Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-03-11
THE CHILDREN AT CHURCH.

Mr. Beecher's congregation is not the
only one in which the children are scarce,
and the Sunday school is sometimes
blamed as rival attraction that keeps
them from the sanctuary. An Iowa pas
tor asks how this tendency may be cor
rected. and answers:
Make public worship and its concom-
itants more attractive to children than
they now are.
l. Shorten the sermons. Children
are not India rubber, though their &C
tions may seem to contradict the asser-
ton. Neither are they men and women.
They are children, active, restless,
change-loving children. To attract and
hold them to public worship, the seryi-
ces must be active, various, brief. Thro'
the Introductory services Of the sanctu-
airy, as they are now conducted, few
children show signes of WEAKNESS, but
when it comes to them, long,
sermons, hardly word of which
they understand, oh, dear! How hard
the seats of the pew become How fire.
quently the question arises: "Will the
preacher never get through? A minis
ter preached by exchange. The minister
with whom he exchanged was noted for
the brevity of his sermons. The strange
minister preached and preached. The
people wearied Gradually they drop
ped out of their places but the preach
er preached on. At length-it seemed
an age since the man announced his
text-the sexton stole stealthily along
The aisles, and silently up the pulpit
stairs, and in solemn whisper thus adj
dressed the devoted preacher: when
you are through, please lock up the
church, and leave the key at number
-,-street % Said DR.. Emmons,
speaking of sermons to adults: 'No
Conversions after the half-hour.'
2. Adapt the services and sermons
to the apprehension of intelligent chill
dren of from twelve to fifteen years of
age. The ten-year old daughter of a
minister, after hearing biographical
sermon, said Il like such sermons as
that 4; | can understand them" Said one
boy of about twelve years of age to an
other of like years, as they were leaving
a church after morning services: never
saw such a minister as he is: he makes
fellow understand it."
The attendance on all Sunday school
concerts is straw indicating the way Of
the wind. Not only are the children
there in full force. but adults are also
there, and they, as the children, testify
to their thorough enjoyment and delight
in them.
1t is the adaptation of the services Of
the Sunday school to the child-mind thai
makes them so attractive. 1t is the non
adaptation of the sanctuary services t.
the child-apprehension that discourages
and tends to hinder their attendance
To successfully rival the Sunday schoo
services, the sanctuary services must b.
made more attractive than they now are
Made so, not with tinsel and trash, no
with buffoonery of gesture, and ridicu
lousness of story but made so legiti
mately, christianity, as Drs. Tynge anC
Newton made them
3. If such constant adaptation O
services and sermons to the child-minC
is thought puerile, and beneath the dig
nifty of full grown ministers. notwith
standing that Jesus said to the first o
Christian ministers "Feed my lambs,
let there be "children's corner" in tn
sermons, as there is IN our religious pa
perS. Let the minister stop in the cours
of his sermon, as did DR.. Doddridge-o
one occasion at least-and say, ''noy
something to the Sunday school" The
put the thought of the sermon into sim
pie form and language, and make it lu
minous with some simple story or vivi
illustration. This will attract the chill
dren as honey attracts flies And more
the older part of the congregation vii
probably obtain a clearer and more prof
liable idea Of what the preacher is at
tempting to teach than they otherwis
would
4. Let the minister cultivate the &C
quaintance of the children. They ar
as much part of his people as are thei
parents. A smile, a nod, a bright '''goo
morning" from minister to child
has a wonderfully pleasing effect o
young hearts. If the children love tn
minister, it will be no easy matter t
keep them away from public worship
even though there be very much in tn
services aud sermons that they cannc
Understand.
5. Let parents do their duty.
parents, instead of excusing their chi
dren from attendance on public worship
would, as their children reach an az
appropriate to good government of thel
in a large assembly, take them with then
and continue to take them, and say notf
ing of the too-muchness of $50 man
hours a day for them to attend Sunda
school and church." but would, instead
urge the ShOrtaaeSe of the time for sue
things-only three hours out Of one hur
dred and xty-eight-there would /
less occasion for ministers to lament til
limited, or non-attendance of childre
on sanctuary services. less Sabbath breal
ing' fewer absentees from public worshi
among our adult population, fewer inf
dels lila
The Roman Catholics of Chicago, say
the Chicago Pulpit, are preparing to r
build their churches and schools destro