984
THE KING’ S BUSINESS
might be that they had not hoped for or expected much of a blessing—hence missed a glad surprise! All such schools should try it again and again, until they redeem themselves! One o f the best things about this sdrvice is the amount o f “Ministerial relief” it often provides for over-worked pastors. “Minis terial relief” always suggests the help furnished aged and retired ministers by the denomination they, have served. And what about the tired as well as the retired ministers? What about those, who in the very prime o f life, are growing old too fast, and are wearing themselves out on a large membership, because fheir official boards and membership expect them to do it all— and they can’t because the days and nights, every week, are too short. One school reported that “ forty-two vol unteered to aid the pastor in visiting strangers and the sick,” and what is that if it is not “ministerial relief,” too sadly heeded and o f most desirable kind! How can any pastor be still satisfied with the usual “ Christmas Entertainment,” the effect o f which is so little felt and so soon for gotten ?
Did the reader often, or ever, know o f a revival service lasting three or four weeks which accomplished as great results, which was not counted a great and blessed suc cess? Then why should not the Christmas Service which aroused and moved and blessed the entire church and school, not in three or four weeks o f “ protracted meetings,” but in the one Christmas service as reported by its pastor, be gladly tried by every pastor and every superintendent who hears o f it? But that is only one case among many. Another school reported six conversions, 1,455 pledges o f better service, over $800 in cash and more than $350 worth o f food, clothing and various Christmas gifts for local charities! These are not fairy tales, they are only two o f hundreds o f similar reports from other schools where the same great service has been used. O f course not all schools secure results and blessing in the same bounteous measure, but wherever the result was not as large as was hoped for, it was never the fault of the service but of those who, for good or poor reasons, did not properly prepare for and conduct it; or, it
MRS. F. A. KELLAR who accompanied her husband to China
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker