ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 632, 8 October 1909, Page 3

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.

: Annual- ' ' I The report of the Kirk Session and.Managers of St.'John's Church for tho twelve months ;ended June ilO, 1000, states that in all departments there: has been n , largo expenditure of effort,' and tho work has-been,' at least out.wardly, successful.-The return of' Dr. Gibb from the Homeland, the illness and recovery of :Mrs. Gibb,! and the deaths of Dr. Gibb's brother and mother,-' and' Mrs. Gibb's mother nro referred to, and it is stated that "Dr. Gibb's 'ministry- during the year has ■ been .fruitful of much blessing in tho life and acti'vitips of the cougregnton. The vitality of the , various organisations connected with tho ,church arp an eloquent testimony to.tho able leadership, wise guidance,- and constant vigilance of. a'devoted-find consecrated pastor. Tlio accession ,to. the roll of communicants of so large a number of, young men and, women .boars witness to.the faithful,mid effectivo pro•clamotion' of .the Gospel message." ... . , At tho commencement of the year thero were 28.elders, thero are now 31. Tho following .were inducted into oiii-e:—Messrs. J. W. Black, J. S. Butler, B. 0. Galloway, G. F. Glen, and A. R. Stone. Messrs. C. S. Moore, and G. H. .bcott resigned, the one to join the now char'go at lvelburne, and the other, while retaining his membership in tho congregation, gave* up the eldership owing to a change of residence'. Messrs. J. S. Butler and C. A. Redgrave succeeded Messrs. Troup and Moore as leaders of the loung Men's Willis Street Bible Class. "Miss Mabel Urtright,, deaconess to the congregation at South, Dunedin, was'inducted by it commission of the Wellington Presbytery, and has made a_very good beginning of her work. • t. -i l-- Aitke n represented the session -'nPrfsbytery ond Assembly during the year, i he ;Communion Roll now contains the names of 73-1- members; making a net increase of 34 .over the numbers reported last year. Of those , who have received certificates of disjunction a 'number have connected themselves with tho ,new Kelbpurne congregation. The attendances at the quarterly communion were::! September. •,331; December, 351; March, 408; June, 406: Tho •hacrameut of Baptism was administered to 21 ■iintants. Ihe Sunday services'are in,the morn- ; ing , usually well ,atteuded-the .evening congregations _ are .very large.. The adjective . .moderate fitly describes the . attendance at the .Prayer Mooting.-, ■-. The ohoir has dono good work. , It numbers 37 mombers,of whom 15 are' soprano, 9 alto, 5 ( tenpr,.b-bass. Recruits are always wolconie ;and frequently- neceasarv. ■•'. •'.The Womeri's- Missionary . Association has had monthly meetinga. The ''■'attendants has not been very Marge, but the interest of members., has been keen, and. : .their labours in collecting funds highly, successful. The amount is upwards, of |; £158... The Young Women's Missionary Guild has 35 members; and meets once a fortnight. .TU«;attendance' is upwards of ,20. Diligent ■ preparation has been mado for, i a.,sale of. work, "which: will tako place-in heptember, and which it is exbected' will rea--lise a large sum to bo .divided between the Maori Girls'--School: at -Turakiria and the general missionsf'-fu'nds: Tlio- total' contribu-tions-to; foreign missions wero the-direct confgregational contributions, to homo missions' • amounts to J6126..-.. Total contributions to missions (homo and foreign), .C 378 17s. 9d.- A further ,:sum. ; of upwards.: of ',J!200, has been contributed . for various ..altruistic purposes. Tho expenditure on other than congregational' objects'- has thus amounted to close on £600. - ';■ The Ladies' -Dorcas -and Visiting Society report's- ,Vycnr 'of steady, successful work.: Many: garments,; have been- made and'- given to the poor, and.assistance;has been- rendered to the Brooklyn' Orphanage. ' Coals','■ provisions, and donations of money •hnvo'al'so been made to a -pumber of deserving people. The amount thus' expended has beciv'closeon . It is'alsonoted that a' -largo amount of relief to the poor was .given directly through ■ tho minister and' the- deaconess. During , the last "'lnbiith or two tho society has: been - working for' tho sale of work, to be held .shortly, by the Youn» Womehs Guild. ;.;•'-.. ' Ever since sister Lilian- left Wellington 'the mothors' meeting-has been conducted,by Mrs. Anderson, who relinquished the, task only on: the ' appointment -of the new-: deaconess. , A letter signed by all the women who attend the meeting was sent the other day to the minister, in which they, gavo-'uttcr'anco to their appreciation- of .services Mrs.'. Anderson had rendered them, •',. : ', ''.:; '■ The: Sabbath school r bU s appear to ''contain 91' fewer names than ;they ;did twelve months ago,: and yet tho average attendance is only 11-less than lost year. In : the' case, of the Willis Street School' tho comparison is even more curious, with, a- loss- of >72 .scholars, on the. roll :.the-average attendance' is .one better. Mount-Gook"lias lost -22-scholars, but,-,in; this--case . the average shows a,'decrease of 'trfelve.".-,The'—report.'! accounts : for tho ..decrease ,: in uthe roll numbers by the removal of families to the suburbs. The' average attendance of , scholars -,- was asfpllows:—Willis Street 19!»; 'Mount Cook 74; total 273. : With' a view of ; keeping in touch with the infants of-tlie congregation, aud'securing- them by, and by for ,-the school, cradlerplls have been" formed.. On'tho.Willis Street roll-,thero are 60 little ones,, aud 20. on Mount Cook.- The discipline and' 'efficiency. .of the schools are,all that can be .desired. , '.Fifty.seven, scholars -'sot for. the Assembly's, examina-tion,-of;, whom 50 obtained certificates; :namely; .16. first-class,' 23" secoud-class,;:and". 11, -third. The, report'expresses- great hopes of Mr. WGray's class for the training-of, teachers.

: The. "Willis Street-' Yoimg Men's Class began the- year:,with a' membership of 105'; if ••nds with - exactly ■ the same.number/ The income, of .the ; class amounted to upwards' .of. JEIRO. The-Boys'.lnstitute continues 'to: flourish, the number of, lads connected with it during the 1 year reaching the large'figure of 200. 'The: Willis' Street- Young-Women's-.Class has had' a-..'year,., of -.healthful, . vigorous life: The' roll stands' -■> at . .100.-.. Mount .Cook Young •'. Women's,- Class ... began the year-.with-28; members, and ended .with' 33. Mount Cook Young; "Men's .Bible\C!ass has' a roll' number of. 13, average'attendance 9. '';, . The total revenue- of. the congregation', and its-agencies >: (with; the-, exception'of- thn-.Boys' Institute) ' amounts:, to v£2"76;ss:vlod.' -The collections," ordinary, and .special, are' .£1239,' or. ,£23 ilSs:-per Sunday. • The'.';ordinary collections' have;averaged .£2O lis;.3d.'' per: Sunday.. -Pew: rents "brought, in' .£532: -:'Outsta'ndins..siibscrip-' tions-to the 'Jubilee Dcl>t' Reduction Fund amount ■ to'iH2losl Close on £fflt) have 'been spent-on, other -than -purely...congregational objects, .£2a2 17s. M'. going to missions to.the; heathen,' i£l2G" to .'.home, missions,'. . and the balance to the poor -and various ■. altruistic objects.' 'The income qf'tluv Boys' Institute' amounted' to upwards.of '.£350, :,making tne grand total for ' the' work' carried on by the congregation, X 3126 ss. 10d.'.-.-.