Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-18
AM ONG THE CHURCHES.

Thanksgiving Is coming. with its delights
to old and young. its blessings to the Door
and its good cheer for all. The day has
been and will be observed In the churches
and elsewhere. not merely as time for
giving thanks. but as a time for giving
others something to be thankful for
Thanksgiving services are usually held in
the churches in the morning or evening. or
sometimes both, for the purpose of publicly
giving thanks, but the attendance is not
generally large Not that the people have
nothing to be thankful for. but because
Thanksgiving is peculiarly a day to be
celebrated at home. and time for the re-
union of relatives and friends. 1t is more
apt to suggest turkey. pumpkin pies and
loot ball to the average mind than church.
In country places. where the social life
Is more closely linked with the church than
In the city, this is not SO often the case.
There are, however, a goodly number of
persons who, either from duty or pleasure,
make IL regular custom to attend a
Thanksgiving service. and for this reason
II has become rule here for several
churches of one denomination, or quite as
frequently Of all denominations in the same
locality, to hold general service in some
one church or other. This simplifies mat
tiers for people and pastors alike. for the
n
ing on Thanksgiving any more than other
people
But IL the church service is sometimes
neglected, there is something vastly more
important which is never neglected. This
Is the case OF the poor. All unite for their
dement,. and even the meanest of people
ma u impossible 10 be niggardly under the
influence OF Thanksgiving time. The Sun
day schools are particularly active in this
way. distributing food. fuel, clothing and
money to the needy. most successful
pan mas oeen tried in some Sunday schools
Tor this work a committee is formed
awhile beforehand to look up families
which are worthy and in actual need of
heip and then family is assigned to each
class In the school as their particular
charge. This family the teacher probably
visits. ascertains their wants more accu-
rately, and interests the class in their be-
nan; A great deal has been accomplished
IN THIS way by giving each scholar a per-
sonal interest in the work. The Central
Union Mission and the Associated Charities
nave always been active in feeding hungry
mouths on THANKSGIVING and the Christ
mas clubs have proved a blessing 10 the
children of the poor in Washington Prepa-
rations have already been actively COM
menced' and as the present winter has
aireaoy begun to pinch many here and
elsewhere, there will be need of a spaciaI
enort this year. 1t is hoped that the work
VIII be unusually successful, at least far
enough so that no one in the CITY will go
to bed hungry Thanksgiving night.
Last Sunday was Luther Sunday" the
TOUR hundred and tenth anniversary Of bis
pir.n, ana was celebrated at the Memorial
Lutheran Church by a special coIlection
and sermon by the pastor, Rev. j Z;
Butter. on The Papacy Then and Now
Last sunday was young mems day here
anu eisewhere- Some time ago the general
committee OF the Young Mems Christian
Association sent out a circular tn ALI tbo
chcrcheS from their New York headouar
ters requesting the pastors to set aside that
Gay Tor young men. ard to conduct special
services and preach special sermons for
them on that occasion. The churches and
thelr ministers responded heartily and il is
esumated that the day was observed fit
tinSly in over four thousand churches
throughout the world Here in this city
much interest was manifested, the Young
men, and especially our Young Mems Chris
tan Association. being the keynote of
many sermon and the central thought of
mcst or the services of the day. Among
those who devoted last Sunday very par
ticularly to the interest of young men we-e
Rev. Hugh Johnston of the Metropolitan
NJ. E. Church. who spoke on THE Young
Man in the City, DIR. Sunderland. First
Presbyterian Church. who took Young
Men as his topic; Rev. j. j. Muir of the Z
Street Baptist Church, speaking on The
Irony of YOUTH DR.. E. S. Todd. Hamline
NJ E. Church. taking the subject "Paurs
Counsel TO Young Men, DIR. George Elliott
or the Dumbarton Avenue NJ. L. Church,
who preached a sermon on Young Men
and the Church." and in the evening on
The Young Man Himself as we'll as DR..
McRim of the Epiphany p. E. Church DIR.
butler of the Memorial Lutheran Church,
Dr. l. W. Canter. Mount Vernon NJ. L.
Church South; Rev. c.. L. Pate, Twelfth
Street NJ. E. Church: DR.. Brown. Foundry
NJ E. Church; DIR. Hartsock. Ryland NJ. E.
Church; Dr. Hamlin. Covenant Presbyte-
rtan Church, and a number of others.
Following these services on Sunday came
the week of prayer at the Young Mems
CHRISTIAN Association, which is held an
nually at about this time. During the en-
tire week the night work in the gymnasium
has been suspended and a service has been
held at noon and at night each day All
the services have been conducted by the
Rev. Frank Goodchild of Philadelphia,
pastor of the Spruce Street Baptist Church
and president of the Baptist Association of
that city. He is tireless worker and one
who knows how to talk to and for young
men. as well as to do for them. His own
church congregation is composed largely of
young men, and during his entire stay here
ne has never repeated the same thought in
successive services. He was here yea ago
In the same capacity. and besides his old
friends has attracted many new cnes. so
that the rooms of the Young Mems Chris
tan Association have been well filed
throughout the whole week
The fifteenth Episcopal Church congress
which has been taking place in Chickering
Hall. New York, during this week. has had
considerable interest for the Episcopal
clergy of Washington. and a number of
them have been in attendance there part
II not all. of the session. Among the
speakers in the discussion of the various
topics before the gathering were DR.. Elliott
OF the Ascension r. E. Church and Dr.
Mckim of the Epiphany p. E. Church in
this city. DIR. McKim took part in the dis
cussion What shall be done with the sa-
LOOM" and Dr. Elliott read a paper on
What is involved in the doctrine of the
sufficiency of the Bible" The congress is
not composed merely of clergymen, but is a
free parliament in which laymen as well as
the clergy take part, and is presided over
by the bishop in whose diocese it is held
During October committees were appoint
ed by the presbytery to hold services in
various Presbyterian churches here in the
city for the purpose of uniting the work
and strengthening the general church feel
ing among the members. Next week, in
pursuance of this course. Dr. Hamlin,
Rev Mr.. Bradford and Elder F. L. Moore
will hold special services on the evenings OF
Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday in the
Fourth Presbyterian Church, of which Dr.
Kelly is the pastor. Last week at the
North Presbyterian Church. on y street
between 9th and 10th streets DR. Kelly
and Dr. Easton' held similar services two
nights in the week. and at the Church of
the Covenant Pew. r. ]. Grimke. Rev. B. F.
Bittinger and Rev. Mr.. Baily conducted
services in accordance with the plan OF the
Lresbytery. Other services of like char
acter have taken place and are to take
place in other churches later on. the idea