the practical success of a pastor greatly depends on the effectiveness of the social meetings, yet much tact and constant attention are required in conducting them. the impressions of the sermon here become deeper and often reach definite results in conversion, while here also the gifts and spiritual power of the church find development. the pastor who devotes himself only to the pulpit, and makes this department incidental, whatever he may become as a preacher, is likely to prove a pastoral failure.
i. the prayer-meetings.
in reference to these i offer the following suggestions: 1. the pastor himself should ordinarily conduct them if they are general meetings of the church; no other can so fully understand the condition of those present, or so wisely adapt the exercise to their needs. besides, the instruction and spirit of the prayer-meeting should be kept in harmony with the teaching of the pulpit, so as to supplement it and develop its results; one mind, therefore, should direct and inspire both. where the meeting is intended for a special class, as for the young people or for the sunday-school teachers, it may be proper, if there is a suitable leader, for the pastor to be relieved and the care of it to be entrusted to another.
careful preparation of thought, but of especially of spirit [p. 57] should be made for the meeting. no man should trust to the inspiration of the occasion either for the thought which shall give the keynote to the meeting or for the quickened spiritual life which, existing in the leader, shall touch and quicken the life of the church. 2. be punctual in opening and closing at the appointed time; nothing so effectually secures a prompt attendance, and the neglect of it will prevent many from coming, especially females, because they cannot know how late may be the hour of dismission. 3. be brief in your own exercises, showing yourself a pattern, and insist on brevity in others, whether in prayer, remarks, or singing. let your opening remarks be suggestive rather than exhaustive, so that when you sit down the people, instead of feeling that all has been said, will find the subject opening before them and be inspired to carry out the thought into other phases and applications. 4. avoid uniformity and monotony. to secure natural variety, give each meeting its own keynote, now of thanksgiving and praise, now of confession and humiliation, now of christian hope, and again of some great truth or some practical duty. if it becomes evident, as it sometimes will, that you have struck the wrong key and thought and feeling are running in another channel, throw yourself heartily into that and make the most of it. if a pause occurs, be ready with a passage of scripture, a hymn or remark, or call on individuals either to pray or relate experience, or to state some interesting fact you may know they possess. a pastor in vital relations with the people, by his knowledge of the experiences and condition of the individuals before him, will be able to give perpetual variety to the meetings by evoking in various ways their experience and utilizing their power. 5. in regard to the presentation of special cases for prayer, my judgment is that this should be encouraged; since, even [p. 58] apart from the power of prayer with god in behalf of such cases and the answer of blessing it brings, the special presentation itself serves to give directness and fervency to supplication and adds freshness and power to the exercise. it is possible, however, to have too much machinery in a prayer-meeting, making its movement mechanical and destroying spontaneity. expression of interest in the subject of personal religion by rising or other forms may be so often repeated as to be worse than useless and become justly offensive. in calling, therefore, for an expression, great care must be taken not to overdo, and not to do it at all unless there is good reason to expect a response. a failure usually chills the interest of a meeting. 6. use all exertions to bring the gifts of the church into full exercise; there is always a large amount of latent power which it should be the special care of the pastor to develop and make effective for christ. this will not be done by scolding and complaining, but rather by the diffusion of a spirit, an atmosphere, in the meeting—an all-pervasive, homelike feeling—which will banish embarrassment and draw them out. the timid and backward may also be helped by an occasional question, the answering of which will accustom them to their own voices and induce spontaneous expression. something also maybe done in private personal words of encouragement. above all, place distinctly before all minds the fact that in the prayer-meeting the main thing, next to prayer, is the interchange of christian experience, and what is required, therefore, from each one is, not a homily, an exposition, or an exhortation, but a simple statement of what he has thought and felt amidst the experiences of life; and, as every soul has its own peculiar life, it has an experience of real value as helpful and comforting to other lives. 7. make careful [p. 59] arrangements for good spirited singing, but usually not more than two or three verses at a time. to secure this, if you do not yourself sing, arrange with one or more good singers to lead whenever a pause occurs. indeed, if you are a singer, it is often best not to take on yourself the responsibility of leading; the care is too much, and by distracting and exhausting your force it may diminish your power in the general guidance of the exercises. do not fail to have good books, with hymns and tunes, in sufficient number to give all opportunity to join in the singing. 8. great care should be taken, if the room is not full, to have people sit together and near the leader. no meeting will ordinarily be social, in any proper sense, where a few people are scattered in a large room. attention should also be given to the ventilation and temperature of the room; otherwise, the meeting may fail from purely physical causes, in spite of the best efforts of pastor and people. right physical conditions are simply attempts to conform to god’s physical laws, and are absolutely essential to the highest success in social religious meetings; no pastor, therefore, should deem them unworthy of careful and persistent attention. finally, it should be remembered that it is a social meeting. divest it of all formality, stiffness, or sameness. make it cheerful, familiar, homelike, as a gathering of god’s children in their father’s family. if this is done, old and young will be attracted to it, and will alike feel free to share its services.
