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VOLUNTEER WORK EXTRAORDINARY

The four Christian Mass-Meetings recently held in the Brooklyn Academy of Music for the consideration of what the leading Christian denominations would be obliged to surrender in favor of Church Federation, required widespread advertising. Newspapers and billboards and window-cards were extensively used; but the Volunteer work was specially effective. It was the most systematic and successful of which we have knowledge. We must describe it for the encouragement of Volunteers everywhere:

Think of it—more than 300,000 copies of PEOPLES PULPIT were distributed carefully in one week, and the second week brought the total up to 530,000! These contained two sermons each, besides the back-page advertisement of the Mass-Meetings. Thus more than a million sermons were put into the hands of intelligent people, many of whom do not usually attend Church services. And if each paper reached five persons (which is the usual newspaper claim), then five million sermons were delivered in two weeks by the Brooklyn and vicinity Tabernacle Congregation. Thank God for such privileges!

(1) The city was districted and each of the congregations which could do so served its own district.

(2) Managers of factories were approached in a pleasant and dignified manner by specially selected Sisters. They were presented with P.P. and asked if the employees might be served at time of dismission, and how many, at what hour, and the number of exits. Later, these were served by Volunteers supplied with P.P. in plenty.

(3) The managers of large department stores were similarly approached re employees. These gladly attended to the distribution themselves, with thanks!

(4) Large restaurants and hotels also accepted supplies and gave them to their patrons.

(5) Of course, the house-to-house distribution was the great work, and it included the serving of the large office buildings. This was a delicate matter, as ordinary circularizing is not allowed. But our P.P. are not circulars. Some of the brightest of the Sisters were assigned this work, and they did it well.

(6) It is needless to say that the Colporteurs of Brooklyn and vicinity were amongst the most active of the Volunteers.

(7) What has been done can be done again—not only here, but in every city and village. Surely the Volunteers get the very cream of the blessing.

(8) How many can afford to miss so glorious an opportunity for serving the Lord, the Truth and the Brethren?

(9) Elect your Volunteer Captains and Lieutenants at once and advise us how many copies of this year’s Volunteer papers (PEOPLES PULPIT) you can and will use—wasting none. Give full shipping directions. We supply PEOPLES PULPIT free of charge—prepaying freight. Respond quickly that we may know how many millions to print.

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— February 15, 1910 —