To-day the Church has her face toward the future. She has a great purpose
throbbing in her soul. She is directed by leaders of wisdom and vision.
She has a program as broad as life itself. That program is fourfold.
It is, first, a program of evangelism. The Church is everywhere reminding
herself that the winning of souls is her prime duty. This is true for many
reasons, among which two are outstanding. This is the thing she has been
set to do as the one means of ever really establishing the kingdom of God.
Moreover, it is the one hope she herself has of surviving to continue
her work.
It is, second, a program of education. One of the first commands God gave
to nature was, “Let there be light.” That command has been ringing through
the creative process all the ages. As the sun of warmth and light brought
new strength to created things, so the sum of knowledge brings a new
blessing to the inner life of man. The Church’s program of Christian
education in the home, the Church, the school, and the college, is already
bearing fruit. It will do so more and more as time passes.
It is, third, a program of social welfare. The Church is striving in this
day to make itself known and felt for better things in the community. The
organized life of the world as well as the individual life of men must be
bettered by it. The apostolic Church was not a temple but a community. It
must be the same with the modern Church.
It is, fourth, a program of finance. It is a great thing to-day to walk
about Zion, tell her towers, and consider her bulwarks. Back of all of it
is the money given by faithful servants of the kingdom. What many people
need for blessing of their own lives as well as for the growth of the
kingdom is an adequate financial standard and program.