BV 652 .L42 1922 
 
 Leach, William Herman, 1888 
 
 How to make the church go 
 
U.:C, 
 
HOW TO MAKE 
 THE CHURCH GO 
 
 WILLIAM H. LEACH 
 
HOW TO MAKE 
 THE CHURCH GO 
 
 A Desk Manual for the Every Day Use 
 of the Modern Minister Executive 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM H. IeACH 
 
 NEW '^SJf^ YORK 
 GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 
 
COPYRIGHT, 1922, 
 BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 
 
 HOW TO MAKE THE CHURCH GO. II 
 
 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
 
TO ONE WHOSE UNSELFISH TUTORAGE TAUGHT 
 ME TO APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF HUMAN CONTACTS 
 
 The Rev. G. CHAPMAN JONES, ll.d. 
 
 I RESPECTFULLY DEDICATE THIS BOOK 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER 
 I 
 
 Introductory : The Minister as an Ex- 
 
 PAGE 
 
 
 ecutive 
 
 II 
 
 II 
 
 Forces Which Move Men . 
 
 20 
 
 III 
 
 Forces Which Move Men (Con- 
 
 
 
 tinued) ...... 
 
 30 
 
 IV 
 
 The Church Office .... 
 
 39 
 
 V 
 
 The Minister and His Official Board 
 
 51 
 
 VI 
 
 Committee Organization and Manage- 
 
 
 
 ment 
 
 60 
 
 VII 
 
 Keeping in Touch with the Congrega- 
 
 
 
 tion 
 
 70 
 
 VIII 
 
 A Working Program for the Church 
 
 82 
 
 IX 
 
 The Financial Campaign . 
 
 93 
 
 X 
 
 A News Space Clinic .... 
 
 102 
 
 XI 
 
 Getting the Most from Volunteer 
 
 
 
 Workers 
 
 117 
 
 Index 127 
 
HOW TO MAKE 
 THE CHURCH GO 
 
Chapter I: Introductory — 
 
 The Minister as an 
 
 Executive 
 
 The idea back of this book is not to invent new 
 tasks for the minister or to lay burdens upon 
 men already carrying too much weight. It is 
 rather to discuss from an executive point of view 
 many of the tasks of the ministry and to show 
 the principles underlying executive success. Its 
 viewpoint is psychological and practical. Psy- 
 chological, for the success of an executive de- 
 pends upon the ability to recognize the various 
 reactions of the human mind and soul to speech 
 and action, and practical, that the principles may 
 be worked out in the average parish."^ 
 
 Executive Duties Already on Minister 
 
 The traditional division of the tasks of the 
 
 minister was into two classes, the pulpit and the 
 
 pastoral. But that day has long since passed. 
 
 The age of Sunday schools has required that he 
 
 11 
 
12 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 be versed in the principles of religious education. 
 And the spirit of organization has placed on him 
 the executive duties. He must be able to lead 
 and direct men at their religious activities. 
 Churches may not have consciously recognized 
 this and theological seminaries have not officially 
 placed courses in executive training in their cur- 
 ricula. But the minister on the field has recog- 
 nized that the success of individuals has de- 
 pended as much upon their ability to get along 
 with their workers as in oratorical ability. 
 
 Some would call this a "knack" or a gift with- 
 out realizing that there are well grounded princi- 
 ples governing such success and the ability to 
 handle workers may be developed as well as 
 others of life's qualities. Many have worked 
 one method. One minister can drive programs 
 through, another will laugh them through, per- 
 haps another will weep his way to success. Some 
 have the ability to find their leaders of power 
 and tie to them. But more and more there is an 
 earnest desire on the part of preachers to be able 
 to control the many forces which make it pos- 
 sible for them to win as parish leaders. 
 
 One minister boasts that his success as a pas- 
 tor has been brought about by his ability to com- 
 
The Minister as an Executive 13 
 
 promise two conflicting groups. If one faction 
 wanted the entrance to the new church on the 
 east and another wanted it on the west, he would 
 suggest that it be placed in the corner, thus sat- 
 isfying both parties. He tells of a dispute as to 
 whether the choir should be built for a quartet 
 or a chorus. Both sides had a large following. 
 The ^'gr^at compromiser" showed his mastery. 
 He had an adjustable platform that could be 
 used for either. 
 
 Instances such as quoted above undoubtedly 
 require executive ability to handle. Compromise 
 may be a legitimate tool in the hand of the 
 leader, but it should never be the major tool. 
 There have been many other approaches to the 
 executive standard. ^'Molasses will catch more 
 flies than vinegar;" "You can't saw wood with 
 a hammer;" "Leading is better than driving;" 
 are all well known adages which ministers as 
 well as others have learned to use. 
 
 Other attempts are shown in the following two 
 ^teps toward a recognition of the executive. The 
 old-time minister in addressing new candidates 
 Would usually insist that "It is better to put ten 
 men to work than to do ten men's work." There 
 is a big truth here and there is good psychology 
 
14 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 back of it. A happy church is a church of 
 workers. But merely motion and work without 
 an end is not the purpose of the Church. An- 
 other illustration is that of the president of a 
 Theological seminary instructing his charges 
 how to make their church officers act as buffers. 
 His scheme is to always get a church officer 
 between the minister and the difficulty. It is 
 a farther step and a feeler toward the full way 
 which this book proposes to go. 
 
 Failures in Life Because of Difficulty in Getting 
 Along with People 
 
 The ministry and every other walk of life 
 is strewn with failures. Many of these failures 
 come from one's inability to get along with his 
 fellow men. In the home, at school, in busi- 
 ness and in the church, our success depends 
 not so much upon ourselves as our ability to 
 appreciate the other fellow and to get his point 
 of view. Other people are apt to be peculiar. 
 But our happiness and success depends upon 
 working with them. We need to learn the 
 lesson of Washington. He realized that neither 
 his officers nor men were trained for military 
 life. But he had a philosophy which was equal 
 
The Minister as an Executive 15 
 
 to the occasion. "If you can't have people as 
 you want them, you must take them as they 
 are," he would say. 
 
 No minister will have people as he wants 
 them. He can select no inner circle for per- 
 sonal contact and leave the rest alone. He will 
 have the obstreperous rams as well as the gentle 
 lambs. The church was organized before he 
 came to the parish. Men and women have been 
 elected to office and are serving. They are his 
 colaborers. Like their minister they have their 
 imperfections. Among the membership of the 
 average congregation are materialists, scandal 
 mongers, dollar servers, politicians, short sighted 
 business men, tradition lovers, short sighted en- 
 thusiasts and a hundred others of different classi- 
 fications. They all had some reason for join- 
 ing the church. The assumption is that they 
 have heard the divine call and desire to serve. 
 With these people the minister must make his 
 church. 
 
 As he knows these people he learns of the 
 forces which will commend the work to them. 
 It may seem difficult to build the kingdom of 
 God with the material of the average church 
 but on the other hand there is the evidence that 
 
16 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 they have the divine nature. They have heard 
 the call. Their vision is poor and their expres- 
 sion may be worse but underneath it all is a 
 desire to do something for Jesus Christ. It is for 
 the minister to lead them to better sight and 
 better expression. He is to make the banker feel 
 that there is something in life more than stocks 
 and bonds. He is to make the washerwoman 
 feel that there is something besides washtubs. 
 And more than this he is to bring together the 
 diverse elements in the congregation and get 
 them working together in the great program of 
 the church. 
 
 Modern Church Is a Church of Service 
 
 The fact that the church of to-day is interpret- 
 ing Christianity in terms of action and service 
 rather than in holding services places still fur- 
 ther emphasis upon the executive. His task 
 is not simply to stand in with people. He must 
 direct people in religious activities. Ministers 
 have sometimes been surprised at the advance- 
 ment of their fellows who have lesser pulpit 
 ability. But keen eyed business men who have 
 served on the pulpit committees have not alone 
 listened to the sermons of their candidates but 
 
The Minister as an Executive 17 
 
 have looked over their fields to see evidences of 
 mastery. And there is little question but that 
 the great churches in America to-day were 
 builded not alone by great preachers but by 
 great executives. It is for this reason that here 
 and there there is talk of the larger churches 
 having a business manager. But there will al- 
 ways be thousands of small churches which must 
 rely upon the executive ability of their minis- 
 ters for direction and progress. 
 .The executive will base his success upon or- 
 ganization rather than his own personality. One 
 of the best business men that the author knows 
 recently said in discussing his own business: ^T 
 have my business so organized that if I should 
 die to-morrow the clients need not know that I 
 am dead." The minister may find a good ideal 
 here. The church should be so organized that 
 it is greater than the minister. The real execu- 
 tive will long for his program in the church to 
 outlast himself. 
 
 We remember hearing a complaint from one 
 minister that a certain church was impossible. 
 To prove his point he called to mind several 
 changes which were made during his pastorate. 
 "But," he insisted, "as soon as I left every- 
 
18 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 thing slipped back." It may be questioned as to 
 just how far that was really a compliment to 
 the preacher's ability. In one way he failed 
 badly. The congregation had not been im- 
 pressed with the need of the reforms which he 
 brought about. 
 
 An instance comes to mind of a church which 
 has recently called a minister. There were two 
 men under consideration and some surprise was 
 expressed that they selected the man they did. 
 A member of the committee volunteered the in- 
 formation. They found that the one man won 
 by his personality and had successful pastorates. 
 But there was always a reaction when he left. 
 The other man builded parishes so substantially 
 that the wheels kept turning until his successor 
 was installed. 
 
 The executive will abhor stunts and mere 
 ^notion. He will utilize the value of having 
 many workers but he will seek to have them 
 working at something which fits into the larger 
 program of the church in ways which are worth 
 while. Carrying wood from one corner in the 
 tcellar to another and then carrying back is not 
 enough. He will want it carried to the stove 
 where it may be burned. 
 
The Minister as an Executive 19 
 
 But his chief work is in building an organiza- 
 tion which will take care of the work. If he 
 gets the organization builded, that will take care 
 of the other necessary things. Whether it is a 
 new church, a financial campaign or any other 
 specific growth that is desired, if he has built 
 his organization and has the resources, the pro- 
 gram will be successfully accomplished. 
 
Chapter II: Forces Which 
 Move Men 
 
 The churchman has always been familiar with 
 the psychology of the crowd. The great evan- 
 gelists and leaders have been masters of that 
 science and the clergy have been influenced by 
 them to a greater or lesser degree. Even to-day 
 the student for the ministry is carefully coached 
 into the method of getting the attention of his 
 congregation and of holding its mind. The 
 psychology of the executive — the man who gets 
 other men to work — 4s of a somewhat different 
 type and a man who can hold large audiences 
 spellbound may find himself in difficulty in 
 working out a constructive program. It is an his- 
 toric fact that crowds may tear down but seldom 
 build up. 
 
 It is also true that the type of mind which 
 falls under the sway of the popular evangelist 
 and feels a strange and mystical delight in meet- 
 ings, oftentimes is helpless when given a com- 
 prehensive task for work. His religion is only 
 
 20 
 
Forces Which Move Men 21 
 
 effective when in meetings. Indeed oftentimes 
 his mind is unable to conceive of religion through 
 service or a program of work. For him it con- 
 sists in getting a good ^^feehng." Methods which 
 in the past have attracted great numbers of 
 people to the church have usually at the same 
 time alienated others who by independent think- 
 ing have a natural reaction to the suggestion of 
 the crowd. 
 
 The minister executive must have more than 
 one string to his bow. He must study the man 
 he would put to work and then see just what 
 weapon he has which will reach the vulnerable 
 point. Let him assume to begin with that 
 every man can be reached by some honorable 
 appeal for service. Some men he instinctively 
 recognizes are bigger than others. He will want 
 them because of their larger influence. But he 
 will not neglect the lesser lights nor the young 
 men and women who have possibilities of lead- 
 ership for the future. The question of leader- 
 ship is the great question for the future of the 
 church. 
 
 Fred C. Kelly in a volume entitled Human 
 Nature in Business, gives considerable space to 
 illustrations showing the different appeals which 
 
22 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 a reporter will use to get next to the man he 
 wishes to interview. John D. Rockefeller was 
 reached by telling him what a fine talk he had 
 given to the children in his Sunday school in 
 Cleveland. The great financier was moved by 
 the compliment to his talking ability and the 
 appreciation of his interest in the Sunday school. 
 The late Chief Justice Fuller reacted to the re- 
 mark, "Mr. Justice, I didn't suppose that a man 
 on the Supreme Court could be so human." Jim 
 Williams, policeman and source of interesting 
 news, could only be handled by his favorite 
 topic, food. Certain U. S. Marines had sore feet. 
 The reporter who learned that fact and used it 
 had no trouble getting interviews. 
 
 Methods'whichwill attract one man will repel 
 another. Kelly tells the instance of a salesman 
 who has a funny story which he used as a way 
 of introduction. It went well with nine men 
 but th^ tenth turned on his heel in disgust. 
 
 "I wouldn't buy anything from you. You're 
 too condemned smart." 
 
 Thus in a church a contest method may be 
 productive with some characters. Others will 
 resent the attempt to draw them in by any such 
 method. 
 
Forces Which Move Men 23 
 
 The controlling forces which the executive 
 may use are many. The classification of ten 
 major forces here will not exhaust them but give 
 an idea of the possibilities. 
 
 1. Self-interest. 
 
 2. Desire for Recognition. 
 
 3. Love of Ceremony. 
 
 4. Influence of Prestige and Imitation. 
 
 5. Competition. 
 
 6. Force of Public Opinion. 
 
 7. Love of Fair Play. 
 
 8. Comradeship. 
 
 9. Inherent Ambition to be of some Service in 
 
 the World. 
 
 10. Constraining Love of Christ. 
 
 I. Self-interest 
 
 This may be the great compelling force of 
 life as the materialist insists. The business exec- 
 utive can make this appeal to those under him. 
 The man who makes good is promoted, his in- 
 come is increased and he receives a larger share 
 of the good things of this life. The minister is 
 paying no salaries to his workers. He must find 
 some other compensation for those who must 
 be reached by the appeal of self interest. This 
 
24 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 may not be as difficult or as immoral as it seems 
 at first when one considers the compensation 
 which the church may offer. 
 
