they represent, whose words carry weight and whose judgments are respected, and whose lives are in happy accord with their religious pro- fession. The second class of members of the committee
THE MEMBEESHIP COMMITTEE 25
should be selected by the pastor as members at large. These should be persons of potential leadership in the church, who by gifts and graces, will be most ef- fective in helping to develop the various items of the program.
The Preliminary Work of the Committee It has been found helpful to appoint the evan- gelistic or membership committee in May or June preceding the opening of the church year, which is usually September or October. First, where this is done it affords the committee an opportunity to make a study of evangelistic methods and purposes. Some pastors secure a number of helpful books and pass these around from member to member during the summer months. The books to be used in this way should be brief, non-argumentative and helpful dis- cussions of some of the features of church work. For example, books dealing with the mission of the church, personal evangelism, the evangelistic litera- ture of the denomination, a brief history of the de- nomination and its contribution to the religious life of our times, and some simple book on the Christian interpretation of the meaning and value of life. The reading of such books lays a splendid foundation for the more detailed study of the practical methods of evangelistic work, which should be one feature of the committee's activities during the church year.
The second line of preliminary activity for the committee is to make a study of the church and the community. This might well be assigned to a sub- committee or to one person especially fitted for this
26 PAEISH EVANGELISM
work, but the results of such a study ought to be available for the committee early in the fall, and hence this work should be done if possible during the summer months. This study could well follow the following outline:
The total population of the community or parish.
The number of church members.
The number of children in the community of Sun- day-school age.
The percentage of these enrolled in the church school.
The enrollment of the Sunday-school.
How many of these are now members of the church ?
How many church school pupils of twelve years of age or over, not members of the church, that is, how many boys and girls, men and women, who are not now members of the church, is the church school reaching with its message of instruction ?
There should be also a careful study of the mem- bership of the church which should give the follow- ing information:
The percentage regular in attendance. The percentage occasional in attendance. The percentage in the process of lapsing. The number of absentees and their status.
These items of information will indicate the op- portunity of the church for intensive cultivation of its own field, and while this study is being made there should be a beginning of the listing of prospec- tive members, which lists will help guide the com- mittee in its work later in the year. These may be divided somewhat as follows :
THE MEMBEESHIP COMMITTEE 27
The husbands of wives who are members.
The wives of husbands now members.
Children in families containing one or more mem- bers of the church.
Children in the church school or young people's societies or congregation, not members.
Contributors to the church not members.
Attendants of the congregation not members.
Attendants at the various organizations not mem- bers.
In the discussion which grows out of this study there will be additional suggestions concerning the formation of prospective lists. As the committee studies the personnel of the congregation along these lines, names will be discovered now and then of those who will be prospective workers in the church program and who ought to be included on the mem- bership or evangelistic committee. For this reason the list of this committee should not be closed, as the pastor may desire to add to it from time to time as new people are discovered who will be effective work- ers in the program of parish evangelism.
This committee, composed of official representa- tives of the church organizations and other persons of personal though perhaps not of official position, should work with the pastor to make a careful study of the church and its community and likewise to study some of the literature on religious work; that they will be able to advise with him most effectively in formulating the program for the church in which the pastor and people will cooperate to the best ad- vantage in the program of parish evangelism.
Ill
PLANNING THE YEAR'S WORK
The Program
THE first definite task of the membership or evangelistic committee is to adopt a work- ing program for the church year. A pro- gram presupposes a definite goal towards which a church is working. Therefore it is necessary that the membership of the church have rather clearly in mind some definite ideals by which to shape its course. There is much hazy thinking right here on the part of many church people, laity as well as pastors. It goes without saying that if a church is to accom- plish anything really worth while it must first of all have a goal or an ideal towards which it is working. We must always remember that results do not hap- pen but are brought about.
The entire discussion of this book presupposes that the church has rather definitely in mind an ideal to- wards which it is working, and that that ideal is not simply a dim, indefinite expectation of reasonable growth, but that the pastor and his helpers have con- sidered certain things which they wish to accomplish as a result of the 3^ear's labour. It is understood that by the very nature of the church's life the goal of its year's work cannot be absolutely fixed in all
28
PLANNING THE YEAE'S WOEK 29
details, for the attitude of the church must be that of an opportunist, that it may be able to take advan- tage of winds and tides in the spiritual realm and in community activity. The ideal of the church which should serve as a guide for the year's activities will have of course many elements; some relating to social service, missionary education, religious educa- tion, community welfare, as well as various other items. But if the church is to be true to its mission and true to its ultimate purpose there must be a defi- nite expectation for increased membership as pastor and people cooperate in the program of parish evan- gelism for enlisting men and women in the Christian Church.
A program is in reality a working chart by which the church purposes to advance from where it now is towards the goal which is the ideal of its activity. It goes without saying that unless a church follows a plan of work the chances are that it will reach no place in particular and that its efforts will be a good deal without direction and definite results, and much energy will be wasted. The church will lack the centralizing influence which a well worked out pro- gram always gives and will end the year with a spirit of resignation, or worse still of discouragement.
On the other hand, if a program has been adopted and carried through with reasonable success, there will be a feeling of confidence and satisfaction as the church realizes that it is finding itself in worth-while, well-directed efforts towards clearly defined ends. One of the best things about a program of church work is that it goes better each year. As the pro-
30 PAEISH EVANGELISM
gram develops it will be found that efficiency is gained by practice and that interest deepens with accomplishment. A plan for the year for the church is to the pastor and his committee what the chart is to the sailor or the blue print to the builder, or the season's work to the farmer, that is, a guide which indicates that certain things be done in a certain or- der. This is the universal testimony of pastors who have used a program in their work. While the particular items of the program vaiy year by year, still the main outline will remain practically the same and the people will accustom themselves to the pro- gram of church life as it develops with the flow of the seasons. The church will come to look forward to certain features of church work which will be emphasized in appropriate fashion with much pleasur- able anticipation.
Elements of the Plan
There are three things which the pastor ought to take into consideration as he arranges the details of his program of parish evangelism. The first is, What are the local needs? The information which will help him on this point will be derived in part from the study which he or some members of his com- mittee have made of the parish and the membership situation in his church. For example, it may be:
(a) The pastor will find that the greatest need is the strengthening of the church school; that the teachers need encouragement, that new teachers are required and that the work of the Sunday-school be given point. That is, that boys and girls who have
PLANNING THE YEAR'S WORK 31
spent a number of years in the Sunday-school shall be equipped with such knowledge and training and development of character that they may know the truth of the Gospel and be led to commit themselves to Christ.
(b) Or it may be that there are a large number of boys and girls in the Sunday-school who are not now members of the church and the year's work should properly be built around the task of bring- ing these boys and girls into personal relationship with Christ. If there are any considerable number of boys and girls in the church school who have not confessed Christ, the pastor will find that here is a year's work upon which it will pay him well to specialize.
(c) It may be that the chief need of the church is building the congregation. This is an outstanding need of many churches. There are men and women of good will in most communities not now members of the church who should be brought into the con- gregation where they may learn something of the ideals of worship and service of the Christian com- munity, and who will give the pastor and his com- mittee a splendid field for personal evangelism as the years go by. It should be kept clearly in mind that congregations do not happen but result from the in- terest and labours of individuals. There is no valid reason why a minister should sit down and fold his hands and resign himself to the thought of con- tinuing through life with small congregations. Hence it may be that developing the congregation may be the chief item of the program for the year.
32 PAEISH EVANGELISM
(d) Then again the congregation may be made up quite largely of those who are not officially con- nected with the church and who have made no con- fession of belief in Christ, or they may not have an active faith and need a thoroughgoing regeneration of life. The conversion of the members of the con- gregation as it now exists may be the program for the year.
(e) Or again, as will be found in the majority of cases, the pastor and committee will find as a result of their study of the church and community that there is a little nucleus of devoted saints, surrounded by a circle of those who are members of the church and faithful to its worship and service; these sur- rounded by a still larger circle of occasional at- tendants of the church; and beyond these an outer circle of men and women of good impulse who look upon this church as their church though not attend- ing its services nor joining in its worship. Where such is the case, the pastor will build his program to meet this primary need of extending the number and influence of the inner circle and of bringing those of the outer circles nearer the center of the church's life. Then, whatever program adopted, the pastor and people should always seek to communicate to all the church their own spirit of enthusiastic participation in the worship of God and the service of their fel- low-men. The first requirement of the program is, then, that it be framed to meet the needs of the local situation.
The second requirement is, that the program for the local church shall harmonize so far a^ possible
PLANNING THE YEAE'S WORK 33
with the program of the denomination. More and more the denominations are coming to denomina- tional programs of evangeUsm whicn take into con- sideration the poUty, practice and personaUty of the communion. The denominational program forms a basis upon which the churches of Hke order can co- operate one with the other, greatly to the encourage- ment of all. It is of the greatest value to all churches for pastor and people to feel that that which they are trying to do in their church is something along the same line as that which their brethren in an adjoining church of the same communion are trying to do. It is quite likely that where there is a denomi- national program the denomination will set aside cer- tain of its general workers who will be available to assist the pastors in placing before their people, not only the denominational ideals, but also the experi- ences and the testimony of ministers here and there who have been effective in their service. There will also be denominational helps, which are in reality but bits of testimony from pastors who have done the thing that they have written about. For these reasons the program for the local church should take into consideration the elements and the ideals and material of the denominational program.
The third requirement is, that it shall take ad- vantage of the flow of seasons. There is nothing to hinder the farmer from going out in September and planting corn if he so desires, but when he does this he cannot expect the same sort of returns from his labours as if he plants it in May. For the farmer who plants in May takes into consideration the flow
34 PAEISH EVAI^GELISM
of seasons and his efforts are expended in coopera- tion with natural laws. So in the realm of religion there seems to be a certain seasonal flow of life when the great truths can be best emphasized. At least it is the testimony of a vast and growing num- ber of pastors that to follow the Christian year in a program of preaching and church work is to pre- sent the Christian faith in an effective, logical and acceptable way. It is taking advantage of the sea- sons when people most naturally think of the great subjects of Christian thought — Christmas with its wealth of joyous experience, Easter as the consum- mation of the Christian hope. It may be that a pas- tor's experience is not in accord with the experience of those who use the Christian calendar in their year's work, and it may be that he will find other seasons which are more propitious. For the greater number of hard-working pastors, however, the flow of seasons as indicated in the Christian year affords a valuable opportunity to emphasize the great truths at the most effective time. If the Christian year is not adopted some other, better fitted to the needs of the church, should be followed.
There are certain other elements, of course, which must be provided for. For example, the pastor must realize that he has other responsibihties to his people and to the Christian commonwealth, and that he must not shut these other interests out of participation in the work of the church. It must be understood that space be allowed for many other lines of church work — mission study, Sunday-school rallies and pro- grams, stewardship, moral reform, community proj-
PLANNING THE YEAR'S WORK 35
ects, the financial canvass — and with it all time must be allowed for the constant routine of parish duties.
With these thoughts in mind concerning the re- quirements of the program — that it shall meet local needs, be in harmony with the denominational ob- jectives and allow for the flow of seasons — the pas- tor and his committee should be prepared to adopt the working plan for the year. To do this the com- mittee should meet early in the fall, if it has not done so in the late summer, to make a review of the study of the community and to map out the program for the year's work. If the program has been in operation in previous years the program for the fol- lowing year can well be adopted in May or June, when the experiences and lessons of the preceding year's work are fresh in mind. Where this is done year by year the details of the program may be worked out leisurely during the months of less strain and the program completed in time to present to the church early in the fall. But where the program is adopted in the early summer following a year's work, or where it is adopted in the late summer following study and preparation with the hope of initiating an orderly program of evangelism, there should be in the early fall a meeting of the committee which should take into consideration whatever new light may be shed upon the situation and plans be for- mulated for initiating the program in the best pos- sible way.
More and more churches are coming to a standard- ized program which in its main items are somewhat as follows:
36 PAEISH EVANGELISM
A Year's Program
September-December
1. A Meeting of the Church Evangelistic Com- mittee : To face the whole year's work of the church and to map out a year's program.
2. Church Rallies: To bring the church and its work to the attention of all the people.
3. Parish Visitation: To locate and enlist pos- sible attendants and adherents of the church and its organizations.
4. Fall Reception of members at the November Communion.
January-Easter
1. The preaching of the Gospel with a distinct evangelistic appeal.
2. An Invitation Committee: To study the best methods of winning decisions for Christ and to work continuously with the pastor to secure new members.
3. The Pastor's Training Class : To instruct chil- dren twelve years of age and older in the funda- mentals of Christian faith and the meaning of church membership.
4. The Lenten Prayer Calendar: Extended use of " The Fellowship of Prayer " in private devo- tions, at the family altar, in prayer circles and in the work of the church.
5. Holy Week Services.
6. The Easter Ingathering: The reception of new members at the Communion Service on or near Easte/.
After Easter Conservation
I. Continuation Plans: To continue evangelistic endeavours in special groups to Children's Sunday,
PLANNING THE YEAR'S WORK 37
Mother's Sunday or Pentecost Sunday, and to en- list new members in definite tasks of Qiristian service.
2. Absentee Campaign : The locating and reclaim- ing of absentee members who are living in the com- munity of the church though holding membership in churches elsewhere.
This standardized program groups the year's work into three periods, each period having certain definite characteristics and coming to a peak with a reception of members at psychological moments in the year's work. It should be understood that this general program should be used by the local church simply as a foundation on which to build its own, which while taking into consideration the elements of the general program must be built to meet the needs of the local church.
As was said, each church must decide for itself the time of the year best suited for that church to carry through the items of its program. Some of the items listed in the September-December period may fit in better after January. The series of devo- tional or evangelistic meetings which are scheduled for the two weeks preceding Easter are held more successfully by some pastors in the early weeks of January. Many rural churches of the South hold special meetings in the late fall months. The Pas- tor's Training Class, which in this program is part of the Lenten period, is conducted by some pastors after Easter with a public reception on Children's Day or later. A large number of churches, espe- cially Methodist and Baptist, follow Decision Day
38 PAEISH EVANGELISM
(usually Palm Sunday) with a series of meetings for those desiring church membership.
