The Making of a Country Parish: A Story

"The Making of a Country Parish" by Harlow S. Mills is an early 20th-century tale about the growth of a church community in rural Michigan. It tells the story of how a country church grew and became an important, helping part of its town, using the author's experiences and thoughts. The main idea is about the "The Larger Parish," where the church has to help everyone nearby and be involved with them. From the start, the author wants to bring new life to country churches, even though cities are growing and rural churches are losing power. Mills talks about the town's past and compares the first people who lived there to modern Pilgrims, who set up things that made the community strong. He also shares stories about his time with the church members, showing how he thinks the church should help people not just with their beliefs, but also with their everyday needs. This sets the scene for how he plans to make this happen later in the book.