ssion, sometimes in actual opposition to conservative
agencies. The good innovations live and after they have demonstrated
their utility the conservative institutions such as the church and the
state take them over and insure their permanence.

The rapid advance of the social spirit in modern life has outstripped
existing agencies in their preparation to meet the new approach to
the solution of problems of living. Many forms of existing
institutions were created under entirely different conditions and to
meet different needs. To-day these old forms do not adapt themselves
to new demands, and in many cases prevent effective action on the part
of religious organizations that are ready in spirit to broaden their
programs to include the new demands upon the conservative
organization.

The minister, trained for the modern service of the church to the
community, cannot solve alone all the problems of maladjustment he
finds in his local community. He finds that the contacts and interests
of his local church organization are far broader than the interests of
the local group he is called to serve; and that in many cases his
local efforts are nullified by these larger contacts. It is the
purpose of this and succeeding chapters to outline some of the
conditions existing within the church itself that must be adjusted
before it can act most effectively in meeting the challenge discussed
in preceding chapters.

The first and probably most important problem is that of enlarging the
vision of church officials, ministers, and people as to the need for
broadening the program of the church and as to the need of a
statesman-like reorganization of adjustment of the church to the
community.

It is believed that quite generally the membership of the larger
religious organizations in this country are now in sympathy with the
principle that the church should have a social-service program. There
is still wide diversity of opinion as to the form that service should
take. In too many cases there is no opinion at all; and while
admitting the principle, active opposition develops to any attempt to
put the principle into practice in a specific project. This condition
is to be found most marked in those sections of the country that are
not in the direct line of thought movements, or where living
conditions are such as to make rural life monotonous. The monotony of
the plains is as deadening as is the lack of contact of the mountain
valley; and b