These problems are all of importance and must be solved by each pastor. He should arrange the pro- gram to meet the needs of the local situation. The various elements of the program as here discussed, however, should find a place in the program of the local church — if not at the time indicated, then at a more suitable season.
Adoption by the Church
After the program has been outlined by the pastor and his committee it will be helpful if the program be brought before the church in effective fashion and adopted formally by the church, A very good method of presenting the program to the church is for the committee to have printed sufficient copies of the program for general distribution, then for the pastor to devote a Sunday morning for presenting to the people the program and the reasons which underlie it; the ideals which it seeks to express and the objects which it seeks to attain. Some pastors in presenting the program on " Program Sunday " invite to the pulpit a few of the leaders of the con- gregation, a member of the Board of Deacons, the superintendent of the Sunday-school, president of the women's society or others, each one in a well-pre- pared three-minute talk to pledge to the program the support of these organizations. This will do much to create an atmosphere favourable to the considera- tion of the program by the people.
When the program has been presented to the peo-
PLANNING THE YEAE'S WORK 39
pie, it is helpful to have a formal vote from the church to accept the program and to pledge co- operation in carrying it through. Such a vote is easy to secure and can be of the greatest helpful- ness, as by coming to a vote the church crystallizes its own sentiments and attitude towards the program and the fact that it has formally adopted the pro- gram will lend added weight and influence to it as the days go by. This is a natural way to initiate the year's work and an eifective way to register the fact in the minds of the people.
After the program has been accepted by the church — either at a morning service, at a business session of the church, at a specially advertised prayer meeting or in any other way — it should then be pre- sented to the Sunday-school and other organizations, either by the pastor alone or by the pastor with the assistance of some member of the organization. It is of great helpfulness to have the active support of these organizations and it can be had usually unani- mously and enthusiastically if these organizations be approached at the time of initiating the program. That is to say, that if the program is presented to the Sunday-school or the women's society and the pastor expresses the desire that that organization pledge its cooperation and support to the program for the year's work, he will find that the support will be given, that the organization will appreciate being consulted, and that in so presenting the program he has strengthened the morale of his people and has done a great deal towards initiating the program with every possible condition favourable to carrying it through successfully.
IV
FALL ACTIVITIES
THE usual church program is planned so that the fall activities constitute the opening of the year's work. These are of very great importance. It is the common testimony of pastors that the results of the year's work depend in con- siderable measure upon the effectiveness of these activities. There is an opportunity at the beginning of the year which does not exist later to initiate the program with sufficient enthusiasm and momentum to overcome the natural Inertia of the people. The first object of the fall work is that there shall be put into the thinking of the members of the church, as well as into the thinking of the community, the realization that here is an organization that has set for itself a definite piece of work to do; that it is clear in mind as to how that work is to be accom- plished and is setting about its task with a spirit of confidence and determination. To accomplish this result pastors are finding that a fall rally of the church is perhaps the most effective method.
The Fall Rally If properly advertised and carried through, a fall rally will reenlist the members of the church who are returning to their homes after their summer vaca-
40
FALL ACTIVITIES 41
tions, and reinterest those members who have re- mained at home but who may have lessened during the summer their usual participation in the activities of the church. We must keep ever in mind the fact that himian interest is a variable thing and that it is a natural phenomenon for interest in any enterprise to lag. Instead of looking upon this fact as an ob- stacle in the way of church work, pastors should look rather at the splendid opportunity that is afforded them to reawaken interest. As all psychologists teach us, people will return to an enterprise with more interest than ever after a period of seeming in- difference, provided the interest is reenlisted by new means and additional fresh interests are aroused. It is absolutely contrary to our study of, or knowledge of, human nature to believe that any large number of people can continue month in and month out active interest in the same things. We should realize that the seeming loss of interest on the part of the people in the work of the church after a season of activity is not due to a loss of moral sense or a victory of evil, a serious backsliding or anything else but the natural way in which human nature acts. It is the wise pastor who will understand this changing atti- tude of people and will allow them those periods of quietness and seeming lack of interest in religious work, feeling that if he uses the knowledge which is his as a result of observation and study of mankind he will be able to secure far more efficient coopera- tion after this period of relaxation.
This does not mean that the church ought to close its activities during the summer months, for there
42 PAEISH EVANGELISM
are those in every congregation who by nature and long course of habit have accustomed themselves to regular participation in the service and worship of the church. For these, as well as for the occasional attendant at church, the summer services should be made as interesting and helpful as possible. But for the great mass of church workers there should be a period of relaxation and they should be made to feel that in relaxing their interest in the work of the church for the time being, they are not the victims of a slump in morals. The pastor who bides his time with sweetness of spirit and keeps in touch with his people in an unobtrusive way during the period of relaxation, will find that his people will respond with greater readiness than ever when he calls upon them for renewed activities in the work of the church.
One wise pastor who has observed these traits and who is wise in his generation suggests to his people during the late spring certain good books of sermons, of missions, missionary biography and other devo- tional literature for them to take on vacation, or if they are remaining at home for the summer, for Sun- day reading, which will help them to an intelligent worship of God and a deepening interest in the work of the church. The pastor who takes this attitude towards his people and towards their summer relaxa- tion will find if he is able to provide any worth-while new interest in the fall that the year's work will open with his Rally Sunday with an enthusiasm which will be a surprise to the community and a most heartening experience to the workers of the church. Instead of having a congregation wearied and dis-
FALL ACTIVITIES 43
couraged after the let down of the summer, he will have a congregation rested and refreshed who will enter into the program of the church with the greatest enthusiasm. The fall rally will also give the church an opportunity to enlist newcomers to the parish. There will be, during the summer as at other seasons, removals of some families and new families will be coming into the parish. It should be the aim of the church to bring into the church services on Rally Sunday representatives of every new family that has come to the parish. The pastor and his committee should feel that it rests upon them as an imperative duty that the interest of these new people should be aroused and they should be brought into the church services.
The fall rally Is planned to reinterest the members and former attendants of the church and to secure the interest of newcomers to the parish. In addition, a well-conducted rally will cause the people of the community at large to think of their obligations to the church and to plan for their own participation in its worship and service. They will be led to think of the church as the heart of the community, as the seat of the community's conscience, as the source of those streams of righteousness and community help- fulness which purify and invigorate the entire com- munity life. A well-conducted rally acquaints the community with the church, its plans, its methods, its personnel and its outlook. It gives the pastor a splendid opportunity of meeting personally a great many new people and of saying a word of encourage- ment to the members of his congregation. It gives
44 PAEISH EVANGELISM
the church the finest sort of opportunity to present its program to the people of the community at large and let them know that here is an institution which seeks not its own welfare, but is interested in every good thing in the lives of the people and of the com- munity as a whole.
The church rally it will be seen is an entirely dif- ferent event from the rallies of the Sunday-school, the young people's society, or like organizations. These rallies, which will in all likelihood come in their own time and follow their own programs, are of the greatest value to the work of their respective organi- zations and contribute largely to the esprit de corps of the whole enterprise. Effective as they may be, they fall short of accomplishing what ought to be done in the fall of the year to enlist new families and to reenlist former members in regular attendance at church and fellowship in its worship and service.
The forms of the fall rally are many and the pastor and his committee should seek to vary the program year by year. In some sections of the country the rally is known as the Harvest Home Service, and per- haps this is the most successful type of fall rally. In churches where the fall rally takes the form of a Harvest Home Service the church is usually deco- rated with the fruits of field and orchard, the hymns are of a thanksgiving nature. This is an historical form of church service, as from the earliest days the New England Colonists celebrated the harvest home in late September or early October, which was a service entirely different In kind and quality from the more formal service of Thanksgiving Day. Those
FALL ACTIVITIES 45
churches that use the Harvest Home type of fall rally do not find any interference whatever with the later celebration of Thanksgiving Day.
Another type is the Reunion Service. Many churches find this a most effective service, the object being to secure if possible the attendance of former members and attendants who live at a distance, and to bring to this service as many of the community as possible, especially the older residents who may not have been active in the services of the church, and the newcomers to the parish, that all may know more of the service and worship of the church.
Still another form is the Family Sunday. This has been found very helpful, the object being to se- cure the attendance of the people by families, a sort of revival for the day of that almost forgotten custom of families going to church and sitting together in the same pew. In addition to these forms there is the so-called " Go to Church Sunday," with its well- known variations. Whatever form is adopted the program should fit into the ideal of the day. The songs, the Scripture and particularly the sermon should deal with the unifying thought of our com- mon life which the day seeks to hold in memory and the object and method of carrying through this item of the program of the church should be held ever in mind.
During the fall it is quite likely that the pastor and his committee will care to go over the parish at least twice. First as a preliminary canvass for the pur- pose of inviting the members of the congregation and others to participate in the exercises of Rally Sunday
46 PAEISH EVANGELISM
and to secure their cooperation in inviting their neigh- bours ; and also for the purpose of securing a list of those who may be considered as prospective members of the parish, particularly the newcomers to the parish and those residents of the parish with whom the pastor feels the church has opportunity to exert its influence. The second canvass ought to be in the nature of a thoroughgoing parish visitation. For this there is not time before the fall rally, as to accom- plish the best results in a visitation of this sort there must be sufficient leisure to permit a satisfactory piece of work.
The Preliminary Canvass
The preliminary canvass is for the purpose of securing correct addresses of present members and of registering all changes in the families of the mem- bers— marriages, deaths, removals, additions, visitors or roomers with families — but primarily to learn where the members are, how the summer has gone with them and of the new people of the community.
The importance of correct lists of names. One of the first things which a pastor and his committee will realize as they begin to work their program along practical lines is the absolute necessity of an up-to-date list of constituents, supporters and pros- pects. Many a church organization has lost influ- ence with families by sending mail to an address which has not been the home for months past. Other errors are that names are misspelled, initials mis- placed, street numbers and the names of members of the family are found lacking in many church lists.
FALL ACTIVITIES 47
The way in which many church rolls are kept is enough to make angels weep. Where this is the case it is generally but one index of the way in which other work of the parish is carried on, but which lacks so visible a means of registering neglect. The preliminary canvass should result in an up-to-date list of names which will likely fall into five divisions.
(i) The names of members. The committee ought to be absolutely sure that these members are living at the address given and whether or not there is any serious illness or any special reason for the im- mediate attention of the pastor.
(2) List of contributors. This list should in- dicate who of the contributors are members and who are not. Contributors who are not members are usually prospective church members.
(3) List of attendants of the church. These are the names of members of the congregation who are not listed on either the membership list or the list of contributors. These attendants at the church who are neither members nor contributors are of course favourable prospects as church members.
(4) There will be next a list of those looking to the church for spiritual ministry. That is to say, In the community there will be families where the min- ister is called for weddings, funerals, baptisms and other ministrations, where the people are seemingly unattached to the church but by this call for spiri- tual ministry, align themselves as having interest in this church. So whenever the pastor or church worker is asked to minister to families not connected v/ith the church, these all should be listed as people
48 PABISH EVANGELISM
worth while to cultivate, for they look upon this church as their church.
(5) Lastly, those unattached people of good-will in the community who through the recommendation of neighbours, doctors, visitors, newcomers, or old residents, are on the list of future prospects. It will be a source of surprise to the pastor and his com- mittee to find how far the influence of his church extends and how many people in the community look to him and his church for spiritual leadership. There are few people in any community who are not interested in the church as a whole and in one church more than another. While they may not show this interest openly in any way, yet almost every family feels a sort of attachment to some church and it is the pastor's responsibility to see that this interest is cultivated.
The Object of the Church Rally The real object of the Church Rally is to put the worship and service of the church into the thought of the people, and everything should be done to this end. Some useful methods are the writing of per- sonal letters to former members, the use of printed invitations, the wide distribution of material bearing upon the work of the church, and attractive an- nouncements in store windows and in the daily papers together with an inviting and wide-awake program for the day, and, above all else in value, the personal work of the members of the congregation in inviting others. The church of course is under a very heavy responsibility that the program as advertised be car-
FALL ACTIVITIES 49
ried through and that all who have a part in the program really " deliver the goods " ; that the music and the sermon and all other parts of the service be such as to cause those who come in response to the invitation to want to make churchgoing, and espe- cially to this church, a part of their weekly sched- ule.
An Example One successful pastor used the following method to create interest in the Rally in his church: The accurate list of members of his own church was sup- plemented by the names of all the residents of the community not affiliated with any other church, in- cluding the names of the unchurched newcomers in the parish. Four weeks before his " Family Day " he sent to all a letter of invitation with a brief folder on " Why Going to Church Strengthens Char- acter." The second week he sent to each a folder on " What the Church Should Contribute to the Life of the Community." The third week he sent a leaflet on " How You Can Help This Church Serve This Community." In this were listed various tasks for which workers were desired. And then on the week of the Sunday to be observed, he sent the program of the Sunday service and a leaflet on " What This Church Offers You." An informal welcoming com- mittee was appointed and the members were given careful preparation for their duties of the day — to make the newcomers feel at home, and to secure their names and addresses. In this church, " Family Day " was a great success, and the year's work was
60 PAEISH EVANGELISM
initiated with momentum and the natural inertia of the congregation reduced to the minimum.
If the program for the year has not been presented at a special Program Sunday, it will be found ex- ceedingly effective to make this presentation a part of the rally day exercises. At least the printed pro- gram should be presented and the church be made to feel that the Rally Sunday is the opening of a new year in the life of that church and that around the program they are all to build into the worship and service of the church the best of their faith and thought and prayer. As churches continue to use the rally day service, there will be suggested to them many forms and features which will add to the in- terest and effectiveness of the day. It will be found that year by year the people will look forward to the annual day — Harvest Home, Home Coming, Pro- gram Sunday, or whatever other form may be adopted — with much pleasurable anticipation and the thrill and optimism which come to the congregation that does one good thing in effective fashion will be of the greatest help in carrying through the other features of the program.