 The average religious task brings a certain self 
 culture to the individual. It increases his per- 
 sonal efficiency and broadens his outlook. I 
 have in mind a man who is now manager of a 
 great department store. He is confident that 
 any executive ability which he possesses was 
 tdeveloped first by acting as superintendent of his 
 :Sunday school. Then for the first time he 
 Jearned how to get along with people. Every 
 reader can bring to his mind instances of workers 
 who have found the teaching of a Sunday school 
 class to lead to a broader appreciation of the 
 problems and opportunities of life. 
 
 It is interesting to find that Prof. E. A. Ross 
 in his Social Psychology gives as one of the 
 prophylactics against the mob mind, participa- 
 tion in volunteer associations. ^'Participation in 
 the management of a society developes ac- 
 quaintance with rules of discussion, tolerance 
 of opponents, love of order, and readiness to 
 abide by the will of the majority. Above all 
 it teaches people to rate the windbag, the ranter, 
 or the sophist at his true worth, and to value the 
 
Forces Which Move Men 25 
 
 less showy qualities of a man by judgment and 
 reason." Here it is of evident self-interest for 
 a person to engage in organized church activity. 
 
 One of the interesting contributions as to the 
 value of religious work comes from a real estate 
 dealer. For some years he has served as trus- 
 tee of a little church although he lives nearer 
 to a stronger one. ^'I handle considerable real 
 estate in that section," he said. ^'One of the 
 best assets in the selling of homes is a good active 
 church. I can't afford not to take an interest in 
 the little church of which I am a trustee." 
 
 It is not necessary to discuss in this book the 
 morality of the various appeals which may be 
 made. Some are much more noble than others. 
 We merely want to outline some of the forces 
 which are at the disposal of the minister who 
 seeks colaborers. The appeal such as that above 
 is a powerful and legitimate one to use. 
 
 II. Desire for Recognition 
 
 This force has a strong appeal for the average 
 man or woman. They like to be recognized as 
 a leader or as having some special ability of 
 some kind or another. They will gladly yield 
 themselves in service when one will yield in re- 
 
26 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 turn the desired recognition. A minister tells of 
 an experience he had with an influential member 
 of the congregation whom he had difficulty in 
 approaching. The preacher could not tell just 
 what was wrong but deliberately set out to find 
 out. He called on the man and in the conver- 
 sation a criticism of a sermon preached a few 
 weeks before was made. The minister was quick 
 to grasp the situation. 
 
 "So you noticed that, did you?" he asked. "I 
 knew it myself but thought no one else would 
 get it. I can see that you are a good judge of 
 sermons." 
 
 He won his man for this man had the reputa- 
 tion of being a connoisseur of good sermons and 
 he wanted his ability recognized. Another may 
 want his political strength recognized, another 
 his ability to preside. Parents may be won if 
 the ability of their children is recognized. As in 
 the instance of John D. Rockefeller told by Fred 
 Kelly, the man reacted to the recognition of his 
 ability to interest children. 
 
 Of course the desire for recognition sometimes 
 approaches the ludicrous. A minister tells that 
 during the war there was a certain Scotchman 
 in the town who distinguished himself by having 
 
Forces Which Move Men 27 
 
 four brothers killed in action. He went from 
 church to church, told his story in the various 
 meetings and delighted in being recognized a 
 patriot. Another instance is of a woman who as 
 a girl was trained in a select school. Although 
 she is sixty years of age now it still requires 
 some intimation of her superior education to get 
 her at work in the church societies. 
 
 III. Love of Ceremony 
 
 The Protestant church is not very well 
 equipped for the exercising of this social force. 
 Our inheritance is a little too strictly intellectual 
 and moral. Founded in a day of democratic im- 
 pulses the prophecy was that eventually men 
 would care little for titles of distinction or elab- 
 orate ceremony. The prophecy has not been 
 fulfilled. The enormous growth of lodges dur- 
 ing the past hundred years is a pretty good indi- 
 cation that there is an instinct in man which 
 seeks the ceremonial. The social explanation of 
 the lodge usually is that it is the sub-conscious 
 outcropping of the days of middle ages when 
 men sought for titles and ranks. So to-day we 
 have our worshipful masters, noble-grands and 
 other celebrities. 
 
28 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 A parade brings out all sorts of orders, the 
 members uniformed with bright colors and 
 badges which would do tribute to the savages 
 of Africa. The writer remembers watching one 
 huge negro who was on the train en route to a 
 convention of his order. He had no shoes on 
 his feet but he had a scarlet uniform with a scar- 
 let hat. A huge white feather was in the hat 
 and he carried a sword in his hand. No un- 
 trained native could have shown a keener de- 
 light in a new piece of dress goods than did this 
 American negro. This love of decoration and 
 ceremony is, as Ross says, "a droll commentary 
 upon a society that has found so much to ridi- 
 cule in the infirmities of the old world." 
 
 Since reading Bishop McConnell's Public 
 Opinion and Theology it seems easy to believe 
 that the present day tendency toward a more 
 ritualistic and ornate service of worship is in 
 response to this love of ceremony. The difficulty 
 is to arrange a service to give all a sufficient part. 
 Still there is the opportunity for the ushers, the 
 choir, the reception committee and in case of 
 social meetings there is always the opportunity 
 to appeal to those who will respond to this force. 
 In the churches which provide for lay distribu- 
 
Forces Which Move Men 29 
 
 tion of the elements there is the chance to utilize 
 the frock coats with sufficient ceremony to inter- 
 est this instinct. 
 
Chapter III: Forces Which 
 Move Men (Continued) 
 
 IV. Prestige and Imitation 
 
 The value of having somebody in a movement 
 who occupies a large place in the public mind is 
 well known to most promotive agencies. In the 
 letter which comes to the desk seeking aid for 
 suffering cats there is always a list of honorary 
 officers for no other purpose than to influence 
 my support. I am much more inclined to con- 
 sider the matter if it is endorsed by Senator 
 Blank. If a church can get some prominent man 
 to head a committee even though a secretary 
 has to do most of his work for him it is usually 
 a good move. Men like to serve on committees 
 which will bring them in touch with prominent 
 men. Many men are always talking about their 
 acquaintance with Judge as if the work- 
 ing with him also brings them the prestige. 
 
 The man of prestige may be reached on the 
 ground of his influence. As a rule, the large men 
 of the land like to have their influence count 
 
 30 
 
Forces Which Move Men 31 
 
 in the right direction. If it can be pointed out 
 to them that the mention of their name or their 
 personal service will urge others to good work 
 they are usually willing to give of their time and 
 interest. 
 
 The mass of people are apt to be very good 
 imitators, in motion at least, of the great or near 
 great. See the many little evangelists who mim- 
 icked Sunday when he was in the days of his 
 glory. Watch the hundreds of choir directors 
 who were miniature Rodeheavers. Let the 
 Prince of Wales change the style of his coat 
 and immediately all the tailors of the realm have 
 orders for the new styles. Mrs. Harding wears 
 blue and all the ladies of the country seek for 
 Harding blue. Many churchmen were brought 
 into the Inter-Church World Movement because 
 John D. Rockefeller, Jr., was interested in it. 
 
 So it is in rehgious activities. Let those who 
 have prestige take an interest and the church 
 world may become the very thing. If they stay 
 out churches will have difficulty in interesting 
 people. It is interesting to conjecture just what 
 effect it would have on church work in general 
 should some of our famous moving picture he- 
 roes or heroines become interested in teaching 
 
32 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 a Sunday school or leading a Christian Endeavor 
 meeting. If the millions of young girls should 
 follow their example as intently as do their style 
 of hair dressing America might have a real re- 
 vival of religion. 
 
 V. Competition 
 
 Everybody loves the game where the competi- 
 tion is strong. The youngest child delights to 
 put his ability against that of his brother or 
 neighbor. And the same spirit persists until the 
 end of life. The octogenarian is proud of his 
 walking ability. The civil war veteran delights 
 to show his marching strength in the parade with 
 the veterans of the Great War. The writer re- 
 members in a recent church drive seeing digni- 
 fied elders long past middle life chuckling be- 
 cause of a slight advantage their team had over 
 a neighboring one. 
 
 The church can use this spirit. Church com- 
 petition is not an entirely bad thing. People 
 can be moved to action by the play spirit of com- 
 petition. Churches have learned from the war 
 time drives of the value of assigning quotas to 
 various churches allowing competition between 
 them. Sunday schools and church societies have 
 
Forces Which Move Men 33 
 
 lound membership contests of value in building 
 up the various enterprises. People will be 
 dragged out in a contest who will answer no 
 other appeal. 
 
 But the greatest appeal to the spirit is the 
 contest between the forces of righteousness and 
 sin. Let a temperance or law enforcement fight 
 come and the minister can enlist new supporters. 
 If he can show that he is continually fighting 
 against enemies in the building of his organiza- 
 tion the very spirit of competition will lead men 
 to support him. Some ministers very cleverly 
 display news of enemies they are fighting with- 
 out asserting just who or what the enemies are. 
 Perhaps they do not know. But it is sufficient 
 to declare them to win support from some quar- 
 ters. 
 
 VI. Force of Public Opinion 
 
 Public opinion does nearly everything. 
 Bishop McConnell doubts that there has ever 
 been a form of government which was not 
 shaped by the opinion of the governed. Un- 
 fortunately even in our day, public opinion is 
 not always stable. Sometimes wise promoters 
 create or unmake it for specific ends. But 
 
34 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 when it is really once shaped, no man will stand 
 against it. 
 
 "After an overwhelming public opinion has 
 been reached in consequence of adequate dis- 
 cussion, the subject is dismissed from the atten- 
 tion of society and the conclusion, entering the 
 current of tradition, passes quietly from genera- 
 tion to generation along with other transmitted 
 beliefs and standards." Ross. 
 
 A minister's work is made difficult or easy 
 according to the attitude of public opinion. The 
 church should strike hard when the pendulum 
 swings its way. Certain moral reactions in the 
 world are now tending to emphasize the per- 
 manency of the church as contrasted with the 
 temporariness of human institutions. This can 
 be used to advantage. And then there is a cur- 
 rent belief which is becoming strong that the 
 church, as has been taught by preachers, is the 
 one institution between human society and 
 chaos. 
 
 A prominent contractor in one of our large 
 cities who has never been noted for attentiveness 
 to church was recently canvassed for a pledge for 
 a new church building. His pledge came easily 
 with an explanation. 
 
Forces Which Move Men 35 
 
 "This war has opened my eyes to many 
 things. I do not beHeve that any citizen has a 
 right to be indifferent toward the demands of 
 either the public school or the church." 
 
 VII. Fair Play 
 
 This is a distinctly American characteristic. 
 Says Henry Van Dyke: "The spirit of fair play 
 in its deepest origin, is a kind of religion." And 
 it certainly belongs to those nobler appeals 
 which one can make for Christian service. Many 
 of the social forces we appeal to are used not for 
 themselves but for the end. This can be used 
 for itself as well. 
 
 The church stands for fair play in a world 
 which is unfair. It claims to be free in a world 
 where nearly every other institution is tied by 
 conditions. Take the statement in the sermon 
 by Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick, "The ministry 
 is not for sale," is a tremendous appeal for the 
 support of right thinking men and women. Gen- 
 eral opinion has it that the press is subsidized 
 for a purpose, that houses of entertainment are 
 run for a profit, that wealth can buy verdicts of 
 the courts. If the church can make an unpreju- 
 diced appeal to the people of the world, standing 
 
J 
 
 36 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 for fair play for all, there will be a tremendous 
 response. 
 
 VIII. Comradeship 
 
 Mankind is hungry for friendship. The word 
 friend has become one of the most sacred words 
 of life. The church is one of the greatest friend 
 making forces in the world. Its various societies 
 draw men together, give an opportunity for 
 youths and maidens to become acquainted and 
 the working together in altruistic enterprises 
 strengthens the friendship. 
 
 The stock in trade of the average church is 
 friendliness. Without it, it would be paralyzed. 
 The church which can make an appeal that it 
 has a congenial group of spirits at work and can 
 back it up in actual practice has a mighty draw- 
 ing force. Some would even question whether 
 denominationalism plays as important a part in 
 the selection of a church for worship as does 
 friendliness. 
 
 In the family of a certain Methodist minister 
 there are four boys. Some time ago they were 
 worshipping with four different denominations in 
 four different cities. They were found in Pres- 
 byterian, Unitarian, Baptist and Episcopal 
 
Forces Which Move Men 37 
 
 churches. In each instance the same reason was 
 given. They found congenial spirits. 
 
 IX. The Inherent Desire to be of Some Service 
 in the World 
 
 Here indeed is a noble appeal and most men 
 at some time or another have felt it. No one 
 wants to die with the feeling that the world has 
 been no better because he has lived. He wants 
 to leave something in noble service to build up 
 after he has gone. A grave marker is not suffi- 
 cient. A man of limited means accompanied a 
 party in the survey of a very active rural com- 
 munity church. He became impressed with its 
 possibilities. 
 
 ^'If I had a million dollars I would endow 
 something like that in my own community," he 
 asserted. "But since I have not I will give what 
 I have that in conjunction with others we may 
 make our own work most worth while." 
 
 A young man had recently been promoted to 
 a foremanship in his shop. 
 
 "Technically, I can handle the work all right," 
 he told his pastor, "but I want to do something 
 to cast the right thoughts over the lives of the 
 men." 
 
38 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 And take the statement of Sergeant York, the 
 war's greatest hero. He has been appealed to 
 to pose for moving pictures at a large salary. 
 
 "I want to do something for Jesus Christ and 
 his Kingdom," is his answer. 
 
 X. ''The Love of Christ Constraineth Us'' 
 
 Every minister would be delighted if he could 
 deal with this quality with all of his workers. 
 Unfortunately he cannot. Not all of them 
 have felt the constraining love of Christ. But 
 those who have will go all of the way. The 
 others will go part way. They will work and 
 help, led by some force or another. But it is 
 only those who know this constraining love who 
 will go to the point of sacrifice. 
 
 But the minister should be constantly on the 
 lookout for hearts which are being kissed by 
 this love. The real strength of the church will 
 be found in the band who are ready to go all of 
 the way. And happy is that minister who has his 
 tasks made lighter by the force of this appeal. 
 
 "Moreover, a more excellent way show I unto 
 you. If I speak with the tongues of men and of 
 angels but have not love, I am become sounding 
 brass or a clanging cymbal." 
 
