The Raymer enterprise. (New Raymer, Weld County, Colo.) 1910-19??, 1920-08-19
LOCAL PASTOR TELLS
OF HIS DAY DREAMS

Editor Enterprise:
The end of the church fiscal yea
is at hand, and while not expectin.
anything extraordinary to happen
yet II is my desire to mention certain
phases and ideas while there is al
opportunity. Moreover. the leisur,
of a recent vacation gave opportuni
ty for mature reflection and NOR,
definite conclusions.
We have heard 1t mentioned occa
ionally that some day not far dis
tant, as the country developed, tn.
Raymer-Stoneham charge would b.
divided, and each place would have
a pastor. The help Of school house
points has been expected to haster
this time. Another plan has beer
conceived, however. that would re
tain Raymer as the head of the cir.
cult. where the pastor would reside
As the church felt itself able to dc
SO, assistants would be added, one
OF whom would reside at Stone'a am
The advantage OF such plan IL
that assistants could be secured who
possess qualifications for special lines
OF work. .. .sa
The modern city church is .taxiaa
on many lines of special activities,
such as personal and social workers
experts in religions education, recre
ational directors, etc. The results
obtained are in many cases note
worthy. Now, we believe thar the
children of the country are as much
entitled to such privileges as The
children of the city. Bu. this can
never be II there is to be a splitting
up OF the country into many little
Independent communities l., nIran
there ic stren...n AMI tc.or"ra'l n
is the great word OF the hour. We
think sometimes of the not far dis
, tant future when the associated
churches in the Raymer-Stoneham
territory would have a staff OF work
ers of, say, the following.
An eloquent and forceful preach.
er,
A talented personal worker,
A specialist in religious training.
A trained recreational director.
Other specialists could be added as
occasion demanded, and the churches
In sympathetic cooperation with an
increasingly efficient public public
school system, would afford the chill
dren Of this remote rural section
privileges equal to any community.
This can come, however, only by the
communities remaining a unit.
. Our coming church building at
Raymer is another subject of great
Importance. was very much inter
ested in a communication from Mr.
Tighe published some months ago
in which community building was
suggested, which could be used for
public meetings of every nature, in
cluding the church. There are rea-
sons why We would prefer a commu-
nifty church building, though the idea
Of 1t being a memorial to the Legion
men is entirely acceptable.
The modern idea of church
building differs radically from the
old Westinghouse idea-a building
Of one square room. The up-to-date
church plans many activities, and is
open seven days week, instead Of
one. In the first place, no church
can claim to be doing its duty nova
days unless has a really efficient
Sunday School. This is impossible
in a one-room building. where the
classes are grouped here and there
about the room. and the loudest yoic-
ed teacher dominates them all. Such
work demands separate rooms. spec
ial equipment and trained teachers,
Excellent suggestions along this line
are to be found in a book, "The
Church School,, by DIR. Walter Ath-
ern, written while he was a profes
sor at Drake University.
In the second place, many modern
churches are undertaking community
activities along certain educational
and recreational lines. We must not
take space to fully set forth this idea
(perhaps we can In a future article) =,
but think, for instance, what II
would mean II the Raymer Church
should put in moving pictures, as
many churches are doing. 1t would
mean minimum prices, for no profits
would be necessary; clean wholesome
pictures, and none Of the vicious,
character-decaying scenes OF practi-
cally every commercial house; and no
Sunday theatre. which has become
great problem in certain places
Our idea OF an aequate Community