FALL VISITATION AND PASTORAL CALLING
FOLLOWING Rally Sunday there should be a painstaking visitation of the entire parish. The preliminary canvass for names prepara- tory to Rally Sunday v^ill bring to the pastor and his committee many nev^ names as well as refresh their memory of some neglected people of the parish v^^ho should be called upon at once. In addition to these, the entire church constituency should be visited. At least once each year the pastor or his assistant should visit every home in the parish. Such a visitation v^rill be of the greatest helpfulness to the work of the church.
Pastoral Calling It is not necessary to introduce here a discussion of pastoral calling except to say this: In making a call on a family the pastor should have in mind just what his object is. This may be outlined in part as follows: He represents the organized church in its worship and service, and his conversation, as well as his presence, should emphasize this fact. His con- versation will naturally begin with the family, the members of the family, where they have employment, if they are progressing in their employment; what
51
62 PAEI8H EVANGELISM
kinds of ambitions the different members may have ; what sort of an ideal the mother has for the future of her children ; what are the dominating interests in the family life; what interest there is in religion; what participation they have had in church life and V^ork heretofore; the special needs of the family; in what manner the church may make a definite con- tribution, both to the family life and to the lives of the individuals, and to what specific tasks in the church they can be invited. These are in brief some of the topics the pastor should have in mind as he directs his conversation.
Of course it is understood that the pastor will be wise enough not to make this evident, but the visit should result in the pastor's coming away from that home with these items of information securely fixed in his own mind, and as soon as he reaches his study he should put on paper his impressions, the needs and the opportunities of this family. In this way he has before him the data upon which to base the campaign which he and the members of his church will cany through, the object of which is that the church shall minister to the needs of this family and shall win them to whole-hearted service in the church and fellowship in its worship. When one realizes the long and careful period of cultivation required to bring a family not in touch with the church, into active participation in its worship and service, he will weigh very carefully the various elements of such a program and will appraise the introductory visit and analysis of conditions and opportunities very highly indeed.
VISITATION AND PASTOEAL CALLING 53
The neglect of a thoroughgoing pastoral visitation of the parish is perhaps the outstanding cause of failure on the part of pastors. It has long been said that " a home visiting pastor has a churchgoing peo- ple." There have been a few outstanding pulpit orators in American church life who have been able to build up and hold year after year a congregation through the power of their pulpit presentation; but the sad thing about such an enterprise is that with few exceptions, after the death or resignation of such a pulpit prince the congregation has melted away and the organization ofttimes given up its life. What is said here is not intended in any way to disparage adequate and effective pulpit presentation of the Gospel. I believe with all my heart that the best preaching the world has ever known is not in the past but in the future. A minister who loves his work and who has the sense of honour towards the obliga- tion he has assumed to Christ, and mankind, will do everything in his power to strengthen the persuasive- ness of his sermons that they may instruct, inspire and warm the lives of his people. The pulpit service of the church is perhaps the best cared for of any feature of church work and nine-tenths of the books in the average pastor's library and perhaps an equal proportion of his time and study in the seminary are devoted to sermons, sermon preparation, sermon material. But however important the work of the pulpit may be and however much it may be stressed, the effective pastor is far more than a preacher, or, in other words, he has a responsibility resting upon him to proclaim the Gospel in conversation and m
64 PABISH EVANGELISM
an individual service, day by day, during the weekj, v^rhich is every whit as much of a responsibility as is his duty of devoting himself to the highest ideals of pulpit presentation.
I am qaiite sure that the district superintendents and secretaries v^ho come in touch with many min- isters will testify that the outstanding cause of fail- ure on the part of ministers is a failure to minister to the people in their homes. One superintendent said to me not long since that he had known many fine preachers to fail in advancement, but he had never yet known a careful pastor to lose his grip on his people or to fail to make a satisfactory advance in his life's work. Why so many pastors will neglect this prime requirement of their profession is beyond comprehension. It would seem that the average pastor would cherish above everything else his op- portunities for pastoral service amid the homes and families of his people. In addition to the influence upon the people of the parish of thorough pastoral service there is also a deep influence upon the pastor himself.
One of America's outstanding pastors has said that after he has read along the lines of his intended sermon, before he preaches it to his people he must give himself to some thoroughgoing pastoral visita- tion where he will be brought into intimate touch with some of his people w^ho are facing, not theoret- ical problems but the hard facts of actual existence. One of the difficult things that the average church secretary is called upon to do is to go from church to church after pastors have resigned and gone away
VISITATION AKD PASTOEAL CALLING 55
discouraged, leaving perhaps their people even more discouraged than they, and to hear from the people that the pastor was a mighty fine man, a good preacher, but he absolutely did not call on his people. A case comes to mind where the president of a board of trustees in making a request that a new pastor be recommended to the church, said this : " We do not care particularly about his pulpit ability, but "we do want to know whether or not he will care for the souls of the people sufficiently to visit them in their homes, as the last pastor we had, who was here nine years, failed to call on some of the leading mem- bers of the church during his entire pastorate and so far as I know never called on a new family until they had shown a lively interest in the church."
In discussing this with a state superintendent, a man of delightful personality and beautiful home life, he said to me, " Do you know that I have been state superintendent for twenty years and in that time I have lived in four parishes; my wife and I have always been as regular attendants of the church where our membership happened to be as was pos- sible, and in the entire twenty years not one single pastor that we have had, nor his wife, has ever set their foot within our door."
A certain minister of my acquaintance who is rated as one of the strongest preachers in the city, who was in demand continually as a speaker before commercial, social and college groups, announced to his congregation when he accepted the pastorate that he considered the day of pastoral calling past, but that if any of the members of the parish needed his
56 PAEISH EVANGELISM
presence because of sickness or other reasons, and would send for him, he would be only too glad to serve them, and that he and his wife would try to return such calls as were made upon them. But as to other calling he felt that it was entirely needless and a trouble not only to the people but to himself, and he proposed to devote more of his time to ser- mon preparation and to study and contemplation, rather than chasing hither and yon over the parish. It is needless to say that in spite of his brilliant pulpit powers, his church lost in attendance, in interest, and he, himself, became discouraged and pessimistic and his resignation followed in due time. His suc- cessor was a man of very indifferent pulpit power, lacked in personal magnetism and eloquence, but he had a deep and abiding interest in the welfare of his congregation and was willing to show that interest by visiting the people and becoming one with them, sharing their trials and their hopes and their joys. Under his administration the congregations are al- most double those of the more brilliant preacher who neglected his pastoral work.
In addition to what has been said of the pastor's visiting the homes, where he shares more than likely with the mother in interest, the anxiety and the prob- lem of the children and home life, he should by no means neglect his visiting with the men of his church in their places of employment. As a usual thing men cannot devote very long time but it is not neces- sary to take a great deal of time, unless there is some special problem. The minister should call in the office of his business men, look into the factory of
VISITATION AND PASTOEAL CALLING 57
his working men, walk across the farm of his farmer members, and chat briefly with his people. A min- ister who will walk down an alley in a factory to where one of his men in overalls is working day after day and will simply lay his hand on that man's shoul- der and speak a word of encouragement to him as he grinds away with almost deadly monotony month after month, held to his grind by his love of family and ideals of industry, that minister will see a look of real gratitude in that man's eyes which will be as a benediction to him through the days to come.
Hence it is that a minister as he loves his own soul should be faithful to his duty to his people; to see them in their daily life, to encourage them and help them bear their burdens. Where this is the case most of the problems of that parish will be solved and the men and women who compose it will be tied together by enduring cords of love.
What is here described as " The Fall Visitation " and listed as part of the fall program ought to be in a way continuous; that is to say, the pastor will be finding new people whom he will look up in the same painstaking way as he has those of whom he learned through the fall activities. The fall offers an espe- cially opportune time for this careful visitation, as the rush of the various programs is not so pressing and the gathering of names early in the year affords more opportunities for cultivation than when the visitation is made later in the winter. If this work is not started and carried as far as possible in the fall, it adds much to the complexity of the after- Christmas or pre-Lenten program.
68 PAEISH EVANGELISM
The Fall Reception Many churches plan for a fall reception of new members at the October or November communion. If the visitation has been carefully made it will be found especially advisable to follow with a fall re- ception of members, for the pastor will find families who are willing and ready to join the church at the first invitation either by letter or on confession. There will also be a number who though willing were prevented for one reason or another from uniting with the church at the Easter or spring communion, but who are now ready to become members. A sur- prisingly large number of people may be brought into the church at the fall communion. The pastor should prize such an ingathering very highly, not only because those who unite with the church in the fall gain what amounts to almost a full year of service, but also because such a reception will gpive tone and direction to the whole year's plan. It will center the thought of the church upon this fact — that the church has a clearly defined program with a definite aim, the enlisting of people in the worship and service of the church. The fall ingathering should be looked upon not as an end of any sort of a campaign, but as the beginning of the year's work of the church.
Results of the Fall Work So the pastor will come to the holiday season hav- ing accomplished three definite things :
I. Through the Rally he has encouraged his pec-
VISITATION AND PASTOKAL CALLING 59
pie to keep up the habit of regular churchgoing, and has assisted others to form the churchgoing habit.
2. Through the visitation he has secured the names and addresses of new families, with definite information concerning them without which his ef- forts are bound to be shots in the dark.
3. He has welcomed into the church all those who are willing to come, and by so doing given his people a vision of the possibilities of the year's pro- gram, and has registered clearly in the minds of the people his determination to carry through a practical plan of church work.
It is understood that during this period of the year, from September to December, the pastor will be busy with many other lines of church work — mission study, stewardship, the financial canvass, as well as his constant routine of parish duties. These activities, however, will all prove grist for his mill, for through them he may reach many men and women and help them to give expression to their religious faith. The pastor should feel that these features of church work instead of interfering with the evangelistic program are of the greatest helpful- ness in developing that program along practical lines.
VI
JANUARY TO EASTER
THE work of the church during the January- to-Easter period while in some respects similar to that of the fall is in other re- spects radically different. The change of seasons brings usually a change in the attitude of the people towards life and its responsibilities. To most people the beginning of the calendar year is the beginning of a new era. Much of the thought of the people dur- ing the fall is devoted to the closing up of a year's work. This is true in business, on the farm, in factories, and in most kinds of work. During the fall months many persons are very busy in prepara- tion for Christmas and the holidays and not many have time to look beyond this season of hurry. When the holiday time is past most people find them- selves a bit out of breath, more or less lost as to time and direction; and they realize that they must now plan for another year's work. As with individuals, so with the church — new phases of the year's pro- gram with new objectives must be emphasized. Those who observe the Christian year will find a natural climax for the period following the holidays at the Easter season.
60
JANUAEY TO EASTER 61
If the pastor and his committee have initiated at the beginning of the church year in September or Oc- tober a thoroughgoing program, and have carried through in effective fashion the fall activities, their work will be simplified. For one thing, they will find that much of the inertia of the congregation will have been overcome and that the organization is feel- ing in all departments of its life new vigour and en- thusiasm. As the program has progressed there will be developed the will to succeed, which is of the ut- most necessity in accomplishing any worth-while piece of work. In the second place the pastor will find his committee becoming familiar with their tasks and there will be a growing unity of purpose on the part of those who are associated with him in this service. The fall work of the church will result in the members becoming united in support of the pro- gram of religious work for the commitment of men to Christ and their enlistment in the Christian life.
When the Program is Postponed Until January It sometimes happens that there are valid reasons for not beginning the program of evangelism until after the New Year. Some pastors have found this advisable when the program was introduced for the first time, as the January-to-Easter period is especially favourable to an evangelistic program and people co- operate more readily. If the church has not worked to a year's program many pastors believe that it is wiser to concentrate on the January-to-Easter period for the first year, with the expectation that for the following year the program will be begun in the fall
62 PAEISH EVANGELISM
and carried through the entire church year. There is a good deal of logic in this position, and if a pastor feels that his people are not united sufficiently in thought as to the object and methods of the evan- gelistic program to make the fall opening a success, it may be the best thing to concentrate on the part of the year which has everything in its favour and when the minimum of effort will bring the maximum of results. Where pastors follow this plan it is par- ticularly advisable that the church clearly under- stands that the stress of the January-to-Easter period for one year is but the preparation for a full year's program for the next year. Again, there may be other reasons for postponing the opening of a pro- gram until after January — as a building enterprise, a change of pastors, a particular financial campaign, community movements, or a variety of other demands which seem to the pastor and his advisers to make unwise the initiation of the program until after the first of January.
Where this is the case, from whatever reason, it must be clearly in mind that what has been said as to the necessity of a program for the year in the opening chapters bears with equal weight upon the situation, and that if the Easter season is to mark a spiritual growth in the church and an increase in its influence in the community there must be well-laid plans and careful preparation. If the fall program has not been organized and carried through, two features of that program— the Church Rally and the careful Visitation — should receive special attention. The Church Rally is not nearly so advantageous after
JANUABY TO EASTEE 63
the holidays as it is following the summer vacation, although some ministers use the " Week of Prayer " for the purpose of bringing people together for spe- cial meetings. In past years it was the custom in many churches to begin the year with a series of devotional or evangelistic meetings. Among the Methodist churches a custom of a January revival meeting was almost universal and in many parts of the country this plan is still followed. But more and more pastors are coming to realize that to carry through a successful series of meetings more prepara- tion is required than can be given in the closing weeks of the year, and that it is more effective to plan the work, organize and train the people, for a series of meetings to be held previous to Easter. The Week of Prayer, however, does afford those who observe it an opportunity to rally the more seri- ous-minded people and to secure their active co- operation in the program for the rest of the year.
The parish visitation which has been outlined as a part of the fall work, if omitted at that time, must receive attention now. A careful visitation of the parish, carried out in a thoroughgoing way, is abso- lutely essential to the success of the program when- ever it is projected, for through it the church mem- bership becomes unified, new people are discovered and new life brought into all departments of the work of the church. The people usually feel that if there is a cause in which the pastor and others feel suf- ficiently interested to come and talk over with them individually, it is surely of sufficient importance for them to give to it their best thought. And further-
64 PAEISH EVANGELISM
more, without the information which the visitation makes available, much of the efforts of the pastor and the committee will be lost.
