STIMULUS TO CHURCHES

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29844, 9 June 1962, Page 13

STIMULUS TO CHURCHES

All-Age Sunday Schools

The all-age Sunday school movement was how the Baptist Church was fighting the isolation of people in modern society, said the Rev. J. H. Knights, head of the Australian Baptist Board of Christian Education, in an interview yesterday. "People tend to become isolated from the friendly human situation. They don’t have to encounter other people. They can stay at heme and watch television, and they don’t have to know about people living in the same street.” he said. “Even at a church service, people can remain isolated individuals." The small Sunday school study groups helped break down this isolation by getting people to mix and build up friendship. Whole families came to church to study, and then take part in the services.

The Sunday schools had given a new enthusiasm to the Baptist Church. They had stemmed the drift from the church of young people who had formerly dropped out on completing their Sunday school courses They had also attracted new adult members

There are now 47 all-age Sunday schools in New Zealand and 107 in Australia. Their progress was recentlyreviewed at a conference at Otaki. which Mr Knights attended. The movement had influenced the building programmes of Australian churches. he said The churches had once built halls which could be used for both services and for recreation. “Now the church buildings are designed w’ith small group study in mind, with the assembly hall as an afterthought,” said Mr Knights. Some church groups without buildings have bought houses because the many rooms make them ideal tor the study groups.