re 
 Be bine 
 
 we 
 Kul TEL 
 an paraded 
 eSet es trees Sect wy 
 ytcer Ag St eft 
 
 i 
 
 v4 
 
 : Hy i . 
 
 are a tee 
 
 pee Tyt 
 
 meee 
 SS 
 Aah tes 
 
 
 
BV 652 .L37 1926 
 Leach, William Herman, 1888 
 
 Church administration 
 
 
 

 
; ‘ ‘ 2 ’ 
 
 wb Aly] e jet 
 
 Ta 
 
 
 
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION 
 WILLIAM H. LEACH 
 

 
 we sth A see 
 er fai 
 
CHURCH 
 ADMINISTRATION 
 
 A Survey of Modern Executive Methods——~>> 
 
 BY f 
 
 WILLIAM H.*LEACH 
 
 EDITOR, CHURCH MANAGEMENT 
 Author of “How to Make the Church Go,” “Putting It 
 
 Across,” etc. 
 
 
 
 GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 
 
COPYRIGHT, 1926, 
 BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 
 
 CHURCH ADMINISTRATION 
 pacediy « abo 
 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
 
| TO 
 EDWARD E. BUCKOW 
 
 Whose codperation made possible 
 the studies represented here, this 
 volume is sincerely dedicated 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 In 2022 with funding from 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 https ://archive.org/details/churchadministra00leac 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Many are the books on Church Management 
 which have been issued in the last few years. Each 
 one has made its contribution to a subject which is 
 still new when compared with the years of history 
 of the Church. By force of necessity most of them 
 have been personal experience volumes. A minister 
 has developed a plan of church activities which has 
 proven unusually successful. Naturally all of his 
 fellows are interested in his plans and are eager to 
 read his suggestions. 
 
 In this respect the book here offered is unique. It 
 brings together the experiences of many successful 
 ministers, arranging the material in a way which 
 will be the most useful to others in the field. Most 
 of the plans are interpreted through the experience 
 of the writer but he lays no claim to originality in 
 presenting them. In as far as he has had informa- 
 tion he has credited each plan to its source. 
 
 As it was not the first, neither will it be the last 
 book in this field, but it does offer a substantial con- 
 tribution to the growing interest in the various 
 phases of church leadership. 
 
 Wiser alee 
 

 
CONTENTS 
 
 PART I: THE MINISTER AS A LEADER 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 I 
 
 N Dw 
 
 The Job of Running a Church . 
 In the Parish and with His Fellows 
 The Minister as a Shepherd . 
 
 PART 1: "THE SERVICES OF THE GHURCH 
 
 Making the Service Count 
 Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings . 
 The Midweek Service . 
 
 Evangelism the Year Around 
 
 PART III: SPECIAL PROGRAMS 
 
 Special Days and Seasons 
 Young People’s Work 
 Keeping the Men Interested 
 
 PARI IVOPUBLICURY 
 
 Effective Publicity Plans 
 Advertising ‘Technique . 
 Uncle Sam as the Minister’s teat 
 
 PART V: ADMINISTRATIVE DETAIL 
 
 The Church Dollar 
 Spending and Accounting 
 Efficiency Machines 
 
 INDEX 
 
 PAGE 
 13 
 24, 
 34 
 
 51 
 
 igi 
 100 
 115 
 
 1330 
 165 
 185 
 
 201 
 22.7 
 237 
 
 255 
 27% 
 283 
 
 299 
 
04 \ 
 i i id he 
 eas 
 
 aly 
 ly ile 
 
 a 
 
 
 
Part I: The Minister As a Leader 
 

 
CHAPTER 1 
 THE JOB OF RUNNING A CHURCH 
 
 THE development of the administrative side of 
 the minister’s work is a matter of comparatively 
 recent date. Most of us can remember when the 
 two great divisions of his task were preaching and 
 visiting. Then there came the time when folks 
 spoke of some ministers as being good organizers. 
 In those days the organizers were the men who had 
 special “knacks”’ for certain tasks. When once that 
 “knack” was appreciated as an asset to the minister, 
 recognition of the importance of the executive func- 
 tion quickly followed. It may be the part of truth 
 and wisdom, however, to treat this phase of ac- 
 tivity, not as a separate and new thing, but only as 
 a broader interpretation of pastoral service. 
 
 The first field of church work to receive the new 
 emphasis was finance. I had just read a book en- 
 titled Church Finance. It is a recent English pub- 
 lication and is issued for propaganda purposes to 
 put the churches on a more sound financial basis. 
 Its chief emphasis is on the weekly envelope system 
 of giving. Argument after argument is given to 
 show the wisdom of the new system. The entire 
 argument parallels the experience in our American 
 churches of twenty years ago. If history again 
 
 repeats itself the installation of a new financial 
 13 
 
14 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 system will lead there, as it has in America, to a 
 new conception of a minister’s duties. 
 
 We have by no means reached any great heights 
 in this new philosophy. The lines are not clearly 
 drawn. But we are working toward an end. Many 
 things are being tried. At times we are made dizzy 
 by the variety of things in church activities, but out 
 of it there will come a philosophy of parish admin- 
 istration which will be stable and worth while. 
 There have been many strange things done in the 
 name of “modern church methods.” But we ought 
 to expect these in an age of experimentation. 
 
 Church organizations have not had the genius 
 for execution. They have been built up for worship 
 and evangelism. While many denominations have 
 had a polity which might function as a working 
 organization, officers who had been elected were 
 selected with an entirely different purpose in mind. 
 The Presbyterian church has its elders, the Baptist, 
 its deacons, the Methodist, its official board. Men 
 were chosen to these boards not for executive quali- 
 ties but because they possessed the character which 
 gave dignity to the office. One of the strangest per- 
 versions of this is seen in those Presbyterian 
 churches which elect their elders for life. The 
 qualities sought might be the scriptural ones of 
 “good report, wisdom and the spirit,” but in the 
 mind of the congregation these qualities were de- 
 fined by piety, regular attendance at the church and 
 the ability to testify in prayer meeting. Seldom 
 were they chosen because of ability to organize and 
 put across a program for the church. 
 
 But modern conditions have forced the Church 
 into a new situation. It no longer was merely a 
 place of worship. There were many organizations 
 
The Job of Running a Church is 
 
 
 
 finding their head-up in the church. Clubs, socie- 
 ties and classes were organized as individuals were 
 moved to see the need for them. Some one would 
 think that a young people’s society was a good thing 
 and one would be organized. Each church was sure 
 to have a woman’s society. There was the Sunday 
 school with its various classes. Each of these went 
 its own way without much regard for the others 
 and without any clearly defined relationship to the 
 church. Remembering Paul’s symbolism of the 
 Church, we found in some churches the hand saying 
 to the foot, “I have no need of thee.”’ We saw con- 
 flicts in purpose between societies in the same 
 church. 
 
 Now the point is this. These agencies usually 
 became rather independent. The ruling board of 
 the church kept itself to the details of taking care 
 of the property and running the services of worship. 
 The Sunday school ran the Sunday school; the 
 Men’s Club ran the Men’s Club, and the Ladies’ 
 Aid ran the Ladies’ Aid. The minister was the 
 point of contact between the several organizations, 
 but he could not stop the overlapping and the actual 
 hostility which at times developed between various 
 organizations regarding the use of the building or 
 the conflict of nights or even regarding the au- 
 thority of each. I have in mind as I write a church 
 in which there is a pronounced feeling that there is 
 competition between the men’s Bible class and the 
 service of worship. The class actually rejoices if it 
 has a larger attendance than the morning service. 
 
 As far developed as the modern Sunday school is, 
 church people as a whole do not appreciate its ex: 
 pression as a function and activity of the church 
 but as a separate institution, oftentimes selecting its 
 
16 Church Administration | 
 er 
 own officers and running its own affairs. This sit- 
 uation shows one phase which proved the need of 
 putting the church on a more effective organiza- 
 tion. It is one of the problems which the Church 
 is confronting. It is going to meet it by getting 
 an executive conception of its task. In this par- 
 ticular instance, I believe that this will lead to the 
 organizing of all of the activities of the church 
 from a central directing force. For instance, we 
 will have in the main organization, departments 
 such as 
 
 A department of Worship, 
 
 A department of Education, 
 
 A department of Men’s Work, 
 
 A department of Women’s Work, 
 
 A department of Young People’s Work. 
 
 It is an easy matter to overdo the departments. 
 It is better to have too few than too many. In the 
 average church the young people’s department might 
 be eliminated and the work put under the depart- 
 ment of education. In others there will be a dis- 
 tinct need for a separate department. All of these 
 departments will head up in the official board. If 
 the plan provided by the denominational policy 
 works, well and good. To use it eliminates ex- 
 pensive machinery. But if necessary a new organi- 
 zation should be built up. It is interesting in this 
 respect to see that in the largest Baptist church in 
 New York state the ordinary Baptist organization 
 has not proved sufficient, and to the Board of 
 Deacons and the Board of Trustees there has been 
 added a Board of Centurions for executive action. 
 In my own churches (Presbyterian) we have been 
 able to use the regular denominational organization, 
 even going to the length of combining the Board of 
 
The Job of Running a Church 17 
 
 
 
 
 
 Elders and the Board of Trustees into one board 
 for the administration of the affairs of the church. 
 
 The pastor is the directing head of the official 
 board. His title is usually considered that in the 
 denominational policy. If he is a poor executive, 
 he will ignore the board; if he is a good one, he 
 will so organize it that it will give real direction to 
 the affairs of the church, studying its temporal and 
 spiritual prosperity, and not consider its task done 
 when the collection plates have been passed and the 
 prayer meeting testimony given. 
 
 THE CHURCH: ‘CABINET 
 
 The Church Cabinet which has been so successful 
 in many churches is really a quasi-official organi- 
 zation necessary because of insufficient denomina- 
 tional organization or imperfect functioning of the 
 present machinery. The cabinet is usually com- 
 posed of the president and one representative of 
 each organization in the church. This gives each 
 organization a voice in determining the policies of 
 the church. 
 
 The Cabinet will meet once a month and each 
 society in turn presents its plans. Some work will 
 be collectively undertaken, and thus the whole 
 church will be put to work at a single task. While 
 there is unquestionably a value to the Cabinet it 
 can never be more than a voice under present 
 systems of organization. Its decisions never have 
 legal point—merely the value of moral appeal. 
 
 Its greatest service will be in eliminating con- 
 flicts of dates and overlapping of programs and a 
 sympathy which is created among the various bodies 
 of workers. It has valuable publicity value, but 
 
18 Church Administration 
 
 SSS ooo 
 the church which desires to put itself in position 
 for administrative efficiency will have to go deeper 
 than this plan offers. 
 
 GETTING THE MOST OUT OF COMMITTEES 
 
 To the churches which are seeking some effective 
 way to get things done without challenging their 
 present and denominational form of organization, 
 we would recommend the use of special committees. 
 This plan will fit in with any scheme already func- 
 tioning. But it will provide specialists in execution 
 where church democracy merely provides freedom 
 for expression.’ 
 
 For instance, in a church of the Congregational 
 form a committee could do ina week what the entire 
 meeting could only debate about. The congregation 
 can, however, authorize a committee, giving it 
 power toact. Inachurch of the Presbyterian form, 
 execution is apt to be delayed by individual eccen- 
 tricities of the personnel. But the board can ap- 
 point a committee which can do things. Many times 
 the minister will have the authority given him to 
 name the committee. This is his chance, by all 
 means, 
 
 The most effective committees are the special ones. 
 appointed for particular tasks. Standing com- 
 mittees take their name too seriously. They are 
 apt to think that Christianity is a position rather 
 than a movement. But a special committee made 
 up of good live men will start things and finish them 
 as well. 
 
 1 An extended discussion of Committee Organization and Management 
 
 may be found in the author’s book, Putting It Across, published by the 
 Cokesbury Press, 
 
The Job of Running a Church 19 
 
 
 
 THE CHALLENGE OF MODERN CONDITIONS 
 
 A second thing which has brought the challenge 
 for modern methods to the Church has been the 
 complexity of modern civilization which is destroy- 
 ing long standing traditions and tearing people away 
 from age-long habits. The Church has found itself 
 confronted with an open Sabbath with all kinds of 
 recreation places pleading for support. The un- 
 precedented wealth of the country has made auto- 
 mobiles common and good roads are plentiful. The 
 multiplication of lodges, welfare associations and 
 similar movements has given means of altruistic 
 expression which in the more primitive days were 
 found in the Church alone. The Church has 
 frankly realized that 1t must use every resource to 
 hold its own and to service its purpose in a strange, 
 yet fascinating, era. 
 
 This has led to several new methods of church 
 expression. It has revolutionized church architec- 
 ture. Church basements have been converted into 
 club rooms. It is indeed a poor specimen of a 
 church which to-day does not include a dining-room 
 and kitchen in its social equipment. The strangest 
 development is seen in the business temple which is 
 appearing in so many American cities. Chicago 
 claims to have the first of these great buildings in 
 its Methodist Temple; Christian Reisner has raised 
 five million dollars for the Broadway Temple in 
 New York, a colossal, yet beautiful, creation. 
 Rochester, New York, now has a business temple; 
 Syracuse for some years has had a combined hotel 
 and church in the First Baptist Church; Pittsburgh 
 is building one; Cleveland is contemplating one. In- 
 deed, there is probably not a city of any size in 
 
20 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 America to-day which is not seriously considering 
 a church of this type. : 
 
 Many architectural atrocities have been com- 
 mitted in the name of modern church building but 
 the newest tendency is to combine architectural 
 beauty and ecclesiastical dignity with the so-called 
 American cathedral. Architects, such as Ralph 
 Adams Cram, strenuously protest against this new 
 type of building. They feel that we are throwing 
 away an inherent, esthetic and social quality 
 which we should conserve, and one which really 
 is one of its greatest publicity assets. The protest 
 is well made. It will not stop the building of this 
 new type of church which seems to fit the needs of 
 a new day but it may help to bring about a com- 
 promise between ecclesiastical art and business 
 efficiency. 
 
 CHURCH ADVERTISING 
 
 Another feature of this new emphasis is found 
 in the almost universal custom of church adver- 
 tising. Saturday night papers now usually carry 
 considerable display space, some churches using 
 copy challenging the displays of the business world. 
 Dr. W. L. Stidger, well known to most ministers, 
 frequently has two columns in the best Saturday 
 paper. Dr. James L. Gordon, in San Francisco, 
 spends $10,000 a year for advertising. An inter- 
 esting development is the work which is being pro- 
 moted by the Church Department of the Associated 
 Advertising Clubs of the world. The Church De- 
 partment is composed of men—mostly writers of 
 advertising—who have felt that they might make 
 some substantial contribution to the progress of 
 the Church through their art. They not alone seek 
 
The Job of Running a Church JA 
 
 
 
 to interest the Church in investing in advertising, 
 but actually produce layouts which they offer to 
 churches and individuals without cost or at a very 
 slight charge. 
 
 In this opening chapter we are trying to analyze 
 some of the new developments and are not endors- 
 ing unreservedly any particular type of activity. I 
 think that is one thing the thoughtful churchman 
 will seek toavoid. There is an unquestionable value 
 in advertising, but one should not jump to conclu- 
 sions too quickly. A page of display advertising 
 cannot make a poor church a good one, nor a cold 
 church a friendly one. Advertising is a legitimate 
 tool for any church, but the wise minister will make 
 sure of his internal organization before he relies 
 too much on the printed page. 
 
 VARIATION IN EXECUTIVE METHOD 
 
 As one would naturally expect, there are many 
 varieties of ministerial executives. The public 
 mind oftentimes confuses a type for the entire 
 movement. There are the ministers who make their 
 direct unique appeal to the public and build up 
 feature services to keep them coming. They are 
 accused of being spectacular, but the casual ob- 
 server does not know the entire inside story of the 
 careful preparation they go through to make their 
 appeal psychologically correct. Great crowds many 
 times follow these men and they are referred to as 
 using modern methods. 
 
 On the other hand, there are men who work more 
 on the inside. The individuals are not advertised 
 so much, but they have the splendid executive 
 faculty of keeping an organization functioning and 
 
SAM Church Administration 
 
 ah SN a eel 
 they are constantly working through others. Their 
 means of publicity are quiet, yet effective, and they 
 build great, strong organizations. These men are 
 also using modern methods but are developing a 
 different type of work. Both varieties are making 
 a contribution to church organization. I, for one, 
 would not want to say which is doing the better 
 work. 
 
 One of the delusions which has come to us 
 insists that executive ability is incompatible with 
 sound scholarship. To call a minister a “popular 
 preacher” means to many men that he is not a 
 student nor a profound preacher. There may be 
 something to substantiate this; at least, it is true 
 that men who have not had the faculty of profound 
 thinking have laid hold of unique programs and 
 used them. But there is no real reason for be- 
 lieving that splendid preaching and good executive 
 ability might not be found in the same individual. 
 It would be a just comparison to say that a good 
 university executive could not as well be a good 
 scholar, Some of the best preachers I know are 
 the most capable administrators. 
 
 Much has been said about the superiority of the 
 British preachers over the Americans and some 
 will tell you that this is because they do not have 
 the detail of parish duties. I will admit the con- 
 clusion but not the premise. I am an admirer of 
 the good British expository preacher. But I find 
 the same superiority in literature and on the stage. 
 In the field of practical science the Americans sur- 
 pass; in speculative science the British are the 
 masters. When one passes on the qualities of 
 preachers he must recognize these other fields of 
 activity. Any supremacy in preaching will be ex- 
 
 
 
The Job of Running a Church 23 
 
 
 
 
 
 plained on the same grounds as the supremacy in 
 literature, art and science, and not by the duties 
 imposed by parish administration. 
 
 If any damage has been done the Church in this 
 respect it has been done by individuals who have 
 confused executive methods with stunts. Without 
 thinking their problems through, they had instituted 
 one idea after another just to set things going. But 
 the day of these things is passing. Seldom do we 
 see any more the freak text announcements of a 
 few years ago. We would forget them entirely if 
 some individual writer who has lost track of the 
 parish didn’t call them to mind from time to time as 
 he delivers his lectures on preaching or preachers. 
 Neither is good executive leadership incompatible 
 with profundity or piety. It is a virtue which can 
 strengthen the church and strengthen the individual 
 minister so that he can be of much more worth to 
 his church. In the succeeding chapters we will try 
 to point the way toward plans and methods which 
 may help the minister to master the situation. 
 
CHAPTER 2 
 
 IN THE PARISH AND WITH HIS 
 PELLOWS 
 
 THE new order of things is throwing upon the 
 minister new social and professional relationships. 
 It may seem strange but it is a fact that the priest- 
 hood, representing the ministry, is the oldest pro- 
 fession in the history of mankind and yet has no 
 carefully worked-out schedule of professional work 
 nor of ministerial ethics. There is probably no line 
 of work wherein the individual is left so free to 
 shape his own course. There is no profession in 
 which his relations with his fellow men and co- 
 workers is so loosely defined. There is no ethical 
 pledge required of ministers. There is no legal code 
 to define their charges nor their relation to their 
 clients. 
 
 In recent years there have been a few attempts to 
 define his moral obligations. Just how successful 
 these attempts are we will have to leave to indj- 
 vidual organizations to decide. Here is one which 
 was adopted by New Haven, Connecticut, Asso- 
 ciation of Congregational Ministers, It is fairly 
 comprehensive in that it treats of the minister’s 
 relation to his own work, his relation to his parish, 
 and his relationship with his fellow men. 
 
 24 
 
In the Parish and with His Fellows 25 
 
 SSS 
 
 
 
 A CODE OF ETHICS 
 The Minister and His Work 
 
 t. Asa minister controls his own time, he should 
 make it a point of honor to give full service to his 
 parish. | 
 
 2, Part of the minister’s service as a leader of 
 his people is to reserve sufficient time for serious 
 study in order thoroughly to apprehend his message, 
 keep abreast of current thought, and develop his 
 intellectual and spiritual capacities. 
 
 . It is equally the minister’s duty to keep 
 physically fit. A weekly holiday and an annual 
 vacation should be taken and used for rest and 
 improvement. 
 
 4. As a public interpreter of divine revelation 
 and human duty, the minister should tell the truth 
 -as he sees it and present it tactfully and construc- 
 tively. 
 
 s. It is unethical for the minister to use sermon 
 material prepared by another without acknowledg- 
 ing the source from which it comes. 
 
 6. As an ethical leader in the community, it is 
 incumbent on the minister to be scrupulously honest, 
 avoid debts and meet his bills promptly. 
 
 7, The minister should be careful not to bring 
 reproach on his calling by joining in marriage im- 
 proper persons. 
 
 The Minister's Relations with His Parish 
 
 1. It is unethical for a minister to break his con- 
 tract made with the church. 
 
 2. As a professional man the minister should 
 make his service primary and the remuneration 
 
26 Church Administration 
 
 secondary. His efficiency, however, demands that 
 he should receive a salary adequate to the work he 
 is expected to do and commensurate with the scale 
 of living in that parish which he serves. 
 
 3. It is unethical for the minister to engage in 
 other lines of remunerative work without the knowl- 
 edge and consent of the church or its official board. 
 
 4. The confidential statements made to a minister 
 by his parishioners are privileged and should never 
 be divulged without the consent of those making 
 them. 
 
 5. Itis unethical for a minister to take sides with 
 factions in his parish. 
 
 6. The minister recognizes himself to be the 
 servant of the community in which he resides. 
 Fees which are offered should be accepted only in 
 the light of this principle. 
 
 The Mimster’s Relations with the Profession 
 
 1. It is unethical for a minister to interfere di- 
 rectly or indirectly with the parish work of another 
 minister; especially should he be careful to avoid 
 the charge of proselyting. 
 
 2. Ministerial service should not be rendered to 
 the members of another parish without consulting 
 the minister of that parish. 
 
 3. It is unethical for a minister to make over- 
 tures to or consider overtures from a church whose 
 pastor has not yet resigned. 
 
 4. Itis unethical for a minister to speak ill of the 
 character or work of another minister, especially of 
 his predecessor or successor. It is the duty of a 
 minister, however, in flagrant cases of unethical 
 conduct, to bring the matter before the proper body. 
 
In the Parish and with His Fellows 21 
 
 
 
 5. As members of the same profession and 
 brothers in the service of a common Master, the 
 relation between ministers should be one of frank- 
 ness and cooperation. 
 
 This code is really quite broad and makes a good 
 basis for the construction of the ethical professional 
 relationship. With most of these the thinking min- 
 ister will find himself in agreement. There will 
 never be any definite conclusion as to what con- 
 stitutes sermon plagiarism. Not all ministers will 
 agree that every time another’s material is used 
 acknowledgment must be made. Some of the out- 
 standing instances of plagiarism have been entirely 
 unconscious. Courts have been unable to settle 
 the question in the field of literature, and it is not 
 to be hoped that a group of ministers can settle it 
 in an hour’s discussion. The main thing to be re- 
 membered is that the sermon, which is the product 
 of creation regardless of where the raw material 
 came from, is free from the blight of plagiarism. 
 
 Many will find it impossible to avoid taking sides 
 with factions, and others will consider it immoral 
 not to take sides when a real issue is involved. I 
 suppose that sometimes a real issue is involved in 
 such instances. Many will not agree that the min- 
 ister must first gain the consent of the official board 
 before doing other work, such as lecturing and 
 writing, for which he receives compensation. But 
 for the most part all of these statements are good 
 and are working toward the right end. 
 
 OTHER MINISTERS 
 
 In the parish the minister has a relationship 
 toward three types of ministers. First, there is his 
 
28 Church Administration 
 
 predecessor. Second, there is his successor. And 
 third, there are his minister neighbors while he is 
 in the field. The first two can be considered 
 together. 
 
 When a man becomes the pastor of a church he 
 is entitled to all the recognition that the office of- 
 ficially brings him. He is the pastor. His prede- 
 cessor has a sentimental relationship. He will have 
 a warm place in the affections of his people. A min- 
 ister needs to recognize this but sentiment need not 
 replace justice and courtesy. No two ministers have 
 the same way of working. Nor will they think alike. 
 He will find many decisions of his predecessor that 
 he cannot approve. But there is no obligation upon 
 him to show disapproval. Should the predecessor 
 come back into the parish for a visit, he should be 
 shown every courtesy, invited into the pulpit to 
 preach, and be in every way treated as a distin- 
 guished guest. 
 
 On the other hand, the minister who has left the 
 field should recognize that he is no longer the pastor. 
 He should never permit himself to return to the 
 parish in a way which would look as if he were 
 interfering with the work of the pastor. Should he 
 receive a request to return for a funeral or a wed- 
 ding, he should at once make his return conditional 
 on the fact the present pastor is invited to be present 
 to take charge. If the request is made and the 
 pastor refuses to cooperate, then he may be justified 
 to keep the appointment. Ministers cannot be too 
 careful about these details which hurt severely the 
 feelings of some of their brethren. 
 
 When a minister leaves a parish he owes it to 
 his successor to leave it in as good a condition as is 
 possible. He will leave parish records in good con- 
 
In the Parish and with His Fellows 29 
 
 
 
 dition. He will encourage the congregation to greet 
 their new pastor in a spirit which will insure suc- 
 cess. If the church is one of the reformed system 
 where it may be a number of months before a min- 
 ister is placed, he will have a lay organization ably 
 built up to keep the parish strong during the interim. 
 If the congregation falls away in these months, no 
 minister ought to pride himself that it was his per- 
 sonality which had kept things going. Instead he 
 ought to recognize it as his failure if things went to 
 pieces soon after he left. 
 
 The breakdown of denominationalism has made 
 the relationship with his fellow ministers rather 
 precarious. There is always the temptation to step 
 into another’s pasture and pick the choicest of the 
 flock. There was a time when, if a Methodist came 
 to town, it was assumed that he would continue to 
 be a Methodist. That holds no longer, however. 
 Denominational lines do not mean very much. 
 People are constantly changing from one denomi- 
 nation to another when the second offers advantage 
 of location or some other virtue. 
 
 The live and alert minister naturally wants his 
 church to grow. He wants the new people coming 
 to town to interest themselves in it. How can he 
 do that and not lay himself open to the charge of 
 proselyting? If the new family is of his own de- 
 nomination, the way is clear. He can go and 
 directly invite them to unite with his church. If 
 they come from another persuasion, it is perfectly 
 legitimate for him to invite them to attend his 
 church, leaving their decision for membership to 
 their good judgment later on. The ambitions of 
 some ministers to rush people into the Church be- 
 fore they have the chance to make the decision in the 
 
30 Church Administration 
 TS 
 strange town is to be condemned. It is the pastor’s 
 Christian duty to help the new family to find suit- 
 able church relationships. If he feels that they will 
 be more at home in some other church, he may well 
 encourage them the other way. In the end he will 
 be rewarded for dealing fairly in this respect. 
 
 More and more ministers in the same city who_ 
 exchange members are taking the opportunity of 
 talking it over between themselves before the change 
 is made. I recall with gratification the courtesy of 
 a neighboring minister who always did this. He 
 would call me on the phone. “I have a request from 
 Mrs. who desires to join our church. Did you 
 know that she contemplated leaving you?” This 
 would be his form of introducing the question. The 
 result was that in some instances the change was not 
 made, but the two ministers passed back and forth 
 in each other’s parishes without any suspicion. 
 
 
 
 FEDERATION OF CHURCHES 
 
 Many of the points of conflict which might arise 
 between ministers may be smoothed out if referred 
 to the local Federation of Churches. Where there 
 is no stich organization the local preachers’ associa- 
 tion may do a great deal to arbitrate matters. H 
 a church sets out to survey a community, it may 
 arouse suspicion; but if it is a codperative effort the 
 cause for suspicion is destroyed. 
 
 Such a survey is always a good thing if it is 
 codperative. Rev. Orvis F. Jordan has described 
 the one conducted by the ministers at Park Ridge, 
 Illinois. It is a simple one which might well be used 
 elsewhere. With several Protestant ministers co- 
 operating, the water list of families was secured 
 
In the Parish and with His Fellows 31 
 SS 
 from the city hall. These names were typed off, and 
 each minister then checked the families he knew 
 were connected with his church. Of course, there 
 were some families claimed by several churches. 
 The parents were divided in some instances. In 
 one instance the son of a pillar of the Methodist 
 Church was found in the Sunday school of the Com- 
 munity Church. The Community Church lost a boy, 
 but it gained the respect of its neighbors when the 
 boy was advised to go back to his parents’ church. 
 After all the names were checked it was found a 
 third of the homes were not yet accounted for. The 
 Catholic priest helped out by checking off his fami- 
 lies, By this process of elimination the list left for 
 the callers was comparatively small, but it repre- 
 sented the families left to be reached. These were 
 encouraged to find a church home and left to them- 
 selves to decide which church it would be. 
 
 A cooperative effort of this kind is also very 
 essential in laying the plans for a new church. Any 
 church planning a new building or a denomination 
 planning a new organization should take the present 
 existing churches into its confidence. Only in this 
 way can frightful and expensive overlapping be 
 avoided. In those cities where there are local fed- 
 erations the committee on committees usually makes 
 recommendations in regard to the matter. There 
 is here a big opportunity for improvement. The 
 best residential sections are soon overchurched 
 while the poorer and needier sections go begging 
 for proper religious facilities. 
 
 IN THE PARISH 
 
 In every respect the minister must deal fairly with 
 his parish. To be fair, at times he may have to be 
 
32 Church Administration 
 
 severe. I do not mean that he should allow him- 
 self or his family to be abused. He is there as the 
 minister of the church and his main duty is to make 
 the church go. He will decide in most instances 
 just what his duty is. The minister who always 
 has his ear to the ground to find out what people 
 are thinking about him will be of little service to the 
 church or to God. It is a senseless and foolish 
 opinion that everybody is the minister’s boss. The 
 sooner he stops trying to please everybody and de- 
 votes himself to doing the work of the church, the 
 quicker will he gain the respect of his parish and 
 do his work effectively. 
 
 There may be times when a minister, perfectly 
 innocent, will be forced to defend his reputation. 
 He should move quickly and directly to stop any 
 malicious slander which may be in the air. Usually 
 the best way to move in such instances is to put the 
 matter before his official board and show them, at 
 once, the necessity of defending his good name. 
 They should not hesitate to resort to court action if 
 necessary. It is altogether too easy for smooth- 
 mouthed gossips to play free with the minister’s 
 reputation. 
 
 The one thing which will lower the respect people 
 have for a minister will be his little hypocrisies. — 
 Every minister is tempted into these. He may try 
 to appear just what the people would want him to 
 be instead of openly being the kind of man he knows 
 he ought to be. It never pays. The time is ripe for 
 manly men in the ministry. I do not mean that 
 people want ministers with vices—even little vices— 
 but neither are churches seeking ministers who yield 
 their manhood to the smug hypocrisy of little Chris- 
 tians who like to lay down every rule of behavior 
 
In the Parish and with His Fellows ao 
 SS LLL 
 for the preacher. They would dictate his clothes, 
 his recreations, the education of his family and 
 other matters of which he is the better judge. He 
 must remember that God made him a man before he 
 was ordained as a minister and he should preserve 
 that manhood jealously. He cannot yield in these 
 things. 
 
 SENDING MEMBERS TO OTHER CHURCHES 
 
 The minister will be constantly sending members 
 to other churches. Families will move from the 
 parish. He does not discharge his duty when he 
 bids them good-by at the church door. Tt is but a 
 matter of a few minutes to locate their new home 
 and find out what church is near by. He hasa duty 
 to tell them of these churches and should urge them 
 to visit the churches and, if they feel satisfied, to 
 ask that their church membership be transferred. 
 
 At the same time it would be well to send a letter 
 to the minister of the church recommended calling 
 
 attention to the move and urging that he get in 
 
 touch with the new family. There are so many 
 opportunities for people to get away from church 
 that every minister should feel it his obligation to 
 help his families into friendly church relationships 
 in their new homes. 
 
CHAPTER 3 
 THE MINISTER AS A SHEPHERD 
 
 THE question of the attitude of the minister 
 toward parish visitation has been an open one from 
 the time of Paul to the present day. There has 
 always been a class which has sought to show that 
 such visitation 1s unnecessary and that the minister 
 in his busy life of to-day should not be called upon 
 to doit. I think that out of the confusion we can 
 reach a number of rather definite conclusions. 
 
 1. It is most desirable that the minister shall 
 have a contact with his people. If it is not secured 
 through pastoral calling, it must be secured some 
 other way. 
 
 2. The minister who gives considerable time to 
 parish visitation may not preach as well-developed 
 sermons but he will have a sympathetic point of 
 view which will atone for their imperfection. 
 
 3. Every minister must protect himself from 
 much of the demand which foolish people put upon 
 him. 
 
 In brief, the minister must keep a contact with 
 his people and still must not let the social side drain 
 him intellectually. The demands of the modern 
 parish are heavy and exacting. The minister is 
 under all kinds of temptation to forget about the 
 pastoral side. If he does so he is neglecting a 
 matter which will cause suffering to himself and 
 to the congregation. 
 
 A great deal can be said in favor of the monoto- 
 nous routine of pastoral calling. The minister may 
 
 34 
 
The Minister as a Shepherd 35 
 
 
 
 have to force himself to do it and at the end of the 
 day in discouragement may write a zero after his 
 experiences. But every day something is happen- 
 ing which causes a tragedy in the parish. There is 
 sudden death or affliction. The call which he made 
 as a matter of routine may have been the introduc- 
 tion which makes it possible for him to go as a 
 pastor in the time of grief. It is as well to avoid 
 the character of being “invisible in the week and 
 incomprehensible on Sunday” as it is to shun the 
 constant running about which detracts from serious 
 work. 
 
 A WORKING SCHEDULE 
 
 Whatever decision a minister may make as to the 
 amount of personal calling he will do, he must care- 
 fully budget his time and try hard to live up to his 
 plan. Let him set aside certain days for calling, 
 certain hours for study, certain hours for himself, 
 and then keep close to these hours. He will have 
 to decide just how his work shall be divided. What 
 will make a good schedule for one man may be a 
 poor one for the next. Bernard C. Clausen, in his 
 Technique of a Minister, allows but one afternoon 
 a week for parish visitation and this is devoted to 
 the sick. 
 
 A carefully made program assures a minister of 
 adequate time for study. One is apt to overestimate 
 the amount of time which must be spent in hard 
 study to produce two or more good sermons a week. 
 William Robertson Nicoll was unable to do much 
 parish work through the long winters in his first 
 Scottish parish. The result was that he not alone 
 got out his sermons but found time to contribute to 
 
36 Church Administration 
 
 the journals of the day. Frederick Lynch, in op- 
 posing the idea that no minister can produce two 
 sermons a week, tells of his own experience. In his 
 first parish he decided to put in three full mornings 
 of four hours each in hard, systematic study. But 
 let him tell about it. 
 
 “Day after day, week after week, month after 
 month, we worked away on this. It became so 
 fascinating that we found ourselves going to work 
 even in the afternoon and evening. But the point 
 we want to come to is this: before one month of 
 such study was up our mind was so swarming with 
 new ideas, so packed with new truths, so illumined 
 from these great sources, so active in its processes, 
 that instead of having to search for topics on which 
 to preach twice each week we really cried for an 
 opportumity to preach every day.” 
 
 The minister who makes a schedule for himself 
 and forces himself to live up to it will have time for 
 many things which now he thinks he has no time for. 
 If he believes that parish visitation is wise, he will 
 find time for that. 
 
 There are sickness and death calls which the 
 pastor will always be ready to respond to upon in- 
 vitation. When these emergencies occur in his 
 parish he will go to his own people without invita- 
 tion. He must not go asa stranger, but as a friend. 
 It will require tact and good judgment in every case. 
 There will be times when he will need to talk of 
 death and to pray. There will be times when he 
 must refrain from doing this. There will be those 
 who desire the communion. He will be prepared 
 to administer this sacrament. Man is very seldom 
 tried as is the conscientious minister when he at- 
 tempts to help people adjust themselves to the reality 
 
The Minister as a Shepherd B7 
 
 
 
 of misfortune and death without resorting to con- 
 ventionalism which can offer little comfort. 
 
 SPIRITUAL HEALING 
 
 I hesitate to say much on this. There are many 
 instances where ministers are doing a good work 
 through it. J have worked with Dr. L. O. Williams 
 in his spiritual clinic at Buffalo (Church of the 
 Messiah) and have seen its good results, There is 
 an opportunity for ministers to understand the psy- 
 chology of disease but it hardly belongs in this 
 technical volume. It would be well for the minister 
 to keep informed on psychological progress and even 
 understand the fundamentals of psychoanalysis. 
 Their use will be indirect with most of us. But 
 such study helps in the understanding of peculiar 
 pastoral problems. Next let the minister seek 
 counsel with some sympathetic physician who 
 realizes the limitations of his own profession. To- 
 gether they may work out some practical plan. But 
 it is well to be forewarned. This is a difficult field. 
 The minister by training is unfitted for it. And 
 only in special cases should he feel that he may 
 assume the right to shape a policy of recovery from 
 physical disease. 
 
 But while the period of uncertainty prevails in 
 regard to this it would do well for ministers more 
 and more to study and hold conferences on the 
 various social and psychological phases involved. 
 Dr. Henry C. Cabot suggests the following clinics 
 for theological seminaries. It is just as important 
 that ministers in the field direct their attention 
 toward them. 
 
38 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 Visiting the sick. 
 
 Attendance upon the dying. 
 
 Consolation of the bereaved. 
 
 Advice as to marriage and parenthood. 
 
 The opportunities and privileges of visiting 
 aged people. 
 
 Sex problems. 
 
 Praise and blame. 
 
 Misfortunes and the ways of meeting them. 
 
 Delinquency in children and adults. 
 
 The problem of alcoholism; drug habits. 
 
 The problem of the neurasthenic. 
 
 Insanity and feeble-mindedness. 
 
 The art of conversation and the avoidance of 
 gossip. 
 
 The differences of men and women. 
 
 Race traits and race psychology. 
 
 THE FUNERAL 
 
 There is not much uniformity in America in the 
 conduct of a religious service of burial of the dead. 
 In most of the eastern cities the sermon at a funeral 
 has been eliminated. The ministers use a ritualistic 
 service which has been approved by the denomina- 
 tion or one which seems to appeal to them. In the 
 South and West funeral sermons are still in vogue. 
 Many ministers drift between these two plans, giv- 
 ing a short message of comfort with a great deal 
 of poetry, the reading of hymns and a minimum of 
 personal comment. 
 
 The minister is oftentimes placed in an embar- 
 rassing position by the appearance of a Fraternal 
 Order at the funeral. Unquestionably most of the 
 Orders take themselves too seriously. The reading 
 of their service by illiterate participants is neither 
 
The Minister as a Shepherd — 39 
 
 
 
 beautiful nor comforting. The minister should, 
 however, try to adjust himself to the situation. If 
 he wants to make a protest about this, he should do 
 so through his educational messages but refrain 
 from it during the time of the ordeal. If it can be 
 arranged, the benediction should be given by the 
 minister after the fraternal body has concluded its 
 service. 
 
 SUBSTITUTES FOR HOUSE-TO-HOUSE VISITATION 
 
 Many of the wide-awake ministers have appre- 
 ciated the necessity for a contact with the individ- 
 uals in the parish and have tried to perfect some 
 method whereby they may accomplish the same 
 results without so large an expenditure of energy. 
 
 One of the first ways tried is the minister’s “at 
 home.” ‘This is an effort to have the people come 
 
 
 
 FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 
 Rev. Thos. S. Brock, 8.T.D., Pastor 
 
 Camden, N. J. 
 Dear Fellow Worker: 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Brock will be at the home of .............. 
 hs a PENS i Se next. l uesdaye Evening, Aweuls) one oe be 
 All the members of our church and congregation living in 
 this section of the city are urged to be present. This is not 
 a Prayer Meeting nor a Social, but an opportunity for our 
 Pastor to meet you and yours. We urge you to be present. 
 
 Cordially, 
 THE FORWARD WORK COMMITTEE. 
 
 to the minister’s residence to make the social contact 
 rather than requiring him to go round the entire 
 parish. Rev. Thomas S. Brock, while pastor of the 
 First Methodist Episcopal Church of Camden, New 
 Jersey, thought that he had improved on the first 
 
40 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 method by the institution of sectional ‘at homes.” 
 He would pick out a certain home in his parish and 
 with Mrs. Brock plan to spend an evening there. A 
 notice was sent out to all of the members in that 
 locality so that they would have the opportunity of 
 meeting the pastor and his wife. (See page 39.) 
 
 THE USE OF THE MAIL 
 
 One of the best substitutes for the personal visit 
 is a legitimate use of correspondence. I do not mean 
 the use of printed or multigraphed letters, though 
 these have their place in church administration. I 
 mean the notes and letters written with a heart to 
 meet the situation of the individual. Bernard C. 
 Clausen, pastor of a church of over two thousand 
 members, has found this very useful. He sends a 
 personally written card to each one of the Sunday 
 school pupils on his birthday. This means an aver- 
 age of forty cards a week. But it has paid. The 
 daily papers are scanned for announcements of 
 births and other events and friendly notes are sent, 
 showing that he is interested. In cases of bereave- 
 
 January 28, 1925. 
 Dear Barbara Janeé: 
 
 I want to welcome you to our church and to our 
 world. We have a little son who is just about 
 your size and he will be starting Sunday school 
 with you, we hope. If you always display such 
 
 good judgment as you used when you selected 
 your parents, I shall not be at all in doubt about 
 your future! 
 
 Your pastor, 
 
 BERNARD, C. CLAUSEN, 
 
 
 
 A Letter to a New Babe 
 
The Minister as a Shepherd 4] 
 
 
 
 ment he finds that a comforting letter is oftentimes 
 more prized than the personal visit. 
 
 Here are samples of Dr. Clausen’s method of 
 working. This and above were personally written 
 notes—not typewritten. 
 
 January 17, 1925. 
 Dear George Mason: 
 
 The “Daily Orange’ brought me the news 
 that you were to be president of the Campus 
 Y. M. C. A. Man, we are proud of that! 
 
 We want you to be so worthy of the honor 
 
 that the University will respect our church for 
 the kind of work you are doing. And tf ever you 
 need what we can give, call on us! 
 Your pastor, 
 BERNARD C. CLAUSEN. 
 
 
 
 A Letter to a Student 
 
 VISITATION AT CLUBS AND LODGES 
 
 Many ministers think that they can find an ef- 
 fective substitute for pastoral visitation by appear- 
 ing at the various clubs and lodges where they meet 
 the men and women socially. This undoubtedly 
 does offer an access to people, particularly to men, 
 who might not be reached at the hour of the visit 
 at the home. It also is a splendid way to show 
 interest in the social affairs of the congregation. 
 
 Perhaps a still better way is to so organize the 
 activities of the church that a visit to each organi- 
 zation brings a social contact with all the people. 
 More and more the idea is to have every member 
 connected with some expressional society in the 
 church. The minister by attendance upon these 
 
 meetings occasionally has the opportunity to greet 
 all. 
 
42 Church Administration 
 STEM bch sthab AOR MMOLE LAL TARO RAN ce eT 
 
 
 
 KEEPING OFFICE HOURS 
 
 There is a growing consideration of the need of 
 a Protestant confessional. By this we mean a place 
 where the layman can go and consult his minister. 
 There are some objections to this. There is the his- 
 torical one that Protestants are not trained in this 
 thing and that they will not do it. Yet it offers 
 opportunities. We must go slowly on adopting any 
 thing which would seem to mechanicalize the pas- 
 toral relation. There are a great many people who 
 would never go through the formality of making 
 an appointment in order to see the minister. They 
 can’t understand the formality. I do not know of 
 any instance where a plan such as this may be said 
 to be 100 per cent successful. 
 
 One reason why this plan cannot be wholly suc- 
 cessful is that most problems people bring to their 
 pastor are not things which require arbitrary de- 
 cision, but matters which must be brought out 
 through long study. The attitude of the pastor 
 must be that of the psychoanalyst and not the judge. 
 Matters brought to the pastor are usually things of 
 long standing. They have been harbored in the 
 soul and now they are crying for light. To say to 
 such a person, “I will give you ten minutes on 
 Thursday afternoon at four o’clock,”’ appeals to me 
 as poor psychology. 
 
 GROUP ORGANIZATION OF THE PARISH 
 
 Still another method of substitution for the pas- 
 toral visit is the group plan of organization where 
 layman visits layman. In this plan the parish is 
 
The Minister as a Shepherd 43 
 
 
 
 
 
 divided into geographical districts. Over each dis- 
 trict a leader is appointed. He may have several 
 assistants. But the main idea is to see that every 
 home is visited once a quarter, or in whatever 
 period of time is decided upon. 
 
 As a promotion scheme it would be hard to im- 
 prove upon this. A parish well organized in this 
 way can put through most anything. It can be used 
 as the basis of the every-member canvass, for the 
 organization of revival services, an Easter ingather- 
 ing, the church fair or anything else. The man who 
 builds a machine on this principle may sit in his office 
 and push the button and the whole machinery goes 
 to work. The opportunities it offers in the line of 
 social life are immense. 
 
 Rev. Charles Kristian Orsborn, in his church at 
 River Forest, Illinois, has developed this idea to its 
 logical end. He has a plan which he calls “intensive 
 farming.” He is abandoning the larger meetings in 
 the church, such as the men’s club, for smaller group 
 meetings where the members may get together in 
 a friendly way. He finds that the total attendance 
 is considerably larger. ‘Twice a year the groups 
 come together for a large meeting: once for the 
 Father and Son dinner and once for a joint meeting 
 with the ladies’ society. 
 
 This type of group meeting offers a splendid 
 chance for personal contact with the parish. If you 
 take the minister out and expect it to run as a 
 machine without his personal presence and interest, 
 I doubt its efficacy as a substitute. You can’t rule 
 the pastor out of the pastoral relationship. No 
 matter what plan may be used as a substitute for 
 pastoral visitation, the personality of the minister 
 
44 Church Administration 
 ps CRUEL NAAN Loh ee an ina SR 
 must be in it. It is a good thing to get the people 
 calling on each other, but that is not enough. 
 There is point to the story told by Dr. Griffith 
 Thomas of the minister who sent a layman to call 
 on a man in the parish. The man’s rebuff is 
 interesting. 
 Said he, “It’s no use sending the likes o’ ye to the 
 likes 0’ we.” 
 
 
 
 INVITATION FORMS 
 
 The minister’s work in the parish is furthered 
 by the use of proper invitation forms asking the 
 people to church or urging them to unite with the 
 church. Some ministers have their calling cards 
 printed with an invitation. Others make it a point 
 to drop a personal note to any they missed during 
 the day. A printed form seems to give concreteness 
 to the spoken invitation. 
 
 These types of invitation cards are valuable. 
 
 CALVARY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 I hereby acknowledge my belief in Jesus Christ as my 
 Saviour and Lord and desire to be received into the member- 
 ship of the church. 
 
 [] I am not now a member of any church. 
 L] I am now a member of 
 
 
 
 A card such as this will help many a delinquent 
 to send for the church letter. 
 
The Minister as a Shepherd 45 
 
 City 
 Will you please issue to me a Certificate of Dismissal to the 
 J. R. MILLER MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 Of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania 
 
 Please send the Certificate to the 
 Rev. E. Hubert Broyles, D.D. 
 36 Overhill Road, Upper Darby Philadelphia, Penna. 
 
 
 
 The Minister's Invitation 
 
 This invitation is taken from the back of one of 
 the cards of Rev. James Ashton Davies, El Reno, 
 Oklahoma. 
 
 I just wanted to extend to you a 
 cordial invitation to worship with us 
 whenever you feel so disposed. A hearty 
 welcome, a sincere “God bless you,” 
 
 awaits you at our church. We hope 
 you will feel at home with us and come 
 often. 
 
 
 
 MEMBERSHIP RECORDS 
 
 No matter what plan of pastoral calling one has 
 in mind he will find that it is necessary to keep fairly 
 complete pastoral records. Usually the denomina- 
 tion designates the type of records which it thinks 
 necessary. These may be preserved in a bound 
 volume for security, though in some instances 
 
46 Church Administration 
 churches favor individual card systems. They need 
 not be as complete as the one shown here, which is 
 used by the Third Presbyterian Church, Rochester, 
 New York, but they should contain information 
 which will help the minister in his personal con- 
 tacts. ‘This information is indispensable in a large 
 church where there is danger of overlooking folk. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 [SERVICE RECORD | _ MEMBERSHIP RECORD] 
 FL] [atoen on oeacon [ra] | | sunearscnoor 1] ENA 
 at [Tew tenser [ra mews oeuecuss fate | PTT 1 ttt to 
 
 rial | [eewean sieuecuass Tree | [1] 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 [s| | [corcrercer | im 
 
 {| frees Nes [TP witwessncanens fun] | | | 1) 111 111 
 ie Tl EN TIA 
 Ltt secre [mew ortiecnurcn way | 11111] Me ia Lo 
 Lt | [reess tal TT womansauxiany  faune] | | | |. 111111 
 Pot bsiscuootorrcer 9 fis] UT a sue ed ed dT 
 I |. schon Tencnen sy) 120] of [oa a ae Paves fet eal baa le 
 Le | | | sociatworner [aif | [cnoraccius ser? TT | | | 1 
 SIAR eae EE EPI Ld 
 
 {) 
 iil | [risnine com 
 Saamee 1") saemenee4551255-111 weenie 
 
 L 
 
 
 
 EXPENSE - YELLOW 
 
 A SMALL TOWN OPPORTUNITY 
 
 The church in a small community has the advan- 
 tage of being able to greet every newcomer, a thing 
 which is impossible in the larger community. Rev. 
 William C. Mitchell of the Bethany. Presbyterian 
 Church, Menands, New York, sends this greeting 
 to each new family moving into the community. 
 
The Minister as a Shepherd 47 
 
 The formal card is afterwards followed by a per- 
 sonal call. 
 
 2 
 
 : 
 | 
 | 
 
 900 e0Ge2 G10 O00 G19 Gor Gor Grr Gor Gor Ger Ger Gee Wer Gor ero Gee G20 Gee O22 Gor Serer Sor Ges Per Ger Gor Sor Borer Bory, 
 
 CAelcome to HMenands 
 
 t is a pleasure to welcome pou to pour new 
 ij Home. We hope that pou will quickly feel 
 at home here, and that pou will find manp 
 friends. We shall be happy to do what we can 
 to bring this about. 
 
 Q Sf vou are of the Catholic Church, pour 
 nearest place of worship is in the city; if pou are 
 affiliated with the Cpiscopal Church, St. HMlar- 
 garet’s is on the corner of Brookside Avenue and 
 Willa Road, with services at nine o'clock. 
 
 G SE pou are not connected with either of these 
 churches, we bid pou welcome ta Bethany Church, 
 at Lyon Abenue and Menand Road. Morning 
 CAorship at ten-thirty; Sunday School at noon. 
 
 Q The Reb. William C. Mitchell, pastor of 
 Bethany Church, will take pleasure in calling on 
 pou in the near future. 
 
 Pours to serbe, 
 Bethany Church 
 
 O00 @ 00 Gor GerGorGorGorGooGorGoo@ or Ger GooGer Gor GorGor Go or Gov Gover Ger GorGooG oe Hor Goo Gor Gor Gov Gor Gor QooGor Gor Gor Ger Ger Ger GorGorGe 
 
 : 
 : 
 : 
 : 
 ? 
 | 
 
ie 
 os 
 
 WY fe 
 
 Ny 
 
 
 
Part II: The Services of the Church 
 
a MN 
 
 aA w >) 
 via 
 
 
 
CHAPTER 4 
 MAKING THE SERVICE COUNT 
 
 THE complexities of modern life have driven the 
 minister to the very sensible conclusion that people 
 do not come to church to hear him preach. This 
 may be why in the non-conformist churches we are 
 giving more and more attention to the liturgy of our 
 services. They are no longer merely preaching 
 services, just as we no longer meet in “meeting 
 houses.” 
 