Chapter IV: The Church 
 Office 
 
 The minister executive will have an office. It 
 is as necessary as tools for the mechanic. The 
 salesman may sell without a store but an exec- 
 utive must have an office from which to direct 
 his many salesmen and workers. The office may 
 be in the parsonage, rectory, manse, hired room 
 or the church, but to be effective in his field 
 there must be an office with an opportunity to 
 equip it reasonably well for his task. 
 
 The traditional tasks of the ministry, espe- 
 cially in the mind of laymen, were of two kinds, 
 pulpit^ and pastoral. Churches in considering 
 prospective ministers would seek to learn 
 whether their candidate was a good preacher or 
 a good pastor. In contrast to this the modern 
 church looks to several phases as were men- 
 tioned in the first chapter. For the two tradi- 
 tional tasks he needed a church and a study. In 
 the average church this study was located in his 
 
 39 
 
40 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 home easily available for himself. The transi- 
 tion has not been reached by any means. There 
 are many churches to-day contemplating church 
 structures which provide for a minister's study 
 in the new building but do not provide for a 
 church office. On the other hand, the writer has 
 a church of a thousand members in mind in a 
 city of five hundred thousand which recently 
 builded a church and labeled one room with a 
 sign, "Church Office.'' The only use it is put 
 to is to distribute envelopes from once a year and 
 to store umbrellas on rainy Sundays. All of the 
 real executive work of the minister is xione from 
 his home. 
 
 The contrast between the old and the new 
 can be seen from the announcements of two dif- 
 ferent churches. 
 
 "The minister would be glad to see any who 
 may care to call upon him. His study is in the 
 back part of the Chapel building, and may be 
 reached by the stone path leading from the road 
 running beside the chapel. Any one regardless 
 of religious affiliation is most cordially invited.'' 
 
 Contrast the invitation with this: 
 
 "Church office with entrance on Green street 
 open from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. Phone Oxford 647." 
 
The Church Office 41 
 
 It was wise to announce the directions for 
 reaching the study in the first instance, for one 
 would have a difficult time otherwise to find the 
 minister. In the second instance the office is 
 within twenty feet of the side walk. 
 
 The church office, preferably located in the 
 church, should be easily accessible. There may 
 be some exceptions to this, as in the one man 
 office, when accessibility to the office also means 
 instant accessibility to the minister. But if the 
 minister has a helper he can protect his own 
 time and still meet the needs of the modern 
 office. But the office should never be located in 
 some out of way corner in the church which can- 
 not be used for anything else, and which can 
 only be reached by passing through the audi- 
 torium or a number of rooms which would be 
 puzzling to a stranger. As a newspaper man 
 seeking interviews one can testify that it is usu- 
 ally more difficult to locate the minister's office 
 in a church than it is to locate the office of any 
 business or professional man in a large office 
 building. It is little wonder that the church 
 secretary will look up rather surprised when one 
 finally overcomes the winding halls and steps into 
 the office of the prosperous church. 
 
42 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 The great need of an office in the modern 
 church organization is for centralization of its 
 work. It has been stated that what business 
 would consider chaos the modern church would 
 interpret as democracy. It is true that in many 
 churches with a treasurer living in one part of 
 the town and the clerk living in another and the 
 minister devoting his time in his study it is dif- 
 ficult to tell just where things are at. The church 
 office should have information at hand instantly 
 in regard to the various activities of the church. 
 It should be the natural place for people to seek 
 information concerning the church. But it is 
 well to recognize that any general rules laid 
 down may not prove elastic enough to meet all 
 conditions, so we will divide church offices into 
 three classes as they are in operation to-day. 
 
 1. The one man office. 
 
 2. The office with one helper dividing time 
 
 with other tasks. 
 
 3. The fully equipped office with two or 
 
 more helpers. 
 
 The One Man Office 
 
 Most church offices will be one man offices and 
 the man in most of these offices is struggling with 
 
The Church Office 43 
 
 more confusing detail than he can satisfactorily 
 handle and will protest against any which will 
 place burdens upon him. He feels the need of 
 the office and labor saving machinery and pos- 
 sibly has invested in some. Perhaps he has tried 
 to save money for the church by purchasing a 
 mimeograph or a duplicator for parish letters 
 and has had more or less success in using it. Suc- 
 cess in this respect usually means getting out a 
 letter which is plain enough so that it can be 
 read. All labor saving devices may have a place 
 in the church office. Many churches use them 
 with success but it may be doubted if they are 
 a part of the one man office. 
 
 The executive office must not be confused with 
 an office for petty detail work and the minister 
 must not devote his time to clerical labors. I 
 know of instances where ministers print an- 
 nouncements of various kinds for the church be- 
 cause they have equipment and ability in that 
 respect. But the executive office is not a print- 
 ing establishment and the minister is not a prin- 
 ter. He has a larger task than that. Again it 
 may be doubted if the one man office should try 
 to keep all of the various reports, church and 
 financial, and prepare the various statistics. If 
 
44 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 the minister becomes too much of a clerk he will 
 become too little of an executive. 
 
 Usually the one man office will be office and 
 study combined. It will require some attention 
 in an instance such as this to make the proper 
 division of time and to have all things in an or- 
 derly manner. It may require some effort to 
 keep the prophetic spirit in the ministry under 
 such conditions. But it is being successfully 
 done. 
 
 Equipment needed in one man office. 
 
 1. Flat top desk. 
 
 2. Typewriter. 
 
 3. Five sets of files. 
 
 (a) Communicant list. 
 
 (b) Contact list. 
 
 (c) Correspondence. 
 
 (d) Church reports and bulletins. 
 
 (e) Officers' reports. 
 
 4. Stationery, ink, pens, pins, paper clips, 
 etc. 
 
 6. Telephone. 
 
 A desk properly used may be a complete office 
 in itself. There are some patented desks which 
 have files built into them. The average one can 
 be utilized for filing with a little attention. The 
 
The Church Office 45 
 
 present tendency is to keep the top of the desk 
 clear for work. It is almost an axiom that the 
 good executive has a clean desk. 
 
 The typewriter is about the only mechan- 
 ical device which is essential to the one man 
 office. This is necessary for correspondence and 
 for getting out copy for the printer. There will 
 be more or less matter to be mailed to the various 
 constituents during the year. Letters may be 
 mimeographed and the copy will be prepared in 
 the church office. Then it should be turned over 
 to a commercial office for completion. There 
 are several styles of these circular letters. The 
 cheapest and probably the most unsatisfactory 
 way is to mimeograph it. Then it may be print- 
 ed. Then there are certain machines which con- 
 tain type which do a good job. But the best style 
 for the average circular letter is to submit the 
 copy from the typev/riter and have it matched in 
 letter and color. Then- each letter may be 
 headed with the typewriter, giving the effect of 
 a personal letter. 
 
 The various files are simple and need scarcely 
 a word of explanation. The use of the com- 
 munion card will be explained in another chap- 
 ter. The contact list is the larger list used for 
 
46 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 recording calls. Two colors of cards are neces- 
 sary here. One is for church members, the other 
 for non members. This list may also include 
 business houses and men with whom the church 
 deals. Correspondence of importance will be 
 preserved by carbon copy. It is well to keep all 
 printed reports of church progress. While the 
 one man office will not attempt to keep the offi- 
 cers' records for them it will keep copies 
 of their reports. Officers should be expected to 
 present their reports in duplicate so that the min- 
 ister may know just how every department of 
 the church is standing. 
 
 The telephone is a necessity and yet it may 
 be abused. In many instances it is a loss of time 
 and money. Much matter can be handled better 
 by mail than by telephone. And with the service 
 as it is given in many cities to-day much time can 
 be wasted waiting to get the desired party. To 
 get a man by telephone is apt to be fruitless un- 
 less he is at home. If you leave word with the 
 family the message will be forgotten or so 
 changed that its meaning may not be evident. 
 A letter, on the other hand, reaches the man 
 and gives its message. Rates vary but in most 
 communities a message by mail is cheaper than 
 
The Church Office 47 
 
 one by telephone when everything is consid- 
 ered. 
 
 The Office with One Helper 
 
 When a church gets a membership of around 
 five hundred members the minister is usually 
 granted a helper. The tasks of the helper are 
 not very clearly defined and is dependent some- 
 what upon the training of the person employed. 
 Usually the assistant takes over the office de- 
 tail, looks after certain organized work and 
 makes more or less of the parish calls. There 
 is a growing field here for young women who 
 are attracted to the work of the church and have 
 the ability and training to do the work. A 
 woman will usually handle the clerical work bet- 
 ter than a man and there are other reasons why 
 a church, if it can have but one assistant, should 
 employ a woman. Every minister who has had 
 a tactful woman doing parish work for him ap- 
 preciates the value of a woman in the church 
 machinery. 
 
 When the minister has a helper the office 
 should contain two rooms. The prophetic work 
 of the minister requires a certain amount of soli- 
 tude. His best sermons will be worked out when 
 
48 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 he is by himself. The employment of a helper 
 will make him a better preacher and better 
 executive. Many inquiries at the office can be 
 taken care of by the helper and the minister can 
 protect his time. 
 
 At this enlargement of the office new labor 
 saving devices may be introduced. If the helper 
 has had a business school training perhaps a 
 mimeograph or printing machine may be a wise 
 investment. An addressograph may be used to 
 get mail out in a hurry. Some churches, how^- 
 ever, have a prejudice against any mechanical 
 device which might cause a cheap appearance in 
 mail which is sent out. 
 
 Many of the detail matters which have been 
 taken care of by the volunteer officers can now 
 be taken over by the office. The church en- 
 velopes can be ordered and addressed there. 
 Sunday collections may be tabulated and the 
 money banked. All church mail can be received 
 and redirected to the proper person. Church 
 societies can call on the office to help them out 
 with announcements and letters. 
 
 The Large Office 
 
 For this section of the chapter we will consider 
 
The Church Office 49 
 
 the new offices of the Westminster Presbyterian 
 church, Buffalo, N. Y., a church of 1200 mem- 
 bers. The staff consists of the pastor, an asso- 
 ciate, a church visitor, and two secretaries. The 
 offices occupy four rooms, two on the first 
 and two on the second floor. The rooms 
 on the first floor are for the associate and his 
 secretary. Entering the offices one comes face 
 to face with the secretary who is also the oper- 
 ator of the telephone system in the church and 
 parish house. Beyond this room is the office of 
 the associate who devotes the greater part of his 
 time to financial organization of the church. All 
 of the treasurer's records are kept in his office, 
 he receives the bills and has the checks drawn 
 for the treasurer's signature. It is evident that 
 with a budget of nearly $50,000 per year 
 the treasurer must have some help like this 
 if he is to have any time for his personal busi- 
 ness. 
 
 The office and study of the pastor are on the 
 second floor, reached only by passing through 
 the lower offices. Visitors are received only by 
 appointment. Here the pastoral records of the 
 church are kept, for Dr. S. V. V. Holmes, the 
 minister, is the pastor as well as the preacher. 
 
50 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 He is well protected with time for study and yet 
 accessible when there is need. 
 
 Two things attracted the attention of the 
 writer in a recent visit to these offices. The first 
 was the absence of any labor saving machinery. 
 The idea is that the work turned out is cheap in 
 appearance and does not make the impression 
 which is necessary. Second was the bound vol- 
 umes of the weekly bulletin by which any infor- 
 mation concerning the history of the church 
 could be instantly secured. 
 
Chapter V: The Minister 
 and His Official Board 
 
 In practically every modern form of local 
 church government the minister finds himself in 
 the center of a group of officials. These officials 
 may have another chairman elected but this 
 chairman is to a large degree dependent upon the 
 minister for suggestions as to the purposes of 
 the meeting. In other churches the minister will 
 act as chairman of the board. There are advan- 
 tages and disadvantages to both plans. If the 
 minister is the chairman he is estopped by posi- 
 tion from arguing from the floor on matters 
 which he understands better than any one else. 
 On the other hand, if he is on the floor he may 
 lack the prestige which the chairmanship would 
 give him. Then again the personality of the man 
 may decide where he can be the most useful. 
 
 But wherever he is placed, he is looked to for 
 
 51 
 
52 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 help in the practical points of the discussion and 
 to point out the ways of accomplishment. 
 
 There are six principles which the demo- 
 cratic church board should jealously defend. 
 They are — 
 
 1. Free and open discussion. 
 
 2. A fair and honest vote. 
 
 3. A graceful yielding to the will of the ma- 
 
 jority. 
 
 4. Action. 
 
 5. Complete records of proceedings. 
 
 6. An understandable report of its activities 
 
 to the congregation. 
 The violation of any of these principles is apt 
 to cause disorder among the members of the 
 boards and in the end lack of confidence on the 
 part of the congregation. 
 
 First Step that of Organization 
 
 The first step, of course, is that of organiza- 
 tion. The church laws and procedure usually 
 regulate the election of officers and assign their 
 duties. Notices of the first meeting should be 
 sent out by mail as should those of the succeed- 
 ing meetings. There have been several ways of 
 notifying members of the meetings to be held. 
 
Minister and His Official Board 53 
 
 Some of these are indicated in reverse order of 
 their usefulness. 
 
 1. Have no regular meeting night but call 
 
 people up when a meeting is desired. 
 
 2. Have a regular meeting night and expect 
 
 all to remember it. 
 
 3. Announce it from the pulpit. If a man 
 
 isn't there expect his wife to tell him. 
 
 4. Notify members by telephone or person- 
 
 ally. 
 
 5. Mail out a form card reminder several 
 
 days before the meeting. 
 
 6. Send out an announcement by mail call- 
 
 ing attention to the items of business 
 to be considered. 
 
 Calvary Presbyterian Church 
 Mr. Robert Minnes, 
 
 48 Ducater St. 
 Dear Mr, Minnes: 
 
 The next regular meeting of the church ses- 
 sion will be held in the session room on Mon- 
 day evening, April 8th. Among the important 
 matters to be considered are : 
 
 1. The suspension of certain members ac- 
 cording to the disciplinarian form. 
 
54 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 2. The group plan of organization. 
 
 3. Our new benevolent quota. 
 
 Very truly yours, 
 
 Robert Harness, 
 Clerk. 
 
 It may fall to the task of the church office — 
 it doubtless will if the office has a stenographer — 
 to prepare these forms for the clerk, but experi- 
 ence has shown that any announcement less than 
 this does not get the efficiency that this plan does. 
 The pulpit announcement reaches but a few peo- 
 ple. The personal invitation is too informal 
 when it is used continuously and it puts too 
 great a burden upon one's time. Telephone calls 
 are not very effective. Many times the person 
 sought is out and the message is taken by some 
 one else. The formal notice from printed stock 
 gets to be an old story. The individual notice 
 is the best for getting attendance and in the 
 failure of any member to be present he at least 
 knows what is taking place so that he cannot 
 plead ignorance as to the affairs of the church. 
 