The Objects to he Accomplished in the January-to- Easter Period
Whether the program has been initiated in the fall and carried through in careful fashion, or whether it is to be initiated with the opening of the calendar year, the objects to be accomplished in the January-to-Easter period should be clearly in mind. The first aim of the season's activities is that the people have a fresh conception of the life and teach- ings of Jesus Christ. Those who follow the church year, who believe in Christmas as commemorating the birth of Christ, Christ's struggle in temptation as remembered during the Lenten season, and His death and resurrection on Good Friday and Easter, have a splendid opportunity to review the whole life of Christ during this Christmas-to-Easter period. To accomplish this purpose there is first the pro- gram of preaching and second the pastor's training class.
The program of preaching for the January-to- Easter period should be definite, progressive, devo- tional and practical. The pastor who utilizes this period of the year to present a series of sermons dealing with the foundation principles of Christian belief will find his people growing in grace and knowledge. In his pulpit presentation the pastor is continually trying to give his people Christian doc- trine and principles of Christian living, but we learn
JANUARY TO EASTER 65
slowly and a constant reviving of the fundamentals is necessary. Some one has said that the human mind can accept and assimilate but one new thought each day. Through the program of preaching of the January-to-Easter period there is offered an oppor- timity for the church to renew its teaching function in presenting the fundamentals of Christian belief, in appealing fashion, at the time when people are in most receptive mood.
While the pastor is accomplishing these things through the ministry of his pulpit, he will be doing the same things in more school-like fashion with the young people who form the pastor's training class. More and more pastors are feeling the responsibility for the religious training of their young people. They realize that the church school, with all its splendid curriculum and effective teachers, does not accomplish all that is desired. There is still work for him to do. It is his responsibility to bring to- gether in logical fashion in the minds of the chil- dren the truths which they have received in the church school ; to help the child to discover for him- self the need as well as the reasonableness of re- ligious faith ; to help each child to consider the claims of Jesus for personal commitment to Him and by accepting Him to enter into a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the first object of the work of the January-to-Easter period is that of deepening the thought of the people about God, Christ, human life, sin, salvation and the eternal life, and this Is to be accoaiplished in the main through the program of
66 PARISH EVANGELISM
preaching and with the young people through the pastor's training class.
The second object of the January-to-Easter period is to deepen the devotional life of the people, to en- courage them to participate in prayer as individuals, in families, in neighbourhood groups and as a con- gregation. Prayer for the church as well as for the individual is the barometer of spiritual life.
The third object to be accomplished in this period is that members of the congregation may engage in personal service for Christ. To be able to do this the members should make a study of ways in which men come to decision about fundamental things of life, the reason why men of many generations and of many ages have found the Christian way of living the ideal life, and then put these things into prac- tice through a program of personal work with indi- viduals for Qirist.
In these three lines of related activity by the pastor and his helpers the interest of the people will be in- creased and many will be led to a higher religious life as the work draws to a happy and glorious con- summation in the Easter season.
The pastor who plans his work for the January-to- Easter period should consult with his committee from time to time during the closing weeks of the year, that the program may be initiated in early January with everything in its favour. Directly after the holidays, if not during some lull in the holiday season, when the committee can come together and discuss with the pastor the items of his work without pres- sure for time, there should be a thoroughgoing con-
JANUARY TO EASTER 67
ference of pastor and committee upon the following items :
1. The committee should be united in prayer for the success of the program. Members should be led to definite and regular prayer that the Holy Spirit may be present in power and that all that is done and said may be through his leadership. Nothing so cheers a pastor as to know that his advisers are praying with him and that all are praying together that individuals in the parish shall be brought to know Him " whom to know aright is Life Eternal."
2. The committee should advise as to the setting of a definite goal. The weight of testimony is that a goal gives direction to and centralizes effort. The goal if set should be attainable. By running over the list of names a pastor can decide this. The usual minimum goal is about ten per cent, of the member- ship. If a goal is set the fact should not be made much of in public. There is no question, however, but that the committee should set before itself the ideal of presenting the Gospel to every non-confess- ing individual in the parish for which the church is spiritually responsible.
3. The opportunities for lay service. In connec- tion with this, attention is called to what is said on the following pages concerning the invitation or per- sonal workers' committee.
4. The status of the Sunday-school. Definite plans should be made for reaching every boy and girl twelve years of age or older.
5. The planning of Prayer Circles.
6. The pastor may well consult the committee^ as to his sermons. He should have clearly in mind some definite themes which he expects to develop from week to week, and share with the committee in
68 PARISH EVANGELISM
advance the joy of forecasting the program of preach- ing. If he will do this he will add greatly to the inspiration of his committee and will strengthen in many ways his spiritual leadership. The committee ^vill quite likely give timely advice as to the way in which the themes should be developed to bring defi- nite results. The pastor who shares these things with his advisers will see many a layman develop into an enthusiastic worker whose companionship will be a source of strength.
VII
PROGRAM OF PREACHING
HOWEVER much the preacher may wander afield during the year, in his pulpit pre- sentation during the Lenten period there must be a definite point to his work and a real pro- gram in the ministry of the pulpit.
The preaching of the January-to-Easter period should have at least two characteristics : First, there should be a definite evangelistic message in every pul- pit presentation; and second, the thought presented through the sermons should be progressive and climactic. That is, that the sermons taken together should leave some definite convictions in the minds of the people that they may feel renewed in their thinking, not in a generalized, hazy way, but that certain fundamental principles of religion shall stand forth with clearness in their thought.
The Evangelistic Appeal The vital part of the ministry of the pulpit is the spiritual message that engenders and enriches the life of the church. If this quality be lacking in the sermons the work of the church will be mechanical, temporary and disappointing, though the immediate
69
70 PAEISH EVAKGELISM
results may not show that there is no root because of the lack of depth.
As to what characterizes the evangelistic note there will be of course a variety of expressions, just as there will be a variety of definitions of the word *' evangelism." Ask any group of ministers or church workers to define evangelism in brief and you are likely to have as many definitions as there are persons present. This does not arise from the fact that they do not know what evangelism is, but rather from the fact that evangelism is a word of such variety and richness of content that it has in reality all the meaning which the various definitions give it. The word is in reality like a diamond and these defi- nitions are but the flashes from the different faces of the stone. I suppose the simplest definition for evangelism is, " that type of religious work through which men are brought in touch with God through Christ." In practice the definition should be broad enough to include all those processes and methods by which, or through which, the spiritual life of the church is renewed. This conception of evangelism is large enough to include various forms, educa- tional, pastoral, missionary, or any other type of re- ligious work through which, and by which, the spiri- tual life of men is deepened and enlarged. The evangelistic note which the ministry of the pulpit must sound during the Lenten period should result in bringing conviction to the hearts of men in revealing to them the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in leading them to accept this grace for themselves by entering into the life of the Spirit through Christ
PROGEAM OF PREACHING 71
Jesus our Lord. Every pastor will have his own way of doing this, but woven through the woof and fabric of the sermon presentation must be a spiritual appeal, wooing the hearts and minds of men.
In forecasting the program of preaching and pre- paring the outlines for the sermons the pastor must remember the contrasting phases of human life, the knowing, the doing, the being. As Browning has it, "What knows, What does. What is.'* Preaching must do more than appeal to the intellect. This ap- plies no whit less to teaching than to preaching, for if the process of teaching simply leaves the pupil with a mind full of facts and has not led that pupil to commit himself to the truth which lies back of the facts, and gives them their reality, in such fashion as to enlarge his living and control his actions, then teaching has not resulted in character which is the goal of all true education.
The right relationship of the intellect to the center of being commonly called the heart has been a sub- ject of study through the years and I am not at all sure from which the world has suffered more, from emotionalism without intelligent background or from an intelligence chilled by dying emotions. We have all known preachers in the days gone by who have acquired their power over the people through an emotional appeal. While it lasted this influence was very great but it was temporary. Their failure was because there was no depth of intellectual soil and the new resolutions and aspirations soon withered away. It must be held in mind, however, that the great guiding realities of life are apprehended far
72 PAEISH EVANGELISM
more through the heart than through the intellect. Through the ages perhaps few of the martyrs could give a logical exposition of the truth for which they were willing to die but they went to their death sing- ing hymns of joy because of whom they loved. It is the thing we love for which we are willing to make the great sacrifices of life, for the truths which we apprehend by the mysterious channel of love are held in a radically different way from the way in which we hold the truths apprehended by intellectual processes. As Pompilia says in Browning's ** Ring and the Book," " I cannot see the way but I put forth my foot and by foot-feel I test; bear weight and pass on."
The pastor in seeking to reach the springs of hu- man life cannot neglect the appeal to the heart, for however plausibly he may present Christianity, how- ever convincingly he may arrange his syllogisms, un- less his appeal reaches beyond the intellect to the heart and there is in addition to an Intellectual assent to the truth of the proposition the commitment of one's life, preaching will fall far short of accomplish- ing what it should. This is but saying again what former Vice-President Marshall said in his farewell to the Senate, " But underneath the man of brain there is another man, the man of heart, and I have found that the heart is wiser than the intellect and works with swifter hands and surer feet towards wiser conclusions." Or as Solomon put it, " Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life," " For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he."
PROGEAM OF PREACHING 73
This is said with no thought of minimizing the contribution of modern scholarship to the knowledge of the world. Any man who assumes to be a teacher or leader of men in any field, especially in the field of religion, who is negligent in securing the best pos- sible education or who fails to keep himself as near abreast current thought as possible, is unworthy of his position. But let us feel that however true we keep our preaching to the teachings of history and philosophy, to the sciences and to experience in other departments of life, and however thoroughly we have convinced our people of the truth of these things, we have not yet gone far enough. Some one has well said that the world to-day has more truth than it knows what to do with. What the world needs along with its truth is also a determination to live the truth which the mind accepts.
How then is our preaching to have this prime requisite, that is the power of reaching the springs of being — the heart ? The answer is simple ; this is what the minister contributes by his own life, by what he is himself. It is this quality which makes a pulpit presentation a sermon rather than an essay. The essay is knowledge, the sermon is knowledge plus whatever the pastor has in his own life and his own spiritual experience that he can contribute to the lives of others. Hence it goes without saying that if preaching is to have its life-giving quality, the preacher himself must be a truly spiritual man ; one who has entered into the holy of holies, whose spirit is so knit up with the Spirit of God, so sensitive to His leadings that it comes to be, not the preacher
74 PAEISH EVANGELISM
who speaks but God who speaks through him. The truth of this can come only through experience and with every individual it is a new experience. It costs a man little in spiritual effort to stand before a group of people and to read an essay, except the painstaking research for truth and the skilful fash- ioning of the facts together, giving them proper form and voicing them to the people. The true preacher goes before his people with his truths clearly out- lined, skilfully fashioned together and becomingly clothed and he uses this all, not as an end in itself, but that in and through it his own soul may lift the souls of his people into the presence of God. No wonder a preacher's soul bums within him until he delivers his message and after his message is de- livered, his spirit is exhausted.
This leads to one further observation which ap- plies not only to evangelistic preaching but to all effective preaching, and that is that the message both in spoken word and in soul outreach must be a ministry of one individual to another individual. A generalized, impersonal pulpit presentation will not avail. In the old days it is said that medical doctors, though they might have many bottles on their shelves, used one of four remedies. If we go back beyond the primitive doctor to the days of witchcraft, we find that the witch doctor used only one method for all diseases. Modem medicine depends, for its won- derful success in curing bodily ills, upon the careful diagnosis of the individual ailment and skilful pre- scription for that one disease. The efficient pastor, however large his congregation or extended his parish.
PEOGEAM OF PEEACHING 75
must realize that his own success will be measured by the same standards ; that is, by his ability to min- ister to the individual needs of his people.
The story is told of ex-President Roosevelt that in one of his earliest meetings he was faced by a vast company and after speaking a short time he felt the attention of the people wandering away from him. He saw sitting in front of him an elderly gentleman ;with a G. A. R. bronze button in the lapel of his coat. As soon as he saw him Mr. Roosevelt cried out, "You, my brother in the fifth row with that bronze button in your lapel, you know that what I am saying is true, how, when, etc." Immediately Mr. Roosevelt had the attention of the vast throng and he kept it as long as he addressed his remarks either to that one individual or to some other indi- vidual, either real or imaginary, whom he was try- ing to reach. Afterwards Mr. Roosevelt said that he owed whatever success he had as a public speaker to his constant effort to speak to the individual, how- ever large his audience was. The truth of this ob- servation lies in the fact that our problems are largely individual problems. You can take any one, any- where, however prosperous and contented he may be, and if you will sit down with him quietly and go over his experience with life, winning his confidence and esteem, you v/ill come finally to the discovery that in that person's heart is a fear, a sorrow, a burden, something which weighs down upon his life. Now it is this individual burden which Christ came to bear and it is this burden that He asks be given to Him. So the pastor in presenting his appeal to the hearts of
76 PAEISH EVANGELISM
men must so present it that the individual will feel that it is his fear, his sorrow, his burden that Christ is able and anxious to minister unto.
The pastor who seeks to lead his people in a pro- gram of parish evangeUsm should make every effort that the preaching of the pre-Lenten period in par- ticular have these qualities: that his presentation of the truth may reach beyond an intellectual assent and touch the heart, the center of life, and there bring about personal commitment ; and also that the preach- ing have an individual appeal, that is that the soul of the preacher speak directly to the soul of the in- dividual and lead that individual to accept the love and life of Jesus as the guiding influence of his own life.
In general the character of the preaching must be such that all will understand the Gospel of Christ with its boundless implications for individual right- eousness and social justice. The great themes of re- ligious thinking should be presented with freshness and vigour : How we may know God ; What He does for us; The Reality of Good and Evil; What the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ ; Redemption through Him, and how He helps those who follow Him; How Communion with God is effected — its purpose and hindrances ; Human Life with its upward reach towards God, and its outward reach towards man- kind ; the many ways in which modern paganism and materialism bind men's thoughts ; Jesus' teachings of the idealism of life — that it is possible to mingle in busy affairs of the day and yet to live one's secret life in the calm assurance of fellowship with the
PEOGEAM OP PEEACHING 77
Holy Spirit which broods over the lives of men with boundless love and sympathy.
