The Daily Missoulian., 1912-08-29
SUMMER PREACHING
A PROBLEM
echEMEo TO ATTRACT AND KEEP
INTEREST DURING HOT
WEATHER ARE MANY.

One Of the most important questions
to be solved by the modern pastor IL
that Of. attracting the members of his
church during hot wather. While, Of
course. many Of the city churches are
left almost empty during the summer
one account of the absence from their
homes Of the members on vacation, no
one who witnesses the thronged city
streets even during the hottest weather
can doubt hut that there are suffi-
cient people who remain In town dur
ing the summer to keep the churches
well 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 view TO
making them more attractive.
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 here are
two or three churches that haze trans.
ferred their Sunday evening service 70
n large tent situated within easy reach
Of the car line SO that It may become
the attraction at the end Of n pleasant
street car ride. These tents are fitted
up with folding chairs and portable
pulpits or stands and usually are big
enough to accommodate larger con-
gregation than the church itself FIRE.
quently there will be still larger audi
ence outside who will get the bene-
fit Of the music II not OF the other
service. The program OF the tent serv-
rzsr IT,. x.tx
acter than that held In the church.
The sermon is generally short. 1t may
take the form OF an illustrated lee
ture with the versatile stereopticon
called into play.
This innovation was ut first severely
criticized by conservative churchmen.
but II 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 a
message which appealed to them 80
strongly that their attendance became
n habit. BY the time the regular serv-
ices were resumed In the fall they have
often been sufficiently influenced to
join the church and attend permanent
ly. Much depends upon the selection
OF the subjects OF the lectures and the
way they are handled. A pastor In a
western city took the story OF Pill
grim's Progress" as symbolic of the
struggle today for civic righteousness.
with Christian as the indifferent stay
at-home voter who suddenly became
aroused with an ambition to make his
own town a "City Beautiful" by free
Ing II from corruption and graft. This
modern Interpretation attracted many
men to the church, since the city was
carrying on a special campaign fol
pure politics. The pictures were OF
two classes. one Of which represented
the scenes OF "Pilgrim's Progress" and
the other showed conditions regarding
that particular city which the reform
ers were working to improve. These
sermons were given in tent by the
pastor OF one Of the leading churches
Of the city. and II was extensively ad.
vertised that the "shirt-waist man
would be especially welcomed. Hun
dreds OF coatless men were seen In the
congregation. Aside from It's purpose
OF interesting men in the attendance
upon Sunday religious services, this
course OF lectures had q powerful in.
fluence in the campaign for politica
purity.
The recent production of severa
Biblical dramas has called the atten'
tion OF many broad minded minister
TO the possibility Of utilizing the drama