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How did the surplus accumu- late? It accumulated because the Lord blessed HIS work in that local church. His people were moved to give more than was anticipated by the planned program of that particular church. The surplus might have accumulated because the Boards of the local church wanted to be on the safe side when they accepted their self-allocated benevolence budget.
However, in view of the ur- gent needs of the church throughout the world we URGE YOU to EMPTY your treasury at the end of the year and apply it to the MISSIONARY OUTREACH of the church. Naturally you will keep a working balance that current expenses may be paid but we pray that this balance will only be the min- imum amount needed to carry on current expenses.
If we should look at the picture of the whole church, we would readily see that we have no such thing as SURPLUS MONEY. The local church trea- surer will find a surplus only because his particular group has not allowed God's money to flow into the MAIN CHANNEL of giving, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BENEVOLENCES.
Many churches in the Synod come to the years' end with a surplus fund. Instead of empty- ing the treasury by turning the funds over to benevolent causes they take the opportun- ity to invest the so-called surplus funds in the local Building and Loan to draw Continued on page 4.
"Light Tomorrow With Today"
John Doe and his wife were faithful members of County Seat Presbyterian Church for over fifty years. John, during that time had served as a Trustee, Deacon and Elder. Helen, his good wife, had given of her best to her church those long years.
The tithe had long ago been only the beginning point with their concept of stewardship. They had given themselves to the church and the Lord had blessed them not only with spiritual riches but with mat- erial things. John Doe, accord- ing to the local gossip was the wealthiest man in the county.
But, one night it happened! John and his wife failed to see the red flashing light at the railway crossing. It was said they were too busy talk- ing about some church matter.
Suddenly the Express Limited that passed through County Seat abruptly ended the life of the Does.
The County Seat Presbyterian Plan?
Church was deeply grieved at the loss of this dedicated couple. Their service record would be difficult to replace
but even more difficult would be the potential loss in dollars to the church benevo- lence program.
I say, John Doe loved his church during those fifty years of service. He showed his love by his actions, so when the John Doe Will was probated the Doe family had remembered the County Seat Presbyterian Church and the National Boards of the Church. The Doe family was able even after death to keep The Masters work progressing.
Will you be able to do as much? Ask yourself these ques- tions if you really love His church.
1. Does your present Estate Planning include the Presby- terian Church, U.S.A. ? In your Will? In your Insurance?
2. Do you intend to include the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A. in your Estate Plan?
3. Does anyone in your family have Presbyterian Church, U. S. A., in his (her) Estate
For further consultation concerning bequests, consult your pastor o rthe Presbyterian State Office, 1132 N. Ala' ama St., Indianapolis, Indiana.
YEAR
Acts 5:2
November, 1954
THE INDIANA PRESBYTERIAN
Page Four
By: Mrs. Heber D. Williams
Mrs. Scott M. Ford has attended many of the Women's Association meetings in local churches at which the Purdue Quadrennial was described. Panel discussion groups, in- dividual speakers, dramatiza- tion and projection by means of the slides taken there, all have been used to proclaim the message of the meeting, "Christ Is The Way."
Do you give your child 50¢ PRESBYTERIAL DISTRICT MEETINGS for the movies and 5¢ for church
The Vincennes Presbyterial the child' sense of proportion? sponsored a dinner meeting for the evening circles, held in the First Presbyterian Church of Vincennes. Miss Anna Bess Adams of St. Louis, Missouri, was the speaker.
The speaker for the four meetings in the Crawfordsville district was Mrs. J.E. Town- send, who is the wife of the superintendent of Menaul School. Menaul is a co-educa- tional senior high school for Spanish American young people in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Ft. Wayne Presbyterial' s four district meetings were held at Goshen, Albion, Warsaw and Ft. Wayne. Mrs. Elleroy Smith, retired, who began her missionary service in Ningpo, China in 1916, was the guest speaker.
