SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1704, 22 March 1913, Page 2

SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

WELLINGTON UNION'S ANNUAL

CONFERENCE

THE ATTENDANCE PROBLEM^

The thirteenth annual, convention of Wellington Sunday . School-Union com-'. menoed in tho Vivian .Street Baptist' Sohoolroom yesterday afternoon, Mr. It. A. Wright (president of the union) presided. After devotional exorcises tho roll was called and responded to by delegates from thirty city sohools and from schools at Potone, Lower Hutt, Nelson, To Horo, Daleneld, Blenheim, Picton. Mustertou, Harton, Eketahuna, and Mlding. In his opening address tho president stressed the importance, of tho Sunday School in the Christian system, and as a valuable asset to tho Churoh. It was necessary, he oontonded, that tho Church should revolutionise its attitude towards tho. Sunday School. Mr. Wright wont on to urgo the importance of definitcness in urging scholars to come to a decision to become Christians. Tho percentage of ohildren who becamo ohurch members after leaving Sunday School was at present far from being satisfactory and tho matto:: called for earnest consideration. In Sunday School methods New Zealand was much behind tho times. The school must bo made attractive if ohildren wero not to be drawn away by outside influences as was largely the case at the prosent time. He urged tho adoption of many or tho methods advocated by Mr. j ribald during his recent visit to Wellington. Tho introduction of now methods might bo costly, but this should not prevent tlieir adoption. Better buildings and equipment were needed and' thtro was _;ieed also of systematio training of Sunday School teachers. Young Now Zealanders should como forward as teachers. 1 i,nri m^, ny ! C W S which ho had' visitfed lie' had found that most of tho teachers had' been engaged in the. ; work 'for a great number of years. • ... , Mr. W. Allan spoke of a, tour of inspection which lie recently• made of--a' number of'Sbuth;■ Wellington Sundayschools. The general tenor of his remarks was'that hA had found that good work was being done under, frequently adverse circumstances. Tho president was right in what he had said about equipment. While some.schools were fairlywell equipped others were not. He hail visited one school which was like a crowded picture show. It was .wonderful that, teachers could work ■ under 6uch circumstances.

In tho evening delegates were entertained at tea, whioh was-served by a committee of'ladies, superintended by Miss. Uopkirlc. Afterwards the contents of a . _ Question Box" wore discussed, the subject <)f graded lessons receiving considerable attention. ~

EVENING SESSION; | ADDRESS BY DR. GIBB. At the-.evening': session tho president (Mr. Wright) formally welcomed visiting delegates and Mr. M'Couchie, of Nelson, responded. • Tlio Rev. Dr. Gibb delivered an ad-' dress on the subject, "The Sunday School Teacher's Chief,, Concern, and Blow, to Effect- 1t.".. The, chief 'concern, ho said,! was tho bringing of the children into vital and definite relationship with God. He did not forget that tho Sunday-school teacher had to insist upon many of the moral virtues. Tho passion of the Now Testament, was ,to make God real, and that must be'tho attitude of teachers in regard to the child. This great purpose was not going to bo effected by means of equipment, buildings,' pictures, sandtables, and; the rest of it.. He did not disparage equipment but tlio emphasis which was boi;i°f laid upon theso things at tho .present was misleading. There •must be fftjwr, about fwhiiih plenty was known in theory, but how many observed it in practioe? Many of the organisations and; institutions of. to-day, pleasant) Sunday nrberjaoons, and so on, were little more • Etonest' -prayer study and pav «(it(Uig instruction'la' 41ie|} dements lira ussentials of tlio Christianfaith were the means by which a Sunday school teacli6r might effect his great concern. While ho believed thoroughly in conversion,; Dr. Gibb continued, lie did not beldovo in it in regard to The child. Conversion. 1 meant a right-about'-turn, and that did not apply to'the, state of the child. The work of tho Sunday school teacher was not easy, but it was worth doing well. During the evening Mr; Wright stated that the statistics 6howed that during the past five years tho net gain in tho average attendance at schools affiliated to tho union had been only forty-four, although during the " same period tho number of schools had'-.been increased by tlireo. Taking Increases in population into account, ,tho attendance Showed a reduction, a 6tate'' of affairs which demanded earnest consideration.

The following resolution, moved by Mr. Wright and seconded by Mr. Burley, was carried unanimously:— "That teaolicrs of schools affiliated to tho Wellington Sunday. School Union, in conference assembled, view with the deepest concern and regret tho apathy on tho part of manvl parents in tho attendance ■of their children at tho Sunday schools of this city. That ovidenoo before tho conference , shows that the practice of parents taking scholars with them on Sunday outings is a. factor in depriving young people of the Scriptural uretruetion provided in tho Sunday school. I '' That this conference urges, upon ministers and ■others to use ©very endeavour to arouso public attention, on this matter of paramount importance to tho spiritual welfare of our young people." ' Tho Sunday School Union lias found it impracticable to carry out the alterations iu tho programme announced by the scc- ; retary yesterday 'afternoon. Accordingly, there will be a session this moroiujr, and, tho garden' party at tho Prlmo Minister's, residence will tako placo this afternoon. Monday's ineotiugs will bo held aa printed in tho programmo issued by tho union,