The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-04-18
A Working Church.

If anything in the universe is worthy
of the very best energies and best
directed efforts of man it is the work
of the church and the salvation of men.
LET work and workers into the midst
of any congregation and idleness and
idlers will speedily disappear-they will
become workers and seek more con-
genial surroundings.
A WORKING church is useful
church. An idle church, if not already
dead, is at least dying church. If it
does not entirely die it is solely because
of the new blood transfused from the
life currents of other congregations.
THERE are several kinds of recogni-
ton our young people must have in the
church: Cd Cordial social recognition
after the service. (2) They should be
recognized in the sermon. (3) In the
assignment of church work. One has
well said "they may not be the tongue
to speak for the church, but they can
be eyes to look up others for the pastor
to visit They may not be the brains
to govern the church, but they can be
its feet to run its errands." (4 They
should bear their part of the financial
work of the church. (5) They should
have their place and part in the worship
and service of the church.
Do not be discouraged with the
small number of workers. Jesus called
but two at first, then added others until
| he had twelve-not a large number.
1t is much the best that church work
should be growth. If you work up a
great excitement, and start off with
large numbers of unframed and untried
workers, difficulties will be encoun-
tered, encouragement will take the
place of enthusiasm and the reaction
will be likely to end in failure. 1t is
growth. You get to know your work
ers. Your workers will come gradually
to understand the work. Nothing
great is the product of day.
ONE hindrance which not unfre-
quently appears among congregations
is that the great majority of people
seem to be too busy in finding fault
ever to have any time left to devote to
actual work. They are the people who
can get into the way of others; they
can hinder every good work, defeat
every good effort. They predict failure
and then exert themselves to secure
the fulfllment of their own prophecies.
1t has been aptly said that every
congregation is composed of two classes,
workers and grumblers. The workers
never grumble and the grumblers never
work" If this be true, as it doubtless
is, then the remedy for the cure of this
evil is very apparent-give every per-
son something to do.
To the great mass of contributors the
blessedness of giving is entirely lost
They are caused or permitted to fee
that they contribute to maintain some
struggling enterprise of Christian work
They do not give as to the Lord and
therefore regard the act as one of merit
In the benevolent operations of the
church we seem largely to overlook the
fact that God does not of necessity cal
upon individual Christians for pc
cuniary or any other sort of aid in the
prosecution of his work upon the earth
He might employ angels to herald hi'
gospel, or trace his will upon the
heavens in characters of unfading light
If he saw fit he might speak the word
and the unearthed treasures of Cali
fornia would be at his service. II,
might demand and the wealth of tn,
world would have TO be laid at hi
feet From q" Methods Of Chmcj
Work." by Rev. SylranuS Stall, M.