In the development of these themes, the pastor should make clear the responsibility which rests upon each individual to win others to the Christian life, and also the great duty which rests upon the church to train its young people and to lead them into the fulness of the Christian experience. He will find many opportunities to explain how the evangelistic program seeks to make effectual this primary aim of the church.
In all this the advice of his committee will be of the greatest value. There are certain functions which rest upon the pastor alone, others which be- long to the people and others still which rest on pastor and people. It is his duty to proclaim the truth of the Gospel, but to make that proclamation effective he needs the help of his people. So many pastors feel their work is done when the Gospel is preached. To a large extent people do believe the truth of the Gos- pel— the failure lies in the fact that the truth is not presented with individual application, and the com- mitment of men to the truth is not secured. To make his ministry personal the committee can advise the pastor in many effective ways if he will help them to understand his ideals and give them an opportunity to counsel with him.
VIII THE PASTOR'S TRAINING CLASS
THE Pastor's Training Class is usually a feature of the Lenten period of church work. Many pastors use the six weeks of Lent, others conduct the class from January to Eas- ter, while others have their class after Easter. This feature of church work is of the greatest value and is growing rapidly in favour of pastor and people.
The Pastor's Training Class is the class conducted by the pastor for children to study the fundamentals of Christian belief. The course seeks to present the Christian way of living as the best way and that Christian character is developed by living according to Christian ideals. It is expected, of course, that as a result the boys and girls will be led to make a de- cision for Christ, and that having committed them- selves to Him and to the leadership of His Spirit, they will seek membership in the church.
The Purpose of the Pastor's Class When boys and girls reach the age of twelve to fifteen years they begin to think more seriously about life ; they begin to understand that some people live good and useful lives and that others do not. Chil- dren at this period usually respond readily to a re- ligious and ethical appeal. They are peculiarly sus-
78
THE PASTOE'S TEAINING CLASS 79
ceptible to influence, good or bad, and the funda- mental decisions made during these years generally continue their effect through life. The child is de- veloping his own distinct personality, with his likes and dislikes, with his loves and hates; and there is forming in the child consciousness, vaguely perhaps, the ambition to be and to do something worth while. With these thoughts in mind, pastors in many churches and of many denominations have been for years using the Pastor's Instruction Class or Pastor's Training Class as one means of reaching boys and girls at this age and of enlisting them in the Chris- tian life. It is the universal testimony of pastors who have used this method that efforts put forth in this way bring about permanent results in larger pro- portion than efforts put forth in other lines of church work.
The purpose of the Pastor's Training Class is, in brief, simply this: To bring together the boys and girls for a series of friendly, personal conferences with the pastor, that he may explain in a reasonable way what the Christian life is, how it is entered and how it is lived ; that the Christian way is normal and natural; that Christian character results from living one's daily Hfe in the Christian way, and that the boys and the girls who yield to the spirit of Christ and to His leadership will find themselves being strengthened in purpose, purified in thought and de- veloped in Christian character.
Enrollment The method of organizing the class, used by many
go PAEISH EVANGELISM
pastors, is this : Some time before the opening of the Lenten season the pastor, with the help of his Sunday- school teachers and his church visitors, makes a very careful survey of the names of those connected with the various church organizations, including the Sun- day-school and young people's organizations, to ascer- tain what children over twelve years of age in the parish are not communicants of the church. The hearty cooperation of the Sunday-school teachers is absolutely essential to the success of the class.
Most pastors make special calls at the homes of the girls and boys whom they wish to enroll in the class, for the purpose of explaining the plans to the parents. These visits in the homes present a num- ber of problems and give the pastor a fine opportunity of clarifying his own mind as well as that of the parents as to the reasons for the existence of the class. He is called upon to explain to the parents his attitude towards the Christian life, also wherein the child will be benefited by being a Qiristian and a member of the church, and why it is that the church is of practical helpfulness in everyday life.
Of course, where the church has maintained pas- tor's classes in the past, the organization and develop- ment will be familiar to most of the people in the parish. It is the universal testimony of ministers who have conducted pastor's classes that the finest advertisement the class receives is the enthusiastic support of those who in previous years have enjoyed its delightful fellowship. But even in communities where the method is familiar there will be new fam- ilies to interest and new problems arising which wiU
THE PASTOE'S TEAINING CLASS 81
give the minister the best possible opportunity for pre- senting the church, its work, its teachings, and its worship to the parents of his constituency. Pastors everywhere affirm that most parents are quickly drawn to the minister who shows a real interest in their children, and if he will manifest a reasonable and sensible attitude, and make it clear that he has the interest and welfare of the children at heart, he will find that he has the cooperation of the majority of parents.
It is to be noted, however, that there will be found parents who will not endorse the program, nor desire that their children attend, for fear that the chil- dren may be subjected to influences stronger than they can withstand and be forced into decisions re- garding the Christian life which they are not ready to make. In such cases pastors are very careful to impress upon parents the fact that even if their chil- dren should join the class, no undue pressure will be put upon them to join the church, and that while it is hoped that the course on instruction, and par- ticularly the personal association with the pastor will lead to a decision for the Christian life, yet children who do not so decide will be just as welcome and will be treated with the same consideration as those who do decide to unite with the church and that there will be no shadow resting upon those who do not so decide, but all will have the pastor's friendship in like measure. If the natural leaders among the boys and girls are interested, and are asked to assist in enrolling the other children of the community, the problem may be simplified.
82 PABISH EVANGELISM
Time and Place of Meeting When the children are enrolled many pastors divide them into two classes, one for the boys and one for the girls. Some pastors use Saturday morn- ing for the boys and the afternoon for the girls. Some pastors use the regular Sunday-school hours; others use Sunday afternoon, Wednesday night or different periods of the week. The classes generally continue for six, eight or twelve weeks, ending usually with Easter, when those who have decided to unite with the church are publicly received into mem- bership. In passing it may be well to mention that a number of churches conduct a special reception service for the young people coming into the church through the pastor's class. The church, by having a special service for the reception of young people who unite through the Pastor's Training Class, gives a real evidence of its interest in the religious life of the children, and by means of such a service registers the event in the minds of the people in a way which is not easily forgotten.
The Method of Instruction Most ministers use a very simple method of in- struction in conducting the pastor's class, that is, a friendly, frank, open discussion led by the pastor. Some pastors have found the use of little manuals very helpful. Samples of these may be had from the denominational headquarters of the various com- munions. The class exists for the purpose of giving the children a clear understanding of some of the fundamentals of the Christian belief and of stimu-
THE PASTOR'S TRAINING CLASS 83
lating the desire for Christian Hving. It is common testimony that the conversational method directed by the pastor in which each boy and girl is urged to express frankly and fully his or her own questions and ideas, will bring better results than any formal course of instruction. At the same time, the pas- tor's leadership must not be aimless and he must have in his own mind a definite goal. A successful method used by many a pastor is to secure copies of all available leaflets giving courses of instruction, and then to make up his own outline from various sug- gestions.
Home Study
In addition to the discussions in the class, pastors more and more are finding it advisable to outline some form of home study for the boys and girls. Some of the items that have been found useful for such study are, memorizing the names of the books of the Old and New Testament ; the reading of the book of Ruth or Esther; the book of Jonah; certain chapters in the book of Mark or one of Paul's letters.
The idea of this home work is to give the child a little elementary knowledge of what is in the Bible, how to use it and where to find some of the most interesting stories. This object, of course, can be gained more readily if the child is directed to read in the Bible assigned portions rather than to have these sections printed in a small manual.
A number of pastors have found that the use of a manual covering certain topics of the question and answer method helpful. While the children may not
84 PAEISH EVANGELISM
be required to memorize the question and answer, they should be familiar with the subject matter both of question and answer. Pastors using this plan find that if given a brief and simple catechism the children will naturally think out many things for themselves.
A Suggested Course of Study From the various suggestions and experiences of other ministers as found in these manuals and leaf- lets, a pastor can develop his own course of instruc- tion. The course ought to cover in general the fol- lowing headings :
First. What the Bible teaches us about God ; what He does for us ; the reality of good and evil.
Second. What the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ ; Redemption through Him and how He helps those who follow Him.
Third. How communion with God is effected ; its purpose, hindrances, and forms of great prayers.
Fourth. The Universal Church of Christ: Its be- ginnings in the days of the Fathers and development through the ages ; the meanings of its sacraments and ceremonies, communion and baptism.
Fifth. The history and main teachings of the de- nomination. The reasons why many men and women in different ages have found it helpful in its spirit, simple and natural in its organizations.
Sixth. The organization of the local church, its officers and their duties, its members and their privi- leges. What it means to confess Christ and unite with His Church, this to be followed with a personal conference with each child.
THE PASTOE'S TRAINING CLASS 86
Any outline of instruction can only be suggestive and it is understood that many subjects of prime interest are included by implication and will come up for discussion in the class periods.
Securing Decision As the class draws to a close and the pastor has established a very cordial and intimate relationship with the children so that they are frank with him and he understands them, he is prepared to present to each child in a personal conference the question of the child's own personal acceptance of the prin- ciples of the Christian faith, and to ascertain if the child is willing to undertake to live according to his best understanding of the Christian life and be guided by the advice and counsel of the Christian Church. Here is where the pastor comes into one of the richest experiences of his pastoral life, for having gained the confidence, good- will and trust of the child, he now has the privilege of leading that trusting mind to a conscious acceptance of Christ; and while this acceptance is based on but elementary knowledge of Christian doctrine, it can be so rich in the love of Christ that the decision thus made will be the turning point in the child's life, and all his after years will be directed and influenced by this high choice. When without excitement and without undue pressure the decision is made, the pastor will consecrate forthwith in his own prayer and in his own way the trusting confidence and new-born faith, thus teaching dependence upon Christ Himself. If the child is not ready to decide this final matter, or
86 PAEISH EVANGELISM
hesitates for any reason, the pastor should respect this state of mind and be wilHng that taking the fur- ther step should be deferred until the child is abso- lutely sure in his own mind that that is what he wants to do. Many pastors find that such children fre- quently join the class again the next year, at the close of which they unite with the church.
Having secured, therefore, such confessions as are willingly made, the pastor will prepare to receive these children into the church. As has been men- tioned, some pastors have found that a special recog- nition service for the boys and girls coming from the pastor's class is one of the most helpful services of the whole church year and makes a deep impression upon the whole community. When the children are formally received into church membership, at a later date pastors generally find it their pleasure to present each child with a neat certificate of membership, or a Testament or Bible, as a reminder of this signifi- cant event.
The General Results in the Parish The results of the Pastor's Training Class are out of all proportion to the size of the class or the length of the period of instruction, for it does two very definite things: It draws the parents of the commu- nity to the church in a new way, for they feel that the pastor is in partnership with them on a subject that lies very near their hearts — the welfare of their chil- dren. Many a wide-awake pastor has found that when a child enters the instruction class and begins to take a real interest, it is quite an easy matter to
THE PASTOE'S TEAINING CLASS 87
interest the mother and father if the parents are not already church members, and that they, too, will come with the child into the church. One pastor reported that among the accessions one Easter in his church there were twelve fathers and fourteen mothers who joined the church with the children as a direct result of that year's Pastor's Training Class, and the class numbered only thirty.
The second very definite result is that it defines the purpose of the church and particularly the Sun- day-school in the minds of the church workers to win results for Christ and they begin to see the value of a definite program of such church work directed to certain attainable ends.
IX
PERSONAL WORK
For Pastor and People
THE phrase " personal work " means indi- vidual work for individuals. It is simply making practical application of the teach- ings of the church through personal influence. In personal work, either by pastor or people, there is a conscious effort to present the Gospel of Christ and the appeal to Christian living so as to meet the needs of the individual and show that individual what the Christian faith will mean to him.
Personal work should be continuous but because of the favourable atmosphere during the pre-Easter period it is usually found more fruitful at this period of the year than at any other. Without such special effort the best results of the year's work of the church by pastor and people cannot be harvested.
The effectiveness of the personal service of the people depends quite largely upon what the preacher has been able to accomplish through his pulpit min- istry. Helpful results for personal work should follow the ministry of the pulpit. In the first place the pastor in his pulpit will have schooled the workers in the knowledge and spirit which they are to carry into their service.
88
PEESONAL WOEK 89
The minister who plans an effective program of personal work should seek so to influence occasional attendants at the worship of the church and at other services that they may be ready for the personal appeal. He will make the religious life attractive both by what he says and by the way he lives. The religious life will be presented as the best life — that is, life coming to its best ; religion as not simply some- thing put on at pleasure but as a consistent and con- scientious expression of the inner life of faith and love. In addition to these more personal applica- tions of the Gospel to human life, he will inform his people of the great foundation principles of the Christian belief. By bringing these convictions clearly to the consciousness of his people the pastor will open the way for those who are to work under his direction in helping to secure the decision of people to seek God until they find Him.
Not only will the pastor be preparing the way with individuals but he will be speaking many help- ful words to the members of his congregation who will join in the program of personal work. He will give these workers a fresh understanding of re- ligion in the common life, a new vision of God and of man's need for Him, that they may be able to present a true picture of the life which Christ Jesus demanded. The pastor who desires to lead his peo- ple in a program of personal work will find that his more effective sermons are those which deal with the fundamentals of Christian belief and the homely virtues of daily living. Upon the effectiveness of the pulpit presentation depends in large measure the ef-
90 PAEISH EVANGELISM
ficiency of his personal workers as they work with him to win men to Christ.
Who Are to he Personal Workers?
In planning the program of personal work the mem- bership or evangelistic committee will be of grow- ing helpfulness. In some churches this committee is composed of the personal workers' band, but fre- quently it is found advisable for the evangelistic committee or the pastor to set up a special com- mittee or to enroll those who are willing to give per- sonal service in a personal workers' group. This particular group may be known as the Personal Workers' Committee, Life Service Band, or as the Invitation Committee, a name growing in favour in the churches as indicating the function of the group.
