309.122 P921g UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY URBANA-CHAMPAIGN B0GK3TACK3 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates https://archive.org/details/gettingatheartofOOpres Hi!! jetting at the Heart of the Downtown Problem * . T ^ X S’ ■ V i lasif' j i - 5 :iii| m A concrete illustration of what the Church is doing in one of the most difficult fields in the world. iV The Labor Temple is conducted by the Board of Home Missions of the * Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. in co-operation with the Church Extension and Home Mission Committees of New York Presbytery. Department of Church and Labor, the Board of Home Missions of the Presby¬ terian Church in the U. S. A., 156 Fifth Ave., New York. H. C. Olin, Treasurer. yq« \ , Getting at the Heart of the Down¬ town Problem L OWER NEW YORK is the arena in which the greatest battles of America's masses will be fought. Here every social, economic and re¬ ligious problem of the day will be faced by the people and settled—for good or for ill. What shall be the place of the Church in this struggle? This is the question which the Labor Temple is trying to answer. The Temple is situ¬ ated at the most strate¬ gic point in New York City for such a work. Fourteenth Street and Second Avenue is the junction point of the east side's most popular thoroughfares. At certain hours of the day there pass by this corner—on sidewalk and in street-car—fully ONE THOUSAND PERSONS EVERY MINUTE. A Shopping Crowd on Fourteenth St. 1 East Fourteenth Street at Night* W ithin a block is the great downtown amusement district of the people. A dozen theatres entertain thousands nightly, and on Sunday afternoon and evening there are still greater crowds. Until long after midnight, Fourteenth Street is a blaze of light, rivalling the day for brightness. The saloons, several of them run by famous sporting men, are crowded to the doors. Here, too, is the “red-light” district. The Temple is in the midst of it. Then, there are the dance-halls and the vulgar motion pic¬ ture shows—often hot-beds of vice and obscenity. There's a cheap Bohemia all about us which is very attractive to the young people in our community—and in most cases, cpiite within their means. To the south and east lie the great tenement districts— the most congested section of the world. \\ ithin our parish of about a mile square there are approximately 400,000 people living. There are 27 blocks, each having between *Note. —The long exposure in taking this picture eliminated the crowds of people who were passing before the camera. 2 "A Typical Audience in a Nearby Theatre 3,000 and 4,000 inhabitants, 5 have between 4,000 and 5,000, and one block has over 5,000. There is another block which has a density of 1,434 persons per acre. And what a babel of tongues! Every country in the world is represented in our parish. There are the children—perfect swarms of them. The street is their principal play-ground. This would not be so bad were it not for the fact that their play is not properly directed. The result is that many of them are arrested for “crimes" which grow out of a perfectly normal desire for amusement. Over 1,400 children were arrested in our parish in one year,—about one-half of them for “disorderly conduct." The native-born children of for¬ eign-born parents are the greatest “offenders,"—the parents are too busy earning a living for the family and they are often too ignorant of New York’s temptations to properly care for their children. But the problem which stands out above every other is the industrial situation—the question of getting a living. That's why socialism is so strong. Every summer night you will find open-air meetings going on all about us, and during the winter season the socialists hold their mass-meetings in nearby halls. The Temple does not evade this issue. With¬ out committing itself or the Church to any particular eco¬ nomic system, it sympathetically talks out with interested audiences the questions that perplex the workers. The Labor Temple at Night T his is the most difficult field in America. That’s why we selected it. We wish to demonstrate what the Church may do in such a community. Nat¬ urally, the methods must be different from those employed in the family Church. The situation demands an unusual program. But here's the point—the Church has confessed that it has practically failed in securing the attention of the people—the churches are either moving out or else they are steadily losing their influence. We are trying to meet this terribly serious situation—and we use the word “terribly” advisedly. It is just that. Our success thus far seems to indicate that we have struck upon the right principle. We are getting the people. We are winning their friendship. We are breaking down long-time prejudices against the Church. We are showing 4 Jew and Catholic, Protestant and Agnostic, just what prac¬ tical Christianity means—that it’s a thing which must touch them at every point in their lives seven days in the week. Could one do more than this ? While we are interested in social and economic problems, we would be untrue to God and to the people were we to evade or omit the distinctively spiritual aspects of life. We discuss religious questions without apology. Our people appreciate our frankness. Men and women are getting a new conception of the sig¬ nificance of the old gospel. They are being drawn nearer to God—and, by the way, nine-tenths of the average audience is composed of men; one-half are Jews; three-fourths are foreigners. Saloons in Our Parish (Each dot represents a Saloon) A Labor Temple Audience T he temple is open every xight, and on Sunday there is a continuous program from two-thirty till ten. There are about thirty meetings a week. These are so planned as to make the appeal as varied as possible. Here's a typical week's program during the winter season : On Sunday at 2.30 there's, a Children's Hour and an Adult Bible Class. An hour later we have our Sunday School and at the same hour there's an organ recital in the auditorium. This is usually followed by a dramatic recital, when some of the masterpieces in literature are presented, or else there is an hour of vocal or instrumental music. At five o'clock, carefully censored motion pictures are shown, the purpose being to teach a strong moral lesson. At six, about one hundred Temple helpers—members of the choir, student workers, ushers, club leaders, Sunday School teach¬ ers and the Temple staff—sit down to a simple luncheon, and often there is a brief inspirational address by a prom- inent out-of-town guest. Meanwhile, other members of the choir are gathering, and at seven there begins an intense half-hour rehearsal, so that when the regular evening song service begins at 7.30, the eighty singers are finely keyed up to their work. The auditorium is always full on Sunday night,—often