18.—In your experience what educational service can Farmers’ Institutes render the farming community?
19.—Show something of the broad field of the agricultural colleges and their extension work, and the part they take in rural education.
20.—Write out concisely the best statement you can make of the immediate needs in rural education and the constructive policy you would propose to meet these needs.
CHAPTER VII
Rural Christian Forces
| The Community-Serving Church and Its Allies | |
| I. | Opportunity and Function of the Country Church |
| Its necessity to rural progress. | |
| Stages in its evolution, and its changing ideals. | |
| The test of its efficiency. | |
| The church’s broad function: community service. | |
| Its high responsibility: spiritual leadership. | |
| II. | Some Elements of Serious Weakness |
| A depleted constituency. Economic weakness. | |
| Lack of social cooperation. Wasteful competition. | |
| Poor business management. Moral ineffectiveness. | |
| Narrow vision of service. Inadequate leadership. | |
| III. | Some Factors Which Determine Its Efficiency |
| A worthy constituency. | |
| Local prosperity and progressive farming. | |
| Community socialization. A community serving spirit. | |
| A broad vision of service and program of usefulness. | |
| United Christian forces in the community. | |
| A broad Christian gospel; not sectarian preaching. | |
| A loyal country ministry adequately trained and paid. | |
| A liberal financial policy. Adequate equipment. | |
| Masculine lay leadership developed and trained. | |
| A community survey to discover resources and needs. | |
| IV. | Some Worthy Allies of the Country Church |
| The country Sunday-school. | |
| The Rural Young Men’s Christian Association. | |
| The County Work of the Young Women’s Christian Association. | |
| V. | Types of Rural Church Success |
| Some real community builders. | |
| The church in the open country. | |
| Oberlin, the prince of country ministers. | |