ii. the covenant meeting.
this was originally called the covenant meeting because it was intended for the solemn renewal by the members of their vow of consecration to christ and the church, and the church covenant was formally read in it while the members stood to express their adhesion to it. of late [p. 60] years, however, the meeting is less fully attended than formerly, and the reading of the covenant is often deferred to the opening services of the lord’s supper, that the church may be more largely represented in the act. the entire omission of its reading, as is sometimes the case, is unfortunate, since many thus enter the church without a full understanding of the obligations thus assumed, and the church fails of the important stimulus to duty which this solemn reading and renewal of the covenant is adapted to furnish. the following hints may be of value: 1. in a large church it is not possible, nor is it desirable, that all the members should speak at one meeting: any attempt to secure this will ordinarily result either in a wearisome protraction of the service, or in so abbreviating the communication of each as to render the exercise, as an interchange of experience, of very slight value. some ministers lay special emphasis on the number of speakers they have succeeded in compressing into an hour; but it is evident that if each has not had adequate time to make a true expression of his experience, the usefulness of the exercise is seriously impaired, if not destroyed. it is not the number, but the quality, which gives value to the experiences related in a covenant meeting. as far as possible, however, arrangements should be made that those not called on at one meeting may be called on at the next, and on every occasion the meeting should be thrown open before the close, so as to give any specially-burdened heart opportunity for expression. 2. encourage frankness and brevity. if members indulge in stereotyped expressions and prosy speeches, break up the habit by pointing out its evil. many excellent christians whose experience, if really presented, would prove rich and valuable have no correct idea of what should be spoken, and utter mere commonplaces when they might speak words of gold. suppose [p. 61] that, before calling on them to speak, you address them somewhat in this way: “brethren, we have met to renew our covenant with god and with each other. we want, therefore, to know your heart-history since we last met at the lord’s table—that is, so far as it is proper to be known, for some of it belongs between you and god alone and should not be spoken here. but you have had experiences which will help and cheer us. temptations have come to you—something, it may be, separated you from the consciousness of christ’s presence. we want to know how you got back to him. you have had special mercies in deliverance from disease or accident, in prospered fortune, in friends raised up for you. will you tell how these mercies affected you? you have passed through trial in sickness, in disappointments, in the death of loved ones, in losses and sufferings. we would know how you felt under trials, and how god helped you to bear them. you have had special seasons of communion with christ, and have received special answers to prayer; you have found some passages of scripture truth or promise specially opening to you; you have some personal friend or friends for whom you are deeply interested that god may save them. these are the things we want to know—just what your heart has felt of late; and if in this family gathering in our father’s house you will tell these, you will help us and will bring all hearts into sympathy with you.” such suggestions, occasionally made, will repress tendencies to stereotyped thought and expression, and will educe those heart-experiences which give life and power to the meeting. 3. when there are candidates for baptism, encourage them to speak fully and freely, and secure, if possible, that they shall be heard by all. after the experiences have fully come before the church, the candidates should withdraw while their cases are under consideration, [p. 62] that the investigation of each case may be unembarrassed and full opportunity be had for inquiry or objection. 4. matters of business and of discipline are, as a rule, to be avoided at the covenant meeting. they usually divert attention from the special object of the exercise, and often dissipate the spiritual impression. 5. do not protract the service. an hour and a half is usually as long as a profitable interest can be maintained. too often the benefit of the meeting is wholly lost by its tediousness. a prompt beginning and an equally prompt ending are essential to sustained life in any exercise.
iii. the inquiry meeting.
