The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-11-02

movement was intimately connected
with the great revival -lastyWinter,
and among the converts were several
reformed tipplers We hold that it is
quite as imperativea duty to labor for
the salvation of drunkard In Brook
Ign. as for a Pagan in India. The
young men of our church have a
weekly social gathering for prayer
and addresses. lnuour largest private
houses; it is also attended by ladies.
The meeting is training school
for young converts; it is thronged
every week, and by going from house
to house it promotes social inter
course through the. congregation. No
Inconvenience is occasioned to the
family with whom we meet. On
Monday afternoon our sexton calls
at the house with load of camp
stools for the accommodation of the
guests. These are Stacked up in the
hail., aud each one as he comes in
helps himself to a seat. A box of
prayer meeting hymn books are
brought to TIE house also. When a
new family joins our congregation,
and their house is sufficiently capa-
cious, they are generally invited to
open their doors to the young peo-
pies. meeting" It lasts about IN
hour, which is spent in brief, pithy
addresses, prayers and discussions of
practical topics, 1nterspersed with
spiritual music. After their hour is
up, little time is spent in giving in
structions to strangers, and in fur
thering the spiritual interests of. the
con gregations In many ways. at
tend as many of thee meetings as /
can. They are led by young men in
rotation. For seven years they have
proved an admira bic success. Once
& month a. church sociahle" is held
at private houses, under the auspices
of the Ladies, Benevolent Society"
This latter society takes charge of all
such matters as making up boxes of
clothing for missionaries, providing
for poor families and raising funds
for 9 Sanitary, ''''' Christian Commits
sions /" and Kindred movements
among the ladies.
1t is my custom to spend the after
noon of nearly every day in parochial
visitation, although our congregation
is so large, usually succeed in GET
ting to each house during the year,
and / go as often as possible. to see j.
the sick and to talk with inquirers
This branch of the pastors work [
hold to be as important as the Sab.
bath proclamation of the. Gospel.
Du9ing the revival last year, our
eighteen elders and deacons divided
the congregation among themselves,
and visited and wrote to as many of
the people as they could reach. A
kind faithful letter has often been
blessed to the awakening of a soul
The church is also districted among
the nine elders; each one is expected
to visit and converse with any mem
Der in his charge who is sick or de-
linquent in his church duties. i
| preach twice on the Lords Day,
at 102 AM, and q PM The Sabbath
Schools are held in the afternoon.
The general church prayer meeting
is held on Friday evenings. On
evenings | lecture to
full audience = selecting practical
topics, and often going through con-
secutive courses on such themes as
the :" Lords Prayer 6 Women of the
Bible,h 1.-The Christian Armor,"
9 The Journey Of the Israelites to
Canaan, F." Evenings with Christ"
q The PARALLELS, y &c.
The weekly meetings are largely |
by gentlemen; full one hun
dred and fifty male members have led |
in prayer in the devotional gather |
ings. The general prayer meeting is |
conducted by the Elders in rotation. |
We have nine Elders and as many |
Deacons. The Elders are elected for |
three years, and are eligible for re-
election. One-third of the eldership |
is thus chosen every year. An inefh- |
Gent Elder is quietly dropped, and a /
new blood into the body, and prevent |
it from becoming exclusive and stere-
otyped, The system works admirably. |
You may say thatit is not quite : ac-
cordiBg tothe book" but, after all,
= books !, were made for men, and |
not men . for books" In many a /
Church it has required
quite a breeze to unseat an I'M
stalled Pastor; but it takes small !
earthquake to move an elder installed |
:. for life. 4-a7ft5 -aa ~
Each benevolent cause for which
collections are regularly taken up is
4 to a committee, whose |
names and the date of collection are
posted on cards. on the front of each |
pew. Those who do not contribute
on the Sabbath are waited on by the
for their donations. In |
the prayer meetings, persons are not
called on by name, but are left to
pray or to speak as I" the spirit moves |
them" Everything that tends to |
Keep fornality and frigidity out
Of the devotional meeting is a clear |
gain. Our church edifee is plain
in construction, but very commo-