Rev. F.B.  Meyer, in speaking on “Twentieth Century Evangelism,” at Bradford, England, in 1902, made a plea for “the institutional church, the wide outlook, more elastic methods, greater eagerness to reach and win outsiders, more varied service on the part of Christian people, that the minister of any place of worship should become the recognized friend of the entire district in which his chapel is placed.”

The “elastic method” is characteristic of the work of The Temple.  When Dr. Conwell first came to Grace Church, he organized four societies—­the Ladies’ Aid Society, the Business Men’s Union, the Young Women’s Association, the Young Men’s Association.  Into one or another of these, every member of the church fitted, and as the new members came into the fellowship, they found work for their hands in one or the other.

The Ladies’ Aid Society is the pastor’s right hand.  It stands ready to undertake any project, social, religious, financial, to give receptions in honor of noted visitors, to hold a series of special meetings, to plan suppers, festivals, and other affairs—­whenever it is necessary to raise money.  Its creed, if one might so call it, is: 

    “Use every opportunity to bring in new members.

    “Remember the name of every new church member.

    “Visit useless members and encourage them for their own sake to
    become useful.

    “Visit persons when desired by the Pastors.

    “Speak cheerfully to each person present on every opportunity.

    “Regard every patron of your suppers or entertainments, and every
    visitor to your religious meetings, as a guest calling on you in
    your own house.

    “Accept contributions and subscriptions for the various Christian
    enterprises.

    “Bring in every suggestion you hear which is valuable, new or
    effective in Christian work elsewhere.

    “Never allow a meeting to pass without your doing some one
    practical thing for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom.

    “Make yourself and the Society of some certain use to some person,
    or some cause, each week.”

The Society helps in the church prayer meetings, in refurnishing and improving the church property, in celebrating anniversaries, in missionary enterprises, securing the insertion of tablets in the Temple walls, in clothing the poor, in supporting the local missions connected with the church, in calling socially on church members or members of the congregation, in evangelistic meetings, in household prayer meetings, in supporting reading rooms, in comforting those in special affliction, in visiting the sick, in aiding the needy, in paying the church debt, in maintaining Mother’s meetings, in looking after the domestic wants of the Temple, in sewing for the Hospitals, the Missions, the Baptist Home, the Orphanage, church fairs, Missionary workers, the poor, in managing church suppers and receptions connected with Ordinations, Conventions, and other religious gatherings.