Perhaps the most effective method of setting up the group is for the pastor to select certain of his men and women and young people on whom he feels that he can count for sei*vice, those who have influ- ence in the community as a result of their way of living and tact and kindly attitude towards others, and to invite these individuals either to his own home or to the church parlours for a conference. When all are together the pastor should present his ideals of individual work, just what he expects them to do, what to say to their friends, and acquaintances, how to go about the work and what results to expect from those they seek to interview. He then should secure the consent of as many as will agree to make a study of methods of personal work and to devote some time to this service for a limited period. It will be
PERSONAL WORK 91
found easier as a rule to enroll workers for a period of from six weeks to three months than if the term be left indefinite.
The active invitation committee, if not a part of the general committee, should be kept informed and should advise with the pastor as to the personnel as well as the method of work. It is the common testi- mony of pastors that the work of the personal workers' group is hindered if there is much publicity concerning the appointment and work of the com- mittee. It is not necessary for many of the people of the church outside the group directly concerned to know who are the ones that are pledging themselves to this definite type of service. The personal workers* band or group, or invitation committee, or by what- ever name known, should be composed of those men and women of standing in the community and in the church who by gifts and graces will be able to do satisfactory work and who are willing to give a por- tion of their time for a limited period to this service under the direction of the pastor.
The members should be selected with great care, for their duty is the securing of the decision of others to enlist in the Christian life, and to enter the service and worship of the Christian Church. A brief study of the art of salesmanship will convince any one that the ability to secure the decision of an- other willingly and gladly to do that which he had not planned, is the foundation of success in business. Such ability is no less necessary for success in the fine art of winning others to the discipleship of Jesus Christ. The committee therefore should be composed
92 PAEISH EVANGELISM
of those who have in addition to a deep religious life the tact, the determination and the abihty to win.
Sub-Committees It is helpful to organize sub- committees which limit their activities to certain groups. For example, a men's invitation committee to work with the men of the community, and a woman's committee to work with the women. As has been well said, men are learning how to win other men " of their own size," and it is heartening to know that some of our strong- est bankers, merchants and lawyers are giving their time to win to the discipleship of the Lord Jesus Christ other bankers, merchants and lawyers.
What the Workers Are to Do Those who are to give themselves to personal work are to do two things — first, study ; second, serve.
Much of the effectiveness of their service will de- pend upon their equipment and training and they should be willing to begin with the more elementary phases of the work and as they gain in experience extend their activities. It should be said in passing that except in rare cases individuals working in the local congregation and in behalf of the local church should work in the closest cooperation with the pas- tor and in all they seek to do should be constantly on their guard to give the impression that they are speak- ing for the pastor and under his instruction. In the vast majority of cases the putting of the final ques- tions and the securing of decisions should be left to the pastor. As one pastor put it, " I use my faithful
PERSONAL WORK 93
workers continually, but when a soul is born into the Kingdom I want to be there." There are obvious reasons why this final task should be left to the pastor. In exceptional cases definite decisions may be secured by men and women of the laity but they should be reported immediately to the pastor, who should lose no time in calling upon those making the decisions, that he may strengthen them in the position they have taken.
While the final phases of personal work are best left to the pastor himself, this does not in any way lessen the dignity nor the importance of the work that is to be done by the individuals. The members of the personal workers' band should begin perhaps first by securing attendance at the services of the church, Sunday-school and other organizations. It should be borne in mind that with rare exception an individual who has not attended the church or any of its organizations before uniting with that church, will be rather difficult to secure as a regular attend- ant after he has united with the church. So the first duty for personal workers Is to build new people into the congregation and church organizations.
The second task which naturally will fall to the personal workers is that they help to make people who occasionally attend the church feel at home and helped by the participation in the worship of the congregation. To the average man it is a rather momentous decision when he really decides to at- tend the service of a certain church. This is an act which ought to be looked upon by churches as of great significance, for it is usually the surface evi-
94 PAEISH EVANGELISM
dence of a sincere desire for a change in living. I am speaking here of course of those who formerly have not been members of the church, and not par- ticularly of those newcomers to the community who have been members of the church in other years and now are considering the transfer of their membership from one church to another, but rather of those who are to be won for the first time to Christian worship and service. So when, through invitation or inner promptings, such a person goes to church he is mak- ing a very significant advance which, if met in the right way, will be of the greatest importance in the life of that individual.
When people go to church they go for the most part that they may receive courage and strength through worship and the fellowship of the congrega- tion. In days gone by this was accomplished through doctrinal sermons and through class or group meet- ings where, in a rather formal fashion, public in- quiry was made by the class leader into the needs of one's soul and testimony was given by worshippers as to their own spiritual experience. To-day this encouragement comes through the sermon and serv- ice of worship and in other rather informal ways, but which may be no less effective. Courage comes through the friendly faces, the hand-clasp, the word of greeting, in short through the recognition on the part of others of one's desire to be and do the right thing. This is to say, our encouragement and fel- lowship are expressed in perhaps the more subtle ways of social usage and the church should feel as much a responsibility in this day for expressing Us
PERSONAL WOEK 96
message of cheer through the means which are used to-day as did the church in the olden time for its class meeting and other forms of grace.
The next step for those who are doing personal work is to seek a few individuals and to present to them the Christian way of living. Here the personal worker will find his influence depending upon two things at least. First of all his own personal re- ligious experience. When he sits down to talk with another about religion he will find that his theories do not have much influence. That which will give his words validity, and give him an influence far beyond his words, is his own religious experience. If he has come to know God in Christ as a personal Father, a God of love, of forgiveness and of mercy as Jesus has revealed Him, and if the worker has entered into a deepening acquaintance so that he speaks literally with God, and has learned how to apprehend God speaking to him, he will have the first and great requirement for personal work.
In the second place he will find his efficiency de- termined somewhat by his knowledge of men. He will be greatly helped if he understands how people come to a decision concerning the more vital things of life — the elements which the average person con- siders when reaching a conclusion — and above all else how to lead another to try for himself the Chris- tian way of knowing God. He will be greatly helped if he will study some good text-book on personal work and of methods used by others. These will be valuable as testimony, but he should be on his guard against a too literal use of another's plan. His own
96 PARISH EVANGELISM
method as he develops it through his own experi- ence will be better. He should aim at a normal and natural form of religious work.
If a Christian man who really gets something worth while out of his religion will apply the common sense and practical methods of carrying to another what he himself has found of value, he will succeed. There is no magic or sleight-of-hand that will win permanent results. But it does require a full and sympa- thetic understanding of another's view-point and the meeting of him on his level and then with tact, with love, with patience, leading him to the acceptance of Christ's offer of the gift of the Spirit. The con- version of a soul is a mystery of mysteries. It is the work of the Spirit, and every worker should be on his guard not to try to force a mechanical or pre- mature decision.
Finding Christ As has been well said, there are three ways to find Christ — the way of love, of faith and of obedi- ence. Some enter by one avenue; some by another. Some see the beauty of Christ in picture, or in story, and loving Him, acquire faith and follow Him by obedience. Others learn of Him by faith through belief in the testimony of others and then come to love Him and to obey Him. And still others come to Him through obedience, learn His law and obey Him, and come in time to the fulness of faith and the richness of love. Our part in leading another to Christ is that of introduction. We are to testify to what the Christian life is to us, and explain as far
PEESONAL WOEK 97
as we understand the reality of the spiritual life, until the seeker desires to know Christ and to follow Him. '' He that seeketh, findeth."
The Committee at Work
The pastor who has been following through the year a regular program will find a number of the things he has been doing of the greatest helpfulness to his plan for personal work. For example, from his surveys or parish visitation he will have the names of a large number of men and women who ought to be reached and will also have enough information about them to give to his helpers a good many sug- gestions as to how to proceed in individual cases. It must be remembered that when it comes to win- ning men and women to the discipleship of Christ the same rule holds good as in other relations of life ; that is, that decisions are made one by one, and people are won as individuals, not in mass.
So the pastor leading his committee will want to consider his people as individuals, and help his workers to grasp his own ideals. It is often thought advisable that the worker and the pastor alone know for whom the member of the committee is working. Discussion of names and conditions and personalities should not be had in the large group, although it is helpful for the pastor to conduct from time to time general meetings o£ all those who are assisting him in personal work, for discussions of principles and methods of winning others.
X
DEEPENING THE PRAYER LIFE OF THE PEOPLE
IT is evident to all religious workers that their effectiveness depends on their prayer life. Prayer is the life of religion. Without vital prayer all methods of religious work are but tempo- rary experiments. One of the crying needs of church work to-day is for more prayer. This chapter deals not so much with the need of prayer and the sub- stance of prayer as with methods that have been used by pastors to develop among their people the practice of prayer.
Why Do Mot Christians Pray More in Public f To a praying person prayer seems a natural form of expression, and speaking to God a normal part of his daily life. Whether the prayer be offered in private or In public, to one accustomed to prayer the forms and words are usually easily at hand which will serve as an adequate vehicle for the thought the one who prays desires to express. It is sometimes difficult for some Christians to understand why other Christians, who live consistent lives, hesitate to offer public prayer. Let a pastor try this simple experi- ment: let him Imagine himself standing before his congregation and suddenly called upon to offer a
98
DEEPENING THE PEAYER LIFE 99
public prayer, using the language of everyday life — that is, not using the classical words " thou," " thee," " wilt " and such terms which to one who prays fre- quently form the natural prayer vocabulary — and he will discover that in thinking of forms his thought of substance is very much handicapped.
Now to the average man or woman accustomed to the use of everyday English there may be a very great hesitance to pray publicly because of a feeling of inability to use the accepted forms of expression. Those who hesitate ,in public prayer may not realize what it is that embarrasses them when they think of offering a public prayer, but if a pastor will analyze the situation he will find that his people, those whom he naturally expects would lead in public prayer and who do not pray publicly, do communicate with God through silent prayer, prayers which would be of great helpfulness to others but which the man or woman hesitates to express, not only from a natural timidity that one unaccustomed to hearing his own voice in public will have, but also from a feeling of unfamiliarity with the accepted language of prayer.
No doubt Jesus faced this same situation in His day when He gave Himself to the task of teaching His followers how to pray. You will notice that in His instructions to them, He first gave them His ideals of the substance of prayer, the things for which people should pray to God. He taught them the futility of long and ornate prayers as were used by religious leaders of that day, and encouraged His followers to use rather the simple thoughts of every- day life and with sincere voice to utter the aspira-
100 PAEISH EVANGELISM
tions of the soul for communication with God. When He had taught them these things He gave them a prayer model which through all the years has been used by Christians as the ideal form of prayer. When the pastor seeks to lead his people in the deepening of the prayer life he will do well to follow the example of Christ.
What is Prayer? Perhaps one of the most inclusive definitions of prayer is found in the old hymn, " Prayer is the soul's sincere desire/'
Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,
Uttered or unexpressed, The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.
Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear, The upward glancing of an eye
When none but God is near.
Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try; Prayer the sublimest strains that reach
The Majesty on high.
Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,
The Christian's native air, His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters heaven with prayer.
O Thou, by whom we come to God, The Life, the Truth, the Way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod; I/)rd, teach us how to pray.
DEEPENING THE PRAYER LIFE 101
You will notice in this hymn that there are many- definitions of prayer, all of them true. One pastor, who has been very effective as a religious teacher, gave a series of Sunday evening meditations wath this hymn as a basis, taking up in successive evenings the various conceptions which these serve to illus- trate— that sincere prayer is the conscious outreach of the human soul to God. A pastor who gives his people the true meaning of prayer will find that he has done much to make their religious life natural, sweet and effective.
I think it goes without saying that the great ma- jority of people believe in prayer. Any one who has been present at a time of shipwreck or accident, serious sickness or any other crisis of life, will recall how the thoughts of all, though hardened men and abandoned women might be present, were turned in- stinctively to prayer. How natural it Is at such a time for a stricken soul or a bewildered person to voice a prayer to God. If we had the power to look into the secret life of the men and women who throng the busy streets, the stores and factories, we might be greatly surprised to find how frequently these people, many of whom never see the inside of a church, lift their thoughts to God. Though their thoughts of the personality of God may be very hazy and indistinct and the prayers they offer may be timid and half-hearted, nevertheless many a human soul reaches towards God who broods over the lives of men in matchless love and sympathy.
Those who have gone through periods of Indiffer- ence or who have been reared in ignorance of God
102 PAEISH EVANGELISM
and of Christian teachings and practice and who have later come into Christian life, all unite in testimony that these observations are true to their own experi- ence. Let the pastor or religious worker w^ho doubts the truth of these statements sit down with some non-churchgoing friend and talk with that person sympathetically and honestly and see if it is not true that this one feels in his own heart and life some union with God through his own secret, timid prayers.
When we turn our thoughts to the topic " How to Pray," we must be willing to recognize that people with different individualities and different require- ments will pray in different ways. When Jesus taught His prayer to His disciples we are not told that He called upon them to assume any position of rever- ence, or that He closed His eyes or asked them to close theirs, and yet we know His prayer was sincere and true. At the same time we should remember that Jesus did have certain places to which He re- tired for prayer — as in the wilderness or in the garden. Again we know that when He stood before the hungry multitude He lifted His eyes to heaven and prayed looking upward. I suppose we all feel that the position one takes in prayer has very little to commend it other than if one is accustomed either to kneeling, standing or bowing the head that he can in this way more easily free his mind from outward circumstances and concentrate his thoughts on God.
One present-day writer whose books on prayer have been of great help to many has said that for himself his most helpful place for prayer is usually the crowded subway or the railway train, and that
DEEPENING THE PRAYER LIFE 103
as he travels he is accustomed to give himself to long periods of most helpful prayer. And many other leaders of religious life testify that they are helped in phrasing their thought by continuing some natural habit, either of posture, place or time. We should help our people to see that these considerations are entirely subordinate. I am not at all sure but that if the time comes when we break away from the classical language of old English and use rather the language of everyday life we shall also contribute to the ease with which people will learn the art of prayer. The fact that time, position and language are entirely subordinate should help us to emphasize this one outstanding fact — that prayer should be the natural and sincere expression of one's inmost thought to God, in a natural and personal fashion. We should do all we can to cultivate the attitude of the people towards God and towards prayer which will make such an expression of their deeper thoughts, their longings, aspirations, fears, hopes and loves, an essential part of their daily life.
