The Washington times., 1913-01-18
Christian Endeavor.

By Rexford l.. Holmes. president
District of Columbia Christian En-
deavor Union. Sunday. January 10.
Topic: "How Can We Better Our
Prayermeetingsr Lesson: Matt. Is:
1920. Lied by the prayermeetinE
committee.)
In order that the uninitiated may
know the meaning of the word "pray-
ermeeting" as used in the topic, IL
should be explained that this term
does not refer to the regular mid
week prayermeeting of the church
proper, but to the Sunday evening
service of the Christian Endeavor So
ciety. This service is always beauti-
fully called the "prayermeeting' of
the society.
1t is a hopeful and stirring thought
at the outset of the consideration of
in all the $4,000 societies Of Christian
Endeavor, with their stupendous
membership Of four millions tabout
1000 of them District of Columbia
discussed. One can imagine the $4,000
Chinese Endeavorers. at the. very
dawn of 'China's new day" earnestly
discussing the problem of making
other thousands Of young Chinese will
want to attend. and the $500 Endeav-
orers in the Telugu area Of South In
dia, and the 1S,207 members of the
South India Christian Endeavor I'm
lon, and the 1882 Punjab lin India)
are newly converted Christians) and
some more boldly, stating their ideas
as to how the Sunday evening Chris
tfan Endeavor services can be made
adapted for winning other young
people into the fellowship Of this
mighty power for salvation In Christ
Jesus. We should like very much. too.
other earnest Endeavorers in England,
Germany, Japan. Denmark. Hungary.
Croatia, the Philippines. Mexico, Cen
trail America. Jamaica. South Africa.
and even few in Greece and the
1900 Endeavorers on the Marshall
Islands (more Endeavorers in these
twenty-five islands. in fact, than church
members, owing to the required pro-
stationary period for church-member-
ship. and in many other PARKWAY
lands. in their interesting services this
week, while they discuss this great
topic Of how We can make our Endeav-
or services better. What a wonderful
result must come from 80 much earnest
discussion! What "prizes of the high
calling" are to be strlven for by this
vast Endeavordom-and won,
II must be apparent that the Endeavor
prayer meetings can be strengthened by
tdbtu tlHClcHCy dUlOnR the OInCer9
and committee chairman and committee
men of the societies Of Christian En-
deavor. One hears a great deal now
a-days about efficiency" in the BUSH
ness world and in the professions. The
world requires that some men and some
women know how TO do at least one
thing extremely weIl-much better than
other people. And SO in Christian En-
deavor work and the work OF the church
generally. We need young people who
will make careful fhnropoh
study of their assigned work as officers
or committee chairman or committee
men, and who will then put their special
efficiency along certain lines into actual.
active, consecrated use. The result will
be increased efficiency OF the societies
as organizations, and of the PRAYER
meeting services of those societies.
The part TO be played 1--WE mean
worked) by the prayer meeting commit
tee itself in the prayer meeting of the
society Is well known by most thorough
Endeavorers. This committee is to see
that printed topic-cards are used, TO be
ready to take an absent leaders place.
to lead the prayer circle to conduct the
pre-prayer service, to plan the meetings
with leaders far In advance The look
out committee has an important part in
lettering the prayer meetings by striv-
ing to increase the membership of the
society, by distributing topic cards and
invitation cards among all the members
and especially the young people of the
church and community who are not
Endeavorers, by emphasizing the pledge,
by keeping a record Of the attendance
and participation in the prayer meeting
of each Endeavorer. by winning the as
sociate members into active member
ship, by watching and aiding the spirit
ual development of the Endeavor men,
bers Even the social committee can
strengthen the prayer meetings by
bringing about a feeling at home"
among the visitors who attend. The
social committee can make II easy for
the visitors to enter the prayer meet