Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1917 — INTERESTING MEETINGS HELD [ARTICLE]

INTERESTING MEETINGS HELD

Four Evenings This Week in the Protestant Churches. The four churches of the city conducted a series of union meetings this week. The services were planned by the ministerial association. An endeavor was made to present the Christian religion in its various applications. On Monday evening the meeting was lead by Rev. E. W. Strecker of the Methodist church and was held in the Presbyterian church. The theme was “World '■ Religion.’* The speaker said that the “World Religion” must be a perfect religion, otherwise it should be superceded by the possibly better one. It must be adaptable to all races and conditions, and effect life at every point. This claim was made for the Christian religion. The knowledge of this, religion carries with it the responsibility, of disseminating it throughout the world The Tuesday evening meeting was held in the Baptist church. Rev. Asa McDaniel was the leader. His theme was /‘National Religion.” With a first hand acquaintance of city conditions,, where foreign elements segregate and are often neg-

of . social service work. t The burden of his thought was that if the peoples of the earth -coming to out shores are to learn to ' appreciate our American ideals and institutions it will be as they are Christionized. Here again lies a great field of work for the churches of America. . A •tjl— —•. The third meeting* was held at the Methodist church with Rev. F H.* Beard as leader, whose theme was “Community Religion/’ The. speaker made an eloquent plea for the permeation of our community life 'with the Christian spirit. He pointed out that each individual citizen exerts an influence* of some kind, and that only as the leaven* of the kingdom is placed in the. heart and life of the individual can a thorough Christianization of the community' be realized. The closing meetirig was held at the Christian church with Rev* J Budman Fleming as leader. The ! theme for this last evening was j “Home Religion.” The emphasis ]of this address was ori the devotional life of the home and the i Christian training of the children j in the home, which the speaker said . "/as to begin not only before the i birth of the children, but a generation or two previous to the comling of children into the -world j Every young man and young worn : an should be taught very early the, far-reaching consequences of clean i living. This meeting was then closed with a few'moments of consecration under the-direction of the leader. ( , -■ While these meetings were not as wen attended as was desired they were of. .great benefit to all who Wore present. ;