Mrs. W. A. Zoerner, whose husband is executive secretary of the Lahore Church Council Conference, was the speaker for the Ft. Wayne district meet- ings. Mrs. Zoerner assisted her husband in his work with the church-mission body in the Pakistan area.
Mrs. Joe Denner, Alva, Oklahoma, presented the great importance of our program on Christian Education at the three meetings of the Indiana- polis district, at Greencastle, Hopewell and Indianapolis.
YOUR GIFTS ARE NEEDEDI
Opportunity gifts from wo- men's organizations for the Spanish Southwest total $41, 408.00 as of September 20, with a deficit of $148,592.00 toward the goal of $190,000.00. These gifts are for Embudo Hospital, serving a wide area of northern New Mexico, Menaul
"And The Church Grew"
Recently the Kirklin Presby- terian Church dedicated their new Christian Education Build- ing. Dr. Fred Backemeyer, was the main speaker for the occa- sion. The pastor Rev. Malcolm D. McNeal gave the Crawfords- ville Presbytery opportunity to inspect the new addition at the last meeting of Presbytery held in Kirklin.
offering? What does this do to
There is a whole sermon wrapped up in this quotation. "The greatest use of life is to spend it for something which will outlast it. "
"HE KEPT BACK SOME OF THE PROCEEDS"
Continued from page 3. interest for the local group.
This practice means that the local church is creating a so- called nest-egg, sums for a rainy day, etc. It means that the church that uses its surplus money in this fashion has broken faith with the in- dividual giver who has respond- ed to the urgent appeals made by the church. God's people do not give their money to be invested in local Building and Loan Associations, but only to carry on HIS work.
The grievious sin committed by Ananias and Sapphira in the Book of Acts was that partic- ular sin that plagues us today. Remember the charge filed against them? They had failed to account for all the pro- ceeds and had only brought a part and laid it at the Apostle's feet.
As the year closes let us bring an account of ALL of the proceeds in the local church and let us keep them working for Ris Church and not the local Building and Loan.
and Allison-James Schools, and for a plaza Playmobile to use in the spanish-speaking vil- lages. Empty your treasury! Send the gifts through the presbyterial treasurer. The need is now!
Thornton Home
T THORNTON Home, New- burgh, Ind., is for retired Presbyterian ministers and wives and widows and retired mission- aries. It is controlled by our Board of Pensions and has been located in Newburgh since 1908.
In 1895 Dr. J. H. Miller and other ministers of the Cumber- land Presbyterian Church, seeing the need of a home for retired ministers, laid the foundation for Thornton Home. Mrs. Thornton, The measure of a man's real of Petersburg, Ind., gave money character is what he would do for the purchase of a building in if he knew he would never be Evansville, to be named for Mrs. found out.
Thornton.
In 1908 this building was to- tally destroyed by fire, and the present main building, which was the summer home of Emma Eames, a noted opera singer, was purchased. Soon additional build- ings were needed and Rev. N. J. Darby, then minister of a church in Evansville, became greatly in- terested in the home. He secured funds from Dr. Mary Phelps, a resident physician of Newburgh, with which were built on the grounds in 1916 the Phelps In- firmary, named in memory of Dr. Phelps' foster mother, Mrs. Jennie Phelps.
That same year Mrs. Glaze erected a home near the other building, which was her residence as long as she lived. It then passed into the possession of Thornton Home and has for many years been used by residents of the home.
When the Cumberland Presby- terian Church merged with our church, Thornton Home came under the control of our church.
General Assembly in 1952 in- structed the Board of Pensions to expand existing facilities to care for retired and physically handi- capped pensioners. On July 1, 1953, the first of these additions was put into operation. On that date a modern hospital, fully equipped to accommodate 12 pa- tients, was opened, in charge of a registered nurse and a local physi- cian. The hospital was dedicated Oct. 11, 1953, with Dr. C. Ran- som Comfort, President of the Board of Pensions, presiding. It was named "S. Forrest Stitt Build- ing, in grateful appreciation for the devotion and service rendered to Thornton Home, by the Rev. Samuel Forrest Stitt, D.D., Min- ister of the First Presbyterian
KNIGHTSTOWN CHURCH REDEDICATED Continued from page 1.
