Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1950-01-12

Fellowship. We have 1t too, but too
often in week and watery fash
ion as compared with what they
enjoyed. FE
Family Living
THE VERY FIRST Christians
lived literally like a big family.
This is all the more extraordinary
when you think of the variety of
their backgrounds. Oook up the
list Of places mentioned in, Acts
2:9,10 on a map of Asia, Africa
and Europe.) A good family is a
unit.
: II little Willie comes down
with appendicitis, his parents
! don't get out the family ac-
count book and figure out how
much Willie has been worth
to the family, in dollars and
cents, in his eight years Of life.
Suppose they calculated that his
services, such as they are-carry.
ing in the wood, feeding the chick
ems, or what not had been worth
about $23.75 since the last time he
was sick, they wouldn't send little
Willie to the hospital with the note
to the doctor: "PAease give our
Willie $23.75 worth Of operation.
That's all he has put into the family
budget and that's ali we're going
to let him take out!"
Not by any means Little Willie
Is, taken to the hospital and what.
ever operation he needs, that is
the one his parents want him tc
have, even if it costs 20 times wha,
Willie has been worth, in cash. The
family give Willie, what he needs
and they also expect him to help
out in all the ways he can.
Church Living
NNE, UBLE with oul
~ churches today is that so many
of them have actually lost this fam.
ily-feeling. The early Christians
we are told, were of one hear
and SOUL" Could you say of your
church that all its members are
Of one heart and soul?
The early Christians, feeling thu.
close to one another, had all
things in common" What do the
members of your church have ir
common? They meet in one place
once a week. But what else? Dc
they even speak to one another!
If one member of the congregation
falls sick, do the others find out
about it quickly, and when they fine
out, what do they do about it? L
trouble comes to member, DE-
the other members rally around
him? ~"
Does the church say to its
members. as the Salvation
Army does Of hard-pressed
men. "You may be down but
you're never out?" Some
churches have a pastors or
deacOn's fund, TO be used In
cases Of need.
Contributors to the fund are a,
anonymous as are those who are
helped by it. The idea is for those
who are blessed with large income
or those who may have special
windfalls, bonuses, extra dividends
big crops. and SO on, to chip ir
for the aid Of all who may run into
trouble.
Not All Troubles Are Financial
NATURALLY, not all trouble:
Az are financial. Some Of the mos
serious troubles have little or moth
ing to do with money. There are
many other kinds Of needs. Fol
example, in any church there will
be lonely people, and you can't cure
loneliness with a check. no matter
now big.
The minister is the key man,
he can locate the needs, but he
can't supply them all. Lonely
people, those who have been
through deep sorrow, men try
Ing to find the right Jobs, young
folks in danger Of serious
temptation a church which
Is like q family will not let
these people fight their battles
alone.
What we all need is the feeling
that we belong. The church car
make all the difference between
despair and happiness simply by
making every single person in Il
feel that no matter what happen,
to him, he still belongs; he is more
than among friends, he is among
brothers.