The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1901-03-15
THE WORK OF COUNTRY CHURCH

1 w ORh VI n NOON M III NAus
GOOD PROGRESS SHOWN EVEN WHERE
CONDITIONS ARE BY NO MEANS
IDEAL.-THE NEWTOWN CONGREGA-
TIONAL CHURCH AND WHAT IT AC-
COMPLIsHED IN 1900.
These are the days when those in
terested in matters of religion are dis
cussing on every side, What is to be
pecially in New England?" The old
Puritan stock is dying off or moving
away. 1t is being replaced by COM
munity in no wise in sympathy with
evangelical church life. When hot air
rises, Nature abhors vacuum and cold
airs rushes in to take the abandoned
place. Thus it is in Nature, but it is
not always so in New England rural
church,; there is not always filling up
for the dropping out. The old people
die, the young people, the natural sue
cessSiOn to the places of responsibility
and usefulness, move away; and what
is left? Under these circumstances a
church, its pastor and people, are to
be heartily congratulated if the church
makes head against the stream. This
the Newtown Congregational church
has done, and more than done, in the
past year, as the following facts fully
show.
On profession of faith six were added
during the year and four by letter,
making the total membership of the
church now 142. 1t is quite peculiar
fact that there are a little more than
twice as many females on the church
roll as males; 90 of the former, t46 of the
| latter. Let him explain this diSpropor.
tion who will. Surely it cannot be
l. hono11cn ro1irinn iC nffnnoin0fn and
unmanly thing, for there never was a
time when manly qualities were SC
much in demand in the Christian
church as they are to-day. Not sin.
gle church member was lost during the
| twelve months by death. -Four adults
and four infants were baptized. Nine
| ty-three families would apply to the
pastor of the church for ministerial
service. The Sunday school was never
| in better condition than now. In its
three departments of the main school
the branch in Taunton district and
the "home department., there are en-
rolled 146 scholars and teachers. The
average attendance for the year is put
down at y, though this number hard
ly gives the school sufficient credit; fol
the "hOme Department. while count
ing in the total membership, does not
appear in the average attendance
There are not many young men anc
young women in the school. These
are helping Sunday schools in Other
places where they have taken up thei1
home; but there is d larger number
of the smaller boys and girls, and, a!
one of the teachers tersely expressed it
it is hoped there issome excellent tim
ber'' for future deacOns and Ladies
Aid society presidents among these
| Co1IIorsc al I
boys, who are most faithful in atten
dance and who are held together b,
the noble influence OF thei
teacher, is the pride of the school
The Christian Endeavor society nov
has SO active members and 25 associ
ate members; and still it keeps grow
ing. for now and then an additiOna
name is found when it had beer
thought the field had been exhausted
This earnest band of young people las
year gave $50 to the famine sufferers
India, 1915 to the Mount Carme
Children's Home near New Haven
helped the church by adding $34 to it!
funds, spent about $40 in repairs OF
> church and parsonage, besides paying
allitsrunning expenses. Since it start
ed, the society has not missed singh
meeting, even during the fair size
blizzard of two years ago some of tn
faithful plodding through the snoI
and holding d meeting helpful to tn
little company assembled. The sun
paid out in carrying on the work O
the church for the year was 1881 81
In missionary contributions the for
eign work seems to have the leac
quite the reverse of the way pcopl
generally think it should be, as the
. are apt to say, 81 don't get much il
, terested in giving any money to cor
?. vert the heather; there are enougl
5 Eheathen at home" To the America
Board and other foreign work was civ
!. en- S41.S5; to educational work $8.6:
) to the Church Building society 500
to the Congregational Home Mission
airy society $1,000; to the America
Missionary Association $500; to tn