This work under the guidance of Rev. Dean Cope is an example of the results of a people who are determined to stay together in worship in spite of handi- caps. Their former building was destroyed by fire several years ago and they have since been worshipping at consider- able distance from their site and under great inconvenience.
When parents idle away Sunday morning reading a newspaper or listening to the radio while brother and sister are sent by themselves to church, something happens to the children's idea of the value of church attend- ance.
Church, Newburgh, Indiana."
There are 18 guests in the home at this time and they have served the church a total of more than 770 years. The oldest resident is 91 and the youngest 75.
The home is beautifully located on the banks of the Ohio River and has 57 acres of rolling land. Twenty acres are under cultiva- tion. Cows, chickens and swine are also raised, providing food for the pensioners. The farm is in charge of an efficient farmer."
The home is in charge of Miss Nannie O. Edwards, beloved Ma- tron, with a staff of 12, who pro- vide in every way for the comfort of the household.
The INDIANA PRESBYTERIAN
Published each month except the
months of August and September, at 523 Jackson Boulevard, Columbus, Indiana. By The Board of Management of The Indiana Presbyterian.
SUBSCRIPTIONS - 10c. PER YEAR
Editorial and Business Office, 523 Jackson Boulevard, Columbus, Indiana.
Entered at the Post Office at Columbus, Indiana, as second class matter,
February 11, 1939.
Board of Management
Mr. Norman Thurston, Chairman, Shelbyville: Dr. Roy E. Mueller, Execu- tive Secretary, Indianapolis; Dr. E. Stanley Kreidler. Secretary Treasurer, Indianapolis; Dr. Leigh O. Wright, Lalayette; Rev. George B. McMican, Fort Wayne: Mr. Joe Cummins, Colum- bus: Rev. Harold King, Logansport; Mr. Walter Hannan, R. 1. New Albany: Mrs. Charles Marsh, Muncie; Mrs Carl Kircher, Jasper; Mrs. Scott M. Ford, Indianapolis; Mrs. Heber D. Williams, Indianapolis.
Editorial Board
Dr. Roy E. Mueller, Editor Dr. E. Stanley Kreidler Mr. Norman Thurston Mrs. Heber D. Williams
1954
POSTMASTER:
To save handling, please send change of address on Form 3579 to Indiana Presby- terian, 1132 North Alabama Street, Indianapolis 2, Ind.
PUC
FORT WAT
The INDI.
MR. ALBERT DISERENS. Y. M.C.A. FT. WAYNE 2. IND.
SBYTERIAN PERIODICALS
Number 10
Volume XXXII
7
In order to regain anew the meaning of Christmas, let us go unto Bethlehem in spirit. There was much hustle and bustle in that little town that night over nineteen hundred years ago, just as there would be in any town today, when so many visitors arrive. Caesar Augustus had decreed that all the world should be taxed and everyone must return to his own city.
There were no doubt many prominent people there, and much excitement. It would have seemed much more appropriate to the people of that day, if the visitation of the heavenly host had come to some of them. How- ever, the announcement of the Saviours birth by the angel, and the song "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to- ward men" came to humble temple shepherds out on a quiet hillside. They were watching the temple flocks that were destined for sacrifices. Their hearts were prepared to receive the Gospel message because by prayer and meditation, they were more ready to understand the nature of the Saviour who was to come than anyone else.
