New Britain Herald Newspaper, March 11, 1916, Page 11

ot Second Section NEW BRITAIN HERAILD. § DPages 11 to: HNE\X{ BRITAIN CONNECTICUT, SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1916. Pastor Cook Wants Churchg To0 Have 1,000 Membership Pleased With Past Year, He Tells Trinity Methodist Con- gregation at Annual Meeting—Successful Year in all Departments Shown By Reports. The annual congregation meeting of Trinity Methodist Episcopal churech was held last night and the Jargest attendance ever gathered on | a like occasion was present. The first | vear of the pastorate of Rev. Warren ¥. Cook came to a close, the most successful the church has ever known. A church supper was serv- ed by the Ladies’ Aid society at 6:30 | o’clock, after which the assembly ad- | journed to the main auditorivm, where the meeting was held. In order to relieve the monotony of the various reports, selections were Interspersed during the program. The new quartet, composed of Miss Anna Clark, soprano, formerly of the Bris- tol Baptist church choir; Mrs. Dud- ley T. Holmes, alto; Kenneth Rob- erts of Hartford, bass, and R. Morse, tenor, rendered selections. Walter Occupin favored wth ’cello solo and Miss Jennie Swanson gave readings. Pastor’s Report. In his report, Rev. Warren F. Cook, the pastor said that while the church had gained in membership during the past year, nevertheless he thought the membership should be Increased to 1,000 communicant: At present there are approximately 709. The report follows: “It is a very easy mafter in aun annual report to dash off phrases about the best year we have ever had and it would especially be persump- tuous for me to do it in thi: but T can say quite truthfully heartily that this has been most pleasant vear, and in some v spects the most gratifying of my ministerial experience. I like New Britain. I like Trinity Methodist Episcopal church. T could take the entire time of this report to give vou my reasons for such a statement. Let me simply say this, the general spirit.] of unity among all the people the the demand for wise progress among ofii- a cials and parishioners alike; and desire to lay emphasis upon the e sentials of church life are foremost among the reasons for the feeling of satisfaction that we have for the years work. “In reviewing the past eleven months there is much that T can omit because of the more detailed re- ports of others given here tonight I shall, therefore, give more time to conslderation of lines of work for | our coming year (assumming: ths the bishop will' not divorce us in April.) As to the past eleven months: Increase in Membership. “First, our membership. Tt ic well known that we have had to spend considerable time putting our case |ing the work that w 21¢ | dertaken, I am anxious to see \ | | | { | | i REV. WARREN 'F. COOK. leased the minister for other lines of work very greatly needed, “I can better report on what we have been attempting during the past vear by setting before you my idea of what we ought to undertake for the present. The past vear has required much time in getting acquainted with tie city, the parish and the people. For the coming year besides maintain- have already un- em- phasis upon th following things. Men Desired. “First as to our membership. Un- | doubtedly there are many in our par- ish to whom the church ministers in one way or another who have never formally united with the church. There are men, whose wives are mem- bers; men who are perfectly true of the Christian teachings and principles, but who for some reason or other have never brought themselves into church membership. There are also families where the children are mem- bers of our Sunday school but where the fathers and mothers have not vet united with the church. This is a field which in almost any community is ripe for active work. In order to do this as we should the official board at my requ has ordered’ a member- ship committee to be formed of strong men to assist the minister in touching this part of our constituency, endeav- oring to bring them into the active life of the church. Work of Sunday School. “Besides this we have formulated system of bringing our children I records into shape and it is impos- sible to say at this time just exactly what our total membership is but we have recently found a record which will enable us within the next month to be able to perfect our official church records. We have received during the year thirty-three new members 1 letter from other churches 19 by confession of faith and 15 by preparatory membership a total of 67 new members. We have lost four by death and three by let- ter, making a net gain of 60 per cent The total membership reported at the conference last April was 660. This would give us a total member- ship today of 720. This number wi he tncreased before conference, buf. the revision of the membership roll which T have spoken of before will probably cut down the total, although we are not able to say how much The conference minutes have mnever before shown our membership to have reached 700 but T see no rea- son why in the next two or three vears the membership should not reach 1,000. Let us be satsfied with nothing less. There have been twen- ty baptisms during the last eleven months, nine adults and 11 children, and thgre have been fourteen wed- dir 5 econd, Pastoral Labors. We have not vet covered each family of the church in our visitations We haa expected to do this before the first of the year but our own sickness pre- vented that and since that time the general sickness in the community has made it necessary to give prac- tically all of our visiting time to sick calls. We expect, however, to visit the remaining families of the constituency before conference time Surplus Left. The matter of finances for the past has been well covered by the treasurer and financial secretary’s re- Year port. We might just note however. that we -faced this conference year with a $1,100 deficit. During the year we have paid that deficit and 3 closing this vear with deficit of only $470 with a sufficient amount of subscriptions still unpaid to very much more than cover this amount. “Our tc benevolences for this vear will show an increase of at least thirty per cent. over what we gave last vear. “The work of the various societies and organizations of the church have been well covered by the report of w their respective presidents, and 1 neecd not tell you what we have been at- tempting to do with our regular church service, especially the evening servic , which have all responded to the ef we have been makin “Nothing has been of great o boom to the church during the year as the assitance that has come to the minister,—the assistance in the way of derical help and also the relief that ‘has come through the work of Mr. Wood who has taken charge of Sun- has re- through the Sunday school into the church, which ought to be a constant source of church membership. Rather than have special decision days, it seems better to make each Sunday school teacher feel that the pupils of ‘ner cla: present a constant opport- unity for which she should be respon- sible, Among the pupils above the jun- jor grade into Sundajy school_ '.h.ere are constantly those who are ripening into that stage where they should be deciding for Christand for member- ship in the church. It is our plan to keep constantly vigilant and our be- lief that there will be a steady stream of members coming in at each com- munion service through this avenue. special Services, Further than this it is our purpose to hold special services at the proper seasons and reach those who cannot be reached in any other way. It seems to be by a vear from now we ought to <pect a net membership of at least 50 if our present membership stands where we think it does, Second as to the Sunday school. Our Sunday school is not completely graded. The begin- ners and the primary departments | are graded but the Junior and inter- mediate departments are not sharply divided and separated as we would like to have them. It is our hope dur- ing the year to complete this grading of the Sunday. school so we have a perfectly graded system at work. The Sunday school board at its last meet- ing and the official at its last meeting | have decided to change the hour of the Sunday school so that it will meet before the church service rather than afters Our purpose in so doing, is to closer unite the Sunday school and the morning church service with the at- fempt to bring the entire Sunday ool into the morning church ser- with the attempt to bring the en- tire Sunday school into this morning preaching service that we may train the children in the church in a more efficient way than we have been doing. vie At this time we plan to start two special Sunday school classes, ness men’'s meeting at 12:15 12:45 led by the minister; this c to appeal to men, who naturally come in between the Baraca young men and Bro. Neumann's Bible cla It is also our plan to start a parent’s class meeting with the whole school, which explained by Mr. Wood. thought is to so connect chool and the morn- has been Our whole up the Sunday In my day school and elsewhere ital part of its church life. ing church service that they will be | a vital and intrical part of each other, The gap that has existed in the pa between the Sunday school and church have allowed fully 75 cent. of our boys amd probably per cent. of our girls to slip away from the church after we have had them in the most impressionable vears of their lives. Let it not be said of u Men's Or ations. . “Third, Organization ought to be experience with men’s organizations T | which is a department of the Sunday | a thing to keep their interest alive. 