The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1914-01-02


tary to Troy. and this means not Tar
from $50 churches In the territory.
How many Of these are taktns . lsa1-
Ing part u their respective conmu.
mites for sll that 10 implied In the up-
ward look for which their tapesing
steeples standf Some Of them are
unused: others are opened once IN
two weeks for . brief service: many
house tiny hand Of worshipers each
week: but probably mot one-quartsr Of
them are coming anywhere near their
capacities In any branch Of their work
How can great saAscisncy b -
cured?
@. Fredefick Wells. chairman Of the
country church commission Of the
Methodist Federation for Social 9erv-
Ice. mentions q church within days
Journey Of this city which stands amid
farm community containing more
than one million dollars worth Of pro-
ductive wealth. yet II cannot support
a $500 minister. 10 this the fault Of
the pulpit or the pew. or h II merely
the lack Of q proper appreciation for
the new functions Of the religious side
Of life In the upbuilding Of . rural
population
Probably II 10 largely this. There
are" says Mr.. Wells. seven stages In
the development Of the normal coun-
try church In the average American
rural community. They are the wor-
ship stage. the service stage. the fell
lowship stage. the cooperative stage.
the constitutional stage. the commu.
nifty stase and the world stage" First.
agriculturists desire to come together
for worship. and they establish
church. The natural outsrowth Of this.
reached BY most organizations. b .
desire to serve each other In spiritual
ways. From this comes . spirit Of Eel.
lowship. Here. however. most rural
churches have been disposed to stop.
Those which 90 along to other stages
are the ones which are not complain.
Ing about the depopulation Of the
country and the loss In efficiency OF
the rural church. And. fortunately.
there are some that do 20 further.
Cooperative Movements.
These progressive organizations be
gin to cooperate with the oranges.
the state library. the credit associa-
TONS village improvement societies.
neighborhood clubs and other forces
for social betterment. thereby making
the church . center. doing away with
. bleak silence six days In the week
and holding many who Otherwise
would drift away under the feeling
that there was not enough In the
church 10 make attendance and wsrh
for II worth while. Few are thoss
who reach this point. but those who
do rarely complain Of their deserted
state Then comes the stage In which
the church takes the place Of city 90
tivities. adding institutional work.
gymnasium classes, reading rooms.
medical relief. educational extension
and all the activities nov found In
some progressive downtown institu.
tons In our large cities, This re-
quires money. and hard labor on the
Y =, ~. 1900 ~ s.as
$3.50. ~ y 10y ~
' "~ ~. % ~ s
e"s0" ''1'
heyono tihs tne stepe are more ideai
tnan ac'uai. for " may % quesuoneo
whether tney are reasoned 10 dozen
cnurches OF any state. under tns
community ioea inc whole section 70
which the oreanixat'on ministers %
comes 2 unit TOR al KINGS o. endesv.
or y brings tine religious IRE OF the
community INTO business snort. into
social relations ana into 81 the varied
Interests OF any group OF INDIVIDUALS
able TO ne seif-sumcsent ON account Of
the variety OF interests within thsir
own ranks
,sssls May d Realised.
c.n ,h... ,A..,. n. ,..u,.A, :.
-. ~. 49, ~, ~ ,.o,.,.A -.