Let us prepare our hearts for the coming of the Saviour that His spirit may reign in our lives. He came that we might live, and live more abundantly. Let us also remember that if Christmas is to retain its radiance, we must think, not of what we receive, but what we give. Let us express our gratitude by thinking of those who still need to be helped in material ways. We can not give to each one personally, but we can do it thru our Church. Surely, having shared with others, the Christmas stars will shine brighter, the Christmas songs sound sweeter, and a spirit of peace and good will toward all men will fill our hearts.
H.M.
DUAL SERVICES
A considerable number of Protestant churches are now having two worship ser- vices each Sunday morning and a few are having dual Sunday Schools.
We rejoice and give thanks that inter- est and attendance have increased so significantly. Dual services, while add- ing greatly to the load of the minister and choir, are a wonderful convenience for the congregation. Perhaps too great a convenience.
As with many good things, there are very real potential dangers to be watched. It is convenient for the whole family to attend the church for one hour; the children going to Sunday School and the parents to the morning worship ser- vice; and then the whole family goes home. Granted, that is better than the parents bringing the children to Sunday School and then returning home during the hour. However, itis still bad education.
It militates against the Adult Sunday School Class. Few churches having dual services are able to have effective adult classes. Since the beginnings of the "New Curriculum" , adult education has Continued on page 3
Town and Country Convocation
The little brown Church in the vale is empty, and the shingles are falling to the ground. It stands beside a farm road, its door sagging, the weeds grown high in the yard, and the dust settling deeper on the benches and the cross.
The fate of the little Church is one that has befallen thousands of rural Churches in America and which threatens others.
Each year, hundreds of them have been abandoned and left to decay, or converted into granaries or livestock barns. More than 20, 000 of them have ceased function- ing in the last 25 years.
Against this background, major denom- inations today are tackling the problem of Church life in farm communities with emergency intensity.
They have launched fast-expanding pro- grams, with a score of remedies and me- thods, to save and revitalize rural Churches.
I heard Don F. Pielstick, director of the Town-and-Country department of the National Council of Churches say, "This
Continued on page 3
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The Westminster Presbyterian Church of Fort Wayne will soon be able to move into theirnew building. This unit of the newly located church is being assisted by Presbyterian Extension, Inc., and will be ready for services by Christmas if the present rate of building is maintained. This is a $90, 000 structure on East State Street at Baldwin Drive. Rev. Dean Cope is minister.
At Clarksville, Indiana, the Grace Presbyterian Church broke ground for a small second step in the building pro- gram for this new community development. The first step of the program was indeed small and was inadequate even when com- pleted five years ago. A large room is now under construction for fellowship and Church School room, which later will be part of the educational plant. This is being built entirely of fire resist- ing material and will be ready for use by Christmas. Under the leadership of Rev. Theodore James, we know this "step" is also inadequate, and within a year another "step" must be taken toward the goal of a beautiful and well laid out plan for the ultimate church structure.
Page 2
COMPARISONS
Their Relative Value
This all calls us to review the place of the Church in our lives. Keeping in mind that comparisons and averages do not give just credit to loyal individuals, I present some such listings. A study has been made of Presbyterian churches across the nation on the basis of groupings according to their membership. These studies reveal the following position of Indiana churches as to their 1953 records .
National place on list
Name of Church
Membership
% Ratio
Per capita
Per capita
G. A. Benev.
current
Benev.
