A "SOCIAL CENTER" CHURCH
Johnson, Le Roy
A "Social Center" Church How a California Minister and His Congregation Are "Frankly and Hopefully Facing Modern City Conditions" By LE ROY JOHNSON WHAT would you think of a $6,000 church with a...
...A. W. Palmer has at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Oakland, California...
...Here is a church that has gotten a glimpse of the "new day" and is already adjusting itself to the new social conditions...
...The Commissioner of Education has a limited supply for free distribution...
...The people in this work soon realized that in order to effectively fight the saloon they must furnish some substitute for it...
...He says: "I believe that teachers and pupils can make no better use of a few hours of the school day on May eighteenth than to join with the millions who in ail parts of the civilized world are thinking and talking about the desire of the ages, the coming of trusted peace with intelligent good will among men, though they may live under different governments...
...By furnishing a social center for our congregation we can practice and 'drive home' the things we say and do on Sunday...
...These lectures are free to the public...
...On Sunday the Junior Department of the Sunday School occupies the gymnasium...
...A Variety of Uses ONE is utterly amazed at the various uses to which this building is put...
...There was a basement in the church and one day some of the boys asked Mr...
...A "Social Center" Church How a California Minister and His Congregation Are "Frankly and Hopefully Facing Modern City Conditions" By LE ROY JOHNSON WHAT would you think of a $6,000 church with a $30,000 club house annexed to it...
...At the particular time when this social center was being built, the Plymouth Church was trying to drive out some saloons in that territory...
...etc...
...Palmer, he said, "Why should not the church be open every day in the week, instead of only on Sunday...
...That is what Rev...
...A Unique Religions Center THIS institution is unique as a religious center...
...In 1905 the Plymouth Church of Oakland was a small church able to accommodate about 125 people...
...The place is no longer called Plymouth Church, but is known as "Plymouth Center...
...By its extension work, this church is getting a hold on the lives of its members such as no ordinary church can get...
...Here at their church the young people can gather to have socials and athletic carnivals...
...On Easter Sunday of 1905 Mr...
...During the month of September, on each Sunday evening the pastor, Mr...
...They were permitted to do so but they found this a poor place for athletics...
...These classes are under the direction of students of the University of California...
...Here are conducted boys' and girls' classes...
...Since the establishment of the Social Center the Sunday School has increased very rapidly and the enrollment is now over 500...
...Dance Halls and Social Centers...
...But this room is not alone used as a gymnasium...
...Think of it...
...Then it contains game rooms where the boys may play pool and billiards and yet be in a wholesome moral atmosphere...
...A Living Wage," by Father J. A. Ryan, etc...
...One cannot help but being impressed with the fact that here is a church that is touching the lives of its people every day and in every field of endeavor and interest...
...In the first place it contains a library and a reading room open to the entire public...
...which question was to be voted on at the fall election...
...Palmer asked his congregation for a contribution of $600 for necessary church expenses...
...With the members of this church, Christianity is a living, vital principle...
...I was amused to visit the bowling alley and see some men and their wives enjoying a game of ten pins...
...During the fall months, the pastor gave a series of illustrated lectures on "What to do in Social Service...
...Everything seems to point to the truth of the statement contained on one of their circulars, "Here is a church frankly and hopefully facing modern city conditions...
...Soon the athletic activities of this church attracted many of the young men in the neighborhood...
...A new field in church work was thus entered...
...At the present time a series of lectures on "The Reign of Queen Elizabeth" are being given by Professor H. Morse Stephens of the University of California...
...Here are some of the lectures: "How the other Half Lives...
...They use it every day and not merely on Sunday...
...For example, on September 1st a debate was held on the question, "Shall the Bay Cities Consolidate Under a Borough Form of Government...
...Here we have it...
...This extension work greatly advertised the church and it was soon filled to overflowing...
...Then the members of the Plymouth Church, under the leadership of their pastor, started out to raise enough money to build a club house which was to be annexed to the church and which was to be open every day in the week and which would furnish social, athletic, and intellectual recreation for the church members, both young and old...
...It was jocularly said by people that one could not get into Plymouth Church without being hit by a basketball...
...Palmer, the minister, if they might play games in the basement...
...Entering a New Field TWELVE of the largest boys in the Sunday School formed the Plymouth Athletic Club...
...Peace Day LAST YEAR the United States Bureau of Education issued a bulletin containing suggestions for the appropriate observance of May 18 as Peace Day in the schools of the country...
...This bulletin was so well received that another, containing material of a different character, has been prepared for the use of the schools this year...
...ended they had secured $27,000, with At times it is used as a large banquet hall where 500 or more may gather around the festive board and discuss some municipal or political question...
...They can read and play games...
...Albert W. Palmer, gave a review of some important recent book, e. g., "The Montessori Method," by Dr...
...Montes-sori...
...In front is a small stage and often free stereopticon lectures are given...
...We have all the social features without their attendant evils...
...In a conversation with Mr...
...It happened that $671 was contributed, so with the permission of the congregation, the minister used the extra $71 for athletic purposes...
...Its members are getting a new social ideal and will be better able to meet the demands that "The Age of Social Adjustment" will make of them...
...This new work greatly interested the young men and boys and soon the old quarters were altogether too small even for the formal church work...
...Where the other Half Lives...
...They can get together and have banquets...
...They started out for $25,000 but before the campaign had which they built a church annex, now known as Plymouth Center...
...The increase in the Sunday School was even greater than the increase in the church members...
...A large part of the space on the first floor is used as a gymnasium—most of the time...
...On October 11th over 500 men gathered around the banquet board and listened to a talk on "Eugenics...
...The room is also used for other purposes...
Vol. 5 • April 1913 • No. 17