 The minister will see that a proper docket for 
 the business of the meeting is prepared. This is 
 the duty of the chairman and the clerk but the 
 
Minister and His Official Board 55 
 
 wise minister will know how to prepare the 
 docket he wishes. It may be given as a sugges- 
 tion to the chairman or the two will work it out 
 together. The best way is to have a typewTitten 
 or printed copy of this docket for each member 
 as he comes into the room. A less effective but 
 satisfactory way is to use a black board to get 
 the various matters before the meeting. The 
 docket will not alone give the members the items 
 to be considered but will unconsciously remind 
 them that there is need of deliberation and dis- 
 patch to accomplish the purpose of the meeting. 
 It is the best remedy for idle talking and story 
 telling which disgrace so many meetings that 
 can be used. No one is going to ask, "Have we 
 anything else to consider?" for he knows just 
 what is ahead. 
 
 (Sample) 
 Docket for meeting, June 8. 
 Reading of minutes of previous meeting for 
 information. 
 
 Reports of clerk and treasurers. 
 Reports of special committees. 
 
 1. On men's dinner. 
 
 2. On summer pulpit supply. 
 
56 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 Old Business. 
 
 1. Summer Camp. 
 New Business. 
 
 1. Bills. 
 
 2. Sale of the French St. Property. 
 
 3. Letting contract with printer for weekly 
 
 bulletin. 
 Reading of minutes for approval. 
 
 Be Thorough 
 
 Each item of business should be disposed of 
 before the next is considered unless there is a 
 motion to change the order for some valid reason. 
 When the time for adjournment comes every 
 matter should be in its place as distinctly as the 
 mechanic puts his tools in their places. The 
 committees which have reported should be dis- 
 charged. If new committees are to be appointed 
 they should be appointed at the meeting or a 
 definite agreement made that they shall be ap- 
 pointed at such a time as is most convenient. 
 The appointment of committee should have at 
 least as much publicity as the decision to appoint 
 such a committee. 
 
 The good executive should have the motto 
 "Finis" constantly before his mind. We lose 
 
Minister and His Official Board SI 
 
 more in church work by starting things we 
 never finish than in almost any other way. The 
 work of the board must be driven to the end. 
 Committees must bring in reports and not alone 
 accept appointments for certain tasks. From 
 meeting to meeting they should be called to re- 
 port progress and if progress cannot be made a 
 note to that effect should be in the records. 
 
 One of the most successful executives that the 
 writer knows of lays considerable emphasis upon 
 this one point. The officers of his church are 
 supposed to reach every family in the church 
 before each communion. The post communion 
 meeting takes up each district and gets a re- 
 port of the families. If one officer reports a 
 certain family as ^'not there," he is immediately 
 instructed to find out where it is. Thus with 
 an insistence on the finishing up of the work but 
 a few families out of a total membership of 
 2400 are out of touch with the church office. 
 
 Members who do not attend the meetings of 
 the board should eventually be dropped. But 
 they should be retained until every means has 
 been tried of getting them to seriously act. 
 Sometimes the clerk of the meeting prepares a 
 brief synopsis of the business transacted at the 
 
58 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 meeting and mails it the next day to the absent 
 members. Constant reminders such as the in- 
 dividual notice and the report of the business 
 frequently bring results. The reader is urged 
 to study Chapters II and III on forces which 
 move men very thoroughly in the endeavor to 
 exhaust every drawing force which is moral and 
 legitimate before giving up any case as hopeless. 
 
 The official board will be judged by the con- 
 gregation more by the results it secures than by 
 the fairness of its deliberations. The holding 
 of the meetings to certain rules of order is neces- 
 sary for the maintaining of morale in the body 
 itself but its work cannot stop there. I have in 
 mind a certain minister who as he was leaving 
 the field indulged in some frank statements re- 
 garding his officers. 
 
 "Yes," he admitted. "You were the best 
 group of voters I ever knew. You always voted 
 me permission to do things." 
 
 It further reminds one of the instance where 
 the church officers voted to increase the salary 
 of the minister. 
 
 "Don't do it, Brethren, I entreat you. I have 
 all I can do to raise my present salary. I am 
 
Minister and His Official Board 59 
 
 sure that the increased burden will be more than 
 I can stand.'' 
 
 The generally accepted way to get the neces- 
 sary action is through the appointment of com- 
 mittees and their work. This will be treated 
 in the next chapter. 
 
Chapter VI: Committee 
 Organization and Manage- 
 ment 
 
 Function of Committees 
 
 A committee is appointed to get something 
 done. But there seems to be a broadcast opin- 
 ion that if you want to impede the progress of 
 any movement that it should be placed in the 
 hands of the committee. One minister insists 
 that a committee must have some relation with 
 the committal service. Once committed a mat- 
 ter is surely dead. 
 
 A bank commissioner in Michigan, who had 
 become annoyed at the intermediate delays 
 which hampered committee work in public or- 
 ganizations, once declared that he might define 
 a committee as, "A thing which would spend 
 a month doing what one man would accomplish 
 in a forenoon." 
 
 And still the fact remains that a committee 
 which knows its business and knows how to go 
 
 60 
 
Committee Organization 61 
 
 at it to get action is the most direct means of 
 reaching the desired end. 
 
 Special and Standing Committee 
 
 There is a general swing to-day in favor of 
 special committees in preference to standing 
 committees. Standing committees are too apt 
 to take their name seriously and consider immo- 
 bility the chief virtue. They may not know just 
 when their task begins nor where it ends. A 
 special committee on the other hand is appointed 
 for a certain task. Its work begins when the 
 appointment with the statement of purposes is 
 put into its hands and its work is finished when 
 it makes its final report on the matter submitted 
 to it. If a standing committee should prove in- 
 effective the church is usually helpless until the 
 expiration of its term of office. If a special 
 committee proves abortive it is a simple matter 
 to call for a report and discharge it, committing 
 the further consideration of the subject to an- 
 other special committee. 
 
 When the Committee Is Named Give It its Task 
 When the official board of the church author- 
 izes a committee it does so for a certain task and 
 
62 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 the committee must know just what that task 
 is. The chairman as a rule will appoint the com- 
 mittee. Sometimes the motion from the floor 
 will include certain names which are to be in- 
 cluded. At other times the minister will appoint 
 the committees. A very wise plan is to have a 
 committee on committees. This would be one 
 of the few standing committees and would in- 
 clude the chairman of the board and the minister. 
 They must appreciate that their work is not 
 done when a committee is appointed. They 
 must see that it understands its task and that 
 it works. Many motions are made in a hazy 
 way and the committee may be misled in its 
 task unless it is given to it in detail. 
 
 Here is an instance of a church which voted 
 at a men's dinner to formally organize a men's 
 club in the fall of that year. The chairman of 
 the meeting was authorized to appoint a com- 
 mittee. When the appointment was made the 
 following note was mailed to the chairman: 
 "Dear Sir: 
 
 At a dinner of the men of the church 
 held on Tuesday last a committee was au- 
 thorized for the following purposes: 
 
 1. To plan and provide for a similar din- 
 
Committee Organization 63 
 
 ner in the fall to which all men of the church 
 should be invited. 
 
 2. To provide constitution and by-laws for 
 a men^s club to be presented for their consid- 
 eration at that meeting. 
 
 3. To nominate officers for the club, these 
 nominees to be voted on at that meeting. 
 
 You have been appointed as chairman of 
 that committee with the following men to as- 
 sist you." 
 
 Here followed the names of the men on the 
 committee and the letter was signed by the chair- 
 man of the meeting authorizing the committee. 
 With this statement before it there is no doubt 
 in the mind of the committee as to its duties and 
 its limitations. When the dinner is held and 
 action taken on the constitution and by-laws 
 and officers elected, the committee has completed 
 its work. The directions are definite, with a be- 
 ginning and an end. 
 
 Who Shall Serve on Committees 
 
 It requires skill to appoint working com- 
 mittees. Some churches would require all com- 
 mittees appointed by an official board to be 
 members of that board. Others are satisfied 
 
64 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 with a chairman from the board and the com- 
 mittee drawn from the membership at large. 
 The broader a committee is, the better for its 
 work. 
 
 1. The chairman must be one of executive 
 abihty, who knows what is to be done and how 
 to do it. 
 
 2. The committee should be broad enough in 
 personnel to dissipate any complaint of clique 
 control. 
 
 3. The committee should always be ap- 
 pointed with the future in mind. The eyes 
 should be open to latent material. Give new 
 material a chance to develop. When a person 
 does good work on a committee try him higher 
 up next time. Keep developing leaders. 
 
 Getting the Committee Together 
 
 Once it has been appointed the next task is 
 to get the committee together to begin its work. 
 In the instance of the committee just appointed 
 it is comparatively easy to follow it in its pro- 
 cesses. If it had a longer and harder task its 
 work would be more complex but this makes an 
 excellent instance for illustrative purposes. 
 
 First, the members must be notified. Let the 
 
Committee Organization 65 
 
 chairman select a date for the meeting and then 
 send a note to each member similar to the one 
 which was sent to him. The first meeting may 
 be a short one merely for organization or to 
 decide upon a time when all could devote some 
 time to the proposition. More and more in 
 the cities the luncheon hour is being utilized for 
 such meetings. Where that is impossible an 
 hour from an evening can be used to get started. 
 
 Step by Step Analysis 
 
 The step by step analysis is the program pre- 
 pared by the chairman for the progress of the 
 committee. The minister may have suggested 
 the program for his consideration. It is simply 
 a list of suggestions for the meeting to act on 
 one way or another. 
 
 FIRST MEETING 
 
 1. What date shall we decide on for the din- 
 ner? 
 
 2. Shall a sub-committee be appointed to 
 confer with any organization which might care 
 to furnish the dinner? 
 
 3. Shall a sub-committee be appointed to se- 
 
66 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 cure and study copies of the constitution and 
 by-laws of various church clubs for men? 
 
 4. Shall a sub-committee: be appointed to 
 present nominations at the next meeting of this 
 committee? 
 
 SECOND MEETING 
 
 1. Report of the various sub-committees. 
 
 (a) Dinner. 
 
 (b) Constitution. 
 
 (c) Nominations. 
 
 2. Shall we appoint a committee to sell 
 tickets or shall the whole committee act as a 
 promotion committee? 
 
 3. Shall we appoint a sub-committee on a 
 program? 
 
 When the dinner is held and the reports from 
 the committee presented and accepted the com- 
 mittee has finished its work. The meeting 
 should vote to discharge it with thanks. 
 
 The Chairman Should Analyze His Task 
 
 The good chairman is usually a man with an 
 analytic mind. He must be able, not alone to 
 have a vision of the work which is his, but must 
 
Committee Organization 67 
 
 also be able to divide the work into practical 
 details among the members of the committee. 
 When the chairman lacks this quality the result 
 is apt to be that he does all of the work with 
 the other members of the committee looking on. 
 
 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 
 (3) 
 
 Advertiset 
 
 LADIES AID 
 
 (3) 
 
 SESSION 
 
 (3) 
 
 LLmCHSON 
 
 SUNDAY SCHOOL 
 (3) 
 
 Enteriainment 
 
 S S Trans Tickets 
 
 I TICKETS I 
 
 COMMITTEE ANALYSIS IN DIAGRAM 
 
 Often times a chairman is helped by pre- 
 paring a diagram like the one presented here 
 which was used by the chairman of a committee 
 which had a church picnic in charge. Here, he 
 has his work divided among the twelve members 
 of the committee. It is an aid to him and also 
 helps each member to see the task as a whole. 
 Many times when an able chairman is able to 
 carry all of the details in his own mind such a 
 
68 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 chart will help to bring his committee to an ap- 
 preciation of its responsibilities. 
 
 Saying ^^Thank You'' Helps 
 
 The wise executive will take pains to thank 
 the chairman of a committee when the task is 
 finished. Let him write a nice note of appre- 
 ciation. It may encourage the chairman in turn 
 to write to his helpers. Every human being 
 likes to feel that he has done his task well and 
 then — there may be use for him again before 
 many months. 
 
 Lucius E. Wilson in his treatise on committee 
 management gives a warning against adjourn- 
 ing without deciding upon the time and place 
 of the next meeting. 
 
 *'One important point to bear in mind is that 
 no committee should ever adjourn before de- 
 termining the time and place of the next meet- 
 ing and the next step to be taken. In other 
 words, no committee must be permitted to in- 
 dulge in discussions without ending that discus- 
 sion with a definite decision, even if the de- 
 cision be no more than the determination of the 
 next meeting and the next step. Discussion 
 without decision is demoralizing." 
 
Committee Organization 69 
 
 And again in the same treatise. 
 
 'The bane of the average committee is aim- 
 less discussion. The next most serious draw- 
 back is a member with a faculty for telling good 
 stories. He is usually the chap who fails to come 
 to the next meeting because the one which he 
 succeeded in breaking up did not amount to 
 much. This is where the program comes in, for 
 it permits the chairman to hold the committee 
 to its task. 
 
 'The idea for the secretary to have in mind 
 in connection with committee meetings is this; 
 — to make every committee a real event, a gath- 
 ering for the discussion of a vital problem at; 
 which measurable progress is made/' 
 
Chapter VII: Keeping in 
 
 Touch with the 
 
 Congregation 
 
 Of course the minister must not be so con- 
 fined to the work of his board and committees 
 that he forgets that he has a congregation. The 
 rule still holds that a minister must know his 
 people. If any addition has been made to the 
 old saying of a "house going pastor makes a 
 church going people" it is that the minister of 
 to-day always has some task to keep his people 
 busy at. The minister who always has in hand 
 a reserve of healthy spiritual tasks for his people 
 will have one of the keys of parish success. 
 
 The minister who insisted that anybody who 
 left his church would do so because they couldn't 
 stand the pace had a good conception of human 
 psychology. People may be easily grieved but 
 they will hesitate to admit that the reason for 
 their grief is that they were not strong enough 
 
 70 
 
Keep in Touch with Congregation 71 
 
 spiritually to take their places in the ranks of 
 the workers. 
 