the weekly inquiry meeting should constitute a part of the system of pastoral work. it accustoms minister and people to seek and expect immediate results from preaching and christian labor; and the value of this to both, as an ever-present inspiration, is incalculable. under every earnest ministry there are always thoughtful, anxious souls; but it requires tact and wisdom to bring them out and come into close, personal contact with them. few ministers are aware of the extent of this latent conviction among the unconverted under faithful preaching, or realize the importance of systematic, effective means for developing it. here i suggest: 1. let the meeting be held, if not on the lord’s day, as soon after it as practicable, that the impressions made by its services may not have time to wear away. this is a point of great moment. some pastors hold a meeting for prayer and inquiry immediately after the evening sermon, while the impressions are still vivid and fresh. this has sometimes proved very effective, especially as serving to develop the conviction and make known the persons under it, so that the pastor and church may afterward devote special labor to them. at such a [p. 63] meeting, however, little more could ordinarily be done, in personal conversation, than a few earnest words and the noting of the address of inquirers, with the view of following up the cases; and this, therefore, would not supersede the necessity of a meeting where more deliberate conversation could be had. 2. christians should be instructed and urged to bring thoughtful persons to the inquiry meeting—the parent, his child; the sunday-school teacher, his pupils; the young convert, his friends—and to regard this as a part of regular christian work. in places where the inquiry meeting is a novelty, its full, effective establishment may require time; but, once thoroughly established, the inquiry room will seldom lack inquirers. 3. various methods of conducting the meeting are adopted. one method is to meet all the inquirers in one room and converse with them in the presence of each other, as in a methodist class-meeting. to make this successful, the pastor must have ready tact and large resources, or he will repeat himself and the meeting fail from staleness. but it has this advantage: inquirers in such a gathering are drawn into a disclosure of their anxieties in the presence of others, and this committal of themselves to the subject is sometimes of great value in fixing impressions and leading to a decision. another method is to meet them singly, or, if specially related to each other, in groups, and let the conversation be private. this, when practicable, is generally more satisfactory, as it gives opportunity to probe the heart more fully, and to say much you cannot so freely say before others. it is often of great value not only to pray with an inquirer, but also to induce him to pray with you. sometimes, if you have set before him distinctly the way of salvation, he will, in such a season of prayer immediately following, then and there cast himself on christ and make a full surrender to him. perhaps, [p. 64] however, no one method will be adapted to all circumstances, and the judgment of the pastor must be exercised in fixing on one suited to himself and the special exigencies of his position. 4. the pastor should be discriminating and faithful in dealing with inquirers, for failure in this may result in a superficial experience and a false hope. in such conversations he should never content himself with a mere, vague exhortation to come to christ; what the inquirer needs is definite instruction as to what it is to come to christ. probe thoroughly, so as to be sure that there is a genuine sense of sin, a reliance alone on the righteousness of christ, and an actual submission of the will to god. the pastor should prepare himself, therefore, for the exercise with fervent prayer, and gather, and have at ready command a variety of scripture passages adapted to different religious conditions, and of simple, clear illustrations of the nature of repentance and faith. 5. let your conversation with an inquirer ordinarily be confidential, so that he may not feel, when conversing with you, that he is talking to the town; otherwise, you deter many from coming, and even with those who come you may prevent what is important to your success—a full disclosure of the heart. as a rule, also, it is not wise to encourage an inquirer to seek conversation with many different persons: the varied advice given confuses him and tends to dissipate impressions. finally, it is obvious that success in this exercise will greatly depend on the tact, geniality, and approachableness of the pastor himself. if he is cold, stiff, and repellent in manner, it will be difficult for him to secure the attendance and confidence of inquiring souls. there may be real and deep religious anxieties, but they remain latent from lack of power in the pastor to develop them.
[p. 65] iv. meeting for examination of candidates for the church.
no candidate should ordinarily come before the church without a previous examination by the pastor; and notice, therefore, should be given when and where he will meet persons desiring to unite with the church.
hints.—1. the time should be sufficiently early to give ample opportunity for making inquiries respecting an applicant, where the circumstances and character of the individual are not known. in the case of minors, consult the parents or guardians when practicable; it is a courtesy due to them, whatever their religious character or relations, and is often desirable in order to a full understanding of the character of the candidate. 2. let the examination be thorough and faithful. the purity of the church, as well as the welfare of the candidate, demands this. it is far easier to arrest an application at this point than after it comes to the church. the absence of knowledge even of the fundamental principles of the christian religion, on the part of many who are hurried into the church, is one of the alarming features of our time. certainly, christian experience is not a matter of mere blind emotion; and we have no ground for supposing its existence apart from distinct convictions respecting god and christ and the foundation-truths of the gospel. we are “born again by the word of god;” and there can be no “repentance toward god and faith toward our lord jesus christ” without some definite idea of sin, of repentance, of faith, of god, and of christ. it is never proper, therefore, to assume the fact of a christian experience where there is no definite christian knowledge. the duty in such cases is to instruct, not to baptize. 3. see that the candidate understands not only the general principles of christianity, [p. 66] but also the distinctive doctrines and usages of the church and the specific obligations assumed in becoming a church member, so that his profession may be made intelligently. for this purpose, have your articles of faith and covenant in printed form, and place a copy in the hands of every candidate. this will often prevent misunderstanding and subsequent difficulty; and the intelligence with which the step is taken will add much to the value of the profession. 4. it is well, when practicable, and especially when any considerable number are to be examined, to associate the officers of the church or some experienced brethren with you in this preliminary examination, that the responsibility may not all fall on you. for this, though informal, is ordinarily the decisive examination; the church very rarely rejects a candidate understood to be approved by the pastor. in some churches, whenever a name is proposed, a committee is appointed to hear the experience of the candidate and make necessary inquiries, and the candidate comes before the church only after their favorable report. this has the disadvantage of making public the name of an applicant and thus embarrassing the rejection, should that be desirable; but it has also the advantage of dividing the responsibility of the examination and relieving the pastor. if a committee is appointed, however, i think it should be a standing one, with the pastor at its head, and the names of candidates should be presented to it before being presented publicly to the church. 5. beware of an ambition for mere numbers: a small body of well-instructed, earnest disciples is worth far more to the cause of christ than a heterogeneous multitude undistinguished in spirit and life from the world. seek in this, not newspaper publicity and laudation, but the approval of christ, building the temple of god, not with perishable material, “wood, hay, and stubble,” [p. 67] but with imperishable, “gold, silver, precious stones,” which shall endure when the “fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”
v. the officers’ meeting.
