Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-06-06
CHURCH EDUCATIONAL MOVEMENT.

| work Ahh lhnocsnt AInusements FOL
tho Youus-outllns of address.
At the Delaware Avenue Baptist
Church recently, Mrs, William A. Wal
ling spoke upon "A Broader Christian
Work for the Church." A full descrip.
ticn Of the work and methods of the
Temple Church of Philadelphia was
| first given. This, she said, was the
finest institutional church Ia the
world, II was organized to do q
real deed of love to suffering
and struggling humanity. Its benefi.
cence gives 10 the children of unfortu.
nate heredily and environment that cub
tnre which is best adapted to develop
them into Christian men and women;
brightens the loneliness of old age:
whispers hoped to the detected; relieves
the malmed, the halt, the blind, the
poor, the sick; carries Christ to the
Italian, the jew, the Hungarian, the
Pole, the Chinese, the drunlsard, the
Ilprisoner, the criminal. A constant,
earnest endeavor to lift humanity to u
higher plane.
a visit TO the young peoples room
OF tue Temple was described in most
interesting manner. Here, she said,
were seen thelbest periodicals in litera-
ture, science and art and variety of
harmless games. To Mr.. Amnen, the
superintendent, was propounded this
query: Docs not DR.. Conwell find in
his church people who think it worldly
and thus sin TO play games in parlor
Of church 7" YES" said Mr.. Ainnen,
I'VE do find a stray person. now and
then, who takes this view of it, but DR..
Conwell's theory is that such amuse-
ments in the church are the means of
bringing children under Christian in
tluence."
Many of these children undoubtedly
come from homes where they have never
heard the story of Jesus, and have
never been told the misery and woe of
gambling. Stables, wharves and beer
saloons swarm with boys ut the age of
IL years who are better connoiseurs in
throwing dice than you or | could be-
come at 80. Enough cigars are smoked
tobacco chewed and beer drunk to sup.
ply our Sunday Breakfast Association
with provisions indefinitely. The name
OF God is profaned as many times as q
missionary would use it to preach the
Gospel of Jesus throughout all India.
The sin is not in the game, but in the
surroundings that lead TO the abuse of
such amusements.
A social game of crokinole in n
pleasant church parlor or a good maya.
zine will lead little children to Jesus a
great deal sooner than idhng around
wharves and saloons. The first condi.
ton suggests picture of home-like
room; with walls covered with scrip
tural texts; table full of helpful litera-
ture, and the companionship of Chris
tians; the other suggests the scene of
revelry and debauch; walls covered with
the photographs of half-nude prilna
donnas OF low spectacular theatres;
tables filled with beer mugs, dice and
Police Gdsettes; the air poisoned with
bad tobacco, obscenity and profanity.
With the first condition we associate
Christ--with the second, the devil. The
question has undoubtedly arisen in the
minds of some, whether, instead of giving
our children such reading as the 81.
Nicholas or Harpor's Ground Table"
we can not more quickly win their
souls for Christ if we place In their
hands the Bible,
How many Christian men and women
here tonight when children could be
| induced to 60 to the church every night
in the week for scriptural study? Not
a half dozen. A boy is a boy with a
boys nature. Invite him to spend every
evening at the church in study of the
Bible and he will tell you that he pre-
fers to 60 to the muBee or hirt with the
girls In the park. II he does not tell
| you SO he stays away from the church
and goes just the same. Perhaps you
will reply that If an opportunity TO
attend religious services or study the
Bible every night in the week is not
embraced by our young people you sug-
gest that we reduce the opportunities to
| attend such service down TO four a
week. That is exactly what this church
ddes. The inquiry meeting On Monday
evening; the Christian culture class
Tuesday evening; the prayermeeting
Wednesday evening; the Christian En-.
deaSor Society Friday evening; and the
pretching service Sunday evening rep.
reseAt five invitations to religious SER
vicei during the week, without the after
noon Junior Christian Endeavor service
and monthly missionary meetings. But
the question arises, what are we doing
for the ungpeopie OF our church the
| VthSA wv SfotluSo vi TUG Week our
church doors are closed; therefore, we
are doing nothing for them as church.
We are responsible for what they are
doing seven nights of the week as we'll
as five. You nay be praying for souls;
relieving the poor or cheering the sick;
but the question 5, what are they doing
If church finds that during the time
which intervenes between religious SER
vices its young people are falling in
with evil associai4s; reading poisonous
literature; visiting the variety show; OF
idling away summer evenings in the
park or on the STREETS; it should open its
doors and substitute these evils by good
hooks, good peoplelnd interesting, help
full entertainment.
Put in the handsof the youth who is
a subscriber of Cap. Golfers de-
tective stories the Century Magazine
and be patient, and Ne will finally take
up the Bible of his own accord. Extend
the hand of Christian courtesy at the
social, and discuss in he literary society
such questions az wall best help us to
determine how we ran do the most
good in the world. AID soon the girl
who preferred an innocent Irritation on
the street will come L church to hear
how Christ solved the problem. The
best way to worship God is to work
for God. The best way to work
for God is to do something fol
his people. The best hing TO do fol
his people are those things which we
have found to be of mos, benefit TO US
One of the most gratifying facts regard
ing Christian activity is that il in nc
way interferes with player. PRAYER
needs no time. Prayer can be constant
1t can accompany every thought, every