 A reserve of good healthy tasks may also help 
 the pastor to test the sincerity of many of his 
 loudest professors of righteousness. A story is 
 told by one minister, who in the days of the war 
 found a very patriotic woman who was not sat- 
 isfied with the government, her church or any- 
 body except herself. Her love for the poor sol- 
 dierboys was immense. 
 
 "I would be so glad to see them coming back/' 
 she insisted, "that if I should hear to-day that 
 they were returning, I would crawl on my hands 
 and knees for miles to meet them." 
 
 "That is splendid," said her pastor, "I wish 
 that we had others of such noble sentiments. I 
 was just at the Red Cross rooms and they have 
 difficulty in finding women who will sacrifice a 
 little time to knit. I will have to tell them about 
 you. If you can't get to the rooms the yarn 
 will be sent to you here." 
 
 "Oh, don't do that," explained the woman. 
 "You see I have a big house and I couldn't pos- 
 sibly get time to knit. I say, let them that have 
 less work do that." 
 
 Another minister who was engaged in business 
 
72 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 operations for a new church was constantly irri- 
 tated by a man of the congregation who kept 
 coming into the office to see how things were 
 going and offer suggestions and criticisms. The 
 committee was having difficulty in finding a 
 bank to finance the proposition and this was his 
 particular point of attack. 
 
 The minister was wise enough to see his weak- 
 ness and had him appointed on a special finance 
 committee. He visited a half-dozen banks. With- 
 out a good conception of business methods he 
 failed, as was expected. But he at least kept 
 quiet after that. 
 
 There will be many opportunities of the per- 
 sonal touch in the average congregation which 
 gives the minister a chance to test his skill in 
 handling men but of course such instances can- 
 not be substituted for a good hold on a con- 
 gregation. Wise and wide methods are neces- 
 sary for the best results. The congregation must 
 be kept informed and held. 
 
 Pulpit Announcements 
 
 The minister may utilize the time given for 
 pulpit announcements to talk directly to his con- 
 gregation upon vital church matters. Some min- 
 
Keep in Touch with Congregation 73 
 
 isters are able to use five minutes in establish- 
 ing an almost personal relationship with the 
 parish in that way. Policies may be stated, the 
 congregation admitted into the working secrets 
 of "the board/' reasons for certain actions ex- 
 plained. Often times it is learned that members 
 listen more intently to the announcements than 
 to the sermon which is afterwards preached. 
 
 There will of course always be announcements 
 to make and the minister can have his judgment 
 tested in the time he takes and the way he makes 
 his announcements. It has become a thing of 
 the past for commercial circulars to unduly 
 boast. The tone of the best advertising of to- 
 day is confidence. Moderateness in announce- 
 ments will win over boastfulness in the end. And 
 there is always danger of the minister putting 
 too much strength behind an announcement in 
 order to attract a crowd. 
 
 "Please emphasize this," people will say when 
 they hand him an announcement. 
 
 But if he is wise he will not readily yield to 
 the giving of the valuable time of the hour of 
 worship for a lengthy announcement of the var- 
 ious enterprises of the church or various so- 
 cieties. 
 
74 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 Of course there is a limit to the pulpit an- 
 nouncement as a publicity medium. Seldom is 
 more than fifty per cent of the congregation 
 present to be informed. There is also the pos- 
 sibility of weak ears which may not hear cor- 
 rectly. And the much slighter possibility of tired 
 minds which will not comprehend the message 
 which is being given. So the minister, for higher 
 efficiency, must seek elsewhere. 
 
 The Weekly Bulletin 
 
 The bulletin has become an established insti- 
 tution with many churches. They vary all the 
 way from the one sheet announcer to an eight or 
 ten page bulletin giving quick complete infor- 
 mation on the various church activities. In one 
 instance we have seen a bulletin which carried 
 a complete sermon which had been preached the 
 week before. The bulletin in its various forms 
 and sizes offers a large opportunity for giving in- 
 formation to the membership and an added dig- 
 nity to the services of worship. 
 
 A church of any size certainly needs a bulle- 
 tin to keep the plans for the week before the 
 people in an orderly manner. No person can 
 
Keep in Touch with Congregation 75 
 
 listen tc eight or ten announcements and be able 
 to remember them all. The weakness of the 
 bulletin is in its distribution. If a copy could be 
 mailed to each home on Monday morning which 
 was not represented at the service on Sunday, 
 the efficiency would be somewhat increased. 
 
 The United States Mail 
 
 The mail offers the opportunity to complete 
 the work of the bulletin by getting it more 
 largely distributed. It will offer the quickest 
 and most effective way of reaching the entire 
 constituency of the church on other occasions. 
 The following four mailing lists are suggested 
 as adapted to the average congregation. 
 
 (a) Families. Expensive matter can be ef- 
 fectively distributed by families rather than as 
 individuals. 
 
 (b) Communicants. 
 
 (c) Contributors. 
 
 (d) Congregation. This would include all 
 of (b) and (c) and other names of men and 
 women who attend or are likely to attend the 
 church services. This list contains the possi- 
 bilities of the church's future growth. 
 
76 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 The mail can be used for pastoral letters, re- 
 ports, announcements, and many other items 
 of interest. With the smaller churches a monthly- 
 leaflet distributed by mail may be a better in- 
 vestment than a weekly bulletin. The small bul- 
 letin is apt to give half of its space for the order 
 of services which is really not necessary nor help- 
 ful to the average worshiper. 
 
 The mail offers the opportunity for a wide use 
 of the referendum ballot. This is merely a ques- 
 tionnaire sent to the membership at various 
 times to sense the public sentiment on the church 
 policies. The ballot is mailed out from the office 
 with the request that it be filled in and returned. 
 A large and a fair vote can be secured in that 
 way. Here is an illustration of the possibili- 
 ties of the referendum: 
 
 (Letter) 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 The board is undecided as to the wisdom of 
 a special series of revival meetings this winter. 
 We need new life, that is sure, but we do not 
 know how to get it. So we are appealing to 
 the congregation. Will you give us some ad- 
 vice, using the enclosed blank. Return it be- 
 
Keep in Touch with Congregation 77 
 
 fore the first of the month using the addressed 
 envelope enclosed. 
 
 Very sincerely, 
 
 (Ballot) 
 
 Are you in favor of the church holding a series 
 of special meetings with a hired evan- 
 gelist? 
 
 Should we hold such meetings with local help 
 only ? ; 
 
 Can you suggest any other way to create a new 
 interest in our work? 
 
 Signed. 
 
 If it is not thought advisable to sign the letters 
 have each ballot numbered and register the num- 
 bers so that the information as to who is voting 
 may be available. This is important in case a 
 suggestion is made which may be acted upon. 
 The person making the suggestion will probably 
 be the best person to help carry out the plan. 
 
 In sending out any list of material by mail it 
 is well to always have one piece addressed to the 
 church or to the minister's residence. This is a 
 simple and effective way of checking up on Uncle 
 
78 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 Sam to learn if he is distributing the matter as 
 quickly as he should. 
 
 Pastoral Visitation 
 
 The minister still visits. The report of a 
 church of 1500 with two ministers shows that 
 1900 pastoral calls were made last year. The 
 minister of a church of 1 200 who has served the 
 church for more than a quarter of a century 
 advises that he still keeps his schedule of call- 
 ing on each family once a year. Probably as a 
 rule ministers call more than ever before. There 
 may be a difference in the way the calls are made 
 but the pastoral work of the average church is a 
 heavy obligation. 
 
 But assume that the minister reaches every 
 family at least once a year. A lot of things can 
 happen in a year. And the minister is aware 
 that he does not begin to keep in touch with all 
 of the instances of sickness, trouble, change of 
 residence, business success or failure or even 
 death. He is constantly finding himself in an 
 embarrassing position when he makes his calls. 
 A parish visitor is a help but even with the visitor 
 there are too many opportunities of getting out 
 of touch with the congregation. 
 
Keep in Touch with Congregation 79 
 
 Group Plan of Organization 
 
 The situation has been met to a considerable 
 degree by what is known as the group plan of 
 organization or the every member group plan. 
 In its simplest form the parish is divided by dis- 
 tricts into groups and a person appointed as over- 
 seer over each district thus created. The work 
 of the overseer is to keep in touch with the six to 
 ten families in his district, reporting items of 
 pastoral interest to the minister of the church. 
 
 In the more complex form as is used in the 
 larger churches, the groups are larger and the 
 overseer or captain has several workers under 
 him. His group, again, is divided and each 
 worker given a smaller group to look after. The 
 worker reports to the captain, he to the official 
 board of the church. 
 
 The introduction of the group plan makes 
 possible the operation of the communion card 
 to its highest degree. The communion card is 
 a development from the communion token of the 
 old countries but is used to encourage and regis- 
 ter attendance at the services when the sacra- 
 ment is administered. There is a card kept in 
 the church office with the record attendance of 
 
80 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 each member. Previous to the communion a 
 duplicate is made out for each member. These 
 are distributed to the various captains who will 
 see that every home in the parish is visited and 
 the card left. The announcement will be made 
 of the service and the communicant's attention 
 called to his previous record. In this way the 
 homes are systematically visited, addresses 
 checked up and a record of illness and absentees 
 secured. The members attending the com- 
 munion service bring their cards with them 
 where they are collected and returned to the 
 church office for recording. 
 
 Every Member Visitation 
 
 Another method frequently used to help out 
 the pastoral work is an every member visita- 
 tion of the parish on a selected Sunday afternoon 
 by specially chosen and prepared workers. The 
 parish is divided and the visitors sent out by 
 twos. The method of selecting and training 
 workers will follow somewhat that of conducting 
 financial campaigns. A study of the chapter of 
 campaigns will help one to secure the method of 
 organizing for this work. 
 
Keep in Touch with Congregation 81 
 Sample Cards 
 
 COMMUNICANT'S CARD 
 
 Walden Presbyterian Church - Buffalo, N. Y. 
 
 •DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME" 
 
 Addresa _. _ 
 
 District No Visitor _ 
 
 
 Communion 
 
 1921 
 
 1922 
 
 1923 
 
 1924 
 
 1925 
 
 Remarks 
 
 First 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Second 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Third 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fourth 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fifth 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Sixth 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 NOTE: Be sure to place this card od the collection plate Communion Sunday. 
 
 Members absent the entire year from the Lord's Table without eatisUctoiy lea- 
 
 ions, are regarded by the Session as delinquents. 
 Code^ (P)Pr«enl: (A) Absent from lown ; (S) Sick ; (E) olherwUe Mcu»ed : {Bl»nk) No record. 
 
 communicant's card (Face and Back) 
 
Chapter VIII: A Working 
 Program for the Church 
 
 A merchant once had a sale. It was a big 
 event for his store. Old customers took ad- 
 vantage of it and many strangers, intent on bar- 
 gains, found their way there. When the sale 
 was over the strangers came back no more while 
 most of the old customers stayed on. Things 
 went quickly back to normalcy. The mistake 
 of the merchant is apparent to every business 
 man. It was not a part of a constructive pro- 
 gram but rather a stunt by itself. The ex- 
 perience of the merchant reminds us of the 
 experiences of many churches. 
 
 The church has a special season. Perhaps it 
 is a revival, or a rally day, a fete, an old mem- 
 ber reunion, a dedication, or a hundred other 
 things. It is a big event in itself and everybody 
 gets excited. But things go back quickly. When 
 
 82 
 
Working Program for the Church 83 
 
 the evangelist leaves the field he urges the church 
 to care for his converts. ^'I have done my part, 
 now you must do yours," he insists. He is right. 
 Churches lose more by spending their energy 
 upon stunts than in most any other way. People 
 get to expecting something new and novel or the 
 church interest lags. 
 
 It is told that in one of the churches a new 
 minister sought to interest his board in the plans 
 for the new year. He suggested several plans 
 and none of them met with whole-hearted ap- 
 proval. Finally one good brother gave the pic- 
 ture of the situation. 
 
 "We have tried everything that we have ever 
 seen or heard of. Unless we can get something 
 new and novel, I suggest that we spend this 
 year trying to make our regular services as in- 
 teresting as possible." 
 
 The layman spoke more truly than he imag- 
 ined. There is a danger in the appeal to the 
 novel and spectacular — unless it be part of a 
 broad program which will weave all of the ele- 
 ments into a good finished piece of goods. 
 Stunts may tide a church over a few hard days 
 but a real program of activities is necessary to 
 give a permanent and constructive success. 
 
84 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 What Program Shall We Have? 
 
 There are several major lines of activity which 
 the church usually engages in. But in selecting 
 a program for the year, it is well to have one 
 major and several minor activities. A church 
 may attempt too much as well as too little. The 
 minister is apt to credit the human mind with 
 more ability than it possesses. It takes some 
 time and training after the mind grasps an in- 
 tellectual truth before it becomes a moral asset. 
 It is not valuable for religious purposes until it 
 passes from the intellectual to the moral. Many 
 programs fail because the church, itself, does not 
 understand what it is trying to do. 
 
 Have one big thing which it is trying to do in 
 the year. The object may be: 
 
 1. Increase in church membership. 
 
 2. Instituting a better financial system. 
 
 3. Improving the agencies of religious educa- 
 
 tion. 
 
 4. Creating an interest and enlarging gifts for 
 
 the benevolences of the church. 
 
 5. Building a men's organization. 
 
 6. Securing civic improvements. 
 
Working Program for the Church 85 
 
 7. Building a community house or a new 
 church. 
 
 Or any one of several other legitimate activi- 
 ties of the church. 
 
 At times any accepted program must be 
 thrown aside for an emergency program. The 
 building may burn. At once the new building 
 becomes the major plank of the program. The 
 surprise which is often times expressed when a 
 weak church rallies at the time of the fire is 
 natural. But the strength shown is but an in- 
 dication of the moral strength of any church 
 when everybody is agreed upon the program of 
 activities. 
 
 Whose Program Is It? 
 
 The instance above suggests that the strength 
 of a church depends upon the unanimity with 
 which the program of the church is adopted. A 
 minister may be able to demonstrate to the sev- 
 eral senses the wisdom of any program which 
 he may like to have the church adopt but unless 
 it is really desired by the church his talk and 
 labor are apt to be fruitless. There must be more 
 or less smiling in the heart of the congregation 
 when a minister arises in the pulpit and an- 
 
86 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 nounces that the church is going to do so-and-so. 
 The men in the pews know better than the 
 preacher just what the church will do. 
 
