FUNCTION OF THE CHURCH 22$
those of an educational institution, and which is founded on the great purpose of educating ethical and religious life. The best name in sight is the Educational Church.
A course of discipline must be arranged for this educational church. The life of the child, the boys and girls, the young people, those of middle age, and of the aged, is to be supplied its proper food Those who have large capacity for religious experience are to be furnished a religious service far richer than that furnished by most propaganda- loving churches. People who have little or no capacity for religious experience are to be impressed with the sociologic sanctions for conduct, to be stim- ulated by lectures in applied ethics and by the presentation of the beauty of ethical ideals. The crude methods of the churches of the ordinary type are to give place to more skillful.
There are many practical questions of organization, but with these this paper does not deal. They can wait for solution until after sociology has determined the function of the church. If the educational church ought to be, then many a church will in time become the fulfillment of this ideal.
A course of discipline calculated to produce the results which it is the function of the church to achieve, is now submitted for consideration. The course here given is not wholly visionary, because the Children's School of Ethics and Religion, the Junior and Young People's Clubs for Personal Development, the Young People's Class in Ethics, and the Religious Service of the Senior Church have been proved by experiment to produce the results which they aim to produce. The other departments outlined seem essential to completeness of institutional life.
THE EDUCATIONAL CHURCH.
The following is the discipline.
ARTMENT.
6 to 8 Children's School of Ethics and Religion, Kindergarten.
8 to 10 " ' ' Boys' and Girls' Dep't.
10 to 12 Children's Department.
12 to 14 Senior Department.
i l to 17 Junior Church.
