Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-06
WORK OF THE YOUNG
Prominent Ministers Commend the
Leagues and Societies.
POTENT POWER f@ good OF CHURCH
All Denominations Encouraged by
Tendency to Greater Activity.
THE EXAMP LES CITED

L L L II
cit is pleasant" said a prominent minis
| ter of this city today to Star reporter,
ito turn aside from reading of the charges
| Of corruption, SO freely banded among
politicians of every party. and Learn. from
The Star, as published last evening, that
young people of every denomination are
| getting ready to come to the front in every
| movement that looks to the welfare of our
nation"
The subject referred to has been COM
| mented upon with equal freedom by others,
and the progress Of the work of the
young in denominations not represented
| in the former article in The Star has been
| outlined by leading churchmen.
An Example Cited
Rev. E. B. Bagby Of the Ninth Street
Christian Church said:
1.-THE history of my church, the Ninth
Street Christian, is an illustration of what
the young people can do. Some of the
younger members of the Vermont Avenue
Church made good start New Year day
Of 1883 by organizing a Sunday school in
Odd Fellows Hall, in Southeast Washing
ton. Some time later a Christian Endeavor
Society was formed. with about dozen
members. The good work of these two or
ganizations led to the establishment of the
church in 1891. Its success has been phe-
nomenal, represented by more than five
| hundred conversions and nearly 300 addi-
| lions by letter, and $685. raised for all
purposes.
'Two-thirds of our members are younp
people. We have had In six years a total
enrolment Of 800 in the Sunday school
and of these at least 300 have united with
the church. The Sunday school has been
thus far the largest contributor to the
church building fund
of course, in planning our new house of
worship we took into consideration the
needs OF d, our young folks. Upon the lower
floor will be dining room, kitchen, parlor,
space Ter club rooms. gymnasium bicycle
racks, etc. The second story will contain
the Sunday school rooms and library.
Lords day services.
mus, you see, we recognize the trinity
q mans being-the basement to minister
10 70 the needs Of the body, the next floor to
the cultivation of the mind, while the audi
tcrlum Will be devoted to the DEVELOPMENT
OF the soul. We shall endeavor to make
TINS new church more than ever deserve
Y 1ne name De gwen our congregation-the
believe the most effective work that
~ beng done at this time Is that of work
among the children... There the preacher
finds the field most fallow for the recention
OF the gospel seed. Impressions made IN
ch1!dhood are the deepest and most LASTING
Inc whole life should be consecrated to
600; l. Tor one, am ready to second the
mo OF Froebel. Come, let us live for
In Protestant Epi.ebpal Church
Rev. DR.. Elliott. Church of the Ascen.
sicn. said: VI &
1 understand The Stan to ask: Do tho
young people share in the greater interest
and activity in religious matters. which
o1srlngn1sh the present generation in this
That the present generation Is 90 dis
c angnlsaed is the testimony of two very
Wright and Mr.. James Boyce. In the 70.
iig1ous forces of the United States.' Mr.
wright says the proportion Of communi-
c e; to population is now about three
lSSO to 1890, while the increase of nonuIa-
tion was about . per cent, the increase Of
commun1cans was AZ per cent In the
american commonwealth Mr. Boyce saws.
hcuses OF worship all over the country and
raising enormous revenues from its adj
herents- In many important respects. the
innuence OF Christianity seems to be
greater ana more widespread in the United
States than in any part of western con-
tlhentai Europe, and I think greater than
In England. The country which most re-
land % s'o'
Now, the young people seem tn have
their 1ull share in this activity and in
terest. They have indeed more than their
proporuonate share now, because they had
Lor several centuries too little share En-
deavor Society. Epworth League, Christian
Union, Young Mems Christian Association,
brotherhood of St. Andrew and of Philip
a ana An1reW, Daughters of the King.
hngs DaughterS-these and other names
= stand for hosts enlisted for service and
prayer of young people. and many of these
were new names about the beginning of the
present dec ade.
bo
the rapid growth of the Brotherhood of
St. Andrew and of the Daughters of the
King attests strikingly the religious growth
OF the young. for in each case the order
the recent echo meeting of the brother
hood convention at Buffalo, held in the
Epiphany, DR.. McKim strikingly empha-
sized the fact that the crowded convention
was not one OF business or debate, but
continuous instruction, lasting for days in
the religious life, and the convention of
the Daughters Of the King, to be held in
the Epiphany next week, Is expected to
move on the same high plane.
THE change for the better in young men
during my lifetime is more than a reforma-
tion-it Is q revolution
Not New Among Catholics.
Rev. DR.. Stafford, spiritual director of
Carroll Institute, said: This movement
for the young is by no means new among
the Catholics.
There have always been In the church
large number of societies. religious or
ganizations, pious confraternaties, social
and literary guilds for the young people.
These are so graded as to be accommodate
ed to children, youths, young men and
young women from the earliest ages. I'M
mediately after their first communion and
confession the boys and girls enter the
Holy Angels and Holy Innocents' Sodali
ties. A little later on they are made
members, the boys of the Sodality of st.
Aloysius and the girls of the Sodality of
st. Angela
For the young men and young women
there are sodalities and, leagues of devo-
ton. Some Of these, haye an immense
membership. and one Of Them. the League
OF the Sacret Heat ok Jesus, reaches
SO. 100000. d.. u;
Many of these societies are adjuncts to
the Sunday school work others of the reg
ular church services There are periodi-
Gals papers. magazines iand books circu-
lated among them II Il