to current
receipts
receipts
THERE ARE 381 CHURCHES WITH MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN 500 - 624
19
New Castle, First
511
$20.81
$43. 02
$8.95
40
South Bend, Westminster
574
21.70
35. 90
7.79
53
Huntington
60 2
27.71
25. 58
7.09
107
Shelbyville
617
19.44
29.44
5.72
128
Kokomo
568
10. 88
49.35
5.37
159
Highland
534
16. 10
30.98
4.99
NATIONAL AVERAGES FOR BENEVOLENCE
4.95
186
Connersville, First
529
16.19
27.35
4. 43
204
Garrett
599
17.25
24. 45
4.22
222
Peru
614
13. 20
29.92
3.95
228
New Albany, Hutchinson
552
11. 46
33.42
3.83
230
Bloomington
534
13.02
29.28
3.81
247
Greensburg
512
13.13
27.42
3.60
258
Lebanon
562
18.38
18.87
3.47
28 1
Auburn
504
8.96
35. 47
3.18
60
Evansville, Washington Avenue
629
21.00
32. 36
6.79
65
Columbus
739
13. 22
50.20
6.64
74
Valparaiso
706
26.74
23.38
6.25
77
Frank fort
708
18.22
34.08
6.21
109
Crawfordsville, Wabash Avenue
689
20.25
27.81
5.63
112
Mishawaka
686
14.62
38.31
5.60
NATIONAL AVERGES FOR BENEVOLENCE
4.95
136
LaPorte
746
17. 18
28. 39
4.88
141
Richmond First
692
17.05
27.72
4.73
161
South Bend, Ridgedale
699
18.72
22.87
4.28
212
Fort Wayne, Third
652
12. 26
27.30
3.35
244
Southport
684
7.91
30.90
2.45
THERE ARE 315 CHURCHES WITH MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN
750 - 999
52
Logansport, Calvary
811
23.87
30.81
7.35
65
Franklin
79 2
27.79
24.24
6.74
143
South Bend, Sunny side
925
15. 55
32.55
5.06
147
Wabash
854
17.88
27.96
5.00
179
Indianapolis, Wallace Street
912
15.87
26.83
4.26
240
Michigan City
767
11.69
27.59
3.22
244
Jeffersonville
772
12. 19
25.87
3.15
265
Indianapolis, Northminster
755
6.75
39.98
2.70
THERE ARE 299 CHURCHES WITH MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN
1000 - 1499
8
Indianapolis, Second
1472
33.67
44.87
15. 11
66
Muncie
1369
13.46
56.33
7.58
79
Anderson
1066
27.65
25.94
7.17
120
Elkhart
1102
17.48
34.37
6.01
197
Evansville, Olivet
1001
16.99
25.28
4.29
255
Indianapolis, Fairview
1256
13. 25
28.29
3.75
228
Indianapolis, Meridian Heights
1 264
10.69
34.93
3.73
241
Fort Wayne Bethany
1360
12. 45
27.56
3.43
275
Gary, 43rd Avenue
1348
8. 65
30.77
2. 66
THERE ARE 111 CHURCHES WITH MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN
1500
- 1999
3
Evansville, First
1517
43. 76
36.31
15.89
37
Fort Wayne, First
1780
11. 15
64.53
7.19
61
Indianapolis, First
1783
12. 23
42. 69
5.22
64
Indianapolis, Irvington
1937
14.03
35.59
5.13
66
Lafayette, Central
1743
21. 31
23.93
5.10
67
Hammond, First
1611
19.71
25.84
5.09
101
Gary, First
1805
9.89
32.92
3.26
Indianapolis, Tabernacle
26 28
24.84
28.23
7.01
National Average for Benevolence
$4.95
National Average % Ratio General Assembly Benevolence to Current expense receipts is 15. 29%
This is the season for much shopping and comparative buy- ing with results that display a true appreciation of values or good salesmanship. This is also the season when we give and receive gifts that are expressions of love and appre- ciation of one another. The highest standards in business, as also in the regard of one person for another, is found in the teachings of the Christ, whose coming into the world we will soon commemorate on Christmas.