 “iter spending a few months in detached service 
 where I have the opportunity of hearing other min- 
 isters preaching I find myself judging a service on 
 several grounds. 
 
 _ Ilike profound rather than surface preaching. 
 { like to worship as well as to listen—and I 
 don’t have to be harangued. 
 { like to worship in a church which makes me 
 feel at home. 
 
 These may not be the standards of the average 
 man, and we would disagree as to their virtue. 
 Probably no two of us would select the same kind 
 of preaching. Preaching is tempered by person- 
 alities. I do not think that any minister need apolo- 
 gize for his profundity. It does not necessarily 
 make him dense or non-understandable. It is much 
 harder for the thinking man to listen to the preacher 
 who races around the surface trying to find some- 
 thing which may be accounted brilliant or smart, or 
 to listen to the man who makes a hobby of theologi- 
 cal arithmetic. But the prcachins which takes the 
 
yD Church Administration 
 
 
 
 great topics of the soul and treats them in an honest 
 way will have listeners. However, this volume is 
 not a study in homiletic methods. 
 
 MAKING THE SERVICE WORSHIPFUL 
 
 Nor is this book a study in church polity. I think 
 that there is a field for such a study. We are try- 
 ine—oh, so hard—to introduce the elements of 
 beauty into our Protestant worship. We try col- 
 ored pictures and windows, music, poetry, architec- 
 ture, pulpit gowns and choir robes. Yet in so much 
 of this we do not understand the reason for our 
 decisions. They make an appeal, we admit. But 
 any symbolic significance, if there is any, we do 
 not understand. There seems to be no common 
 knowledge of the position of the lectern, the bap- 
 tismal font, nor for the various parts of the church 
 buildings. Ministers are wise in turning their at- 
 tention to these things. y 
 
 Here we are considering just the simple things 
 which help to make the worshipful atmosphere. 
 Music now has a part in every church service. It 
 finds its best expression in the organ. Organ build- 
 ing has advanced so wonderfully with the introduc- 
 tion of the electric action that its possibilities seem 
 limitless. The electric action organ has justified 
 itself. It has its faults, to be sure. Dust plays 
 havoc with the contact points, but its wonderful 
 resources in instrumentation and variation more 
 than atone for any of its faults. The organ is pre- 
 eminently the instrument for churches. 
 
 In addition to the prelude and postlude and the 
 playing of the hymns, there are many opportunities 
 for its use. Played with the soft stops, it is very 
 
Making the Service Count 53 
 
 
 
 effective through the prayers. The organ may be 
 played continually through the communion service. 
 The rendering of the old hymns of worship cannot 
 but make the service much more effective. It will 
 lead in the responses and many prefer the organ. 
 response to the vocal one. A harp stop in the organ 
 is very effective for the response. In addition, 
 chimes which are played from the keyboard help to 
 complete the musical equipment of the church. 
 
 The call of the organ is the call to worship. The 
 congregation will understand this. It is not the 
 time for levity or whispering but for meditation and 
 prayer. Then will follow the call in words, varying 
 with the various liturgies. They consist of respon- 
 sive readings, prayers, confessions, etc. The service 
 need not be elaborate, but it should be thoughtfully 
 directed, leading the people to an appreciation in the 
 reading of the scripture and the prayer. It is not to 
 be hurried over, and yet it is not to be dragged 
 through. : 
 
 The great hymns of the church have a place. At 
 their best they are prayers or confessions. Scrip- 
 ture reading is a matter of dignity and sincerity 
 rather than of interpretation and elocution. Many 
 ministers will not use prepared prayers but no min- 
 ister will ignore the great petitions of the historic 
 Church. He will do well to study them for their 
 language and form of expression. 
 
 And then there are the announcements. Try as 
 we may, it seems impossible to keep them to the 
 printed bulletin. Perhaps it is just as well. Many 
 of them can be given in a reverent spirit. It may 
 be difficult to announce an ice cream social in that 
 way, and trustee meetings had better be kept out 
 of the public worship, but everybody has to make 
 
54. Church Administration 
 
 
 
 some kind of announcement. For some reason or 
 other, they usually follow the offering. This is 
 probably as good a time as any. Much better than 
 at the close of the sermon, so let it go at that. 
 
 The offering rightfully belongs in the service of 
 worship. Appeals for money do not have a place 
 there. These should be made in other ways. But 
 the placing of the money on the altar is a distinct 
 act of worship. It should be introduced and recog- 
 nized as such. Funny stories may be all right in 
 mass meetings when a collection is being taken, but 
 they have no part in a service of worship. 
 
 The finest help for the minister for this particular 
 service, that I have seen, is a little book entitled, 
 The Offertory, originally distributed by the Depart- 
 ment of Stewardship to Presbyterian ministers. It 
 is a collection of prayers suitable for the offertory 
 and also a selection of Biblical and poetical passages 
 which may be used. For instance, the Scriptural 
 passage may be used to introduce the offering in the 
 place of the blunt announcement, “The offering will 
 now be received,” “The ushers will now wait upon 
 you,” or some similar statement. At the conclusion 
 the prayer may be used. Two pages of this little 
 volume are here shown and they will at least give an 
 idea of the valuable compendium. 
 
Making the Service Count | 55 
 
 
 
 Horning 
 
 QO THOU GREAT GIVER, who dost neither buy nor 
 sell, yet art ever giving: Thou givest to all life and 
 breath and all things, Thou sendest rains and fruitful 
 seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. Thou 
 givest us power to get wealth. And Thou didst so love the 
 world as to give Thine only and well beloved Son. With 
 him Thou dost freely give us all things richly to enjoy. In 
 token of our gratitude and devotion, we offer these first 
 fruits of our income, and also ourselves without reserve. 
 
 Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. 
 David McConaughy 
 
 There is that maketh himself rich, 
 Yet hath nothing: 
 
 There is that maketh himself poor, 
 Yet hath great wealth. 
 
 There is that scattereth, 
 Yet increaseth yet more; 
 
 There is that withholdeth more than is meet, 
 But it tendeth only to want. 
 —Proverbs 13:7; 11:24, RV 
 
 Chening 
 
 (jee O LORD, is the greatness and the power and 
 the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that 
 is in heaven and in earth is Thine. Riches and honor come 
 of Thee. Thou alone hast enabled us to offer Thee these 
 gifts of our love. All things come of Thee and of Thine 
 own have we given Thee. In uprightness of heart and with 
 joy have we willingly offered all these things unto Thee. 
 Graciously use these gifts, we beseech Thee, to build Thine 
 house among all peoples, until Thy perfect will shall every- 
 where be done and Thy kingdom come. In Jesus’ name. 
 Amen, 
 
 Guy L. Morrill 
 
56 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 Morning ' 
 UR DEAR FATHER, who feedest the birds of the 
 
 heaven and arrayest in glory the lilies of the field, we 
 praise Thee for Thy ceaseless care. And we thank Thee 
 that Thou dost encourage us to express our gratitude to 
 Thee by the offering of our means, each according to his 
 ability. Wilt Thou bless us now in this act of worship. 
 For Christ’s sake. Amen. 
 
 As on the river’s rising tide 
 Flow strength and coolness from the sea, 
 So through the ways our hands provide 
 May quickening life flow in from Thee. 
 
 To heal the wound, to still the pain, 
 
 And strength to failing pulses bring, 
 Till the lame feet shall leap again, 
 
 And the parched lips with gladness sing. 
 
 Bless Thou the gifts our hands have brought; 
 Bless Thou the work our hearts have planned ; 
 Ours is the hope, the will, the thought; 
 The rest, O God, is in Thy hand. 
 
 Samuel Longfellow 
 
 Evening 
 Qe THOU who didst sit by the treasury, beholding how 
 
 men cast in, Thou knowest us altogether. Forgive our 
 selfishness; forgive us that we have thought to own that 
 which is ours only in trust; forgive us for waste and ex- 
 travagance, for prodigality in pleasure, while miserly in our 
 gifts for noble ends. Not the labor of our hands can fulfill 
 Thy laws’ demands, but the love of our hearts speaks in the 
 offerings of those hands. Fill, then, more fully our hearts 
 
 with love. For Jesus’ sake. Amen. 
 Robert Freeman 
 
Making the Service Count 57 
 
 LL LL LS Sa SSS 
 
 
 
 DHE cULOURGY, 
 
 Even among our non-conformist churches we 
 have orders of service which might be classed as 
 high or low according to the liturgy used. Here are 
 shown types of these two services. 
 
 * MORNING WORSHIP 
 
 At Eleven O’Clock Dr. Merrill will preach 
 PRELUDE—Sonara ; ; Ss : . Wolstenholme 
 NED eu Vuwer tr. CES RAL gelato PVCS a a ie mR a tot ee 
 
 I will sing of thy power, O God, and will praise thy mercy betimes in 
 the morning, for thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of 
 my trouble. My strength will I ascribe unto thee, for thou art the 
 God of my refuge. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing, for thou, 
 O God, art my refuge and my merciful God. Amen. 
 
 DOXOLOGY 
 THE SENTENCES 
 THE INVOCATION 
 
 THE CONFESSION (To be said by the people with the 
 minister ) 
 
 Most holy and merciful Father, we acknowledge and confess in Thy 
 presence our sinful nature, prone to evil and slothful in good, and all 
 our shortcomings and offenses against Thee. Thou alone knowest how 
 often we have sinned, in wandering from Thy ways, in wasting Thy 
 gifts, in forgetting Thy love. But Thou, O Lord, have pity upon us, 
 who are ashamed and sorry for all wherein we have displeased Thee. 
 Teach us to hate our errors; cleanse us from our secret faults; and 
 forgive our sins, for the sake of Thy dear Son our Saviour. And O 
 most holy and loving Father, send Thy purifying grace into our hearts, 
 we beseech Thee: that we may henceforth live in Thy light and walk 
 in Thy ways, according to the commandments of Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 
 Pree PSAUTER, 53 
 
 GLORIA PATRI 
 
 THE SCRIPTURE LESSON 
 
 HYMN 11 “o worsSHIP THE KING” 
 
 THE GENERAL PRAYER 
 
 THE LORD’S PRAYER 
 
 ANNOUNCEMENTS 
 
 OFA SIN SS OO) de OR ‘ Cg} iim tar OGETeN 
 
 Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and 
 with weeping, and with mourning: 
 nd rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord 
 your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great 
 kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 
 
 PRAYER OF CONSECRATION 
 HYMN 63 “cop 1s Love” 
 
 THE SERMON “can I BELIEVE IN GOD” Job 23:3 
 

 
 58 Church Administration 
 
 HYMN 48 “LORD OF ALL BEING” 
 PRAYER AND BENEDICTION 
 GA CVRAT tA BIN ial Wiss else Cola oa a a a 
 POSTLUDE—Finate. . « Wolstenholme 
 
 * Brick Presbyterian Church, NeW von City. The service con- 
 tains more liturgy than the average Protestant service. 
 
 * FMorning Serbice—10:30 o'clock 
 Prelude. “Ave Maria’ 4cu..c a ees wees Gounod 
 Call to Worship, “The Lord Is in His Holy 
 Temple.” 
 Invocation 
 Lord’s Prayer 
 Hymn No. 355 
 Responsive Reading, Selection 37 
 Gloria 
 The Reading of the Scriptures 
 Contralto Solo, “Teach Me to Pray”........ Jewett 
 Morning Prayer 
 Response 
 Children’s Sermon, “Sand” 
 Children’s Recessional, Hymn No, 332 
 
 
 
 Offertory, Organ, “Serenade in B”........ Federlein 
 Quartet, “The God of Abraham 
 PTA) Ce eh ira eae Buck 
 
 Sermon, “A Demonstrated Failure” 
 
 Prayer and Benediction 
 
 Silent Prayer 
 
 Postiude): "Finalet oi 2)/2 00) 1a aur saaieateney Guilmant 
 
 
 
 * Delaware Street Baptist Church, Syracuse, New York. A briefer, 
 yet effective, service of worship. 
 
 THE LECTIONARY 
 
 Many ministers of non-liturgical churches fail to 
 give the whole Bible a plan in their Scripture read- 
 ing. It is very easy to fall into the habit of read- 
 ing the best liked passages, and omitting portions 
 of the Scriptures which really are entitled to con- 
 sideration. Perhaps the best way to correct this 
 fault is to take pains to make out a lectionary. The 
 lectionary consists of a plan of Bible reading for 
 
Making the Service Count 59 
 a 
 the entire year. Once the plan has been worked out 
 the minister can devote the time usually spent in 
 thinking of a good passage to perfecting his appre- 
 ciation of the selection. Such a lectionary has been 
 appended to this chapter. 
 
 VALUE OF GOOD ORDER 
 
 The order of service should be given a great deal 
 of thought. Each part should pass naturally into 
 the next order. I recently worshiped at one of the 
 most illustrious churches of American Protestant- 
 ism. The order of service was simple. But there 
 was one place where it was faulty. Here is the 
 point in issue. 
 
 Scripture Lesson. 
 Anthem. 
 
 Talk to Children. 
 Prayer. 
 
 The minister found it very difficult to pass from 
 the talk to the children to the prayer. There was 
 more or less humor in the talk. A prayer for the 
 children might very well have followed, but the 
 service called for the general prayer. Probably the 
 explanation is this: The order has been compiled in 
 the days before the children’s sermons were cus- 
 tomary. Then it would be—Scripture Lesson, An- 
 them, Prayer. 
 
 But it was thought desirable to give a talk to the 
 children. It had to go in at some point, so it was 
 given the place following the anthem. How much 
 better to let it precede the second hymn. 
 
 The common practice seems to be to have the col- 
 lection before the sermon. The usual order is the 
 offering, a hymn, then the sermon. Some churches, 
 however, have the offering following the sermon. 
 
60 Church Administration 
 
 I found this practice in two such diversely different 
 churches in New York as the Church of the Divine 
 Paternity and an African Methodist church. The 
 minister of the latter church assures me that it is 
 the custom in the African Methodist churches. He 
 eleefully remarked that the colored brethren were 
 not afraid to put their preaching to the test while 
 the white brothers thought that the collection should 
 be taken before the sermon. 
 
 The closing of the service is as important as the 
 opening. Bulletins would indicate that more and 
 more the final hymn is being omitted, the benedic- 
 tion being pronounced immediately following the 
 sermon and prayer. The idea, of course, is to have 
 the service close in the spirit of the sermon. But, 
 on the other hand, hymns might be found which 
 would bolster up the sermon and reénforce its 
 message. 
 
 THE TECHNIQUE OF THE SERVICE 
 
 The above does not assume to be a study in church 
 liturgy. This is a volume of technique rather than 
 of worship. But there are many things which can 
 help to make the service worth while which would 
 come under the title of mechanics. These are the 
 things which help to make a church homelike. 
 
 It is rather necessary that the people know one 
 another. Artificial means must be resorted to many 
 times to bring this about. When a minister an- 
 nounces that he wishes everybody to shake hands 
 and make themselves friendly, he is doing the very 
 thing which will react against friendliness in sensi- 
 tive individuals. Besides, turning around and shak- 
 ing hands with a man because I am asked to does 
 not necessarily mean that I have friendly feelings 
 toward him. 
 
Making the Service Count 6] 
 —_—— 
 Here is where a good ushering system counts. 
 Frederick A. Wallis is right when he says that an 
 usher can make or break a church service for an 
 individual. The good usher will have an eye for 
 the stranger. He will see that he is given a good 
 place. He will secure his name and address which 
 in turn he will turn over to the minister. He will 
 introduce the stranger to some individual who will 
 be interested in him. This can be done and is being 
 done in many churches while in others the visitor or 
 communicant is just one more person in the service. 
 
 
 
 THE USHER 
 
 The church usher is really an important part of 
 the service. Men selected for the task should be 
 mature and should understand the nature of the 
 work. With many churches it is customary to use 
 young men for this work. This is fine, but at the 
 
 As a Guest to-day of 
 THE NORTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 We will appreciate it if you will kindly sign this card 
 and drop it in the contribution plate or hand it to an 
 usher or to the pastor. 
 
 Your name will then be recorded in our Guest Book, 
 which we hope will contain the name of every visitor 
 to our church. 
 
 A 
 a 
 < 
 0 
 eet 
 Yi 
 a) 
 =) 
 ) 
 
 
 
 head of the group there should be a man who can 
 instruct and direct them in their duties. Personally 
 I think that it is a task for the officers of the church. 
 They are the hosts at the service and should con- 
 sider themselves as such. 
 
 As an inducement to the ushers to consider 
 
62 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 their opportunities some churches have organized 
 ‘Ushers’ Associations.” These organizations are 
 social as well as technical in character, in some in- 
 stances taking the place of the men’s club or other 
 organization for men. But the major task is to 
 stress the importance of good ushering, to show how 
 
 
 
 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 West Main Street Independence, Iowa 
 
 Ushers’ Weekly Report 
 
 Attendance A.M. P.M. 
 
 
 
 | 
 North Section | 
 Middle Section | 
 
 South Section 
 
 
 
 Total Attendance 
 
 
 
 
 
 Assistant Ushers: 
 MESSE Staite ew cle Read aiale Ce Teint nian Hailes eeaneetetauacens 
 
 6. S 6 0.6. oR O 8 OO Se Oe Fae /e le eM. ee 91m Bie OD Clee e 0 4m 0 OS S18 wee 
 
 Sat batit im sacra settee TOD Pack th, wa leet ocaiiohel re ahous sve 
 (Signed) (44. o).4cces «alta ae hee ee ie Head Usher 
 
 it is done and to show the contribution the ushers 
 may make to the service. 
 
 The ushers should know all the members of the 
 congregation. Is it an impossible task? Not at all. 
 The minister knows them. Why not the usher who 
 stands at the door each Sunday? If he has this 
 knowledge he will be able to detect strangers. To 
 help the introduction of strangers some churches 
 have what is known as the “guest book.” (See page 
 61.) In this the visitors record their names and 
 addresses. Another form of this is the “guest 
 
Making the Service Count 63 
 
 
 
 card.” No matter which is used the idea provides 
 the minister and the church worker with material 
 for developing the congregation. 
 
 COUNTING THE CONGREGATION 
 
 More and more churches are finding it wise to 
 keep a record of the church attendance. Nothing 
 is so deceiving as trying to estimate the church at- 
 tendance unless one has some system for exactness. 
 The easiest way of getting the correct count is by 
 making it a duty of the ushers. For this purpose 
 blanks may be provided the ushers for each Sunday 
 of the year. On page 62 is the one which is used 
 by the Presbyterian church of Independence, Iowa, 
 and is suitable for the average-sized congregation. 
 A weather report is included with the other items 
 so that in making comparisons that factor may be 
 taken into consideration. 
 
 CALLING THE ROLL 
 
 It might be a fine thing if the churches could call 
 a roll at each service. Here and there we hear of 
 one that is doing it. Some mark those present on 
 a wall chart. For the most part this seems im- 
 practical and also undesirable. But it is possible 
 to keep a check on special services, such as the com- 
 munion service, and this is more and more being 
 used. 
 At the conclusion of the preparatory service the 
 old Scottish Church would give a “token” to each 
 one present. This was given up at the communion 
 service. It was an indication that the member was 
 prepared for the service. There may be some con- 
 nection between this and the “communion card’ of 
 to-day. It is an announcement sent out previous to 
 
64. Church Administration 
 
 
 
 the communion notifying of the time and requesting 
 attendance. The individual will bring the card to 
 the service and put it on the collection plate. In 
 the church office an attendance record is kept and 
 these cards are checked after each service. This 
 involves a card or some other kind of record. 
 
 The card sent out to the communicants may go 
 by mail or by a personal call. If the church has the 
 organization, a quarterly call by some official is 
 probably the best way. It keeps the matter from 
 becoming too mechanical. It keeps the addresses 
 up to date. There will be instances in which the call 
 will check up on sickness or discouragement where 
 the church or pastor should minister. But where 
 such an organization is not possible, the mail may 
 be used. 
 
 Two types of cards have been used. One is rather 
 complex, giving the attendance of the individual for 
 several communion seasons. It encourages regu- 
 larity in attendance and calls attention to the delin- 
 quency. The other is more simple. It is a plain 
 
 WALDEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 Buffalo, New York 
 
 The next communion service of this church will be held 
 Sunday morning at 10.45 o'clock. 
 
 If present please place this card on the collection plate so 
 that your attendance may be recorded. 
 
 
 
 card adapted for the name of the communicant 
 which may be put on with the addressing machine. 
 Above is the form which I have used. 
 
 A more elaborate form has the advantage of 
 giving the communicant a reminder if he has been 
 
Making the Service Count 65 
 
 
 
 amiss in his obligations, while it encourages him to 
 keep his record clean if he has been regular in his 
 attendance. Its disadvantage is that it entails a 
 considerable amount of bookkeeping to prepare the 
 duplicate set of cards. It is most effective when 
 used in connection with a personal call on the part 
 of some church official. 
 
 The author used this form for years, keeping a 
 duplicate for record in the church office. Finally 
 the simpler card was used in sending out the in 
 vitation while this form was kept as an office 
 record. 
 
 THE LORD’S SUPPER 
 
 First Presbyterian Church, Fairmont, W. Va. 
 ATTENDANCE RECORD OF MEMBERSHIP 
 
 “Do this in remembrance of me’’ 
 
 PEA, WE ea alee cS, b cytly- oe hee. k's olen c Glerhidrae yi eta ee diate Ma teah Oaleruic hee os aelghs aes 
 RUS RDS pN treks 8 is be aiscgeeoe ds GiGi Sid widuele Salata. £3 sto dN oe l< Bl acl ai ahel we eis hare 
 1) $e hi cd € Ot § See er Ghatraian toes ocgke acne ot tebenteiola s Auten 
 Communion 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 REMARKS 
 February PROBA Ses or Bae ¥, cia hale dase sie w ecapunn Pitan. Me 
 
 April RCCOM RE Bite ois, wae eC ae as | Meare Rete pee 
 
 June Dit SP anc, bs eS le 0 aU Son alae 
 
 Wctoperseeourthy, | esa Gents ic 
 
 eooe ee we tieie «6.6 2 e16 
 
 Mecembers sp Mitthy,. xt nc cue shelevs, tel kahers te eerie ety creas 
 
 Note—Kindly hand this card to usher at Church door on 
 Communion Sunday. 
 
 Members absent the entire year from the Lord’s Table with- 
 out satisfactory reasons are regarded by the Session as 
 delinquents. 
 
 Explanation—(P) Present; (A) Absent from the city; 
 (S) Sick; (E) Otherwise excused; (Blank) No record. 
 
 TRY TO HAVE A PERFECT RECORD 
 
66 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 FOLLOWING ABSENTEES 
 
 That minister is to be congratulated who can 
 locate his absentees. Rey. Andrew J. Purdy, of 
 Buffalo, sits at his desk Monday mornings and 
 writes in longhand postal cards to all those who 
 were absent from the service the day before. The 
 message is informal, It may be merely “We 
 missed you yesterday,” but it is mighty effective. 
 
 Another plan is to check the absentees and to have 
 a special card or letter sent on Monday morning. 
 A card like this mailed to absentees week after week 
 is sure to get results unless the person is alienated. 
 But in it all one must keep the personal touch and 
 not rely too much on machinery. The individual 
 note or the personal call is what counts when every 
 thing is said and done. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
67 
 
 Making the Service Count 
 
 usAvozyT Jo asduyy V 
 
 UdAeIFT JO 9}e4 OY L ZZ-O1 : 9% “Ud “LO 
 OFVT [eusoyy Sureyuy o€-gi :gI ayxNT “LN 
 WS SIFT pesidsoq nesy ce-S1:Ze {v€-le:Sz “uay “LO 
 UOS StH JO 31D §,PeD ge-1€ ‘Iz-91 :€ uyof “LN 
 weyeiqy jo sulsoy, ayy QI-I : 7% ‘Usy) *L'O HOUV YL 
 OIT snoszysry UL zé-41:¥ ‘Ydy “LN 
 wopos WOIfF WS SIoT Qz-S1:61 ‘Ud “L'O 
 ssuryL TAQ eT 61-9:9 “WIL I “L'N 
 WOpos JO sd10Y $40] QI-S :€1 ‘W9X “LO 
 sey uo sussjrq pue ssesuesjs QI-Q: 11 “q°z]T “LN 
 WIIZ[Iq ey} wWeiqy ¥-1 1 {O01-1:.2F U9) "EO AUVONdAYy 
 ssoupury jo Mey OL gt-4z:9 aN] “LN 
 ,dedeoy SJayjorg AjV,, CI-1:V ‘wy “LO 
 Yvig MON e4L gI-1:€ uyof “L'N 
 osIpeieg jsoT oy, Pz-1:€ Usy “L'O 
 sofdrosiq SILT OL 1S-S€:1 wYyof “LN 
 ueMOM, pue ue St PCL Gz-g1 6-4:% “UI “L'O 
 ysop,,y sweog ploMm ML QI-I:1I uyof “LN 
 uoleaiy jo umdzy OY :Zuruurseg 94} Ul €-1:3e ork acs); UO) AUVANVS 
 
 
 
 Z£1-6: 2 “Ady 
 
 LN 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 40a X ayy fo YIUoW 
 shurusopy KDpuns 
 
 Do a a rg a a ee 
 
 ‘sheq [eredg Joy pue sd1Areg Sulusaq 
 yes IOF UoTDITEG B OSTY—SdIAJOg BurmsJoW Yes OF Juouejsay, MON SY} PUP JUDUIE}SI J, 
 PIO 94} Wry UONIEIPG Y—IIA Iepus[eD 94} OF SeoatsS Yomnyy Uy ssuipesy oin}dii9g JO 
 
 AUAVNOILOUT V « 
 
istration 
 
 Church Admin 
 
 68 
 
 DAIOG JO ssouyesIn WY I 
 
 Cp-SE:01 Ye 
 
 “LN 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 puey poesiwoig 9y4} sulijuy VI-1:V enysof *L'O cz aNof 
 YOY oy} uo Surpying 6z-S1:4 ‘WeW “LN 
 pouoisstmwm0y) enysof 0-1. Ten yso [st IZ 
 WSJ POOL) syL Q-I:v WIL Z “LN 
 sosopWT JO WIeVIq 94] ZI-I: VE -jIneg. TO 0z 
 NY Uspjoy sy Visi fe MENS TN 
 MET DUIAIG IL IZ-1=0%_ Shpoxay “LO 61 
 wopsuryy SIFT ISIN 49S b€-61:9 ‘HRI “L'N 
 AIOPIA BIS PAY IL I1€-g: VI snpoxy “L'O QI AVIA 
 Jokelg spsioy oy QI-1:9 ‘NeW “LN 
 esepuog WO] sdUeIIATIEG IY L zb-6z :Z1 Snpoxy “LO 7 
 solmouy INOX dAO'T Qr-SE.:S “We LN 
 ysng suring ey, sI-1:€ snpoxy *L'O gt 
 Mey jenysids oy Zf-Z1 Shep, * LN 
 sosopy JO Yyg GI-I1:2 snpoxy “L’'O SI 
 sopniyesgq oy, QI-1:S ew LN 
 UMOUY JOswMIF, soyxey Ydesof OI-1:SP [Pf-g1: Vy ‘Usy *L'C VI 
 AISIUIP, STIFF sursegq snsof Gz-Z1:V ‘HeW LN 
 ydAsy fo AoJoorA Ydosof £S-6€ : 1b ‘u2y “LO €1 Tad y 
 snsof Jo uornedwoy II-I:V “He LN 
 yd@hSq OJUI pjog ydoasof Of-€1:ZE. “Ue “LO ZI 
 soyseoig ysydeq oy} uyof ZI-I:€ ‘WHEW LN panurjuo7y 
 ydesof JO weoiq sy II-1:Z€ ‘usy *L'O II HOUV] 
 (penupu0g) AYVNOILOAI V BE eS pee e pr 
 
 
 
69 
 
 Making the Service Count 
 
 
 
 uog [esIporg aL 
 
 wojesqy Joao JuoWeT s praeg 
 onsoseudsg oy} ul snsof 
 
 asnoT]T S.pioy ou} pling 0} sesodoig praed 
 VAO'T SI VSoyT, JO yso}yeoIy, YL, 
 poseyy synesg pue sao7T sueyyeuof 
 YeWOIIIAG, yey} O,, 
 
 See ee te Biaeey 
 
 piser] SOsuOs set 
 
 Surly peyulouy pred 
 
 ysey 9} Ul Ie1IS SY, 
 
 SUIy. poyulouy [Nes 
 
 (SAeSLQ 912 Jey} ssulyy, IL, 
 (Ours e sn OATY),» 
 
 aqidway, ey} ur snsef ply) UL 
 g[dwiaT, 34} Ul jonues 
 
 JSOAIeFT pue pseg 
 
 Jouegy ey} yiny 
 
 osniy Joyseqe[y ey L 
 
 YNy jo vuorjoasgg ef L 
 
 wads ay} JO pIOMmMS ey L 
 
 <MOIpIy JO pue p1OT 9} JO p1oMmg YL, 
 YIOAA UeIsIIYD Ul sseIn0d 
 asessoyy yseT s,enyso[ 
 
 cl-11:SI syn T “LN 
 €£-6:Q1 “wes Z LO 
 oOf-91:V axNT “LN 
 
 OISn 2 WES. 2 0) 
 
 CT-Is ere JO Fe 1 EN 
 QI-I:gI ‘weg TI *L'O 
 Zech GTO TN 
 
 oS-ze ‘11-V: 241 “weg 1° 
 gb-Ve : ze “WRN OLN 
 
 CI=P Ors WUeCA TS 
 €c-1:2 ‘VWeEW LN 
 
 pz-Z1'1 01 {¥z-St +6 wes ILO 
 ge-S1 :2z HCL OLN 
 
 Oz-91 ‘zI-V:g ‘weg I ‘LO 
 zS-oV :% 94NT LN 
 
 Ole Ee Cewecst= 150) 
 Si-7:Q a49nT “L'N 
 
 ez OL Siedi=Ie Ye IO 
 oS-9£: 4 o4xN'T “LN 
 
 Gist ieee. © 
 
 oz-01:9 ‘Ydy “LN 
 
 zz-gi {6-1:4 saspnf “LO 
 cb-bz: 01 ‘He LN 
 vI-1:€z enysof “LO 
 
 
 
 isnoay 
 
 Isnony 
 
 ATO[ 
 
 panuyuos 
 aNOf 
 
 Se ee aes mR PD ad aA ocak A Ao Seen las Ss, Dee Sa a IRA OD SO Ss ne 
 
 (penunu0d)) ANVNOILOAT V 
 
 SET Fe IRI EEL EE a I SS EO IR art ree O oge aptetpnremetnag © Sine 1 
 
 Ava Xf ay} fo 
 shuimusopy Kppuny 
 
 YqU0 
 
sa se e-em cena eumeEn Penman marae erp ES EE ee ee 
 
 uorjeInSsYysuely, oJ, S¥-9z :6 ayn] “LN 
 Jo}eeIy AYT, Jaquiewioy VI-I:2I [01 ‘6:11 ‘sapd9q “LC oF 
 «P]HOD P4S YM PU0d WH eys,, 6-1: 1 HIP LN 
 UPUIOAA IIGON oy If-O1 5 1€ *AoIg “LO cP 
 ULC}PIEWILS POOr) sq J, LE-SZ:O1 SANT “LN 
 jsnf ay} JO Yleg 9 Le-S:¥ “AOIg *L'O bP YaCWAAON 
 Wopsulyy 24} JO sojqeieg go-by “SE-16 2% Hee 
 & WOPsIAA JO ACAA JUL OZ-15 € SOLA") ev 
 ake ssoupeysI My APMY ING ZI-I:% Jo}oq I *L'N 
 = dYL esNUy si9UUIS JT €z-£31 “AOIG “LO zh 
 2 ws] OUP Ur ae gf-oc 21 uyot “LN 
 =| Puno SI WOpsIAA sIOU ge “€Z-1: 92 Gof *L'O IV 
 i UdIIP[IyD 2y} pue snsof SI-€1:61 5Q-1:Q1 ‘He “L'N 
 ae Sury, Aog oy} ‘yersof c€-02 ‘OI-I : VE ‘wolyD Z ‘L'O ov YALOLIO 
 < snsof jo uoIsusdsy ou, vI-9:1 SPY “LN 
 a uoljEsuely, syelya art -& SSuly] 21-7) = 6 
 = I3}qnoq 94} sewoyy, 6z-61 :0z UYyOf *T'N 
 a= se1E todiunf 94} Jopun yefya QI-I1: 61 ssury I“ L'O ge 
 UO SIa[NY 8Y4} pue s9}9g IZ-I1:V spy “LN 
 qeyy pue yelyy £-1: 21 [¥€-0F :O1 s8ury I “LO LE 
 JhJHnvag 33eD sy L OI-1:€ spy “LN 
 gdwetT suowojog jo uonespsaq O€-zI:g ssury I ‘L'O of 
 por) JO Jomog pue wopsiAA 94} 3STIYD VE-L7 5 1 207) 21. TN 
 WOPSI\\ JO} porn syse uoWO]OS SI-0€ Shuts iO se waa N ALIAS 
 terre enna ne en pow seereeae op einen orden ane et ee 
 S (penujuc)) ANVNOLLOAT V paulion irsentoas Cae 
 
 a Se ama ee ea a Tc Ce AT EE BM NIE Ne tS 
 
71 
 
 Making the Service Count. 
 
 Nea ee ee ae SR AS ATRL RR (ET SE I IST I IN . 
 
 ysIIyD JO UoHepAUT SUL of-0z : 11 ‘He “L'N 
 UOIEPAUT snopes oJ, Cr-1:S5S qeresy “LO zs 
 <AeM 0} GIO S904) PO) JO UO 3YLI,, QI-1:61 ‘Ady “LN 
 UOIZ JO DdURIDATTAC: OY, Gi coe UCleSt Te) 1S 
 UOISSdJUOr) }eIIN) IYI, Qc-E1: 91 “HE “LN 
 PplOWPIOW YeIssayy QI-I: zh yeresy “L'O oS 
 soypoNy sqeyoievssuy) sy, 1z-g:€ ‘ydy “LN 
 Axrojyy ssapyryeJT $,POH 1€-6: 0b Yeresy “LO oY 
 yywe,y Ino sseatouy 61-$:Z1 9ynNT “LN 
 Wosso[g ][VYS SseutepIIM e4L OI-1:S€ yeresy “LO QV waa N AIA 
 ysea,q yeory sy L be-£:V1 axNT “LN panuyuoy 
 pesimoig JotoAted 941 Q-1:Z1 {6-1:11 Yyeresy “LO LV aaa WN AAO NT 
 
 
 
 ee a re ee ee  _ aries astm nURRCASaURERI-05-sak ANTES URINE ENG aa SE ES AEE ETE Ea 
 
 (penunu0g) AYVNOLLOAT V Pg a ett ng pe 
 
 a a ar nan CEE OP a I rere nen nea 
 
inistration 
 
 ° 
 
 Church Adm 
 
 Be 
 
 
 
 eee 
 
 BAIIS jsayquinzy oy y, 41-1 :€1 uyor zz ann f 
 «SUSaf 9dS P[NOAA 3AA,, g€-oz :z1 uyof IZ . 
 proydays pooy oy] QI-I:O1 uyof 0z 
 eT NOX oyeyT [[eYS yy, oyy 4y-1€:g uyor 61 
 PIFOM 94} FO 1YSIT OUT, of-c1 :g uyof QI AVIN 
 OJIT JO peoig ouy or-Zz:9 uyof “I 
 eIIeUeS JO URWIOMA OUT Qz-S :¥ uyor oi 
 OJUL}) Peto]sIUlpy 9q 0} JON Sp-SE:O1 ysIepy SI 
 sneyooe7 OI-1:61 ayn] VI 
 Jahel J VI-I: QI ayny eI TWddy 
 SHICZeT pue soAIq I€-61 :Q1 ayn T ZI 
 sUINN pue AJUIN OY OI-1:SI ayn 7] II 
 INOIAeG A[TMOT ayy ZQ-9V:6 oyNnT OI 
 URI JOF epepy yYeqqes oyZ Qc-V1 iz ysleyy 6 HOV] 
 Sajdiostq] sty Joy aakerg  snsaf 0221 21 Uu0f. 8 
 éPOD FO Ue e TTL 8I-g :€ Tyoepeyy 4 
 sUIA INIT, oy, sini Sd UO 9 
 sulssajq Jo AAA oYT Q-£ 59 [2-173 Yeo S AUV NUIT 
 P2qnoryT, oq jzedz_T INOX JON PT SI=1-Vi-uyol v 
 souog Atq jo Aajea o4y VIFT SLE "Oza o 
 Pug log ue oy, Sf-1:6 uyof z 
 pewsepsy Uuorz jo ALOT) oY], fe-QI “LI-1:. 09-1 eresy I AUVANV[ 
 
 
 
 
 
 ee ga ne ge SR Oe a ee 
 
 40a X ayy fo 
 shuiuaagq Kppunsy Y4quUo jy 
 to ea Oe 
 HOIATHS ONINGAD 
 
 
 
73 
 
 Making the Service Count 
 
 
 
 JpeskyL OF poy A2L 
 
 SIT FO UsIpIYyD 
 
 ISD YM wasry 
 
 WMI se ssulyy, Jaasoszey 
 9UO}S-I9UIOD Joly 9Y} 31IYD 
 AytaqryT suensiyy oy L 
 
 Youreljsuoy sly JO VAOT oY], 
 
 poy YUM Joyjesoy, stoioqey 
 Aylueysiyy peoyoes1g 
 
 JO JAC] 9Y} Woy Sn ozetedag ]jeyS o4M 
 e4sity9] por) JO Sipeyy pue udap[iyD 
 }sIIYD JO Jadsor) 9y} Jo poweysy JON 
 QUIOY 3e [eALIIy syneg 
 
 snssydy Ul JOR 8yL 
 
 susy}y Ul saypeoig jneg 
 
 UOSIIg UI SejIg pue [neg 
 
 edoinq our Jedsoy oy} sursisre) 
 UOSIIG WO} VdIULIDAT[Iq S Jo}Ig 
 OST Sofuey 9Y} JoF Jadsoyn sy] 
 snoseweq }e UOISIaAUOD Snes 
 ,deyS AW pso7,, 
 
 Belehore vse iets) 
 
 J3}IOJWOD) JoyouUY 
 
 
 
 
 
 Olsen Vw Lal SV 
 be-S :S ‘ssoyy, I vv wad WN AAON 
 Liste CeeiOc) ev 
 €1-1:7 ‘diyyg cv 
 Ze-O1 iz “dy IV 
 Qe-E11 2S “yes or aALOLIO, 
 ST=1h. Se JOR} c 6¢ 
 ¢e-0.5 £5507) <1 ge 
 1Z-I: ZI “WO Ze 
 6€-72:Q “Woy gf 
 QI-1:Q ‘Woy ce aAWALCIS 
 OZ-I : 1 “WO ve 
 1£-Z1I 392 SPV ce 
 Iv-1z:61 Spy Ze 
 vE-g1 : 41 spy I¢ LSQDNY 
 ob-Sz:9gI spy of 
 €I-I:Q1 spYy 6z 
 Zi-I<zl spy QZ 
 QI-I1:11 spy lz 
 Oz-1:6 spy QZ ATO 
 ze-v : 12 wyoe cz 
 OP-gc : QI uYyol vz panurjuoy 
 Zz-S1:V1 uyot €z aNof 
 4pa X ayy fo 
 
 (penunu0d) AOIANMAS DNINAAG 
 
 shuuaagd ppuns yuo 
 
inistration 
 
 Church Adm 
 
 74 
 
 _— eee" 
 
 twayesntof MIN oy S-1. 2o-fLS-2S “bol 1S “AO ZS 
 
 UIAVITT UI pousdg 400g VY $1-6:S (11-1: h ‘aay 1S 
 
 spo99q Aq umMoYS yey Oz-I:% sowef oS 
 
 por) JO suos P2-91 ‘E-1.:€ uyof 1 6V 
 u2s20g JON SsUIT, JO souRINSsy 9Y} Wey Oiei-- 12-day) QV wad WAAC 
 II YSiPT jean 9p OI=t-. k= "doy7 Ly panurjuo7y 
 por) jo pasoiddy aq 0} Apnis OieI= ces QV Yad W AAO N 
 (penupu0g) FOIANAS ONINGAA Ucn aa 
 
 a ee met ee Sinaees Hee batt. 
 
a ca ee i ee 
 
 rn | 
 = AyIOGIT JO MET ONL iz-L1:1 sowef “LN 
 PleyS pue djayy e& ploy oy L gi-6 ‘€-1: S11 “Sq “L’O AVC ,SiaHIviaIoy 
 II aqeyeodsuy) oyL S1-1:6 “10 2 “LN 
 ADIDY $,poy OF syueYyL gi-1: 401 ‘Sq “L’'O AVG ONIAISSUNVH L 
 poaoidayy suresy ysnfug Oz-1:S sowef “IN 
 SIOYIOAA JOF ALG We] II-1:S1r ‘neq “L'O AVG ¥wodvyT 
 re yueq jo yduniy on ob-bz:11 “PE “LN 
 5 Auuesi£], WO, vsdUeIOATIG oz-11:44 ‘Sq “L’O HIuNOy Ataf 
 2 Suissojq jeysoosjuIg 9 J, ey iV iz ‘gI-1 72 Spy “LN 
 < «P10T 2} Yes Gisidg Au Aq,, OI-1:¥ “Y9Z7 “L'O AVONOASLIN 
 2 Ayyejiowwy uo sung {S-SO 3ST 10-7 T TN 
 ‘s ,f UIST St OH,, OI-1:g2 “He LN UALS VA 
 R uorxyonIy WY L 7S-S€: Ze “We LN 
 Yeissopy SulIoyNS sy ZI-1:£S Yyeresy “LO Avdla,J moor 
 r quo, weprey Oy o9-48 :4e “NEW “LN eee eS 
 = st aed erst Se gS-9€ 9% “HRW .L'N ” ” at 
 oO gaddng yseq ayy ‘yedereg OL Oz-1 79% “HEIN “LN r eta 
 A s}eory oy} puke days o4L gv-1€ saz “HW LN ” ” “POM 
 4 soostieyg oy} pue snsof ZI-I :€e fov-We :ee CHRP OLN ~ . ‘sonL 
 S DUOTY SSdIg UIA, 94} Surpeossy, o1-Z ‘f-1 £9 Yeresy “LO Josey s10foq “UOT 
 a MaaM\ ATOLL 
 «plAeq jo uog 94} 0} euUeSsOTy,, II-1 °12 “He LN 
 uyewoy uoneajes AY} ployed, ZI-g:z9 Yeresy “LO AvaNAS WIvg 
 JoFrT ANOZX st yum Z1-9:¥ sowef "LN 
 ooiqnf jo sea sy, 6I-97S2 “Aey “LO AVG Sxavaz MAN 
 
 ei apa Vn ane nnn ON ae 
 
 SAVC IVIDUdS HOA SNOILOATUS 
 
 
 
10m 
 
 Inistrat 
 
 Church Adm 
 
 76 
 
 *SIOYSTY 
 
 -qnd 9} jo uorssimisd Aq 10 posn st iy ‘ssoIg wNIZTIG oy Aq poystqnd ‘aawysnaypr younyy 4n0o x 
 ayDpy ‘yooq ywoosor siy’ ur sreodde pue sprempy “ET sopseys oye] oy} Aq opeut sea JuowosSuerse sy, » 
 
 UdIP[IYD oY} Sassopq ysrIyD Cr-€1 61 for “S-1: gr ‘Nel “L'N 
 
 Z se anes Ss Jyiey. V VI-I1:7 ‘AOIg “L’O AVC S,NaudTIHY 
 Weayy JOOP. POL 1S-1V 3% 99Ny “LN 
 
 «Pessaq Jy [[eQ—useIpyiyD J9p,, 1€-br 2 1f “AoiIg °L:O AVC SMAIHLOY 
 YWey JO saosoTyT ob-b2 211 ‘q2TT “LN 
 
 SYIOM SNOTIAIL SI Joquiswisyy Of-2eZ1-9 OL UID I-70 Avq ‘TIvlMowajy 
 vOISTA Sproydoys sy, 02-3 :z O4NT LN 
 
 aovag JO sdULIg oy], [2S OveresiTe*7O SVNISINHD) 
 
 
 
 (penunu0d) SAV IVIDAdS NOA SNOILOATAS 
 
CHAPTER 5 
 
 TESTED PROGRAMS FOR SUNDAY 
 EVENINGS 
 
 To the average minister the Sunday evening 
 service offers a tremendous problem. ‘The congre- 
 gation responds to the formal morning service but 
 people to-day are not “repeaters.” ‘There must be 
 some feature to draw them out for the evening 
 service. In many parts of the country the evan- 
 gelistic appeal still has a tremendous gripping 
 power. One cannot study the work of George W. 
 Truett in Dallas, Texas; of George Stuart in Birm- 
 ingham, Alabama, or of I. M. Haldeman in New 
 York without realizing that there is a tremendous 
 appeal in impassioned revival preaching. This is 
 important enough to have a complete chapter de- 
 voted to it. 
 
 In this chapter we are concerned with unusual 
 programs which have brought results. It is diffi- 
 cult to give credit to the source of these plans. Like 
 most other things successful plans grow. Some 
 of them I have used in my own work, others have 
 been used by ministers I know, but all have proved 
 their worth. I have chosen them from various 
 sources that there might be a broad selection— 
 something for big churches, something for small 
 churches and something for churches in between. 
 
 THE QUESTION BOX 
 
 This is an old plan but it still works. Dr. James 
 L. Gordon, in his great church in San Francisco, 
 77 
 
78 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 has found it one of the ways to secure large crowds. 
 He announced important themes but the people did 
 not come. He offered to answer the questions that 
 any might care to ask. The result was an im- 
 mediate increase in attendance. 
 
 There are two ways of working this scheme. One 
 way is to have the questions handed in before the 
 sermon and to answer them at the close of the 
 service. This requires considerable originality of 
 thought and wide information. Dr. S. Parkes 
 Cadman has built up a tremendous radio audience 
 through this method. Very few men, however, 
 have his faculty for quick repartee and answers. 
 So for most of us the second method is the better. 
 It consists of receiving the questions when the offer- 
 ing is being received. At the close of the sermon 
 they are read with the announcement that they will 
 be answered the following Sunday evening. The 
 time for answering is before the offering is received 
 so that the people may through the answers think 
 of questions for the next week. In some instances 
 it may be necessary to put in several suggestive 
 questions to get things started and to show the 
 type of questions which will bring the best results. 
 Properly handled, the question box will bring 
 results. 
 
 THE SONG SERMON 
 
 In its first state this is a very simple and yet 
 effective service. It consists of a sermon which is 
 interspersed with songs. There are some music 
 publishing houses which make a specialty of this 
 sort of thing. They provide a complete Sunday 
 evening program, consisting of a specially written 
 
Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 79 
 
 
 
 story into which special selections for the choir have 
 been adapted. Most of the selections are very 
 simple so that they are suitable for the untrained 
 choir in the smallest church. I still recall with pleas- 
 ure the rendering of “The Missionary Doctor of 
 Labrador” in one of these song services, which I 
 believe was published by Tullar-Meredith. 
 
 But it is a simple matter to improvise one based 
 upon an attractive story or to write your own story 
 if you want the thing entirely original. At the close 
 of this chapter I have placed one of my own at- 
 tempts at this to show how it is done. In this plan 
 the congregation as well as the choir had a part. 
 They were eager to enjoy it. Mr. F. W. Barton, 
 who at that time edited The Expositor, wrote me 
 that he considered it a tremendous plea for applied 
 Christianity. 
 
 ECHO SINGING 
 
 We must credit Dr. W. L. Stidger for the origi- 
 nality of “echo singing.” Let him tell what it is. 
 
 “We station in some part of the church one of 
 our young lady soprano singers. ‘The audience 
 does not see her. She may be hidden, say, in the 
 gallery. In another part of the church, downstairs, 
 an alto singer is hidden, in another part a bass, and 
 in another a tenor. 
 
 “Our leader announces a hymn. For illustration, 
 it may be ‘Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour.’ He 
 says to the audience, ‘I want the audience to sing 
 on the choruses. I have arranged for the singing 
 On bhie-vyenses: ..:. 
 
 “The organ plays the opening chords of that 
 beautiful verse: 
 
80 Church Administration 
 pp ae ec ara) i EA NEE RTS) ES 
 
 
 
 “*Pass me not, O gentle Saviour. 
 9 
 
 “Then suddenly, far away, like some sweet elf 
 
 in a woodland, comes the alto voice on the plaintive ), 
 
 prayer hymn. Sung beautifully, it melts into tears” 
 and subdues the heart to reverence. Then, at last, 
 the faint notes of the hidden soloist die away and 
 the great audience swings into the chorus as if the 
 angels themselves were leading.” 
 
 Then in turn, according to this scheme, the other 
 soloists, each from a different location, sing the 
 verses. It is indeed a fascinating, a pleasing, fea- 
 ture of the service. 
 
 THE’ ART NIGHT JSERVICE 
 
 Any service which features art or music, in ad- 
 dition to drawing good congregations, has the added 
 virtue of appealing to the finer instincts of man- 
 hood. The church need offer no apologies for giv- 
 ing people a love of good music or art. James 
 Elmer Russell in the North Presbyterian Church, 
 Binghamton, New York, has used very successfully 
 what he calls his Art Night Service. What this 
 really is, is a combination of music and art. He 
 chooses a topic which can be illustrated by a re- 
 ligious painting. Then some art store is asked to 
 lend a copy of the picture for the service. This 
 courtesy is, of course, acknowledged in the church 
 bulletin. The picture is placed on the platform 
 where a bright light will illuminate it while the 
 other lights in the auditorium are dimmed. 
 
 The entire service is arranged to fit the topic 
 revealed in the picture. For instance, this is the 
 

 
 Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 
 
 program used when the picture chosen was Hof- 
 mann’s “Christ and the Rich Young Ruler.” 
 
 ee 
 
 f—~ 
 
 ie 
 
 Se aS ae 
 
 Organ Prelude—Handel’s “Largo” and 
 the “Berceuse’ by Jocelyn. 
 
 Hymn—“O Happy Day that Fixed My 
 Choice’ (Choir and Congregation). 
 
 Scripture Reading—Mark 10: 17-22. 
 
 Tenor Solo and Quartette—“The Wayside 
 Cross.” 
 
 Prayer. 
 
 Hymn—‘“Knocking, Knocking.” 
 
 Offertory—‘‘Traumerei,” by Schumann. 
 
 Hymn—“I Met the Good Shepherd” 
 (Sung as a contralto solo). 
 
 Lights dimmed and picture illuminated. 
 
 Hymn—‘“O Jesus, Thou Art Standing” 
 (Organ with French Horn as solo 
 stop). 
 
 . Interpretation of the picture by the pastor. 
 
 Hymn—‘“I Gave My Life for Thee” 
 (Sung as soprano solo). 
 
 . Hymn—‘“Almost Persuaded” (Organ 
 
 with Harp as solo stop). 
 
 Auditorium Lighted. 
 
 Hymn—“O the Bitter Shame and Sor- 
 row” (Choir and Congregation). 
 
 Benediction (After which the chimes will 
 play “Softly and Tenderly Jesus is 
 Calling’). 
 
 Organ Postlude—“Postlude in D,” 
 Harris. 
 
 This type of service lends itself very well to 
 special days and seasons. Here is another one of 
 
 Sl 
 
82 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 Mr. Russell’s arrangements, suitable for Mother’s 
 Day. 
 
