The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-27
First Christian Church Increases It's Influences
 Throughout the Section

First Christian church is. "brightenns < the corner where it is located. Few evenings go by that the threshold is not lighted over the doors and the build ing opened. sIn speaking of the work planned for 1921 and the accomplish. ments of the past, Dr. Robert N Simp- son said in part:
 First Christian church will make his tory for the annals of it's members in Alabama in 1921, if the present enthu- siasm is sustained throughout the year. and there is promise of its permanency
 January the month for reorganiza- ton. found everybody optimistic. despite business depression and a congregation ready for the biggest budget we have ever underwritten and the biggest pro- gramme we have ever outlined
 "A Sunday devoted to education and European relief the anniversaries of the Christian Endeavor and Boy Scout move ments, observance of Father and Son week. our Young Peoples department social have been outstanding features in the current month. February is dis tmctively young peoples month on our calendar. St. Valentine has his day in February although a social custom of pagan Rome has ontlived his n1artyrdom. but Francis F.. Clark father of Chris tan Endeavor, and Ernest Thompson Seton. founder of the American scout or- ganization, deserve halos as well as st. Valentine for their contribution to the character building of youth. At First church we have one of the best Endeavor societies in the entire state Miss Helen Mae l4inthicum is the president The society Functions through active commit tees ana it's devotional meetings cannot be surpassed. We have two troops of Boy Scouts. Troop 24 is a new organ ization, with Mir. I. c. Bond, general manager of Haverty's Furniture com pany. and an elder of the congregation, as efficient scoutmaster. Troop 21 has lad the good leadership of MT c. P. watson for almost two years and is composed of scouts of various religious affiliations. Troop o> begins as a class from the junior department of the Bible school adopting tho scout programme. We have young woman's mission cir cle that meets regularly for the study of missions and whose generosity is re- vealed In a splendid benevolent budget Miss Lucille Stallings is president and Mrs. R. N Simpson, superinte tendent The work of our young people is correlated with the church through it's common young peoples activities, of which Dr. R. l.. Houston is chairman. Our young peoples department in the Bible school is one of our liveliest organizations.
 The Bible school of the First Chris tlan cnuTcn IS Vlrile. It IS very much like a teen-age lad when garments can- not Keep pace with his growth without bankrupting the family Our classes are outgrowng the dimensions of their class rooms. We leased an adjoining building for an annex and have out grown it. The enrolment of our Bible school is larger than the membership roster of our church. Our school is thoroughly graded and standardized. Mir E ntr,cr nn Pratt Consolidated Coal company. is general superintendent. and Mir. w. C. kbopf, president Domestic Electric com pany, is our director of religious educa ton. Our workers conference is a fea- ture and inspirational factor in keeping our organization up to standard. There
 G a big brotherhood class of l5o mem bers with two-thirds of them regulars When we secure our new building, some of these larger schools are going to have to look to their lairels
 WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS
 Outside of our Bible school classes for women the work among the women of the church is represented in two or ganizations. The Woman's Missionary society, Mrs. F. B. Pennington, pres ident, is well organized in district divis- ions, studies the mission fields of our brotherhoods activities in home and overseas evangelization, and has defi- nite budget for missions amounting to q 900. The Ladies' Aid society, Mrs. R. N. Simpson. president functions in the varied Martha" ministries of such an organization, parish aid, local be- nevolence and kindred services of good will and graciousness. In keeping with the traditions of aid societies this or ganization made the initial offering to the new investment fund of the congre- gation. Splendid groups of women are enlisted in Bible study in the service class, Bible class and Loyal women's class of the Bible school.
 A new investment in institutional min isteries for us is the free kindergarten. which is the first unit of the commu- nity service programme we Nse develop ing. Mrs. N. 5. Kitchins is the efficient superintendent. and is being assisted by others of the membership who have this