Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1920-03-17
WOULD REVIVE THE
FAMILY AS UNIT
Church Heads Seek to Stimulate
Common Interest and Offset
Too Much IndividuaIism.

Saving the American family from
"over-emphasized irdividualism" is an
nounced as leading purpose of the
New World Movement of Northern
Baptists.
There Is too much talk of living
ones own life and too little of the unit
good, said DIR. III. A. Heath of the Gen.
eral Board of Promotion of the North
ern Baptist Convention. at is an un-
usual family that has any vital common
interest"
TO unity the family in its church life
at least 10000 Baptist churches
throughout the country are being re-
organized on the basis of what is
known as the Family Group Plan.
Every local church of the denomina-
ton In the Northern states will be di-
vided into family groups, with not more
than ten families in group; leader
will be appointed and the various
group leaders, with the pastor, will
form church cabinet to put local and
UNCONVENTIONAL programs into effect.
Family Sunday" will be observed AT
least once each three months in all the
Baptist churches in the country. Ev-
erything about the services, songs, text
and sermon, will be chosen from the
point of view of interesting the fami-
ly. Members of the family will be ask
ed to sit together and in thousands of
rows of seats In the United States ia
Their will head the row and tow-head
son will occupy the end seat.
Christian leaders say that family
prayers are held at the present time
| In not more than one out of every ten
families of church members. The Bap
| fist campaign will make an effort to
| revive the custom In all the homes of
| that denomination
The various members of each family
| group In the church will be expected to
entertain each other In their homes.
Since these divisions will be made
/, without reference to social status, per-
| haps on an alphabetical basis or L.
some other equally impartial way, this
| will mean a real test Of Christian de-
mocracy. The leaders believe that the
members of the various congregations
will come through this acid test tri-
| umphantly.
| brotherhood ought to be an actual
working principle in our churches and
not an idle word" Dr. Heath said. I'll
| 1t is not an actual working principle
this is the time for us to find 1T out
/ IL there Is Christian snobbishness II
should be uprooted. But, as a matter
Of fact, the Family Group Plan is be
ing met with favor wherever It Is being
| tried out in our churches, and familie.
write in that they welcome this oppor
tunity to mingle with those of varying
| viewpoints"
/ Family weekend meetings will alst
be introduced into many local Baptis
churches, at which the various mem
bers of the family will come together
for readings, Rotations, music, game:
and chat These programs will no
necessarily be religious at all, thu
church leaders say The church Cal
safely be used for family enjoyment IL
these modern times, they declare.
DR.. Heath contends that this reOr
ganization of the church on the famil.
basis is both wise and natural.
'oThe family is the natural division
> within the church as well as outside o
IT." he said. 1.-THE Baptist Church i
simply recognizing this fact in the New
World Movement If the movement re
suits in a stronger welding of famil.
, ties and in helping to settle the nation
al discomfort through the mingling o
various classes the church, the hom
and the nation will all be the better TO
it,"