 The subject of this service is “God’s Sympathy 
 and Care Like Those of a Mother,” Isaiah 66: 13. 
 
 I. Organ Prelude. Old Time Melodies— 
 “Home, Sweet Home” (French Horn as 
 solo stop), “Silver Threads Among the 
 Gold” (Gemshorn as solo stop), “Just 
 a Song at Twilight” (Harp as solo 
 stop). 
 
 2. Mother’s God—“Nearer, My God, to 
 Thee” (Choir and Congregation). 
 
 3- Mother’s Church—‘The Church in the 
 Wildwood” (Organ chimes). 
 
 4. Mother’s Prayer Life—“In the Secret of 
 His Presence” (Sung as a contralto 
 solo). 
 
 5. Pastoral Prayer. 
 
 6. Mother’s Saviour—‘There Were Ninety 
 and Nine (Baritone solo). 
 
 7. Mother’s Bible—‘How Firm a Founda- 
 tion” (Choir and Congregation), 
 
 8. Offertory—“How Dear to My Heart are 
 the Scenes of My Childhood” (Organ 
 with Vox Humana as solo stop). 
 
 9. Mother’s Peace—‘‘Peace, Peace, Wonder- 
 ful Peace” (Quartette). 
 
 Io. Mother’s Heaven—“I Will Sing You a 
 Song of that Beautiful Land.” 
 
 II. Sermon. 
 
 12. “Tell Mother I’ll be There” (Baritone solo 
 with the quartette singing the chorus). 
 
 13. Mother’s Guide—‘He Leadeth Me” 
 (Choir and Congregation). 
 
Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 83 
 
 
 
 14. Chimes—‘O That My Saviour Were 
 Your Saviour, Too.” 
 
 15. Organ Postlude—Improvisation on “The 
 Sweet By and By.” 
 
 DRAMA AND DRAMA PREACHING 
 
 A perfectly legitimate plan for a Sunday evening 
 service is to use it for the giving of Bible dramatiza- 
 tions. This plan not alone provides an entertain- 
 ment feature but it also has the advantage of en- 
 listing the services of several people to take part in 
 the productions. Various publishing houses are 
 now putting out volumes of Bible and Missionary 
 plays which lend themselves to this service. The 
 costuming and stage setting may be somewhat of a 
 problem but with ingenuity the leader will find a 
 way without much expense. If a person can be 
 found who has the ability to organize these dramas, 
 it might well be made a regular feature of church 
 work. The leader could organize a class in dra- 
 matics which would supply the Sunday evening 
 service with a drama one night each month. 
 
 A much simpler affair is the drama sermon. 
 Many ministers have found this effective. In this 
 the minister usually takes all the parts. It has tre- 
 mendous possibilities. If any one has listened to 
 Professor Soares, of Chicago, give his wonderful 
 dramatic interpretation of Elijah, using just the 
 words of the authorized version, he cannot doubt 
 the inspiration possible through this kind of service. 
 Here also it is possible for the minister to secure 
 prepared dramas. As a rule, however, he will find 
 it to his advantage to use those of his own con- 
 struction. 
 
84 Church Administration 
 NT 
 
 Here are a few simple rules which will help him 
 in the production. 
 
 I, Divide the drama into acts and scenes, avoid- 
 ing terms such as incidents and episodes which 
 modern theatergoers do not understand. 
 
 2. Have as few divisions as possible. It is easier 
 to follow a one-act play when there is but one actor 
 than to follow several acts. 
 
 3. Use the words of the Scriptures as far as 
 possible. Don’t slang the majestic phrases of the 
 authorized version. 
 
 4. Interpret as you go along so that the congre- 
 gation will find it easy to follow the story. 
 
 A good story to begin with is The Good Samari- 
 tan as so many phrases are already formed for you 
 in the Bible. As an illustration of the possibilities 
 in this story, take this excerpt from a drama-sermon 
 based on the story. You will recall the verse, 
 “While he was yet afar off, his father saw him.” 
 This is the way it is put in the drama sermon. 
 
 Father: It is easy for the mouth to say forget. 
 But the heart remembers. He is my son. I would 
 have him again in my home. I think of him as the 
 little lad who loved his father so well. Pray to 
 forget? Nay, I pray rather that he may come back. 
 I would hear his voice again saying, “Father.” 
 
 (Father sees a moving figure in the distance. ) 
 
 Father: Steward, come here. 
 
 Steward: I am here, sir. 
 
 Father: Do you see yonder form? 
 
 Steward: Yes, sir. 
 
 Father: What do you make out? 
 
 Steward: It is a man walking and reeling, 
 Drunken or perhaps another refugee from the 
 
Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 85 
 famine-stricken east. We will feed him, sir, as we 
 have the others. Your son has given that order. 
 
 Father: Do you see anything familiar in that man 
 as he draws nearer? 
 
 Steward: No, I never saw him before. 
 
 Father: Look again, steward. Watch those arms, 
 that head. He looks this way. Steward, is not that 
 my sone 
 
 Steward: I do see some resemblance now that it 
 is mentioned. 
 
 Father: It is he. It is he. I must hurry to him. 
 
 (The father hurries down the road. The refugee 
 stops and looks at him with amazement. The father 
 falls on his neck and kisses him.) 
 
 Younger Son: Father, I have sinned against 
 heaven and in thy sight. I am no more worthy to 
 be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired 
 servants. 
 
 Father: Steward, bring forth the best robe and 
 put it on him. 
 
 Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet: 
 Bring the fatted calf and kill it. 
 
 Let us eat and be merry. 
 
 For this my son was dead and is alive again. 
 He was lost and is found. 
 
 Rev. Perry J. Stackhouse, D.D., of the First Bap- 
 tist Church, Chicago, Illinois, adds to the effective- 
 ness of his drama sermons by having the list of 
 characters and the synopsis of the play printed in 
 the Sunday calendar. Here is one in his series on 
 Joseph as it appears in his announcement. 
 
86 Church Administration 
 a i mC 
 
 Religious Drama—‘“Joseph’s Dreams Come True” 
 CHARACTERS 
 
 
 
 
 
 Joseph 
 
 Asenath, Wife of Joseph 
 
 Setna, Steward of Joseph’s House 
 Jacob, Father of Joseph 
 
 Simeon 
 
 rege Brothers of Joseph 
 Benjamin 
 
 Pharaoh, Ruler of Egypt 
 Charioteer 
 
 Scene I. The Stars Make Obeisance to Joseph 
 (Place, a room in the palace of J oseph. Time, second 
 year of the seven-year famine. Joseph and his wife, 
 Asenath, are talking together.) 
 
 Scene II, The Famine in Canaan 
 (Place, Hebron, Land of Canaan, home of Jacob and 
 his sons. Time, third year of the seven-year famine. 
 The grain brought from Egypt has been eaten up and 
 the household of Jacob is facing starvation. ) 
 
 Scene III, God Moves in a Mysterious Way 
 (The sons of Jacob arrive in Egypt and are brought 
 to the house of Joseph. They fear that they will either 
 be killed or sold as slaves. As Joseph enters the room 
 for the second time they bow down before him with 
 their faces to the earth.) 
 
 THE FORUM 
 
 The plan of the forum is to introduce subjects 
 of social and religious interest. The speaker usually 
 comes from outside and is an authority on the sub- 
 ject. Following his address the meeting is thrown 
 open sometimes for discussion and sometimes 
 merely for questions. This gives an opportunity to 
 discuss popular subjects and stimulates thinking. 
 There are dangers to such meeting. The danger 
 usually lies in the extremist who takes advantage 
 to proclaim his particular “ism.” He ought to be 
 put out, but to eject him would defeat the very pur- 
 pose of the meeting. Curbs may be put on him by 
 
Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 87 
 
 ET 
 
 
 
 ——_—— 
 
 allowing each speaker but two minutes and allow- 
 ing him to speak but twice on any one subject. 
 This plan of service might find wide use in certain 
 communities. 
 
 Rev. Raymond Edward Little tells in a recent 
 ‘ssue of Church Management of the plan of organi- 
 zation of the Open Forum in the Valverde Com- 
 munity Church of Denver, Colorado. 
 
 “The Open Forum of this church is directed by 
 a committee of men who represent the business, 
 professional and laboring classes. This committee 
 selects the speakers and directs the program. In it 
 are men of every religious belief, including Catho- 
 lics. The officers are a president, vice-president and 
 secretary-treasurer, chosen by a vote of the mem- 
 bership. Our meetings are held each Sunday eve- 
 ning at 6.30, and all seats are free; also very 
 important is the fact that no offering or collection 
 is taken during the session. Every man or woman 
 who joins the Open Forum pays fifty cents, the dues 
 for one year, which very nicely carries our expenses. 
 
 “No side of any question is advocated by the 
 Open Forum, hence during the month of October 
 speakers representing the Republican, Democratic, 
 Independent and Socialist parties addressed the 
 Forum. At some of the meetings different party 
 representatives appeared in a debate. 
 
 “Some of the Forum meetings are purely of an 
 entertaining nature, when moving pictures are 
 
 shown. Usually the pictures shown are selected 
 from some subject of special interest to the workers 
 of this city. The best speakers of the city, state, 
 and nation have appeared on our Open Forum pro- 
 eram this season, such as, Mayor Stapleton of 
 
 Denver, Governor Morley of Colorado, United 
 
88 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 States Senator Rice W. Means of Colorado, Dr. 
 William P. Shriver of New York City, and others. 
 
 “Leading doctors of this city have been given 
 the floor to explain their healing art. At other times 
 local debates are planned, the question debated being 
 something of vital interest to the people who live 
 and work in this community. The officials of the 
 Colorado State Federation of Labor have appeared 
 on the Forum platform, and were given free rein 
 in explaining unionism. On the other hand, repre- 
 sentatives of capital have also addressed the Forum 
 concerning their problems and troubles. 
 
 “At the close of each address one has the oppor- 
 tunity of asking the speaker any question he desires 
 on the subject talked about. Or if a person does 
 not care to ask a question he himself may talk three 
 minutes on the subject. Free discussion and demo- 
 cratic thinking will always take care of a wrong 
 philosophy.” 
 
 MAKING THE AUTOMOBILES OF SERVICE 
 
 The First Presbyterian Church of Oneida, N. Y., 
 has for years conducted services in near-by com- 
 munities. The people of the church are encouraged 
 to take their automobiles and attend the service. 
 During the pastorate of the author at Alden, New 
 York, once a month we moved the entire congrega- 
 tion to Crittenden, three miles away, to help the 
 service there. A special committee was appointed 
 to promote the attendance. Automobiles were pro- 
 vided for all who would go and as a result more 
 people attended that service than those which were 
 held in the home church, 
 
 
 
Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 89 
 
 BOOK SERMONS 
 
 The “book sermon” is a sermon in which the 
 lesson is based on a book, a worth-while method 
 which has been used in the largest of churches and 
 also in the smallest. Dr. George A. Buttrick at the 
 First Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, has had large 
 midweek services when during the Lenten season he 
 has talked on the outstanding novels. On the other 
 hand, F. J. Neal, writing from Colfax, Iowa, tells 
 of a crowded church instead of the usual attendance 
 of fifty when he uses this type of sermon. He 
 always selects with especial care the music to go 
 with the service. For instance, in discussing The 
 Covered Wagon, special song numbers included 
 “Out where the West begins’ and “The Trum- 
 peter.” 
 
 A VICTROLA EVENING 
 
 This is possible through an arrangement with the 
 local dealer in some make of talking machine. It 
 could hardly be suitable for large auditoriums but 
 may be very successful in small churches. Mr. Neal 
 in his church at Colfax one evening secured the 
 complete set of records for Handel’s “The Mes- 
 siah.” It included the work of artists such as 
 Louise Homer, Schumann-Heink, Clara Butt, John 
 McCormack and Galli-Curci. Special programs 
 were printed featuring these artists. The preacher 
 spent ten minutes telling the story of the oratorio. 
 
90 Church Administration 
 
 APPENDIX, TO GHAPTERas 
 THE CHURCH WHICH WAS CURSED 
 
 A Program of Song and Story 
 
 We are accustomed to question in this day many 
 of the stories which have come to us of lives which 
 were blighted by a curse. And yet we are puzzled 
 at times to explain the succession of ill luck and 
 misfortune which comes to some men. Weare also 
 perplexed in our efforts to find an explanation for 
 the misfortune which always visits some institu- 
 tions, including now and then a church. And it is 
 not surprising to find in a church such as St. 
 Stephen’s men and women who even in this day of 
 enlightenment believed that the church would labor 
 to the end of its days under the influence of a 
 terrible curse. 
 
 Everybody in the church knew of the curse except 
 the new minister, the Reverend Howard Wright. 
 Although he had never heard of the curse, he knew 
 that something was vitally wrong with the church. 
 He did not know that there was a definite plan to 
 keep him in ignorance of the strange power which 
 interfered with all their activities. The church had 
 had many ministers but as soon as they learned of 
 the curse they sought other fields of service. And 
 they liked this man, young, clean, whole-hearted, 
 and the people felt that he might help them if they 
 could keep from his ears the story of the curse. 
 
 He had wondered why ministers successful in 
 other fields had failed here. He had wondered why 
 
Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 91 
 
 a church located in the heart of such a large popu- 
 lation had exercised so slight an influence on public 
 life. He wondered why a church which had been 
 maintained for so many years had so little to show 
 for it to-day. The building was old and lacked 
 paint. The furnishings were poor. The church 
 parlors were almost without equipment. Every 
 time a dinner was given the ladies had to bring their 
 home linen and silverware. The heating plant was 
 ineffective in cold weather. In fact, located in a 
 community which looked prosperous, the church 
 showed every evidence of poverty. 
 
 But the real pathos of the situation came to the 
 new minister at a meeting of the official board. 
 There were a number of routine bills which were 
 voted through. Then the treasurer reported that 
 he had not been able to pay those voted on the month 
 before. Not alone had the local treasury been 
 drained, but the benevolence money had all been 
 borrowed to pay the local bills. There wasn’t much 
 benevolence money anyway. 
 
 “Our people simply will not give to those funds,” 
 one of the men explained. 
 
 The minister was puzzled. He was not familiar 
 with such a situation. Then old Abner Harding 
 let the cat out of the bag. He sprang to his feet. 
 
 “Tt is the McLaughlin curse,” he shouted. “It 
 always haunts us. We try hard but nothing we do 
 succeeds.” 
 
 (For Quartet) st. Catherine — 
 1. Forth from the dark and stormy sky, 
 Lord, to Thine altar’s shade we fly; 
 Forth from the world, its hope and fear, 
 Saviour, we seek Thy shelter here: 
 
92 Church Administration 
 
 Weary and weak, Thy grace we pray; 
 Turn not, O Lord, Thy guests away. 
 
 2. Long have we roamed in want and pain, 
 Long have we sought Thy rest in vain; 
 Wildered in doubt, in darkness lost, 
 
 Long have our souls been tempest-tossed: 
 
 Low at Thy feet our sins we lay; 
 
 Turn not, O Lord, Thy guests away. 
 BisHop REGINALD HEBER. 
 
 Here was a situation the minister determined to 
 know more of. A pastor expects to fight the world, 
 the flesh and the devil. But this was the first time 
 he had been brought in to battle with a curse which 
 was evidently real. And the curse makes,an inter- 
 esting story in itself, 
 
 It seems that when St. Stephen’s was organized 
 the site desired was owned by the McLaughlin 
 estate which was then in the surrogate’s court. The 
 son, who was executor of the estate, looked out for 
 his own interests and sold the lot at a very low 
 figure without consulting any of the other relatives 
 and took that as part of the money with which to 
 leave the country. The widow, who was nearly 
 destitute by the criminal action of the son, sought 
 the trustees asking that they pay her the balance 
 of the normal value of the land. They, insisting 
 that they had legal title, refused to do so. The 
 widow became angry and ran hysterically from the 
 church. As she left she screamed: 
 
 “A curse on your church. It is a robber church. 
 It is built on an old woman’s broken heart. A curse 
 on your church. It will never prosper.” 
 
 Things had been going very well with the church 
 
Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 93 
 
 
 
 and the men were amused with the situation. And 
 then, like you and me, they did not believe in curses. 
 But strange to say, almost from that day the church 
 met reverses. About two years after that there was 
 a serious division among the church members con- 
 cerning the resignation of a minister. The church 
 meeting became a noisy affair. At its close angry 
 people started from the church. At that moment a 
 funeral procession was passing. 
 
 “Tt is old Mrs. McLaughlin,” some one said. 
 
 Then they remembered the curse. Jt was as she 
 had predicted. 
 
 The men didn’t laugh at it any more, for it had 
 become too real. Nothing went right. Lightning 
 never struck the church but its membership was 
 never happy in its services. Young people would 
 leave it for other churches. Even the janitors 
 would resign after a few months of service. And 
 there was a continual stream of ministers. (They 
 came proud of their calling and left with bowed 
 heads of failure. 
 
 The night that the Reverend Howard Wright 
 learned of the McLaughlin curse he also learned 
 what real prayer is. And during the hours of that 
 night he prayed not to be spared in this struggle 
 which he must make, nor to be spared the blows 
 which had afflicted his predecessors. But he prayed 
 that he might be led rightly to lead this church into 
 ways of prosperity, righteousness and peace. 
 
 (For the Congregation) St. George S.M. 
 
 1. Revive Thy work, O Lord, 
 Thy mighty arm make bare; 
 Speak with the voice that wakes the dead, 
 And make Thy people hear. 
 
94 
 
 
 
 to 
 
 Church Administration 
 
 Revive Thy work, O Lord, 
 Disturb this sleep of death; 
 Quicken the smoldering embers now 
 By thine almighty breath. 
 
 Revive Thy work, O Lord, 
 Create soul-thirst for Thee; 
 
 And hungering for the bread of life 
 O may our spirits be. 
 
 Revive Thy work, O Lord, 
 Exalt Thy precious name; 
 ‘And, by the Holy Ghost, our love 
 For Thee and Thine inflame. 
 
 Revive Thy work, O Lord, 
 Give pentecostal showers: 
 
 The glory shall be all Thine own, 
 The blessing, Lord, be ours. 
 
 ALBERT MIDLANE. 
 
 And by morning the minister had some convic- 
 tions which he was resolved would be carried into 
 practice. His prayers had been answered. He had 
 been shown the magic words and acts which would 
 
 drive the curse away from St. Stephen’s. 
 
 the heirs of Mrs. McLaughlin must be paid the old 
 debt with interest; second, the church must from 
 now on take an interest not alone in itself but also 
 in the neighborhood in which it was situated, and, 
 third, it must redeem itself from its selfishness by 
 
 an enlarged interest in the world-wide work. 
 
 The plan was carried to the officials of the church. 
 
 To the first there was assent. 
 
Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 95 
 
 “We would have paid it back many times but 
 there are no heirs,” they explained. 
 
 The second requirement was a hard one. The 
 community had been changing. Each year had seen 
 a few more Italians make their home there. The 
 minister insisted that the church must attempt to 
 evangelize these people to rid itself of the curse. 
 It is the hardest lesson many churches have to learn, 
 and yet when the disciples were sent into the world 
 it was to preach the gospel to every nation, not to 
 one or two favored ones. These were the needy. 
 
 (To be used as a solo) 
 
 1. There were ninety and nine that safely lay 
 In the shelter of the fold; 
 But one was out on the hills away, 
 Far off from the gates of gold, 
 Away on the mountains wild and bare, 
 Away from the tender Shepherd’s care. 
 
 to 
 
 “Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; 
 Are they not enough for Thee?” 
 
 But the Shepherd made answer, “This of Mine 
 Has wandered away from Me; 
 
 And although the road be rough and steep 
 
 I go to the desert to find my sheep.” 
 
 3. But none of the ransomed ever knew 
 How deep were the waters crossed, 
 Nor how dark was the night that the Lord 
 passed through 
 Ere he found the sheep that was lost. 
 Out in the desert he heard its cry, 
 Sick and helpless and ready to die. 
 
96 Church Administration 
 
 4. “Lord, whence are these blood drops all the way, 
 That mark out the mountain’s track?” 
 “They were shed for one who has gone astray 
 Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.” 
 “T ord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?” 
 “They are pierced to-night by many a thorn.” 
 
 s. And all through the mountains, thunder riven, 
 And up from the rocky steep, 
 There rose a cry to the gate of heaven, 
 “Rejoice, I have found my sheep.” 
 And the angels echoed around the throne, 
 “Rejoice for the Lord brings back his own.” 
 ELIZABETH C, CLEPHANE. 
 
 It was a hard lesson—this of service to the 
 foreign-born close at hand. But demons such as 
 had haunted St. Stephen’s are not easily driven out. 
 After listening to the minister, they began in an 
 humble way. It was merely a scout troop for 
 Italian boys to begin with, but from that it grew 
 until a whole-time worker was added to the church 
 force. 
 
 The third requirement was easier because it was 
 so far away. It was that the church should pay 
 many times the amount of that piece of land for 
 foreign missions. Mr. Wright asked that the ex- 
 periment be made. And people desperate to grasp 
 any chance began to lose their selfishness as they 
 saw the needs of others much poorer physically and 
 spiritually than themselves. And strange to say, 
 as they sought to relieve the needs of others at home 
 and abroad their chronic selfishness and pessimism 
 gave way to the Christian optimism. They had 
 opened the gates of their temple. 
 
Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 97 
 
 
 
 (For solo) 
 
 Open the gates of the temple, 
 Strew palms on the Conqueror’s way, 
 Open your hearts, O ye people, 
 That Jesus may enter to-day, 
 Hark from the sick and the dying, 
 Forgetting their couches of pain, 
 Voices, glad voices, with rapture 
 Are swelling a glad refrain. 
 
 Open the gates of the temple. 
 One grand hallelujah be heard, 
 Open your hearts to the Saviour, 
 Make room for the crucified Lord. 
 Tears and the anguish of midnight 
 Are lost in the splendor of day, 
 They who in sorrow once doubted 
 _ Are swelling the glad refrain. 
 
 I know that my Redeemer liveth. 
 
 Canst Thou, my heart, lift up thy voice and sing? 
 I know that my Redeemer liveth, 
 
 And because he lives, 
 
 I, too, shall live. 
 
 Things have changed in St. Stephen’s since then. 
 Howard Wright is still the minister but other 
 clergymen at times envy him his pleasant parish. 
 A church which saw only itself now sees needs for 
 service round about it. The church which was too 
 poor to pay its own bills contributes hundreds to 
 missionary work every year. And its own build- 
 ing instead of showing signs of poverty because of 
 this unselfishness shows comfort and prosperity. 
 
 Somebody asked the minister the other day if he 
 
98 Church Administration 
 
 ene a LS 
 
 
 
 really believed in the curse which was on the 
 church. | 
 
 “Certainly,” he replied. “But remember it was 
 a curse which was not placed by Mrs. McLaughlin 
 but by the church itself. Its sinful selfishness 
 brought the curse upon it. It could have been re- 
 moved at any time if the church had been willing 
 to see its real task and do it.” 
 
 St. Stephen’s had caught the vision of the break- 
 ing light. 
 
 (For the Congregation) Webb 
 
 1. The morning light is breaking, 
 
 The darkness disappears; 
 
 The sons of earth are waking 
 To penitential tears ; 
 
 Each breeze that sweeps the ocean 
 Brings tidings from afar 
 
 Of nations in commotion, 
 Prepared for Zion’s war. 
 
 2. See heathen nations bending 
 
 Before the God we love, 
 
 And thousand hearts ascending 
 In gratitude above; 
 
 While sinners now confessing, 
 The gospel shall obey, 
 
 And seek the Saviour’s blessing, 
 A nation in a day. 
 
 3. Blest river of salvation, 
 Pursue thy onward way ; 
 Flow thou to every nation, 
 Nor in thy richness stay ; 
 
Tested Programs for Sunday Evenings 99 
 
 Stay not till all the lowly 
 Triumphant reach their home; 
 Stay not till all the holy 
 Proclaim, “The Lord is come.” 
 Rey. S. F. SMITH. 
 
CHAPTER 6 
 THE MIDWEEK SERVICE 
 
 In this chapter perhaps more than in the others 
 the author falls back upon his inherent right as an 
 editor. The man is brave indeed who has a solu- 
 tion of the midweek service. Yet on the whole the 
 situation is more favorable than it was a few years 
 ago. There are many methods, oftentimes conflict- 
 ing methods, which are proving successful. 
 
 Let us start in with Dr. Stidger’s well-known 
 program of Food, Faith and Fun. Ina brief space 
 this consists of a supper at six o’clock; from seven 
 to eight there are various prayer meetings arranged 
 by ages. At eight all of the church is thrown open 
 for recreation. There are good times arranged for 
 all, from the smallest tots to the gray-haired. 
 
 On the other hand Bernard C. Clausen tried this 
 plan and discarded it. “We wanted a prayer meet- 
 ing which really sparkled. We succeeded in getting 
 the sparkle all right. What disappeared was the 
 prayer meeting.” 
 
 He then went on to build a new plan or rather to 
 return to an old plan and he called the services 
 “Old-fashioned Prayer Meetings.” ‘We wanted 
 to make it perfectly plain that we were cutting abso- 
 lutely clear from the noisy, garish, high-pressure 
 program of Food, Faith and Fun. We did con- 
 tinue to serve our regular church suppers, for there 
 are scores of people in our church who could not go 
 home from business and get back in time for the 
 prayer meeting and for a we provided the con- 
 
 00 
 
The Midweek Service 10] 
 
 
 
 
 
 venience of a well-served quiet meal. But no games, 
 no slapping on the back, no wild songs. After 
 supper the service began, with a deliberate interval 
 of half an hour while our boards were meeting and 
 while people had the right to do as they pleased. 
 What they chose was consistently the quiet joy of 
 friendly conversation.” 
 
 Dr. Clausen’s service consists of the singing of 
 hymns, Scripture readings, a talk on some religious 
 question which will prompt comment from the floor. 
 The only distinct variation from the old prayer 
 meeting is that in the place of the oral prayers the 
 people ask for prayers for individual instances and 
 there is a moment of silent petition. 
 
 His contribution to the Wednesday evening 
 service is not in the order of service but rather in 
 the change of emphasis. He decided that the time 
 had come when instead of being considered a prob- 
 lem the midweek service offered a great opportunity. 
 The prayer meeting in his church is not the ther- 
 mometer but the steam engine itself. Our midweek 
 problem would disappear if ministers could come to 
 that conception. Most of the weak meetings can be 
 traced back to a minister who let himself be hypno- 
 tized into feeling that there was no need of the 
 service. As soon as he reaches a place where it is 
 not a tiresome routine to be gone through with, but 
 a large opportunity, he will see possibilities in the 
 service. 
 
 But here you have two men who have solved the 
 problem of the midweek service and yet they have 
 taken opposite extremes in doing it. So he would 
 indeed be a courageous and wise man who would 
 offer to suggest any absolute standard for this im- 
 portant part of the church institution. 
 
102 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 CHURCH WNIGH F 
 
 Despite the above testimony some sort of Church 
 Night seems to be quite the thing throughout the 
 country. There seems to be a need for some night 
 in the week set apart for committee meetings, 
 classes, and social get-togethers. Many churches 
 are capitalizing the midweek service. It naturally 
 starts with a supper. Following that there is a 
 devotional service. After the service opportunity 
 is given for official board meetings, social inter- 
 course and recreation. It is a simple matter to 
 schedule many things for this particular week night 
 and any plan which brings the church together is 
 worth while. 
 
 This program shows Church Night at the Asbury 
 Delaware Methodist Episcopal Church, Buffalo, 
 New York. 
 
 WEDNESDAY CHURCH NIGHT 
 The Third of Six Wednesday evenings. 
 
 Program :— 
 
 6:30 to 7:25—Supper, Bashford hall, in charge of Social 
 Committee of Guild, Mrs. C. P. Rogers, Chairman. 
 
 7:30 to 8: 10—Illustrated address by Dr. Wright on “Logs 
 and Men,” one of a series dealing with “The Methodist 
 Church at Work in the World.” Illustrated Hymn, “God of 
 the Earth.” 
 
 8:15 to 9:00—Study and Discussion Groups. 
 
 1. Bible Study—Dr. O. W. Bates, leader. 
 
 2. Mission Study—‘“‘Peasant Pioneers,’ Mr. Bartlett, 
 leader. 
 
 3. Applied Christianity, Mrs. Bruce S. Wright, Mrs. 
 Harry B. Lauman and Mrs. Gertrude Byrens, 
 leaders. 
 
 Some churches have found a weekly church night 
 rather strenuous. So they plan the usual midweek 
 
The Midweek Service 103 
 
 
 
 service with a special Church Night once a month. 
 The plan might well be tested out on this scale be- 
 fore adopting the weekly program. The annual 
 meeting may well be dated on this night, as well as 
 recreational features which will draw. But in any 
 plan the devotional service must have a place. 
 
 At least one church is observing a church day. 
 I am not sure that this has any connection with the 
 midweek service. It probably could not be held 
 more often than once a quarter. Possibly it is an 
 annual affair. But here is the Church Day pro- 
 gram report from the First Presbyterian Church, 
 Batavia, New York. 
 
 8:00—The bell called people to prayer. 
 10: 15—Organ program. 
 10:30—Devotional service with communion. 
 2:30—Reception for older people who might not be able to 
 attend in the evening. Also a social hour for little 
 ones with their mothers. 
 :o0o—Games, etc., for the children, 
 :00—General reception. 
 Every one who was sick or shut-in received a beautiful plant 
 and was called on by some member of the church during 
 the day. 
 
 Oh 
 
 A MIDWEEK INTENSIVE TRAINING COURSE 
 
 The Methodist Church at Peru, Indiana, under 
 the leadership of the Rev. A. H. Backus, worked 
 out an education program for Thursday evenings 
 which had an attraction for diverse groups in the 
 church. It is a combination Church Night and 
 Training Course. 
 
 Seven Thursday nights were selected, closing 
 with the night of the fourth quarterly conference. 
 Each evening the program began with a social hour 
 at six o’clock and a supper for the entire family at 
 
104 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 6:30. Seven-fifteen was the time for devotional 
 exercises and at 7:45 the education program began. 
 This consisted of seven courses of study, each class 
 meeting for one hour on each of six nights. 
 
 The courses given: 
 
 I. Christian Citizenship. 
 . The Art of Teaching. 
 Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick. 
 Pageantry and Dramatics. 
 Introduction to the Book of Books. 
 Easter Membership Class. 
 Story Telling and Games for Children. 
 
 At 8: 30 a moving picture entertainment of in- 
 terest to both children and adults is given. This 
 program certainly has the variety necessary to make 
 
 SIAM RY 
 
 Diem Ovrtificate finan 
 
 Methodist Episcopal Church 
 Peru, Indiana 
 
 Ta PIRES ¥y eg Mot this cert ie granted aye, the. seal of the 
 Church aff xed thereto. 
 
 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a wockman that 
 
 asedoth not bs ashamed. aightly dividing the word of txuth.” V4 
 
 
 
The Midweek Service 105 
 
 
 
 a wide appeal. Care was taken to select teachers 
 who were thoroughly competent so that there would 
 be the additional appeal of thoroughness. The 
 pastor in his class in Christian Citizenship made 
 a study of the social and civic conditions in his 
 city and was aided by representatives of the city 
 government. 
 
 On the seventh Thursday evening the Easter 
 class was examined and certificates were presented 
 to every one who had been present in his selected 
 class on each of the six evenings of the course. The 
 condition of the certificate discouraged the tendency 
 to visit round and kept each in the class which he 
 had indicated as his preference for study. 
 
 The devotional half hour brought in several out- 
 side speakers and benevolent claims of the church 
 were presented. These presentations had their ef- 
 fect in the every-member canvass following the 
 seven weeks. 
 
 PRAYER MEETING HAS NOT DISAPPEARED 
 
 It is not necessary for us to assume that the 
 prayer meeting is an extinct species. In many 
 churches, conducted upon conventional lines, it is 
 still very much alive. In others there may be a 
 slight variation as to method. Many ministers are 
 using the evening for lectures. By making them 
 worth while they are attracting good audiences. 
 Dr. Charles E. Jefferson gave his lectures on Isaiah 
 at the midweek services before they were published. 
 It shows that he thinks that it is worth putting a 
 real effort into the service. The Unknown Bible 
 was prepared originally as a series of lectures for 
 the midweek service in the Lake Avenue Baptist 
 
106 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 Church, Rochester, New York. Samuel V. V. 
 Holmes, of Buffalo, lectures on Wednesday eve- 
 nings on serious subjects and has a good hearing. 
 During the past year Henry Sloan Coffin of New 
 York has used the midweek service to study the 
 poetry of the Bible. The bulletin of each Sunday 
 gives the questions to be considered the following 
 Wednesday night. 
 
 Here is a list of his questions on the 104th Psalm: 
 
 Flow does Hebrew poetry differ from ours? 
 
 What lines in the poem do you consider most 
 poetical and why? 
 
 What impression is the poet trying to convey? 
 
 How does he build up his effects? 
 
 What title would you give the poem? 
 
 How would you outline its contents? 
 
 What would a Christian write differently ? 
 
 What is its abiding religious message? 
 
 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR MIDWEEK 
 
 Perhaps the preacher has taken it upon himself to 
 give a course of lessons. They have included Bible 
 study, missionary literature, church methods, stew- 
 ardship, theology, and in one instance known to 
 the author a country preacher successfully con- 
 cluded a series of lessons in the development of the 
 memory, basing it upon a correspondence course. 
 In other churches the devotional service has been 
 given over to the class for teacher training or a 
 preliminary study of the Sunday school lesson. 
 
 Here we have the educational night in its simplest 
 form. But in many instances it has grown far 
 beyond this and is more worthy of the title “Church 
 
The Midweek Service 107 
 Night.” ‘The program in some churches is like this. 
 At six o’clock a dinner is served in the church. This 
 makes it possible for the men to go directly from 
 business to the church where they can meet other 
 members of the family. At seven or seven-thirty a 
 devotional service is held. This lasts but fifteen 
 minutes and then the meeting breaks up for class 
 work. For the sake of efficiency the classes are kept 
 small and meet in the various class rooms. In some 
 churches the study is not of a missionary nature. A 
 popular study during the last winter has been in 
 stewardship. 
 
 The Midweek Service a School of Missions 
 
 Now and then a church reports progress beyond 
 this kind of arrangement. It has turned its mid- 
 week service into a school of missions. The meet- 
 ing is not limited to adults, but there is conducted 
 at the same time a school for children. They are 
 taken care of by the Sunday school workers, who 
 find this arrangement a great help to the regular 
 work. This church is not far away from a plan 
 for a second hour for religious education every 
 week, 
 
 The Second Presbyterian Church of Rahway, 
 New Jersey, went still farther. It had a church 
 school on the midweek evening. Following the short 
 devotional service four classes are conducted. The 
 first is a teacher training class; the second, a class 
 in Christian Endeavor efficiency for the people of 
 that society; the third is a study in church finances 
 for the men of the church; and fourth, there is a 
 course in Christianity and world problems. Here 
 we have a practical educational system. 
 
108 Church Administration 
 SE See eeeeeeeseresteenneeeereneseeee 
 
 Correlation with Educational Activities 
 
 The next step which, so far as I know, is still 
 to be taken, is the granting of authority for the 
 midweek service to the parties responsible for the 
 religious education in the church. In other words 
 this should not be a system in itself but should be 
 correlated with other educational activities of the 
 society. There can be little question but that it 
 would be a great asset to the average church school. 
 
 The four subjects taught may not meet the ap- 
 proval of every worker, but they are suggestive of 
 the possibilities of such a plan. Most people are 
 agreed that the opportunity should be utilized for 
 a class in missionary work which finds little time 
 for expression in the Sunday services. But any 
 controversy on this point is beside the question. 
 
 A SCHOOL OF STEWARDSHIP 
 
 Rev. George G. Dowey, while executive secretary 
 of the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles, 
 inaugurated a school of stewardship in the form of 
 a court which met on Wednesday evenings. The 
 pastor acted as the judge and twelve men were em- 
 paneled each night to serve as jurors. The congre- 
 gation was divided into two groups; the first con- 
 sisted of those whose names began with letters A 
 to K, and the second those whose names began with 
 letters L to Z. These represented the two sides of 
 the controversy. 
 
 The decision was based each night upon the fol- 
 lowing’ points. 
 
 1. Purchase of books. 
 
 2. Lesson studied. 
 
The Midweek Service 109 
 
 
 
 3. Original poem. 
 
 4. Three-minute speech. 
 
 5. Star witnesses produced. 
 
 6. Pertinent Bible verses quoted. 
 
 7. Questions and answers. 
 
 In explanation of these points of merit: The judge 
 would call the court to order (this was preceded by 
 a brief devotional service conducted by the assistant 
 pastor) and read off the names of the twelve to 
 serve on the jury. To some of these, one or the 
 other of the ‘‘attorneys” would object on grounds 
 that would get a laugh out of the court room, and 
 the judge would have to rap for order. This 
 humorous phase was not overdone. The jury, men 
 and women, would occupy a segregated section of 
 seats up front beside the “bench.” The “clerk” sat 
 at a table between the jury and the “bench.” 
 
 The judge would then ask for a show of books, 
 and the clerk and jury would vote which side, A to 
 K or L to Z, possessed the larger number of books. 
 This counted so many points. 
 
 Then he asked “How many studied the lesson?” 
 And so many points were given to each side. Then 
 an original poem from each side was called for, and 
 a three-minute speech, and star witnesses on the 
 personal practice of stewardship and _ tithing. 
 Points were given for the best of these things on 
 each side. Each “attorney” would appoint, from 
 week to week, certain of his “clients” to write the 
 poem, make the speech or appear as a witness. 
 
 Much fun but a great lot of inspiration was im- 
 parted by the “attorneys” cross questioning the wit- 
 nesses. They would ask such questions as: Are you 
 a church member? Are you a Christian, too? Do 
 you believe the Bible? Do you attend church regu- 
 
110 Church Administration 
 
 larly? Do you believe the church should pay her 
 bills? Do you think we should support mission- 
 aries? Do you believe in giving to the Lord only 
 when it is convenient for you? Or only when you 
 happen to be in church? Do you believe in pledg- 
 ing to the church? Do you believe in pledging so 
 much money per quart of milk to the milkman? 
 Are you a tither? How long have you been a 
 tither? Has it worked a hardship on you? Does 
 your wife suffer much from it? How long will you 
 keep it up? Would you advise others to practice 
 tithing? etc., etc. 
 
 This “witnessing”? and good-natured cross ques- 
 tioning brought out some wonderful spontaneous 
 testimonials as to the value of stewardship. Then 
 the quoting of pertinent stewardship Bible verses 
 was interesting and created considerable rivalry. 
 
 The major part of the time was occupied in the 
 asking and answering of questions on the lesson. 
 The “attorney” of one side or some of his “clients” 
 would ask a question for the other side to answer. 
 The sides alternated in questions and answers and 
 were given points on clearness in asking and cor- 
 rectness and conciseness in answering. The 
 “judge” would referee the questions, as to their 
 fairness, being on the subject, etc. 
 
 At the appointed time, 8.45, the “trial” was over. 
 Just before this each “attorney” would give a two 
 minutes’ summing up to the jury. The judge would 
 then “charge” the jury for just a minute or less and 
 it would retire with the court clerk (not strictly ac- 
 cording to law) to reach a decision. 
 
 While the jury was out reaching a verdict, the 
 committee on dramatizations wouid present a stew- 
 
The Midweek Service 111 
 
 
 
 ardship drama. The several dramas we used with 
 good effect are “Thanksgiving Ann,” “Farming 
 Eden,” “Starting Right,’ and “Aunt Margaret’s 
 Tenth.” 
 
 The jury then returned and read the verdict, 
 indicating the number of points for each side. 
 
 DEVOTIONAL TOPICS FOR THE MIDWEEK SERVICE 
 
 The only valuable contribution the author can 
 make to this question is in suggesting the use of 
 Pilgrim’s Progress as a suitable devotional topic. 
 It made possible the best Wednesday night service 
 I ever had. We used it during the second half of 
 the year, running through the weeks of Lent. 
 
 Very little equipment is needed to prepare one 
 for a series of studies. First, of course, the min- 
 ister needs his copy of the book. He can buy a 
 copy at any price from twenty-five cents to as many 
 dollars. Or perhaps if he would make a search 
 among his discarded books he would find one. Then 
 he should have Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the 
 Chief of Sinners, which is Bunyan’s autobiography. 
 This parallels in many ways the story of Christian 
 the Pilgrim and furnishes a background for the 
 study. A third necessity is a good life of Bunyan. 
 That by the Rev. John Brown (who became the 
 pastor of Bunyan’s church) is very complete and 
 illuminating. ‘The biography by James Anthony 
 Froude is also to be recommended. With these 
 helps one may feel that he is ready to proceed. 
 
 The book will divide itself into its own lectures, 
 though Bunyan did not divide his story into chap- 
 ters. I find that I used the following lectures: 
 
ED Church Administration 
 
 
 
 1. John Bunyan. 
 
 2. From the City of Destruction to the Wicket 
 Gate. 
 
 3. Interpreter’s House. 
 
 4. The Hill of Difficulty. 
 
 5. The Valley of Humiliation. 
 
 6. Companions of the Way. 
 
 7. Wanity Fair. 
 
 8. Doubting Castle: 
 
 g. The Delectable Mountains. 
 
 10, Enchanted Ground to the Celestial City. 
 
 The people were encouraged to secure copies 
 of the book. We offered to supply them for fifty 
 cents a copy but urged them to hunt their attics 
 through for forgotten editions. And they found 
 them. One of the interesting things was the variety 
 of editions and illustrations which were produced. 
 We also used slides once a month illustrating the 
 book and the life of Bunyan. These were very 
 helpful in getting across an interest in the course. 
 
 But the book itself was fascinating. One fear 
 the writer had in the beginning was regarding Bible 
 interpretation. Bunyan was not a modernist. We 
 met the difficulty in the first lecture by explaining 
 the difference between the view of Bunyan and that 
 of the modern Bible student. It was hardly neces- 
 sary, however. The story of Pilgrim’s Progress is 
 not built on any system of Bible interpretation but 
 upon great spiritual principles. 
 
 There are quotations which will strike a response 
 in the heart of any spiritual-minded man, even if 
 they are taken from their context. Here are some 
 I have copied from my own well-marked text: 
 
 It is a hard matter for a man to go down into 
 the Valley of Humiliation. 
 
The Midweek Service 113 
 
 
 
 A man may know like an angel and yet be no 
 Christian. 
 
 That man that takes up religion for the world, 
 will throw away religion for the world. 
 
 Over this stile is the way to Doubting Castle 
 which is kept by Giant Despair. 
 
 He asked them moreover, if the shepherds did not 
 bid them beware of the flatterer. They answered, 
 yes, but we did not imagine that this fine spoken 
 man had been he. 
 
 Saints’ fellowship, if it be managed well, 
 Keeps them awake, and that in spite of hell. 
 
 This may suggest a line of thought for other 
 ministers. Would it not be a splendid thing for a 
 minister to lead his people through the great classics 
 of the soul? Let them become acquainted with the 
 books which have shaped life. He can study the 
 books as he goes along, carrying the people with 
 him. Why not introduce them to Thomas a Kempis, 
 Richard Baxter and others? Is it not a thought 
 worth while? 
 
 GETTING THE LAYMEN TO WORK 
 
 Rev. William H. Medlar of the Community 
 Church, Wayzata, Wisconsin, devised a plan to get 
 his laymen interested in the prayer meeting. 
 
 The name, “A Bible Forum on the Psalms of 
 David,” was adopted. The forum was to be in 
 session seventeen times. The names of the mem- 
 bers of the congregation available for leaders and 
 helpers were written on slips of paper and placed in 
 a box. From this were drawn seventeen names for 
 
114. Church Administration 
 
 
 
 leaders, and six helpers for each leader, making one 
 hundred and two helpers. For each of the seven- 
 teen meetings, we arranged a group like this: 
 
 One leader, six helpers, consisting of one experi- 
 enced worker, two high-school pupils (try to get 
 chums), three members of the congregation. 
 
 The topics were taken from the Congregational 
 Hand Book, one for each week, and six sub-topics. 
 
 A large chart was prepared containing seventeen 
 sections, dated for each group of leaders and 
 helpers. There were spaces for credits for the 
 number in attendance at each meeting. These 
 credits were carefully noted after each meeting. 
 The chart was placed in the vestibule of the church. 
 Announcement was made that the two largest meet- 
 ings would receive public recognition at the close 
 of the period. 
 
 A commentary was furnished the leaders and 
 many spoke who before this could never be induced 
 to express themselves in meeting. The meetings 
 were largely attended and the whole plan provoked 
 enthusiasm. 
 
CHAPTER 7 
 EVANGELISM THE YEAR AROUND 
 
 WHEN one mentions evangelism do you in- 
 tuitively think of revival services? There was a 
 time when the two terms were synonymous. In 
 practice we know better now. We know that 
 evangelism is the much bigger term of the two and 
 that a church may be distinctly evangelistic and yet 
 never have a revival meeting. Neither will the fair- 
 minded man attempt to minimize the results of the 
 great revivalists of the past and present. He will 
 reverence the memory of Wesley, Finney and 
 Moody and acknowledge their great contribution 
 to the Church. 
 
 But we must not narrow the term. There are 
 many ways of having an evangelistic church. I 
 will admit that with one exception, and that one 
 the result of a courtesy to neighboring churches, I 
 had never in my pastoral experience participated in 
 revival services. Yet the churches I have served 
 have all had an evangelistic spirit and seldom was 
 a communion service held without the addition of 
 members on confession of faith. Let us take some 
 of the methods which have been successfully used 
 and consider them for our own use. 
 
 SUNDAY SCHOOL EVANGELISM 
 
 _ The Sunday school is a good place to begin, for 
 
 it is a field which is always fruitful—there is never 
 | 115 
 
116 Church Administration 
 
 any question of results. I do not like to think of 
 Sunday school evangelism in the term of “Decision 
 Day.” I think that term was as much to inspire 
 the teacher to courage to ask for the decision as it 
 was for the child to make a decision. Instead the 
 whole curriculum should be devoted to the end of 
 bringing the child to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. 
 Any failure to bring the youth into full member- 
 ship of the church is apt to be the fault of the 
 teacher or the school and not of the child. 
 
 From the time that the child is recorded in the 
 Cradle Roll the evangelistic opportunity begins. It 
 should be consummated in the early years of adoles- 
 cence when youth can make a decision. The usual 
 Sunday school studies should be supplemented by a 
 course which prepares the child for church member- 
 ship, not alone in teaching him things about the 
 church but in helping him to see the value of 
 spiritual things. | 
 
 The pastor’s class is becoming a regular feature 
 in many churches. The churches whose polity has 
 provided for confirmation classes are especially well 
 organized for this kind of evangelism. It is usually 
 conducted by the pastor and a very definite course 
 of instruction is used. It should last more than four 
 weeks. From early in the fall until Easter is not too 
 long. Sometimes the class will meet at the Sunday 
 school hour. More often it meets at the close of 
 school on some week day. 
 
 This type of evangelism is greatly helped if it is 
 possible to secure the attendance of the children at 
 the church service, especially during the service of 
 worship. This has been successfully accomplished 
 in two different ways. One is to have a children’s 
 sermon by the pastor in an early part of the service, 
 
Evangelism the Year Around ae 
 
 
 
 after which they are permitted to leave. A second 
 way is to form a league for church attendance. In 
 this league a system of recognition is used similar 
 to the “Cross and Crown” system for Sunday school 
 attendance. Where used it has been very effective. 
 
 The Sunday school offers a unique field for evan- 
 gelism in another way. It is usually true that there 
 are children in the Sunday school who come from 
 non-church homes. This should form a point of 
 approach for securing new adult members for the 
 church. When parents send their children for re- 
 ligious instruction they are at least approachable. 
 The pastor should know who these children are, 
 where they live, and should find some means of 
 approach to them. 
 
 Let a survey of the school be made. It will be 
 a simple procedure. Supply each teacher with forms 
 enough for her pupils and make her responsible to 
 see that they are returned completed. The form 
 need not be elaborate. This is sufficient. 
 
 WESLEY MEMORIAL CHURCH 
 
 Sunday School Records 
 
 PATE T a SE ULE i ale wine olmimeecahe WIS So nte (alae ta me, @ Deepa Iai 
 Father’s name 
 
 Where is he employed? 2.2.0.0... bee esis ae eens eee ere g's 
 Is pupil a member of the church? Yes or No?.........--. 
 Are parents members of any church? Yes or No? 
 
 What church do they attend? ........ cee cece ee ee eee e tenes 
 Sunday School Class? ......cseeeeeeeeee cee eet cent eeeceees 
 
 Teacher. 
 
 
 
 This survey can be conducted quietly and will 
 give the pastor a working basis for a campaign of 
 
118 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 quiet personal work which will increase his church 
 attendance and bring many members into the 
 church. 
 
 PERSONAL EVANGELISM 
 
 This naturally brings us to a discussion of per- 
 sonal evangelism as a method for the pastor. The 
 prime requisite for personal evangelism is seen in 
 the Sunday school survey. It gives a list of definite 
 people to be reached. When that list is achieved 
 the work is half done. The main difference between 
 mass evangelism and personal evangelism is this 
 definiteness. The one is shooting an arrow in the 
 air; the other is shooting toward a definite mark. 
 The one is the method of the auctioneer; the other 
 is the method of the bond and automobile salesman. 
 
 The minister who is to do personal work must 
 have people definitely in mind to work on. This 
 list of names may be called, for convenience, “‘Pros- 
 pective Membership List.” It will be compiled in 
 many ways. The Sunday school survey gives some 
 names. Others will be secured from the various 
 church organizations. Every society should report 
 to the pastor names of those who are interested in 
 the society who are not church members. Others 
 will be secured by keeping watch for people who 
 attend the services. When the same people are ob- 
 served for several Sundays in succession they should 
 be placed upon the list. 
 
 Every minister should have such a list of pros- 
 pects. Atcertain times he might talk over the entire 
 list with his official board. Let them forget money 
 for an evening and concentrate on these names. 
 There is a strange psychological law that works 
 
Evangelism the Year Around 119 
 
 
 
 when good men begin to concentrate in this way. 
 I have seen my own official board astounded after 
 the Easter ingathering when the Prospective Mem- 
 bership List of December is compared with the new 
 members enrolled on Easter Sunday. It pays to 
 take time to secure a good list of prospects and then 
 to concentrate. 
 
 The evangelistic minister will use his entire or- 
 ganization for the accomplishment of his aim. He 
 will consider every church society as a unit in his 
 plan to reach men and women. Every social eve- 
 ning will offer opportunities to him and his workers. 
 He will plan his year with the thought in mind of 
 bringing people into his church. 
 
 THE OFFICERS RETREAT 
 
 I place this under the chapter on Evangelism be- 
 cause it is that in the largest sense. If properly 
 conducted it will lead to the evangelistic spirit in 
 all parts of the church activities. We will take the 
 plan of the Lake Avenue Baptist Church, Rochester, 
 New York. 
 
 Many churches have found it valuable either dur- 
 ing the summer or in the early fall to gather to- 
 gether for one or two days the church officers and 
 heads of departments of the church work in order 
 to set up plans for the work of the year and secure 
 a unified understanding of the goals to be achieved. 
 It has the further advantage of permitting a rather 
 careful recheck of the work of the previous year and 
 the securing of suggestions for the strengthening 
 of the work from all those who have been most 
 closely identified with it. 
 