 It may be possible for the referendum ballot 
 to help reach a decision as to what the program 
 of a church should be. The American City 
 Bureau in its course for instruction of commer- 
 cial secretaries places much strength in this 
 method of learning the wishes of the members. 
 A letter with a ballot might be sent out asking 
 each member to tell what he thinks is the big 
 work for the church for the year. If a record is 
 kept of the votes and voters the minister will 
 know where to go to get help from those who 
 advocated certain lines of activity. 
 
 Whether this plan is followed or not it is al- 
 ways well to be sure that the heart of the church 
 is with the program which is being attempted. 
 
 Take Time to Do It Well 
 
 Don't try to do a year's work in a month. 
 Psychological processes like agricultural process 
 take time. Each month should record progress 
 but too rapid progress like too fast ripening fruit 
 denotes an abnormal condition. The church 
 like the individual which tries to be a "jack of 
 
Working Program for the Church 87 
 
 all trades" will probably be master of none. 
 Having decided upon a major plank place that 
 ahead of all things else. Remember that after 
 all a year in the kingdom of God is a short time. 
 Make it count for thoroughness rather than for 
 motion. 
 
 Any program which is selected will require 
 more or less publicity before the congregation 
 will comprehend it. Get people thinking about 
 it and don't accept hasty opinions as final. Re- 
 member the husbandman in the parable who 
 sowed the seed and then slept and rose night and 
 day but the seed grew of itself. Give the seed a 
 chance to grow. Don't give the battle call be- 
 fore the troops are ready. Don't kill the goose 
 which lays the golden eggs. Study mental reac- 
 tions and depend on them as the savage does in 
 physical force or the chemist on acids and poison. 
 
 At a recent Sunday school convention a worker 
 made a confession which ministers would do well 
 to heed. He had a program for his Sunday 
 school. It included the grading of the school. 
 He asked for its adoption and as usual was 
 granted the thing he asked for. That was easy. 
 At that time he couldn't see why every school 
 could not be graded as easily as his. But his 
 
88 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 troubles were just beginning. He was dealing 
 with a village church which knew little about the 
 gradations familiar to the city teacher and 
 pupil. They wanted to do the right thing but 
 they did not understand. People must learn 
 some things for themselves. As a result in the 
 end the school went back to the old form of or- 
 ganization and methods. 
 
 Asked what he would do if he had another 
 chance, the worker replied: 
 
 "I would take at least a year in an attempt to 
 give the leaders of that school an adequate idea 
 of what we were trying to do." 
 
 The chances are that if he had taken the year 
 that he would not have had to urge the change 
 but that the school would have demanded it. 
 
 The executive must have the quality of divine 
 patience. This chapter offers no solace to the 
 individuals who delight in monotony and idle- 
 ness. A church should register progress every 
 month. But it is a plea for the natural laws to 
 have time to work. Watch Cromwell as he held 
 back his impatient Ironsides until the time was 
 ready for them to strike. Learn the lesson of 
 the driver who will not let his horse kill itself in 
 the first quarter of the mile. Learn the lesson 
 
Working Program for the Church 89 
 
 of patience and time. Any church will be sat- 
 isfied if it can do one big worth-while thing 
 every year. 
 
 The Seasonable Program 
 
 The church year like the agricultural year di- 
 vides itself into seasons. The department store 
 learns the lessons of the seasons and times the 
 appeal of its show windows. So the minister will 
 time the appeal which the church makes. 
 
 "The farm year begins with the spring and 
 ends with the autumn. The church year with 
 equal distinctness begins with the autumn and 
 ends with or at least finds its climax in the 
 spring." McGarrah, A Modern Church Program. 
 
 THE SEASONS OF THE CHURCH YEAR 
 
 Autumn. — The new chance which is offered 
 every minister. The season for the beginning 
 of things and the getting of everybody back to 
 church. 
 
 The Winter. — Social season. Revival and 
 extra services. Everybody at work in the organ- 
 ization. 
 
 The Spring. — The spiritual touch. The 
 Easter ingathering. 
 
90 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 The Summer. — Vacation Bible schools. Re- 
 laxation. Planning for the new year. The sum- 
 mer is to the minister as the winter is to the 
 farmer. 
 
 A Yearly Program 
 
 Purpose of major plank: To increase the 
 
 membership of the church to members. 
 
 This object was discussed in the preceding year 
 and adopted in the spring by the official board 
 of the year as a program for the following 
 year. 
 
 1. The month of September is the month for 
 training. The congregation is informed of the 
 plans through the sermons. Personal workers 
 are secured for an every member visitation. 
 
 2. The every member visitation is made on 
 the first Sunday in October. The rally day is 
 the Sunday following. The visitors urge all 
 members to be present at that service. 
 
 3. Rally Day. An immediate goal is pres- 
 ented for an increase in the church attendance. 
 Members present are asked to make pledges to 
 be made in service. The pledges are: 
 
 (a) To attend one service every Sunday. 
 
 (b) To attend two services every Sunday. 
 
Working Program for the Church 91 
 
 (c) To invite a non-member each week to 
 
 attend as a friend. 
 
 (d) To serve on a personal visitation com- 
 
 mittee under the direction of the pas- 
 tor. 
 
 (e) To pray for the success of the campaign. 
 
 4. Letters containing the pledge cards were 
 mailed to all members who were not present. 
 
 5. The church organized socially for get-to- 
 gether parties. A special effort is always made 
 to interest prospective members in these parties. 
 
 6. The formation of prospective member 
 lists. These lists are prepared in confidence and 
 given out to pledges^ workers only. The workers 
 meet for several weeks for instruction in their 
 work. 
 
 7. The week of prayer — ^passion week. In- 
 tense personal work. 
 
 8. The Easter ingathering. 
 
 This program carried out faithfully with the 
 variations which are necessary for local condi- 
 tions has helped many churches to increase their 
 membership. The author used it in the year of 
 1917-18 with an increase of 61 per cent in the 
 church membership. Correspondence with other 
 churches the following year showed that it was 
 
92 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 used successfully by churches all over the coun- 
 try, in cities and villages. 
 
 It is a program for but one year and some 
 other phase of church work should have the 
 major interest the following year. Either the 
 financial, benevolent or religious education pro- 
 gram would follow very well. 
 
 COUPONS 
 
 No. 1 
 
 One Service Eacb 
 Sunday 
 
 No. 2 
 
 ivfo Services Each 
 Sunday 
 
 No. 3 
 
 Invite Someone to 
 Accompany Me 
 
 No. 4 
 
 Serve on Visitation 
 Committee 
 
 No. 5 
 
 Daily Prayer 
 
 HERE IS A TYPICAL LOYALTY BOND TO BE USED IN CAMPAIGNS FOR BETTER CHURCH 
 
 ATTENDANCE. THIS ONE IS PRINTED ON A GOOD GRADE OF SAFETY PAPER 
 
 WHICH AIDS TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A COMMERCIAL BOND 
 
Chapter IX: The Financial 
 Campaign 
 
 Following the form of treatise in the other 
 chapters of the book this chapter devoted to the 
 financial campaigns lays down the principles for 
 all other campaigns of the church. Especially 
 should the preceding chapter be related to this 
 for a campaign can never exist apart from the 
 program of work of the church. It is a special- 
 ized form coming at the right time with the 
 field properly prepared for it. The campaign 
 implies intensive team work. It is the day of 
 the test — of the race. But all days leading up 
 to it are important as are the days which follow. 
 
 If in the preceding chapter the program of 
 work had dealt with a financial program rather 
 than the program for increasing the membership 
 it would likewise have covered the church year. 
 There would be the consideration by the trustees 
 for the needs of more revenue and an increasing 
 emphasis upon the obligation of stewardship. 
 
 93 
 
94 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 The sermons in the fall would be devoted to it. 
 Constant illustrations would show the duty and 
 pleasure of giving. Classes would study books 
 on stewardship such as McConaughy's Money, 
 the Acid Test, Publicity matter dealing with 
 the church dollar would be used. In fact the 
 whole machinery of the church would make that 
 phase of church work the major plank for the 
 year leading up to the canvass. The campaign 
 itself is the intensive day or week which tells. 
 
 The preliminary work of the finance com- 
 mittee will consist in preparing an adequate bud- 
 get for the following year and a comprehensive 
 report of the moneys contributed for the year 
 that is passed. It will include a tabulation on 
 cards of the contributions of each member which 
 may be put in the hands of the solicitor. Also 
 the necessary pledge cards and envelopes will 
 be taken care of in advance. A good form of 
 solicitor's cards with information regarding each 
 family to be visited is shown by the sample card. 
 
 Sample Card 
 
 These cards can be filled out in advance in the 
 church office which will take charge of most of 
 the printed distribution of the campaign. 
 
The Financial Campaign 95 
 
 Tnm:;^;" solicitor's CAJ<I>-Oinrtdential 
 
 
 
 
 i! 
 
 •wtEKLY SOaSCRimON 
 
 
 
 U-T- 
 
 Ttil «M 
 
 Uant 
 
 
 Ct 
 
 ,«.. 
 
 t.|B.«.. 
 
 Ok. 
 
 
 
 
 HioUod 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wif. 
 
 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 — 
 
 
 CMd<«,..hU» 
 
 Ag. 
 
 — 
 
 — 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Oti^r. U, H^u^old 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 . T'^'^" ran««.«i»« 
 
 solicitor's card (Face and Back) 
 
96 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 Getting Workers 
 
 The printed matter on hand, the budget 
 adopted, the next step is the appointment of a 
 special campaign committee. The chairman of 
 this committee will need to be a leader in the 
 largest sense for he will have the large working 
 force under him for the time of organization 
 and the day of the campaign. Having ac- 
 cepted the appointment the next thing is to get 
 the workers. 
 
 The practical way to do this is to take the list 
 of the men of the church and count every one 
 as a possible worker in the campaign. It is safe 
 to assume that all will not work but the more who 
 volunteer the quicker and cleaner the work can 
 be conducted. A letter can be prepared to be 
 mailed to these prospects. If a dinner or lunch- 
 eon can be planned for the time of the meeting 
 for instructions the volunteers are apt to be 
 more numerous. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 The trustees of the church recently voted to 
 hold the annual every-member canvass of the 
 congregation on Sunday afternoon, March 
 6th, and I was appointed as chairman of the 
 
The Financial Campaign 97 
 
 special committee to direct the canvass. We 
 plan to make it complete in the afternoon and 
 to report at the church at 6: 30 o'clock that 
 evening. With fifteen teams of two men each 
 we can easily cover the parish in the after- 
 noon. 
 
 You have been selected as a member of one 
 of these teams. A preliminary meeting of all 
 of the workers has been called for Wednesday 
 
 evening at 8 o'clock. Mr. has asked 
 
 us to be his guests at a dinner to be held 
 at that hour. The budget will be talked over 
 and the lists assigned to the workers. He is 
 planning for a place for you at the table that 
 night, so be sure to be there. If you cannot, 
 let me know. 
 
 Very sincerely, 
 
 Chairman of the Committee. 
 
 The men who will respond to the dinner 
 invitation will be practically the men who will 
 be on hand for the canvass. Copies of the new 
 budget should be explained and the forms of the 
 cards to be used discussed. If the church has 
 the group plan organization captains for the 
 
98 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 various territories may be assigned at that time. 
 If they are to go out two by two, reporting to a 
 common head, the territory can be held until 
 later. If necessary a second meeting for in- 
 struction should be held. It is well to impress 
 upon the workers what the average pledge must 
 be to raise the budget desired. 
 
 Notifying the Congregation 
 
 Carefully prepared publicity distributed to 
 the members of the church will help pre- 
 pare the ground for the workers. At least one 
 letter should be sent to contributors notifying 
 them of the date of the canvass and enclosing a 
 copy of the budget for their consideration. The 
 church seldom loses by letting the contributors 
 know what the money is wanted for. Open 
 diplomacy pays in church relationship. Here 
 is a good type of a letter to use in writing con- 
 tributors: 
 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 The Every-Member Canvass of the congre- 
 gation will be made next Sunday afternoon. 
 The budget enclosed is the goal to be reached 
 in the campaign. 
 
The Financial Campaign 99 
 
 There are several things which you can do 
 to help make the effort a success. 
 
 1. Be at home if possible. Our canvassers 
 have a right to expect to complete their work 
 in the day. Like the rest of us they are busy 
 men. If you can't be at home that day make 
 your pledge before Sunday or Sunday morn- 
 ing. We want to count it in the total sub- 
 scribed for the day. 
 
 2. Study the budget. There are no frills 
 in it. If it isn't covered by pledges, essentials 
 will have to be cut out of the church program. 
 
 3. Make an honest pledge for both the 
 local church and benevolences. The policy of 
 the Protestant church is not to place heavy 
 burdens upon its people but it has a right for 
 honest consideration of its needs. 
 
 4. Keep pleasant and send the workers on 
 their way with a smile. "The Lord loveth 
 a cheerful giver." 
 
 Yours for the success of the drive, 
 
 Chairman, Special Committee, 
 
 The Day of the Campaign 
 The canvassers will attend the morning wor- 
 
100 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 ship and come to the altar at the close for ded- 
 ication to their task. They will receive sufficient 
 pledge cards and will have the information card 
 for every party they are to call upon. The en- 
 tire morning service can well be devoted to the 
 thought of stewardship or the particular task of 
 the local church. 
 
 Have a dinner for the solicitors at the church 
 upon their return at 6:30 o'clock or at some 
 other convenient hour. The secretary of the 
 committee can tabulate by means of a black 
 board the returns as they come in. Playing 
 group off against group will add to the interest 
 which is usually developed. Canvassers will be 
 inspired to rush right back to see if absentees 
 have returned home. The force of competition 
 will bring the last one in at a time like this. 
 
 It may be well to warn against expecting let- 
 ters by themselves to get results in a canvass 
 such as this. The letters prepare the way. Per- 
 sonal solicitation gets the results. Letters do 
 not have the appeal that they had before the 
 frequent use which is made of them to-day. A 
 great public service corporation has just opened 
 its stock books to the public. 84,000 letters were 
 sent out to prospective buyers. But 100 people 
 
The Financial Campaign 101 
 
 responded. A brokerage house reports that it 
 sent out 600 letters to prospective customers and 
 had six repHes. Letters have a big place but they 
 must be followed by personal workers. 
 
 After the Canvass 
 
 Tabulate the returns so that they will be 
 available for everybody. 
 
