Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-03-06

spending a number of days in each
of them. The principles of our sur
Veys were first discussed in the
presence of city leaders and laymen.
In the second place, committees
made up of members of our own
! team as well as local leaders, went
I out TO study the various types OF
| work. After such a study II was
usually necessary for our team, in
/ cooperation with local leaders, to
decide what in general should be
the program for individual cities,
and what projects should be includ-
ed as centenary projects. A second
| trip was made to these cities when
the pastors of the centenary pro-
jects, which had been listed, were
brought together and given careful
consideration and instruction in
making intensive studies of their
individual projects. A third visit
was made to these centers when
these individual pastors were given
an opportunity to report on their
intensive surveys. This was neces-
sary TO justify every part of our
centenary program
Efficiency Aim.
THE centenary is an effort to
raise the whole church to its full
efficiency in view of its whole task y
said Dr. l.. F. Lesemann of Chicago,
in speaking on the subject Life
Service yesterday afternoon, land
to challenge all of it's resources in
prayer, money and men. We are
asking for more than fifty thousand
young people to dedicate themselves
for special Christian service. This
is of primary Importance. When
modern missions started there were
a half dozen young men at the hay
stack meetings that determined to
go. and when Methodist missions
started it was simple colored man
who had the vision. The fact is
that we raised $83022 for foreign
missions in the first year and we
did not use it Now We need all the
money that we can get and we need
the people and more
The board of foreign missions is
calling for 1850 foreign mission
aries. the board of home missions
for l APO special workers; the col
leges for 230 trained teachers to
preach the bible and education, so
cial service and the like. The
churches are calling for ZOO work
ers that have been highly trained
for special modern work in the
church, making a total of $500
special workers that are needed
during the next five years.
Prayer Church Aim.
DR.. E. c. Hickman of Chicago,
in speaking on his subject over
the Top" yesterday afternoon, said
in part:
IF this centenary means any
thing under the shining stars, it
means this. that it is the greatest
appeal of the Christian church since
Pentecost, to release upon the
earth. the inexhaustible resources
Of the ineXhaustible God. and the
foundation of this is the great appeal
to the prayer life | say to you as
the one great fundamental for the
success of this centenary program.
pray. pray, pray. Before God learn
to pray as you never have yet.
We have just passed through a
great period in which men have
ceased to call their lives their own,
in which men have not counted the
cost. in which the government has
come and said, This one thing you
must do and we are not through
that period, but as the Church of !
Jesus Christ, we are facing that |
period now and it is the time when !
it is up to every man of us to say, !
This one thing before God l do
The centenary program has lien |
upon your life. 1t is the first great /
now. In all there is only /
one word | have to say to you, and /
that is the one great essential in /
putting this program over is this
believe in it, as the program of the |
God. There is not single /
church in Methodism, rich or poor, (
large or small, that if it faces up to /
this task and accepts this program, /
will not come OUT a bigger church |
and more ready to do the work of !
the Kingdom of God for its own |
community.