THE INDIANA PRESBYTERIAN
December, 1954
THERE ARE 276 CHURCHES WITH MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN
625 - 749
NATIONAL AVERAGES FOR BENEVOLENCE
4.95
NATIONAL AVERAGES FOR BENEVOLENCE
4.95
NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR BENEVOLENCE
4.95
CHURCHES OVER 2000 MEMBERS
December, 1954
THE INDIANA PRESBYTERIAN
Page 3
Synod Project for Westminster Fellowship
Challenged by Miss Emily Gibbes' re- port of the need in India, youth synod members adopted a project, which, when completed, will provide $1,350.00 for a boys' school in India. With Marylee Crofts of Hanover College as chairman, the young people expect to have reached their goal by Assembly time in June. After talking with Rev. John Cole of Ohio, missionary at the first Christian college, located at Farrukahabad, it was the decision of the project committee to supply him with the money to buy equipment for the engineering school which is to be set up soon. Each presby- tery Westminster Fellowship group accepted a goal of $150. 00 which is be- ing raised through local W.F. groups. Other members of the committee include: Jim McKeand, Shelbyville; Louise Lerch, Muncie; Dinny Dunlap, South Bend; Ed Nelson, Goshen; Tom Michael, Wabash College; Jo McLure, Hanover College; and Wally Clark, Indianapolis.
DUAL SERVICES Continued from page 1
become increasingly important. An integral part of the curriculum is that it is "A Program for Church and Home" . Par- ents are feeling the need of study that parallels that of their children. Other adults are realizing their need, too, of a more thorough understanding of our Faith.
Not only does the "one hour package" militate against the adult class; it also is training our children not to "go to Church" . A few churches endeavor to avoid this danger by having the children attend the service briefly and then go to class, or to have their worship in the regular church worship service and have no worship at all in the Sunday school period.
where there is no adult Sunday School Class, it makes almost impossible the attendance of the family as a unit at the worship service.
Last, but by no means least, the dual service divorces the minister from the Sunday School. That should never happen. Children should know that their pastor is vitally concerned about their Chris- tian Education. Teachers need to feel the warm support of the minister. It is the minister's responsibility to give guidance and help to the whole church school program, which can only be done if he has first hand knowledge.
There is a plan which avoids these evils. It is being used successfully by some churches but it isn't quite as " convenient" . The first worship service is "early" , followed by the Sunday Church School, and then the second wor- ship service. The schedule of one church using this plan very effectively, is 8: 30, first service: 9:45 Sunday School; 11 a. m. second service. The early service
Growing Pains
This phrase "growing pains" generally refers to the complex emotional problems which confront a young person in their adolescent years. The rapid growth of the vast majority of the congregations of our Synod is causing ministers, ses- sions, Church School leaders, and the general membership of our churches, to face problems that they are as frequent- ly unprepared to meet as the growing youth in our homes.
There is a mounting interest in the church throughout our nation, at least in part caused by the awareness that Communism and its followers are a threat to our Christian heritage. Then there are the increasing numbers of children who by normal average attendance makes for over crowding of public schools and church schools. This, top with the shift- ing populations, all causes the church to face the need for better program, better curriculum in the Church School, better worship facilities, more church school space -- or in short -- growing pains in our churches.
Presbyterian Extension, Inc., of our Synod constantly faces the problem of financing new church building. Commercial loan money is hard to find even though our banks and financial houses affirm that the stability of our country largely depends upon the integrity of our people- and that the church is the greatest morale builder in the nation. The Direc- tors of Presbyterian Extension, Inc., have approved the seeking of loans on one to five year notes at 3% interest. This money would be used to meet build- ing costs when other financing cannot be secured. This corporation would make all collections and send semi-annual interest checks. Any sum in multiples of $50.00 will be acceptable.
There are congregations with funds in- vested in Government Bonds which per- haps could be diverted to this plan to 3. A list of prospective members in the help church development. Individuals may area. have large or small sums available for such loans. All who are interested are invited to write "Presbyterian Exten- sion, Inc. ," 1132 N. Alabama Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.
We also invite consideration by those who are preparing their wills to give thought to a gift that would become part of the revolving fund helping to make the Gospel available to others.
0 N EARTH PEACE
GOOD W L T OWARD MEN
is becoming increasingly popular even though the membership of the church has a considerable Saturday night social life.
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