GO-TO-CHURCH CAMPAIGN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20037, 21 March 1914, Page 3

GO-TO-CHURCH CAMPAIGN.

American revivalists are congratulating themselves because in Chicago, Brooklyn, and several other big American cities, selected experimentally, they have proved that skilful advertising will greatly increase church congregations. Three weeks previously it was arranged that Sunday, February 1, should be a "go-to-church Sunday," and forthwith committees -were appointed to devise plans with the object of making go-to-church Sunday a great numerical and spiritual success. There was much judicious publicity, that ia to say, well written, concise, snappy, attractive advertising in the secular and religious PreSs describing the attractions of church and chapel in a way to interest people who usually remain at home. The go-to-church campaign was criticised at first, but the statistics published on February 2 seem to warrant the zeal of the organisers. In Brooklyn, where, in the ordinary way, 300,000 people attend a place of worship. 500,000 attended; in Chicago, 1,500,000 attended the church services, whereas the usual total is twothirds less. It is the same story elsewhere. Sometimes the results were uetter than in Chicago and Brooklyn, sometimes not so good, but in every case the attendances were greatly increased. President Wilson set a good example at Washington by attending two Presbyterian services, accompanied by Mrs Wilson. The clergymen and choirs wero at their best, and the hope was cherished that the congregations everywhere would 1., r r. permanently. It was decided that the third Sunday in October should be a natio'til go-to-church day, and with pron^- organisation it seems certain that i - < I'l'-vemeni will become as popular in the United States as "Mother's Day," vhe7 everybody wears a white flower m his coat in ho'iour of his mother. Sm g of the methods of advertising were stt jkingly unique. Invitation cards ntre attached to milk bottles, to dol!'. «*ne« <f bread and other supplies, attached indoor knobs, sent through th? p.lst wrapped in purchases at all the stores, distpi'buted at all meetings, ar.d 1-eft in tho mail boxes of all persons -staying in hotels. The newspapers d-roted much space to pushing the campaign, there was a street parade, and all the delivery waggons for the large stores bore plarnrds urging people to attend church. The telephones, and even the telegraph, were utilised to reach people not otherwise available. In Baltimore Cardinal Gibbons commended the go-to-church campaign from the Cathedral pulpit.