Laufer at­tend­ed Frank­lin and Mar­shal Coll­ege, Lancaster, Pennsylvania (BA 1897, MA 1900), and Un­ion The­o­lo­gic­al Sem­in­ary, New York City (1900). Af­ter or­din­a­tion as a Pres­by­ter­i­an min­is­ter, he pas­tored at the Stein­way Re­formed Church, Long Is­land Ci­ty, New York (1900-05) and the First Pres­by­ter­i­an Church, Ho­bo­ken, New Jer­sey (1905-15). He then served as a field rep­re­sent­a­tive for the Pres­by­ter­i­an Board of Pub­li­ca­tion and Sun­day School Work (1914-24), and the Pres­by­ter­i­an Board of Chris­tian Ed­u­ca­tion (1925-38). He helped ed­it the Pres­by­ter­ia­n Hym­nal of 1933 and the Hand­book to the Hym­nal, 1935. His other works in­clude:

• Keynotes of Op­ti­mism, 1911
• The In­com­par­a­ble Christ, 1914
• The Bi­ble—Story and Con­tent, 1924
• Junior Church School Hym­nal, 1927
• Songs for Men, 1928
• The Church School Hym­nal for Youth, 1928
• Primary Wor­ship and Mu­sic, 1930
• Hymn Lore (Phil­a­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: The West­min­ster Press, 1932)
• When the Lit­tle Child Wants to Sing, 1935

• Erickson, p. 333
• Hughes, p. 466
• Hustad, p. 271

1. Ho­ly Fa­ther, Bless Us
2. Holy Fa­ther, God of Might
3. Like Thee, Dear Mas­ter, Help Us Feel
4. My Life, Dear Lord, I Give to Thee
5. O Mag­ni­fy the Lord with Me
6. O Mas­ter of the Lov­ing Heart
7. O Thou Ete­rnal Christ of God
8. Our Hearts, Dear Lord, Are in the Hills
9. We Thank Thee, Lord, Thy Paths of Ser­vice Lead
10. When Comes the Gold­en Sunset

1. Armentrout
2. Covert, 1928
3. Evening Light
4. Field
5. Hall
6. Littlefield
7. Magnify