Every pastor should seek in all ways to impress upon his people the absolute necessity of regular prayer as a means of grace ; that prayer is the great- est force for grace and power In the Christian life; that every man should be his own priest and that there is no other way to grow in grace or to live a consistent Christian life than through the power of prayer. Let his people accept such forms and times and methods as by experience best satisfy their spiri- tual needs. The experience of the world is to the effect that there are no powerful Christians except
104 PAEISH EVANGELISM
praying Christians, and that any Christian who re- mains steadfast in prayer will have power with God and man far beyond his greatest hope.
To lead his people into an active prayer life the pastor will do well to follow Christ's example and give his people certain prayer models, some of the great historic prayers of the Church which should be memorized with the same fidelity with which we teach our children the Lord's Prayer. Perhaps the pastor himself will care to formulate a few prayers and teach these to his people; or he may have some of them write out a prayer or two for themselves and memorize them. Many times hesitating men and women can be led into the habit of public prayer by first having brief prayers to memorize and to use on appropriate occasions. It will not be long before a man so led will find himself improvising and adding to his memorized prayer, until little by little he will be able to stand alone and trust himself to express his prayer thoughts in appropriate fashion in public.
As the pastor leads his people in thinking of prayer the inevitable question must be answered — In addition to the value to the one who prays, of what practical value is prayer anyway? To this question there can be but one answer and that is the answer of experience. What has been your experience or the experience of others in testing the efficiency of prayer? In a recent meeting with pastors this sub- ject was under discussion and two pastors gave in- teresting bits of testimony. One was to this effect: That he was satisfied that while we know something of the power of prayer, we know as little how to
DSEPBlSriKG THE PEAYEK LIFE 105
make that great power available in the lives of people as did the ancients who knew that electricity was in the universe, but were entirely ignorant of its prac- tical uses. He followed this observation with a story about the w^ay in which he had found prayer effective. He had been called recently to the sick-bed of a little child ; the doctor had given up hope ; the father and mother and pastor had one hope — the hope of prayer. They continued in fervent prayer together all night long ; the next morning when the doctor came to the bedside of the child he turned to the parents with the words, " Some miracle has happened here ; this child is getting well."
This man was followed by another pastor who testified that he too had been called by parents of a child who was seriously ill. The mother was pros- trate but the father with clinched teeth and gripped fists said to the pastor, " We cannot let this child die. I will go crazy if she does. If there is anything in prayer, now let us pray." This father and pastor likewise continued during the night in earnest prayer. Towards morning the nurse called the father to come to the bedside of the child as she felt the child's soul was going out to God. The father stood on one side of the bed and the pastor on the other, each one hold- ing a hand of the little child, and her soul did go out to God. As soon as the last pulse of life had ceased the father turned to the pastor with all the hardness and bitterness gone out of his face, saying, " I am reconciled, for I feel that there has gone from my hand directly to the hand of God the dearest mes- senger that ever was sent from earth to heaven."
106 PAEISH EVANGELISM
From that day to this both that father and mother have been greatly blessed by the peace and faith which came to them through the experience of life and death, and life in the Spirit.
The minister who looks through his personal ac- quaintance and keeps in mind his own experience in religious work will find many interesting pieces of testimony which will do much to strengthen his peo- ple to have faith in prayer, for Tennyson's words are true — " More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of."
" The Fellowship of Prayer " During recent years many churches have been helped in their evangelistic work by the use of the Lenten prayer booklet, *' The Fellowship of Prayer." It is the purpose of this booklet to assist pastors to organize and to direct the prayer life of the parish that all the features of the work of the church will be undergirded with spiritual power. The prayer calendar provides a brief outline for study, medita- tion and prayer by suggesting the use of passages of Scripture, a hymn and a meditation dealing with some phase of the Christian life. If the " Fellowship of Prayer" is not used some other prayer booklet will be found most helpful. Such a prayer booklet is an aid to individuals as a program to private devo- tions and as a guide in establishing and maintaining the regular habit of private prayer.
" The Fellowship of Prayer " is helpful for family worship. A pastor can be of much help to his people by having available such a booklet to put into the
DEEPENING THE PRAYEK LIFE 107
families where family prayer has long been neglected, as the prayer booklet offers a practical program for family worship.
The booklet may also be used for the regular prayer meeting as well as group prayer meetings wherever these are held. The organization of a num- ber of group, neighbourhood or cottage prayer meet- ings is in most cases a helpful thing. It is not possible of course to organize an entire community year after year for group prayer meetings, but each year the pastor will find some women in his parish who are willing to open their homes for a brief hour of neighbourhood prayer and invite to these meetings their friends of the immediate neighbourhood. Such a prayer circle exerts an influence out of all propor- tion to its size and the pastor should by all means establish at least a few of these neighbourhood cen- ters in the parish.
And lastly, the prayer calendar is of help in the regular worship of the church, as it is a means by which the pastor by using the general themes or daily topics in the prayer meeting and Sunday services of the church may lead his people in their thought and worship.
XI
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER
THE pastor who follows a program of parish evangelism will find that the work of the church from January on to Easter will have usually a climacteric effect, for as one interest is well organized it becomes easier to organize related lines of activities and each strengthens the other. For example, the program of preaching will develop cer- tain lines of religious thinking which will assist in the formation of the pastor's training class and the personal workers' group and will tend to deepen the prayer life of the church. When these three related lines of work are organized they likewise will be of the greatest helpfulness to the program of preaching. When the boys and girls are enrolled in the pastor's training class it will be natural for the pastor to sug- gest, as one of the requirements of those who are admitted to the class, that they attend the regular morning service of the church if they are not already attendants. Their presence at the morning service will be a very great encouragement to the pastor and his helpers. The pastor will be thinking of ways of reaching these young people through the ministry of the pulpit which will help him in developing his ser- mons along practical lines.
As the personal workers become active they will help build the church congregation and will invite young people to the training class. As all join to-
io8
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER 109
gether in service there will be a deepening interest in prayer. As the pastor and his people cooperate in the program of parish evangelism they will feel in many ways the strengthening influence of united prayer. Thus it will surely work out imder usual circumstances that each feature of church work will reinforce the others. As the program develops the pastor will find himself and his church growing in interest, in spirituality and in effective service. When Easter draws near he is quite likely to feel the need of a series of devotional meetings which may crystallize the thinking of his people and help them come to new decisions and reach an advanced position in spiritual life. Some pastors find that they need more than a week and use the two weeks preceding Easter for a series of meetings. More and more pastors are coming to the conclusion that the weeks immediately preceding Easter are psychologic- ally favourable to devotional or evangelistic meetings and that through such meetings they accomplish some things which cannot be brought about through the regular Sunday services of the church.
When meetings are held during the week Immedi- ately preceding Easter (commonly called " Holy Week "), the life of Christ furnishes the usual theme. There are a number of ways in which to use the material available. Many pastors use the following plan: during the evenings of the week they read the portion of the Scriptures which relates to the events of the corresponding day of Christ's last week. For some days the record Is too long for an evening's reading and selections have to be made ; for one day
110 PARISH EVANGELISM
there is no record at all and for this evening some pastors arrange a service of hymns and prayers with a very brief meditation on the value of silence and contemplation in religious life.
Other pastors present brief sermons, the texts usually from the history of the day. Still others, to whom the Christian year does not particularly appeal and who desire to avail themselves of the evangelistic attitude of the people, present devotional or evangel- istic themes. But whatever may be the plan, there should be preceding its inauguration a thoroughgoing campaign of publicity. Perhaps at no other time during the year will religious publicity bring as satis- factory results as when devoted to pre-Easter serv- ices. The music and other features of service should be appropriate to the occasion. Our modern hymn- books offer a wealth of material which can be used to great advantage by the pastor who plans ahead for the participation of his people in the worship of the church.
Through such a series of meetings the pastor will be able to give his people instruction in the funda- mentals of religious living and will be able to do effective evangelistic work, though he may think best not to advertise the meetings as evangelistic but rather as devotional. He may have found by ex- perience that a meeting advertised as evangelistic is sometimes under a handicap.
Through the devotional meetings during the week preceding Easter he will be able to draw together the various lines of service and if the coordinated features, the pastor's training class, personal work.
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER 111
definite prayer, have been carried forward in a sys- tematic, painstaking way, and all supported by a thoroughgoing program of preaching, the services of Holy Week will bring great comfort to the souls of the people and a worthy development of the work of the church.
The custom seems to be growing in the churches of various denominations to celebrate the communion on Thursday evening, in memory of Christ's last supper with His disciples, and also to observe the three- hour period on Friday afternoon which corresponds to the period Christ was on the Cross. A number of cities are taking up the movement to make the afternoon of Friday of the week preceding Easter (frequently called "Good Friday") a city- wide holiday for the purpose of allowing the people to attend church if they so desire. In issuing a proclamation for this purpose in Indianapolis the mayor of the city said among other things, " The three hours' passion that our Lord suffered on Cal- vary that all men from then until the end of time might find eternal life, is the most precious heritage ever left to the human race. Every Christian, of all creeds and all denominations, joins in reverence and thanksgiving for this supreme event. Let us lay aside the everyday working tools of life during the passion hour when Jesus suffered on the Cross." Where there is a community movement of this sort pastors either singly or in groups will have little trouble in securing a congregation.
There are a number of other features of the work in the pre-Easter season which can well receive the
112 PAEISH EVANGELISM
attention of the pastors who are trymg to nurture the religious life of the people. For example, de- votional reading should be encouraged in every way and pastors can be of very great help to the people by encouraging them to purchase the best books of a devotional nature and to read them. Some of the tried plans are the establishment of reading circles where a small group of people read the same book and meet weekly for discussion, or where the mem- bers of a group read a separate book and bring to a weekly meeting a review of the book they have read. But above all else should the pastor encourage his peo- ple to read the Scriptures diligently. It is becoming more and more a custom for pastors to urge their people to read at least one of the Gospels during the Lenten period. If the church is following a pro- gram of devotions similar to *' The Fellowship of Prayer" this feature of work will be of very great interest.
Whether the pastor provides his people with an opportunity for public worship during the days pre- ceding Easter or not, he will of course consider Easter as one of the great days of the Christian year. With some churches the day is made memorable by the reception of new members and the celebration of the Lord's wSupper. In other churches it is the cus- tom of the pastor to utilize the occasion for a special sermon, as he will have an opportunity of speaking to people who are not usually at the church service.
As to which is the best type of service no general statement can be made. The pastor and his com- mittee should consider the question carefully and
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER 113
follow that order of service which they feel will be most helpful to their congregation. It will be neces- sary for them to consider the custom of the people. To those who have been accustomed through long years to look upon Easter as a communion Sunday, the lack of that feature of the service will be very keenly felt. On the other hand, where the people look forward to the service of instruction and music, such a service should be provided. The reception of members on Easter Sunday can be a very effective service and need not occupy much time nor bring about any confusion. Whereas churches which de- sire to devote an entire morning service to a recep- tion of members and a discussion of the meaning of church membership, will find that a reception service is more fittingly observed on another day.
To make the most of the year's work, to gather up all the elements of spiritual power that have been stimulated in the lives of the people and to unify the church as a spiritual organization, the pastor should by all means bring his people together for a series of devotional services during Holy Week and plan for a glorious hour of worship on Easter Sunday. The reception of new members at the Easter service, or at some convenient date near Easter, brings to a completion the second cycle of church work — the January-to-Easter period.
The ingathering at Easter is a fitting way to register the results of the work of the church. If the pro- gram of parish evangelism has been carried through in effective fashion, the Easter service will record tfie apiritual results of the season's activities. It is
lU PAEISH EVANGELISM
evident that the items of the program which have been discussed above are not dependent entirely one upon the other, and there may be some churches where one feature can be used, and in other churches, other features. In addition to the individual worth of these various phases of the program, they are of value in their cumulative effect. By carrying through the pre-Lenten program, the pastor will have accom- plished these definite results :
He will have developed in the thinking of his peo- ple through his pre-Easter sermons, clearer concep- tions of God and of the Gospel of Christ for the in- dividual and for the world.
He will have trained and given exercise to a group of church workers, and it will be found that these workers will be drawing closer to Christ as they serve with the pastor day by day.
He will have gone over the fundamentals of Chris- tian faith with the boys and girls of his parish and will have secured the assent of many to unite with the church and to enter the Christian life.
He will have unified his people in prayer and will have made available the resources of spiritual power in the life of the church.
And finally, through his Holy Week and Easter services, he will have demonstrated the essential one- ness of the Church and that if the people and pastor are united in a great program and are willing to put into it the best of their lives, they will experience a deepening of their love for Christ ; they will be made conscious of the leadership of the Spirit and they will find their hearts made glad by the seal of ap- proval that will be placed upon the worship and service of the church.
XII
AFTER EASTER
AFTER Easter there is usually a decided let- down in church work. This should be on the surface only, for this period should be devoted to what military leaders call " consolidation of gains." The term simply means that when an army has advanced and established outposts by charge or other manoeuvre there must be a period of surface quiet that the outposts may be linked up with the main body of the army, channels of communica- tion established and one outpost connected with an- other. In the work of the church the consolidation of gains is no less important than in military life. The permanency of the work done during the Lenten period depends quite largely upon the effectiveness of that following Easter. If the new members who are brought into the church and others who have experienced a deepening of religious life are not given special care and new opportunities for service, much of the influence of the work will be lost.
Some commercial and business organizations are putting into practice one of the very effective features of the work of the early church, that is the estab- lishment of the chain method of interesting new mem- bers. Various city chambers of commerce, for in- stance, have adopted the plan that when a new mem-
"5
116 PARISH EVANGELISM
ber has been secured for the chamber he is forth- with commissioned to secure another new member. He is listed as a *' front-line man " until he has se- cured his new member, when he becomes a member of the main body and the new man he has secured takes his place in the front line until he likewise secures his new member. Many will recall reading how the early church had a plan like this, that the young convert to the church was received on pro- bation until he brought some one to the Christian commimity, when he became a full member and his friend became a probationer until he likewise brought in his member. One of the best forms of service for new members is for them to seek to interest others. Pastors who use new members in this fashion aim to limit their activity to bringing their friends into the congregation, rather than to have the new mem- bers engage in more general personal work.