 Make sure that you have a system of book- 
 keeping which the contributors will have confi- 
 dence in. 
 
 File the solicitors' cards for the next year. 
 
 Thank the canvassers. 
 
Chapter X: A News Space 
 Clinic 
 
 The public press may well be a big asset to 
 the average working church. It offers one of 
 the best channels for the distribution of inter- 
 esting events and features of church life. Many 
 criticisms are made of various papers because 
 of the little space which they give to church 
 news. Many of these criticisms are unfair and 
 are made by men who do not understand the 
 spirit of the paper nor the pressure under which 
 the average editor works. It is not difficult for 
 the paper to get stories to fill its pages. Even 
 if the average daily did not employ a single re- 
 porter there would be plenty of news presented 
 by various individuals and institutions to fill the 
 columns if that is all that is necessary to make 
 a paper. 
 
 The average editor wants news and he wants 
 interesting feature stories. If he can get them 
 he will publish them whether they deal with the 
 church or not. If the churchmen can point out 
 
 102 
 
A News Space Clinic 103 
 
 real stories of news value there will be little diffi- 
 culty in breaking into the pages of the average 
 daily paper of to-day. 
 
 Country and Village Journals 
 
 The same thing is not always true of rural 
 papers. Many times they lack material to fill 
 their pages. Some buy the matter from syndi- 
 cates already blocked. That saves typesetting 
 and labor costs. Here is an opportunity for 
 the minister and church to keep itself constantly 
 before the eyes of the villagers. The average 
 country paper runs a church column. This col- 
 umn gives the hours of service and some times 
 makes the announcements for the week. Too 
 often this is thought sufficient but it is not mak- 
 ing the most of the offered space. 
 
 The minister would do well to go to the pub- 
 lisher and ask him if he will give space to inci- 
 dents and even sermonettes given in a catchy 
 way which will make people read them. The 
 manager of a vaudeville house insists that he 
 would be glad to put a minister on the program 
 if he can find one who will deliver a punchy ser- 
 mon in ten minutes which will make people 
 think. The average newspaper manager will do 
 
104 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 as well. These items may advertise the church 
 for people will read them if they are gotten out 
 in a pleasing way. We clip the following from 
 a rural weekly. It was one of many published 
 in the church column : 
 
 The following things help to make worship 
 worth while : 
 
 1. A pleasant, artistic and dignified building 
 
 with good light and ventilation. 
 
 2. Courteous ushers who do something be- 
 
 sides passing the collection plate. 
 
 3. Good music. Anthems which touch the 
 
 heart and hymns which mean some- 
 thing. 
 
 4. Sermons which are thought provoking and 
 
 alive, but always reverent and worship- 
 ful. 
 
 5. A real welcome. Not the formal icy grip, 
 
 but that which makes one feel at home. 
 
 6. A pleasant after feeling. Coming out of 
 
 church ought not to be like coming out 
 from an anaesthetic. 
 We want our services to measure up to this 
 standard. Help us do it. 
 
 Come early if you want a back seat. 
 
A News Space Clinic 105 
 
 An article like the above is read and it violates 
 no standards of good taste. 
 
 Some churches have found that a series of 
 questions are usually thought provoking and 
 create an interest. Rev. Paul F. Boiler in the 
 Presbyterian church at Lancaster, New York, 
 has devoted his evening services to the answer- 
 ing of questions placed in the question box by 
 the congregation. He insists that the fact of 
 the publication of the questions the preceding 
 week in the local paper has made the success of 
 the services possible. 
 
 In one issue we find the following questions 
 submitted for answer by the pastor: 
 
 1. Are labor unions selfish? Are they a 
 
 menace to America? 
 
 2. What are some of the conditions necessary 
 
 for a happy marriage? 
 
 3. How do you account for the present dearth 
 
 of candidates for the Christian minis- 
 try? 
 
 4. What do Presbyterians to-day believe 
 
 about ^'Predestination" ? 
 5. , Some times we hear people speak of God 
 as being far off in the skies and again 
 
106 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 he is referred to as being on this earth. 
 If there is a God where is he? 
 
 An announcement such as this given week by 
 week cannot but help to create an interest in 
 those services of the church. There is some- 
 thing about a question which will set a person 
 thinking more than a simple statement. A single 
 sermon may be announced by a series of ques- 
 tions rather than by the subject alone. 
 
 Whose World Is This? 
 
 "Does there ever come a time in human his- 
 tory when God intervenes in the affairs of 
 men? Is it true that at times, tired of blood- 
 shed and wickedness that He overrules hu- 
 man agencies for the sake of righteousness? 
 What about Joan of Arc? What of Provi- 
 dence spring? What about Georges Guy- 
 nemer? These fascinating stories form a part 
 of the sermon at the First Methodist church 
 next Sunday night." 
 
 The editor of the local paper wants people to 
 read the paper and he is usually in sympathy 
 with all village institutions. Help him to make 
 
A News Space Clinic 107 
 
 his paper interesting by making the church an- 
 nouncements interesting and both church and 
 paper will profit. 
 
 Getting Into the City Papers 
 
 Many churches pay for display space in the 
 Saturday papers of each week. The rates vary 
 according to circulation of the paper and the 
 real value of the advertisements is as yet prob- 
 lematical. It will depend a great deal upon the 
 location of the church and just what they have 
 to advertise. It is generally conceded that the 
 story space in a newspaper is better publicity for 
 any institution than the paid display space. Any 
 theater would prefer to have the pictures of its 
 players shown in the dramatic columns than to 
 have a similar amount of display advertising. 
 
 A visit to the office of the average newspaper 
 concerning space will invariably bring the answer 
 that anything that has news value will be used. 
 There is however apt to be considerable differ- 
 ence of opinion between the churchman and the 
 editor as to what constitutes news value. The 
 churchman may be right but the editor controls 
 the paper and is in the better position to decide 
 what people care to read. The wise minister 
 
108 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 will recognize the editor's position and respect 
 his judgment. 
 
 The editor means by news any story which 
 has sufficient human interest to cause people to 
 read it. The newspaper is not a literary maga- 
 zine. It has one big function — that of publishing 
 news. Sermons are not news, even though they 
 be good enough for the homiletic magazine. 
 Discussions are not news. Conventions are only 
 news when the human, interest-drawing element 
 enters in. Usually it is there if one knows how 
 to look for it. 
 
 There may be big news value in a sermon. 
 Let us suppose that Dr. Blank wants to preach 
 a sermon on blue laws. The main point he 
 wants to make is that Christ was an enemy of 
 Sabbath blue laws and violated the letter of 
 several. Dr. Blank feels that he has a mes- 
 sage which the people should know about and 
 sends a copy of his sermon to the press. It isn't 
 printed and he feels grieved. Let us suggest a 
 new way to Dr. Blank. Send the sermon a 
 couple of days ahead of time to the editor of the 
 paper. With it enclose a letter calling attention 
 to the main point. Mark with pencil two or 
 three passages which present the matter in quick 
 
A News Space Clinic 109 
 
 telling strokes. The chances are that it will have 
 space in the Monday paper. 
 
 Billy Sunday always gets news space. The 
 tabernacle meetings are news. But Billy Sun- 
 day does not wait for the paper to visit the meet- 
 ings to take the sermons in short hand. As good 
 news value as his meetings are he always pre- 
 pares copy for the paper and has it on hand the 
 day before. He makes it easy for the papers to 
 feature his work. 
 
 Finding the News Feature 
 
 As a newspaper writer the author was once 
 under contract to present the work of a denomi- 
 nation week after week for newspaper publi- 
 cation. The understanding was that the ar- 
 ticles were to stand or fall on their story value. 
 Yet the subjects included many things which 
 might not look like news at first glance. 
 
 For instance, one of the churches to be ad- 
 vertised in news space was about to build a new 
 community house. It had outgrown its quarters. 
 There were, of course, dozens of churches in the 
 city which were in a similar condition. Some 
 people expressed surprise that this church, with 
 its bad location next to the baseball park should 
 
110 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 care to invest more money on its present noisy 
 site. 
 
 That in itself made the story. Investigation 
 showed that the church had bought ground from 
 the ball club for its proposed structure. We have 
 always heard of churches retreating before base- 
 ball parks but here is one actually encroaching 
 on the ball ground. With that "slant" it made 
 a good story. The headlines the editor used, 
 for the editor always writes the headlines, were: 
 
 Church Encroaches on Baseball Park by 
 Community Work 
 
 COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN SUFFERS GROWING 
 
 PAINS AS MEMBERSHIP AND SOCIAL 
 
 EFFICIENCY INCREASES 
 
 Another phase of the work to be touched upon 
 was the missionary work with the nearby Indian 
 reservations. The history of it was more or less 
 technical. But one day the old missionary died. 
 His dying prayer was made as he was clasping 
 the hands of an Indian friend. Here was per- 
 sonal element which could be used. According 
 
A News Space Clinic 111 
 
 to the editor the only trouble with that story was 
 its briefness. 
 
 If one will constantly keep his eyes open for 
 interesting stories he will find many ways to get 
 his church into the public press. The thieves 
 who bring back the communion silver make good 
 copy. The payment of an outlawed church 
 pledge may be interesting. There are many fas- 
 cinating stories about a church if one would try 
 and get the newspaper spirit and find them. 
 
 How to Get the Story Into the Paper 
 
 Now that you have the story how will you get 
 it into the paper? Frankly the best way is to 
 have an acquaintance on the stafi who will write 
 it up for you. I happened to mention to a re- 
 porter friend of mine that our box in the en- 
 trance of the church, which had been placed 
 there for questions had been stolen. The box 
 had been remodeled from a contribution box and 
 was easily mistaken for one. 
 
 "But they are welcome to it," I added, "may- 
 be they can answer some of the questions which 
 I can't." 
 
 A couple of days later there was a little edi- 
 torial on the affair showing the poetic justice 
 
112 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 visited upon the thieves. It was good pubHcity 
 because I had a friend. 
 
 If you can't secure such acquaintance the next 
 best thing is to prepare the material or have 
 some one prepare it for you and mail it signed 
 to the city editor of the paper. Be sure and sign 
 it or it will receive scant consideration. The 
 chances are that it will not be used as it is sent 
 in. Possibly it will not be used at all. Maybe 
 the very part you want published will be omitted. 
 Editors act that way some times because they 
 are human and have limitations. But if you 
 really have a story it may be used. 
 
 Let me suggest something for churches which 
 use paid display space. Send a news item along 
 with your copy for the advertisement. Make 
 it as strong as you want to and it will usually 
 have a place in the news items. The paper of 
 course must recognize that courtesies are due 
 advertisers. 
 
 Sermons are not always news. Sometimes 
 they are and some men's sermons always are. 
 The minister who is constantly quoted in the 
 paper may find many changes made which he 
 feels are unjust. The remedy for this is to have 
 his stenographer prepare copy for the paper and 
 
A News Space Clinic 113 
 
 insist that it be printed as it is given. Not every 
 minister can demand this right. Some can and 
 when they are prominent enough an agreement 
 will be readily made by the paper. 
 
 Here are, first, the copy from a sermon mailed 
 to the city editor on Friday and the report of the 
 sermon which was printed the following Monday 
 morning. The illustration shows the typograph- 
 ical error which is almost sure to work into a 
 news story because of the hasty construction. 
 
 {Paragraphs from a sermon preached by the 
 Rev. William H, Leach at the Walden Presby- 
 terian Churchy on a Sunday evening preceding 
 Labor Day, entitled. Labor Day and the World's 
 Workers.) 
 
 'The greatest single domestic problem before 
 the federal government at this time is to find 
 work for its unemployed. In Germany, we are 
 told, practically every man is working, France 
 reports 50,000 idle men, America has over 5 
 million. 
 
 ^ "A variety of causes contribute to this condi- 
 tion but there is a definite propaganda at work 
 to make labor the goat. Paid advertisements 
 circulated through farm journals have led the 
 great body of country folk to feel that the city 
 worker is the responsible party. Investigations 
 such as that of the Lockwood committee in 
 
114 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 Buffalo places the responsibility partially upon 
 some other classes. The workers have not been 
 the only profiteers of the past half dozen years. 
 
 "A railroad workers' strike at this time would 
 be very unfortunate. A strike, in the end, is 
 but an appeal to public opinion and public 
 opinion at this time will not favor a wide spread 
 strike. Such would merely complicate a very 
 muddled situation. The railroads would not be 
 seriously embarrassed. They could draw from 
 the 5,000,000 unemployed and there is not 
 enough business to be cared for to cause a 
 financial loss. 
 
 "The brightest feature of the present situation 
 is that the government has finally awakened to 
 realize that it has an unemployment problem. 
 It is beginning seriously to attempt to find some 
 solution and Secretary Hoover is the best man in 
 the country to direct the work. All classes 
 should unite in attempting to relieve the situa- 
 tion before the cold weather sets in. The un- 
 fortunate thing is that partisan zeal has delayed 
 this action until the present time." 
 
Notice that the 
 editor lorites all of 
 the head lines. 
 
 A News Space Clinic 115 
 
 UNEMPLOYMENT IS 
 GREATEST PROBLEM 
 GOVERNMENT FACES 
 
 Place the most 
 striking statement 
 inthe first sentence. 
 It will largely de- 
 termine the editor's 
 attitude toward it. 
 
 The inevitable er- 
 ror: copy gave 5,- 
 000,000, the re- 
 porter's version 
 said "a million." 
 
 Lockwood Quiz Proves 
 Workers Not Only Profit- 
 eers, Minister Avers. 
 
 BRIGHT FLATURL, REALIZA- 
 TION OF NEED FOR 
 QUICK ACTION 
 
 "The greatest single domestic problem 
 before the federal government at this 
 time is to find work for its unem- 
 ployed," declared the Rev. William H. 
 Leach last evening in the Walden Pres- 
 byterian church, speaking on "Labor 
 Day and the World's Workers." 
 
 "In Germany we are told practically 
 every man is working; France has 50,- 
 000 men idle, America has more than a 
 million," he continued. "There are a 
 variety of causes which contribute to 
 the present situation. 
 
 Workers Not Only Profiteers. 
 "Paid advertisements circulated 
 through farm journals have led the 
 great body of country folk to feel the 
 city worker is the responsible party. 
 Investigations, such as that of the 
 Lockwood committee in Buffalo, place 
 the responsibility partially upon some 
 
116 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 other classes. The workers have not 
 Notice local col- been the only profiteers of the past half 
 oring. dozen years. 
 