 In order to draw out the frankest and most use- 
 
120 Church Administration 
 SoTL tid SRI 
 ful suggestions from such people one church has 
 found it helpful to send out ahead of time to all the 
 leaders in the church work a questionnaire asking 
 them frankly to state whether they have any sug- 
 gestions that might be valuable in strengthening the 
 work in the different departments of the church. 
 Criticisms are asked for, if constructive. People 
 are asked to note good methods in use elsewhere and 
 report on them. 
 
 This questionnaire could well touch, at least, on 
 some such items as the following: 
 
 The Morning Service— 
 Its music. 
 Its ushering. 
 The conduct of worship. 
 The Sermons— 
 What kind are most helpful? 
 Any sermon that has been most helpful. 
 Topics that the writer would like discussed. 
 The Evening Service— 
 Its strength or weakness. 
 Suggestions for making it more interesting. 
 Suggestions About Other Services. 
 Religious Educational Department— 
 Suggestions as to grading. 
 Teaching. 
 Departmental work. 
 Work that might be undertaken. 
 Opportunities of services not yet entered upon. 
 Prayer Meeting— 
 The type most helpful. 
 How could it be strengthened ? 
 Women’s Work. 
 Young People’s Work. 
 
Evangelism the Year Around 121 
 
 
 
 Men’s Work. 
 Administration and Church Finance— 
 Point out weaknesses, things that should be 
 changed. 
 Suggestions on the development of steward- 
 ship, ideas about giving, etc. 
 
 Some questionnaires like the above suggest 
 enough to stimulate the mind of the one that 
 answers and to remind him or her of the sugges- 
 tions that have come to them during the year. It 
 is practically all that is required. The questionnaire 
 is sent out with the understanding that the answers 
 may or may not be signed as the writer desires. 
 
 As a result of the answers to these questions, the 
 above church has secured the frankest and most 
 complete set of suggestions about its work culled 
 from the answers from these questionnaires. 
 
 At the conference, which is usually held at some 
 place away from the city, where those attending are 
 not disturbed, the different sections of the church 
 work are taken up in order. The various replies to 
 the questionnaires bearing upon that particular sug- 
 gestion are then read, plans for the new year out- 
 lined, then a general discussion with a formulation 
 of recommendations from the conference takes 
 place. These recommendations, after the confer- 
 ence, go to the department heads responsible for 
 carrying them out, as the recommendations of the 
 official group of the church. Such a conference has 
 almost incomparable value in unifying a church 
 and enabling the generally accepted plans for the 
 year to be carried through. It further allows people 
 who have real criticisms a chance to get them out 
 into the open. It conserves also any real sugges- 
 
122 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 tions people may have for improvement of the 
 church work. 
 
 THE QUOTA PLAN 
 
 If one of the main objectives is the securing of 
 new members, it is possible to assign to each society 
 a definite quota of members. The Central Pres- 
 byterian Church, Buffalo, New York, has built up 
 a large membership on the quota plan. Each 
 society, the Sunday school, the choir, the elders, the 
 deacons and every other group were given definite 
 assignments. This plan has possibilities but it 
 would be well for the pastor to check over any lists 
 of prospects which they may create. There is 
 always a danger that undue zeal will carry the 
 worker into somebody else’s parish. I was marvel- 
 ing at the results of such a system which a visitor 
 was showing me. But my astonishment changed 
 to a different kind of interest when he opened his 
 notebook to show me the names on his list. Behold, 
 among the first six was one of my own elders. 
 
 LAY WORKERS 
 
 Every pastor should have a group of lay workers 
 whom he can call upon for special work in connec- 
 tion with revival services or any other service. 
 Sometimes the official lists form such a committee. 
 At other times it will be necessary to create it asa 
 special organization. This will not eliminate the 
 work of the pastor. He will use this committee for 
 the first approaches. They will pay social visits and 
 feel out the ground. From them he will gain the 
 information which will make it possible for him to 
 successfully approach prospects, 
 
Evangelism the Year Around 123 
 
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEETINGS—A FORTNIGHT 
 WATCH 
 
 From Akron, Ohio, comes what the originator 
 calls “A Fortnight Watch.” This is not the old- 
 fashioned revival meeting and yet it is a series of 
 meetings to unify the congregation and stimulate 
 new interest. Orris W. Haulmann, the pastor, 
 chose for the central subject to run through all the 
 meetings “The One Trouble and the One Cure.” 
 The first service contained the story of Gethsemane 
 and each succeeding night a Scripture lesson was 
 used which emphasized prayer and constancy. The 
 main feature each night was the closing “watch.”’ 
 
 This may be described as follows. Hanging near 
 the ceiling, above the pulpit, was an electric mes- 
 sage, WATCH WITH ME. In front of the pulpit was 
 a picture, “Christ Kneeling in Gethsemane,” also 
 electrically lighted. The wiring of these was so 
 arranged that they lighted simultaneously with the 
 darkening of the auditorium. In the atmosphere 
 of these messages all were asked to close their eyes 
 in prayer, while from some hidden place would come 
 the music of the “watch prayer,” a hymn written by 
 Harry D. Clarke of Chicago. At some time in the 
 watch the chorus of the hymn would be sung, indi- 
 cating the one sure cure for trouble. 
 
 Into my heart, into my heart, 
 Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, 
 Come in to-day, come in to stay, 
 Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. 
 
124 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 FORWARD STEP WEEK 
 
 This much heralded plan comes from the First 
 Methodist Episcopal Church of Penn Yan, New 
 York. The newspapers called it a “Bible Mara- 
 thon.” Most of them missed the point that the 
 Bible reading was merely one feature of an inten- 
 sive program. For one week special services were 
 held. The pastor, S. G. Haughton, preached and 
 there was a choir of sixty voices. Wednesday was 
 announced as the Bible reading day. The Old 
 Testament was assigned to 147 readers who were 
 to read it in their homes during the day. The New 
 Testament was to be read in the church. The 
 public reading began at 3 a.m. and ended at 8 p.m. 
 There were 68 readers and each one read for fifteen 
 minutes. At the conclusion of the reading the 
 pastor preached on the ‘Lost Book.” At the con- 
 clusion of the week a decision card was passed 
 around which not alone asked for new confessions 
 of faith but for various types of service in the 
 church. 
 
 THE REVIVAL 
 
 While suggesting other plans we have no inten- 
 tion of ignoring the revival meeting. When a 
 church decides for a revival the first question to be 
 decided is whether or not it will have a professional 
 evangelist. If it decides this question in the af- 
 firmative he will superinduce his own methods of 
 organization which experience has proven to be 
 successful. Homer Rodeheaver conducts every 
 summer at Winona Lake a school in evangelistic 
 methods which is attended by dozens of the pro- 
 fession. They go very minutely into the appeals 
 
Evangelism the Year Around Lene 
 A AS ie AORN SCRIP NTL i 
 of the revival hour. The fact that many evangelists 
 are not reliable should not lead one to feel that 
 the entire method should be discredited. But any 
 church hiring an evangelistic party would do well 
 to go into the contract very carefully, especially in 
 regard to financial remuneration. “I only take a 
 freewill offering,” has covered a multitude of 
 abuses. It is far better if a definite sum will be 
 considered for which the church will make itself 
 responsible. Responsible evangelists are more and 
 more recognizing the justice of this position. 
 
 But many churches will prefer that the pastor 
 conduct the revival, possibly with the assistance of 
 a neighboring minister. Then the local church has 
 the added responsibility for organization. The re- 
 vival must have adequate preparation. The church 
 must be ready and people must be willing and even 
 anxious to serve on the various committees. One 
 of the first things to be done when the season is 
 imminent is to find out the sentiment of the con- 
 gregation. Ask the members to indicate what they 
 will do to help the service. Send each one a letter 
 with a blank such as one shown on page 126, asking 
 that it be returned on the collection plate or by mail. 
 
 The results of this referendum will not alone 
 show the sentiment but will suggest names for the 
 important committees which will carry on the work. 
 Among the important committees are: 
 
 Publicity committee, which will direct all adver- 
 tising and see that the papers have news notes. 
 
 Music committee, which will arrange for the 
 leader, hymn books, etc. 
 
 Transportation committee. This committee will 
 muster the available automobiles to get the infirm 
 and those at a distance. 
 
 
 
126 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 MY PLACE IN THE REVIVAL? 
 
 
 
 I believe that we have the power and the loyalty, as 
 well as the blessing of God and the religious force, to 
 promote and to bring to a successful issue a Revival in 
 the Blank Church. I believe in codperating with my 
 Church and I will be glad to do my best in each line of 
 service which I have checked below. 
 
 Regular attendance both services. 
 
 PP ee Regular attendance night service. 
 
 ey Mines Regular attendance day service. 
 
 ce aioe Closing business during day services. 
 
 Sr aE SS Boosting to at least one person per day from now 
 till Meeting closes. 
 
 ay ties Inviting others. 
 
 AR Working at altar with penitents, or in after- 
 service. 
 
 AAS A: Asking some one to join the Church. 
 
 1 Se aes, Using car to bring others to Church. 
 
 Relator ¢ Praying for Revival. 
 
 Foe Praying in public. 
 
 a aol Praying for some one. 
 
 BS Singing in Choir or Chorus. 
 
 Mies teck Singing in congregation. 
 
 Pha Bt Leading at least one Cottage Prayermeeting. 
 
 Stade Promoting Prayermeeting in my home. 
 
 AM Set Helping in Prayermeeting in my home. 
 
 gh an Doing every reasonable thing that I can to help 
 the Revival be a great success. 
 
 ee Responding to every suggestion in the services 
 that I can respond to. 
 
 o © ee: 858 5. 
 
 Si eke. Che ete Bee nb ehetiene 0°09) # fore (C1 LSNAES ONO) @ CUSLO)e 8) 6-06 (SLO 9 Sue 
 Sele e ELS Bree C10 ere SU Sle te OF ORANG Ari OLS Sh 8 618 68 OSLO (6) fe 18) Cie ee S Se 
 
 eeooveerecreroereoee eset Fee ee 
 
 THE COOPERATIVE REVIVAL 
 
 The Church and the good people of our community 
 united and working together to solve our problems of 
 sin and make our Church and our community better. 
 WE WILL WIN IN GOD’S POWER, and according 
 be ae WE CAN DO IT—AND WE WILL 
 
 
 
 leet ta from “The Revival” by W. A. Tyson, Cokesbury 
 ress. 
 
 
 
Evangelism the Year Around 127 
 
 
 
 A finance committee. 
 
 A prayer meeting committee to arrange for and 
 conduct the cottage prayer meetings. | 
 
 The ushers’ committee which is one of the most 
 important for the success of the meetings. 
 
 The personal workers’ committee, perhaps the 
 most important of all, who will work with the min- 
 isters at the altar. 
 
 The functions of these committees suggest them- 
 selves. It is sufficient here to insist that they be 
 appointed and instructed before the meetings open. 
 If they have been so instructed when the revival 
 opens, everything should be ready to start. If the 
 pastor or preacher has the spirit of the real evan- 
 gelist he will get results, even in this modern day. 
 Indeed, the evangelist method is still one of the 
 most potent methods of religious work as is being 
 demonstrated repeatedly in city and in country. 
 
 SECURING DECISIONS 
 
 One of the weaknesses in the revival system has 
 been the insufficient decision. The conversion 
 hasn’t been broad enough, no matter how deep it 
 has gone. I have before me now the annual report 
 of an evangelistic association. It reports for a 
 four-year period, 3,161 conversions; 5,547 reconse- 
 crations ; 467 life service pledges; 1,297 family altar 
 pledges; 144 Christian stewardship pledges. 
 
 The evangelist and the preacher must stress the 
 social side of Christianity. It is a disgrace that 
 people are called converts when they assume so few 
 obligations. The card which the convert signs 
 should give him an opportunity to express his new 
 belief and not alone confess it. The form used by 
 
128 Church Administration 
 ee 
 the Penn Yan, New York, Methodist Episcopal 
 Church, may have too much on it but it is a step 
 in the right direction. When I tell you that 135 
 signified their willingness to adopt the principles 
 of stewardship and 253 agreed to attend prayer 
 meeting you will see that it is worth while to suggest 
 some method of social expression. 
 
 
 
 
 
 METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 
 Penn Yan, New York 
 A DECISION AND A FORWARD STEP 
 
 I indicate by my name and cross below some of the things I have resolved to do, 
 God helping me. 
 
 — 
 
 I am not a member of the church. I now accept Christ as my personal 
 Saviour, and will unite with the Chir cH cus Phasiele siete pelea eters oft 9.6) ol Stese.elee ee ohana 
 
 Se He cal Buelet atte. ie oilb/@ hehe, ere] Sree la, #6 aime) Presa eLs \8lm Se RS h8 (6) Pe. c9'100 81°) SIP) SS aaa eee eee ea 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ( ) I ama member of the church, but have not been as faithful to it, nor as 
 active in it, as I might have been; I hereby rededicate myself to the 
 setvice of Christ and. the church... -.ces-saesekesee ess scseseen reac enes 
 
 I am a member of the church elsewhere and desire my membership trans- 
 ferred to this church. 6). 6 ts..ss sae pinks wleanen opere nals nee ys s+ ski's ee Sema 
 
 I am willing to join the SUNDAY SCHOOL........-eeeeeerseeeececces 
 I am willing to join the MEN’S CLASS, or BROTHERHOOD.......<%% 
 I am willing to join the WOMAN’S FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY 
 I am willing to join the WOMAN’S HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY... 
 I am willing to join the LADIES’ AID......-seeeceereecesreecereseses 
 I am willing to join the EPWORTH LEAGUE......-.seerrreresrsstee 9% 
 I Ni possible, attend the PRAYER MEETING AND CHURCH 
 
 -~ aoe a Tt a a ee “~~ 
 7 wes oe ae ee’ A 
 
 
 
 we et Rilo e Sle ill enciiacaoy Shade wed SteveL.© ee oeyeTe.exe) #eib) ©) 9) 58 "R080 0407 ©, SAR aaa 
 
 
 
 
 —_ 
 
 
 
 
 em nS ig Wa ewe. er aloes & 6. ee) Cie oy © Sie Sie) e/a ieee 
 eeoeoveaesde 
 
 dit co 6 8 ate & 6 0 ¥ oe Soe sie 
 
 Fo a a “~~ -~-_ 
 we —_ 
 
 NOPE EE PN ET MCR EM SOLE Lt PaCS Baap Rae fe 
 
 ADDRESS 
 CHURCH PREFERRED ....c-eeeeeeeees 
 
 
 
Evangelism the Year Around 129 
 
 
 
 
 
 AN EVANGELISTIC PROGRAM 
 
 Here in brief space is a complete program of 
 evangelization as used by Rev. O. W. Haulmann 
 of the Grace Reformed Church, Akron, Ohio. 
 
 First there was Preparation. Plans were care- 
 fully laid before the Consistory early in the year. 
 A series of sermons, begun early in February, 
 looked toward Congregational Evangelistic Activ- 
 ity. This series ended on Palm Sunday. Late in 
 February, all who were willing to help were asked 
 to remain after service. These were divided into 
 nine geographic groups, and assigned to individual 
 committee rooms. Here each group arranged for 
 eight cottage prayer meetings, to be held the second 
 and third weeks in March. Leaders also were 
 chosen for same, In twenty minutes, 72 meetings 
 had been arranged, as well as lists handed out of all 
 prospectives living in the group, who were to be 
 visited in a friendly way only. Result, 1,500 were 
 in attendance at these cottage prayer meetings, an 
 average of over 20, and many of the prospectives 
 were definitely interested because our folks were 
 interested in them. We were all closer to God and 
 to Jesus Christ, our Saviour. 
 
 Secondly, there was Evangelization. Selected 
 personal workers, trained in part by the pastor, 
 followed up this work with the actual invitation. 
 These also were divided in the same groups, with a 
 leader. Workers reported their findings to their 
 leader, the leader to the pastor’s secretary, and she 
 her findings, after a personal call, to the pastor. He 
 usually found a glad welcome and a ready decision, 
 and had time for dwelling on the responsibility of 
 the new relation, rather than in using all his time 
 
130 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 to get the decision. Of 158 decisions, only 7 were 
 secured by the pastor without lay help. Of this 
 number 151 united with the Church on Easter, and 
 the others later. 
 
 Consummation: Assembling on Easter in the 
 Sunday school room, the new members were divided 
 into four groups—baptisms, confirmations, repro- 
 fessions, and letters. Each group had two ushers, 
 previously trained for the occasion. Singing “On- 
 ward, Christian Soldiers,” each group entered the 
 auditorium to specially reserved places, a group with 
 each stanza. With the help of ushers these were 
 received in less than thirty minutes. For the right 
 hand of fellowship the ushers led the groups simul- 
 taneously to the walls of the auditorium, so that the 
 new members entirely surrounded the old. Com- 
 munion followed with 1,013 present. 
 
 Conservation. A reception was held in honor of 
 new members one week later, carried out by our 
 Social Fellowship Committee of the Consistory. 
 Same groups are being urged to continue their in- 
 terest in the new members, inviting them to any 
 special feature of organized activity. The Sunday 
 school enrolls those who were not connected pre- 
 viously, via Increase Campaign, during May, June 
 and July. The pastor definitely plans smaller group 
 visitation for coming autumn and winter, wherein 
 church attendance especially is the goal, each leader 
 of fifty groups reporting to him regularly. Under 
 conservation we should also mention that these new 
 members, totaling 158, were at once canvassed for 
 pledges for church work, pledges totaling $1,600 
 being realized. 
 
Part III: Special Programs 
 

 
CHAPTER 8 
 SPECIAL DAYS AND PROGRAMS 
 
 It is generally conceded that the practical church 
 year, at least as far as execution is concerned, is 
 from the fall through to the spring months. More 
 and more there is a cessation of active church work 
 during the summer months. There are two ways 
 of looking at this, of course. Some lament it as a 
 confession that the church is yielding to the devil. 
 Others feel that more is accomplished by building 
 the church program around the active months and 
 that preacher, church and people profit by a period 
 of relaxation. 
 
 An adjustment to existing circumstances need not 
 be considered asa retreat. There has been a radical 
 change in social customs throughout the country. 
 The vacation habit is a general one. Automobiles 
 have made it easy for people to get away. The 
 number of people who own summer homes and 
 camps has been multiplied by the hundreds in the 
 past two decades. The church is serving a world 
 which is different. There are churches so located 
 that a summer program is an absolute obligation, 
 but other churches may lighten their work during 
 these months without feeling that they are yielding 
 to evil. Especially is this true if they make good 
 use of the other months of the year. 
 
 The active months give plenty of opportunity to 
 use ingenuity and all of the minister’s mental re- 
 sources to keep the congregation interested and 
 
 133 
 
» 104. Church Administration 
 
 
 
 coming. Special days have been with us for some 
 time. They are very effective. The tendency seems 
 to be at the present time, however, in favor of fitting 
 the days into more comprehensive programs so that 
 the educational value will be greater. 
 
 STARTING THE FALL WORK 
 
 In the chapter on Evangelism I have given an 
 outline of an officers’ retreat which is a very attrac- 
 tive way of gettings things going for the fall. This 
 should precede the rally day so that all of the officers 
 will have had their interest in the coming year 
 quickened. Any rally day is much more effective 
 if all of the church organizations are represented 
 in it. It should be placed at a time when the 
 men’s organizations, women’s organizations, young 
 people’s societies as well as the Sunday school can 
 say, “Now is the time to begin the work for the 
 Pails 
 
 A rally day should not consist merely of one 
 service. It is well to have one big church service 
 but the idea back of the plan is to have every organi- | 
 zation ready to start. The Sunday school has prac- 
 ticed it for years. It means every teacher, officer 
 and pupil ready for the year’s work. It should mean 
 the same for the other organizations. The church 
 trustees may well codperate and plan to have the 
 revenue for the year brought up to date. 
 
 At a time when the community was talking and 
 celebrating “Home-coming Day,’ in one of my 
 churches we instituted a “Home-coming Day for 
 the Church Dollar.” It happened to come at a time 
 in the fall when you would naturally see a rally of 
 individuals for the work of the winter and a great 
 
Special Days and Programs 135 
 
 
 
 many dollars came home to the church and our 
 unpaid pledges were reduced to a minimum. 
 
 THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET 
 
 A different kind of rally day, and yet one which 
 has proven very effective, is a home-coming Sunday 
 in the early fall. Rev. F. Jefferson Neal, of Brook- 
 lyn, has used such a day, basing his appeal upon 
 “The Old Oaken Bucket.” In his scheme invitations 
 were sent out to every one on the church lists for 
 the past five years. The favorite hymns of the old 
 days were sung. A quartet sang “The Old Oaken 
 Bucket,” and there was a soprano solo, “Memories 
 of Galilee.” The organ prelude consisted of a fan- 
 tasia of old-time melodies. The Scripture reading 
 was upon the Master’s talk with the woman of 
 Samaria, while the sermon text was, “And Isaac 
 digged again the wells they digged in the days of 
 Abraham, his father.” The treatment of the theme 
 followed closely the ballad of Samuel Woodworth’s 
 “Scenes of Our Childhood,” “The Tear of Regret,” 
 and the “Source of Exquisite Pleasure.” The ser- 
 vice of worship was followed by a fellowship service 
 during which old friends were able to refresh their 
 memories of past days. The meeting was concluded 
 and climaxed by the singing of “Blest be the Tie 
 that Binds.” 
 
 THE HARVEST FESTIVAL 
 
 This service is usually held in early autumn. It 
 is especially adaptable in rural communities, but 
 there are instances, such as in the Hanson Place 
 Baptist Church in Brooklyn, where in a slightly dif- 
 
136 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 ferent way it has been successful for years. [here 
 the folks bring canned goods instead of the fruit of 
 the field. In this plan a day is set aside for the 
 reception of the first of the fruits. Saturday is 
 the collection day. The men bring the gifts to the 
 church while the ladies decorate the church for the 
 occasion. The Sunday service is appropriate for 
 the celebration. From Herbert Marsh, of Spirit 
 Lake, Iowa, I have gathered two suggestive themes 
 for the day. One is from Ruth 2: 4, “Boaz in the 
 Barley Field,’ and the other, ‘““God’s Open Hand,” 
 Psalm 104: 27-30. 
 
 There seems to be a difference of opinion as to 
 the disposition of the gifts. In some instances they 
 are auctioned on Monday night for the benefit of 
 the church. In others a distribution is made to the 
 poor and needy. 
 
 A MONTH FOR FAMILY RELIGION 
 
 We are borrowing this program from Paul F. 
 Boller of Watertown, New York, who decided that 
 an entire month should be given to the strengthen- 
 ing of the religious emphasis in family life. It was 
 not a program for the preacher but one in which 
 every department of church activity cooperated. 
 He took the month of September and gave to the 
 month the theme of “Home and Family.” Here are 
 some of the features of the program. 
 
 All of the sermons were on the general theme. 
 This included the sermons to children preached at 
 each of the morning services. 
 
 The evening sermons’ subjects were: 
 
 _ The Breaking of a Home (based on the story of 
 Esau and Jacob in the home of Isaac). 
 
Special Days and Programs 137 
 Se Se eeenenseseseeenenenneeereee te 
 The Making of a Home (based on the attitude of 
 the father toward the prodigal son). 
 How to Spend Sunday in the Home. 
 The Home and the Church. 
 
 Each Sunday evening there was a question box 
 conducted in the interest of the general theme for 
 the month. These questions gave color to the 
 service and helped to stimulate the interest. On 
 the last Sunday night the men’s brotherhood had 
 charge and in addition to the pastor there were 
 addresses by the superintendent of schools, and a 
 visiting director of religious education. 
 
 A special feature was made of the Family Altar. 
 Literature was distributed. There was a display 
 of books of prayer and Bible stories for children. 
 An opportunity was given the adults to sign cards 
 pledging themselves to family worship. 
 
 During this month, all through the church, each 
 organization made its contribution to the general 
 program. ‘The men’s club had a speaker from the 
 Children’s Aid Society who discussed family cases. 
 The Young Ladies’ Class listened to a representa- 
 tive from the Home Economics Club who spoke on 
 “Modern Home Making.” One afternoon the of- 
 ficers and teachers of the Sunday school entertained 
 the mothers of all the children enrolled. A capable 
 educator spoke to them on “Religious Training in 
 the Home.” | 
 
 Additional features consisted of a family visita- 
 tion of the parish, an indoor picnic held in the eve- 
 ning. At this picnic all engaged in singing the old 
 home songs, and there were games and recreation 
 for all. There was a prayer for the home which 
 was printed on the church bulletin and repeated by 
 
138 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 all in the service. The pastor, as an additional 
 service on his part, made a study of all of the homes 
 in which maladjustments prevailed and sought by 
 prayer and practical effort to restore their harmony. 
 
 This program is given in detail not so much for 
 its repetition, though it is worthy of that, but to 
 show the possibility of an intensive month in church 
 work, You have noticed how every agency was co- 
 operating. This to my mind is very necessary in 
 any church campaign. Real leadership will see that 
 all of the cylinders of the church are hitting. When 
 such is the case you will do something more than 
 merely get people to church—though that is worth- 
 while—you will make an impression which will 
 reach into their hearts and minds. 
 
 A program such as this requires considerable 
 thought in advance. Not alone must the societies 
 cooperate, but all of the resources of the building 
 must be put to use. With some churches there is 
 always more or less friction because of conflicts in 
 dates for using the various parts of the building. 
 One way to remedy this is to have each organization 
 submit in advance its program for weeks ahead. 
 Then the various dates can be adjusted. It might 
 be well to have a chart hanging in some conspicuous 
 place which would show at a glance a month ahead 
 just how the various parts of the building have been 
 allotted. Such a chart can be purchased at a church 
 specialty house for a small amount and will prove 
 very valuable. 
 
 A CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE 
 
 This service gives a chance for the reading of 
 some good Christmas story such as Dickens’ Christ- 
 
Special Days and Programs 139 
 
 
 
 mas Carol. It might take the place of an evening 
 service or the usual Christmas observance. 
 The order of service will be as follows: 
 
 1. Organ Carol—‘“Joy to the World.” 
 2. Contralto Carol—‘‘Here We Come a 
 Carolling.” 
 3. Congregational Carol—“Adeste Fideles.” 
 4. Scripture Lesson. 
 5. Contralto and Baritone Carol—“God Rest 
 You, Merry Gentlemen.” 
 65..\Prayer. 
 7. Trio Carol—Good King Wencelas.” 
 8. Congregational Carol—‘It Came Upon 
 the Midnight Clear.” 
 9. Offertory Carol—“Holy Night.” 
 Io. Baritone Carol—“We Three Kings.” 
 11. A Christmas Story. 
 12. Congregational Carol—“The First Noél.” 
 13. Illustrated Hymn. 
 14. Chimes Carol—“‘I Heard the Bells of 
 Christmas.” 
 
 Inexpensive sets of Christmas Carols can be ob- 
 tained from C. C. Birchard and Company, Boston, 
 Mass., and from the H. W. Gray Co., 159 East 
 Forty-eighth Street, New York City, the latter edi- 
 tion called “Community Christmas Carols.” 
 
 THE WHITE GIFT CHRISTMAS 
 
 The White Gift Christmas is not a new thing. It 
 has been used by many churches for some years but 
 it still makes about the best Christian Christmas we 
 know anything about. Phoebe A. Curtis is the in- 
 
140 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 ventor or discoverer of this Christmas service. It 
 was in 1904 at the Methodist Episcopal Church of 
 Painesville, Ohio, that the plan was actually set in 
 motion. The idea is taken from an old legend called 
 “A Legend of Cathay,” and is as follows: 
 
 “This strange country is called Cathay, and the 
 ruler thereof is one Kubla Khan, a mighty warrior, 
 who, by reason of his strong will and trusty sword, 
 has made himself lord of the whole land. His gOv- 
 ernment is both wise and just, and is administered 
 for rich and poor alike, without fear or favor. On 
 the king’s birthday the people observe what is called 
 the White Feast. Then are the king and his court 
 assembled in a great room of the palace, which is all 
 white, the floor of marble and the walls hung with 
 curtains of white silk. All are in white apparel and 
 they offer unto the king white gifts to show that 
 their love and loyalty are without stain. The rich 
 bring to their lord pearls, carvings of ivory, white 
 chargers and costly embroidered garments. The 
 poor present white pigeons and handfuls of rice. 
 Nor doth the great king regard one gift above an- 
 other so long as all be white. And so do they keep 
 the king’s birthday.” 
 
 This legend is usually printed on the program 
 because it is beautiful and suggestive. The main 
 purpose of this exercise is evangelistic in the best 
 sense. It is an attempt to get people to give self, 
 service and substance to their King Jesus.’ 
 
 One of the best results of this “White Gift” pro- 
 gram is the rounding up of new helpers in actual 
 service for Christ and his church. A list of “Gifts 
 of Service’ is printed on the program. It consists 
 
 1 For further particulars, see White Gifts for the King (Meigs Pub- 
 lishing Company). 
 
Special Days and Programs 14] 
 —_—_—_—____—— 
 of a series of opportunities or needs in the church 
 and provides a method by which individuals may 
 promise to take up certain lines of church work 
 such as to sing in the choir, teach in the Sunday 
 school, join some society in the church, try to win 
 new members, etc. It is in reality an enlistment 
 blank. 
 
 An opportunity is also provided for the giving 
 of oneself to Christ. At Christmas there is a 
 splendid chance to drive home the importance of 
 becoming a Christian. Then the matter of giving 
 substance has been very greatly emphasized in many 
 places. In this enlistment blank there should be 
 some place for a pledge to current expenses or mis- 
 sions or for some special object. 
 
 A WATCH NIGHT SERVICE 
 
 Perhaps the old-fashioned watch night service is 
 going out of fashion, but there is coming in a new 
 
 :30- 7:30—Supper 3c. 
 > 30- 8: oo—Recess. 
 :00- 8: 30—Song service, snappy old-time gospel hymns. 
 : 30- 9: 00—Literary half hour; 
 Reading— 
 Talk, “Yesterday.” 
 Talk, “To-morrow.” 
 (each limited to 10 min.) 
 
 9: 00- 9: 30—Get acquainted. 
 9: 30-10: 00—Presenting budget for year. 
 10: 00-11 : 00O—Missionary stereopticon lecture. 
 II: 00-11: 10—Recess. 
 II: 10-11: 25—Singing. 
 II: 25-11: 45—Sermon. 
 II: 45-12:00—Communion service. 
 
 CO CONT tn 
 
 program, more varied and attractive. There are 
 many possibilities in such a service. New Year’s 
 gives an opportunity for new consecrations. One 
 
142 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 naturally takes stock and wonders what the new 
 year will bring to him. Here are two programs 
 from two churches differing widely in their loca- 
 tions and their resources. 
 
 The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Roscoe, 
 California, used the night not alone as a service of 
 consecration but also presented and pledged the 
 budget for the new year. 
 
 On page 141 is the program of its services. 
 
 And this is the announcement of a Watch Night 
 Service in the Central Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 Detroit, Michigan: 
 
 WATCH NIGHT SERVICE PROGRAM FOR 
 EVERYBODY 
 
 :00 P.M.-9: 50 P.M. 
 Fellowship Hour With Refreshments 
 Fourth Floor 
 
 10:00 P.M.-10:50 P.M. 
 Service of Prayer and Praise 
 CHURCH HOUSE AUDITORIUM 
 Mr. Walter B. Heyler 
 
 11:00 P.M.-12:00 Midnight 
 Watch Night Service 
 Bishop Theodore S. Henderson 
 
 Central Church cordially welcomes Bishop Henderson to its 
 pulpit for the Watch Night Service Message. 
 
 
 
 A WATCH NIGHT CANDLE-LIGHTING SERVICE 
 
 This is a very appropriate service for New Year’s 
 Eve and has a symbolism which will leave a splendid 
 impression. The entire service is based on the 
 thought that Jesus is the light of the world, and 
 that his followers are also the light of the world. 
 
Special Days and Programs 143 
 eee eee 
 The program should give everybody present a 
 chance to participate. The program briefly is some- 
 what as follows: 
 
 Hymn—“Jesus Calls Us O’er the Tumult.” 
 
 Prayer, by Sunday school superintendent. 
 
 Scripture reading, by a representative of 
 the Young People’s Society. 
 
 Musical selection, by choir. 
 
 Hymn—Peal Out the Watchword.” 
 
 Address by pastor on “Jesus, the Light of 
 World.” 
 
 rt Ren oe tore 
 
 At, the close of the address all the lights are 
 turned out and a lighted candle placed on a table 
 near the altar. Each person present has received 
 previously a candle. Then the congregation sings, 
 “Take my life and let it be.” 
 
 At the conclusion of this hymn the pastor takes 
 his candle and lights it from the candle on the table. 
 As he does so he says, “As I light my candle I pledge 
 allegiance to Jesus, the light of the world, and 
 promise that during the next twelve months I will 
 let my light shine for Him.” 
 
 Then the Sunday school superintendent may 
 make a pledge for himself and his staff. The pres- 
 ident of the official board will make a similar pledge 
 for his body. In each of these instances all con- 
 cerned will stand by the spokesman and light their 
 candles in succession and then take their places in 
 the front of the church. After each official body 
 has been recognized a general invitation will be 
 given to the congregation to join in this fellowship 
 by lighting their candles. Or this last appeal may 
 be divided, first asking all members of the church 
 
144 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 to join in the service and then urging any who care 
 to give themselves to Jesus and unite with the 
 church to join the group standing around the room. 
 
 The service may be appropriately closed by sing- 
 ing, “Blest be the tie that binds.” 
 
 UNIVERSAL WEEK OF PRAYER 
 
 Every minister should keep in mind the Universal 
 Week of Prayer which comes the first week in the 
 new year. This offers an opportunity for special 
 services and should, at least, be observed by some 
 kind of meetings. The Federal Council of Churches 
 of Christ in America usually sends out the programs 
 in time for development of the themes. ‘These are 
 printed in most of the religious papers a month 
 ahead of the date. 
 
 LENTEN PROGRAMS 
 
 The Lenten season means more to the Protestant 
 churches to-day than it has sometimes in the past. I 
 think this is a good sign. It seems to be one time 
 of the year when all of the churches can speak in 
 unison. As a matter of fact, in one community 
 every business house closed from two to three 
 o’clock on Good Friday and in the store windows a 
 card appeared stating that the churches in the com- 
 munity were holding services at that hour. (See 
 page 145.) It was the only instance in local history 
 when all of the churches, Roman and Protestant, 
 had spoken together. 
 
 The church may do well to have all of its services 
 through Lent grouped around a common theme. 
 This may apply to the Sunday and the midweek 
 
Special Days and Programs 145 
 
 THIS STORE WILL CLOSE GOOD FRIDAY 
 z2to3 P.M. 
 
 io: US) LTB 
 
 The Churches Are Open For Service of Prayer and 
 Meditation at This Hour 
 
 
 
 Window Card 9” x13” 
 
 services as well. Some churches designate the mid- 
 week services through the period as “Lenten Ser- 
 vices.” These may be devoted to some theme suit- 
 able for evangelistic appeal or spiritual growth. 
 The church which cannot be spiritually minded dur- 
 ing Lent will find it difficult to be so at any other 
 time. 
 
 Here is a Lenten evangelistic program used at 
 the First Presbyterian Church, Independence, Iowa. 
 It includes three main divisions. 
 
 I. A School of Evangelism 
 
 This was used to deepen and enrich the spiritual 
 life of the communicants of the church. It was led 
 by the pastor. The subjects for five nights, Mon- 
 day to Friday, were: 
 
 The Holy Spirit (An Analysis). 
 
 Season of the Soul (Laws of the Spirit). 
 
 The Attractive Christ ( Portraiture). 
 
 Jesus, Personal Evangelist (An Example). 
 
 Personal Evangelism (Methods of Work). 
 

 
 146 Church Administration 
 
 2. A Week of Special Evangelistic Services 
 
 A visiting evangelist led these services, aided by 
 a soloist and a chorus choir. The first night was 
 Sunday school night. 
 
 3. Communion Service and Reception of Members 
 
 Rev. A. Eugene Bartlett of Pontiac, Michigan, 
 is another man who -has found that the Lenten 
 season is the time to reach men. His plan of evan- 
 gelism is one of organization and personal work 
 rather than of meetings. His plan is to select early 
 in the season ten picked men and women. They 
 are asked to select nine others to codperate with 
 them. Then each one in the group will be asked 
 to win one person before Easter. The slogan of the 
 campaign is “Win One and Stand By.” ‘The or- 
 ganization is very simple. Many times some will 
 win more than one. One captain won eighteen. 
 This method has enabled him to receive 423 mem- 
 bers within two years. 
 
 Dr. Elwood A. Rowsey of the First Westminster 
 Church, Toledo, Ohio, builds his Lenten campaigns 
 around the ‘Comrades of the Come and See.” ‘The 
 name is derived from the answer of Philip to 
 Nathaniel when the latter asked, “Can any good 
 thing come out of Nazareth?’ The reply was, 
 “Come and see.” There are really two fellowships 
 in the plan, the Fellowship of John and the Fellow- 
 ship of Andrew. It is so planned that there may be 
 a friendly competition in the search for decisions. 
 When these are organized they are sent out to in- 
 vite those outside the church to “Come and See.” 
 As a result of this plan in 1925, 345 people were 
 received into the fellowship of the church. 
 
Special Days and Programs 147 
 
 LENT 
 
 Vilgrim Lutheran 
 Church 
 
 Hair and West Ploriasant Aves. 
 
 SERVICES 
 
 |EACH WEEK] 
 DURING 
 LENT 
 
 1 To teke care # 
 Sof the large 
 attendance. 
 
 Sundays 
 8:30 A. M. 
 10:45 A. M. 
 8:00 P. M. 
 i Wednesday 8 P. M. 
 Thursday 8 P. M. q 
 
 Pastors: 
 Alfred Doerffler Rudolph Prange 
 
 Come and Worship With Us 
 (E>15 
 
 
 
148 Church Administration 
 
 The renewed interest in the Lenten season has 
 made it possible for many cities to hold special noon- 
 day meetings during Holy Week in some downtown 
 church or theater. These services conducted by 
 some speaker of prominence or by a succession of 
 speakers have proven very successful. The Luth- 
 eran Church has been very active in promoting these 
 as have also the various Church Federations in the 
 larger cities. They may not be possible in the 
 smaller towns but it is well to observe the season 
 in some way or another. 
 
 THE CROSS IN LENTEN PUBLICITY 
 
 Ye know 
 
 that ye 
 
 WEre WanlOt 
 
 redeemed 
 
 with cor- 
 ruptible things as_ silver 
 and gold from your vain 
 conversation received by 
 tradition from your fathers 
 
 but with 
 
 the pre- 
 
 CHrOtiS 
 
 blood of 
 
 Uri Ste 
 
 aS: e ry Oud 
 
 ayeliaimb 
 
 without 
 
 blemish 
 
 and with- 
 
 out spot 
 
 Teeter ie cal oe 
 
Special Days and Programs 149 
 
 
 
 The cross may very well appear in the church 
 publicity during the Lenten season. Many min- 
 isters plan their cards so that the form appears. 
 On page 147 is an attractive one from the Pilgrim 
 Lutheran Church of St. Louis, Missouri. 
 
 A very effective cross can be made for display by 
 the printer by a careful spacing of letters of some 
 striking text such as one shown above. 
 
 
 
 
 mn “LUTHERAN 
 LCS, Noonday Lenten Services 
 ~ HOLY WEER =: APRIL 6-10 
 
 12:20 NOON TO 12:50 
 
 GOOD SPEAKERS 
 COMMUNITY SINGING 
 
 eo ——————————————————E——EE renee | 
 STRAND THEA Baronne_and_Gravier_Streets 
 
 Awspices New Orleans Lutheran Churches 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 STOLL'S PRIRTING WORKS eGegoo 315-355 EXOWARCE PLact 
 
 A Blotter Announcing Holy Week Services at New Orleans, 
 Louisiana 
 
 THE EASTER CALL 
 
 This is a carefully worked-out plan to put the 
 laymen at work helping to build up a large class of 
 new members for the Easter ingathering. The 
 plan itself, is flexible and so may be adapted to any 
 type of parish. It consists of four items. The first 
 is a four-page folder entitled “The Easter Call.” 
 This is a devotional circular for lay use and the 
 third page contains the plan for personal solicita- 
 tion in the seeking of new members. There are 
 
150 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 lines on which will be written the names of those 
 the individual agrees to seek. In this call there is 
 also a form which is designed to give notice to the 
 pastor of the church as to the result of the calls.’ 
 It states in brief: 
 
 I have called upon the following people inviting them to 
 join the church. 
 
 I have found the following favorable. 
 
 Signed 
 
 
 
 A third form is very similar to the first one. It 
 also is called “The Easter Call.’ But it is an invi- 
 tation to be given to the prospective members and 
 contains arguments for joining the church with a 
 pledge card attached. This is to be torn off and 
 given to the person giving the invitation or to the 
 pastor. The fourth item is a card which the pastor 
 mails to every prospect whose name is turned in, 
 making a follow-up invitation to that given by his 
 lay workers. 
 
 1 For further details of this plan, write Church World Press, 626 Huron 
 Road, Cleveland, Ohio. 
 
MY PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL 
 GUIDE FOR HOLY WEEK 
 
 THE SEVEN WORDS FROM THE 
 CROSS 
 
 Monday — “Father, forgive them; 
 they know not what 
 
 they do.’ Luke 23:24 
 
 The love of Jesus was so great that he 
 could pray for forgiveness toward those who 
 nailed his hands and feet to the cross. 
 Surely greater love hath no man than this. 
 
 Tuesday — “To-day thou shalt be 
 with me in paradise.” 
 Luke 23:43 
 
 These words were spoken to the criminal 
 hanging by his side. Regardless of the past 
 of this man, Jesus knew that his heart 
 hungered for God. Paradise is for those 
 who hunger and thirst after righteousness. 
 
 Wednesday —‘lV oman, behold thy son. 
 Behold thy mother.” 
 John 19:26-27 
 In these words the apostle John was 
 united to Mary the mother of Jesus. Jesus 
 wants those who shared his love to love 
 one another. 
 
 Thursday —“My God, my God, why 
 hast thou forsaken me.” 
 
 Matthew 27:46 
 
 This cry is from the depths of the heart. 
 
 Pain for the time seemed to master the 
 
 spirit. Such is our experience. But the 
 spirit will conquer in the end. 
 
 Friday “T thirst.’ John 19:28 
 
 It is physical thirst. It is the last re- 
 quest for the body that Christ will make. 
 There comes a time when the things of the 
 temporal body must yield to the demands 
 of eternity. 
 
 Saturday — “Jt is finished.” 
 John 19:30 
 His temporal life was finished. He had 
 been true to his call. The body was weary 
 but the heart was satisfied. What a satis- 
 faction comes to those who are faithful to 
 the end. 
 
 Sunday — “Father, into thy hands 
 
 I commend my spirit.” 
 
 Luke 23:46 
 
 The joy of Easter Sunday is the triumph 
 
 of the spirit over flesh. Hallelujah, Christ 
 
 is risen. And not only Christ but all those 
 
 who through him find their redemption 
 through him. 
 
 Inside page, Form A. 
 
 MY EVANGELISTIC PROGRAM 
 FOR LENT 
 
 As share in the responsibilities 
 and joys of the Easter season I 
 will personally see the following per- 
 sons and invite them to unite with 
 the church. I will report the results 
 of my invitation to the pastor. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Signed 
 
 (Form B of THE EASTER CALL has 
 been specially prepared to aid in giving the 
 invitation to those whom you visit. It will 
 help to make your efforts successful and 
 furnish the prospect with a devotional 
 guide for Holy Week.) 
 
 “The Easter Call.” 
 
152 Church Administration 
 
 TS 
 
 
 
 
 
 Of course, this plan will work best where there is 
 a healthy personal contact. The wise minister will 
 see that his workers have definite prospects to ap- 
 proach and that their work is not duplicated. They 
 should be encouraged to bring the prospects to the 
 church to meet the pastor. But when used as a 
 basis of a membership campaign, experience has 
 shown that it is very effective. 
 
 q QI jl My dear friend: 
 
 
 
 
 Gs 
 
 ~ Vas aS. 
 
 
 
 
 
 There are friends of yours who 
 are very anxious that you should de- 
 cide to unite with our Church in the 
 Easter Class. May I add my word 
 to theirs in urging that you give the 
 matter very serious consideration. 
 There is no time of the year when 
 
 oi, the Christ appeal is so strong. You 
 KIN really must face it and decide one 
 Ay way or the other. We hope that you 
 if “ 5/16 may become one of us. May I not 
 Ky / fies MZ, hear from you soon, 
 RAVAN S 
 
 qieat Ny ed Sincerely, 
 
 {a \\ ie 
 | 5: TRY 
 
 MA if t CHO CH OTE Co erneeeeenscerecse Ceeeeteeeee 
 
 Pastor 
 
 Ministers’ Follow-up Card 
 
 THREE-HOUR DEVOTIONAL SERVICE FOR GOOD 
 FRIDAY 
 
 (The hours during which Christ hung upon the 
 cross. ) 
 
 The program for this service was arranged by 
 the Rev. J. H. L. Trout of the Bethany English 
 Lutheran Church, Cleveland, Ohio. In his plan 
 seven churches codperated, each minister speaking 
 
Special Days and Programs 153 
 
 
 
 on one of the “Last Words.”’ But where that is not 
 practicable there is still a use of these services. The 
 twenty-five-minute periods make it easy for those 
 who cannot attend the entire three hours to enter 
 and leave. All addresses and prayers will have to 
 
 be very carefully timed to keep the program to 
 schedule. 
 
 PART I—Noon to 12:25 P.M. 
 
 ORGAN PRELUDE 
 
 HYMN 
 
 SCRIPTURE—The Prophecy of the Suffering Messiah, 
 Isaiah 53 
 
 HYMN 
 
 SCRIPTURE—The Passion History, Part I 
 
 PRAYER 
 
 ADDRESS—“Father, forgive them, for they know not what 
 they do” 
 
 HYMN 
 
 INTERMISSION—Silent Prayer and Meditation 
 
 PART II—12: 25 to 12:50 P.M. 
 
 HYMN 
 
 SCRIPTURE—The Passion History, Part II 
 PRAYER 
 
 HYMN 
 
 ADDRESS—“To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise” 
 HYMN 
 
 INTERMISSION—Silent Prayer and Meditation 
 
 PART III—12: 50 to 1:15 P.M. 
 
 HYMN 
 
 SCRIPTURE—The Passion History, Part III 
 PRAYER 
 
 HYMN 
 
 ADDRESS—“Behold thy son... Behold thy mother” 
 HYMN 
 
 INTERMISSION—Silent Prayer and Meditation 
 
 PART IV—1:15 to 1:40 P.M. 
 
 HYMN 
 SCRIPTURE—The Passion History, Part IV 
 PRAYER 
 
154. Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 SOLO—"On iCalvary oh 05 0a 53 oe miele rei he aorten ee Creswell 
 ADDRESS—“My God, my God; why hast Thou forsaken 
 me?” 
 
 HYMN 
 INTERMISSION—Silent Prayer and Meditation 
 
 PART V—1: 40 to 2:05 P.M. 
 
 HYMN 
 
 SCRIPTURE—The Passion History, Part V 
 
 PRAYER 
 
 SOLO—EHE Was for! MORE fab naa ae ettetee eine ee ens ee Blount 
 
 ADDRESS—‘T thirst” 
 
 HYMN 
 
 INTERMISSION—Silent Prayer and Meditation 
 
 OFFERING | (During this intermission, an offering will be 
 received to defray the expense of the service) 
 
 PART VI—2: 10 to 2:35 P.M. 
 
 HYMN 
 
 SCRIPTURE—The Passion History, Part VI 
 
 PRAYER 
 
 SOLO—‘There is: a Green, Hill Far Away”..:....:: Gounod 
 ADDRESS—“It «¢s finished” 
 
 HYMN 
 
 INTERMISSION—Silent Prayer and Meditation 
 
 PART VII—z2:35 to 3:00 P.M. 
 
 HYMN 
 
 SCRIPTURE—The Passion History, Part VII 
 
 PRAYER 
 
 SOUO—"Droop, Sacred? ilead 52. ce ek oni aioe. Maunder 
 
 ADDRESS—“Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit” 
 HYMN 
 
 SILENT PRAYER 
 
 BENEDICTION 
 
 MOTHER’S DAY 
 
 This day is worthy of mention because of the 
 many appeals which itcan make. In some churches 
 it will become parents’ day. Others will emphasize 
 the family unit. Others will use it to give age its 
 
Special Days and Programs 155 
 
 
 
 
 
 due. A family day may be good at any time. A 
 month was given to this theme in the Delaware 
 Street Baptist Church, Syracuse, New York, re- 
 cently and a Bible given to the largest family with 
 the highest percentage of attendance. It is a good 
 thing to offer to print on the church calendar the 
 names of families 100 per cent present on family 
 day. 
 
 A musical service arranged for Mother’s Day 
 may be found in Chapter 5. That service was used 
 at the evening hour. Here is a very complete ar- 
 rangement of the morning worship, including not 
 alone the special liturgical material but hymns suit- 
 able for the day. It was prepared by the Rev. J. 
 Richmond Morgan and used in the First Congre- 
 gational Church, Waterloo, Iowa. 
 
 Order of Service 
 MOTHER’S DAY 
 Morning Worship, 11:00 O’Clock 
 
 Organ Prelude—‘“Arioso” (Group of Old Melodies: iste cs Frey 
 Processional Hymn 520—“Jerusalem the Golden” 
 
 The Call to Worship 
 (Minister) : 
 
 Honor thy father and thy mother that thy day may be long 
 in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 
 
 My son, hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the 
 teaching of thy mother. 
 
 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; 
 and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 
 
 (Unison) : 
 
 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and the law of kind- 
 ness is upon her tongue. Her children rise up and call her 
 blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her, saying: “Many 
 daughters have done worthily, but thou excelleth them all!” 
 
 Doxology 
 Invocation in Unison 
 
 Mother God, as we gather to pay homage to the memory of 
 
 our mothers and to give honor to all good womanhood, may we 
 
156 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 do it with quiet hearts and reverent minds. We thank thee for 
 those who represented thee in the distant days of our childhood, 
 who suffered for us, toiled for us and gave us our first im- 
 pressions of sacrifice and devotion. We pray that some tender 
 memory of simpler days may be revived in this service, that 
 our mother’s God may become as real to us as it was to her, and 
 that this service will bring to us the confidence and inspira- 
 tion she always found in thy house. Through Jesus Christ 
 our Lord. Amen. 
 
 Gloria Patri 
 Responsive Reading—Selection 33 
 Hymn (Tune St. Catherine) . 
 
 I 
 
 In the dark womb where I began 
 
 My mother’s life made me a man. 
 Through all the months of human birth 
 Her beauty fed my common earth. 
 
 I cannot see, nor breathe, nor stir 
 
 But through the death of some of her. 
 
 2 
 
 Down in the darkness of the grave 
 She cannot see the life she gave. 
 For all her love, she cannot tell 
 Whether I use it ill or well, 
 
 Nor knock at dusty doors to find 
 Her beauty dusty in the mind. 
 
 3 
 If the grave’s gates would be undone, 
 She would not know her little son, 
 Iam so grown. If we should meet, 
 She would pass by me in the street, 
 Unless my soul’s face let her see 
 My sense of what she did for me. 
 —John Masefield. 
 