The reception of new members brings to the pastor the task of building the new people into the life of the church. To do this he will want above every- thing else to make his new members feel at home in the church, and in its services find some worthy task to do. Here he will find his social service, mis- sionary education and religious education programs of great value. To put the right person at work at the right task is one of the marks of true leadership. If a pastor can do this easily he will find his work greatly simplified. The following suggestions, pre- pared by Rev. Charles E. Burton, D. D., have been used by many churches with good results :
A certificate of church membership should be given
AFTER EASTER 117
to every new member. With it there should go simple instructions for the personal religious life, an out- line of the opportunities and responsibilities of church membership and an invitation to subscribe to the church and its benevolences. Do not be afraid of making religion sordid by introducing finances. If you leave them out you are likely to dwarf the spiri- tual life of the new member.
Social connections are important. Plan a reception to new members within a week after they are re- ceived. Make it an actual introduction of the new members to the church people. Do not stop here. Definitely arrange for intimate acquaintance on the part of every new member with a circle of church people. Here is where your parish organization is of importance.
Watch over the new members faithfully until they are thoroughly inducted into the life of the church. If they are absent from the Sunday service, call them up on the 'phone the next morning, or write them, or call a neighbouring member of the church asking them to inquire; or, best of all, call upon them per- sonally on Monday, letting them know that you missed them. Here again the parish organization is most useful. In the larger churches committees should be set to attend to this, with or without the pastor's cooperation.
Assign some responsibility to every new member. Each one should be introduced to the department of church life which Is appropriate — the women to the women's organizations, the young people to the young people's organizations, etc. Usually there is
118 PAEISH EVANGELISM
need of helpers in the Sunday-school. In many churches the choir needs new material. Every pas- tor knows what needs to be done in the church and through the church in the community. Church mem- bers who are doing something worth while for the church will not lose their interest in it.
Other ways of enlisting new members will sug- gest themselves to the ingenious pastor. The im- portant thing is that it should not be allowed to go unattended to for the lack of plan.
Continuation of Evangelistic Campaign Many pastors are finding it of great service to continue a quiet campaign for church members after Easter, looking forward to a reception of new mem- bers on Mother's Day, Children's Sunday, or on some Sunday in May or June. There are always some who, though willing, cannot be present at the recep- tion at Easter or near Easter and others who made the decision too late to be received. For those pas- tors who conduct their pastor's training classes after Easter such a reception is a necessity. If the church understands that the work of the church does not end with Easter it will be encouraged to look at the program as an all-the-year-forward movement.
The Absentee
All the denominations suffer great loss each year
through the neglect of the absent member. The ideal
is for the member to move his church letter along
with his other possessions. But in many thousands
AFTER EASTER 119
of cases this is not done. As a result great numbers are lost to the church each year.
Some pastors try to keep in touch with their absent members and all should do this until these find a home in their new community. It is not to be ex- pected that those absent will continue an interest in the home church unless the home church keeps alive an interest in them. Where pastors have tried to do this by sending copies of all church printed matter and an occasional personal letter, losses are greatly reduced, for those absent continue an interest in their home church until new ties are formed in the new community.
The following suggestions as to reclamation of absentees have been used by many churches to very great advantage. First, every pastor should list with fair accuracy all of his church who are faithful in attendance upon its services and its support.
Study the roll carefully. Make a list of de- linquents. Obviously no wide circulation should be given to this list.
Plan definitely some scheme of reenlisting every single individual on that list. Avoid generalities in this particular. Regretting unfaithfulness, yearn- ing for the unfaithful, scolding the faithful about the unfaithful, even praying for the unfaithful, will avail but little. Definite planning for particular efforts to reach a certain person is likely to be effective.
Use your parish organization; that is, let district committees be responsible for definite endeavours for particular persons. Sometimes calls by different parties arranged for by committees is helpful. Per-
120 PAEISH EVANGELISM
sonal invitations to special occasions and regular services should be given repeatedly. Social ties are strong.
Invitations to social affairs given by individual church members where the disinterested become ac- quainted with active church people are useful. In- vitations to social events will not be refused when invitations to church services might be.
Pastoral calls are essential in this connection. Formal calls are better than none, but the pastor should have a plan and a definite aim when he calls upon those estranged from the church. Let him go with a request to which an answer needs to be given. There is some special service which you want them to attend ; some particular work you want them to do ; some information which they can give. Whatever other pastoral calling has to be omitted do not omit this.
Use the mails in getting the attention of those who have forgotten the church. Write personal letters; get the other members of the church to write; send printed matter. Mail a calendar every Monday to those who do not attend the Sunday services.
Ask aid from the people who are forgetful of the church. Let it be a service by the church to some one else, rather than a service to the church. Ask for money with which to do some disinterested piece of work. Likewise ask for some personal service that is altruistic, though at the same time a real part of the church program.
Too strong emphasis cannot be placed upon the importance of this reclamation work because every
AFTEE EASTEE 121
person whose name is upon the church roll, but whose interest is lacking is a stumbling block in the way of the progress of the church.
A number of pastors are carrying forward defi- nite programs of evangelism in the post-Easter period as follows:
1. A second Pastor's Training Class for the train- ing of young people to be received into the church membership on Children's Day with a special recog- nition service.
2. The continuation of special forms of evan- gelism with the reception of new members on Mother's Day.
3. The organization and development of an Eas- ter Pentecost campaign with the reception of mem- bers on Pentecost Sunday.
These plans are especially available for churches that for one reason or another were not able to join fully in the Easter campaign.
Conclusion Many subjects that should have been treated in this book have been omitted because of the limita- tions of space. The ideal, however, has been to pre- sent the outlines of a workable program of church activities from which each pastor will select those which fit in best with the needs and opportimities of his parish. Every church must have some program for enlistment. Upon those pastors who plan their programs and carry them through rests in a large de- gree the future of the Church of God.
Printed in the United States of America
STUDIES AND ADDRESSES
WILLIAM P. MERRILL, P.P.
Pastor of Brick Presbyterian Church, New York
The Common Creed of Christians
Studies of the Apostles' Creed. i2mo, net $1.25.
The studies take the Creed as a recognized part of the worship and belief of the Christian Church and set forth some of its practical implications, and make clear what sort of lives can be lived when the articles of the Creed are actually acted on, instead of being merely professed.
EPWm LINCOLN HOUSE, P.P.
The Glory of Going On
and Other Life Studies. i2mo, net $i.7S.
These addresses have even a higher value than their literary quality. They voice genuine counsel and en- heartenment, based on the sound and sure foundation that life's true greatness is never attained except by a con- formity with the will and purposes of God.
JOHN EDWARP BUSHNELL, P.P.
Summit Views and Other Sermons
i2mo, net $1.25.
Ralph Connor says: "The author seems really to have caught that subtle, tender, comforting yet searching spirit that breathes through the immortal words of the divine Master. Every sermon will be found stimulating."
/. ir. PORTER, P.P. Editor •* Western Reeordet'*
Evangelistic Sermons
i2mo, net $1.25.
The sermons are distinctly along the old lines of evan* gelistic preaching. Repentance, faith, regeneration, Judg- ment, Heaven, and Hell are given their old-time place in these striking sermons. Will undoubtedly prove a valu- able addition to the evangelistic literature of our times.
HERBERT BOOTH SMITH, D.Z).
Pastor Immanue I Presbyterian Church, Los AnztUs, Cai,
The New Earth and Other Sermons
i2mo, net $1.50.
Thoroughly devout, believing fervently in the ultimate triumph of the truth as it is in Christ, Dr. Smith pleads logically and earnestly for a new spirit of consecration and devotion commensurate with the problems of the hour.
THE PULPIT AND PEW
G. CAMPBELL MORGAN, D,D.
The Ministry of the Word
James Sprunt Lectures. i2mo, net The great English teacher and preacher first deals -with the fundamental conception held concerning the two great factors in his title, and then proceeds to examine the Word and the especial expression given it in the respective ministries of the Prophet, Apostle, Evangelist, Preacher and Teacher. He then reviews the changed world condi- tions, the unchanged obligations of the messenger of God, the preparation for the ministry, and what constitutes the proper exercise of the vocation.
if. F. McGARRAH Author of "Modern Church
• • Alanazefftent, etc.
Practical Inter-Church Methods
l2mo. cloth, net
Interchurch action in matters relating to Evangelism, Missionary Enterprise and Support, Finance, Advertising, Education, Women's Organizations, are dealt with by a writer who, has furnished abundant evidence of his abil- ity to deal with affairs of this sort with a note-worthy pertinency that is based on sound, first-hand knowledge.
ALFRED IFILLIAMS ANTHONY, P.P.
Executive Secretary Home Missions C*nntii
Conscience and Concessions
How May the Individual Become Related to the Many. i2mo, cloth, net
A discussion of the principles of federation and coopera- tion in their social, religiou and political aspects. ^ Dr. Anthony also reviews the place and province of conscience, and the guiding principles of legitimate compromise.
F. A. AGAR, P.P.
The Stewardship of Life
A Study of Responsibility. i6mo, cloth, net "F. A. Agar is bright as a dollar, absolutely fearlew, and hits hard, manly blows. At the same time the native, good-humored, Irish wit that goes along with the 'thrash- ing' makes the 'medicine' good. Perhaps the best part of Agar's work is the constructive program presented." — Ex- positot.
Democracy and the Church
i6mo, cloth, net
Dr. Agar addresses himself to the task of showing that if democracy is to fill the world with justice, peace and progress, the Church of Christ must lead the way. True Christianity is, and since its inception always has been, the exponent of the principles of real_ democracy, and the only hope for humanity's problems is their solution by and through the influence and teaching of Jesns Christ.
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY
ROGER W. BABSON President Babson's
_ Statistical Org-anization
Fundamentals of Prosperity
What They Are and Where They Come From. I2mo, net $i.oo.
It 13 only necessary to mention the chapter-headings to show the special timeliness of Mr. Babson's book: Hon- esty or Steel Doors? Faith the Searchlight of Business; Industry vs. Opportunity; Cooperation — Success by Help- ing the Other Fellow; Our Real Resources; Study the Human Soul; Boost the Other Fellow; What Truly Counts; What Figures Show; Where the Church Falls Down; The Future Church.
CLARENCE F. BIRDSEYE Author of ' 'Revised Stat-
. ; ■ utes of New York"
American Democracy versus Prussian Marxism
A Study in the Nature and Results of Purposive or Beneficial Government. 8vo, net $2.50.
Prop. E. Mc, Sait, (Columbia College), says: "Original and stimulating because it puts the chief emphasis on the ends or purposes of our Government. Equally novel and convincing is its showing that throughout our history the people of the nation have continually, though uncon- sciously, made it their chief aim to "secure the blessings of" their pure form of democracy. Opens up a new and interesting field in the study of democracy."
P. WHITWELL WILSON
The Irish Case Before
the Court of Public
Opinion
Illustrated, i2mo, net $1.25.
"Mr. Wilson has furnished the best book in print to-day to counteract Sinn Fein oratory in this country, and the circulation of the volume will bolster up truth and sanity in a great many places where they have been ■wobbling since Sinn Feiners be- gan to sell Irish bonds in the United States-"— T/t^ Continent.
MRS, MARY CLARK BARNES
Author of ''Stories and Songs for Teaching- English*
Neighboring New Americans
i6mo, net 75c.
A new call to the task of aiding and helping foreign- bom peoples to a realization and enjoyment ®f the high privileges of American citizenship. Among the phases of work dealt with by Mrs. Barnes in her able littlp book are: The Approach; Teaching English to Adults; Co- operating with Public Schools and Libraries; Church Neighboring; Daily Vacation Bible Schools, etc.
THE NEW WORLD ORDER
JOSEPH FORT NEfTTONy P.P.
Pastor of The Church of the Divint Paternity, New York
The Religious Basis of a Better World Order
By the Author of "An Ambassador/* etc i2mo, net $1.25.
"These sermons speak especially to cultivated minds, yet through their simplicity and naturalness and human- ness, they make the universal appeal. Here is their real power. They do not speak the language of the church, but the language of humanity. They are real sermons of a warm, spiritual, enthusiastic manhood." — American Journal of Theology.
HENRY CHURCHILL KING President of
— Oberlin ColUgt
A New Mind for the New Age
Cole Lectures for 1920. i2mo, net $1.50.
President King's new book is the work of one whose opinions are of great weight in these times of uncertainty and doubt. Contents: I. The New Age: Its Evidence. II. The New Age: Its Perils. III. The New Age: Its Values. IV. The New Mind: The Political Challenge. V. The New Mind: The Educational Challenge. VI. The New Mind: The Religious Challenge.
ROBERT WELLS VEACH, M.A., P.P.
Associate Director Department ofSoeimi Stfvite
New Era Movement
The Meaning of the War for Reli- gious Education
i2mo, net $1.50.
"A Book for our Day. It begins and ends right and deals with the elements of reconstruction wisely and in the right order. The book is strong, the argument appeal-, ing^ the conclusion inevitable and the spirit optimistic. It is just the kind of a book the Church needs to read and act upon in these strategic days of social unrest and world reconstruction." — Marion Lawrance.
JAMES E. FREEMAN, P.P.
Hector of St. Mark's Church, Minneapolis, Minn.
Everyday Religion
Little "Minneapolis Tribune" Sermons. i2mo, cloth, net $1.50
Here is a "live" volume of addresses particularly.
The themes have direct bearing on the problems of every day existence in these critical, heart-searching days. The work cannot fail to furnish stimulus and enhearten- ment for all who recognizf the deeper and larger problems of life.
Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries
seminary Liorant
1 1012 01232 2501
Date Due
B '4^
F 2 3 ^40
.:^-^.fh-
^
^r
Ap 2 5 '.
Wr7i,'5Q
"Mnt ^'
y.^t^^^^:^.:^^^.^^.^^m