uch movement than has been supposed.
Would not the Larger Parish idea as set forth in this story furnish a good
working plan for such a movement?

No man can have very much enthusiasm in a task that does not challenge all
his powers and bring them into action--neither can a church. With the
village churches it is a case of self-preservation as well as outreaching
service. They must do this work or die. They will not long survive the
spiritual declension of the country. The country and the village stand or
fall together. Their fortunes are united. They must help each other up
into a better life or they will sink into a like economic, social, and
spiritual stagnation and death. The plan of the wider parish, or some
better plan, if it is wisely and vigorously worked, will secure both to
the village and the country communities their rightful heritage of
spiritual and social strength and usefulness.

9. Nearly all the Christian denominations have their home missionary
boards or societies whose functions it is to help sustain gospel work in
needy places and to organize and cherish churches on the frontier and in
destitute places. The frontier lines are not so extensive as they once
were, but the desolate places are almost as numerous as ever, and they are
in the very heart of our most highly developed civilization. In fact, they
lie all about our churches, often almost within the sound of the
church-bell. It is often too expensive to sustain a minister and maintain
regular services in all these places and so they are left without gospel
privileges. If they can be grouped about a village church as a center, and
if the church can be the base of operations from which the work is carried
on in all these outlying regions; if through the aid of the home
missionary boards a sufficient clerical force can be maintained to carry
on the wide work, will not such a course be a practical, a successful, and
an economical method of accomplishing home mission work?

God is waiting to give the vision to those who are ready to receive it.
The country in its great need and desolation is waiting for the help which
the village churches can give to them. I believe the home missionary
societies and boards are ready to cooperate in some such plan for the
uplifting and the evangelization of the country districts. The village
churches themselves are waiting for the wider work to quicken their waning
life, and to kindle their dying enthusiasm. The worl