El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-24

is that of attracting the members Of
his church during hot weather While
of course many of the city churches are
left almost empty during the summer
on account of the absence from their
homes of the members on vacation, no
one who witnesses the thrOnged city
streets even during the hottest wealth
er can doubt but that there are suffi-
cient people who remain in town dur
ing the summer to keep the churches
we'll filled if only their services were
desired. Consequently there are few
clergymen now who are not making
some change in their church programs
during the summer with a view to
making them more attractive.
Open Air Services Popular.
The custom of holding Out-of-dOOr
services during the summer is becom-
ing more general each year and this
use calls into play the ever popular
tent In nearly every city there are
two or three churches that have trans
ferred their Sunday evening service to
a large tent situated within easy reach
of the car line so that it may become
the attraction at the end Of a pleasant
street car ride. These tents are fitted
up with folding chairs and portable
puIpits or stands and usually are big
enough to accommodate a larger con-
gregatiOn than the church itself
Frequently there will be a still
larger audience outside who will get
the benefit of the music if not of the
other S-rvice- The program of the
tent service naturally is less formal
in character than that held IN the
church. The sermon Is generally short.
1t may take the form of an illustrated
lecture with the versatile stereopticon
called into play
This innovation was at first severely
criticised by conservative churchmen,
but it has served to attract many peO-
pie to church in a tent. who would not
have been reached otherwise and by
their going, they may have received
message which appealed to them so
strongly that their attendance became
a habit. By the time the regular ser
vices were resumed in the fall they
have often been sufficiently influenced
to join the church and attend perman-
emily Much depends upon the selec-
ton of the subjects of the lectures and
the wy they are handled
A pastor in a western city took the
story of Pilgrims Progress as sym
bOlic of the struggle today for civic
righteousness, with Christian as the
Indifferent stay-at-hOme voter who
suddenly became aroused with an am
bitiOn to make his own town a City
Beautiful" by freeing it from corrup-
ton and graft This modern interpre-
tation attracted many men to the
church since the city was carrying on
a special campaign for pure politics.
The pictures were of two classes, one
of which represented the scenes OF
Pilgrims Progress and the other
showed conditions regarding that par
ticular city which the reformers were
working to improve These sermons
were given in a tent by the pastor OF
one of the leading churches OF the city
and it was extensively advertised that
the shirt waist man" would be es-
pecially welcomed. Hundreds Of coat
less men were seen in the congrega-
ton. Aside from its purpose of inter
esting men in the attendance upon sun
day religious services, this course OF
lectures had a powerful influence in
the campaign for political purity.
May Utilize the Drama.
The recent production of several
Biblical dramas has called the atten-
to the possibility of utilizing the
drama in the church Of today. For
instance The Book of Job" as recently
arranged can call into service large
number of young people for all its
parts. 1t has been produced as an
open air drama in a number of cities
this summer. and by at least one church
it was rendered on a summer evening
by the young people of the church IN
such a manner as to disarm most or
those who had at first been disposed
to criticise the innovation 1t was a
large production and took in most of
the older students of the Sunday
school who that year attended more
>
cause of their interest in a play which
illustrated one of the strongest lessons
in biblical literature.
Women Go HatIess.
Where the meetings are held IN tents
every possible care is taken to insure
the comfort of the attendants. In
many places II has become quite tba
fashion for women to attend these ser /
vices without their hats. despite the
injunction Of st. Paul Even in open
air services of the conservative
churches, where the women still wear
their hats and the men their coats de-
spite the high temperature, provisions
for comfort are not neglected. Usually
fans are supplied in liberal numbers.
but one of the latest innovations was
recently made by a generous old lady.
She volunteered to contribute sanitary
drinking cups and an ice cooler so that
those who came for some distance
would at least be able to have the
biblical cup of cold water to refresh
them before or after the tent service.
One of the most important features
of the summer religious service, es-
pecially If it is held out of doors OF
in a tent. is the music. This differs
materially from that which forms a
part of the service ordinarily held in
the church. There is usually congre-
gatiOnal singing Of hymns more or less
evangelical in nature in which all join
in good old camp meeting style. Some
times the services of one or two pro-
fessional singers will be engaged as
leaders and there may be a solo. in
fact there may be almost anything in
the way of music at these meetings
for the unexpected is apt to be attrac-
tive. In some outdoor meetings there is
no piano and perhaps the singing will
be accompanied by cOrnetist. or it
may be that a banjo or mandolin club
will be allowed to contribute its ser
vices.
At one of these tent services one
Sunday evening the music was fur
nished by a band composed of boys
from the reform schools Their rep
ertoire consisted chiefly of national
airs and old time popular music but
the minister in charge arranged this
feature Of the service because he be
lieved that it would have a good in
fluence upon the boys themselves to
contribute their music to a religious
meeting under the auspices Of one Of
the more important churches.
Making Services Shorter.
Even in the conservative churches
where open air meetings, illustrated
lectures, dramatics and the like would
not be countenanced. there is much
consideration given to making the
church attractive during the summer.
The services are notably shorter. es-
pecially in the Episcopal churches.
where as much of the ritual as pos