CHURCH QUARTERLY MEETINGS.
By S. N. Haskell
We have noticed where church quarterly meetings are kept up, and a business meeting is held in connection with them, and the S. B. is collected, members report, and the ordinances are celebrated, that we find a live church. The S. B. should be paid into the church treasury as often as this. It will be found much easier to thus pay it than to wait six months or a year. This is attested to by hundreds who have tried it. God’s claims in all things should be first. Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all other things shall be added. This will bring his blessing into families and churches. Once in three months is none too often to celebrate the ordinances of the Lord’s house. Each member of the church residing away should feel it a privilege and duty to report to the church to which he belongs as often as this. If there exists any trial, most certainly it should not be left to continue year after year until a chronic difficulty rends the church in twain. The hearts of the members should be knit together in love. The standing of each individual and the fellowship existing between each other should be inquired into once in three months. Each Tract Society holds its district quarterly meetings. It would add much interest to this branch of the work if the librarian in each church would place into the hands of every member a blank, so that the reports of Missionary labor might be read at this time. Interesting letters which have been received may be read, and experiences related. There is the clubbing of the SIGNS, which are to be used in obtaining interested readers. The labor of doing this is giving a rich experience to hundreds; and this experience related would make such a meeting both profitable and interesting. The brethren would be better prepared for a district quarterly meeting if they knew what each church in the district had done. If these church quarterly meetings are held the first Sabbath and Sunday in each quarter (first of Jan., April, July, and Oct.), then the district meeting might be held a week later unless there be reasons for changing it; and in that case it need not affect the church quarterly meeting. It is not unfrequent that there are names of individuals on the church book that the clerk knows nothing of, not even their whereabouts. There should be a set time when it becomes the special duty of the church to inquire into the standing of each member. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is the question proposed by Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother; and this becomes too much the feeling of many, unless a special effort is made to guard against it. Quarterly meetings held as above suggested will help this matter much. New York is waking up to this subject. See Eld. Canright’s article in Review of April 5. Shall we not do it here in Michigan? Some of the churches are already pursuing this course, and it works well. God will help us as we help ourselves. S. N. HASKELL.