The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1918-03-07

provision for the end of a well-spent
life
But so much for the church and it's
minister and their support. What kind
of a church shall it be2 What function
shall it perform in the community?
To whom shall it minister? These
are not idle questions. They are the
the first questions which should be
considered by the builders and sup
porters and minister of the church.
OF course, it goes without argument
that the first and supreme object of a
church is to minister to the religious
needs Of the people of a community,
rich and poor alike. It's creed should |
be a circle embracing all the truth |
which radiates from Jesus Christ. Ii |
should be a school for learners, a field |
for workers, shelter for the weak, !
citadel for the stroong. Its task |
should be the spread of the gospel to |
every individual, to all of society, and
to the wide, wide, world. The atmos-
phere of the religion which it
breaches should produce lives which
are rational, humane, generous, divine. |
It's dominant hope should be the ulti- |
mate and universal sway of Truth and !
Love and righteousness and Peace.
But while the mission of the church
is distinctly religious, it will find
many other things which are right and
I
are not classified as religious which
! it should support and encourage. The
church should have a program, a pro-
gram as wide as the needs of the COM
munity and its power to minister In
different communities, this program
will be different because the needs are
different In some communities there
will be other organizations which are
at work for the common good and
with which there should be no inter-
ference, but only good will and sup
port. Assuming that there is a COM
munity without other organizations,
the church should make out an intel
ligent program for years activities
at least for fall and winter in ad-
vance, and then for spring and sum-
mer. This program should include
the recreational interests, both of the
grown ups and of the young. The
church might without Improperly
urge upon the whole community the
duty of play, recreation. 1t might
provide a playground, equip gym
nasium or fit up church basement
for basket ball without any fear Of
hurting the greater purpose for which
, it exists. The preacher need not be
afraid to announce the time and place
of a game and ask the people ito at
tend-and he need not feel that the
> game has to be opened with prayer.
On the other hand the people need
not think he has over-run his prerOg-
atives as a minister of the gospel if
: he should pray on Sunday for the
right, healthful promotion of the re-
irrational interests of the community.
We know good many communities
in which there will have to be a good
! many very earnest prayers offered
. by both the minister and the laity
before God can look upon the common
forms of recreation and pronounce
: them good
Being in rural community, the
4 church should certainly be interested
q in agriculture. 1t should offer its
building, if needed, for farmers meet
Z ings. 1t should encourage the best
z methods of agriculture. 1t might
quite properly through a mems class
Z or brotherhood secure and distribute
literature from the department of ag
Z riculture suiting the distribution tC
= the needs of the time of year. W.
knew a church whose brotherhood dis
q tributed about 1000 pieces of litera
y ture on the different phases of agri
Y culture, domestic science. social ser
z vice. home and foreign missions, ant
4 in so doing rendered a distinct ser
= vice to the community and won thu
= greater favor of the community. An'
y il is only proper to say that the tract
on MISSIONS were lut more dpDICCldt
= ed because the church also intereste'
= itself in the gardens, poultry yards
z dairies, and farms in the community.
Z OF course, every church should in
= terest itself in the reading of tn
= people of the community 1t shoul
= seek to provide the right kind of read
4 ing if no other organization is din
Z it, and then it should encourage ever
= one to read. No church will ever ris
IL =,
s cimmunity. And no church will eve
- rise in intelligence and in intelligen
- service until the people of its com
= munity have learned to read and {
II read the best magazines and book:
\ 1t is not enough to read the loca
n weekly-though we think it ought t
go into every home and be read b
every member of the family as a mat
ter of common concern and commun
ity information. But time must b
found for reading other things, and tn
church can we'll afford to direct in s
Il far as it can the community to tn
best in magazines and books.
There are other things which tn
\ church should have on its program
such as monthly or semi-monthly leC
i lures on a varied list of subjects COY
ering the needs of every one in tn
community We have known commuI
= tiles build up new consciousness an
a finer spirit of neighborliness, grea
er cooperation and a more deepl
spiritual life by means of such LEI
ture course.
But space does not allow a turtle
discussion of this subject. We hoI
that the outline suggested Will he
some community to find it's opportul
ity and make it's church a communit
serving church. whatever its demon
national name. If so, We shall fe