, 1907-01-07
WILL MEET
TOGETHER
MINISTER'S ASSOCIATION DE-
cIDES TO HAVE JOINT MEET
iNGs IN TWO CHURCHES.
One Meeting to Be Held on West Side
and Other at Methodist Church
Sunday Evening, Members Of As
ISOLATION Dividing for That Pur-
pose-Address by Mr.. Hogbin.

The Minister'S association held a
meeting this morning, when it was
decided to hold two union meetings
next Sunday evening, one at the West
| Side church and the other at the Meth
| odist church, the members dividing for
the two meetings. This is the week
of prayer, with services nightly at the
different churches, and the Sunday
evening meetings will be in line with
that movement. At the meeting this
morning Rev. A. C. Hogbin delivered
the following splendid address along
the lines taken up b ythe association
for joint meetings occasionally:
Problem of the Evening Service.
The problem of the evening service
becomes a problem in so far as it al
fects one of two things, the reaching
of the souls of men for their salvation
or the feelings of those who have
charge of the service. The former is
incontestably of the greater import
ance, but it is a question whether the
latter does not bring the problem the
more wildly to the nina of the pastor.
Since ministers are human it may still
be a question with some, no residents
in Laramie, whether, if the issue took
this precise form, they would not rath-
er preach to crowds and convert few
than preach to the few and convert the
many, Perhaps ever Jesus may have
felt a pang of encouragement which
led him to say to the twelve, "Will ye
also go away" although the mystical
and difficult style of the sermon which
he had just preached could certainly
have been expected to have the effect
apparently complained of. | have never,
to my knowledge, met a minister who
enjoyed the vacancy Of the pews, even
though he may have enjoyed the ser
vices in spite of them. However
the two points of view become one
when We remember that it has pleas
ed God by the f~oolishness of preaching
to save those who believe" and while
this is so the Christian minister can
not be blamed for seeking a congrega-
ton.
How to Gain the Congregation.
But the problem of the evening ser
vice is how to gain the congregation
and at the same time retain the suscep-
tibility of the hearer to religious truth.
Bazarre and unexpected and sensa-
tional announcements will always at
tract the curiosity seeker, but when
we have him the problem changes into,
What shall we do with him?"
Sunday evening services in success
full revivals are usually the least ap,
parently fruitful, the presence of the
mass being a positive detriment to the
immediate and pressing work of bring
ing men to decision. On the other
hand a stormy evening which cuts
down the attendance is often exception,
ally favorable for results. Mighty con-
gregations and few converts is too of
ten the description of a revival meet
ing. The worthy methods of gaining a
congregation are of necessity in line
with the work and methods by which
souls are won to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The primal problem is the changing
of mems lives. The problem of the
evening service is only the problem Of
ono agency ont of many
Two sides To Question.
There are two sides to this question
of the evening service. 1t is not
always the best thing for young people
to be out evenings, even though they
may be at church part of the time. 1t
is extremely doubtful whether Jesus
held formal evening services, or wheth-
er the synagogues held anything but
a morning service. In more primitive
times people went to bed upon the com
ing of darkness-that is good people.
They that were drunken were drunken
in the night, but the Christians were
of the day. That did rot prevent Paul
nOlQluS al al ulSnI SSi VIC az ilOdot
and the fact that it was Paul did not
prevent some of his congregation get.
ting sleepy with the worst of ons
quences.
Some Advantages.
There are some advantages in the
evening assemblage. People are more
easily stirred. The garish light of day
is a trying time even for the preach.
er's m Many a revival meeting
held in a crowded house under arti-
fetal lights, and in conditions OF strong
nervous t~ention, and with much physi.
cal contact, as of hands, would look
POOR enough in a roomv house at mid
day. Probably the evening is a more
favorable time for anything that in
wolves great emotion; and it does not
condemn the revival meeting that PEG
pie seem more easily affected in the
evening service. Men WOO their wives
also in the evening.
From a Sense of Duty.
The fact that there are those whose
duties will not permit of their attend.
ing the morning service is only a rea.
son for the evening service, but does