Evening star., 1914-02-10

development Of clean, healthy athletic
spirit may bring this about.
The Methodist preacher, umpiring
base ball game, who tossed up quarter
to decide who won honors when the
game was a tie and 1t was too dark for
play, had a stronger hold upon the boys
Of the community than the best sermon
In the world could have won for him.
In some counties the association sec
retaries cooperate with the pastor IN
organizing the athletics by supplying the
equipment, the church providing the
meeting place They work also toward
establishing the Saturday half-holiday
in which the boys and men may be free
from their farm work to play ball or
seek other amusement. One OF the cnief
drawbacks to country life to the young
people is its lack of recreation, and the
church and the association can 90 much
to remedy this. The association Is now
publishing a monthly entitled Rural
Manhood, which is devoted to the pro-
motion of rural Christianity
The Federal Council of Churches has
commission on country life which IS
preparing the way for a great organized
rural religious effort in which each of
the great denominations will be equally
represented The effort will be based
largely upon surveys of rural conditions
which arc now being made in different
parts Of the country.
The most thorough survey and study
of rural life yet published is that which
has been conduct
Results of Study ed by G. o. Gill in
in Book Form. New YORK and
Vermont The results were edited and
put in book form through the joint labor
of Mr. Gill and Clifford Pinchot. and has
been published under the authority of
the Federal Council of Churches. This
book gives complete statistics regarding
the church habits Of every community in
these counties, the financial resources,
the amount contributed for religious pur-
poses. the qualifications Of the ministers
and every subject bearing upon religious
conditions. 1t compares the present with
the past and indicates the circumstances
responsible for the change. Upon such
definite information as this the county
life commission of the council of churches
will be able to build definite plans for
Improvement.
Many affiliated organizations are now
engaged in making religious surveys. the
results of which will add to the knowl-
eQe6 50 lCuS !dChlIS do " I'll ai toeie1'
and religious conditions. The Massa-
chusetts Federation of Churches is max
ing u systematic survey of communities
believed to be typical. The federations
of Wisconsin and Nebraska are carving
on similar work in their states and be-
ginnings have been made in other states.
notably Maine, Vermont Rhode Island,
New Jersey. Pennsylvania, California.
Alabama and Tennessee.
The Presbyterian Home Mission Coun-
Gil and the Federation of Churches in a
number of states are exerting strong in
f1uence in redirecting and stimulating the
efforts of the district superintendent. the
home missionaries, conference secre-
taries and other church officials in charge
of rural work. They are also in CO.
operative touch with over hundred
thousand country preachers at work in
different parts of the states. Special
funds for supplying them with literature
and other aids to their work are being
distributed under these auspices.
The Home Mission Council has estab-
lished a neglected fields campaign in more
than twelve of the northwestern states.
The Baptist state convention of New
York, the bureau of field work of Drew
Theological Seminary and the committee
on rural churches of the United Presby-
teran Church are all well organized
activities working In a systematic manner