 Scripture Reading 
 Chorus Choir—“Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”..... Neidlinger 
 
 Pastoral Prayer (From “For God and the People’”—-Rauschenbusch) 
 “O God, we offer Thee praise and benediction for the sweet 
 ministries of motherhood in human life. We bless Thee for our 
 own dear mothers who built up our lives by theirs; who bore 
 
 us in travail and loved us the more for the pain we gave; who 
 nourished us at their breast and hushed us to sleep in the warm 
 security of their arms. We thank Thee for their tireless love, 
 
 for their voiceless prayers, for the agony with which they fol- 
 lowed us through our sins and won us back, for the Christly 
 power of sacrifice and redemption in mother-love. We pray 
 
Special Days and Programs 157 
 LL 
 
 Thee to forgive us if in thoughtless selfishness we have taken 
 their love as our due without giving the tenderness which they 
 craved as their sole reward. And if the great treasure of a 
 mother’s life is still spared to us may we do for her feebleness 
 what she did for ours. 
 
 “We remember before Thee all the good women who are now 
 bearing the pain and weariness of maternity. Grant them 
 strength of body and mind for their new tasks. Widen their 
 vision that they may see themselves, not as the mothers of one 
 child alone, but as the patriot women of their nation, who alone 
 can build up the better future with fresh and purer life. Put 
 upon the girls of our people the awe of their future calling, 
 that they may preserve their bodies and minds in purity and 
 strength for the holy task to which the future may summon 
 them. 
 
 “As the protecting love of motherhood wrought blindly in the 
 earliest upward climb of life, may it now, with open eyes and 
 strong with Christly passion, set its tireless strength to lift 
 humanity from the reign of brutal force and to found the larger 
 family of men on the blessed might of love. Through Jesus 
 Christ, our Lord, Amen.” 
 
 Offertory Solo—“Old Refrain’............cccccecee Fritz Kreisler 
 Ryan, Flome, sweet, Home”)... 26 si .6ed fase oh doula. besesseayne 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 ’Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, 
 
 Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home; 
 
 A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there, 
 
 Which, seek thro’ the world, is ne’er met with elsewhere. 
 Refrain * 
 
 2 
 
 I gaze on the moon as I tread the drear wild, 
 
 And feel that my mother now thinks of her child, 
 
 As she looks on that moon from our own cottage door, 
 
 Thro’ the woodbine whose fragrance shall cheer me no more. 
 Refrain * 
 
 3 
 
 An exile from home splendor dazzles in vain: 
 
 Oh, give me my lowly thatched cottage again; 
 
 The birds singing gaily, that came at my call, 
 
 Give me them, and that peace of mind dearer than all. 
 Refrain * 
 
 * Home, home, sweet, sweet home, 
 There’s no place like home, 
 Oh, there’s no place like home. 
 
158 Church Administration 
 
 A SSS 
 
 
 
 Sermon—*THE UNIVERSAL MOTHER?”............ Luke 2:19 
 Recessional Hymn—“Mother” (tune America) 
 I 3 
 Mother! Most precious name, Through many hours of night, 
 It’s evermore the same, When tears bedimmed her sight, 
 Earth’s sweetest word! Our pain she soothed ; 
 Through ages past have flown, Ne’er gave self a thought ; 
 No sound was ever known, Ever for us she wrought; 
 Like Mother name alone, With love most tireless sought, 
 Or ever heard. All pains to soothe. 
 2 4 
 From cradle’s earliest day, Our Mother’s God to thee, 
 She guarded all our way In deep humility, 
 With the tender care. We lift our prayer; 
 She shared our every woe, E’er keep those we love best 
 Each cherished hope did know. Through every trial and test, 
 Heard every whisper low, Give them Thy sweetest rest 
 Of childish prayer. Safe in Thy care. 
 
 —From the Bulletin, Tulpehocken Trinity Reformed Church. 
 Benediction 
 Postlude—‘‘Temple March”... (00.0 csi e ees cep esas eurae Vincent 
 
 THE HAPPY MONTH OF JUNE 
 
 According to Bernard C. Clausen, June is a great 
 month for church work. He calls it a Reunion 
 Month for his Syracuse church. The first Sunday 
 in the month is the reunion for new members. An 
 invitation is sent out to all who have joined the 
 church under his pastorate and they sit by classes 
 according to the year of their decision. The service 
 each year is somewhat similar in that the same 
 hymns are used, the same sermon preached and the 
 same Scripture read. After the service is over a 
 photograph is taken of the new members for the 
 pastorate. 
 
 The second Sunday is the children’s reunion and 
 it coincides with Children’s Day. The entire service 
 is turned over to the youngsters. The choir is a 
 specially trained chorus of children; a boy presides, 
 children announce the hymns, they offer the prayer, 
 receive the offering, take care of the ushering, pre- 
 
Special Days and Programs 159 
 
 
 
 
 
 sent features of their own, join in a Scriptural 
 pageant under the direction of the Sunday school 
 superintendent. The pastor takes but a few min- 
 utes for his sermon. The Sunday school for the 
 day is omitted, so if the service runs over the hour 
 no apology is made. 
 
 The third reunion for the month is the Wedding 
 Bells reunion. For this are summoned all of the 
 couples married during the pastorate. They are 
 given a special section of the auditorium, to their 
 babies there is extended the courtesy of the nursery. 
 In the nursery a prize may be offered to the best 
 baby boy and best baby girl. The sermon, of course, 
 deals with the principles of the Christian home. 
 
 The fourth reunion is the one of Silver Threads. 
 All Christians over seventy are invited to this. A 
 fleet of automobiles is commandeered to provide the 
 transportation, easy chairs are placed just before 
 the pulpit, a sermon on the beauty of Christian age 
 is preached and the usual reunion picture is taken at 
 the close of the service. Dr. Clausen believes that 
 the pictures of these occasions are among the de- 
 lightful experiences of the members. The display- 
 ing of them in corridor and lounging rooms is sure 
 to awaken sweet memories which endear the rela- 
 tionship with the church. 
 
 SUMMER PROGRAMS 
 
 When we leave June and pass into the summer 
 months material for successful programs is not 
 plentiful. The majority of churches run very light 
 during the summer months. Some close up entirely. 
 Long vacations are both a blessing and a curse to 
 ministers. Many reason that it is just as well to 
 
160 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 let things remain very quiet so that the congregation 
 will have a rest, as well as the minister, and feel 
 strong for the next season’s work. 
 
 Other churches do not reason this way and they 
 plan a program of offensive for the warm months. 
 One of the best and most effective ways of working 
 is through the Daily Vacation Bible School. 
 
 Daily Vacation Bible School 
 
 This school probably belongs under the church 
 or Sunday school but in reality it requires the co- 
 operation of everybody to make it a success. It is 
 an attempt to bring the children in from the streets, 
 provide them with recreation, hand work of various 
 kinds and Bible instruction. Its great success lies 
 in the fact that its appeal is broader than the local 
 church and children from outside are attracted to 
 it. The school requires the services of trained 
 teachers and for that reason there must be a budget 
 to cover it. The total cost may run from a few 
 dollars into the thousands. The First Lutheran 
 Church at Dayton, Ohio, allows a budget of $2,500 
 for the Daily Vacation Bible School and pays the 
 teachers more than the average paid public-school 
 teachers. The school is graded and given work 
 from the kindergarten up to the high-school ages. 
 
 The school usually lasts from 8.30 to 11.30 A.M. 
 The term may be two weeks, three weeks or even 
 longer. The order of the daily program is divided 
 like this (this is merely suggestive). Other schools 
 might prefer a different program. 
 
 Kindergarten. 
 8.30 Prayer. Good morning songs. 
 
Special Days and Programs 161 
 
 9.00 Rest Period. 
 
 9.45 Marching Period. 
 
 10.10 Recess. 
 
 10.30 Dramatization of Bible Stories, 
 
 11.00 Dismissal Exercises and Closing Prayer. 
 
 For the Grades. 
 8.30 Prayer and Bible Study. 
 9.30 Memory Work. 
 9.45 Recreation. — 
 9.55 Assembly with a Devotional Period and 
 Study of Hymns. 
 10.35 Mission Study or Handwork. 
 11.30 Dismissal. 
 
 High School Age. 
 This age is usually limited to one hour’s 
 instruction in the Bible or missionary 
 work, 
 
 The International Handbook of Vacation Bible 
 and Church Schools makes the following suggestion 
 as to schedule: 
 
 Essential Elements of the Daily Program 
 
 Time schedules for the various departments of a 
 graded Vacation School may be found in the de- 
 nominational Handbooks and books on organization. 
 A definite schedule moving harmoniously from one 
 feature to another is the essential basis of any suc- 
 cessful school. The usual order is: 
 
 Preliminary inspirational service for teachers. 
 Assembly of the children, marching in to music. 
 
162 Church Administration 
 EE ————————————————————————————— 
 Worship Service. 
 Brief missionary incident and offering. 
 Music Instruction period. 
 Instruction Period, including: 
 Bible stories. 
 Bible memory work. 
 Verse Finding Contests. 
 Teaching through expressional activities: 
 Seasonal or Department projects. 
 Dramatization of Bible stories and hymns. 
 Handwork, properly motivated. 
 Closing Exercises: 
 Character or habit story. 
 Salute and pledge te the National and Christian 
 Flags. 
 Recessional March. 
 
 Out-of-door Services 
 
 With other churches the summer program has 
 taken the shape of outdoor services. Sometimes the 
 church has a lawn on which the people may be 
 seated. In many towns churches have united for 
 Sunday evenings holding services in the park. 
 Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York 
 has a roof garden where an afternoon service is 
 held in the warm months. Marble Collegiate 
 Church in the same city has an outdoor pulpit with 
 a service daily during the summer at 12.30. In 
 these services wind musical instruments are very 
 effective as a call to worship and to aid with the 
 hymns. 
 
Special Days and Programs 163 
 
 ADVERTISING THE SUMMER SERVICES 
 
 Other churches have not facilities for these ser- 
 vices. But there still remains the possibility of 
 advertising the services or the speakers, if they be 
 visitors, so as to play up the program. Instead of 
 assuming that the services will drop off materially 
 during the warm months assume that the attrac- 
 tions will bring more people. Don’t expect the 
 people to say good-by to the church when you do. 
 Instead say something like this by good announce- 
 ments. 
 
 Don’t Miss 
 THE DISTINGUISHED PREACHERS 
 at the 
 WALDEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 Sunday mornings in August 
 
 An unusual chance to hear some of the great 
 men of the church. 
 
 
 
 LET THE AUTOMOBILE HELP 
 
 And finally there is an invitation idea which may 
 be worth a great deal to you. It is a plan for put- 
 ting the automobiles at work to build the congrega- 
 tions in warm weather. It comes from the Center- 
 ville Methodist Episcopal Church, West Warwick, 
 Rhode Island. (See page 164.) 
 
 A proper organization of the automobile strength 
 will make it possible to take gospel services to out- 
 lying districts on Sunday evenings. It will also 
 make possible an exchange of congregations. The 
 exchange of ministers has been more or less com- 
 
164 Church Administration 
 
 ———— SSS SSS esas 
 
 CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP 
 
 THIS CERTIFIES THAT 
 becomes a member of the A. B. C. AUTOMOBILE CLUB 
 by paying the initiatory fee of one car full of folks. Said 
 fee payable at the House of Friendliness, Sunday evening, 
 
 at 7.30 o'clock. 
 
 Good and regular standing will be maintained by weekly 
 payment of dues equal to the initiatory fee. 
 West Warwick, R. I. 
 
 Chauffeur. 
 
 
 
 mon. Why not enlist the automobiles and decide 
 to have the entire congregation visit some church in 
 a neighboring city on a certain Sunday night? The 
 church visited will probably gladly reciprocate. 
 
CHAPTER 9 
 YOUNG PEOPLE’S WORK 
 
 Ir is still difficult to place the responsibility for 
 the young people’s work of the church. There is 
 unquestionably a tendency to leave it to the super- 
 vision of the Sunday school. As such it belonged 
 in the province of religious education. But such 
 supervision has not always solved the problem by 
 any means. Granting the need of the educational 
 method, we may still question if that is sufficient. 
 Many times the school organization has not pro- 
 vided the expressional activity which is necessary to 
 sustain a healthy organization. | 
 
 The conventional type of young people’s organi- 
 zation has its weakness at the other side. It pro- 
 vides for the expressional side but is weak in its 
 educational method. Some churches have tried to 
 combine the two. Others frankly use both for the 
 advantage to be gained by both methods. Others 
 try to have organized classes to furnish the expres- 
 sional work. The observation of the writer is that, 
 while our educational instruction is of a higher kind 
 than ever before, our present system of organized 
 classes is not producing the consecrated church 
 workers that the Christian Endeavors and Epworth 
 Leagues of a generation ago did. 
 
 Weare interested here, primarily, not in either of 
 these two methods but in the plans used by min- 
 isters to keep the youth of the church in touch with 
 the services of worship and working them into the 
 
 active organization. It has been unfortunate that 
 165 
 
166 Church Administration 
 
 there has been a distinction between the “church” 
 and the Sunday school. The service of worship and 
 the school sessions are but rightly expressions of 
 the same organization. 
 
 THE THREE-PERIOD SESSION 
 
 Dr. A. W. Beaven of the Lake Avenue Baptist 
 Church, Rochester, New York, has worked out a 
 three-period session plan which tends to tie the youth 
 up with the church and the adult with the Sunday 
 school. I will let him tell about his plan, which is 
 of interest to all churches seeking more time for 
 educational purposes. 
 
 We extend the instruction period which we have 
 with the children on Sunday until it gives us the 
 additional hour for religious instruction which we 
 would get on week days. It had added advantages, 
 too: First, that it was offered to all our children 
 instead of simply to those who were near the school; 
 second, we could offer it to them without their mak- 
 ing a separate trip to the church with the necessary 
 expense of transportation; third, we did not have 
 to heat the church an additional time; fourth, we 
 used our present force of teachers. The essence of 
 the plan is as follows: 
 
 We plan to begin our religious educational pro- 
 gram at the same time that our church service 
 begins, at 10:30 in the morning. The children are 
 asked to come and sit with their parents. The wor- 
 ship part of our religious training which, for the 
 children, used to be given in the opening exercises 
 of the school, is now given in the first part of the 
 church service from 10:30 to 11:15 in the church 
 auditorium. This simply means that the worship 
 
Young People’s Work 167 
 
 
 
 period of the ordinary morning service had such 
 changes made in it as would make it of interest to 
 the children. At 11:15 a recessional is held at which 
 time the children of fourteen years of age and under 
 march out and go to their various departments, 
 where they are met by their instructors and a lesson 
 course of forty-five minutes in length given them. 
 Those oyer fourteen remain for the sermon. When 
 the church congregation is dismissed at twelve, these 
 groups dismiss for ten minutes; then the children, 
 and adults as well, go into the third period, from 
 12:00 to 1:00. This enables us to offer our children 
 ninety minutes of instruction on Sunday where they 
 had thirty minutes before, and gives them forty- 
 five minutes for their worship period in the best 
 environment we have to offer, as over against the 
 twenty minutes of “opening exercises” on the pre- 
 vious plan, which for the most part had but a 
 secondary worship value. 
 
 It is quite the rule to-day to preach a sermon to 
 children during the early part of the church serv- 
 ice. There are churches which go further than 
 this, maintaining a junior church for children. 
 The junior church is an organization for worship 
 conducted as far as possible by the children them- 
 selves. Its organization parallels the senior or- 
 ganization and the thought is that they are train- 
 ing for future church service. In many places it is 
 held at the same hour as the public worship, one of 
 the pastors preaching the sermon. Other churches 
 have the children meet in the regular service, leav- 
 ing after the sermon to children. Then they go to 
 their own service, which consists of hymns and de- 
 votions with possibly some short talks by the chil- 
 dren themselves. 
 
168 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 The order of service will depend largely upon 
 the denominational affiliation. This order is that 
 of the Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church, Johns- 
 town, Pennsylvania. This is evidently conducted 
 without a minister, 
 
 JUNIOR CHURCH SERVICE 112 00-O7CEQG 
 
 Prelude} Sonatina’ et ae Pn ee Kuhlau 
 Intercessory (Congregation Standing )— 
 
 “Break Thou the Bread of Life, dear Lord, to me, 
 
 As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea. 
 
 Beyond the sacred page, I seek Thee, Lord; 
 
 My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word.” 
 Invitation to Worship— 
 
 The Lord is in His Holy Temple. Let all the earth 
 keep silence before Him. 
 
 Response by Congregation— 
 
 O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel 
 before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God, and we 
 are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. 
 
 Prayer— 
 
 “Almighty God, unto Whom all hearts are open, all 
 desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hid, cleanse 
 the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Thy 
 Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love Thee and worthily 
 
 magnify Thy Holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 Amen.” 
 
 “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow.” 
 Hymn, 249. 
 
 The Apostles’ Creed. 
 
 Prayer, Concluding with the Lord’s Prayer. 
 
 Bolo, JiMy Paecipis Bibletimen. ony eae on Jackson 
 iano. Soll. eUPOresauel gale ute yee | aloes Dvorak 
 The Psalter, Page 4. 
 
 The Gloria Patria. 
 
 CorertOry,(aest URGE Was vote oat sae gee Kennedy 
 Hymn, 202. 
 
 Lesson, ‘‘Archibald Forder.” 
 
 Hymn, 122. 
 
 Benediction, “The Lord Bless Thee and Keep Thee.” 
 Postlude. 
 
 Piano 
 Violins 
 
Young People’s Work 169 
 
 LL LR SL A SESS SSCS SSS SESS" SRS 
 
 
 
 ORGANIZATIONS FOR YOUTH 
 
 The Boy Scouts have captured many churches. 
 With a strong central control the organization has 
 spread until it has its troops in most communities. 
 It is a splendid organization and is adapted to 
 church cooperation. Where possible, if the various 
 patrols can be identical with Sunday school classes 
 and the troop with a department in the school, the 
 coordination will be quite complete. 
 
 Other plans provide for ritualistic and symbolic 
 organization. Such is the order of “The Knights 
 of King Arthur,” founded by William B. Forbush, 
 and now has its headquarters at Media, Pennsylva- 
 nia. This is an order based on the story of the 
 Knights of the Round Table wherein the candidates 
 pass through the various degrees from kitchen 
 knave to knight, with an appropriate service for 
 each degree. The various members assume each a 
 name of some legendary knight and are taught to 
 emulate those virtues peculiar to knighthood, such 
 as chivalry, honesty, help for the unfortunate, etc. 
 
 Another secret order which has as a feature that 
 it includes both young men and young women is 
 known as the “Comrades of the Way.” The name 
 is chosen from the use of “The Way” in the New 
 Testament in referring to the Christian way of 
 life. It has its origin in Needham, Massachusetts, 
 and was first used by the Rev. Harry W. Kimball 
 of that place. The various stages of the degrees 
 symbolize the steps of growth in Christian charac- 
 ter. The plan can be illustrated by these sections 
 from the constitution.’ 
 
 1 Further information can be secured from the founder, Harry W. 
 Kimball, Needham, Massachusetts. 
 
170 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 ARTICLE I 
 
 The name of this organization shall be The ............ 
 Chapter Number’. 2) Dr thetstateot iy. pears , being a 
 chartered Chapter of The Comrades of The Way. 
 
 ARTICLE II 
 
 The purpose of this Chapter is to band together the young 
 men and young women of the ........... OC) oo0' i atten 
 for fellowship, for inspiration, for instruction, and for 
 service. The Order to which this Chapter belongs is a 
 mystical comradeship who are traveling with the Master 
 Jesus, striving to learn His way of life. 
 
 ARTICLE III 
 
 Any young man or woman fourteen years of age or over 
 shall be eligible for membership who is willing to sign the 
 following: 
 
 My DestrE AND My Purpose 
 To do the Right, 
 To seek the Light, 
 To climb the Height, 
 With all my Might. 
 For truth to Fight, 
 To help man’s Plight, 
 As in God’s Sight. 
 
 ARTICLE IV 
 
 Each person admitted to membership in the Comrades of 
 The Way shall receive the Admission Step of the Order, 
 and before receiving this step shall have learned by heart 
 the following: 
 
 My Desire aNnD My PurPOSE. 
 
 Tue DoxoLoGy OF THE ORDER. 
 
 THE CONSECRATION HYMN OF THE ORDER. 
 Tue MarcuHInc HyMN OF THE ORDER. 
 
Young People’s Work 171 
 
 
 
 
 
 ARTICLE V 
 
 There shall be an Inner Circle of the Comrades of The 
 Way to which all Comrades who have received the follow- 
 ing three Steps shall be eligible: 
 
 THE CouRAGE STEP. 
 THE Loya.tty STEP. 
 THE SERVICE STEP. 
 
 ARTICLE VI 
 
 There shall be an Inmost Circle of the Comrades of The 
 Way to which all Comrades who have been admitted to the 
 Inner Circle shall be eligible when they have taken the 
 following Steps: 
 
 THE STEP oF FArITH. 
 THE STEP oF Goop WILL. 
 
 The Steps of Faith and Good Will shall be taken during 
 the Assembly of the District Chapter, and under direction 
 of the Comrades of the Inmost Circle. (See further in- 
 structions in the Constitution of the District Chapter of the 
 Comrades of The Way.) 
 
 ARTICLE VII 
 
 Men and women of adult age, or Comrades who have 
 taken the Steps to the Inmost Circle, shall be invited to 
 unite with the Companions of Jesus, whose purpose is to 
 bear the Cross in Service with Jesus Christ, and to give 
 comfort to His Church, and to aid in the growth and de- 
 velopment of Comrades of The Way. 
 
 EQUIPMENT FOR WORK 
 
 Sometimes we think that a church must have 
 every kind of social equipment to draw young people 
 toit. This is not true. Many churches which have 
 built parish houses, equipped with gymnasia and 
 other features, have found that these alone are not 
 sufficient. Other churches lacking these facilities 
 
 : 
 
call 
 
 We Church Administration 
 
 
 
 have youth thronging the doors. The successful 
 policy seems to be the one that interests the youth 
 in doing something for the church and for society 
 and not merely in amusing himself. It is true that 
 many young people cannot be reached in a program 
 of this nature but the church must consistently feel 
 that its mission is to appeal to those who seek the 
 most worth-while things. 
 
 SUNDAY EVENING TEA 
 
 The Sunday evening tea has become very popu- 
 lar in many churches. Here is a simple plan as it 
 is effectively worked. The social hour for the tea 
 is from 5:30 to 6:30 o’clock. Each week some 
 church official, with his wife, is selected to serve as 
 host to the young people. The term is not an exact 
 one for more often the official visitor is a guest 
 while the young people act as hosts. The hour is 
 spent in singing, in informal games suitable for a 
 quiet Sunday evening and in an opportunity for 
 those present to get acquainted. Light refresh- 
 ments are served. If the church has a cozy home- 
 like room, the meeting should be held there by all 
 means. Following this social hour there comes the 
 usual devotional service to which all are invited and 
 to which most will stay. The devotional meeting 
 gains rather than loses by this method as all the 
 members will be there on time. 
 
 YOUNG PEOPLE’S NIGHT 
 
 This idea is a little more elaborate than the Sun- 
 day evening tea. It consists in turning the entire 
 evening service over to some young people’s organi- 
 zation. They arrange the program, announce the 
 
Young People’s Work 173 
 
 
 
 
 
 hymns, read the Scripture, make the prayer and 
 take charge of all of the details of the service. It 
 is not required that the sermon be given by the 
 youths but they arrange to have a speaker who will 
 have a suitable topic. John R. Scotford, of Cleve- 
 land, thus describes his experience with this form 
 of service. 
 
 “Several times the young people have done all the 
 speaking themselves. A very lively debate on Sab- 
 bath observance was the first of our ventures in 
 this line, and proved most successful. On another 
 evening the young people discussed what they 
 wanted of the church. Some of the ideas advanced 
 were rather wild, but it seemed well to let them get 
 it all out of their systems; and the fact that they 
 were encouraged to stand in the pulpit and criticize 
 the church, refuted some of the things which were 
 said. College Night proved a most profitable ven- 
 ture. Two of the young people told why .they 
 wanted to go to college. Two of the young people 
 of the church who were attending local schools told 
 how it felt to be a freshman. In conclusion, a man 
 and a woman from the congregation told what col- 
 lege had done for them. Such an evening’s discus- 
 sion was thought-provoking, both to the young peo- 
 ple and to their parents. 
 
 “On other occasions the young people from out- 
 side the church have been featured. The most suc- 
 cessful single occasion was the visit of a deputation 
 of four young men from Oberlin College. The boys 
 came in the morning and stayed all day, speaking 
 and teaching in Sunday school, singing and giving 
 the children’s talk at the morning service, eating 
 dinner, and walking with the girls in the afternoon, 
 speaking at Christian Endeavor, and then conduct- 
 
174 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 ing the evening service. The speaker was a Chinese 
 student who had only been in the country six months. 
 Needless to say, this constituted a day which the 
 young people will never forget. On another occa- 
 sion, the departure of one of the girls for summer 
 service with the Sunday School Extension Society 
 was made the basis of a most profitable evening. 
 On a third occasion the Cleveland Congregational 
 Pageant Players, an organization of the young peo- 
 ple of several of the churches, presented the religious 
 drama, The Rock. Of all the programs presented, 
 this was probably the most deeply religious. In 
 the future it is hoped that groups of young people 
 from other churches can come and take the entire 
 service. | 
 
 “On two occasions ministers have spoken, but on 
 unusual themes. One evening the pastor of the 
 colored church and his young people were invited to 
 be our guests. The young people provided some 
 very unusual music, and the minister gave us some 
 lessons in ‘Thinking Black.’ The attendance was 
 good, and the criticism less than might be expected. 
 On another occasion a returned missionary from 
 China spoke, showing both pictures and curios. As 
 the school was working on a project in China, this 
 fitted into the scheme of things. 
 
 “The general custom has been to follow the serv- 
 ice with a social hour. The purpose is to increase 
 muttial acquaintance, especially among the young 
 people. Ina number of instances young people of 
 other churches have been invited as guests for the 
 evening. Any one working with young people 
 knows that one of their great desires is to enlarge 
 their acquaintance, and that a new friend from the 
 other end of town is worth much more than an old 
 
Young People’s Work 175 
 one who lives around the corner. Interchurch fel- 
 lowship may be a means of meeting a very real need 
 of the young folks. A social following a church 
 service enjoys certain marked advantages. It be- 
 gins with everybody there and in a common mood. 
 It need not last long. It comes at a time when no 
 one is in a hurry. 
 
 “Tn this particular church the social is held down- 
 stairs. All the young people and about half of the 
 older folk can be counted on to stay. The program 
 is very simple. There is a ‘mixer’ to begin with, 
 some sort of a guessing contest, and possibly one 
 game. Then light refreshments are served— 
 usually cocoa and cake or cookies. In warm 
 weather it may be nothing more than lemonade and 
 wafers. Then if any musical talent is available, it 
 is called upon. The evening closes with the people 
 standing about the piano singing a few hymns, clos- 
 ing with “Blest be the tie that binds’ and a brief 
 prayer. It is better to end in this fashion than to 
 let the meeting gradually break up.” 
 
 OTHER PLANS OF SERVICE 
 
 Plans of social service always appeal to young 
 people. They may well have a part in the program 
 of activities. One group is reported to hold re- 
 ligious services in the district jail, Another group 
 finds a service in providing the music for the reli- 
 gious service at the county home. There are down- 
 town missions which are always glad for the help of 
 these young people. A different kind of service is 
 one where the young people’s organization invites 
 the children of some orphanage for a party, provid- 
 ing them with a good time. 
 
176 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 DRAMATICS 
 
 Dramatization is a thing which always appeals to 
 youth. It is a laudable appeal and may well be 
 made a regular part of the work of any society. 
 Every church is constantly meeting in social gath- 
 erings when a dramatic sketch would add to the 
 pleasure. What could be nicer than to have a group 
 pf young people working on a play to be given at 
 such a gathering? Part of the work should be 
 Biblical or missionary and then it would be suitable 
 for the Sunday evening service. Why not give the 
 society a chance to put on a Biblical drama one Sun- 
 day night a month, or at least to preface the sermon 
 with one. 
 
 THE CHURCH PROCTORSHIP 
 
 This is an idea which originated with the Morn- 
 ingside Presbyterian Church, New York City, and 
 has for its purpose the bringing of eligible young 
 men into a closer relationship with the church than 
 otherwise might be possible. The plan is distinct 
 from that usually sought through a class or a club, 
 though it includes both a class andaclub. There is 
 a training class which the candidate attends for 
 two years before he becomes eligible for the “Proc- 
 tor’s Association,” which is a young men’s club. 
 This club furnishes the enthusiasm of group or- 
 ganization. Through it the young men come in 
 contact with the strong laymen of the church. Each 
 year the association elects its own president and the 
 following year he automatically becomes a church 
 proctor. 
 
Young People’s Work 177 
 PN AA MR dt al Fecal 
 
 The Installation of the Proctor 
 
 
 
 The proctor is installed at a church service ar- 
 ranged for the occasion. At this service the proctor 
 must deliver from the pulpit a paper which he has 
 prepared. 
 
 He must take the oath of office given to him by 
 his minister or other person in authority. 
 
 He shall be charged by a visiting minister. 
 
 He shall receive a robe of office which is to be 
 worn when he is on pulpit duty. 
 
 The form of administering the oath of office, as 
 used at the Morningside Church, is as follows: 
 
 (The proctor-elect will come forward, taking his 
 place before the pulpit, whereupon the minister shall 
 say. ) 
 
 Mr. , having met the prescribed conditions, 
 and having been duly chosen the proctor of the 
 Morningside Church, and having signified your 
 willingness to accept this office, I now require you 
 to answer the following questions which constitute 
 your oath of office: 
 
 Do you accept for yourself the duties of proctor 
 of this church as outlined in the rules relating to 
 this office? 
 
 Do you promise to perform these duties cheer- 
 fully, faithfully, conscientiously, in so far as ability 
 in you lies? 
 
 Do you promise to try in your personal life to set 
 an example of Christian living for the young peo- 
 ple of this church? 
 
 Do you promise to study to find more effective 
 means of enlisting, winning, and training the young 
 people of this community for the Kingdom of God? 
 
 Do you promise to pray constantly that God 
 
 
 
178 Church Administration 
 
 ———————— 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 through his spirit may lead this church in all its 
 work? 
 
 (Turning to the Congregation.) 
 
 Do you promise your full loyalty to this young 
 man as he assumes the duties of church proctor for 
 the coming year? Will you signify your willingness 
 by raising your right hands? 
 
 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the 
 authority committed to me in His church, I hereby 
 declare you duly set apart to the office of proctor. 
 
 May the blessing of God attend you in this work 
 you undertake for him and his church. 
 
 I give you now the right hand of fellowship to 
 take part with me in this sacred work. The Lord 
 bless you. 
 
 In the name of this church I present you with this 
 robe as a badge and insignia of your office. May 
 you honor it with faithful Christian service. May 
 it, with the office it represents, bring joy, confidence 
 and peace to you. Amen. 
 
 The proctor then virtually becomes the pastor's 
 assistant. Here is a list of his duties. 
 
 The Duties of the Proctor 
 
 He will offer his services cheerfully. 
 
 He will, in so far as he is able, perform any serv- | 
 ice related to his church, to which his minister as- 
 signs him. 
 
 He will always be alert in his church, seeking to 
 discover ways wherein he can be helpful in any part 
 of the work or worship of the church. 
 
 He will usher, in the absence of the regular usher. 
 
 He will escort any visiting minister or speaker to 
 the pulpit. 
 
Young People’s Work 179 
 —_——— 
 
 He will preside at any public service in the min- 
 ister’s absence, if so requested by the minister. 
 
 He will arrive at the church in time to see that 
 everything is properly arranged for the service,— 
 that the hymns and psalter selections are properly 
 posted, and that the Bibles, hymn-books, and chairs 
 are in their places. 
 
 Fle will accompany the minister into the pulpit, 
 and act as his assistant in the services of worship, 
 taking such parts as may be assigned to him, as the 
 announcement of hymns, the weekly announcements, 
 the leading of the responsive reading, or the recep- 
 tion of the offering. 
 
 He is the minister’s personal representative and 
 assistant in the life of the church. He will watch 
 for chances to relieve the minister of minor prob- 
 lems and details. 
 
 He is to be always at the command of the minis- 
 ter. No one in the church is to enlist the services 
 of the proctor without the consent of the minister. 
 
 This is sufficient to show the type of character 
 the plan is producing. It is one with a specialized 
 appeal—an appeal which will call forth the best, the 
 young men who want to be counted in the real serv- 
 ice of the church. Such a plan will unquestionably 
 turn men toward the ministry or make them into 
 strong laymen who will know the details of parish 
 administration. 
 
 THE GENEVA COLLEGE 
 
 This is the plan used by Dr. John Calvin Leonard 
 in the J. Addison Henry Memorial Church, Phila- 
 delphia, Pennsylvania. 
 
 _ The young people are organized into a college 
 
180 Church Administration 
 
 RR A TE 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 known as “Geneva College,” with the pastor as 
 president, and one of the elders, a young man who 
 is interested in young people’s work, as dean. The 
 college has also a registrar anda treasurer. A staff 
 of instructors is also used. On each Sabbath eve- 
 ning at 6:45 P.M. preceding the evening service, 
 the entire college membership meets in the college 
 assembly hall, or chapel of the church, entering 
 through the front door of the church, where the 
 students take part in fifteen minutes of lively Chris- 
 tian songs, with the orchestra assisting; then each 
 class goes to its individual class-room, where in- 
 struction is given in the catechism, personal work, 
 church history, missions, teachers’ training, and 
 Christian Endeavor work, according to rank in 
 college. 
 
 The freshman class includes students from seven 
 to ten years of age, and receives instruction in cate- 
 chism and Bible doctrine. This class has a Delta 
 Phi fraternity. The sophomore class includes stu- 
 dents from ten to fourteen years, and is taught 
 church history and biography of the Church fathers, 
 using D1. Latham’s book, The Way of Life. This 
 class has a Sigma Xi fraternity. The juniors’ age 
 is from fifteen to eighteen years of age, who as 
 seniors receive instruction from eighteen years up, 
 and their field is teacher’s training and Christian 
 Endeavor work. The seniors have a Theta Upsilon 
 fraternity. 
 
 This method of work, by using interclass games 
 and contests, creates a spirit that encompasses all 
 the young people of the community. 
 
Young People’s Work 18] 
 
 
 
 YOUNG MARRIED PEOPLE 
 
 If there is any one time when the church should 
 be close to the young people it is when they are con- 
 templating marriage, or after they have been mar- 
 ried. The Christian home is the bulwark of our 
 civilization and the church and minister who can 
 keep the right ideals of marriage before the young 
 are rendering a tremendous service to the nation. 
 There has never been a time when a minister need 
 consider, with trembling, each application for mar- 
 riage more than at the present day. In my own 
 experience as pastor of a church in an industrial 
 community, one of the sad features was the many 
 marriages entered into which were economic if not 
 social failures. A minister will many times find it 
 worth while to preach sermons on the opportunities 
 of homemaking and the responsibilities of marriage. 
 Dr. A. W. Beaven has done this for years. He 
 gives me a list of topics he has recently used, which 
 may be of interest to other ministers. These ser- 
 mons are given at the evening service and the meet- 
 ing is opened for questions. He calls them his 
 “Fireside Sermons.” 
 
 “Your Friends: Assets or Liabilities.” 
 
 “The Romance of Youth.” 
 
 “The High Cost of Courting.” 
 
 “What Has a Girl the Right to Expect in Her 
 Fiance?” 
 
 “Our Chance to Change the Future.” 
 
 “Orange Blossoms or Lemons.” 
 
 “Will She Be ‘Better or Worse’ ?” 
 
 “The Threshold of the Home.” 
 
 “On How Much Can We Marry?” 
 
 “With All My Worldly Goods I Thee Endow.” 
 
182 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 “Tf God Planned Your Home.” 
 
 “The Price of Home Happiness.” 
 
 “The Call of Childhood.” 
 
 As a rule I believe that psychoanalysis is a dan- 
 gerous thing for ministers to deal with. But there 
 may be an exception when dealing with the marriage 
 problem. Ministers need to have a basic idea of 
 the sex impulses and the mental, physical and social 
 reactions in connection with them. Some ministers 
 discuss the matter frankly with couples appearing 
 before them for marriage. Others take the less per- 
 sonal but probably just as effective way of present- 
 ing each couple with a good sensible book dealing 
 with the question. Two books have been recently 
 recommended for this purpose. The one is Men, 
 Women and God by A. Herbert Gray, and the 
 other, Sex and Common Sense by Maude Royen. 
 
 It is always a fine thing if there can be a Sunday 
 school class for the young married people. The 
 church has an obligation to keep them together so- 
 cially with those of Christian ideals. The break- 
 down of the community plays havoc with estab- 
 lished social customs and many a marriage which 
 starts out with good prospects is broken because 
 old contacts are lost and new ones are of the wrong 
 kind. It is well to remember that in the early years 
 of married life the problems are peculiar to the 
 experience and require a distinct ministration. 
 
 REACHING COLLEGE YOUTH 
 
 The church naturally follows its young people to 
 the various colleges and universities. The wise 
 pastor will keep a personal contact and see that let- 
 ters from him reach these young people. In addi- 
 
Young People’s Work 183 
 
 
 
 tion, to call the attention of the church to the rela- 
 tion with the students some churches publish a stu- 
 dent register. In this each student is listed, together 
 with the institution which he is attending. It gives 
 the church information about its young people and 
 gives the young people information about one 
 another. 
 
 The pastor also should write to a minister in the 
 college town giving him information about the stu- 
 dent. If there is a student-pastor the information 
 should go to him. The student pastor is an estab- 
 lished part of modern church work and he should 
 have the support of every pastor who is interested 
 in his young people. 
 
 The First Baptist Church of Syracuse, which is 
 located near Syracuse University, maintains a stu- 
 dent church. In this organization the student body 
 
 -—— 
 
 Mem hLOECertity,; thats ccs eens Ae ateRae Meee 
 PER PMAUPTIIDEI AOL Wirt fn Seek k cok oe. church 
 
 that without removing h.... 
 membership from this home church we affec- 
 tionately recommend h.... to the Lake Avenue 
 Baptist Church of Rochester to sustain student 
 membership with that church; such relationship 
 to terminate at the close of h.... attendance at 
 
 h.... school or college in Rochester. 
 
 Pastor. 
 
 
 
 elects its own deacons, officers, and has its own com- 
 munion service. Another method used by a great 
 many churches is the institution of student member- 
 ship which makes possible membership, temporarily, 
 in a church near the school during the period of 
 
184. Church Administration 
 
 
 
 school work. ‘This does not remove his member- 
 ship from his home church and terminates auto- 
 matically when he finishes his course in school. The 
 filling out of the following form by the pastor of 
 the home church constitutes sufficient basis for tak- 
 ing a student into this temporary relationship: 
 
 This conserves all the old ties to his home church 
 and yet gives him a temporary relationship. 
 
 KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH THE GRADUATES 
 
 The pastor of a large church told me some time 
 ago that he always sent a letter of congratulation 
 to each person in his congregation graduating from 
 the grammar school, high school or any other insti- 
 tution of learning. This ran at times into nearly 
 a hundred letters a season, but he felt it was worth 
 the effort. He tabulated them by schools, made note 
 of the commencement dates and had his letters reach 
 them the day before. This thoughtfulness is well 
 worth while. 
 
CHAPTER Io 
 KEEPING THE MEN INTERESTED 
 
 RELIGION seems to come naturally to women and 
 children, but it is difficult to keep the men inter- 
 ested. The psychoanalyst will probably tell you 
 just why this is so. I cannot. But I do know, as 
 do most of the readers, that this is a pretty safe 
 rule to go by—“Get the men to church and the wives 
 and children will come with them.” Women’s or- 
 ganizations in our churches had developed to effi- 
 ciency before any serious effort was made to or- 
 ganize the men. In explaining to one of my friends 
 that I was gathering material for this chapter, he 
 offered the explanation that it wasn’t worth while 
 because any one who went to the effort to organize 
 his men was merely seeking trouble for himself. 
 
 But there is plenty of evidence that other churches 
 are utilizing this great power for church service 
 and finding it very effective. These churches have 
 men in the congregations, have organizations in 
 which men may work, and are developing that pe- 
 culiar strength and virile morale which we associate 
 with the masculine sex. The organized men’s work 
 of the churches could mostly be classified under one 
 of two heads, viz., organized Bible classes and 
 Men’s Clubs, or Brotherhoods as they are called by 
 one denomination. 
 
 BIBLE CLASSES 
 
 Bible classes may fall under three distinct heads. 
 First there is the small group class which meets to 
 185 
 
186 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 seriously study the Bible, with a competent leader, 
 but with all feeling free to take part. Unfortu- 
 nately this is the type of class we know the least 
 about, though it may be the most numerous and the 
 writer is of the opinion that it is also the most worth 
 while. There is a virtue to the lecture class, of 
 course, and when classes number into the hundreds 
 the lecture method is the only possible way. But 
 there is need of classes giving the free opportunity 
 for questions and a chance for each member to ex- 
 press himself. 
 
 One of the sad things of our present-day life is 
 that the right to address the public is so limited. 
 Too many people are listeners. They listen from a 
 pew; they listen at the luncheon; they listen at the 
 lodge; they listen at a citizens’ meeting. Resolu- 
 tions for them to listen to are brought in by spe- 
 cialists. The average man needs the opportunity 
 to sit down with his neighbor and talk things 
 through. This is specially true in regard to the 
 Bible. There is no Bible teacher I know of who is 
 competent to shape the thoughts of his fellow citi- 
 zens. ‘There is a need to-day for the good old-fash- 
 ioned Bible class when men sat down as brothers 
 and thought and talked things through. 
 
 We know more about the discussion classes or 
 forums which attempt to do this on a broader scale. 
 They deal not alone with the Bible but with social 
 questions of the day. The Pilgrim Press announces 
 a number of useful guides for these discussion 
 classes. Among the series are Christian Fellow- 
 ship Among the Nations, Christian Fellowship in 
 Modern Industry, and Christian Fellowship in the 
 Family. These discussions are very much worth 
 while. The teacher merely acts as leader. The 
 
Keeping the Men Interested 187 
 
 guide makes suggestions which will lead to discus- 
 sion by the members of the group. 
 
 Above these two methods of men’s classes there 
 are the lecture classes, numbering into the hundreds 
 and many of them of great size. At Long Beach, 
 California, Dr. Taubman has such a class with an 
 enrollment of 3,000. In a contest between this 
 class and one in Kansas City this class succeeded 
 in getting out 30,000 for one service, but the Kansas 
 City group won the contest by mustering 56,000. 
 These figures are so big that the lecturing method 
 seems impossible, unless one lecture via radio as 
 John Roach Straton is doing in the Calvary Bap- 
 tist Church, New York, Sunday afternoons with 
 what he calls his Scofield Bible Class. 
 
 Some of these classes are organized for social 
 activities. Many of them publish their own papers, 
 weekly or monthly. The Northeast Men’s Class 
 of the Independence Boulevard Christian Church, 
 Kansas City, though not so large in members, has 
 employed a full-time secretary to develop the work 
 of the class. Ralph V. Gilbert at Independence, 
 Iowa, has developed what is called the “Main 
 Street Bible Class.” He has shown that it is pos- 
 sible for a man in the small town to have a large 
 live class—in fact, it is reported to be the largest 
 Bible class in Iowa. 
 
 Most of these classes are led by the minister of 
 the church. It is a point of contact which he cannot 
 afford to ignore and he should consider it an honor 
 if he is selected for the work. Others have promi- 
 nent laymen for teachers. The Greater New York 
 Federation of Churches is promoting a number of 
 classes where a series of different speakers is sup- 
 plied to the class. 
 
188 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 Whether the minister is the leader or not he 
 should help to promote the work, giving what direc- 
 tion he can. Some churches have had the sad ex- 
 perience of seeing the class divorced from the 
 church. Ministers have felt that the interest the 
 men put into the class should go into the church. 
 It is not pleasant to have a huge Bible class in the 
 church at 9.30 and then see them disappear at the 
 church hour. The minister should guard against 
 this by placing the class in its proper relationship. 
 The tail must not wag the dog. 
 
 The minister must also help in selecting the right 
 teacher. There is a very serious danger involved 
 in such a class unless the leadership is right. There 
 are religious cranks who have the faculty of hold- 
 ing great crowds, yet whose teaching is perversive, 
 and who will not respect the authority of the church 
 nor the person of the minister. Certainly, any man 
 who aspires to class leadership should convince the 
 proper authorities that he has the moral, intellectual 
 and spiritual qualifications. 
 
 In addition to these dangers, which are very real, 
 in the large class there is always the danger of 
 placing undue emphasis upon numbers. When the 
 crowd runs riot about numbers it is difficult to give 
 proper place to moral and spiritual qualities. The 
 class is apt to forget its social obligations. A thou- 
 sand people may mean more than right principles or 
 ethical procedure. Yet these dangers ought not to 
 cloud the virtue of this work. I will admit thatiag 
 a minister, I would prize such a class, a class of 
 hundreds, enthusiastic and joyous. But as a lay- 
 man, for at present I am in detached service, [ 
 would pass any such class for a smaller group 
 
Keeping the Men Interested 189 
 
 
 
 where, in a friendly and intelligent Way, we could 
 discuss the Bible lessons. 
 
 BROTHERHOODS AND CLUBS 
 
 The men’s club has a broader program than the 
 class. That program may include all that the class 
 does but it includes also other things which are out- 
 side the régime of the Bible class. Ordinarily the 
 club is an attempt to bring all of the men of the 
 congregation together for fellowship, study and 
 service. In the by-laws of an active club we find 
 the following active committees: 
 
 Membership 
 
 Religious Work 
 
 Reception 
 
 Program 
 
 Athletic. 
 
 Most of these would be self-explanatory. In this 
 instance the religious committee acts as the point of 
 contact between the official board of the church and 
 the men’s club; it has in charge the Sunday Bible 
 class which is conducted as a part of the club’s 
 work; it promotes the attendance at the services of 
 worship and the midweek meeting; it solicits the 
 club members in connection with various church ac- 
 tivities and urges upon any club members who are 
 not church members the advisability of joining the 
 church. In addition to these duties two meetings of 
 each year are given the religious committee for a 
 distinctly religious program for its work. 
 
 In this program it will be noted that the religious 
 work of the men was well taken care of and fitted 
 into a large program. All of the men’s activities, 
 
190 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 athletic, social and civic, headed up in the parent 
 organization which sought, but did not realize its 
 aim, to have every man in the congregation enrolled 
 in the club. Good as this method is, it is inferior 
 to a complete organization on a departmental sys- 
 tem such as is mentioned in the first chapter of this 
 book. . 
 
 There are still many clubs connected with 
 churches which make no provision for the religious 
 tie-up. They stand as purely social organizations. 
 From one of these clubs I am taking the list of com- 
 mittees. ‘This would seem to be a fairly complete 
 program with the exception of the religious side. 
 In organizing new clubs it would be well to avoid 
 this error. There is certainly as much need for the 
 men of the church to have a contact with the de- 
 nominational and religious agencies as with national 
 legislation and international affairs. 
 
 ARTICLE IV 
 
 The following standing committees shall be appointed by 
 the President: 
 Executive 
 Finance 
 Membership 
 Program 
 Entertainment 
 Civic 
 State and City Legislation 
 National Legislation 
 International Affairs 
 Publicity 
 
 DOU NIL eh 
 
 ke 
 
 When I was pastor of the Walden Presbyterian 
 Church, Buffalo, New York, we were forced by 
 circumstances to face a reorganization of our club. 
 It had been organized on a very simple plan of 
 
Keeping the Men Interested 19] 
 electing a president, vice-president, secretary and 
 treasurer. ‘There were several standing commit- 
 tees and all of the business of the club was con- 
 ducted from the floor. This became a very awk- 
 ward system as the club developed and time which 
 should have been given to constructive and educa- 
 tional work was taken with discussion of minor sub- 
 jects. We felt that some plan should be promoted 
 which would give the club more stability and at the 
 same time relieve the pressure on the meeting time. 
 
 The result was that the plan of the Board of 
 Governors was adopted. By this plan a board of 
 nine men was elected. They in turn elected the 
 offcers from their number. They were arranged 
 in three classes of three men each. All committees 
 reported to the Board and in turn they read the 
 report with a recommendation. In this way mat- 
 ters were largely smoothed out in the smaller body 
 so that only the most vital matters went to the floor 
 of the club. An additional feature of this plan is 
 that it is not possible for all of the officers to retire 
 at the same time. If the club desired to incorporate 
 this Board would satisfy the legal requirements for 
 trustees. 
 
 PROGRAMS FOR MEN’S MEETINGS 
 
 We have discussed the leaders for the Sunday 
 Bible class. Now we will consider the programs 
 for the social and cultural meetings of the club. 
 There will be, of course, various speakers. A good 
 committee will search the town for interesting 
 things for the meeting. Public officials will present 
 their views, authorities in various lines will discuss 
 interesting things. It is surprising the number of 
 interesting things which it is possible to introduce. 
 
192 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 * PROGRAM FOR 1926 
 
 JANUARY 29 
 Community Night 
 
 A discussion of the church 
 functioning in the community. 
 
 Short addresses by the Chief of 
 Police, County Attorney, Delin- 
 quency Officer, etc. 
 
 FEBRUARY 26 
 Patriotic Night 
 
 Address on Washington and 
 Lincoln. 
 Patriotic music. 
 
 Marci 26 
 Fellowship Night 
 
 A discussion of the value of 
 fellowship on the church. 
 
 Setting up the organization for 
 the Annual Every Member Fel- 
 lowship Canvass. 
 
 APRIL 30 
 Congregational Night 
 
 An address by a representa- 
 tive Congregationalist on “Our 
 Church.” 
 
 May 28 
 Ladies’ Night 
 The ladies present as guests of 
 
 the men. The ladies to provide 
 the program. 
 
 JUNE 25 
 
 Picnic 
 
 SEPTEMBER 24 
 Reassembling Night 
 Vacation experiences. 
 
 OcTOBER 29 
 Annual Meeting 
 
 Executive Committee’s report 
 for the past year. 
 
 Outline of activities for coming 
 year. 
 
 Discussion. 
 
 NOVEMBER 26 
 Boys’ Night 
 The boys present as guests of 
 
 the men at a Father and Son 
 Banquet. 
 
 DECEMBER 24 
 Memory Night 
 
 Christmas and New Year stories 
 and memories. 
 
 * Annual Program, Brotherhood, First Congregational Church, Waterloo, Iowa. 
 
Keeping the Men Interested 193 
 
 A stereopticon and moving-picture machine will 
 always help out in these things. A tour of local 
 industries is possible by this means. Many of the 
 large industries are glad to furnish slides or films 
 free of cost. Some will send speakers to explain 
 the pictures. In the busy life of to-day too many 
 of us are ignorant of the way the factories of the 
 city are being operated. When the address for the 
 evening is heavy and serious a reel of comics will 
 help a great deal to cheer things up. The program 
 committee should see that the various welfare 
 agencies in the city have a chance to discuss their 
 work before the club. It is a much more suitable 
 time than at the services of worship. Call upon 
 the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Associated Chari- 
 ties, Social Settlements. They all have an inter- 
 esting story to tell. Let them tell it. 
 
 Then there are many ways of getting men to 
 amuse themselves. For happy meetings the ones 
 where the men participate are the best. There are 
 many good game books available. The ones by 
 Miss Edna Geister are full of suggestions. But 
 best of all are the games which the men originate 
 and carry through themselves. 
 
 Mock Tnal 
 
 A mock trial is always interesting. One can be 
 arranged over a very simple matter. In one of our 
 meetings we started one over the disappearance of 
 the dish towels. On the spur of the moment one of 
 the men was good-naturedly accused of stealing the 
 dish towels on the ground that he wanted an excuse 
 to avoid washing dishes. I suggested that he be 
 tried for the charge. The idea took at once. Law- 
 
194 Church Administration 
 
 yers were selected. The next meeting was turned 
 into a court and the thing was fought out. We 
 repeated that trial several times. It was finally 
 published in a booklet by a dramatic producer under 
 the title, The Great Dish Towel Mystery. It was 
 a good bit of fun but I think that the best thing 
 about it was getting the men interested in pro- 
 ducing it. 
 
 Those Were the Good Old Days 
 
 One night when we were disappointed in the 
 program it was necessary to improvise one. The 
 chairman of the committee asked me to fill the time. 
 Instead I announced a free-for-all debate on the 
 question, “Resolved, That the people of the past 
 generation were happier than the people of to-day.” 
 
 I had been listening to one of our men a few 
 days before tell of the good times they used to 
 have and I called on him to repeat it. He told about 
 the old sleigh rides and parties with the good neigh- 
 borly fun when people were not too busy to be 
 friendly. Some of the young men tried to refute 
 his story by telling of the automobiles and comforts 
 of to-day. A mechanic opened up his heart and told 
 how modern industry is taking the joy out of honest 
 work. The debate kept up until midnight and then 
 some debated the matter on the way home. Before 
 the meeting adjourned we asked for a vote on the 
 question. The decision reached was that while peo- 
 ple of to-day have more to make them happy they 
 are not as happy as folk of a generation ago. It 
 was a very satisfying evening altogether. 
 
 These are samples of what I mean by improvised 
 programs which are the naost satisfactory. 
 
Keeping the Men Interested 195 
 0 ee eee 
 Other Programs for Men 
 
 James Elmer Russell lets his men’s club conduct 
 the Sunday evening service one Sunday each 
 month. This gives them a definite responsibility 
 in the services of worship. Richard Braustein sug- 
 gests a week of laymen speakers under a title The 
 Kingdom of God in Action. Such a program as 
 used by him included the following: 
 
 Monday: The Kingdom of God and the Public 
 School. 
 Speaker: Principal of the High School. 
 Tuesday: The Kingdom of God and the Medi- 
 cal Profession. 
 Speaker: Local doctor or district nurse. 
 Wednesday: The Kingdom of God and Our 
 
 Industries. 
 Speaker: President of the Chamber of 
 Commerce. 
 Thursday: The Kingdom of God and Amuse- 
 ments. 
 
 Speaker: The Y. M. C. A. secretary. 
 Friday: The Kingdom of God and Music. 
 Speaker: Organist or music teacher. 
 Saturday: No services but a story of the week 
 and an advertisement of the Sunday serv- 
 ices should appear in the local papers. 
 Sunday: A. M., Pastor of the church. 
 P. M., A local politician. 
 
 USING THE BOWLING ALLEYS FOR PRAYER 
 MEETING 
 
 It is possible to use any of the recreational facili- 
 ties of the church to help get the men out for the 
 midweek service. We made it a rule in our church 
 
196 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 that the alleys should be closed on Wednesday eve- 
 nings except as the pastor might care to have them 
 used. Acting on this, I took them for the benefit of 
 the prayer meeting. Taking a few men into the 
 plan we outlined a bowling club which would fit 
 into the Wednesday evening program. It happened 
 that the lectures for a half year were to be on the 
 book of Revelation so we named the bowling club 
 the “Apocalyptic Bowling Club.” This club met 
 every Wednesday night at 8 o’clock. From eight 
 to nine it listened to a lecture on the Apocalypse. 
 From 9 to II it bowled. And some were warm 
 and some were cold and some were lukewarm but 
 it held the group of men for the season and they 
 really got so that they enjoyed the services. At 
 the close of the season prizes were given for the 
 best and lowest scores, the prizes being very appro- 
 priately a volume of sermons on Revelation. 
 
 THE CHORUS WHICH COULD NOT SING 
 
 The Presbyterian Church at Alden, New York, 
 could not have a club because it had tried one and 
 it fell flat. Yet there were men who should be 
 reached and held for the church. Just what scheme 
 would do the trick, was the problem. Some one 
 thought of a men’s chorus. At once one of the 
 women remarked, “It wouldn’t interest my hus- 
 band. Hecan’t carry a tune.” 
 
 Her remark was the thing which made it possible. 
 The first requirement, the organizer said, was that 
 a man have a certificate from his wife that he could 
 not sing. The humor of the thing made its appeal. 
 Soon the chorus was going in full force. Most of, 
 the wives were right, but it didn’t stop the chorus. 
 
Keeping the Men Interested 197 
 
 
 
 It sang for social occasions, sang Sunday evenings, 
 went to neighboring churches to sing and even pro- 
 moted parties that it might sing. Though the or- 
 ganization was some years ago my information is 
 that it is still singing, keeping some thirty or forty 
 men interested in the church. 
 
 THE FORGOTTEN “TRAVELING” MAN 
 
 What about the man who happens to be in town 
 over Sunday? Has the church a message for him? 
 He is very apt to be a neglected factor in the pro- 
 gram of most churches. But here and there are 
 churches which are reaching him with their gospel 
 message. 
 
 One of the most common and least effective ways 
 is to have a poster or card stuck up in the hotel. 
 Unless these are framed they are apt to be swept 
 away the first week. After they are framed they 
 may never be changed. 
 
 Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, St. Johns- 
 bury, Vermont, has placed in a local hotel a very 
 attractive water-color—a beautiful and expensive 
 advertisement but giving a dignified announcement 
 worthy of the church. The central feature of the 
 announcement is the front window of the church 
 and it bears the inscription in legible Old English: 
 “To the Stranger within our gates: IN HIS NAME 
 Grace Church Extends Her Hospitality.” 
 
 Another method of hotel publicity is by the dis- 
 tribution of the Sunday calendars. These may be 
 left on the writing tables, or some landlords permit 
 them to be placed on the breakfast tables or to be 
 pushed under the doors. The main thing is that 
 the announcement reach the guests on Sunday morn- 
 
198 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 ing. Where a calendar is used it might be well to 
 attach a sticker showing the way to the church. 
 This will help many who may be diffident in start- 
 ing out for the service. 
 
 Perhaps the most effective way of all is to senda 
 personal invitation to each guest. The names may 
 be secured from the register and a bellboy hired to 
 place them in each room. Here is the letter used 
 by the Grace Church, St. Johnsbury, Vermont, 
 which is always signed personally by the pastor. 
 You will notice on this letter his liberality in also 
 announcing the services of neighboring churches. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 GRACE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 
 The Minister’s Study 
 
 
 
 St. Johnsbury, Vermont 
 
 TO YOU— 
 
 “A SENSIS SE Eee OUR GATES” 
 
 GRACE CHURCH EXTENDS TO YOU THE HOSPITALITY OF HER 
 MORNING SERVICE OF WORSHIP AT ELEVEN AND THE VESPER 
 SERVICE AT SEVEN. THE CHURCH SCHOOL IS AT TEN O’CLOCK. 
 
 SHOULD YOUR PREFERENCE BE FOR A CHURCH OF ANOTHER 
 DENOMINATION, WE APPEND THEIR HOURS OF WORSHIP FOR YOUR 
 CONVENIENCE. 
 
 WE INVITE YOU TO VIEW OUR BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL WINDOW, 
 “THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE SHEPHERDS,” WHICH IS ILLUMINATED 
 SEVERAL HOURS EACH EVENING. IT MAY BE SEEN FROM THE 
 NORTH SIDE OF THE ST. JOHNSBURY HOUSE. 
 
 THAT YOUR STAY IN ST. JOHNSBURY MAY BE PLEASANT AND 
 MEMORABLE IS THE UNANIMOUS WISH OF THE COMMUNITY, WE 
 ARE SURE, 
 
 
 
 MOST CORDIALLY YOURS, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 CHRISTIAN area Ra SOUTH CONGREGATIONAL 
 10.45 a 11.00 a.m. 
 CHURCH OF MESSIAH Lee 2 with pee: Church 
 
 uring Augus 
 st eb span a PY ST. ALOYSIUS (R. C.) 
 en oy oe 0 00 a.m. 
 No Service During August 
 NORTH CONGREGATIONAL oF ANDRES aa 
 10.30 a.m. UNION BAPTIST 
 NOTRE DAME (R. C.) 11.00 a.m. August 
 
 7.30, 9.00, 10.30 a.m. 10.30 and 7.00 p.m. Sept. 
 
Part IV: Publicity 
 

 
CHAPTER 11 
 EFFECTIVE PUBLICITY PLANS 
 
 In this chapter we will discuss the general ques- 
 tion of church publicity and comment on various 
 plans which have not been touched in other parts 
 of the book. We can take the matter of some kind 
 of publicity for granted but it is well to consider 
 the whole question in a broad way. There is the 
 publicity of the established business house, and 
 there is the publicity of the actress who in hopes of 
 attracting attention plans numerous dramatic esca- 
 pades which are brought to the attention of the 
 papers. Between these two extremes there are 
 many kinds of publicity. Some ministers will se- 
 lect the unusual way of attracting attention. Others 
 with well-established churches will shun these meth- 
 ods and, while using entirely different methods, 
 plan carefully to keep their churches constantly ap- 
 pealing. . 
 
 A great cathedral needs no flood lighting or re- 
 volving cross to preach its sermon. But a Stidger 
 in the darkened corner of San Francisco had to find 
 some way to attract immediate attention, to sell his 
 church to the city. Christian Reisner did not start 
 out as an advocate of sensational advertising. But 
 confronting empty pews Sunday nights in his 
 church in Denver he decided that he was going to 
 fill them some way—any way—as long as the 
 method was legitimate. He did fill them and has 
 from that day been a leader among those who have 
 fought for the church in discouraging situations, 
 
 : 201 . 
 
202 Church Administration 
 
 In his new Broadway Temple he is building one of 
 the greatest publicity agencies in the church. It is 
 going to tower over the city as a living testimony 
 that Christ lives. I like to mention these extremes 
 because there is so much misunderstanding concern- 
 ing them. Many ministers who are accused of being 
 publicity seekers are seeking publicity that through 
 it they may build the Kingdom of God. 
 
 NEWSPAPER SPACE 
 
 The first method which comes to mind is that of 
 newspaper publicity. To many men that means 
 paid space in the Saturday editions. A great deal 
 can be said for the paid space. Most churches use 
 so little that it amounts merely to an announcement. 
 But the collective effect of many announcements is 
 very much worth while. It has led many papers 
 to seek to make an attractive church section in the 
 Saturday night edition. The church section has 
 been a growth of the past few years and is a healthy 
 indication that the newspapers are recognizing the 
 value of religious news. 
 
 Probably any church can profit by a judicious 
 use of paid advertising space. But it is my opinion 
 that the advertising of the future will be of the co- 
 operative kind in which all churches will profit by 
 the spirit which is created. At one time it looked 
 as though this cooperation could be secured only 
 through some great movement such as the Inter- 
 Church World Movement. But a wise Providence 
 has directed otherwise. So we find the local news- 
 papers gathering all of the church advertisements 
 on one or two pages giving a cumulative effect 
 which is enormous. It is not so much just what is 
 
Effective Publicity Plans 203 
 
 
 
 going on in one church as the indication that many 
 churches are on the job. 
 
 It is now the custom of the larger papers to have 
 a “Church Editor.” He has charge of this section 
 and naturally likes to have an attractive sheet. He 
 is after news as well as advertising. It will pay 
 the minister to make his acquaintance. He wants 
 to know what interesting things are taking place 
 and has a trained ‘‘news nose” which is directed 
 toward the church. Some of the church sections 
 are very impressive. The Brooklyn Times not alone 
 gives church news but contains reviews of religious 
 books. Many ministers might find a point of con- 
 tact with the local paper by offering to review re- 
 ligious books for the church page. 
 
 The Church Division of the Associated Adver- 
 tising Clubs of the World is on the job to help the 
 papers with this publicity. This section is made up 
 largely of Christian advertising men who feel that 
 they may have something worth while to give the 
 church. Part of their program at present is to 
 supply the newspapers of the country with suitable 
 copy for display each Saturday night throughout 
 the year. These have been designed for a purpose, 
 the layout is good and many papers are using them. 
 Ministers might call the attention of the local pa- 
 pers to them and urge them to obtain this valuable 
 service which can be secured at a very small cost. 
 Or, in case the paper is not willing to pay, the 
 present policy is for the association to stand the 
 expense. This is very important as it encourages 
 the building of suitable, attractive publicity in the 
 local newspapers. 
 
204 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 WHAT IS NEWS? 
 
 So much has been said on this point that at best 
 one could merely repeat. But let an illustration 
 suffice to show how news may be found in religious 
 interests. 
 
 One of the finest pieces of publicity in the book 
 world in recent years was 1n connection with Pro- 
 fessor Moffatt’s translation of the Old Testament. 
 Hundreds of daily papers gave columns to it, edi- 
 torials were written concerning it, and Sunday 
 editions carried the story in their illustrated supple- 
 ments. The secret of it all was found in a mind 
 which could detect news value in a Bible trans- 
 lation, on its face a most prosy subject. 
 
 The newspaper mind was directed by the pub- 
 licity agent to certain strange features. The gar- 
 den of Eden was called a “park.” Noah’s ark 
 became a “barge.” Jerusalem was termed ‘‘Da- 
 vidsburg.”’ 
 
 Now, Professor Moffatt’s translation is a 
 scholarly and accurate one. The publishers might 
 have produced reviews from eminent scholars testi- 
 fying as to its virtues. Such testimonies, however, 
 would not have the news value as the incidents we 
 have noted. Even the readers of this book, probably 
 most of them ministers, would not have reacted to 
 the news story so quickly had it been based on this 
 supposition. But each of us, when we read about 
 these strange innovations, listened and took notice. 
 
 Many things in connection with the church have 
 news value. Sometimes the sermon has when it 
 deals with local or political situations. But the 
 average sermon has not more news value than the 
 instructor’s lecture in the university. Sermons are 
 
Effective Publicity Plans 205 
 
 
 
 a specialized sort of production and belong in the 
 church or in homiletic magazines. If you think 
 that your sermon has news value and you want it 
 to appear in the Monday papers cut it down to eight 
 hundred or a thousand words and send it to the 
 editor so that he will have it on Saturday morning. 
 Be careful so to write it that there will be a punch 
 in the first paragraph. If the first one does not 
 grip him he probably will not read further. In that 
 first paragraph he must be informed just what the 
 whole thing is about. 
 
 But there are many things besides the sermon 
 which will have news value. Does the men’s club 
 go on record as favoring organized labor? That 
 is news, especially if there are men in the club whose 
 opinions have public value. The fact that a church 
 received a hundred new members in one day is news 
 but the average editor will prefer one good human 
 interest story. A friend of mine some years ago 
 took in a large class at one service. He was highly 
 wrought up with the achievement. But a news- 
 paper man found a story there greater than the 
 other. He found in the class an aged man and 
 woman who, though never married, had been living 
 together for forty years. They knelt at the altar 
 together with a grandchild, a girl in her teens. He 
 sensed a story which would be a feature in any 
 paper of an aged couple who had defied convention 
 all their lives yielding through the leadership of the 
 child. I am not saying that these things ought to 
 be published. I am merely pointing out what has 
 news value and what has not. 
 
 A slant at the kind of thing a newspaper man 
 thinks interesting may be seen from these sentences 
 taken from a letter sent by the religious editor of 
 
206 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 the Providence (Rhode Island) Bulletin and Eve- 
 ning Journal: 
 
 “We will appreciate your assistance in fully cov- 
 ering the activities of your society. Address briefs, 
 special observances, contemplated and completed 
 building programs, financial drives, pageants and 
 other events of pictorial interest, distinguished 
 visitors and their message, personal notes of reli- 
 gious import, gems of thought and literary passages 
 unearthed during study—are typical of the material 
 we can use. 
 
 “We have found the regular weekly or monthly 
 church calendar suggestive and informing. If we 
 are not on your mailing list, will you see that we 
 are placed there ?”’ 
 
 SMALL-TOWN PAPERS 
 
 The approach to the small-town papers is nat- 
 urally different from that to the city papers. These 
 are usually weekly affairs. Instead of being 
 crowded for space, many times the editor is forced 
 to use “boiler plate” to keep up the issue and his 
 reputation. There is not a surplus of editorial help. 
 If a minister is clever with his pen he will be wel- 
 comed asa contributor. He will be expected to use 
 good sense, not try to tie the paper up to any de- 
 nominational propaganda. Usually it means that 
 he has the courtesy to keep from using the good 
 graces of the paper and then sending out of town 
 for his printing. 
 
 There are many ways in which the minister can 
 cooperate with the local paper. He can put life and 
 pep into his local announcements. Make your 
 church column the most interesting one in the paper. 
 
Effective Publicity Plans 207 
 
 
 
 
 
 WHENCE COMMUNITY SPIRIT? 
 
 One of a Series of Community Articles Written 
 by William H. Leach 
 
 What makes this mysterious quality which men call Com- 
 munity Spirit? 
 
 “The size of the place,” insists the guy who, if he lives 
 in a place of a few hundred, calls it a town; if it has a few 
 thousand, he calls it a city. 
 
 “The business it does,” answers the man who appreciates 
 the music of the cash register. 
 
 “Its schools,” says the individual who is long on graduation 
 and short on education. 
 
 “The Churches,” adds the pious individual. 
 
 “The clubs, by all means,” says the sweet little thing that 
 counts that day lost without a new step learned. 
 
 “Its public improvements,” offers the village official seek- 
 ing commendation for his hard and well done task. 
 
 But about then a man happens along who has the human- 
 itarian view all these others lack. 
 
 “The answer is simple. The spirit of the people makes the 
 spirit of the community.” 
 
 We, the people, are the town. Is our town sluggish and 
 provincial? Feel our own pulse. Do we need a civil stimu- 
 lant? Administer it to ourselves. Are we divided into a 
 hundred cliques with no community ideal to lead us? Pray 
 that we may have one for ourselves. To quote from the poet: 
 
 “Tt’s a knock at yourself, when you knock your town, 
 It isn’t your town. It’s you.” 
 
 (Not alone the village editor but the village officials appreciated 
 this service.) 
 
 Use the space to say something exceptionally good. 
 Announce the sermons in a new way. Use the 
 questionnaire method. Ask questions about the 
 subject, which are going to be answered in the ser- 
 mon. Run in some lively bit of poetry. Put some 
 humor in. I headed my column at Alden, New 
 York, a village of one thousand people, with lines 
 such as, “Come early and get a back seat.” This 
 kind of language took and people read the column. 
 
208 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 This kind of publicity cost nothing except the labor 
 and thought but it made the church column attrac- 
 tive. Another thing a minister can do is to write 
 copy which will be a help to his own and other 
 churches. Not all ministers have the journalistic 
 gift. A good little article to head the column will 
 be a help to all. 
 
 In Cloquet, Wisconsin, Presbyterian, Lutheran 
 and Episcopalian ministers took turns in writing 
 editorials to go over the newspaper display cards 
 of all denominations. Here are some of the results 
 of their efforts. They’ may be. suggestive to 
 preachers in other towns. 
 
 COME AND SEE! 
 
 Be fair. 
 
 Get the facts. 
 
 Don’t condemn unheard. 
 
 Refuse prejudiced testimony. 
 
 Come and see for yourself. 
 
 The church courts investigation of her principles 
 and work. 
 
 Unlike all other institutions she has room for every- 
 body, men, women and children. 
 
 No matter what your color, your clothes, your in- 
 come, your education, your morals, the church wants 
 to see you at her services. She welcomes you, not for 
 what she can get from you, but for what she can give 
 to you. 
 
 Underneath her forms, behind all her attractions 
 of music, oratory, society, charity, the church offers 
 what all men need—sympathy, joy, victory. 
 
 To remain ignorant of the church’s message or ab- 
 sent from her worship is to cheat yourself of courage 
 for duty; strength for burdens; escape in temptation; 
 light in perplexity ; comfort in sorrow; peace in death. 
 
 The church invites, urges, challenges you to test her 
 welcome, her worship, her work. 
 
 Come and See. 
 
Effective Publicity Plans 209 
 CE aE a arb Va et zt ht RR abe id 
 
 CLOQUET DOCTORS SAY 
 
 
 
 if folks would obey the moral laws and heed the teach- 
 ings of the Christian religion, they would have finer 
 complexions, better digestion, steadier nerves, happier 
 old age and longer life. 
 
 Evidently godliness is profitable for this life as well 
 as for that which is to come, and going to church is 
 great gain. 
 
 Cloquet Churches remind the community that Divine 
 Worship is both a public concern and a personal 
 responsibility. 
 
 FEELING BLUE? 
 
 Stranger? Sick? Poor? Out of work? Trouble 
 with your neighbors? Disappointed in your friends? 
 Uneasy about your family? Victimized by your own 
 disposition? Enslaved by evil habits? Discouraged 
 because of a bad conscience? Without hope and with- 
 out God? 
 
 Yet Cloquet churches are filled with men and 
 women who have a heart to help. And Cloquet pulpits 
 declare a message of deliverance and joy. 
 
 Why not meet the church halfway? Why not give 
 God a chance at your load? Then, instead of feeling 
 blue, you'll see it true. 
 
 Flope to meet you at church Sunday. 
 
 THE QUOTATION SERMON 
 
 John Evans, pastor of the Boonville, New York, 
 Presbyterian Church, went away on his vacation a 
 year ago and in the place of pulpit supplies he left 
 quotation sermons to be published in the village 
 paper. A quotation sermon consists of a series of 
 words from famous individuals on a chosen sub- 
 ject. Among the topics he used were: Anger; Ad- 
 versity; the Lamb of God; What is Man? and 
 Jealousy. Some were based upon a series of short 
 
210 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 —_—— 
 
 quotations and gave the appearance of access to an 
 encyclopedia of illustrations. The sermon on the 
 Lamb of God was taken entirely from Ben Hur. 
 This seemed a very useful method of publicity to 
 one on the outside. I read them with interest. I 
 think that the idea might grow. The minister 
 could keep his eyes open to striking passages in 
 the books he is reading and copy these and use them 
 in his column. 
 
 SOME “DON’TS” FOR THE ADVERTISING PREACHER 
 
 These “don’ts” compiled for village and rural 
 pastors by Rev. Harry A. Cochran, Cisco, Illinois, 
 are so good that they are worth passing on. 
 
 The first one is this—Don’t fail to appreciate the 
 value of the editor’s time and the value of the space 
 in his newspaper. If the preacher would keep the 
 good will of the newspaper force, let him regard the 
 time in the office as being as sacred as his own and 
 govern himself accordingly. When given free use 
 of the columns of the paper for notes, etc., let him 
 remember not to write a book, and the whole office 
 force will rise up and call him blessed. Never fear, 
 if you have something that is of sufficient impor- 
 tance to take a column, the editor will see that it 
 gets a column if you give him the facts. 
 
 Secondly—Don’t preach or ride a hobby in your 
 notes. Don’t engage in doctrinal bickerings and 
 quarrels. The editor has his own beliefs. The 
 people who read his paper have theirs. It is bad 
 taste for you to take advantage of his offer of free 
 space to relieve yourself of some surplus doctrinal 
 narrowness. ‘Those things that are worth while 
 will always be welcome. 
 
Effective Publicity Plans 211 
 
 Third—Don’t wait until the afternoon of press 
 day to get your copy to the office and don’t put the 
 copy up in such shape that it can not be read. Get 
 your copy in early and typewrite it if possible. I 
 have known some ministers who thought that an 
 hour before press time was soon enough to get 
 their copy to the office and I remember distinctly 
 one who always used glazed paper and wrote his 
 copy with an indelible pencil and in a handwriting 
 far from legible. 
 
 Fourth—Don’t ask to be given better rates for 
 your display advertising than the regular contract 
 advertising of the regular business firms. Nothing 
 kills a church quicker than the begging attitude. 
 The church is the greatest institution on earth. 
 Why should it beg when it comes to business? 
 
 Fitth—Don’t start a parish paper and try to get 
 ads enough to pay for it and make a little money 
 on the side. Advertising is one of the means of 
 revenue by which the editor and the newspaper 
 force make their living. The church is not in that 
 business. The parish paper idea is fine but it should 
 be financed in some other way. 
 
 Sixth—Don’t ask the newspaper for favors and 
 then send out of town to have all of your pay work 
 done. I am making no brief against mail-order 
 printing houses. But all country newspaper offices 
 do job work also and it is not fair for you to expect 
 the publisher to give you free publicity and then 
 send to a mail-order house for your envelopes, 
 cards, letterheads, etc. The publisher will not ob- 
 ject to your use of duplicators for circular letter 
 work. He will probably understand that if such 
 work is not done in that way it will not be done 
 at all. 
 
? 
 
 2A Church Administration 
 
 Seventh—Don’t try to tell the printer the size 
 and style type to use in setting your ad. If he is 
 a printer tell him the general idea you want. He 
 will be better able to produce the desired effect than 
 will you. Another thing—don’t try to use printer’s 
 terms unless you know what you are talking about. 
 
 Eighth—Don’t ask for freak ads and freak ways 
 of displaying ads. The editor will probably comply 
 with your desire but you will get the name of being 
 queer and finicky. 
 
 I know that some will think the above hints are 
 unneeded and that they are after all little things too 
 trivial to be given any attention. But the pastor 
 who wants to get the most out of his efforts at 
 publicity will do well to think these things over. A 
 word to the wise is sufficient. 
 
 METHODS OF NEWSPAPER SPACE 
 
 There are many ideas about the best way to get 
 big results from newspaper space. Some will prefer 
 the church pages with a suitable story. That 
 reaches the churchgoing people and those transients 
 who desire to goto church. Dr. Stidger advertised, 
 while in Detroit, with those papers which reached 
 the great unchurched masses. Rev. David-Rees 
 Jones of the First Presbyterian Church, Chelsea, 
 Oklahoma, places his advertising in the want col- 
 umns of the local dailies. In Elizabeth, New Jer- 
 sey, a special advertising campaign in behalf of the 
 churches placed the displays on the sporting page, 
 the amusement page, the woman’s page, the want 
 ad page and even on the comic page. Those in 
 charge estimated that the results justified the ex- 
 periment. 
 
Effective Publicity Plans 213 
 i SE EE A A SA A A PEO | 
 Some ministers figure that a page display on 
 Saturday followed by a news item on Monday gives 
 the greatest effect. James Elmer Russell at Bing- 
 hamton, New York, has preferred a news story on 
 Friday followed by the display ad on Saturday. 
 There are some newspapers which solicit church 
 advertising on the basis that a news story will also 
 be given. This, however, is not considered very 
 ethical among newspapers where news value is sup- 
 posed to stand on its own merits. 
 
 NEWSPAPER STORIES IN A BUILDING PROGRAM 
 
 The Memorial United Presbyterian Church of 
 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was able to capitalize 
 various features of its building program so that it 
 secured newspaper stories in prominent positions. 
 Its history in this respect is a very interesting study 
 to get a news slant on church affairs. 
 
 The new church was to be located at Beverly 
 Hills, a high-class residential development with 
 building carefully restricted. In fact, one of the 
 restrictions stated that “no building other than a 
 detached dwelling house” should ever be erected. 
 Now the fact that a church should move to a resi- 
 dential development is not news—or at the most it 
 is good for but a few lines—but the fact that a 
 church is prohibited from a community is news. It 
 was necessary to open the entire controversy over 
 again and secure the consent of property owners. 
 Incidentally every property owner received a nice 
 letter thanking him for the courtesy. 
 
 Then, according to the rules of the local Federa- 
 tion, the matter had to be passed on by the comity 
 committee and also by a group of local interested 
 
214 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 pastors. It was news that the Federation was in- 
 terested in this matter and the story of the action 
 got a first-page position. 
 
 While the church was being built, the pastor, 
 Charles Opie Smith, was invited with his choir to 
 conduct services from a local radio station. Here 
 was an interesting news story. The people have no 
 church to go to but they can hear their minister 
 by merely tuning in.. These several items show 
 how news may be found which will interest the 
 papers. 
 
 But there are many ways of publicity outside of 
 the newspaper. Sometimes I think that the great- 
 est source of publicity available has never been de- 
 veloped sufficiently by the church. I refer to the 
 publicity of the spoken word. I know of no one 
 who has made a social study of gossip. But we all 
 know that there is a direct way of communication 
 in every community whereby an unwholesome 
 event reaches every one before the papers are 
 issued. If this is possible, why can’t the same 
 forces be harnessed for the good of the church? If 
 the church could get its men and women to pass on 
 information as quickly as they now pass on things 
 which might better be left unsaid, we would have 
 no difficulties about publicity. 
 
 OUTDOOR ADVERTISING 
 
 The bulletin board is in quite common use to-day 
 in one form or another. There are several firms 
 making changeable-letter bulletin boards which will 
 carry the announcements of the church in a very 
 dignified and effective way. These, placed before 
 the church or in some other striking location, can 
 
Effective Publicity Plans © 215 
 constantly carry a message to hundreds at a very 
 small cost. They may be brilliantly lighted and 
 thus carry their message on through the night 
 hours. 
 
 The “Wayside Pulpit” * promoted by the Rev. 
 Henry Hallam Saunderson is worth mentioning. 
 It consists of a bulletin board carrying sheets 
 32x 44 inches. The plan provides a service which 
 includes a new text for each week. These texts are 
 printed and have an advantage over the changeable 
 letter type. 
 
 Here and there are churches which have used 
 the big billboard system. Among such churches 
 are Grace Church in New York, which used such 
 display under the direction of Christian Reisner, 
 and Howard Presbyterian Church, San Francisco. 
 My idea of this is that it is more suitable for co- 
 operative advertising. Many times plans can be 
 made with the leasing agency to use the church 
 display, without cost, at any periods when the 
 boards would otherwise be vacant. 
 
 Rev. Paul Herman Guhse of Oxford Presby- 
 terian Church, Philadelphia, thus described his pro- 
 gram of Outdoor Advertising at the convention of 
 the Associated Advertising Clubs at Atlantic City 
 in 1923. It is a good survey of the outdoor adver- 
 tising possibilities of a church. 
 
 “We are a semi-downtown church, on the main 
 thoroughfare of the city, surrounded by business, 
 apartments, and rapidly diminishing private resi- 
 dences. On Sundays the crowds surge past our 
 church, much as they do on Fifth Avenue in New 
 York City. We have six distinct ways of reaching 
 our constituency in the field of outdoor advertising. 
 
 1 Distributed by The Beacon Press, Boston, Mass. 
 
216 Church Administration 
 Sener} 
 
 “1. Two large American flags are given to the 
 breezes before the church each Sunday. They 
 hang, suspended over the sidewalk, by two long 
 flag staffs, from the lower tower windows. They 
 are conspicuous, since flags are mostly an orna- 
 mentation of holidays, as is also the spirit of pa- 
 triotism mostly a spasmodic flash of enthusiasm. 
 We combine religion and patriotism. The flag and 
 the church make their appeal together. 
 
 “2. Some three to four hundred bulletins of our 
 Sunday services are distributed each Saturday, to 
 some sixty public places of business, and put in 
 conspicuous places. Frequently the Boy Scouts 
 take out some five to ten thousand cards and dis- 
 tribute them throughout the community. On Sun- 
 days before the services they are stationed at 
 corners, several squares on either side of the church, 
 to hand people the cards. 
 
 “3. We have a cornetist in the tower for a half 
 hour before each service. He plays the familiar 
 hymns of the church. We have had new members 
 who said that they had been brought into the 
 church by this means, The traffic is halted for two 
 minutes, alternately giving the automobilists, as 
 well as the crowds on foot, a real touch of things 
 sacred. Many have thus involuntarily found their 
 way into the house of worship. 
 
 “4. We have a beautiful glass vestibule which is 
 brilliantly lighted at night. It is the base of our 
 electric sign. In this vestibule we display attractive 
 posters mounted upon an easel. These posters an- 
 nounce the next Sunday’s topics early in the week. 
 The feature of these cards is not first and foremost 
 the topics. They, in themselves, make their appeal 
 in due time, But here is something attractive for 
 
Effective Publicity Plans 217 
 eee 
 the eye; it cannot fail to create an interest; it arouses 
 the curiosity of almost every pedestrian. It is 
 wisely located, offers variety, commands respect be- 
 cause of its good workmanship, brings a message, 
 and is truthful. Here are the requirements of good 
 advertising. 
 
 “5. On either side of our vestibule we have 
 boxes, in keeping with the architectural features. 
 Into these we place the Sunday Bulletin on Friday, 
 Saturday and Sunday. As people pause to read the 
 mounted poster within, they help themselves to a 
 bulletin. 
 
 “6. Our biggest advertising feature is our elec- 
 tric sign, of which, to be sure, we are justly proud,— 
 the largest and most costly electric display feature 
 before any Christian church in the world. Its con- 
 struction is of copper and plate glass, and it rises 
 to a height of forty feet above the pavement. The 
 base is the vestibule itself, some sixteen feet wide 
 and six feet deep, with a terrazza floor, having a 
 beautiful mosaic border and the word ‘wELCoME’ 
 worked into the center, also in mosaic. 
 
 “Across the top, and above the doors, which are 
 thrown entirely open, there is the electric bulletin 
 board, with four lines of changeable copper letters. 
 This is changed daily. We call them our wAysIDE 
 PULPIT. A message of from ten to twenty-five 
 words makes its appeal to the passing automobilist 
 and pedestrian. Our church being on a corner, and 
 traffic being halted every two minutes, thousands of 
 people inevitably get the benefit of that wayside 
 message from their cars. 
 
 “The display sign, or shaft, rests above this bul- 
 letin board as the crowning feature of the brightly 
 illuminated vestibule, It is 21%4 feet square, twenty- 
 
218 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 four feet high, with raised, white, opal-glass letters, 
 reading ‘The Community Church, and is lighted 
 by thirty 75-watt nitrogen lamps. The bulletin 
 board is lighted by thirty-six 30-watt Mazda lamps. 
 
 “On either side of the large bulletin board are 
 two illuminated panels, displaying the stated meet- 
 ings and activities of the church. Glass panels in 
 the back of this sign furnish light inside the vesti- 
 bule, as do also four 75-watt nitrogen lamps in the 
 ceiling panels. Upon the glass panels backing the 
 bulletin sign appear the words ‘COME AGAIN,’ so 
 placed that they extend an invitation to the people 
 as they leave the church. Upon the upper plate 
 glass panels in the sides of the vestibule have been 
 painted in gold letters the names of the pastor, the 
 assistant, church visitor, and organist. 
 
 “This whole artistic and brilliant church entrance 
 makes its appeal blocks away. It is our way of 
 letting the church speak for itself, outwardly. 
 
 “Would that time might permit me to release 
 some results. I could tell about numerous and defi- 
 nite individuals who have alone produced results 
 commensurate with the heavy cost of our outdoor 
 advertising endeavors.” 
 
 Flood Lighting 
 
 The above is a very complete outline of the possi- 
 bilities of outdoor advertising. About the only 
 thing to be added to it is flood lighting which has 
 been adopted by quite a few churches. This scheme 
 consists of having powerful lights, concealed in 
 front of the church but equipped with reflectors, so 
 that the entire church will be flooded with white 
 light, letting it be its own publicity agent. We 
 
Effective Publicity Plans 219 
 
 
 
 find such flood lighting at the Hennepin Ave- 
 nue Methodist Episcopal Church, Minneapolis; 
 Methodist Temple, Chicago; Linwood Boulevard 
 Methodist Church, Kansas City; Muchmore Pres- 
 byterian Church, Philadelphia, and many others are 
 adopting the plan. 
 
 THE YEAR BOOK 
 
 The custom of issuing an annual directory or 
 year book is one which seems to be growing with 
 the churches. They range in size from a dozen 
 pages to bound volumes of several hundred pages. 
 The contents of these volumes vary with individual 
 instances. The index from the Manual of the First 
 Presbyterian Church, Independence, Iowa, will give 
 an idea of how complete they may be. (See page 
 220.) 
 
 Among features peculiar to others, we might note 
 these: Bethany Presbyterian Church, Johnstown, 
 Pennsylvania, includes in the section of members 
 several blank pages so that the members may record 
 the names of those who join the church during the 
 year. Central Presbyterian Church, McKeesport, 
 Pennsylvania, gives a detailed financial report of 
 each member, including the amount pledged for both 
 local work and benevolences, the amount paid and 
 the amount still due. Here and there these direc- 
 tories contain maps of the city showing church loca- 
 tions or accessibility to the church. In the direc- 
 tory of the Church of Christ, Canton, Pennsylvania, 
 the church is placed on the map within a circle which 
 is labeled, “A warm spot in the heart of Canton.” 
 Many of these year books are financed by advertise- 
 ments of local merchants. Some year books contain 
 
220 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 the rules of admission into the church membership. 
 At least one, that of the Second Presbyterian 
 
 Adalt Bible Classes o2.cew's\s ae aspic essa OER Rien 
 Benevolent Treasurer, Report of ....... is aah oes Se 
 
 Board ‘of, Religious, Education 3.25. 0. .e 4... vee ene 
 CHIT acces trey pela clots ow diolaiece fala eh etars Sitemeter ae ae 
 Church® Treasurer, Report of.) ....2..4 o0.cn ee eee 
 Contributors’ (non-member), .i)s5. 2.5. ss 0s ate ote ke 
 Deaths, “during year's. ssicws elsios Sas ese w be oe ee er 
 Deacotis, ‘Board G8 eis 26s as aes 2 bee 2 
 ReEPOrt Ot} ate 's's hie s we'alee ale whic Ged aie Sae Been tere 
 Directory: of Church Officérsacee. te. ce. eee 
 Financial Summary, Complete 20; \i0i) 0.5 oe ee eee 
 Tiistorical sDatau’ ss. Wl yoigis mie elelel eG 8 oe Cee ie ee 
 Ladies’. Social’ Society, ‘Report of, ‘ete. 1.0.2... a. ae eee 
 Light, Bearers. S00 Vi. Sa ae els enlace «eile one 
 Members, Rolk obi a ose ale oaks sgl oles oe 
 Members, Non-resident, Roll 6f .........55 006 om ememeens 
 Music, Committee is ir, Feb 00 las coletee ctere es rene 
 Pastor's) Reports 05 ssa pele oss cies are ele pio art ree 
 Sabbath School— 
 Children’s Department, Report of...........esceeess 
 Committees; Special) Days joo. o.\5 :. <vde bole ete ee 
 Cradle Roll) Report ofia sis oo. . 2 
 Home Department, ‘Report iof 2. ..2. 0... s0 on see ee 
 Officers, Directory Of cae sie wis oo oo ete leone 
 Orchestras iced Cees eae cates aes oe s)s ted arene ee 
 Scheme of Organization .¢.2.0...4. +o. 00 en ee 
 Secrétary’s Reporte iis sk Cay oo ee Galea 
 Superintendent’s ‘Report ..0/.4..... 00. «sine ed 
 Lreasurer’s ) Report:i/s2 J. Walelds ea'a = icceisial cy enn ee 
 Two-year Oummary wale sen ole on eae lee 
 session, Members, term)of office, etc... 0). ee ae 
 Repost /of Clerk iqayoey a 050 sea a ne a en 
 Stated: ‘Meetings: ij. 2a ee a, es Go 
 Trustees, Members, term of office, etc. ........0.22cece. 
 Sub-Committees’ of |...) oie seeds sae ieee oon 
 Ushersy eee a reg Shee Wi a i as Soscaled la ones 
 Westminster Guild, G. S. Chapter, Report of.......... 
 Westminster Guild, G. L. Circle, Report of, etc. ...... 
 Women’s Missionary Society, Report of, etc. .........- 
 Y.Pw S.C. Report Of, etc...) ks. oe se ee 
 
 Church, Pottsville, Pennsylvania, has in addition to 
 the list of members a list of the tithers in the 
 church. 
 

 
 Effective Publicity Plans © oot 
 
 WINDOW. CARDS, DODGERS, ETC. 
 
 The success of this type of publicity, in addition 
 to the consideration of the matter of set-up, depends 
 largely upon the distribution. For that reason it 
 falls below many others in its effectiveness. House- 
 to-house distribution is a difficult thing except in 
 small communities. Window cards may be more 
 effectively distributed. It is asking a great deal of 
 any merchant when window space is sought. While 
 he might be willing to give it to the church, it means 
 a pressure from other organizations for the same 
 privilege. 
 
 For this reason the church owes it to the business 
 house to make the card very attractive. It should 
 not be anything that will mar the attractiveness of 
 a display window. It should be on a stiff cardboard 
 so that it will not flop over and look like a wilted 
 flower. It ought not to be a handwritten card de- 
 vised to save a few cents, You are asking valuable 
 space and should reciprocate by using an announce- 
 ment artistically worth while. 
 
 Blotters offer a good type of desk publicity. They 
 are more permanent than cards. I know from per- 
 sonal experience that the names of those churches 
 which are on blotters which come to me are kept in 
 mind. I found myself in Louisville, Kentucky, on 
 a recent Sunday night. Finding I had time for 
 church, the one I turned to was the Walnut Street 
 Baptist Church which had supplied me with a desk 
 blotter. There are many strong churches in Louis- 
 ville but the blotter publicity moved me. 
 
222 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 CALENDARS 
 
 Calendars give a permanency to printed publicity 
 lacking in some other features. If it is given a place 
 in the home or the office it will carry its message 
 for a year. Church calendars may be simple and 
 inexpensive, bearing the picture of the church with 
 announcement of the services, or they may be elabo- 
 rate affairs. Denominational houses will provide 
 them, giving denominational material and, in the 
 case of the liturgical churches, they will have the 
 days colored according to their symbolic signifi- 
 cance. The most elaborate which has come to our 
 attention was a birthday calendar with the names of 
 individuals printed in the square for each day of the 
 year. This is a difficult and costly process but it has 
 a personal interest value not present in the others. 
 
 DENOMINATIONAL HANDBOOKS 
 
 Many of the denominations provide an annual 
 handbook which can be purchased for a few cents 
 and provides an excellent medium of publicity. It 
 contains much historic and denominational matter 
 and the imprint of the local church can be given the 
 booklet. Prayer meeting and Sunday school topics 
 are usually included, adding to the value of the 
 feature. 
 
 TELEPHONE PUBLICITY 
 
 The telephone offers a unique publicity service. 
 It is particularly useful in following up mail pub- 
 licity. When a board meeting has been called it 
 pays to get each of the members on the phone the 
 
Effective Publicity Plans 223 
 
 
 
 last day as a reminder that he is expected to be 
 there. It also has some evangelistic value, but this 
 will be found mostly through some organized 
 method such as that used by the men’s Bible class 
 of the Mount Airy Presbyterian Church, Phila- 
 delphia, Pennsylvania. This class planned and car- 
 ried through what it called a Telephone Day. 
 
 Fifty men of the class each promised to call ten 
 men whose names were handed to them, tell them 
 of the class, and invite them to attend the next 
 Sunday. 
 
 Here is the statement of one of the men who com- 
 pleted his task early in the week: 
 
 “Hada wonderful experience. Every man 
 treated me great. Even a man of the Catholic 
 faith congratulated me on the method. I expect 
 five or possibly six of my ten to be on hand next 
 Sunday.” 
 
 DIRECT MAIL ADVERTISING 
 
 This type of publicity offers the greatest im- 
 mediate and direct returns. It is important enough 
 to deserve a chapter by itself, which we are giving 
 it. The returns can be easily tabulated. Most 
 direct mail methods are inexpensive. The minister 
 would do well to subscribe to The Mailbag, Postage, 
 or some other direct mail periodical, just to see how 
 effective the system may be for him. 
 
CHAPTER 12 
 ADVERTISING TECHNIQUE 
 
 It is going to be a long time before any principles 
 of advertising will be formulated which will be ac- 
 ceptable to the whole Church. As a whole, church- 
 men to-day are willing to confess they know less 
 about it than they did some years ago. That is but 
 natural, for in the commercial field as well adver- 
 tising is going through a reanalysis and a recon- 
 struction. Business is now not quite so sure that 
 all one has to do is to buy enough magazine space 
 and prosperity is assured. One of the things which 
 erows on the author as he becomes more and more 
 familiar with the churches in America is the large 
 number of great churches which seem to maintain 
 their strength without resort to the bizarre methods 
 of publicity which some have told us are necessary 
 to get people interested in the church. 
 
 I think many ministers would be surprised to 
 learn how carefully business investigates before it 
 invests in space. Howard A. Barton in his How to 
 Write Advertising * advises his readers that the day 
 of psychological advertising is past. _ Business 
 to-day makes a test of every field before it invests. 
 Advertisers are not so sure that there is a magic 
 psychology which opens the avenue to sales. To 
 quote from Barton in the book mentioned above: 
 
 “Advertising to-day seems to be in what we call 
 the research phase. Very few advertising writers 
 are willing to write a line until somebody has gone 
 
 1 How to Write Advertising by Piso A. Barton, Lippincott. 
 
Advertising Technique Dae 
 
 out and gleaned the facts fresh from the field. We 
 must know who buys, how often, in fact, the im- 
 mortal six questions of Kipling—who, when, how, 
 what, where, and why—must be answered by the 
 actual distributors and buyers of a product before 
 it can be intelligently advertised and written about. 
 Some advertisers, schooled to the profession, make 
 tests of every advertisement, by some means or 
 other, before allowing it to be published.” 
 
 The tests referred to consist in actually trying out 
 in hundreds of instances various types of copy to 
 judge their effectiveness. Mail-order houses very 
 seldom send out a letter until samples have gone out 
 to hundreds and a check up made on their “pulling”’ 
 power. This testing in church advertising is some- 
 thing the minister will have to work out for him- 
 self. It is a matter of trying here and there until 
 he finds the method and the copy which will bring 
 the biggest results. 
 
 One thing we must recognize and that is the re- 
 ligious appeal of the church. I don’t know whether 
 more mistakes have been made in the writing of 
 church advertising by ministers who know noth- 
 ing about advertising principles or by advertising 
 writers who know nothing about the church. We 
 have all seen some foolish expenditures of money by 
 advertising men who thought that they could coax 
 people to church. A different instinct must be ap- 
 pealed to in order to fill the church than the writer 
 would appeal to in selling soap. That is one reason 
 why I believe that the church advertising is to be 
 written by the ministers who know. the church psy- 
 chology. But before they can write it successfully 
 they must know the first principles of commercial 
 advertising. 
 
226 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 The medium of church advertising will include 
 the church calendar, announcements, letters, special 
 folders, reports, year book, bulletin boards, display 
 signs, window cards, and newspaper space. In in- 
 dividual instances newspaper advertising may be the 
 kind which pays; in another it may be the direct 
 mail advertising. For instance, in a church located 
 at the edge of a great city, with a purely sectional 
 appeal, it would seem that newspaper advertising 
 would not be the kind that pays. But this is a 
 matter for testing. Try it out and see what kind 
 brings results. That is the logical and sensible 
 thing to do. 
 
 But the general principle in all kinds of adver- 
 tising using printer’s ink are the same. The ads 
 must attract, hold and lead to action. This is to be 
 accomplished by the layout of the display and its 
 contents. We will want to keep these two things 
 distinct to understand the technique of the adver- 
 tisement. The layout is a matter of type, illustra- 
 tions, and space; the contents consist of the words 
 and sentences which have been written to go into 
 the layout. The advertising man usually sends to 
 the printer his copy for the advertisement and with 
 it the layout as it is to appear when completed. 
 
 If you buy space in a paper it will have to cor- 
 respond with the make-up of the sheet. It will be 
 so many columns wide and so many inches deep. 
 You will have a square or a rectangular space. Into 
 this you must fit your copy. And while the space is 
 very regular you will want to avoid the monotony 
 of regularity in your layout. 
 
 On page 227 is a very simple little design which 
 will show you the focal or the strongest point in the 
 layout. The focal point is analogous to the climax 
 
Advertising Technique pp: 
 
 
 
 C= Actual Center 
 A= Focal Center 
 
 Objects placed at X and Y¥ need emphasis 
 to counteract the “pull” of A 
 
 (One need not assume from this that he is compelled to place the 
 element of primary interest in the focal center. What he must do 
 is to always consider the focal point in making the arrangement of 
 all the elements. The greater the violation of the primary element 
 in placement, the greater the compensation which must be allowed 
 the other elements of the layout.) 
 
228 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 of a story, the difference being that in the layout 
 the climax comes first. In advertising there is no 
 time for the gradual development of interest, no 
 time for arousing your reader before presenting the 
 climax. The complete story is presented at one 
 time and as a unit. 
 
 The layout is the rational, deliberative placement 
 of materials in accordance with a preconceived ef- 
 fect. Everything which goes into it, headlines, illus- 
 trations, borders and text, is to develop that effect. 
 It is a matter of turning and twisting materials until 
 the right combination is achieved. I do not know 
 of any definite rules of advertising composition 
 which can be given to help in meeting the situation. 
 Every advertisement must have original research 
 and attention. 
 
 Here are, however, some things which every dis- 
 play should be tested by. 
 
 i. The important item should be at the focal 
 point. 
 
 2. It should express your thought. 
 
 3. The regularity which is monotony should be 
 avoided. 
 
 A. There must be contrast, dark against light, 
 etc. 
 
 s. Margins should be free and open. 
 
 6. There must be a sense of proportion. 
 
 THE MATERIALS FOR BUILDING THE GOOD AD 
 Type 
 
 Every display ad is made of more or less type. 
 It is the simplest tool the writer has and it is well 
 to see its possibilities. The printer is always ready 
 
Advertising Technique 229 
 
 a TE Sa ES Se 
 
 
 
 to help the minister out with this side of the display 
 and unless the minister is pretty well informed it 
 may be wise to follow his advice. But when he 
 knows his type he can lay out his ad just as he wants 
 it. A few of the more common types can be men- 
 tioned here. 
 
 Modern Roman. This is the most commonly used 
 type and is the kind found in most books and maga- 
 zines. It can be depended on for the body material 
 of any piece of printing from a book to a label, and 
 in many cases can be used for headlines as well. 
 
 Italics may be used for emphasis, which may also 
 be secured by bold-faced roman or by simply under- 
 scoring the plain roman. Bold-faced italic is par- 
 ticularly strong. 
 
 Script is seldom used in advertisements, its at- 
 tention value being weaker than other forms. 
 
 @lv English is very effective in church display 
 advertising and in formal and artistic announce- 
 ments. Capitals of Old English run together and 
 are illegible, and for these reasons should not be 
 used. 
 
 Antique type is a heavier face than roman but 
 not heavy enough to be considered as bold-faced. 
 
 Gothic is a very plain, unshaded type which 
 many use for bold, strong display. Here again 
 continuous use of the capitals should be avoided. 
 
 The small letters (as opposed to capitals) are 
 known as lower case type. It is designated in the 
 copy as lc. When the first letter of each word is to 
 be a capital but the rest Ic, the set-up is referred to 
 AS icandic. = 
 
 Type is measured according to a system adopted 
 by the type founders in 1886 and known as the point 
 system. A point is nearly one seventy-second of an 
 
230 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 inch; so a letter measured by the number of points 
 is known as six point, ten point, etc. This chart will 
 show somewhat the variation in the various sizes of 
 
 type. 
 
 This is 434 point, old name “Diamond” 
 
 This is 6 point, old name ‘‘Pear!’’ 
 
 This is 534 point, old name ‘‘Agate” 
 
 This is 6 point, old name ‘‘Nonpareil’”’ . 
 
 This is 7 point, old name ‘‘Minion’”’ 
 
 This is 8 point, old name ‘‘Brevier’’ 
 
 This is 9 point, old name ‘‘Bourgeois”’ 
 
 This is 10 point, old name “‘Long Primer” 
 This is 11 point, old name “‘Small Pica” 
 This is 12 point, old name ‘Pica?’ 
 
