Norwich bulletin., 1916-01-14
PASTOR REPO ITS ON CHURCH S YEAR
Rev. H j WyckoG Covers the Activities of Second Con-
gregatonal Church In Annual Statement Makes Rec
Home Missionary Society.

fIOtf6 WlSStOHagy 70OCtGtYs
The Home Missionary society, ac-
cording to it's custom. spread its min
istry over the wide home field of mis-
sions aiding in the rebuilding of the
school at Grandview, Tenn, which
suffered loss by fire; contributing $50
to the school at Lynn for mountain
whites. and preparing and sending the
annual box to frontier minister's
family. In connection with this last.
two sewing meetings were held to pre-
pare the articles, with the usual sup
per following each. From the family
to which this box went comes back this
word of appreciation: There Were SO
many of the best, warmest articles
that the winter will seem much easier"
The Woman's Board Of Missions.
Another of the aItruistic ministries
of our church is represented in the
auxiliary to the Woman's Board of
Missions. which has met each month,
except in the summer, keeping the
glow of the spreading of the good
tidings in the heart by studying the
book The Child in the Midst, hearing
reports from the branch meetings, the
Mortified conference, to which Miss
Gibbs, went as a delegate, and from
the foreign field by letters from the
workers there. The annual pledge of
sos. for the work of the woman's
Board, was met as usual.
In the Sunday School.
The Sunday school has enjoyed an
unusually prosperous year under the
faithful and able guidance of Mr..
Peale, the acting executive officer, who
has just been elevated to the super
intendency Of the school. The AZ ses-
sions of 1915 had an average attend
ance of 146, with IL members present
every Sunday. and one class having all
its members present 81 Sundays.
AS to the church proper: The aver
age attendance at morning worship in
1915 was 131; at the evening service,
33, with three special union services
which brought out 400, 225 and 200,
respectively. This is about 10 per cent.
under the morning attendance for 1914
and 20 per cent. below that in 1918.
The evening attendance is about the
same as in 1914, but II per cent. be-
low that of 1913.
Children's Sermon Warranted.
The attendance of the children con-
tinues to warrant the children's SER
mon-up0n which some of their elders
profess to feed with relish; but the
splendid showing of the first term of
our Go-To-Church band is not hold
ing up in the second, partly due to bad
weather, partly to illness, and partly
to causes not Immediately apparent.
The cooperation of parents and Sun
day school teachers would do much to
offset the lack of drawing power in
service and sermon.
The accessions to membership, al
ready given by the clerk, while fewer
in number than in other years, were
notable in this--that all were on con-
feSsion of faith, and all were adults.
The losses of the year have been un-
usually large and severe. taking from
US some of our most active and help
full members. Four of our young peo-
ple-Mr. and Mrs. Noah Lucas, Miss
Florence Pardy and Mrs. Kenneth Muir
are still members of the church mill
tant, though no longer of our number.
Seven of our church family have join
ed the church triumphant, four in the
morning of life-Miss Gertrude Allen,
Miss Ethel Worth, Mrs. Aubrey Jarvis
and Arthur Lathrop; and three who
were nearer the sunset-Mrs. Johanna
Asplund, Mrs. Henrietta Korn and Mrs.
Charlotte Kline. But perhaps the
saddest losses of all are those who
were once our fellow workers here but
now lost to the church universal
through their own wilful neglect of the
ties of our family life.
For many years this church has been
forced to watch helplessly the steady
diminution in the number and size of
it's families, without finding a remedy.
Today we are facing the possibility of
recovering our lost ground in the OPP
portunity to interest and enlist our
share of the thousand or more folk ex-
pected to come to Norwich this year.
II we can make them appreciate the
fact that our motive is Not yours, but
you," we need not hesitate to urge
upon them the privileges of our own
church family.
The Pastors Recommendations.
In closing, the minister would offer
certain recommendations born of study
of these conditions of the present life
of this church and its environment
1, That this people take upon them
selves seriously the matter of mending
or ending the Sunday evening service,
for this lies with them far more than
with the minister; the people, not the
preacher, must draw.
2. The building UP of q compact
body of attendants at all our services,
including the midweek meeting, for the
sake of our church covenant vows and
the efficient ministry of our church in
this city.
8. The winning back to regular at
tendance of those members who have
lost the habit of being in church more
than once or twice year. The minis
ter has been faithful in his effort to
re-enlist them; will the loyal men,
bers add their persuasions to his, that
the thing may be accomplished?
4. The appointment of a consecrat-
ed and aggressive church or outlook
committee, with representatives from
the younger and older membership OF
ING CnuTCns VINO Will make IL their, SUI
preme religious business to bring this
years strangers in Norwich into fell
lowship with our church.
5. The development of both the
grace and the manifestation Of genuine
hospitality at all public gatherings OF
the church, with special reference to
strangers worshipping with us, as well
as to those Of our own number who
have not yet come to feel thoroughly
at home in our household of the faith
6. Such recognition of the younger
folk and their organizations for the
service of the church as shall encour-
age and stimulate them to larger en-
deavor to find and take their rightful
places in the common task of this
church family, even though this may
involve a remodeling of meetings and
ideas to- fit the present need rather
| than holding rigidly to outgrown GUS
toms New wine in new bottles" not
in old ones.
A vote of thanks was extended Rev
Mr.. Wyckoff for the able manner in
which his report was made.
The usual appropriation for the gen.
eral conference Of the Congregational
churches Of Connecticut was voted and
it was decided to have the weekly
church calendar printed during the
coming year, as in past years. A vote
of appreciation was extended the
Church Improvement society for the