Page 17 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

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be called upon to go to local churches or to smaller groups
of churches to load in shorter or longer institutes.

A second suggestion which has been made more than once
in the Committee, arises from the need for funds to send
people to the various conferences which come up from time to
time. The Committee would like to see some way worked out
for the building up of a "conference fund”.

3 . Committee for_Co-operation in Church Development and Planning

This Committee is looking forward to a much more active future.
During the year information was obtained from Government T o m
Planning on forecasts for future development and population movement
in the community. This information was carefully tabulated by
the Hon. Secretary to this Committee and he presented a report
which was of great interest at the meeting of the Committee held
in March. The Committee has under discussion the following matters:

(a ) The possibility of setting up__a_central register of present
church operations in the community. It is hoped in this way
to see what coverage there is and to provide a basis for a
future planning.

The intention is to show what points of Christian contact
there are in all parts of the community and it is realised
that the information produced will give only a limited
indication of outreach in any one area but it is considered
to be extremely useful to have even limited information of
this kind. A questionnaire has been sent to all member
churches as a preliminary to the establishment of the
register.

(b) The Committee has begun to discuss the possibility of inviting
member churches to share with other members their plans for
Future development. In this way it is hoped to provide for
worship and witness in the newly developing areas without
extensive overlapping.

(c) The Committee has begun to consider the possible development
of church centres with joint participation.

(d) The Committee also proposes to consider areas where present
joint participation can be encouraged.

The Rev. L. Turnipseed is the Hon. Secretary of this
Committee and has very kindly offered to give considerable
time and thought to the development of its action. The need
for someone with sufficient time to give to the considerable
amount of work involved if this Committee is to function
properly has been one of the reasons why progress has been
held up. It is hoped that with Mr. Turnipseed's assistance
this Committee can made much progress in the coming year.

4 . Christian Family Life Promotion Committee

There is today in our society a ferment, which cannot but cause
us anxiety. The old social customs and patterns of family life,
which have helped to stabilize human relations, have broken up;
the moral standards which have guided individual behavior are being
disregarded, and have failed to help shape the proper manner of
life of the poeple.

Many families today are overwhelmed, bewildered and confused
by the rapid pace of change in our society. What is the Christian's
response to change?

The Family Life Committee was created in 1959. During these
years, our programme has constantly adopted itself to the appeals
which we receive and to the needs of the churches. Every economic
and social evolution has direct repercussions on our life and on