PRESBYTERIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 176, 20 April 1908, Page 9

PRESBYTERIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK.

REVERSION TO PAGANISM UNLIKELY. A mooting, was held last ' week in St. John's Church <to 1 welcomo 1 the Bev. G. 11. Jupp, who has' been appointed by the... Presbyterian General Assembly to carry pn the work of organising the Sunday School and liiblo Class work of their Church in the Dominion. Speeches of welcomo ivere. delivered by .ministers and oflicc-bsarers of the Church. . The ltey. Mr. A.-Thompson, of Masterton, said that the child must be made the objective of the Church's', work, which was according to the mind and attitude of Christ, who "set the child in the midst," 'and Who gave the express command, "feed My lambs." The State was awakening, to the fact that the 'child was coming into its own, and thb Church was not behind in the matter. Tho, onus of religious .'teaching 'had been o-i the Church, as the State refused it. .Ele.v d:d not,himself think it right, that.the State should give religious'teaching-ifi its schools—' that was the Work qf the Church. He do-: plored tile statements that -had Lven mado by responsible ministers as- to a 1 roversien to' .paganism. He did not think-thero could ever b> such a reversion. . H.q had top mitcli faith in Christ and His teaching 1 tc'fear that.'-They lived iii. an atmosphere; permeated with' the spirit of Christ, and our institutions .were largely.' fpunded upon His. '.teachings;; Even, in uninstructed children' there was 'r, dc\>prooted'religious,instinct. . Mi\, Thompson then, gave -ail. account ,of what .ho .had seen.'in' -tlvb'-way- of' SunVlay School 1 work;"' a jvork full : of p'romiscand;'liope.' ' ■ The Rev. J. Gibson Smith .dealt witli the conditions of colonial .life-that had made tho movement.'for. the. increased '.'efficiency <pf the ;Sunday Schools and Biblo Classes so important.-' Hc'spoko of the/drift that took'jMopU» away, from tho Church, drift-very often duo to geographical, conditions which put people far away/from. places, of worship, -drift due to the want of religious teaching- in tho homes, sp that the. children, growing up iii tlio'so homes had no, knowledge pf religious life, ahd'drift due purely and"simply to carelessness on tho part of peepb wlip probably at one time ivero regular, The' Church had awakened to the fact, that this drift had gone far enough,;that it must bo chcekad, and that there was no, way "so effective as gaining possession 'of.-the"'young people and the children. . . ..: ' Mr. Jupp spoke of the''w'ork-.he intended to do immediately,' and asked' fbr-'.tho sympathy, and tha prayers of his audience. /The aim'pf the Sunday School.'.was tho salvation of the Sunday School boy.'or girl, and- every effort must bo mads to achieve this'result. ■ sUp-tp-date' methods -were'' required in ; the-Sunday .School'.its in tbn day eplippl," and lie askell office-bearers tp do all they could to help the teachers to-secure proper'; training.'.' ; -; Brief addresses of .welcomo were Slivered by-three gentlemen, who spoko on behalf of large ; organisations—Mr. Harper, who re-' prewnted the Yeunii; Men's Bible Class Union, Mr. Boal, whojiromised the willing assistance of the • Young Women's Bible Class Union, and Mr. A; Thompson, who conveyed the" welcome- of the Presbyterian Sunday School Association for?the-district, r-