The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-09-21
SERMON BY DR. MUTCH
ON SPECIALIZING IN CHURCH
 WORK.

course Applicable to an Impo rtant Question of To-day.
 At the Howard avenue Congregations al church yesterday morning the pastor, the Rev. MT. Mutch, preached on the topic Specializing in Church Work His text was: "Give diligence to present yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed" H. Tim, ii, 15. He said in part:
 Can church specialize?
 Can the members of a church, or any considerable number of them specialize in their Christian life and work?
 May church for a continuous period lay special emphasis upon particular lines of effort and interest without de- stroying it's general efficiency and use Sulness?
 The general lines of church life and work are so well understood and estab- 1ished that it is not necessary to define them. But the strength of life and work along those general lines is not all that it might be :n most churches: and ef- fort to increase that strength is not greatly successful. Such conditions are met in other spheres of life by specializ- ing. Is not the church called upon to meet it's present conditions in the same way? .,.-..-, .....
 Now that is what is meant by special IN al., aosa for an individual to specialize in the broad field of life and character. does activity. which a proper and we'll bal anced l.fe demands. But it does mean that at some important point there is special interest and attention; and that interest calls forth a special expenditure of effort and time and expense. The aim of that special expenditure is to solve 8 particular problem, to break down special obstacle, to overcome a weakness. to do something in a better way.
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 But there is also arising a great de- mand for other skilled leaders in the To- cal church. A group or college of pas tors is now found in many of the larger churches. There are schools for train ing deaconesses and assistants of vari- ous kinds for church work. There are schools for training teachers and super intendents and other workers among the young. These demands pour in faster than the schools can meet them. They prove that the need for skilled work manship is forcing itself upon us whether we are willing to recognize it or not.
 But when we hear the helpless and almost hopeless cry for light and lead ing which is coming up all over the country from those who are struggling with the problems of the school, the home and the church, we shall conclude that the demand has been recognized, the troubles have been met, and there are plenty of people who know what they are. ,...
 But what we are pleading for now is not so much skilled leadership as skill ed workmanship. The leadership is another line of specialization which oth- CTS are working at, In great manu- featuring establishment it is not enough that the foremen and heads of depart ments shall be skilled and specially trained, but all hands are likely to need s2ecial skill. At least that is the case in those places where. as in our work, there are few machines.
 In church, especially in our type of a church, it is not leader who is doing the work of the church. It is rather a company of earnest people working to- gether to carry out their ideas on the principle of cooperation.
 What we propose then is to try to develop skilled workmanship along three lines: l. The molding of character: ?. Economy and thrift; 8, Health and long life.
 These are not three lines to choose be- tween. They are rather three sides of one skill They bring into view e1e- i. ments that are apt to be neglected, and which it will not do to neglect. They reveal the sort of skill which every per- son requires who has any ambition to realize Christian ideals or to apply Christian principles in his own life and in that about him..
 Skilled workmanship does not exist in church as such, but in the brain and heart of the individuals who make it up, Therefore the appeal is to those who live here, and who work together in the church and in the homes of the parish. The church only guides and inspires and helps; it is in the people that results must appear.
 We cannot even give here an expo, sition Of these three lines of skill. and the place which they hold in Christian effort. The future discourses and possi. bly, Sunday evening lectures may be de. voted to that work, if we can command the necessary wisdom. But the great means for developing skill in these lines of work upon which we must rely will be the earnest study reading and practice by each person, of the best wis. dom which he or she can find in these three several lines. Any public discus. sions will only guide and encourage such study and practice, or will head ur such effort into definite results. For the molding Of character we have the home with its nurture ant discipline, we have the church with its teachings. its moral and religious ore. cepts and the refining touch of the di E11& mE IL