The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-12-08

side people present to rise and so
| express their appreciation of what
Mankato people have done for South
western Minnesota.
The audience joined in singing
Onward, Christian Soldiers" and Rev.
p. X. Edwards closed the convention
with prayer.
Missions and Evangelism.
In the afternoon the convention
divided into two sections. Those
specially interested in missions,
evangelism and community extension
gathered in the lecture room at the
Presbyterian church.
DR.. w. H. Medlar called the con-
ference to order There were no
speeches. Rev. Osgood started the
ball rolling by asking how he could
conduct an every member campaign
to secure a contribution for missions
from every member of the church.
DR.. Medlar related his own expert
ence in sending out twelve couples
to visit every family. Horace W.
White, member of Calvary Bap-
fist church, gave a very interesting
account of how their committee Wis
tied every family in the evenings
and not only secured subscriptions
for benevolences and current eX-
penses, but were able to more deep
ly interest the members in the
spiritual life of the church. These
visits he said were valuable not
only to bring up the church finances
but to bring the members together
All speakers regarded it as of the
utmost importance that every men,
Der. no matter how poor, should
have the privilege of contributing
something to the church.
A constant fire of questions was
kept up throughout the whole con-
ference. There was no theorizing,
but the speakers all kept down to
real business. 1t was a general agree
ment that the duplex system of an
every week contribution to both
missions and current expenses. A
thorough canvassing for subscrip-
tions at the beginning of the year
was the best system yet devised.
In the conference on evangelism,
personal work was the one form
full. The differences between the new
and the old evangelism was brought
out and it was shown clearly that
the broad evangelism advocated by
the mems movement includes all
that is vital in the Old
II. w. White in the hour on COM
munity extension told the pastors
how to call on business men. They
were to make their calls very short
and not talk religion in the business
office. He made deep impression
by telling how these pastoral calls
had impressed him as a young man.
House to house visitation by good,
well-chOsen committees was empha-
sized by several speakers.
The speakers all seemed stumped
by the problem of taking care of the
isolated groups of English speaking
families in the country. These small
groups Of families surrounded by
foreign population cannot sustain
church. 1t was suggested that
everything possible be done to en-
courage them to conduct Sunday
schools and some services for wor-
ship and to encourage them to self
reliance. 1t also suggested that
the men in the city consecrate their
automobiles and their time and serv-
ices to visiting and encouraging these
small groups in the country.
Three hours seemed exceedingly
brief and all felt the benefit of these
conference meetings. Everyone took
part and was not only impressed
but had the opportunity for express
sion. In coming conventions it is
believed that greater practical good
can be accomplished by these in
formal talks in which everyone has
opportunity to answer back or ex-
press his difficulties than in long
speeches, however eloquent.
Now What?
The parting gun of the publicity
committee distributed at the close
of the convention yesterday:
The recent convention was only
the first gun of the Men and Reli-
gion campaign. Get your church into
line. Study the situation in which
you find yourselves. BY Conserva-
ton Day, the 2Sth of next April,
your church ought to know what it's
job is. At the end of the five years
campaign, April 28th, 1917, you ought
to have good share of it done. For
further information consult Matt 10:
6. Mark 1915; John la; Matt. q:
IT; and John 5;39.
Remember that the war is on
Any quarrelling within the church,
any unholy competition between
churches, any unnecessary duplication
of plants is treason to our general
Altogether for better America and
better world
MEN AND RELIGION NOTES.