“Here’s where you go in for the lecture,” was the reply.  “There are two other entertainments on hand this evening in the halls of the Lower Temple.  That’s where those people are going.”

In regard to church fairs and entertainments, Dr. Conwell said in a sermon in 1893: 

“The Lord pity any church that has not enough of the spirit of Christ in it to stand a church fair, wherein devout offerings are brought to the tithing-house in the spirit of true devotion; the Lord pity any church that has not enough of the spirit of Jesus in it to endure or enjoy a pure entertainment.  Indeed, they are subjects for prayer if they cannot, without quarrels, without fightings, without defeat to the cause of Christ, engage in the pure and innocent things God offers to His children.”

And in an address on “The Institutional Church,” he says: 

“The Institutional church of the future will have the best regular lecture courses of the highest order.  There will be about them sufficient entertainment to hold the audience, while at the same time they give positive instruction and spiritual elevation.  Every church of Christ is so sacred that it ought to have within its walls anything that helps to save souls.  If an entertainment is put into a church for any secular purpose—­simply to make money—­that church will be divided; it will be meshed in quarrels, and souls will not be saved there.  There must be a higher end; as between the church and the world we must use everything that will save and reject everything that will injure.  This requires careful and close attention.  You must keep in mind the question, ‘Will Jesus come here and save souls?’ Carefully eliminate all that will show irreverence for holy things or disrespect for the church.  Carefully introduce wherever you can the direct teachings of the Gospel, and then your entertainments will be the power of God unto salvation.  The entertainments of the church need to be carefully guarded, and, if they are, then will the church of the future control the entertainments of the world.  The theatre that has its displays of low and vulgar amusement will not pay, because the churches will hold the best classes, and for a divine and humane purpose will conduct the best entertainments.  There will be a double inducement that will draw all classes.  The Institutional church of the future will be free to use any reasonable means to influence men for good.”

The Temple, as can be seen, believes in good, pure, elevating amusements.  But every entertainment to be given is carefully considered.  In such a vast body of workers, many of them young and inexperienced, this is necessary.  By a vote of the church, every programme to be used in any entertainment in The Temple must first be submitted to the Board of Deacons.  What they disapprove cannot be presented to the congregation of Grace Church under any circumstance.

The concerts and oratorios of the chorus are of the very highest order and attract music lovers from all parts of the city and nearby towns.  The other entertainments in the course of a year cover such a variety of subjects that every one is sure to find something to his liking.  Among the lectures given in one year were: