CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR CONVENTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 231, 29 September 1902, Page 3

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR CONVENTION.

THE BRIDGE OF LIFE.

Junior rallies in connection with the tenth Christian Endeavour Convention now proceeding were held in the Choral Hall on Saturday afternoon and evening, when the great event was the building of the bridge. There was a large interested audience, and the stage was rendered exceedingly bright by the white dresses of the hundred young Christians grouped upon it. These were interspersed with grown-up members, adult singers, and the. musicians, with Mr. T. E. Midgley (of All Saints') at the organ, and Mr. E. L. Lees with the baton.

, In the afternoon Pastor Clarke opened the proceedings with prayer and Bible-reading.

The building of the bridge was then proceeded with, amidst hymnsinging'by the group of children, and recitations, songs, and set speeches by the representatives of the various blocks of material of which the bridge was built up. Each youth or child thus delivered a lesson to the audience, based on the text which appeared in bold letters on the block which he or she brought in. The first series of texts represented the growth of childhood into the stage of church fellowship, including the agese of 14 to 18 years, which the Key. Hugh Kelly described as the most perilous years of a member's life, the years of leakage. The bridge was commenced with such texts as "Mother's Love and Prayer," "Father's Thought and Care," etc. Further sections represented (helpfulness, grace, duty, stimulus, power, purpose, etc. The structure was an imposing piece of work, involving the aid of no less than 100 of these young "masons," and stretching aqfross about 18ft of the stage.

The summarised purpose of the bridge was to represent the problem of the leading of the children from the Sunday-school to the church-—a problem which the Eev. Hugh Kelly claimed the Christian Endeavour Societies had solved. The mystic number of seven was much associated with the bridge, there being seven blocks to each of the pillars, seven garlands, seven iktmpe, (and many other groups of seven.

During the proceedings cheers were given for America, the birthplace of Christian Endeavourism.

Last evening a united communion service was held after the ordinary services at the Baptist Tabernacle, and another at the Newmarket Wesleyan Church. Pastor Clark and the Eev. C. H. Garland conducted at the former place, and the Eev. J. T. Pinfold, Ph.B., and the Eev. G. B. Monro at the latter. The convention is to be continued with a united temperance rally at St. James' Hall this evening, addressed by the Eevs. C. H. Barrett, W. Eeady and E. Ferguson. A repetition of the building of the bridge is projected for October 15.

Mr T. E. Midgley, organist of AH Saints' Church, gave a short organ recital before both performances, and these were much appreciated.