 "A railroad workers' strike at this 
 time would be very unfortunate. A 
 strike, in the end, is but an appeal to 
 public opinion and public opinion at 
 this time will not favor a widespread 
 strike. Such would merely complicate 
 This is timely a very muddled situation. The rail- 
 and so is news. roads would not be seriously embar- 
 rassed. They could draw from the 
 5,000,000 unemployed and there is not 
 enough business now to be cared for to 
 cause a financial loss. 
 
 "The brightest feature of the situa- 
 tion is that the government has finally 
 awakened to realize that it has an un- 
 employment problem. It is beginning 
 seriously to attempt to find some solu- 
 tion, and Secretary Hoover is the best 
 man in the country to direct the work. 
 All classes should unite in attempting 
 to relieve the situation before the cold 
 weather sets in. The unfortunate thing 
 is that partizan zeal has delayed this 
 action until the present time." 
 
Chapter XI: Getting the 
 
 Most From Volunteer 
 
 Help 
 
 One of the greatest burdens placed upon the 
 minister in his program of construction is the 
 necessity of getting his work accomplished by- 
 volunteer help. Paid workers are scarce in the 
 average church. The boy who changes the sign 
 board in front of the church, the teacher in the 
 Sunday school, the president of the Ladies' Aid 
 Society, the chairman of the Board of Trustees 
 and many others of whom much is required in 
 service are voluntary workers. They are the 
 dollar a year men of the church. 
 
 Now it is oftentimes true that a man will 
 give a greater interest to the work of his church 
 if it is a task he loves than he will to his business 
 if it is a business he detests. As a matter of 
 fact the life work of many men is so distasteful 
 that the opportunity of church or charitable 
 work may provide the outlet which keeps their 
 
 117 
 
118 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 life normal. But it is also true that the average 
 worker has a great deal more respect for the ob- 
 ligations upon which depend his salary or wages 
 than for the moral and spiritual ones. 
 
 During certain seasons church workers are apt 
 to grow weary in their interest. It is common 
 for their faithlessness to be contrasted with the 
 constancy of the minister in a similar time. 
 
 "Oh, well, he is paid to do it," is usually a suf- 
 ficient explanation in the mind of the people. 
 And it would make a difference with a great 
 many people whether or not the obligation they 
 are assuming is a moral obligation or one upon 
 which their livelihood depends. We can assume 
 from experiments which some Sunday schools 
 have had with paid teachers and department 
 heads that efficiency increases with the profes- 
 sional help. There may be some loss, however, 
 of the amateur spirit which is usually an in- 
 dication of health in any enterprise. 
 
 Varieties of Voluntary Service 
 
 There is almost no limit to the kinds of service 
 which a minister has at hand when he finds a 
 way to secure and use volunteers. He will find 
 lawyers who will welcome the opportunity to 
 
Volunteer Help 119 
 
 talk over the problems of the incorporation or 
 legal matter of the church. Mechanics will be 
 located who will be glad to step in for an hour 
 or two to give advice or work. Clerks will make 
 it possible for him to get the best of service in 
 typing and stenographic work. The minister can 
 build a council for advice and work about him 
 that is limited only by the size of his parish. 
 
 One of the compensations of the ministry is 
 the opportunity which it offers to a man to keep 
 in touch with so many phases of life. He can 
 get so many points of view with intimate contact 
 with his people. From the worker in the shops 
 the point of view of labor is presented. In the 
 bank he gets the point of view of the investor of 
 money. If he is a wise executive he will not 
 alone secure the intimacy for self-culture but 
 will bring all of these various types into some 
 distinct service of the church. He will consider 
 the friendships which are created not for his 
 own enjoyment but for the service of the church. 
 
 It is no mean task to use everybody in the 
 congregation and still keep free from influences 
 which might undermine his independence and 
 make him the servant of a class or party. An 
 aged minister gave some good advice to his 
 
120 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 brethren at one time when he expressed one of 
 his ideals for his ministry. 
 
 "I stand ready to work with anybody," he 
 said but continued, "I will be worked by none." 
 
 A younger man who knows considerable of the 
 secrets of executive success illustrated a point to 
 the writer a number of years ago. The church 
 had a new changeable letter bulletin board. A 
 boy had volunteered to take care of it, changing 
 the announcements week after week. So the 
 minister went with him to show him how to do it. 
 
 "I always do a task first before I turn it over 
 to anybody. Then they know that I know how 
 to do it and am willing to do it if necessary," he 
 explained. 
 
 It requires considerable skill to be able to 
 employ volunteer help and get big results, but 
 the man who has learned how to do it may be 
 sure that he has infinite sources of power. 
 
 Some Rules 
 
 1. The major task of the executive is to keep 
 his workers busy and happy on some worthwhile 
 task. Some churches would turn this around. 
 Many good church people seem to think that 
 their spiritual duty is to find something for the 
 
Volunteer Help 121 
 
 minister to do and to offer criticism if he does 
 not do it as they think that he should. There 
 are ministers who feel that they must be in every 
 little detail of church work for fear it will not 
 be done as it should be done. As a matter of 
 fact ministers can do as much damage by insist- 
 ing on being in every thing as b}'' being indiffer- 
 ent to the work of the various church societies. 
 
 Oftentimes it is better to let a work remain 
 undone than for the minister to do it. It doesn't 
 hurt to let the committee fall down on its job 
 once in a while if the only alternative is for the 
 minister to do its work for it. The executive will 
 lose in the end if he makes himself the work 
 horse for the entire church rather than the direc- 
 tor of its activities. 
 
 2. Train the officers and leaders to their 
 responsibilities. Make them fight their own 
 battles. Have confidence in them that they can 
 do it and give them every chance. They will 
 work better for the confidence which one has in 
 them. When the Sunday school superintendent 
 has difficulty with an assistant or a teacher let 
 him handle the situation. Of course there will 
 be times when the incompetency is so great that 
 some action will be necessary but on the other 
 
122 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 hand many difficulties are apt to arise which 
 can be settled without interference on the part 
 of the minister. 
 
 A minister does not want to take too seriously 
 many of the troubles of the various church socie- 
 ties. If he has had much experience with human 
 nature he soon learns this. He may be ap- 
 proached by a worker who feels that he has a 
 real grievance. Under the emotion of the min- 
 ute it is exaggerated until the pastor may feel 
 that he must espouse the side of the injured 
 against one of his helpers. If he resists the im- 
 pulse perhaps the trouble will have taken care 
 of it itself in a few days and worker and officer 
 the best of friends again. There is a great deal 
 of the child in many adults. Great injustices of 
 to-day are forgotten the next. 
 
 The personal touch between the superinten- 
 dent of the school and his workers may place 
 him in a much better position to know the char- 
 acters of those under him than the minister can 
 know them. It is a decidedly poor policy for a 
 minister to encourage any one to go over the 
 head of the leader of the organization to lodge 
 complaints with him. The very stability of the 
 church depends upon the responsibility of of- 
 
Volunteer Help 123 
 
 ficers and leaders being recognized. Let him 
 learn the lesson taught Moses by his father-in- 
 law and depend upon the organized force of 
 others as well as the personality of himself. 
 
 3. Try and place each worker in a position 
 where he will count for most in the church but do 
 not encourage any one to take more work than 
 he can well do. In other words don't load every- 
 thing on a man because he is a good worker. "If 
 you want anything done, get a busy man to do 
 it," can be overdone as well as a lot of other 
 good advice. Our churches have many men and 
 women who are consecrated and devoted but 
 who in their zeal are trying to do too much. 
 The working time of volunteer workers comes 
 after he has spent the day earning a living. No 
 man in those conditions can be Sunday school 
 superintendent, church trustee, president of the 
 men's club and choir director. And it is a poor 
 executive policy which will load more on any 
 man than he can handle — even if he does want it. 
 It will be a happy day for churches and church 
 workers when the worker can feel that he has 
 one job that he can put all his energy in. 
 
 Let us assume that a young man becomes 
 teacher of a junior class of boys. He doesn't 
 
124 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 know much about pedagogy because he has a 
 business training; he doesn't know much about 
 the Bible, for his entire training in that respect 
 has come through the Sunday school; and he 
 knows little about the psychology and social life 
 of junior boys, except what he has himself ex- 
 perienced. If that man can have a reasonable 
 amount of time to study these things, to develop 
 that class of boys through class work, hikes, 
 camps and other methods, he has a big job. The 
 church might better have him do that well than 
 to press additional burdens upon him. 
 
 4. Expect to learn as you grow older. Your 
 workers every day are discovering methods and 
 traits of people which may differ from your con- 
 ception of them. Rejoice in their discoveries 
 with them and learn as time goes by. One of 
 the signs of old age is the inability to keep re- 
 ceiving these new revelations of method and 
 principle. A minister who can keep growing 
 mentally doesn't hit the dead line very early. 
 
 5. Learn to appreciate the difference between 
 thoughtless harping and constructive criticism — 
 between harpers and workers. Flies are not 
 dragons. The minister has a big battle to wage; 
 he cannot come down to spend time with need- 
 
Volunteer Help 125 
 
 less parleys by thoughtless people. The soldier 
 who turns to fight the dog snapping at his heels 
 may forget the enemy he started out to over- 
 come. But there are as well many people who 
 offer constructive criticism and who are willing 
 to become builders. Perhaps the test of the 
 value of any criticism is the willingness of the 
 critic to stand responsible for the program he 
 advocates. 
 
 St. Paul gave some good advice to us when 
 he taught about his own fight. *^So fight I not 
 as beating the air.'' No time there for mere 
 motions. He had an end in view. So also, has 
 the executive minister. He will discriminate and 
 accept with thanks the advice of those who are 
 seeking to build the church, even though it is 
 contrary to his own convictions, but he will brush 
 aside the idle talking of thoughtless people who 
 speak without reason. 
 
 6. Let the credit go where it belongs. When 
 any department of the church has a good year or 
 does something worth while, see that the people 
 responsible for it get the credit for the work. 
 "Compliments for others, progress for yourself," 
 is a good motto for the minister. "Saying, 
 Thank you,' " helps when one has done a good 
 
126 How to Make the Church Go 
 
 day's work. The minister of the church will, of 
 course, profit by the success of his church. His 
 work is judged by the results of those laboring 
 under him. It should be sufficient for him that 
 the work is well done. On no consideration 
 should he lower himself to compete with one of 
 his own workers or leaders for the honors. 
 
 It is a mighty good habit for the executive to 
 learn to say "we" instead of "I." Then the 
 running of the church is "our" task rather than 
 "my" task. If the work succeeds it is "our" 
 success. If it fails it is "our" failure. For the 
 church is a corporate body. Scripturally it is the 
 body of Christ. Ministers and people make up 
 that body. 
 
 "And whether one member suffereth, all the 
 members suffer with it; or one member is hon- 
 ored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye 
 are the body of Christ, and severally members 
 thereof. And God has set some in the church, 
 first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teach- 
 ers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, 
 governments, divers kinds of tongues." 
 
Index 
 
 A Financial Campaign, 93 ff. 
 
 .,.,. , .,, Fosdick, Dr. Harry Emer- 
 
 Abihty to get along with ^^^^. 
 
 people, 12. 
 
 ,. , , Group plan of organiza- 
 Bookkeepmg, reliable, ^^^^ 
 
 needed, loi. ' 
 
 Boiler, Rev. Paul F., 103. j 
 
 Budget, preparing, 94. 
 
 Bulletin, weekly, 74. Imitation, 23, 30. 
 
 C J 
 
 Ceremony, Love of, 23, 27. Journals, rural and village, 
 Church greater than min- 103. 
 
 ister, 17. 
 Competition, 23, 32. K 
 
 Comradeship, 23, 36. ,, ^ , ^ niinted 22 
 
 Committee, function of, 60; ^^^^^^ ^'^^ ^'^ ^"°^^^' '^• 
 
 L 
 
 Notification to Members, 
 
 65. 
 
 Committee Analysis, 67. Love of Christ, 23, 38. 
 
 Committee, who shall com- Lodges, Growth of, 27. 
 
 pose, 63. 
 Communicant Card, 79, 81. M 
 
 Compromise, value of, 13. . 
 
 Criticism, thoughtless, 124. Mail, using U. S 75. 
 
 McGarrah, A. F., quoted, 
 
 F ^9. 
 
 McConnell, Bishop, quoted. 
 Forces which move men, 28, 33. 
 
 20 ff. Members of church, diver- 
 
 Fair Play, 23, 35. sified, 15. 
 
 127 
 
128 
 
 Index 
 
 Money y The Acid Test, 
 McConaughy, 94. 
 
 Motions vs. purpose, 14. 
 
 Minister as an executive, 
 II. 
 
 Ross, Dr. E. A., quoted, 
 
 24, 28, 34. 
 Referendum, 76. 
 Recognition, desire for, 23, 
 
 25. 
 
 N 
 
 News, what is, 107. 
 News, how to get space 
 for, III. 
 
 O 
 
 Office, best location for, 41 ; 
 one man, 43 ; equipment, 
 44; with one helper, 47. 
 
 Offices, Westminster Church, 
 Buffalo, 49. 
 
 Official Board, Democracy 
 of, 52; notice of meet- 
 ings, 53; docket, 55. 
 
 Pastoral visitation, 78. 
 People, Taking them as 
 
 they are, 12 ff. 
 Papers, City, 107. 
 Prestige, 23, 30. 
 Program, Church, 82 ff. 
 Public Opinion, 23, 33. 
 Pulpit announcements, 72. 
 Psychology of the execu- 
 
 tive, 20. 
 
 R 
 
 Real Estate and Church, 
 25. 
 
 Self interest, 23. 
 Sermons as news, 112. 
 Service, Desire to be of, 
 
 23, 37. 
 Step by step analysis, 65. 
 Stunts, contrasted with 
 
 program, 82. 
 
 "Thank you," saying, 
 helps, 68. 
 
 Time, element of to be con- 
 sidered, 86, 88. 
 
 Traditional tasks of the 
 Minister, 11, 39. 
 
 Van Dyke, Dr. Henry, 
 
 quoted, 35. 
 Volunteer services, 117; 
 
 rules for, 120 ff. 
 
 W 
 
 Wilson, Lucius E., quoted, 
 68. 
 
 Worker, not to be over- 
 loaded, 123. 
 
 Workers, securing, 96. 
 
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