we turn people away as early as eight o'clock. The sermon is thoroughly evangelical and is a straight ap¬ peal to the hearts of men. Each succeeding Sunday seems to he the “best" Sunday, for each day brings its own peculiar encouragement and inspiration. Monday night is set aside for social purposes. This is the time when new acquaintances are made. An enthusias¬ tic young Jew recently wrote a letter to a local newspaper in which he said: “For the banishment of loneliness there is nothing better than the Labor Temple." This simple social function appeals especially to the men and women who live in nearby hall bedrooms, most of which are cold and cheerless. Annual Banquet for Members of the Choir Members of the Temple Choir S EVEN periods are scheduled for Tuesday: the Penny Savings Bank, two troops of the Boy Scouts, the Young Women’s Club or class in Domestic Art, an ath¬ letic club,—although we have no sign of a gymnasium—the “Imperators”—a club composed of ambitious young fellows with great possibilities—and the Open Forum for the dis¬ cussion of social problems, which is held in the main auditorium. Here some of the leaders of social thought discuss the important problems of the day, after which the audience gets a chance at them—and woe betide the insin¬ cere or shallow advocate! The audience soon finds him out. Usually, no matter who the speaker may be, the crowd evens up the argument by presenting the other side—there’s always sure to be an expert ready to take another view. While not on the regular schedule of meetings, there is a permanent engagement at the Temple at six o’clock every Tuesday night during the school year. At this time, about twenty student workers from Union Theological Seminary and the Bible Teachers’ Training School have a supper and s conference hour, when they report upon their work, and when the principles involved are frankly discussed. This is one of the most profitable meetings of the week—profitable to the students as well as to the Temple. Just previous to this meeting there is a conference of the regular Temple staff. On Wednesday the “Temple Friendly Club” meets at four, and the “Labor Temple Social Club” has an appoint¬ ment at eight. These are both composed of young people. Children's Meeting The Temple Chorus has its regular rehearsal at eight, the Temple Brotherhood meets at the same hour, and in the main room there is ordinarily an address on some phase of the health problem. There is always so much sickness among the poor—so much unnecessary sickness—that we consider it a genuine “Christian” service—“religious,” if you please—to show people how to get well and keep well. Jesus did this—did He not? The Boy Scouts meet at 4.30 on Thursday—still another troop. At eight there is a class in sight singing, and in the main room there is always an 9 illustrated lecture, when we roam the world over, with the aid of beautiful pictures and experienced travellers. The Children's Game Hour is held at four o’clock on Fri ¬ day. Here they learn how to play—few children knozv how. The Girls' Diversity Club meets at 7.30, and the Club is just what the name implies. It is composed of alert young women. There are cooking lessons, embroidery, literature and some other interesting features. At eight the orchestra has its rehearsal. There is another cooking class at the same hour, composed mostly of married women and those who will soon marry, and it is taught by one of the most efficient teachers in this country. In the main auditorium on every Friday night there is a religious discussion of the most vital questions having to do with the personal relationship of man to God. This meeting is addressed by the best men available and is always most profitable. The questions asked by the audience indicate the utmost sincerity and reveal the deeper spiritual longings of the human heart. Out of these religious discussions, and as a result of the more distinc¬ tively spiritual work of the Temple, there has developed a Boy Scouts 10 The Student Workers at the Temple and the Temple Staff “Labor Temple Fellowship," which is open to “all who share the purpose of Jesus and are seeking to bring in the Kingdom of God." This Fellowship has in it Jews, Cath¬ olics and Protestants. Every Saturday at 4.30 there are motion pictures for the children because they are not admitted to the other meet¬ ings of the week when pictures are shown. The Penny Savings Bank is open at seven, and the week closes with a People's Popular Program at eight, when various musical and literary features are introduced. Sometimes special meetings are worked in, but the above is the normal pro¬ gram for a week. It is working. It is helping and inspiring the people. The letters which come to us prove that this is so. We are wearing out the old pews. The carpet is done for. The furnaces are beyond repair. They were old when we came in. Idle building is far too small. Tt was never designed The Men Away from Home Having a Thanksgiving Dinner for the work that we are carrying on. We are hoping that some day we may really do justice to this opportunity. We have just begun to touch it. Here is a field which has in it great possibilities. The people are tremendously in earnest about their own problems. We have a great chance to help them. But we can help only as we work with the people. The spirit of democracy is so strongly developed that any¬ thing which savors of patronage or paternalism is quickly resented. The old-time “mission" is no longer effective. Other movements have been developing among workingmen which have in them much of the religious element. These are to-day challenging the Church for supremacy in the hearts of the people. It is largely because the Church has not been keenly sensitive to the changing conditions among the masses that its hold upon the city is weakened. The “old gospel” must be preached with all its old-time fervor —but it is largely a question of emphasis. u es,—it’s an arena, this downtown field— famous the world over for its problems and its perplexities. But the Church is a part of the problem —the whole Church ; for this is not “the problem of the downtown Church ”—it is “the downtown problem of the Church If the Church fails here it will mean that its claim that it preaches “a universal gospel” is not proved. It will mean that the statement that its gospel is “the best solvent of the social prob¬ lem” is untrue—how can it be true when the Church deliberately deserts those who are fight¬ ing for their very existence—as it has been doing for more than a generation in lower New York? What is to become of the church? Will it hold its own—not for its own sake, but for the peo¬ ple’s sake—or shall it continue to flee in the face of the severest test which has come to it in the Church’s history? IT IS FOR THE WHOLE CHURCH TO SAY. ■ . 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