 This is 14 point, old name “English” 
 This is 18 point, old name “Great 
 Primer”’ 
 
 Displaying Type 
 
 When one understands the various kinds of type 
 one can with a little ingenuity build up attractive 
 ads by using these, and build simple designs by 
 means of rules and border which the average printer 
 will have in his stock. On page 231 are two similar 
 announcements which will illustrate what I have in 
 mind. They are on cards of similar size. I leave 
 it to the judgment of the reader as to which one 
 makes the brighter and quicker appeal. You will 
 notice that Number I mixes its capitals, while 
 Number 2 confines itself to c and lc. Number 1 
 uses rules for variation and emphasis; Number 2 
 does not. 
 
Advertising Technique DOL 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 et AeA aE RIGOR ST | 
 CN ovem ber ss Hirst Preshuterian Church 
 
 ‘ REV. WILFORD HALL TAYLOR, Pastor 
 
 
 
 
 
 cMESSIAH \ HARVARD, ILLINOIS 
 LUTHERAN CHURCH. 
 dite Belge eat Special Sunday Morning Services 
 
 DENVER, COLORADO 
 —— a 10:30 to 11:30 A. M. 
 REv. WILSON P. ARD, Minister 
 
 
 
 . GO-TO-CHURCH SUNDAY May 10—Mother’s Day 
 NOvEMOER: | May 17—Chureh Officers 
 "300 p ete reat sith”? Installation of Church Officers and 
 (First in a series of Sunday evening sermons on Recognition of all other officers of 
 ah eet ea eee different organizations. 
 fo eR rape eT PET. Sunday; 
 11:00 A. M—“TheG h of National Ideals” ur Guests— So he 
 8:00 P. M._"Faith ‘ee “God his) eiaake The Grand Army of the Republic 
 ; Great” The Woman’s Relief Corps 
 STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY The American Legion thsihiah 
 NOVEMBER 15 The American Legion Auxiliary 
 11:00 A. M.— "The Foolish Farmer” | May 31—New Members . 
 BAG Paha rhe Hose et ae Reception of New Members into the 
 NOVEMBER 2 7 : 
 11:00 A. M.—“A Thanksgiving Peast”” June 14—Children 8 Day ‘ sata 
 8:00 P. M—‘‘The Problem of Believing” Consecration of children in baptism. 
 EVERY-MEMBER-CANVASS Every Sunday— 
 NOVEMBER 29 i Sunday School at Park Street at 9:00 
 11:00 A. M.—“‘The World’s Greatest Giver’ A. M.; at the Church at 11:30 A.M. 
 CFrom two to five o'slock this afc sade) Christian Endeavor: Junior, 2:30 P. 
 8:00 P. M.—"Do We Have the Faith of Jesus?” M.; High School and Senior, 6:30 
 
 
 
 Pp. M. 
 Evening Worship, 7:30 P. M. 
 
 Wee are extended a most cordial invitation to 
 attend the services of Messiah Lutheran June 22 to July 2 
 
 Church. Helpful secmons; splendid music; 2 : bey i 
 friendly welcome; an uplifting atmosphere; , Daily Vacation Bible School for boys 
 courteous ushers; genuine Christian comrade- and girls. 
 
 ship. “Ask the man who comes.” 
 
 “The church is the noblest and 
 best organization in the world”? 
 
 
 
 There are other things which also help to make 
 Number 1 the best selling announcement, but they 
 cannot be shown here. The cardboard used is better 
 and most of the rules are in blue. But set in black 
 
 type on white paper as here one can easily see the 
 value of type arrangement. 
 
232 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 Illustrating 
 
 A good illustration usually helps any advertise- 
 ment. Unfortunately it costs to produce a good 
 illustration and this eliminates it from most church 
 publicity. There is always the consolation that a 
 good type and line display is better than a poor 
 illustration. Then there are houses which provide 
 plates of various types at very reasonable cost, made 
 especially for church advertising. It would pay the 
 minister to keep in touch with these houses. If a 
 minister has a streak of ingenuity he can oftentimes 
 make use of commercial cuts which the printer has 
 on hand. Irving Cobb tells the story of the news- 
 paper editor who used the arm of the “Arm and 
 Hammer Soda” to illustrate a prize fight. The min- 
 ister can do better than that. 
 
 The various types of illustrating may be classed . 
 
 as follows: 
 
 1. Lhe Zinc Etching. This is a reproduction of 
 any pen-and-ink drawing, type matter or tracing. 
 The copy is placed before a camera and a negative 
 obtained. No screen is used. The negative is 
 usually printed upon a zinc plate, though for finer 
 effects copper may be used. The zinc between the 
 photographed lines is removed by the use of nitric 
 acid until in this acid bath the proper printing depth 
 has been obtained. 
 
 2. The Electrotype. In making an electrotype 
 an impression of a zinc etching is made in wax and 
 suspended with a plate of copper in an acidulated 
 solution of copper sulphate. An electric current is 
 then turned on and the waxed impression begins 
 to be plated. When of sufficient thickness, the wax 
 is removed from the plate, and after mechanical 
 
Advertising Technique ya ta" 
 
 
 
 adjustment the new impression or electrotype is 
 ready for the printing press. 
 
 3. Halftones. These are made either from the 
 object itself, from photographs or from wash 
 drawings in black. The first step in the halftone 
 process is the photographing of the object of illus- 
 tration through a screen interposed between the 
 copy and a sensitized plate in the camera. The 
 result is a negative the surface of which has been 
 broken up into very small dots. In proportion to 
 their size these dots give all the degrees of tone 
 except positive black or white. Hence, the name 
 “halftone.” The negative is printed on a copper 
 plate and goes through the etching process de- 
 scribed above. 
 
 4. Stereotype. This is a simple process 
 whereby the same advertisement may be dupli- 
 cated. Stereotypes are made by beating a 
 moistened paper pulp substance against the type 
 form in which the layout has been put. This pulp 
 with its impression is then heated, dried and placed 
 in a half cylinder, when the molten type metal is 
 run into the space between the cylinder and the 
 paper. By a mechanical device this type metal iS 
 hardened into the desired impression before the 
 paper has been even scorched. ‘There are church 
 advertising houses which now will furnish these 
 pulp forms known as “mats,” from which the user 
 may make his own stereotype. One advantage of 
 this is the lightness of the stereotype and the ease 
 of transportation. 
 
 PROOFREADING 
 
 Many times a minister is at a loss in the cor- 
 recting of his copy for the reason that he is not 
 
234 
 
 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 3 
 S) 
 sfet 
 
 0 
 
 
 
 SIGNS USED IN CORRECTING PROOFS 
 
 Push down the lead which is showing with the 
 type. 
 Delete; take out. 
 
 _Turn inverted letter right side up. 
 
 | Let it remain; change made was wrong. 
 
 Indent one em. 
 A period. 
 
 The type line is urteven at the side of the page; 
 straighten it. 
 
 A broken letter. 
 
 A hyphen. 
 
 Use italics. 
 
 Join together; take out the space. 
 Take out letter and close up. 
 Put in middle of page, or line. 
 Straighten lines. 
 
 Insert an apostrophe. 
 
 Insert a‘comma.' 
 
 Raise the word or letter. 
 Lower the word or letter. 
 Bring matter to the left. 
 Bring matter to the right. 
 Make a space. 
 
Advertising Technique 235 
 
 
 
 lead A thin metalstrip used to widen the space be- 
 tween the lines. 
 
 space out Spread words farther apart. 
 
 q Make. a paragraph. 
 
 no J Ruh on without a paragraph. 
 
 cap. Use a capital. 
 
 lic. Use the lower case (small type), i.e. not capitals, 
 ee, Small capitals. 
 
 wf. Wrong font — size or style. 
 
 font. Kind of type.. 
 
 tr. Transpose. . 
 
 rom. Use roman letter. 
 
 overrun Carry over to next line. 
 
 A Indicates where an insertion is to be made. 
 Qy. or (?) Doubt as to spelling, etc. 
 
 a Indicates CAPITAL letters. 
 
 = Indicates SMALL CAPITAL letters. 
 
 — Indicates italic letters, 
 
 ~~ Indicates black type letters. 
 
 == Indicates BLACK CAPITALS. 
 
 = Indicates BLACK SMALL CAPITALS. 
 
 = Indicates black italic. 
 
236 Church Administration 
 
 ESAS EAR RR NRA AR 
 familiar with the signs of proofreading. To 
 facilitate his work a table of the symbols is given. 
 (See pages 234 and 235.) 
 
 
 
 THE UNION LABEL 
 
 On several pieces of publicity in this book you 
 will notice the union label. This is assurance that 
 the work was done in a union shop. To some 
 churches this means nothing. But others which 
 like to have their approval of organized labor 
 known insist on its being displayed on all of their 
 printing. 
 
CHAPTER 13 
 
 UNCLE SAM AS THE MINISTER'S 
 ASSISTANT 
 
 Most of the material in this chapter could as 
 well be labeled evangelism, for it is purely a 
 method of increasing the spiritual life of the 
 church. But that chapter is a lengthy one so into 
 this we crowd some methods which have brought 
 results through the use of the mail system. 
 
 I think it might be well for the minister to sub- 
 scribe to one of the magazines devoted to direct 
 mail advertising. From it he would constantly be 
 gaining ideas which could be transferred to church 
 work. Suffice it to say that men who build mail- 
 order businesses know that they can depend upon 
 certain laws and can estimate pretty closely the 
 returns on any one piece of publicity. It would be 
 well for the minister seriously to consider this 
 phase of activity. 
 
 SPENDING MONEY FOR POSTAGE 
 
 More and more churches are learning that it 
 pays to spend money for postage. It is about the 
 only way to reach the entire congregation with any 
 announcement or proposition. We discuss in an- 
 other chapter the use of the direct mail system in 
 the every-member canvass. ‘The financial side of 
 church activities is not the only one which can find 
 
 use in this method. 
 237 
 
238 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 It is a mighty good church that has an average 
 of 60 per cent of its congregation at any one service 
 or at both services on any one Sunday. No matter 
 how eloquent an announcement may be, one made 
 
 AND RETURN THE CARD 
 AT ONCE 
 
 Please Answer these Questions 
 
 I. Do you favor an evening service in our church? 
 
 II. If an evening service is offered, would you support it by 
 regular attendance? 
 
 III. What type of evening service would appeal to you? 
 Make your suggestions. 
 
 Sign your name 
 
 
 
 Referendum on the Evening Service 
 
 This was used by the First Congregational Church, Waterloo, 
 Iowa. The questions were printed on a postcard. It was sent out 
 with a letter. The postcard has the return address printed on it. 
 
 before the congregation at the service cannot be any 
 where near 100 per cent perfect. Subtract from 
 the number present those who did not hear correctly 
 and it will be found that the proposition did not get 
 across to a very large proportion. But have the 
 announcement printed. Put it into an envelope and 
 mail it to every member. Not all will read it but a 
 much higher percentage will be obtained in this way. 
 
Uncle Sam as the Minister’s Assistant 239 
 
 
 
 THE REFERENDUM 
 
 There are many possibilities in a “mail refer- 
 endum.” A church we know of submitted by mail 
 the proposition as to whether the pew system should 
 be abolished in favor of a more modern system of 
 church finance. Another church put the question 
 of a building site up to the congregation in that way. 
 I have used this method in asking the congregation 
 to select five men to serve on a building committee. 
 After the vote was taken the election was confirmed 
 by the stated meeting to comply with the law. 
 There are many, many ways in which this plan can 
 be used, though, of course, it has its limitations. 
 
 Experience has taught a number of things. 
 
 First, you can’t expect the majority of people 
 to express themselves freely by mail. It is well if 
 you want an expression to send out a question so 
 worded that it can be answered with a check mark 
 or a plain Yes or No. 
 
 Second, if the question is a vital one, there should 
 be some preliminary procedure to inform the mem- 
 bership so that the decision will be an intelligent one. 
 
 Third, if a special meeting is required to make the 
 action legal, make that plain in the letter. Urge 
 them to come to the legal meeting, but make plain 
 that the vote is purely an advisory one and is not 
 binding, though it will give the official meeting an 
 idea of the mind of the people. 
 
 A SATURDAY NEWSPAPER 
 
 More and more churches are beginning to sub- 
 stitute a weekly news sheet for the conventional 
 Sunday bulletin. This seems to me to be a logical 
 
240 Church Atiniseestion 
 
 
 
 development of church publicity idea. Some kind 
 of weekly announcement is necessary in most 
 parishes. The Sunday calendar may be a thing of 
 beauty but unless it carries its message to all the 
 congregation it doesn’t do its part. Some churches 
 will use it on Sunday and then mail it out on Mon- 
 day morning. When there is vital news or an im- 
 portant announcement to be made one ought to feel 
 free to cut down on the space given to an order of 
 service which all the worshipers know anyway. 
 The old church bulletin with an entire page given 
 to the officers of the church is an anachronism in 
 this day of ideas. 
 
 This is where the Saturday news sheet has it over 
 the Sunday calendar. It is usually not a large 
 periodical and may not be much larger than the ordi- 
 nary bulletin. But each Saturday it will bring to 
 the membership a reminder of the Sunday services 
 and of events which are coming. During the days 
 when a canvass of any sort is imminent it can take 
 the place of letters. Many form letters, cards and 
 other advertising features can be eliminated if the 
 preacher has a weekly messenger he can speak 
 through to his entire congregation. 
 
 While it costs to send out letters, a church which 
 issues a weekly news sheet may take advantage of 
 
 the opportunity to use the second-class rates. In — 
 
 order to do this there must be a bona fide subscrip- 
 tion list. This may either be accomplished by 
 actually taking subscriptions, though as a rule this 
 is a tedious and impossible task. A clause put in the 
 annual pledge card stating that the first twenty-five 
 cents paid in goes for one year’s subscription to the 
 news sheet will fill the government requirement. 
 Rev. Ralph Stoody tells me that the cost of mailing 
 
 — - - 
 
Uncle Sam as the Minister’s Assistant 241 
 
 out five hundred copies of the Grace Church Mes- 
 senger, Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, St. 
 Johnsbury, Vermont, at this rate is but ten cents. 
 
 Another advantage—a financial one—that these 
 news sheets have over the Sunday calendar is that 
 they can carry advertising, thus reducing the cost 
 of the issue. Of course, one might carry advertis- 
 ing on the Sunday bulletin if one cared to, but it 
 seems a little out of place in the service of worship. 
 Many news sheets have come from churches to the 
 desk of the writer. They are mostly small four- or 
 six-page sheets, some of which carry advertising 
 while others do not, but all avail themselves of the 
 second-class mailing rates. Where a subscription 
 is charged it is twenty-five cents per year. 
 
 GETTING MEMBERS BY MAIL 
 
 Personally I have always been skeptical of a mail 
 system of securing members. But facts are facts 
 and there is no question but that it works. The 
 First Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of Little 
 Rock, Arkansas, has a membership of 2,800. Dur- 
 ing the eight years’ pastorate of Dr. Philip Cone 
 Fletcher, 2,400 members have been received. Not 
 an additional service has been held, yet there are 
 new members constantly coming. The secret of his 
 plan is a system of mailing to prospective members 
 a letter asking them to join the church and enclos- 
 ing an application for enrollment. Dr. Fletcher 
 almost always follows this with a personal visit, but 
 the letter has paved the way. Says his secretary, 
 “Tt is surprising how many of these cards are 
 returned. Not always for the next class, but sooner 
 or later they come in.” 
 
242 Church Administration 
 
 ne ES A Es 
 
 
 
 On the other hand, some very successful ministers 
 have made personal appeals by mail. Knowing that 
 a man is difficult to approach, they will sit down and 
 write him in a direct, friendly way asking if the 
 time has not come when he should make his decision 
 for the church and urging the arrangement of a date 
 when the matter may be discussed. This, however, 
 should not be confused with a form letter. Itisa 
 full-hearted message which is seeking a definite 
 individual. : 
 
 ENLISTED FOR SERVICE 
 
 Ministers and Christian laymen are insistent that 
 church membership should mean more than the op- 
 portunity to sit in a pew. Some one has suggested 
 that instead of having people “join the church” we 
 should encourage them to “enlist for service.” It 
 was a wise person who remarked, “The church is 
 filled with willing people; some are willing to work 
 and others are willing to let them.” A Presbyterian 
 bulletin carries the caption, ‘“Lord, use me—in an 
 advisory capacity.” 
 
 This tendency of requiring active participation in 
 the services of the church has led to various forms 
 for enlistment. The usual way is to call attention 
 to the ways in which a member may serve. The 
 Billings, Montana, Congregational Church thus ex- 
 presses its wish in the church bulletin. 
 
 The following suggestions were sent out from the 
 Greenwich Presbyterian Church, New York. On 
 page 243 is a rather complete enlistment card 
 (maybe too complete), but it is a good illustration 
 of possibilities along this line. I have sometimes 
 wondered what would happen if everybody wanted 
 
 
 
Uncle Sam as the Minister’s Assistant 243 
 
 SS 
 
 
 
 to teach a Sunday school class or sing in the choir. 
 I presume that the volunteers for these tasks are 
 never so numerous as to swamp the absorbing 
 capacity of the organization. 
 
 WANTED 
 
 522 Recruits for Duty this Season! 
 
 300 “regular” for the Church School. 
 
 20 volunteers for the Choir. 
 
 100 workers for Fellowship visits and the every 
 Member Class. 
 
 25 men for a Bible Class. 
 
 75 people for Church Night. 
 
 450 people “regular” at Morning Worship. 
 
 75 women to work in the Ladies’ Society. 
 
 30 young folks in the Sunday Night Club. 
 
 50 boys in the 4-Square Clubs. 
 
 15 girls in the Junior Choir. 
 
 26 teachers in the Church School. 
 
 1,566 “jobs” or three each for 522 people! 
 
 Come and Get Yours! 
 
 
 
 Believing in my responsibility to my God for the work 
 of His church and being willing to have a part in the work 
 of His kingdom I will codperate with our church as 
 follows: 
 
 I will pray daily for my church, for its pastor, for its 
 workers and members and for God’s blessing upon our 
 program for the year, or (see next question) 
 
 Instead of praying once daily, I will pray night and morn- 
 ing for these aims. 
 
 I will make every effort to attend one preaching service 
 a week at the church. 
 
 I will endeavor to attend the midweek service as regu- 
 larly as possible. | 
 
 I will set aside some time each day for the reading of my 
 Bible and for quiet prayer. 
 
244 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 Work for the Church 
 
 1. I will agree to make one call a week on strangers 
 whose names may be sent me by the committee. 
 
 2. I will seek out in my own neighborhood at least one 
 person a week who does not attend church and invite him 
 to come. 
 
 3. I will plan to invite and bring with me to church one 
 new person every month. 
 
 4. Although not agreeing to call myself, I will send the 
 names of one or two people each week who would be pros- 
 pects for church members or attendants. 
 
 5. I will take a class in the Sunday school if asked. 
 
 6. Because I have not the training to teach in the Sunday 
 school I will give one night a week to attend the thirty 
 weeks’ course in teacher training beginning in January to 
 enable me to undertake this work. 
 
 7. I will assist occasionally in the work of preparing and 
 serving church suppers. 
 
 8. I will make every effort to attend regularly once a 
 month one of the following meetings according to my sex: 
 
 Pastor’s Aid Society. 
 
 Women’s Missionary Society. 
 
 Women’s Friendly Society. 
 
 Greenwich Men’s Association. 
 
 The Ushers’ Club. 
 
 Greenwich Girls’ Club. 
 
 9. I will read a verse of Scripture or a clipping at the 
 midweek service if given it by the leader. 
 
 10. I will agree either. 
 
 (a) to act as usher, 
 
 (b) to greet people at the door as I may be re- 
 quested to by the committee. 
 
 (c) to try to speak to and shake hands with at 
 least two people after the close of the service 
 every Sunday. 
 
 11. I will go over my income and expenditures and con- 
 sider in a new light whether I am doing my full duty as a 
 Christian steward in the amount I am giving to my church 
 
 for its expenses and for the great missionary enterprises of 
 my denomination. 
 
Uncle Sam as the Minister’s Assistant 245 
 
 
 
 
 
 While defects might be found in any enlistment 
 card, I think that no one will question that this is 
 a move in the right direction. Church members are 
 happier when they are put at work. A card such as 
 this puts it up to them straight. They have an 
 opportunity to designate the kind of work they like. 
 But after they have indicated their willingness it is 
 plainly up to the church to see that they are put at 
 work. 
 
 These cards may be distributed in the congrega- 
 tion in connection with an announcement or sermon 
 regarding them but they should also be mailed to 
 reach the largest possible number. If the church 
 has a news sheet, an explanation can be made and 
 the list printed in the paper. Or it may be printed 
 on the Sunday bulletin and a sufficient number of 
 the issue printed to mail out the next day. 
 
 GETTING OUT THE MAIL 
 
 This entire chapter has presupposed one thing, 
 that is, that the church has an accurate mailing list. 
 This is something every live church should do. Do 
 not allow members to get lost. Keep the addresses 
 checked up. You may want your lists classified in 
 a number of ways. 
 
 1. A complete list of church members. 
 
 2. Heads of families. 
 
 3. Officers and members of societies. 
 
 These three lists are enough for practical pur- 
 pose. Most churches will have also a prospective 
 members’ list but that should not be confused with 
 the communicants’ lists above. 
 
 No matter who sends out the mail some kind of 
 an addressing machine is a necessity. If the mail 
 
246 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 goes out from the church office the church should 
 own one. The plates for the machine provide an 
 index in themselves and the work will be done 
 quickly and accurately. 
 
 POST=CARD SPUBLICILY. 
 
 The post-card is not to be despised as a means of 
 publicity. If one will give proper consideration to 
 getting out an attractive design which will catch 
 the eye, it may be most effective. It has an advan- 
 tage over the letter in that one does not have to tear 
 open an envelope to see the message. 
 
 George H. Doran Company, publishers of this 
 book, have utilized the advantage of the post-card 
 in reaching their trade list. On the proposition that 
 one point a day is pretty effective publicity the house 
 started the Daily Free Press, with a message printed 
 ona post-card. The results were not alone a matter 
 of comment, but the information on the card got 
 across. Why wouldn’t this be a fine idea for a 
 church? 
 
 Take particularly the days of a campaign. Sup- 
 pose that each night a card is prepared to get to the 
 congregation in the morning mail. These can be 
 addressed beforehand so that it is a simple matter 
 of having the impressions made. It would be much 
 more effective than trying to get the people together 
 for mass meetings. 
 
 The South Congregational Church of Newport, 
 New Hampshire, has worked out a scheme whereby 
 men solicit men by means of post-cards. Attractive 
 cards of a suitable design are chosen. ‘These are 
 imprinted with some design such as, “I will be glad 
 to meet you at church next Sunday.’ Then these 
 
Uncle Sam as the Minister’s Assistant 247 
 
 
 
 are given out to a dozen picked men in the church 
 who sign them and mail them out to selected men 
 whom they wish to interest. This is followed up 
 by a check-up on Sunday and personal attention is 
 given to the men who respond to the invitation. 
 
 KEEPING THE MAILING LIST UP-TO-DATE 
 
 This is the problem of every direct mailing con- 
 cern. Every incorrect address means a loss. It is 
 also a problem with churches. If 10 per cent of the 
 addresses are wrong it means a corresponding dit- 
 ference in the returns. Ministers would be inter- 
 ested to know just what pains houses using direct 
 mail advertising take to keep their list up-to-date, 
 and yet there is no list which is perfect. 
 
 It is more simple with the church for, at the 
 most, there are but a few hundred addresses. But 
 people are constantly moving and many churches 
 have more than 10 per cent “addresses unknown.” 
 How can this be remedied? 
 
 The congregation can be educated to an apprecia- 
 tion of reporting changes of address. This can be 
 done by calling attention to the matter on the church 
 calendar and by having convenient cards in the card ~ 
 racks for recording any changes. A certain per- 
 centage of the people will respond to an appeal such 
 as this. Many, of course, will not. 
 
 The minister will constantly find in his calls that 
 changes have been made and will record them on 
 returning to the office. One advantage of the ad- 
 dressing machine is that the necessity of having 
 plates made, though they cost money, stresses the 
 point of making an effort to have things correct. 
 
 A third and very effective way is to have regular 
 
248 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 and systematic visitation throughout the parish, say, 
 once a quarter, which will give a check-up on all 
 addresses. The Central Presbyterian Church of 
 Buffalo makes this visitation in connection with its 
 communion roll call. It is conducted by the elders 
 of the church who are personally to leave the “com- 
 munion cards” in each home. If the family has 
 moved, the elder is to take the card to the new 
 address. If at the post-communion Session meet- 
 ing he has still cards which have not been delivered, 
 the minister calls attention to the fact that he must 
 locate the family, if at all possible. In this way the 
 number of unknown addresses is greatly reduced. 
 
 TESTING LETTERS 
 
 The best authorities on direct mail advertising 
 are agreed that every letter should be tested before 
 it is used on a large list. A few hundred typical 
 names are selected and the mail sent out to them. 
 A record of the returns determines the pulling 
 power. I doubt if anybody can analyze the strength 
 of a letter or any other form of advertising without 
 testing. 
 
 It is difficult to test church letters in this way. 
 The next best thing is to learn through one’s own 
 experience or through the experience of other 
 churches just what kind of letters pull. The value 
 of these given here as sample letters for debt rais- 
 ing lies in the fact that they have been used twice, 
 to the writer’s knowledge, and each time with 
 success. 
 
 The letters were originally a part of a campaign 
 in the First Presbyterian Church, Independence, 
 Towa. They were published in Church Manage- 
 
Uncle Sam as the Minister’s Assistant 249 
 
 
 
 ment. From that magazine officers of St. Mat- 
 thew’s Methodist Episcopal Church of Philadel- 
 phia, Pennsylvania, took them, changing them just 
 enough for their purpose. The church sought to 
 raise a debt of $2,500. There were four letters in 
 the original series. They sent out three and the 
 returns were so large that the fourth was not 
 mailed. The debt was paid and a balance of $2,500 
 left in the hands of the committee. 
 
 Letter No. I 
 Sr. Mattuew’s Meruopist EpiscopAL CHURCH 
 53rd and Chestnut Streets 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 October 8, 1925. 
 
 Dear Member: 
 
 This is an important letter. It is written to you personally. 
 It had to be duplicated because it is impossible for me to 
 write several hundred letters by hand. 
 
 This is the message that I want to bring. Please read it 
 carefully. 
 
 For several years you know a debt has hung over your 
 Church, but we expect it to be cleared next month. During 
 the past year, however, in order to meet the debt we have 
 trimmed very closely and have not done some of the things 
 that should have been done to keep the property in bang-up 
 condition, and so our repair bill for the coming year is going 
 to be high. Then the interest and taxes on the parsonage 
 must be paid. Altogether the Board of Trustees estimate 
 that we must spend $2,500.00 over and above the regular 
 running expenses during the coming twelve months. 
 
 On the fifteenth of November we begin the great series of 
 services leading up to Anniversary Sunday, and we want 
 to go into that week with the full knowledge that the future 
 is provided for. A public appeal for funds will NOT be 
 made on Anniversary Sunday as has been the custom in 
 the past. The Trustees believe, and I agree with them, that 
 there are seventy-two people in this Church who in response 
 
250 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 to this letter will give $35.00 each to this fund that the 
 Trustees must have. Can we count on you for that amount? 
 
 Just fill out the enclosed card and mail it or drop it in the 
 contribution box at the Church door. You have several 
 months in which to pay the amount. 
 
 One word more. No house-to-house canvass will be made, 
 no public collection will be taken, no one will call on you 
 personally. I have been Pastor of this Church for almost 
 four years. In that time you have never failed—you will 
 not fail this time, I am_sure. 
 
 Sincerely, your Pastor, 
 
 Letter No. 2 
 
 St. Matruew’s Mernopist EpiscopaL CHURCH 
 53rd and Chestnut Streets 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 October 21, 1925. 
 Dear Member: 
 
 How beautiful is the story of the three Wise Men who came 
 to the infant Jesus and “offered unto him gifts, gold and 
 frankincense and myrrh.” 
 
 Notice that the FIRST gift was gold! Frankincense (con- 
 secration) and myrrh (service) were precious, of course. 
 But what the poverty-stricken parents of Jesus needed— 
 and needed desperately—just then was gold. 
 
 All our talk of devotion to God and willingness to work 
 for him is worth little, if we are not willing, in times of 
 need, to bring the gift of gold. 
 
 And when we bring this gift of gold to the Church, the one 
 divinely organized institution in this world, we give it to 
 the Christ-Child just as truly as the Wise Men did. 
 
 Your Church needs a gift of gold. Many responded to my 
 last letter, but not enough to reach our objective. We need 
 many more people to subscribe $35.00 each. We are going 
 to burn the mortgage on the Church next month, but this 
 
Uncle Sam as the Minister’s Assistant 251 
 
 
 
 $2,500.00 is needed to insure the successful maintenance of 
 the Church property during the next year. It will be used 
 entirely for taxes, insurance and repairs. 
 
 AND REMEMBER— 
 
 There will be no drive for this money, no personal solicita- 
 tion. It is just a matter for you to decide as you read this 
 letter in the privacy of your home. 
 
 “Christ also loved the Church and gave himself up for it” 
 (Eph. v. 25). Someway I cannot get away from the thought 
 of that verse, Christ giving his life for the Church. 
 
 “T gave my life for thee; 
 What hast thou given for me?” 
 
 And what have I done for Him? Have I ever made any 
 real sacrifice? It is a heart-searching thought. Will you 
 not think this matter over prayerfully, and fill out the 
 enclosed card at once? 
 
 Sincerely, your Pastor, 
 
 Letter No. 3 
 
 St. MatrHew’s MetuHopist EpiscopaL CHURCH 
 53rd and Chestnut Streets 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 November 4, 1925. 
 
 IF YOU CAN’T GIVE $35.00—GIVE WHAT 
 YOU CAN 
 
 Dear Member: 
 
 The day of our 37th anniversary is drawing near. What 
 kind of an occasion will it be? There are two phases to 
 an anniversary—first, commemorating the achievements of 
 the past. We shall be happy to do that. Second—looking 
 forward to the future as a time of still greater accom- 
 plishment. 
 
 Are we going to look forward with the knowledge that a 
 debt will hang over us if we do not raise this $2,500.00? 
 
asy Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 Is there anything about a debt to make one enthusiastic ? 
 Are YOU willing to do your share to help us provide for 
 the future and to wipe the slate clean? 
 
 The Trustees meet on next Monday night and at that time 
 they will hear the report as to the result of this canvass. 
 What will that report be? Many people have said to me, 
 “I want to give, but I can’t give $35.00.” If you can’t give 
 $35.00, give what you can, but if possible, keep the contri- 
 bution above $10.00. We ought to get a lot of $20.00 and 
 $25.00 contributions in response to this letter. It doesn’t 
 make any difference what you give—just give as much as 
 you can and send your card in right away. 
 
 Let me tell you again just what this $2,500.00 is needed for. 
 There are many repairs that must be made to the church 
 property—not improvements, mind you—but repairs; then 
 the interest on the parsonage mortgage must be paid, taxes 
 must be paid, and insurance must be paid. I think the 
 Trustees have been conservative when they have asked for 
 only $2,500.00. 
 
 Remember you have eight months to pay the amount in, and 
 if anything should transpire in that time that would make 
 it impossible for you to pay it, your obligation is cancelled. 
 
 Finally, I want to remind you that no member-to-member 
 canvass will be made for this money—no one will call upon 
 you in your home or office; the matter will not be brought 
 up at church service, for certainly we are not going to mar 
 our Anniversary Service by pleading for money publicly. 
 
 It has been no easy task for me to sign my name to 1,500 
 letters, for us to address 1,500 envelopes, and then fold and 
 seal the letters. Yet this has been done, in addition to my 
 regular work and the regular work of the men who have 
 helped me. It has been done, and it has been done gladly. 
 With all of our hearts we want to see this money raised. 
 
 With the hope and prayer in my heart that it will be done 
 before next Monday night, I am 
 
 Your fellow-worker, 
 
 
 
Part V-: Administrative Detail 
 

 
CHAPTER 14 
 THE CHURCH DOLLAR 
 
 Tue dollar has played a mighty big place in 
 modern parish administration. Sometimes it has 
 played too big a part. Crowded by economic 
 pressure, the anxiety of the church to get the neces- 
 sary dollars has led to an overemphasis of the 
 financial to the detriment of the spiritual values of 
 the Church. The cure for this condition is not 
 found in ignoring the financial side, but in the 
 honest consideration of its demands, and the putting 
 of it in the place it belongs. Nothing hurts a church 
 as much as the constant clamoring for money. All 
 churches must have the cash to meet their obliga- 
 tions but the wise church will adopt a method of 
 caring for its temporal affairs which will not seri- 
 ously interfere with its spiritual program. 
 
 BUDGETING A CHURCH 
 
 Probably the first step toward the solution is the 
 making of a proper budget. This is a comparatively 
 simple matter. It merely means the consideration 
 of the expenses of the church for the next year, 
 based upon the income which may be expected. 
 Even with a very small church budgeting is to be 
 recommended. With the large churches it is a 
 necessity. Assume, for example, that a committee 
 has been appointed to sess out a budget for the 
 
 29 
 
256 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 next year. It will go at its work something like 
 this. 
 
 From the treasurer’s books the committee will 
 know fairly accurately the expense of each item. 
 
 Expense last year (learned To be expended for next 
 from the treasurer’s book): year: 
 
 Minister’s salary ..... $2,500 Minister’s salary ....$2,750 
 Coal, Gas, Electricity. 500 Coal, Gas, Electricity. 500 
 MUSIC oe chy Glew Macca wo eee *500 MisiC ON ano eee 500 ° 
 mnsurance |. ae ow 150 Trsurdncé AA, oe lech eee 150 
 Printing and Postage, Printing and Postage, 
 
 tk RR EA APMED Ri 300 Sone DUB EAP WRI Rf, 300 
 
 Now this is a very simple thing to do in the 
 average church. In the items above the pastor is 
 given an increase of $250. The committee should 
 have. some reason for believing that the increase 
 ought to be given and that the congregation would 
 approve it. Budgeting is not merely a matter of 
 putting figures on paper. It consists in matching 
 expenses with resources. 
 
 FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 
 
 Waterloo, Iowa 
 
 PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 1926 
 
 This is merely a “Proposed Budget.” It represents what the 
 Trustees and Finance Committee regards as necessary to properly 
 carry on our work during the coming year. If the full amount is 
 pledged this Budget will be accepted. If the pledges do not equal 
 this amount this Budget will be revised. 
 
The Church Dollar 257 
 
 
 
 
 
 PeOter Se onlays MT ik atau rte bar d Meter euley oe $5,000 
 meceetary ands parish Visitors «3; cca es ly a ke we een areas 1,200 
 MERMAID ody ale bE & soe B oiy Gel dls Sd Sew ates blenta Batery ok hoe oe 780 
 RPATIR a, re ee a Oe Ch nated cite ae 2s bi alg os epee Dees 1,300 
 Weekly Bulletin 
 Printing~ Monthly Pastoral Teter No Whe ates Maree ae 400 
 Special Correspondence J 
 BGI E yer cet. dls, we RA Papert oe Loe atm ae 250 
 eA SOS Sag OA a a eh een UF 300 
 FS) LER a Ae Ce Eh seep Sele See Rape et mn Gen BNE ie ¥ 7% 448 550 
 Mester Gas. Power sPhones) liehtle. we Vial ie Yo 250 
 Me UCed ertie nt 20) Wha GUA daie wg AN ate ale tae A te 250 
 Church School and Young People’s Work ............... 500 
 State and District Conventions, expenses and dues ........ 100 
 3—Interest and Amortization of Debt ...........cc8+ucenaen 1,500 
 Wee ICT AIS TAT. a tile cist cet ida ce tees 4 hoe oh eer. Toe 100 
 MONIC CS IP he ete ee Ne wa ee ea ae deat ae atl 2,500 
 $15,080 
 
 1—Includes Organist, Quartette and Sheet Music. 
 
 2—Includes new Typewriter and Duplicator. If these are procured 
 the printing bill will be substantially decreased. 
 
 3—Money has been obtained at the banks to pay for extensive re- 
 able on the building and the installation of a new heating 
 plant. 
 
 (A typical plan of a church on a single budget. Individuals make 
 but one pledge which covers both local expense and benevolences.) 
 
 More and more there is a need of churches 
 making out suitable budgets for their benevolent 
 funds. Many churches will plan most carefully on 
 their own expenses and let mere chance take care 
 of the missionary moneys. This nearly always re- 
 sults in an indifference to the requirements of the 
 missionary demands on the church. If the officials 
 treat it seriously enough to make it an item for the 
 budget a step has been taken toward recognizing 
 the responsibility to the denomination. 
 
 One mistake which is oftentimes made is the fail- 
 ure to allow for a shrinkage in the pledges which 
 may be made for the new year. This will vary with 
 
258 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 different types of churches but every church can 
 count on a falling off. If you will go over your 
 treasurer’s books for some years past I think you 
 will find that the percentage each year is about the 
 same. 
 
 When the budget is made it must be tested beside 
 the expected income. This may be in the form 
 of definite pledges, income from invested funds, 
 rentals, etc., or it may merely be the expectation 
 based on the receipts of previous years. If the 
 anticipated income covers the budget everything is 
 fine. If there is a difference immediately some ef- 
 fort must be made to find new resources. In case 
 of a failure to do this the logical thing is to cut 
 the budget. 
 
 Sources of Income 
 
 The sources of income of the churches are many. 
 Some have invested funds and rentals. Others de- 
 pend upon pew rentals, pledges from members, free- 
 will offerings, public solicitations. And there are 
 many churches which still look for revenue from 
 fairs, entertainments, etc., though their number is 
 happily declining. 
 
 Some churches still have the pew rental system. 
 They are tied by tradition so that they do not feel — 
 free to change to a more up-to-date plan. ‘There 
 are serious objections to such a system. The most 
 serious is that it makes the church a rather exclusive 
 institution in which strangers do not feel welcome. 
 Proponents of the plan will point out, however, that 
 it conserves the idea of a family pew which has been 
 lost out of those churches which have adopted the 
 free pew system. 
 
The Church Dollar 259 
 
 
 
 To the mind of the writer the fairest plan of 
 church finance is by means of contribution made by 
 the members of the congregation from their in- 
 comes accordingly as God has prospered them. This 
 plan supposes a Christian stewardship and a system 
 of pledges and payments. It supplants the hap- 
 hazard and emotional giving with a plan which pro- 
 vides for regular contributions at stated periods. 
 
 One of the high points in the development of 
 modern church finance was the introduction of the 
 weekly contribution envelope. This weekly oppor- 
 tunity for consistent giving revolutionized church 
 finance. Some will remember the days of the sub- 
 scription paper. When money was needed some one 
 went around with a paper for members to sign, 
 giving the amounts they thought wise. In that day 
 donation parties were also in vogue. I can remem- 
 ber as a boy seeing farmers bring potatoes and 
 apples to the parsonage, asking that they be credited 
 on salary. The weekly envelope sealed the doom 
 of these things. 
 
 But after the weekly envelope came into vogue it 
 was necessary to perfect some way of securing the 
 largest number of pledges to cover the budget. This 
 resulted in the Every-member Canvass, another 
 high point in the story of modern church finance. 
 
 Set Up for the Every-member Canvass 
 
 The genius of this plan is to have every member 
 reached with an invitation to make an honest pledge 
 for church support. It is usually most effective 
 when sufficient canvassers are enrolled to allow the 
 work to be done on one day. The important steps 
 in the canvass may be given as shown on p. 260. 
 
260 Church Administration 
 ee 
 
 1. The selection of a competent person of 
 committee to head up the canvass. 
 
 2. The setting of the day. 
 
 3. The selection and call of the canvassers. 
 
 4. The instruction of the congregation as to 
 the budget. 
 
 s. The instruction of the canvassers in the 
 budget and also as to their duties. 
 
 6. The carefulanalysis of the congregation as 
 to its contributions. Every canvasser should 
 know just what the prospect gave last year. 
 
 7, The letter to the congregation announcing 
 the date of the canvass and asking each one to be 
 home that day. 
 
 8 The canvass, preferably on a Sunday, when 
 the men may be consecrated for their task at the 
 morning service and meet at a supper in the eve- 
 ning to tabulate the results. 
 
 The follow-up of those persons who are not 
 reached on the day of the canvass. 
 
 This method has proven very effective and large 
 numbers of churches have adopted the plan of hav- 
 ing such a systematic canvass made annually. 
 
 The Honor System in Church Finance 
 
 We have got to face the fact, however, that there 
 is a very definite reaction to-day against the cam- 
 paign idea. It has had its day. Laymen have had 
 their fill of “canvassing.” The church has learned 
 a great deal during the period. There has been an 
 advance in methods of stewardship. The per capita 
 amount of contribution has increased. But new 
 ways of securing pledges are necessary. 
 
 — 
 
The Church Dollar 261 
 
 I SAID, THEY SAID 
 
 I said to the Church Session,—‘“I wonder if our people 
 would codperate in a plan which J have in mind?” 
 
 They said,—“They will do anything you ask them to which 
 is at all reasonable.” 
 
 I said—‘“I have been thinking that it would be a fine thing 
 to have them bring their pledges to the church this year instead 
 of sending canvassers out for them. Do you think they would 
 do that?” 
 
 They said,—“Try them and see. We think that you will be 
 surprised with the response you get.” 
 
 I said—“All right. Then let’s get busy on that plan.” 
 
 ——THE PLAN—— 
 
 The Day will be Sunday, March 8th. 
 Pledge cards for 1925-26 will be distributed to all members 
 and contributors to the church in advance. 
 
 A Chest (Joash’s Chest) will be provided in the front of 
 the church for the pledge cards. 
 
 These pledges will be presented at both services. 
 
 Families which present pledges from every member of 
 confirmation age and over will be known as 100 per cent 
 families and their names will be published in the bulletin 
 the following Sunday. 
 
 Those who cannot attend may send their pledges and be 
 counted as present. 
 
 A canvass of those who do not present their pledges on 
 March 8th will be made the following Sunday. 
 
 Remember “1925 Means Loyalty.” 
 
 William H. Leach 
 
 
 
 Introducing the Idea of a Joash’s Chest. 
 
262 Church Administration 
 
 It is in this period that there are coming into 
 vogue plans which are more or less similar but 
 which we may designate as the Honor System. In 
 reality it includes a plan of much more ancient 
 origin which has been time and time again effec- 
 tively used. It is called “Joash’s Chest.” This 
 plan has as a foundation the Bible account of the 
 days of Joash when a great chest was placed in a 
 conspicuous position to receive the contributions of 
 the penitent Israelites for the restoration of the 
 Temple. In its modern version the chest is placed 
 in a conspicuous place in the church and the mem- 
 bers drop their offerings or gifts into it. 
 
 The Honor System makes use of this chest but 
 adds to it a very effective mail scheme. Letters 
 with strong selling power are mailed to the members 
 asking that they bring their pledges on a certain 
 date. We must recognize that in the every-member 
 canvass many men go out who are better walkers 
 than they are salesmen and as the result they do not 
 bring in 100 per cent. A good selling campaign by 
 mail may even surpass the results accomplished by 
 the personal workers. 
 
 Here is what the Rev. R. Murphy Williams of 
 the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, Greens- 
 boro, North Carolina, has to say of this plan: 
 
 “For a number of years I tried to get our deacons 
 to adopt the ‘Honor System’ in raising the budget 
 of the Church of the Covenant, but they felt that the 
 people would not respond. The middle of February, 
 1924, I again asked that they let us try it and they 
 consented. So we wrote about it in the bulletin, I 
 proclaimed it from the pulpit, a number of our mem- 
 bers commended it, we sent letters explaining it 
 
The Church Dollar 263 
 
 
 
 
 
 and requested the membership to come to the church 
 on the afternoon set and subscribe the amount they 
 wanted to give for local church support and the 
 benevolent causes during the year 1924-1925. 
 
 “Some were skeptical in regard to the plan, but 
 many were surprised and all were delighted at the 
 hearty response of our people, and some outside 
 friends who were interested in the church made sub- 
 scriptions. A few reduced their former subscrip- 
 tions, but a greater number increased theirs; and, 
 by far, it was the most satisfactory method we have 
 tried. 
 
 “There were some who did not come to the church 
 at the time we suggested. To those who did not 
 come, we wrote a letter enclosing a subscription 
 card, asking that they send in their pledge by a 
 certain date. In this manner we secured contribu- 
 tions from a larger per cent of our people than ever 
 before.” 
 
 Using the Mail for Special Campaigns 
 
 Direct mail publicity is well adapted for special 
 money-raising campaigns. A good sales letter ought 
 to do more for the church than a poor personal 
 salesman. In some of the larger cities a personal 
 canvass cannot be made without a considerable loss 
 of energy and time. The mail is quick, direct and 
 effective. It is not an easy matter to produce the 
 right kind of letters. When the success of the cam- 
 paign depends upon a letter or two it would be wise 
 to prepare them carefully and to make every pos- 
 sible test of their pulling power. The letters at the 
 close of Chapter 13 and the one given here are let- 
 ters which have shown their selling value. 
 
264 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 This letter, used by the Plymouth Congregational 
 Church, Newark, Ohio, in connection with its every- 
 member canvass, got results. 
 
 To You 
 From Chas. R. Foote: 
 
 Why is it that some men make a success of everything 
 they undertake while others of equal intelligence and in- 
 dustry only just get by? One uses established business prac- 
 tices, the other does not. 
 
 Good methods are just as important in conducting the 
 business affairs of a church as they are of a bank. It has 
 been proven by all successful churches that the way to handle 
 church finances is to figure out in advance the fixed expenses 
 for the next year. That means, in other words, the ex- 
 penses that must be paid whether you go to church or not. 
 The total amount of these expenses is called the budget. 
 The membership of the church is then analyzed by a com- 
 mittee and an effort is made to secure pledges to cover the 
 estimates and thus care for the budget. You will admit 
 that this is a good business plan. 
 
 The advantages of this plan are as important to the con- 
 tributors as they are to the church. The contributors dis- 
 charge their obligations to the church in small weekly pay- 
 ments. The church knows what to expect and can pay its 
 bills promptly. It eliminates repeated calls for money. 
 Each one knows what is expected and can prepare accord- 
 ingly. It prevents many good, self-respecting people from 
 becoming objects of charity. Many persons who would be 
 offended if their neighbors should offer to pay their grocery 
 bills for them, permit others to carry their church obliga- 
 tion for them. 
 
 Sunday afternoon, December 7, you will be given an 
 opportunity to say what proportion of the budget for 1925 
 for Plymouth Church you feel it your duty to assume. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 CHAS; RR: HOG Te 
 Director Every-Member Canvass. 
 
 Everybody attend the Pot Luck Dinner, 6:30, December 
 ete ae 
 
The Church Dollar 265 
 
 MONEY FOR NEW BUILDINGS 
 
 When a church has been going quietly along pay- 
 ing its bills it oftentimes will be stunned into in- 
 activity by the very thought of raising large sums 
 of money for building and extension purposes. 
 On the other hand, when the church has accepted 
 the challenge it has found that at its very door are 
 resources it never dreamed of. But the raising of 
 a large sum for extension purposes is a different 
 matter from raising the annual budget. 
 
 One safe rule to follow is that no campaign for 
 funds for a new building should take place until it 
 has been definitely decided that the program will be 
 put across. We all know of churches which have 
 had building funds which have accumulated through 
 the years. It is possible for such a fund to be de- 
 veloped. But usually it is a small and insignificant 
 amount compared with what will actually be needed. 
 When a new building is finally decided upon then 
 is the time to go ahead. Have the cost analyzed. 
 Have an architect employed and the plans drawn. 
 They make the best kind of publicity. Then, when 
 it has been definitely decided, go ahead to raise the 
 money. 
 
 There are some churches which will be able to 
 respond to the appeal with cash. Ministers of such 
 churches ought to appreciate their good luck. Most 
 of the churches will consider the work well done if 
 they can get good pledges to cover the estimate 
 cost. Many have found the work easier by spread- 
 ing the period of the payments over several years. 
 Thus if the period is five years, a pledge for five 
 hundred dollars would mean one hundred a year or 
 less than $2.00 per week, Five years, however, is 
 
266 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 too long a period. Practice has shown that three 
 years is the best period for the pledges. 
 
 The church can provide methods of payment 
 suitable to the financial exigencies of the congrega- 
 tion. If necessary, the payments may be made in 
 weekly installments. Some churches have had one 
 side of their duplex envelopes printed for this pur- 
 pose. Others will prefer the monthly or the quar- 
 terly payments. No matter what method is adopted 
 there should be a very accurate bookkeeping system 
 to keep track of the pledges and to send receipts. 
 It is usually wise to have a separate secretary and 
 treasurer for this fund, and a separate bank account 
 is absolutely necessary. 
 
 There will be churches which will not feel able 
 to finance their projects even under this method. 
 If it is at all possible for the congregation to meet 
 its own needs without making a general appeal, it 
 should feel the obligation to do so. But undoubt- 
 edly occasions arise when a wider or a different 
 appeal must be made to put the program across. 
 Here are some unique plans which help in emergen- 
 cies of this nature. 
 
 Redeemable Certificates of Indebtedness 
 
 As far as we know this plan originated with the ~ 
 Evangelical Lutheran Hephatha Church of Muil- 
 waukee, Wisconsin. It provides for a plan whereby 
 a church may be built “without cost.” The mem- 
 bers lend the money for which they receive certifi- 
 cates of indebtedness to be redeemed at double face 
 value in twenty years. (See page 267.) 
 
 In order to mature these certificates the congre- 
 gation, each month for twenty years, put into a 
 
The Church Dollar 267 
 ee 
 redemption fund one-half of one per cent of the 
 value of certificates outstanding. If the total issue 
 were twenty thousand dollars, this would mean fifty 
 dollars per month. To administer this fund a spe- 
 cial board is selected, which will invest the money 
 in securities paying not less than five per cent in- 
 terest. All interest is reinvested with the other 
 moneys. 
 
 { No.503 } 
 Evangelical Lutheran Gephatha Congregation 
 
 A WISCONSIN CORPORATION 
 @ertificate of Indebteduras 
 SERIES D 
 
 tion of Milwaukee, 
 9........, the sum of 
 
 Hephatha Congregation 
 
 5 a GF aa rOhE EEN an ss 
 
 Pep iawstesssesecy, 9 Oansors 
 
 EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN HEP 
 
 qoccacqectnsstcsisncdasecete cahsi essen san erste seep rzeshesseeeahe ens Now AFOeOe enon Sema nes Nene see 
 
 
 
 The price of the certificates is kept to small de- 
 nominations so that all may feel free to invest. H 
 it is an added inducement, they may be sold on the 
 installment plan. While, in reality, the members 
 redeem their own certificates, the plan promotes 
 loyalty and sustains the morale during the twenty 
 years. A little figuring will show that the amount 
 paid into the treasury will not alone meet the in- 
 debtedness but will return a nice bonus to the 
 treasury. | 
 
 The Milwaukee church has made provision for 
 
268 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 the certificates to have a loan value after three 
 years. Provision is also made for an earlier 
 maturity at five per cent interest if the board de- 
 sires it. ‘The board is likewise instructed to give 
 church members preference in loans on real estate, 
 all loans being approved by the attorney. This plan 
 with its many variations may be used by churches 
 seeking an easy yet tried way of promoting their 
 building enterprises. 
 
 Selling Bonds 
 
 Christian F. Reisner in financing the Broadway 
 Temple of New York resorted to a system of selling 
 bonds. The cost of the building is estimated at 
 between four and five millions of dollars. Of this 
 amount as much is secured on a first mortgage as 
 is possible. The balance has been secured by sell- 
 ing five per cent bonds. It is planned to pay the 
 interest and the principal on these bonds from the 
 earnings of the building. The great building will 
 be a business block, apartment house, restaurant, 
 gymnasium, and will have other features. These 
 many things will bring in revenue. From the earn- 
 ings the bond charges will be met. This plan has 
 the sanction of sound financiers in New York and 
 the issue has been absorbed. While this plan ap- 
 plies in particular to a church with a business in- 
 come, variations of the scheme will be of assistance 
 to other churches. 
 
