"each member would respond to their name by saying a word for the Cause in which we have enlisted or by reciting a verse of scripture"1

Before the bridge was built near the Church, people had to ford the creek. This was often dangerous. One mishap occured in 1881 when a lady "got in the creek. Services were cancelled due to the excitement it caused,"1 as they explained in the minutes of the Church that day.

Graham has always been a praying Church. The first recorded special prayer meeting was held March 1834 at the home of Azariah Merrill. During the Civil War in 1863 the following resolution was adopted:

"That we hereby extend our warmest sympathies to the brave soldiers who are exhausting their life blood in the defence of Freedom's Cause; that their names are and ever shall be sacredly cherished, and held in grateful remembrance by this Church. Soldiers, your Fathers and Mothers, your brothers and sisters, your Pastor and people, are praying for you at home."l

Many times in national wars and troubled times in the years that followed, special prayers were offered at Graham for their Service Men, for their beloved Country, for their body of believers, but especially for the winning of souls were petitions made to the Heavenly Father. Graham has mid-week prayer services at the present time and has been holding these services each Wednesday for many years.

When the Church business meetings were started, they were on the Second Saturday of each month. For years they continued to have "prais prayr and sermon."l

They voted to have preaching on Saturday whenever practical. They generally began at 2:00 P.M. and lasted often to "lamplight."l Through the years the business meetings changed from the second to the third and even the fourth Saturday to accomodate the Pastor. Members living today relate how they can remember the faithful dropping everything on business meeting day and hurrying to the Church to conduct the Lord's Business. Indeed, nothing kept them from the meeting.

On a Saturday in 1899 a funeral was preached at 2:00 P.M., the Church minutes then read,

"the congregation repaired to the cemetary where burial took place then returned to the house and the Church went into buiness cession."l

For over a year now, Graham has been having her business meetings on the first Sunday of each month following Church services, followed by a pitch-in dinner. Once again the minutes could read, "after prais prayr and sermon,"1 The Church went into business session.