New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-09
CHURCH WEEK I DAYS
FIatbush Pastor Believes in
UnbrOken Activity.

Whatever may be said for or against
making the church interesting by means
Of collateral activities, t'latbush has one
organization that goes a long way to
prove that being interested in all the
man all the time" develops feeling of
reciprocity on the part of the individual
which makes him interested in all the
church all the time.
At any rate. that has been the expert
oncc Of the Rev Dr. Frederick Marsh
Gordon pastor OF the Flltbush Christian
Church Disciples. Under his guidance
his church has become known i'm l'latbush
as the CHURCH for people without church
homes" I'm his Bible cass-aud he makes
this class a feature Of his work-he has
fully a hundred men who are not con-
nected wiki any church. but who have
become interested i'm his church and are
lending it their support.
What ne thinks about tho legitimate
uses of collateral activities IN the church
he expressed Yesterday. as follows:
MY position is this: Tho church has
too long called people to worship on sun
days. saying to them This is the day To-
worship Then. after the last Amen Of
the last service OF the day has been said
the church has been accustomed to say TO
it's people. Sow 20 home and come back
again next sunday I'm the days iuterven-
ing between sundays IL has afforded its
people no means of pleasure or profit II
saws. Don't go here and don't go there.
At the same time it provides no substi-
tutc interests as good ms those on which
it puts its ban.
"The church must be interested in all
the man all the time. The church has put
its taboo ON % lot of thngs-nOt because
they are bad themselves, but because they
have bad associations The church has
come 10 look askance upon billiards ana
bowling. because the saloons provide their
patrons with these amusements. They are
fine. manly games and the church can
not AFFORD to turn good things over to the
devil The church must take them from
the saloon and make use of them. If they
were not good things the saloons would
not keep them
Instead Of being detriment TO the
church. such things interest men in the
work of the church. They make them
feel as though they were a part of the
church organization and encourage them
10 give themselves more fully to the
church. / have in my Bible class fully
100 men who are not members Of any
church They are interested in our church
because our church is interested i'm them
seven DAYS q week"
Although the Christian Church is "A
| young organization and although its
pastor has been putting his ideas into
effect for only year and a half the
other churches Of the section have come
TO recognize the advantages to be derived
through making the church social
centre seven days "A week. few days
ago the Flatbush Congregational Church
of which the Rev. Lewis 7. Reed Is
! pastor. decided to enter the same sort oi
work and is soon To provide us peopIe
with pool. billiards and dancing.
Meanwhile. the attendance at the Chris
! tan Church is going ahead rapidly. Inc
| church membership has doubled IN the
| last wear and is now 10. and the congre-
| o,,ions overflow the little chapel at every
! ,,aatipg The sunday school membership
/ has ouadruped in eighteen months. II
! is now $40 I'm the last sixty DAYS sixty
| five new pupils have been enrolled. Inc
church has made arrangements Tor 'H'
erection Of a second section of TN" large
church building which WAS planned Tor
several years ago. and by next ran inc