the officers of the church are the cabinet of the pastor, and the responsibilities and labors of the spiritual watch-care should be shared with them. a wise use of these assistants will relieve him of many a burden which otherwise he would needlessly bear and will secure a much more general and effective supervision of the spiritual interests of the church. for no pastor can accomplish all that needs to be done; and if left to the church generally, very little effective watch-care is exercised. such consultation with the officers will often save the pastor from mistakes, while the division of labor greatly simplifies and relieves his work. it affords, also, a sphere of real usefulness for the deacons, and serves to develop their gifts and augment their religious power.
hints.—1. have a regular meeting at convenient intervals—say once a month or once in two months—and let each officer be invited and made to share equally in the counsels and responsibility, thus avoiding jealousies. prepare thoroughly the business to be brought before them, so that there may be no delay. 2. after the opening season of prayer, read carefully the list of church members, and let each member needing special care be definitely assigned to some one or more of the officers to give at once the necessary attention. by this means any member requiring a kindly suggestion or whose position is not understood may be at once quietly reached; and, if in danger, may be saved before the case has gone so far as to be beyond help. if this is faithfully done, nearly all public discipline may be avoided and the tone of church-life [p. 68] may be kept high and vigorous. 3. let the general condition and welfare of the church and plans for christian labor and church extension be here carefully considered; for here methods for advancing christ’s cause through the church most naturally originate and may be most wisely matured. great care should be taken, however, that the meeting does not lose its religious tone and degenerate into a mere clique for church management. it may be made, by right guidance, a center of religious interest and power in the congregation, while to the pastor it secures the hearty confidence and co-operation of the trusted counsellors and leaders of the church.
vi. church meetings for business.
these are properly classed among devotional meetings, because the transaction of church business should always be done in a devotional spirit and be connected with devotional exercises.
hints.—1. the pastor is, ex officio, the presiding officer in all meetings of the church, and should ordinarily preside. ruling, presiding, is a function distinctly assigned in the new testament to the pastoral office (1 thess. v. 12; 1 tim. iii. 4, 5; heb. xiii. 17)—a function which would seem clearly to include that of presiding in the assemblies of the body. he should be familiar with the established rules of order in deliberative bodies; but in applying them he should not make a parade of parliamentary rules nor ordinarily put them in the form of law. an easy, quiet, prompt manner in presiding should be carefully cultivated: it makes great difference in the effectiveness and despatch of business and the comfort of the church. 2. unanimity is to be earnestly sought; but when it cannot be attained it is usual to accept the decision of the majority. the reception of members, however, should [p. 69] be unanimous—certainly so far as the question relates to christian character; otherwise, members would enter whom a part of the church do not fellowship. ordinarily, objections to an applicant may be avoided by proper care in previous inquiries respecting him; but if made, the case should be deferred, and a committee appointed to receive and examine the objections. if the objections are evidently made in a wrong spirit, the church should overrule them, and the objectors, persisting, should be put under discipline. it is evident that the careful pastor, foreseeing such a result, would dissuade, if possible, the applicant from presenting himself, and thus avoid discord in the church, unless this course would inflict injury on the candidate and cover up wrong in the church. 3. secure, if possible, a full attendance of members, and make the meeting thoroughly religious in its tone and spirit. the contempt into which church disciplinary action sometimes falls is often due to the fact that few members are present, and the moral power, therefore, of the church is not behind their action, and that the manner, if not the spirit, of their proceedings befits rather the secular character of a political gathering than the seriousness and dignity of a church of christ. especially should the reception, the discipline, the exclusion of a member, or the election of a deacon or a pastor be an act of solemnity, and, as far as possible, be done by the whole body.