1t | Okalahoma The box is arranged on| ants a-c RS have found that they do not generally | school; a junior Philathea class in |is out purpose, therefore, to attempt | this order. 1If a member of the con- | Specidl offerings and * Sise amount to a great deal unless they | the process of ization; the | to keep in very much closer persoral | Bregation drops in a qugrter or a| dries o have a definite task before them, | young men’s Baraca class, also the |touch with all of our people during |larger piece there is silence. If he -+ o which they give themselves to in great | Junjor Baraca class, and besides this the next year than we have been [drops in a dime a bell rings; if he earnestne Numbers are not nec the Standard Bearers and the Queen {able to do in the past by putting | drops in 5c a whistle blows; if he sarily a sign of success. A very | Esther Circle, the young \\'nmen's!l“eruture into the home through the jdrops in a cent a blank cartridge small group of earnest men with a | missionary organizations. All of these | Messenger Service, which we are |goes off. If anyone pretends ta be | F25tOF definite task before them will in all | organizations undertake work, which | organizing in the Sunday school; by |asleep when the box is passed 1 | Pastor's a probability accomplish a great dealis more or less conflicting. The Ep- | a systematic visitation carried more |awakens him with a watchman's | cal help 3 more than an unweiling large group | worth League has a missionary de- |often than we have been able to |tle and a Kodak takes his picture. ;“"”l of parsonage of men who get together simply for | partment; the Philathea class is do- | CATTY it on in the past; by personal [have no thought of introducing any | L¢lephone e feeds and a social time. Our men | ing a very vital missionary work and |&reetings from the minister as weil [xuch mechanical devise for our wor Conference claimants & at their last meeting set before them | the Standard Bearers and the Queen [2% by advertising through the local [ during the next year but it must be | DiStrict superintendent certain definite things for them to | Esteher Circle girls give their entire | PAPCTS and otherwise. It is our hopo | said that people's interest in a church | Other conference and cons undermk? for this year, and whether | time to missionary study and work. | 0 SO Lfloep]m touch with the homes of |is quite often measured by their fin- | c Y;“(“‘Iflnnl :’xveusus ol the membership be large or small if | 1t will readily be seen that these or- | OUI church people than we can keep |ancial support. We do not mean by | 2uIPit supplies . the men who really have the church | ganizations with ' their various lines | their interest alive to the needs and |this the size of the amount that they | Music ..... .. . at heart will get back of these things | Of work are bound to conflict more | the benefits of the church. It will |give but we do mean their consis Church bulletin secaeans with enthusiasm there will be success | or less since they call upon the same | P¢ Seen at once that with the in- [tency in giving as compared with | '\"’\l‘““"”“'"“* printing and registered at the close of this year.|Young people in many instances, | CTeASINE activities of our church the |their expenditures along other lines, | ,\Il'r\uxr-h envelopes The men are also going to undertake | It would certainly be for the efficienc P estoannol Mo Mthisialonc Wl il Bl o o che talthiuies bl iyt o e o assist in the organization and de- | of the o s k Nior | Tec 2 o any of his work | with which they keep their church | S . e o s e e fecti\,em;fa:;zamrfi :.’;‘:l\,rmm'a):“ ef | alone effectively. The success of the | pledges as compared with their faitt.- | C0al and wood bible class, and have also offered | change if we could in some way com- | WOTK Of our church will depend very | fulness in keeping thelr other obliga- | ‘};‘fh'!'_xf 4 tar) their willingnes to assist in certain | bine our young people’s organizations | lnrgol.\ .upon «hg co-operation of | tions. Unquestionably there are mar e :;1‘\;: ’”.\ '[Hf a«]‘(h"nuvl\.h‘ l‘u social features of the Sunday school | S0 that there would not be this con- | th0S¢ Who have its life at heart. {who give to the church but a pie-| PENE SN Bxtires (A church service. it e work' and orennization. My The Increased Budget. tance who spend five or ten times| ing camp house Women's Orgunizations own thought is that there is no or-| AS Our budget has been presentod | % much per week on various luxur-| G lRED We have at the present time three | 5 21220100 In the church, which ls =0 f:;’wy"t‘;];t" iy ban wil no ’he;terho';rhwtil‘,f;u‘“()"l'l e b | Interest pomenialicreaniza ionm i tnaliT Jald g2 tetioand| SRthefiveious entor prbeites pihe s D We forget sometimes how much we | Sundries ERRRREEETrS Aid society, W. H. M. S. and W. , | OF, °UF ¥oung peoble as the Sunday | creass