A Worker At Work

Tlie following, from the Denver, Coló., News, oí Saturday, Jan. Sl.isgood uevi's for niauy Aun Arbor people : "Those who have the material welfare of Trinity church in charge, and who liave passed niauy a loug and anxious hours since the big church has been staggering under its load of debt since the panic, were more than pleased vvith the progresa of the church since Kev. C. M. Cobern took the place left vacant by.Rev. Robert McIntyre. It will probably be a surj rise to tliose wbo remember the oratory of Dr. Mclntyre and the immense audiences which used to listen to liis evening sermona, to know tliat the meinbership of the church ran from 1,300 down to 700 duving his occupancy of the pulpit. Dr. Mclntyre was a pulpit orator, probably unexcelled in auy denomination, but he was so uusystematic in his charge of the church work that he often neglected even to record the names of those who 'joined the church. Dr. Cobern, on the contrary, systematizes his work as carefully as if he were in charge of a great college or business iustitutiou. He has divided the city into 27 districts, each of them in charge of a chairman, who is assisted by a committee of 10 or 15. Every family known to belong to Trinity in the district is kept track of, any change of addresses noted, the cause of any disaftectioii or absence from church iuquired into, sickness in the family reported, etc. Every new faniily moving into the district is callen on, and invited to Trinity if they have no church home. Besides this, a large number of church members wlio are williug to act as "pastor's helpers" are scattered over tlie church at the morning and evening services on Sunday, who make it a business to speak to all straugers, ask them if they have a church home, and invite them to the other meetings of the church, or to become niembers of the church if they so desire. The results of these inquines are written on printed blanks and turned in to the pastor, who makes pastoral calis accordingly. In this way the growth of the churcli has been steady and constant. In the nine months of Dr. Cobern's pastorate 150 have been received into the church. Also, although Dr. Cobern has never at any time had as large au audience as Dr. Mclntyre used to have when he anuounced a special topic for his Sunday evening discourse, on the average he addresses one-third more people than his predecessor each Sunday, so nauch liave the Sunday morning congregations increased. This all goes to show the value of a quiet, persistent performance of pastoral duties, and the systematic utilizing of the eflbrts of the church niembers.