The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-01-08

that establishment had good thin5,
and knew enough to tell people that ne
had 1t. He advertised by the brilliancy
of his building, He advertised in the
newspapers, He covered the dead
walls with live advertisements. Across
the street is a moss covered building.
1t Is dingy outside and there Is dim,
religious light inside. There Is paint
on the windows thicker than the paint
on the actresses faces, and the light
of day must filter itself in, and the few
burners inside struggle vainly to dispel
the shadows, Somewhere in the vesti-
bule is a little pasteboard sign, reading,
Meeting tonight, Come in" You
can't read the welcome" on the mat
through the conventional dust of
conservative constituency The ush-
ers, like the attendants at the enter
tainment across the way, seat the peo-
pie according to the clothes they wear,
and, as In the theater, most of the
seats are reserved. A really good man.
who does not know how to -ell the
people how good he Is or about the
good he represents, breaches to hand
full of listeners, and mistakes compe-
! ting jealousy for religious Indignation.
1t is not likely that everybody In the
show-house would go to church, even
| If the audienee-room were the pleas
antest place in town, but practical ex-
rerience progressively handling church
matters has proved that the church for,
| the people and the church that serves
Christianity is the church is never
empty and has to be frequently en-
| larged. The church that has stood on
! that peculiar composition which its
members think is dignity, and has
handled religion without using any of
the legitimate business methods, is but
a cold monument. representing some-
thing and doing nothing.
Those little conventional church adj
vertisements among the religious no.
tees in the newspapers are mot the
kind that business men use to an
nounce millinery openings. There is
nothing about the ordinary religious
notices to make people go to church.
1t is not suggested that sensational
methods should be used, but it is de-
manded that the benefits of religion
should have the benefit of good publici-
ty. 1t Is suggested that the glorieS of
the future be painted as artistically as
commercial fashion plates are fash
toned, and that as much attention be
given to the announcing of good SER
vices as to the advertising of furniture
and bicycles The unsuccessful bust
ness man, and the old-fashiened
churchman both say, I'VE cannot af-
ford to ADVERTISE There is something
the matter somewhere. If the minister
does not understand his business, get
another minister. No sensible business
man ever keeps an incompetent clerk
at work. He may put him on the char
ity list. The place for ministers who
do not know how to minister to the
PEOPLE is in the pension-house. The
reason that churches do not seem to
pay, and have not money to adversise
with, is because (and you will pardon
the expression) they do not go after
trade and just as sure as the world
turns around, nothing will come to you
unless you are around where it Is and
go after it.
1T is not the business of advertising
to make the church. 1t is the business
Of advertising to bring enough people
together to make the church 1t is the
business Of the clergymen and of eve
rybody in the church to act as sales
men of religion, and as developers of
Christianity. The vestrymen and dea-
cons, and the Sunday-school superin-
tendent, have no more right to neglect
the duties of selling religion than have
the store clerks the right to sleep dur
ing business hours. The business man
has something to sell, and he asks peo-
pie to come after it. He advertises
The church has something for every
body, and if that something is as good
as the church says it is, the good of il
is worthless if 1t isn't distributed, and
it never can be distributed unless it is
announced, and it never can be an
nounced unless 1t is advertised.
There Is no use advertising the
church If the distributors of religion in
side of it do not understand their bust
ness. The business man backs his ad-
vertising with the quality of his goods
or he fails. The church must back its
advertising with the quality of it's hos
pitality or it will fail. Religion is al
right, but religion will never seem al
right until the distributors of it are al
right. The church representative has
no more right to Inisrepresent religion
than has the tradesman right to lie
about the quality of his coffee. 1t is
just as dishonest to advertise a well
come when there is not any welcome as
to advertise shoddy for all wool
Church advertising must be honest
Keep up the announcement of services
but put something into advertising tc
make people want to come, and wher
they do come take care of them. In ev.
cry church are bright young men an6
women VINO know how to advertise E
church, and who would gladly do it II
1t were not for the old fogies who rur
the brakes, not the wheels of Christian.
ity. Some churchmen are a good dea
more afraid of sensation than they are
of disobeying the words of the Master
1t would be a good thing if every cler.
: gynan and every churchman would
advertise it, The great Teacher by
miracles by the healing of the sick, by
tha loaVeS and fishes and by every.