over last year. fhe incros ioatnalenumentwetror; ;| Special offering to Boys' M. S. Tt o+ *s =~} school. The tendency of the times |in the budget carries with it and in- really owe the church. We forget how Tt it seems ldntiel evident ithatd o e hlee b Sura hool mot | crease all along the line. A church | Much our fathers and our mothers R if we had but one woman’s organiza- Iy fon terchine moay SChO iing | cannot Taise its standard from » |sacrificed to make it a power in the | Pills hote P :;m with three department instead o | S or.rhg‘zc?s“fi‘;"s(”:;r Jralning | 5,000 grade to a 3,000 grade by | community and how they prayed that | Cash balance, March 1, 1916 Pelaiiaae \\1"‘(1.0:?:?3‘? S e o Impressionable side a5 well as | SIMply raising silaries. It means | We sl cye (el Influence and 3 eanly c a more ef- ; ; .t it |that we must increase our member- | €Ver be its fai supporters. Al Wibase obd ofentive hotk!” Mlgmar. |2 0 onible e In fact L e vt 5 that we have and one, if we go far | Bills and accounts payable ter has been talked over quite fhar. | TSt hfimfi””‘ impressionabls Hand lZ’r‘éfige"Zui’”’;‘c’l?\v-'-‘"lt' S el e lnee el s e in the | March lst o oughly among the ladies of the | croctive. 15 ‘,‘h”esl if it is to be | Nt we are to do all these it will | church and what the church stands | Less cash on hand church, and it is MY hoPe | pring these oreenioions o N |be necessary to increase the benevo- | for. May we plead for you each bidy that during the coming year we| butoide o thitaizations, Which are || ces of the church for it is the |ROt only to stand by the church, | Total deficiency i may be able to perfect some sort of | o setrigies ool a8y school under . ience of those who have studiea | Which has done so much for you but | Note: The arrearags ue @ a4 woman's organization, which will| (g 2afROrity of - the Sunday school |{pl " caretully that ss the |may be plead with you to do it in | 1y offerings ls cufficient to (a8 combine the three present organiza- | chere woerd o f0°, 2ctivities | that ' onevolent interest of the church so [ the spirit of willingnes, in truth, in | this balaneo B tions In such a way that our work | (nere could be a reomict Of wOTX . the actual life of the church develops | the spirit of joy. Going forward into | - HePort of & T 00 A will go forward with more efficiency, | va, _be a directing of the de- | w2 % (0 ie e ave to undertake |this year with confidence that I win | olences received throusi iy giving more time to the women ig| YoloPMeNt and the actual results of | Wi tAEre 00 U W TS 10 BECETINIE | 1ave the support of the last member | envelopes. : undertake other lines of work, which ;hf\',.::otr,‘:a;’f hoine people in such |\ "hle to command larger interest |and friend of the church, T am TR h‘"l,'-‘llh are much needed in the church life. 5 ik both in the activities and in the fin- | Your friend and your minister, Collection, kg HonE i The same thing that T have said with | Pastoral Overnight. ances than we have in the past. T WARREN F. COOK, Teference to the woman's work ap-| I have a conviction that one reason |read this little incident the other da Reo DisbirsEamea plies even more to the work of the|why we have deficiency in all lines |of a-man who had invented a mew | Cash balance, March 1, 1915 § _ 1.34 B young people in the church. We |of church work, not simply the fin- |collection plate It is quite the la- | Weekly offerings May 10th, J. M. Burdié have at the present time an Epworth |ancial but in attendance and interest | test American church device for rais Plate collections s, . e Jis e S League, which calls upon the young {is because the church has not been |ing the wind, and is described by a |Fram trustees May 14th, J. M. Birdick people, both the young men and the |able to keep in close personal touch |certain religious paper as “some col- | From trustees ............ 150.00 — ence on conference claim- (Continued On Twelfth P8 young women. |1ection box.”” The inventor hails from The Philathea with man; people who need just clas uch SUNDAY MORNING Subject “ACHIEVEMENT AND PROSPECT” THIS SUNDAY EVENIR DR. POTTER | on . PREPAREDNESS TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH SUNDAY SERVICES--Interesting and Helpful Large and Growing Evening Service. Sunday Morning Children’s Sermons. A Unique Children’s Church and Nursery Kindergarten for Little Folks. A GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL Adult Classes for Men and Women. Active Philathea Class--Young Women. Sr. and Jr. Baraca Class--Young Men. Live Scout Troops--Boys and Girls. WELL ORGANIZED WOMEN’S WORK Growing Men’s Work. Strong Young Peoples’ Work. Large Foreign Sewing School Week Service--Practical, Helpful TRINITY METHODIST A Mid- NEXT SUNDAY EVENIN “WILL A NEW RELIGION COME OUT OF THIS WAR? 1 | SUNDAY FIORNING - FIRST OF SERIES OF CHURCH LENTEN SERMONS