The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-01-30

mission At ST. JOHNS.
Rector Stoddard Looks for
a Great EpisCopalian
Awakening.
A NEW IDEA In THE CHURCH.
Programme of the Services-NOtes
of News in ALI the
Churches.
A NEW IDEA In THE CHURCH.

On Sunday, February 81, a mission
will be opened at st. Johns Free Church
on Summit avenue, and will continue
until Thursday, March 8. The mis-
sioner in charge will be the Rev. MIR.
Christensen, and he will be assisted by the
Rev. DR.. Bodine, form erly President of
Kenyon College. The approaching meet
ings form the chief topic of interest
among church circles on the Heights,
will be far-reaching. Services will be
held four times daily; the Sacrament Of
Holy Communion will be administered
each morning, followed by special SER
vices for women, for children. and in the
evening for all classes.
A LATTER DAY IDEA
The custom of missions held by the
Protestant Episcopal Church is of COM
paratively recent origin. Twenty years
ago the first mission was held in England,
and the custom did not obtain here until
nearly ten years afterward. Jersey City
has seen few missions, in fact, that held
by st. Marks Church within the past
Two years was, SO far as the writer has
been able to ascertain from interview
with the clergy, the first in the city. Ths
Rev. Edward L. Stoddard, rector of St.
Johns, believing that such course
would be highly beneficial. determined
to make this second effort.
While the methods employed in q
mission differ as radically from those OF
a revival as the methods of the respective
churches employing them, their purpose
is essentially the esame-toa awaken more
present interest in spiritual affairs, in
fact, as the Rev. DIR. Stoddard expressed
it in a recent conversation, '"To make
bad people good and good people better"
Protestant Episcopal missions are now
under the control of an organization
known as the Parochial Mission Society,
with headquarters in New York city.
which retains staff of clsrgymen known
as "missioners," and who are not
permitted to receive money from
the churches to which they are sent.
When a rector decides that mission
would benefit the locality in which his
church is situated, he communicates with
the Parochial Mission Society, asking for
the services of two missioners. Should
he prefer any particular clergymen. he
may designate them, as did DR.. Stoddard
in this instance. The society responds at
once and the mission is instituted. Inc
services differ materially from those
usually held in their freedom from Tor
mality and character of discourses. AS
they are intended for particular pur-
pose-the awakening OF special interest
in religion-special means are employed.
METHODS OF THE MISSIONS.
The prayers are short, discussions
take the form of direct appeals to the
hearers, and singing is of much livelier
order. There is special hymnal for use
in these meetings called the Mission
Hymnal," and at week day meetings the
audiences are led by a volunteer choir or
many voices. while on Sunday the regu-
lar church choir leads as usual. While
neither meetings nor music lose the I'M
pressiveness Of the regular service, there
is a perceptible increase of direct personal
applications in each feature. At the close
of the regular service an opportunity Will
be given for those wishing to consult the
missioners to address them personally,
and receive special attention.
The prayerbook service will not DO
| used at the week day meetings. and the
rector will take no part in the mission
other than that of attendance at each
service, although anyone wishing to con-
| suit him on the subject will be made
welcome. DR.. Stoddard is conf1dent
of the good results to follow from
| this mission, and judging from the wide
| spread interest already manifested, tnere
| are excellent grounds for this bel1ef. A
| cordial invitation is extended to any one
who may desire to attend. That the IN
| vitatiou is intended to include all sorts
| and conditions of men may be judged
| from Rev. DIR. Stoddard's statement OF
| the aim of the mission. SIT is to make
| bad people good, and good people bet
| ter" and it makes no difference in the
| invitation to which class the nearer may
| halonO