 NECESSITY FOR A BACKGROUND OF STEWARDSHIP 
 
 No matter what plan for raising the pledges may 
 be used permanent results must depend upon the 
 
The Church Dollar 269 
 
 
 
 persistent education in the principles of Christian 
 stewardship through sermons, special classes and 
 Sunday school curriculum. Until the Christian 
 sees the obligation of dividing his wealth with God 
 and humanity any method, however perfect in it- 
 self, will not get results. 
 
 Some churches have sought to persuade their 
 members to become tithers. Where this plan has 
 been successful startling results have been secured. 
 A group of tithers can revolutionize any church. 
 Money literally pours in to meet the expenses. 
 Canvasses and special appeals are not necessary. 
 
 Others have sought the method of stewardship 
 training without emphasizing the necessity of the 
 tenth. It is hardly within the province of this book 
 to pass on the respective merits of these two plans. 
 Sufficient to say that either one is a splendid ad- 
 vancement over the idea that the church must go 
 to its members and beg a pittance to carry on its 
 work. Any plan which shows the individual re- 
 sponsibility to his church and his God is worth 
 while. 
 
 FOR RAPID CALCULATION 
 
 The table on page 270 provides for the rapid 
 calculation of the weekly pledges. It is easy to tell 
 just what a weekly pledge will amount to for the 
 month, quarter or the year. 
 
270 Church Administration 
 
 SS RL SS eee eae, 
 
 
 
 PLEDGE MULTIPLICATION TABLE 
 
 Showing the amount of any pledge for a week, 
 a month, a quarter or a year. 
 
 
 
 Amount For one For a 
 
 of weekly Month of Month of quarter of year of 
 pledge 4 Sundays 5 Sundays 13 Sundays 52 Sundays 
 .05 .20 eo .65 2.60 
 10 -40 90 1.30 5.20 
 a Bc .60 Wy fee 1.95 7.80 
 -20 .80 ° 1.00 2.60 10.40 
 2D 1.00 T.25 Bae 13.00 
 .30 1.20 1.50 3.90 15.60 
 330 1.40 1.75 4.55 18.20 
 40 1.60 2.00 5.20 20.80 
 90 2.00 2.90 6.50 26.00 
 .60 2.40 3.00 7.80 31.20 
 75 3.00 3.75 9.75 39.00 
 85 3.40 4.25 11.05 44.20 
 1.00 4.00 5.00 13.00 52.00 
 1.25 5.00 6.25 16.25 65.00 
 1.50 6.00 7.50 19.50 78.00 
 Dy as" 7.00 8.75 Peo be 91.00 
 2.00 8.00 10.00 26.00 104.00 
 2.50 10.00 12.50 32.50 130.00 
 
 3.00 12.00 15.00 39.00 156.00 
 4.00 16.00 20.00 52.00 208.00 
 9.00 20.00 25.00 65.00 260.00 
 pe 
 
 Suggested by the Rev. Henry J. Simpson, Cincinnati, Ohio. 
 Copyrighted 1920 by Duplex—Richmond, Va. 
 
CHAPTER 15 
 SPENDING AND ACCOUNTING 
 
 CoMMON opinion would have it that one thing 
 church officers have no need for training in is the 
 spending of money. Their difficulty is in getting 
 the money, not in spending it. Yet the mistakes 
 which good-intentioned men have made in the spend- 
 ing of money for church purposes is a sad tale. 
 Funds raised for definite purposes have been spent 
 for emergencies in another field; the pastor has 
 gone without his salary that the coal dealer might 
 be paid, and bills have been allowed to lag until the 
 church cannot take advantage of the usual trade 
 discount. 
 
 The goal of the church, financially, would be to 
 have its income pouring in regularly and to meet 
 all of its bills in the same way. To do this the 
 church must recognize the responsibility of steward- 
 ship as does the individual. It owes to the contribu- 
 tor a system which will not alone give him adequate 
 and honest statements of his own account, but 
 which will make him feel that the whole organiza- 
 tion is financially stable. 
 
 Let us follow the money from the plate on which 
 it is deposited through the various accounting pro- 
 cesses until it is finally spent for its value in service 
 or trade. In the average church the money is now 
 placed on the collection plates in envelopes which 
 designate it for some definite fund and in addition 
 there is also the RS Ue ea which is 
 
272 Church Administration 
 
 SE SE 
 
 
 
 not designated for any particular purpose. The 
 first thing to do is to have the money correctly 
 counted. 
 
 In some churches the custom prevails of turning 
 the collection over to the treasurer who counts it 
 and deposits it in the bank. Probably not one 
 church treasurer in a thousand is dishonest but this 
 plan makes bookkeeping very difficult, for there is 
 no way to check up against his figures. There 
 should be somewhere another statement of the 
 offerings. Such a statement is provided when there 
 is a financial secretary who keeps the record of the 
 offerings and in turn turns the money over to the 
 treasurer, for which he gives his receipt. 
 
 IMPORTANCE OF A FINANCIAL SECRETARY 
 
 Let us assume that the financial secretary re- 
 ceives the offering. He takes the money from the 
 envelopes, noting on each one the amount which is 
 found therein. This is not always the amount 
 which the contributor thinks he put in. When the 
 envelopes are emptied and the money counted there 
 will be an exact balance between the amount cred- 
 ited to the envelopes and the cash. This sounds 
 like a simple matter, but it is not. It is a means 
 of conflict in many churches. Assume that the 
 plates contain five hundred two-pocket envelopes, 
 giving a possibility of one thousand distinct contri- 
 butions. Many of these contain small coins. It 1s 
 a mighty easy matter to find your balance out sey- 
 eral dollars. A few dollars is not much in the course 
 of the year but if some sensitive member finds that 
 he is credited with a few dollars less than he really 
 gave it may be a very serious matter. 
 
Spending and Accounting 273 
 
 
 
 But assuming that the balance is correct, the 
 financial secretary turns the money over to the 
 treasurer and he in turn gives his receipt for it. 
 
 June 19, 1925. 
 CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 
 Received of Horace Wiley, financial secretary, offerings of 
 to-day 
 
 General Expense 
 
 Benevolent 
 
 $194.05 
 
 WILLIAM GREELY, Treasurer. 
 
 
 
 A Form of Receipt. 
 
 When this system is used it is a simple matter 
 at the end of a year to give an accounting of the 
 moneys received. It implies that all of the contri- 
 butions have come through the hands of the finan- 
 cial secretary. The entire official board of the 
 church should take pains to see that this rule is lived 
 up to. There are always contributions which come 
 in other ways. There are checks and returns from 
 invested funds. These should go to the financial 
 secretary and be entered before they are passed on 
 to the treasurer. Only in this way can the matter 
 be kept orderly. Any business man knows the 
 necessity of all funds going through the accounting 
 office before they are deposited. The church must 
 profit by this business experience. 
 
274. Church Administration 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 A COMMITTEE FOR COUNTING THE MONEY 
 
 I would suggest here a plan which we used in 
 one of my churches where we had had difficulty in 
 securing the proper accounting. We were con- 
 tinually finding a discrepancy between the statement 
 of the financial secretary and that of the treasurer. 
 The latter complained oftentimes that the money 
 when counted did not balance with the receipt he 
 signed. To meet the situation a committee from the 
 trustees decided to count the money at the close of 
 each service. A room in the church was given them 
 for the purpose. There were usually several men 
 present and in this way an accurate account was 
 assured. They kept a third record, which remained 
 always in the church office and was available for 
 reference. 
 
 WHOLE-TIME WORKER ASSUMES CHARGE 
 
 When a church adds a whole-time worker as the 
 pastor’s assistant many times this financial account- 
 ing is placed entirely within the church office. This 
 usually results in a more reliable system but it by 
 no means eliminates all the difficulties. Many a 
 church secretary has found that her troubles center 
 more or less around the difficulties of accounting 
 for the small pledges which are being paid weekly 
 into the treasury of the church. 
 
 SYSTEMS OF ACCOUNTING 
 
 We all assume without any argument the re- 
 sponsibility of recognizing the contributions which 
 come to the church. When the money comes in 
 large sums the best way may be to send a special 
 
Spending and Accounting 275 
 
 
 
 
 
 receipt. Unexpected gifts or unusual gifts should 
 be recognized by a personal letter from the min- 
 ister. The contributions of the many through the 
 weekly envelopes are acknowledged by quarterly 
 statements showing the amount of the pledge for 
 the quarter and the amount which has actually been 
 paid. 
 
 We show here two ideas of bookkeeping, one 
 based on a book and the other on the visible card 
 system. There are advantages to both systems. 
 
 The Kardex Visible Record System 
 
 iain =: 
 m 
 a 
 Ie i © # 
 
 *"NOSIUWIWOD HOI NOALN3S ‘LNNODOY YNOA4O AdOd LOVXE NV SI SIMD 
 
 SUPPORT 
 
 YONNZANW LYOd3Y ATONIN 
 
 bhi 
 ' 
 
 f 
 
 a r= = . 2 ~ “ 
 
 z 
 ai 
 od 
 | 
 lod 
 i 
 
 YOUNT ANY LYOd3Y AIGNIM 
 
 "NOSINVdWOD YOd NOALNES ‘LNNODOV YNOA IO AdOd LOVXS NVSISIHE | 
 
 YOUR ANY LYOd3Y ATGNIM 
 
 F £ 
 { 
 PREREEE 
 
 YOUYN3S ANY LYOd3Yy AIGNIY 
 “NOSINYIWOD YOS NOALN3SS ‘LNNODDW YNOASO AdODLOVXA NVSISIHE |} 
 
 > 
 ‘ = : 
 a 
 
 EISCeeLEBES| 
 FEECEECESEECEE CER 
 H 
 
 -(2] 88) 8 
 
 | 
 
 F : 
 row Famil 
 138 Brown, R.Ae 
 
 
 
 ae 
 am 
 ert 
 cnt 
 ulead 
 ae 
 Bet 
 at 
 cay 
 See 
 pal 
 2 
 a 
 er 
 
 ra iar Maplewood Ave.' Vee 
 ReAs Brown & Family 1 Brown & Famil Re A, Brown & Family 
 
 138 “Brown, ReAe i 138 Brown, R. Ao 17 138 Brown, RoAe 
 
 
 
 Here in a compact and visible form we have the name and address 
 of the pledger, the amount of his pledge, the payments week by week, 
 the balance due or credit from the preceding quarter and a similar 
 statement for the current quarter. 
 
276 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 The record card is printed in duplicate, with a 
 perforated line between the two sections of the card. 
 A piece of machine carbon is inserted, and the data 
 regarding the amount of the weekly pledge, name, 
 address and number of the pledge is filled in on the 
 typewriter. The machine carbon is removed and 
 replaced by a good quality of pencil carbon. The 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 wens rename orm | 
 EE a 
 BATES OF SUNDAYS OF QUARTER | 
 Pataca 
 Caen a Pet DRRERRRERRRRERe 
 CCRC CSc tae 
 FRE FR DP 
 a a 
 CC NS 
 AGOGO RD i TE 
 ASCARI 
 SACRA GA Sel I 
 a ae 
 A 
 RS A A A 
 AAA HAL NI 
 a = EE ET 
 i ES CH A Lc a 
 a a 
 (A a Oe 
 ee SRA i LT TE 
 et oe F 
 ——F ep 
 [fen 
 EUR RYIST PMR a Sr 
 | oe 
 
 card record is then ready for its permanent place — 
 in the cabinet. Weekly entries are made with in- 
 
 delible pencil, which makes a clear impression on 
 
 the duplicate. It is never necessary to remove an 
 
 active card from the cabinet. 
 
 At the end of the quarter the debit or credit bal- 
 ance of the member’s account is placed at the bottom 
 of the card. The original portion of the card is 
 then torn off and mailed to the pledger, usually with 
 
Spending and Accounting 277 
 
 
 
 a letter urging the delinquent to pay up to date. 
 (See p. 276.) The carbon copy of the record is kept 
 in the cabinet for reference. 
 
 TYPES OF QUARTERLY REPORT CARDS 
 
 The plan which originated in the First Presby- 
 terian Church of Warren, Pennsylvania, provides 
 for a book in which the pages are bound in dupli- 
 
 TREASURER’S REPORT 
 Quarter ending. 
 
 M. 
 Your church subscription stands as follows: 
 Actually Balance dre 
 Paid on quarter 
 
 On hand at first of quarter, . A - $ 
 Collections during quarter, é : - Le ee Be eiaeas 
 Totals, ‘ ° : $... 
 Disbursements during quarter, 4 + ssaaipinnsbeliaieniai 
 Balance, : : A $ 
 Amount of unpaid pledges, « ‘ 5 : ° $ 
 Treasurer 
 Nore—If your subectiption is in arrears, it is hoped you will make a special effort to balance your accountduring 
 the next quarter. Members should constantly bear in mind,that the church is their.church, that its obligations are 
 their obligations, and that they individually ae weil as collectively are responaible for its standing in the community. 
 
 **Better it is that thou shouldest not vow, than.that thou shouldest vow and not pay.” 
 
 Ol PLEX-RICHMOND, VA. FORM NO. ® 
 
 
 
 This form provides for a quarterly statement to each contributor 
 giving the financial condition of the church. 
 
 cate, one sheet white and one yellow. The white 
 sheets are perforated so that the quarterly state- 
 ment may be torn out and mailed to contributors, 
 the yellow sheet remaining and forming the perma- 
 nent record. Weare reproducing the form in which 
 
 the report goes out. 
 
278 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 NAME 
 
 ADDRESS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ENVELOPE BENEVOLENCE 
 
 NO. 
 
 CURRENT EXPENSE 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 PLEDGE 
 PER WEEK 
 
 PLEDGE 
 
 PAID EACH 
 BUNDAY 
 
 ist 
 2ND 
 SRD 
 
 4TH 
 
 rence | | TC CS | LR 
 
 STH 
 
 TOTAL 
 MONTH 
 
 TOTAL CURRENT BENEVO- 
 QUARTER EXPENSE LENCE 
 
 SUMMARY-—PLEASE KEEP THIS FOR YOUR RECORD 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 CURRENT 
 EXPENSE 
 
 BENEVO- 
 LENCE 
 
 
 
 
 AMOUNT ACCRUED ON YOUR 
 PLEDGE THIS QUARTER, 
 
 
 
 SUNDAYS 
 
 AMOUNT PAID THIS QUARTER 
 SHOWN ABOVE 
 
 BALANCE FOR DUE 
 THIS QUARTER OVERPAID 
 
 a TS, 
 
 FROM YOUR DUE 
 LAST STATEMENT OVERPAID 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 TOTAL EACH TAMU ES 
 ACCOUNT NOW OVERPAID 
 
 AMOUNT FOR DUE DUE ie 
 soTH accounts NO OVERPAID Re S| 
 
 “Render unto God that which is God’s’’ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Spending and Accounting 279 
 
 THE BOOK SYSTEM 
 
 This plan of church accounting has been brought 
 to perfection by the Duplex Envelope Company, 
 Richmond, Virginia, specialists in church finance 
 and originators of the duplex envelope. Their plan 
 provides a ledger for the financial records, checking 
 the contributions each Sunday. The form repro- 
 duced on page 276 is from the “D. E.” Ideal Record 
 Form, which enables one treasurer to keep the ac- 
 count of contributions to both current expense and 
 benevolences. 
 
 PAYMENTS 
 
 All payments made by the church will be made 
 by check. The only exception there could be to this 
 would be in the instance of petty cash payments for 
 which money may be kept in the church office. But 
 any item of more than one dollar should be paid 
 only by check, and the check issued only after an 
 order has been drawn for its payment. This may 
 appear absurd to those churches where the treasurer 
 has received and paid all bills as he has had the 
 money, but there is plenty of reason for the rule. 
 
 There is altogether too much of a tendency on 
 the part of churches to let the treasurer not only 
 pay the bills but also find a way to pay them. The 
 official board needs to have brought to -its atten- 
 tion the joint obligation for the financial welfare 
 of the church. For this reason the president of 
 the board together with the treasurer should issue 
 the orders to the treasurer. It might appear as a 
 clumsy system when gas and electric bills are to be 
 paid. But a little foresight will have everything 
 
280 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 
 
 in hand on the first of the month and the officers 
 will know that all of the bills are discounted. 
 Sometimes it may seem wise for the minister to 
 sign the order. We must get away from the idea 
 that the pastor should not be bothered about finan- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 RRBBDOODSAONNIHMIALALOPNNSeDESASLESADILLEIIS, 
 SRLS INS AL LASS 
 
 ~ ~> a “ae 
 : iS 2 = < " = 
 ¢ xX 
 
 i is . 1 
 
 4, Qr4 ity ‘ 4, 
 REMMI TN AASV ZINNS ZW TTA LISTS 
 é TITTLE oa 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 STATION TAPC BROOKLYN 
 360 Meter Wave Length 
 
 a 
 
 Ga Only subscribers-to the Current Expense Faad of the Throop Avonde Presbyterian Ghurck, tune up and ‘listes in, “et 
 
 
 
 SEPTEMBER 29th, 1922 
 *¢THE TREASURER FINDS THIS THE QUICKEST METHOD OF INFORMING ALL SUBSCRIBERS 
 TO OPEN THEIR POCKETS OR CHECK BOOKS AND FORWARD TO HIM AT ONCE BY MAIL OR 
 BRING TO THE CHURCH NEXT SUNDAY ALL PAYMENTS DUE FOR ARREARS, AND IF NOT ALL, 
 THEN THE GREATER PORTION AND IF NOT THAT, THEN AT LEAST SOME OF IT, SO THE 
 TRUSTEES CAN MEET THE BILLS FOR COAL, SALARIES AND OTHER VERY URGENT 
 
 NECESSITIES.’’ 
 
 
 
 BROADCAST BY HERMAN F. VOSS 
 
 The Duplex Envelope Company should be credited with this 
 collection idea. 
 
 cial matters. He ought to know what his church is 
 paying for certain things. And he is entitled to the 
 satisfaction of knowing when bills are paid. 
 Personally I have liked the form of voucher or 
 order which is connected with the check. It makes 
 it easy for auditors when they do their work at the 
 end of the church year. There is a check for each 
 order. They are identified by the number, and the 
 
Spending and Accounting 281 
 
 check is supposed to be issued under the date of 
 the order. 
 
 THE DRY PERIODS 
 
 Many churches experience what we may call a 
 
 “dry period” at some time during the year. This 
 means that, while they have resources for the year 
 which are reasonably sure, in some particular sea- 
 son expenditures are greater than the income. This 
 is very apt to be true of city churches in the summer 
 months and of rural churches before the harvest 
 months. In the churches of my boyhood most of 
 the year was dry until within a few weeks from 
 “Conference.” Then there was a rush to pay up 
 all of the bills. The minister, who had received 
 scarcely enough to feed his family, found himself 
 opulent with several months’ salary. 
 _ To-day churches understand that such a period 
 is a disgrace. ‘There is one very effective way to 
 meet it and that is to borrow from the bank on the 
 personal note of the trustees. This they should do 
 to keep things normal, just as a business would do 
 it to pay its bills. The danger of such a “dry 
 period” may be another reason for keeping the 
 trustees informed as to the financial obligations of 
 the church. We should not encourage churches to 
 run into debt thoughtlessly but, when there are 
 ample resources to rely on, it is silly not to use 
 established business methods to keep things running 
 smoothly. 
 
 BONDING THE TREASURER 
 
 It is a simple matter but it pays to take out a bond 
 on the treasurer. The cost is very small and it is 
 
282 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 an ordinary business precaution. Very seldom 
 does a church treasurer abscond. But that is not 
 the point. Besides, there are other ways of losing 
 money than through dishonesty. The thing we try 
 to do is to have the financial assets of the church 
 protected at all times. Once the idea is established, 
 even the treasurer will prefer it. If I were a church 
 treasurer, I think that I should request that the 
 church take such protection. More and more 
 churches are doing this. 
 
 DISTRIBUTION OF PRINTED REPORTS 
 
 The church owes it to its contributors to render 
 a satisfactory accounting of its stewardship. The 
 only efficient way to do this is to have the reports 
 audited and then printed for distribution. There 
 are two times when the congregation should be 
 taken fully into the confidence of the church off- 
 cials. One is when the budget is presented. The 
 people have a right to know what expenditures are 
 planned. And the second time is when an account- 
 ing is being made. 
 
 There is another reason for this suggestion. 
 Many times an official who likes to keep very much 
 to himself can be persuaded to come out into the 
 open if he is permitted to sign his name to a printed 
 report. I healed a very serious rupture in one of 
 my churches by introducing this plan. The treas- 
 urer had never made a report and never intended 
 to. But when I explained the idea of having it 
 printed with his name as treasurer and rather 
 widely distributed, we gained our point and also 
 kept the loyalty of the man. 
 
CHAPTER 16 
 EFFICIENCY MACHINES 
 
 THE growing executive emphasis places upon the 
 ministry the task of constructing an executive office 
 where the details of parish administration may be 
 attended to. There is nothing unique or new in the 
 various items which are considered in this chapter. 
 It is rather an effort to estimate the value of the 
 various mechanical devices which have found their 
 way into the church office. A safe rule to go by 
 is to admit nothing until it has shown its value. 
 A desk and two buzzing telephones do not add to 
 the spiritual resources of any minister. Modern 
 devices are not an unmixed blessing. I am inclined 
 to think that the conservative layman who objects 
 to the innovation of modern business instruments 
 may be (unconsciously) on the side of God. But 
 those things which will add to the efficiency of the 
 minister’s work without monopolizing all of his 
 time and energies are to be commended. 
 
 The place to start is the desk. It is a simple rule 
 but a good one—that the desk is made to work on, 
 not to pile things on. A good executive keeps his 
 desk clean. He has ample filing devices to keep 
 the many papers cleared away so that he can de- 
 vote himself to one thing at a time. The best desk 
 is a flat-top one for the reason that it can be kept 
 more orderly than the roll-top and does not offer 
 the same temptations as a store-all. The old roll- 
 top desk with its pigeonholes cannot meet the re- 
 
 quirements of modern filing. 
 283 
 
284 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 The best desk is the modern filing desk with suffi- 
 cient files for letters. In case the desk is not so 
 equipped a drawer file should be provided. This 
 file properly indexed will take care of all the letters 
 and they can be kept in order so that they may be 
 instantly referred to. The minister will learn also 
 to keep much more information in this or a second 
 file. There are ministers who are blessed with 
 helpers who have had sufficient secretarial training 
 to build a system and put themselves in it. Most 
 of us have to build our own system and force our 
 helpers to adjust themselves to it. 
 
 The telephone is a blessing and a curse. There 
 is nothing so disrupting as to have to break away 
 from serious thought to listen to a telephone con- 
 versation. The person who calls on the phone has 
 an advantage over the individual who taps at your 
 door. He breaks in on your privacy and insists that 
 you hear his case. You can tell the first man that 
 you are busy and he will sit and wait. But the 
 second must be heard. When the minister has a 
 secretary he can avoid telephone calls. Other min- 
 isters have the phone in the house so that the wife 
 may receive the calls, letting him have them at the 
 luncheon hour. A telephone is necessary; perhaps 
 in many churches a telephone system is necessary, 
 reaching the different parts of the building, but this 
 can be overdone. 
 
 There are certain documents which the minister 
 will want ready reference to. His communicant 
 list should be in order for any information. There 
 are the baptismal and marriage records which he 
 will also have at his hand. Then he needs denomi- 
 national documents where he can get at them. He 
 should have the addresses of publishers of church 
 
 xe 
 
Efficiency Machines 285 
 
 
 
 and Sunday-school literature. There are many 
 things of this nature that people will look to him 
 for and he needs to have them ready. Committees 
 are constantly changing. Each new committee will 
 come and ask the same information that the old one 
 asked. They will want to know where to send con- 
 tributions, where to buy boxes for the Christmas 
 candy, and other things. A simple system of keep- 
 ing this information will prove valuable. 
 
 Some churches have found it advisable to install 
 a small safe or a steel cabinet for the safekeeping 
 of records. I went over this matter once with the 
 manufacturer of safes and he told me that it was 
 quite customary in the Roman church to provide 
 for the safekeeping of important records but that 
 Protestant churches had not generally adopted the 
 plan. In building a new church it would be wise 
 to have a vault built in. This can be made of con- 
 crete and a safe door purchased to fit it. Some 
 good manufacturer should be consulted first as to 
 the dimensions of the vault but a good architect 
 will presumably take that precaution. 
 
 Another item which will help without confusing 
 is a good wall map so that the minister may visual- 
 ize his parish. It should be of sufficient size so that 
 a black-headed pin may be put in for each family. 
 In a glance he can see just the bounds of the parish 
 and he will be aided in planning calls, sectional or- 
 ganization, or other methods of working. 
 
 With a desk, wall map, file and telephone the office 
 is pretty well built up. But the church cannot stop 
 here. A letter file implies duplicate letters. This 
 means a typewriter. The old excuse of a minister 
 for a typewriter was that his penmanship was not 
 legible. As an editor who has read hundreds of 
 
286 Church Administration 
 
 manuscripts of ministers, let me tell you that few 
 of them are experts on the typewriter. Most of 
 them have tried to pick up the art and are still in 
 the process of instruction. 
 
 There may be other reasons for this. It may be 
 that the typewriter selected is not suitable. It may 
 have been purchased because it was cheap. Rebuilt 
 machines are usually good in action and durable. 
 I have tried several different makes. In succession 
 I have owned five, all of them new when pur- 
 chased. For good substantial work there is nothing 
 so satisfactory as a full-sized standard commercial 
 machine. It will prove satisfactory for making 
 carbon copies and address plates, for cutting stencils 
 and other kinds of work that is desirable. 
 
 If a typewriter is a good thing for the minister, 
 it is doubly essential if a secretary is added to the 
 staff. Then he gives dictation and she writes his 
 letters. Most of us who use the machine very much 
 soon reach a point where we compose our sermons 
 on the typewriter much more easily than we do 
 with a pen. Then we cannot permit a typist to 
 come between us and the article we are writing. 
 Most literary men in America reach this point. 
 With the fingers on the typewriter the brain begins 
 to work. The typewriter then becomes not merely 
 a piece of office furniture but a spiritual aid to the | 
 minister. We will give it a place in the study and 
 the office of every minister. 
 
 PRINTING DEVICES 
 
 Most churches in these days distribute many 
 pieces of literature throughout the year. Printing 
 is expensive. Many face the question of keeping 
 
Efficiency Machines 287 
 
 the cost low and still securing the results of good 
 printing. The simplest type of duplicating machine 
 found is a simple tray filled with a gelatinous sub- 
 stance which has the property of holding ink and 
 reproducing it on successive sheets of paper applied 
 to it. The first operation is to write or typewrite, 
 using a special ink. The first sheet is placed on 
 the duplicator and pressed softly with the hand. 
 After this is removed, it will give a good impression 
 to fifty or more copies. This device may be pur- 
 chased for a few dollars and fills a place in the 
 making of announcements and other details. 
 
 Above this we place the mimeograph, which is 
 used with success by so many churches. The prin- 
 ciple back of this is reproduction by means of a wax 
 stencil upon which an impression has been cut by 
 the typewriter. The ribbon is moved aside and the 
 keys cut deep into the wax. The stencil is then 
 placed on a roll and is inked. Then when an im- 
 pression is made on paper the original copy is re- 
 produced. A good mimeograph can be purchased, 
 fully equipped, for from $50 to $150, and it will 
 last for years. ‘There is a device known as a 
 “mimeoscope” which makes it possible to sketch 
 illustrations from papers by using a stylus on the 
 wax stencil. By this process printing done with the 
 mimeograph may be as diversified as the individual 
 may wish. One need not assume that the use of 
 this printing device is limited to letters. Many 
 churches issue their church bulletins from _ it. 
 Church pledge cards, envelopes, tickets, posters and 
 many other kinds of publicity are made possible. 
 Rev. Carlton J. Williams of Sandwich, Illinois, has 
 a church of 250 members. During one year 30,000 
 pieces of printed matter were issued from the 
 
288 Church Administration 
 mimeograph at a total cost of less than $50 for 
 paper, ink, stencils, etc. 
 
 The multigraph is a printing machine which uses 
 type. Its original cost is more and the cost of oper- 
 ating is more, but the work it turns out is of a 
 higher class than that of the mimeograph. It 1s 
 possible to use it for letterheads and other printing 
 which needs distinction of type. The type sets on 
 a rotary center and cuts are now available for this 
 machine, making it possible to turn out a high-class 
 job. Naturally, it requires more skill than the 
 mimeograph, just as it is more effective. Any 
 church in considering these printing devices should 
 not alone look at the type of work they want but 
 must also learn how they are to be operated when 
 once installed. One advantage of the multigraph 
 for letters is that it prints through a ribbon and 
 the ribbon can match the typewriter ribbon. In this 
 way the nearest approach to a typewritten letter 
 may be secured. For form letters which need a 
 personal appearance this is invaluable. The multi- 
 graph comes in a small size, which is operated by 
 hand, and in a large power-driven machine capable 
 of taking care of the needs of the largest church. 
 
 Here and there are churches which operate their 
 own printing plants. There is still a distinction to 
 good printing as contrasted with the other machines 
 mentioned. The Church of Christ, Canton, Penn- 
 sylvania, has a press on which it prints all church 
 publicity, including the Sunday bulletin and The 
 Canton Christian, a weekly, four-page paper. 
 Rutherford H. Moore, formerly of the Methodist 
 Church of Randolph, Vermont, who is a practical 
 printer, operated one for the church there. Other 
 instances are recorded from time to time. In both 
 
 
 
 
 
Efficiency Machines 289 
 
 
 
 of these instances the plants were on a paying basis 
 and both were under the direction of the pastors 
 who were experienced printers. 
 
 There may be a field here for a special work by 
 boys or young men if there is a leader to direct their 
 work for them. It is well to remember that print- 
 ing is a trade, and one which requires considerable 
 technique. No minister who is inexperienced should 
 feel that there is an obligation upon him to install 
 this kind of work. In most parishes the minister 
 and the church would both be ahead if the printing 
 were done in the trade plants and the minister put 
 his extra energy into pushing his own parish activi- 
 ties. ‘There is no obligation upon the minister to 
 save the church some money at the expense of his 
 own pastoral efficiency. Yet there are exceptions 
 where a printing plant makes possible a fine piece of 
 project work for a young men’s group, and where 
 everybody may profit by its installation. It cer- 
 tainly is a fine thing to have good printing at hand 
 without having to pay the big prices of the trade. 
 But in printing, as in most other things, it pays to 
 invest in the best. 
 
 THE DICTATING MACHINE 
 
 The minister who uses the dictating machine is 
 the exception, and still its use is broad enough to 
 make its mention worth while. The machine, as 
 most of you know, is a phonographic recording 
 machine. A fresh cylinder is placed on it and in- 
 stead of dictating to a stenographer the dictation 
 is given the machine, the typist working out the 
 letters at her leisure. 
 
 Men who use this give as one of its important 
 
290 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 features that they can dictate their sermons without 
 the self-consciousness which is present when dic- 
 tating toa person. Another reason is that the letter 
 may be worked out when convenient for the typist, 
 making it unnecessary for her to drop other work 
 when the minister wants to get out his letters. And 
 there is still another reason urged by William 
 Bishop Gates of Olean, New York, which will ap- 
 pear valid to most.of us. Most ministers do not 
 have full-time secretaries. But there are typists in 
 the congregation who are only too glad to give of 
 their services. Through the use of the dictating 
 machine the records can be made and then sent with 
 the machine to be worked out when they have time. 
 
 PROJECTION DEVICES 
 
 We might well give an entire chapter to the use 
 of projection apparatus for church and Sunday 
 school but space decrees that it be placed in this 
 chapter on mechanical assistants. The old “magic 
 lantern,’ a novelty in my childhood, developed into 
 the stereopticon which found widely accepted use. 
 It still to-day, in its various forms, represents one 
 of the greatest assets for church work. Its educa- 
 tional value is unchallenged. With the years the 
 art of producing suitable slides has developed until — 
 the minister has at his disposal material of high 
 character and true artistic value. 
 
 While a few years ago the use of the projection 
 apparatus was limited to the night or when a room 
 could be pretty well darkened, one new phase of this 
 development makes daylight projection possible. At 
 one time slides were all made of glass, which was 
 heavy and made transportation costly, but to-day 
 
Efficiency Machines 291 
 eee 
 machines use film rolls. The production has reached 
 a place where pictures may be purchased at a cost 
 not much larger than the rental figures of the old 
 days. One ambitious company now advertises the 
 international Sunday-school lessons on a film strip, 
 making it possible to have every lesson up to date. 
 Another new development is the device for making 
 it possible to project opaque objects on the screen. 
 Thus picture post-cards may be flashed on the 
 screen. ‘This is also an aid in reducing the cost of 
 projection service. Opaque objects, however, can- 
 not be projected more than thirty feet and require 
 a very strong light. 
 
 Most communities to-day have electric service, 
 and this, of course, is preferable for any projection 
 service. The arc light is giving way to the high 
 wattage mazda light, requiring less attention and 
 silent in operation. Where electricity is not avail- 
 able acetylene gas is a good substitute. Prest-O- 
 Lite gas is a form of acetylene which may be secured 
 in almost any community. Then there is the new 
 development of a bulb which will work from the 
 ordinary six-volt automobile battery. If the bat- 
 tery is fully charged, it should give an evening’s 
 _ entertainment satisfactorily. This is the cleanest 
 and best substitute for electric power. 
 
 The ease with which slides may be prepared for 
 the stereopticon makes it a good project for special 
 church meetings where reports are to be given. In 
 the place of printed reports they may be shown on 
 the screen. The simplest way is to take a glass slide 
 and smoke it over a kerosene lamp or candle. Then 
 any figures or letters may be scratched on it with a 
 sharp pencil or a pin. A glass pencil or a china 
 worker’s pencil, which can be obtained from most 
 
292 Church Administration 
 
 stationers, may be used directly on the glass. A 
 quill pen and india ink may also be used. By the 
 use of thin parchment, typewritten messages can be 
 put on the slides. This latter makes it possible to 
 have an attractive slide which will convey any report 
 or message desired. 
 
 Any projector requires perfect focus for perfect 
 work. The operator should take pains to see that 
 he has his right adjustments before the lecture 
 begins so that he may do justice to the subject. 
 Here are a few rules taken from a manual by 
 Alfred Roy Ehman which may be helpful. 
 
 What is the Trouble 
 
 When there is a blue shadow in the center of the 
 screen? 
 The light is too near the condensers. 
 When a yellow shadow is evenly distributed 
 around the margin? 
 The light is too far back. 
 When a shadow appears at the top of the screen? 
 The light is set too low. 
 When a shadow appears at the bottom of the 
 screen? 
 The light is set too high. 
 When a shadow appears at the right of the 
 screen? 
 The light is set too far to the left. 
 When a shadow appears at the left of the screen? 
 The light is set too far to the right. 
 When numerous ill-defined spots appear in the 
 field or it has a mottled appearance? 
 The condensers are dirty. 
 
Efficiency Machines 293 
 
 
 
 When there is a general haze or foggy appear- 
 ance over the fields? 
 The objective is dirty. 
 When lines in the picture are not sharply defined? 
 The instrument is imperfectly focused. 
 
 MOVING PICTURES 
 
 Motion pictures are still somewhat in the ele- 
 mentary stage as far as the church is concerned. 
 While many churches have used them successfully, 
 the “movies” have not the authority for church 
 work which is recognized in the stereopticon. A 
 good machine is expensive, it requires an expert 
 operator, and theaters have developed the art until 
 comparison is out of the question as far as enter- 
 tainment is concerned. As a matter of fact the 
 best films (we mean in craftsmanship) are not 
 available outside of the theater field. 
 
 The minister who decides to exploit this field must 
 first of all choose between the narrow and standard 
 gauge machines. The former uses a narrow, non- 
 inflammable film, especially devised for educational 
 and religious work. The machine is light, portable 
 and requires no booth for operating. Its mechanism 
 is simple and any intelligent person, after a little 
 experience, can operate it. The material available 
 for its use is, however, limited. 
 
 There are now standard width machines which 
 use non-inflammable film. As a rule this is very 
 desirable for church use as it requires no special 
 fireproof booth. The inflammable film is danger- 
 ous. A booth must be provided for the machine. 
 Your insurance rates go up as soon as one is in- 
 
294 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 stalled. In most churches there is no room for a 
 booth and a simpler arrangement is a necessity. 
 
 There have been several attempts to supply 
 churches with suitable films. I know of none which 
 has been a I00 per cent success. Religious films 
 have been produced but it takes more than a half 
 dozen pictures to justify the investment in an ex- 
 pensive motion-picture machine. It will have its use 
 in the educational features of the church work as the 
 stereopticon has but it is a question if the church 
 can ever compete with the motion-picture house on 
 its own ground—entertainment. But in Sunday 
 school, men’s club and institutional work it will 
 have its place. 
 
 RADIO 
 
 Ever alert to their opportunities, churches were 
 among the first to avail themselves of the broad- 
 casting privileges. Many churches installed their 
 own outfits. This is an expensive proposition, cost- 
 ing from one to fifteen thousand dollars, depending 
 upon the quality of the installation. Other churches 
 made arrangements for broadcasting through local 
 stations at a lesser expense. Some churches had the 
 entire privilege granted them for nothing, to have a 
 religious program. 
 
 Just as Iam writing this the whole radio program 
 for religious services is unsettled. The air is 
 crowded. Too many have tried to get in. The 
 United States government is recognizing the fact 
 that we cannot go on setting up stations. It is go- 
 ing to be increasingly difficult to secure a license. 
 Churches in on the broadcasting will not yield their 
 position without reluctance. On the other hand, 
 
Efficiency Machines 295 
 
 
 
 
 
 many stations are embarrassed by early agreements 
 made with churches. 
 
 Church broadcasting has not been a sticcess from 
 the artistic point of view. Church auditoriums are 
 not adapted for this work. Choirs which may be 
 considered first class in the church do not reproduce 
 accurately when put on the air. The minister in his 
 talk is limited in his position and the variation of 
 his tone. 
 
 Neither is the average service of public worship 
 adapted for broadcasting. It has been arranged 
 with a different end in mind. It has been well said 
 that one may listen to preaching over the radio, 
 but that one cannot worship by radio. The play 
 which comes over the air has been rewritten to suit 
 the new method of transmission. The grand opera 
 has been cut down. It is only the preacher who has 
 not complied with the new requirements. It is this 
 failure which is leading to a reaction distinctly un- 
 friendly to the broadcasting of religious services. 
 As a tule, the prayers and the sermons are too long 
 and the appeal is too narrow. 
 
 Of course, any church still has the right to seek 
 a license for operating a broadcasting station. 
 However, they will not readily be granted. Per- 
 sonally I think the matter is one for the local fed- 
 eration of churches as a problem in comity would 
 be and that the question should be settled after 
 considering the problem which is much larger than 
 any one church. All branches of faith should be 
 considered in rearranging the service. 
 
 Amplification 
 
 There is a species of radio, however, which can 
 be used by many churches. It is voice amplification 
 
296 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 in the church auditorium. By this means the min- 
 ister’s voice is carried to every part of the audi- 
 torium so that there are no silent pockets. There 
 is a microphone for the pulpit or lectern, amplifica- 
 tion apparatus in the basement and in various parts 
 of the building the loud speakers. Many of the 
 larger auditoriums are already supplied with this 
 outfit, including the Cathedral of St. John the 
 Divine, New York; First Methodist Church, Los 
 Angeles; First Baptist Church, Dallas, and the 
 Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago. 
 
 Another variation of this, and a much simpler 
 one, is the arrangement whereby the minister’s voice 
 is carried to certain pews set aside for persons hard 
 of hearing. These pews are equipped with ear- 
 phones so that the service comes to them clear and 
 loud. This is a comparatively cheaper arrange- 
 ment. One church we know of found eight people 
 who had difficulty in hearing willing to divide 
 among them the expense for the installation. A 
 trade name for this is the “acousticon.” 
 
 THE ADDRESSING MACHINE 
 
 The addressing machine will revolutionize the 
 work of the church which is seeking to keep an up- 
 to-date mailing list. I know of nothing which will 
 pay for itself in so brief a time. It can be used not 
 alone as a mechanical device but also as a file of 
 names, making unnecessary some of the other files 
 mentioned. 
 
 Broadly there are two types of machines avail- 
 able for church work. The Addressograph is a 
 heavy serviceable machine which uses metal plates 
 and prints through a ribbon. The name and address 
 
Efficiency Machines 297 
 
 plates must be secured from the service plant of the 
 manufacturer at a cost of a few cents for each 
 change made. The top of each plate has a place for 
 little tabs which furnish a reference index. 
 
 Then there are machines which use stencil plates. 
 These may be cut on the ordinary typewriter, thus 
 reducing the cost of keeping correct addresses. 
 What is saved in cost is lost, however, in imperfect 
 impression. Either type of machine is serviceable 
 and in a few minutes hundreds of envelopes or other 
 matter may be properly addressed and sent on their 
 way. 
 
 BOOKKEEPING MACHINE 
 
 In at least one church, First Congregational, 
 Billings, Montana, there has been introduced a 
 bookkeeping machine. That church is enthusiastic 
 over it and possibly other churches will be interested. 
 They will probably be commonly found in the church 
 offices by the next generation. 
 

 
INDEX 
 
 A 
 
 Absentees, following the, 66. 
 Accounting systems, 274 f. 
 Addressing machines, 296. 
 Advertising churches, 20. 
 Amplification, 295. 
 
 Art night service, the, 80. 
 Associated advertising clubs, 
 
 203. 
 Automobiles, 88, 164. 
 B 
 
 Backus, Rev. A. H., 103. 
 
 Bartlett, Rev. A. Eugene, 
 146. 
 
 Barton, Howard A., 224. 
 
 Beaven, Rev. A. W., 166, 
 181 
 
 Boller, Rev. Paul F., 136. 
 
 Bonding the treasurer, 281. 
 
 Book sermons, 89. 
 
 Bookkeeping machines, 297. 
 
 Boy scouts, 169. 
 
 Braunstein, Rev. 
 195 
 
 Brick Presbyterian Church, 
 New York, 57. 
 
 Brock, Rev. Thomas S., 39. 
 
 Brotherhoods, 189 f. 
 
 Budgets, 255 f. 
 
 Bulletin and Evening Jour- 
 nal (Providence), 206. 
 
 Business temples, 19 f. 
 
 Richard, 
 
 e 
 
 Cabinet, church, 17. 
 
 Cabot, re, Henry Gs 27, 
 Cadman, Dr. S. Parkes, 78. 
 Calendars, 222. 
 
 Calling, pastoral, 34. 
 Church Finance, 13. 
 Church night, 102. 
 
 Church which was cursed (a 
 
 program), go f. 
 
 Christmas Carol Service, 
 138. 
 
 Church of Christ, Canton, 
 Pa., 288; 
 
 Clausen, Rev. Bernard C., 
 FOOLS “150: 
 
 Cloquet, Wis., church edi- 
 torials, 208. 
 
 Clubs and lodges, 41. 
 
 Cochran, Rev. Harry cA: 
 210, 213 f. 
 
 Committees, 18. 
 
 Comrades of the Way, 169. 
 
 Congregation, counting the, 
 
 Cross in Lenten Publicity, 
 147 £. 
 
 D 
 Davies, Rev. James Ashton, 
 
 45. 
 Daily Vacation Bible School, 
 160. 
 
 299 
 

 
 
 
 300 Church Administration 
 
 Delaware Avenue Baptist Forbush, Rev. William R., 
 Church, Syracuse, N. Y., 169. 
 58. Fortnight watch, a, 123. 
 
 Denominational polities, 14. 
 Departmental Organization, 
 16. 
 Dictating machine, 289. 
 Direct Mail Publicity, 223, 
 237, 241, 245, 247, 263. 
 “Don'ts” for the advertising 
 preacher, 210 f. 
 
 Dramas and Drama Preach- 
 ing, 176. 
 
 Duplicating devices, 286. 
 
 E 
 
 Easter call, 149 f. 
 
 Echo singing, 79. 
 
 Ehman, Alfred Roy, 292. 
 
 Electrotype, 232. 
 
 Ethical: code, 24 f. 
 
 Evangelism, personal, 118. 
 
 Evangelism, school of, 145. 
 
 Evangelistic program, an, 
 129, 
 
 Evangelical Lutheran Hep- 
 hatha Church, Milwaukee, 
 266. 
 
 Every-member canvass, 259. 
 
 Executive methods, 21 f. 
 
 EF 
 
 Family religion, 1306. 
 
 Federation of churches, 30. 
 
 Financial secretary, 272. 
 
 First Baptist Church, Syra- 
 CUBE, ING a) 5) 
 
 First Congregational Church, 
 Waterloo, Iowa, 238. 
 
 Flood lighting, 218. 
 
 Forward Step Week, 124. 
 Forum, the open, 86. 
 Funeral, the, 38. 
 
 G 
 Gates, Rev. William Bishop, 
 
 290. 
 
 Geneva College, 179. 
 
 Gilbert, Rev. Ralph V., 
 187, 
 
 Gordon, Rev. James L., 77. 
 
 Grace Methodist Church, St. 
 Johnsbury, Vt., 198. 
 
 Graduates, keeping in touch 
 with, 184. 
 
 Group organization, 42. 
 
 Guhse, Rev. Paul Herman, 
 215 f. 
 
 H 
 
 Half-tones, 233. 
 
 Handbooks, 219, 222. 
 
 Harvest Festival, 135. 
 
 Honor System in Church 
 Finance, 260. 
 
 I 
 
 Invitation forms, 44. 
 
 J 
 Joash’s chest, 261. 
 Jordan, Rev. Orvis F,, 
 30 f. 
 
 June, programs for, 158. 
 Junior church, 168. 
 
 si Na lt a Da ia ail aaa 
 
Index 
 
 301 
 
 
 
 
 
 K 
 
 Kimball, Rev. 
 
 169. 
 
 Knights of King Arthur, 
 
 169. 
 L 
 
 Layout, the, 227. 
 
 ‘Lay workers, 113, 122. 
 
 Lectionary, a, 67 f. 
 
 Lenten programs, 144 f. 
 
 Leonard, Rev. John Calvin, 
 170. 
 
 Letters, testing, 248, 
 
 Little, Rev. Raymond Ed- 
 ward, 87. 
 
 M 
 
 Medlar, William H., 113. 
 Members, dismissing, 33. 
 Men, programs for, 189 f. 
 Membership records, 45. 
 Midweek service, 100 f., 195 
 Mimeograph, the, 287. 
 Missions, school of, 107. 
 Mitchell, Rev. William C., 
 
 46. 
 Morgan, Rev. J. Richmond, 
 
 155. 
 
 Moore, Rev. Rutherford H., 
 288. 
 
 Mother’s day service, 82, 
 Oe at Ps. 
 
 Moving pictures, 293. 
 
 Multigraph, the, 288. 
 
 N 
 New buildings, 265 f. 
 
 Harry W., 
 
 Newspaper space, 202, 205. 
 O 
 
 Oaken bucket, the old, 135. 
 
 Office hours, 42. 
 
 Offertory, The, 54 f. 
 
 Orsborn, Rev. Charles Chris- 
 tian, 43. 
 
 Out-of-door service, 162. 
 
 Outdoor advertising, 214. 
 
 Overlapping, 15. 
 
 ed 
 
 “Pilgrim’s Progress,” IIT. 
 Pastor, the place of the, 17. 
 Pledge table, 270, 
 
 Plymouth Congregational 
 Church, Newark, Ohio, 
 264. 
 
 Presbyterian Church, Inde- 
 pendence, Iowa, 248. 
 Printed reports, 281. 
 Printing presses, 288. 
 Proctorship, the church, 176. 
 Prodigal Son (dramatiza- 
 tion), 84. 
 Proofreading, 233 f. 
 Projection devices, 290. 
 
 Q 
 
 Quarterly report cards, 277. 
 Question box, 77, 106. 
 Quotation sermons, 209. 
 
 R 
 
 Radio broadcasting, 294. 
 Records, pastoral, 284. 
 Referendum, the, 239. 
 
302 
 
 Church Administration 
 
 
 
 Reisner, Rev. Christian F., 
 19, 215, 268. 
 
 Retreat, officers, 119. 
 
 Revival, the, 124 f. 
 
 Rowsey, Rev. Elwood A., 
 146. 
 
 Russell, Rev. James Elmer, 
 
 80, 195. 
 S 
 
 Safes and vaults, 285. 
 
 Scotford, Rev. John 
 173. 
 
 Small town papers, 206. 
 
 Stackhouse, Rev. Perry J., 
 85. 
 
 Stereotypes, 233. 
 
 Stewardship (school of), 
 108 f., 268. 
 
 St. Matthew’s Methodist 
 Episcopal Church, Phila- 
 delphia, Pa., 249 f. 
 
 Stidger, Rev. William L., 
 COI MIOO Wal ot 
 
 Straton, Rev. John Roach, 
 187, 
 
 Summer programs, 159, 163. 
 
 Sunday evening tea, 172. 
 
 Sunday-school evangelism, 
 116, 
 
 R., 
 
 8 
 Telephone, using the, 222, 
 
 284. 
 Third Presbyterian Church, 
 Rochester, N. Y., 46. 
 Three-hour devotional serv- 
 ice, 152 f. 
 
 Three-period session of 
 church school, 166. 
 
 Traveling men, reaching, 
 197. 
 
 Trout, ‘Rev. f. i Cees 
 
 Types, various kinds, 228 f. 
 
 Typewriter, 286. 
 
 U 
 
 Union label, 236. 
 Universal week of prayer, 
 
 144. 
 Ushering, 61. 
 V 
 Victrola evening, 89. 
 W 
 
 Wayside pulpit, 215. 
 
 Watch night service, 141 f. 
 
 White gift Christ, 1309. 
 
 Window cards, 221. 
 
 Williams, Rev. Carlton, J., 
 287. 
 
 Williams, Rev. R. Murphey, 
 262. 
 
 Working schedule for min- 
 ister, 36. 
 
 Worship, service of, 52 f. 
 
 ov 
 Young people’s night, 172. 
 Z 
 
 Zinc etching, 232. 
 
se ALA Wy, 
 
 6 
 
 Rae thie 
 oe rit ae he 
 me ee 
 
 r! 7 / J hes ha J 
 4 whe . ,; Uyay vs et; 1 a re ¥ 4 eo eh ie q ye, _ ; : 
 4 os ; = ata I f Bis td Tuna J) , 
 Vy be * ay i Pa! : edie eae we } aL : 
 
 ‘ 
 rs 
 é 
 
 ne See 
 thas Sa 
 
 ~ ae 
 
 - , ae , ‘atin f: nhs . om +i a 
 so an f Rue 
 
 
 
Princeton Theological 
 
 - 
 
 01 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LEACH D = Admin, 
 Chureh administration. 
 
me Nb ? tel ® 
 3 by 
 sass Mica 
 
 uate 
 i} pra 
 
 ween eet ene 
 sete 
 Utes aS 
 
 = 
 
 neha 
 
 eae 
 
 Tikes 
 
 Neate 
 
 cs 
 “ 
 
 at. 
 Bass 
 
 ‘4 Fine 
 Bal Kouta 
 i%, Met 
 
 an 
 
 aia 
 siepighs 
 
 « 
 End! 
 
 vale, 
 
 v pees ae 
 se) 4 
 
 oF sete yy 
 
 Y ney eit £ 
 
 i A 
 
 Breet 
 sate