CAMPAIGN OPENED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 68, 18 September 1944, Page 7

CAMPAIGN OPENED

'TOUTH RALLY AT TOWN HALL

-.Plans which had been ■ maturing :' since the beginning of the year were put into effect during the weekend when a start was made on the comprehensive programme arranged for Wellington's Christian Order Week On Saturday night a notable performance of Mendelssohn's oratorio "St Paul" was given in the Town Hali .by a combined churches' choir of 300 -.voices, and yesterday the message of ...the week was preached in the churches at special morning and evening ser- «. vices. The main feature of yesterday's activities was a youth rally in the Town Hall in the afternoon. This was • preceded by a youth Procession of Witness from the railway station, and even the ram failed to spoil the spectacle •. ol hundreds of young people marching in units according to* their ' organisations and to the music of the Wellington Citadel, Salvation Band the Boys' Brigade Band, and the Scots . College Pipe Band. . Nearly 2 000 young people took part f m the procession, representing the various organisations connected with the Wellington-Christian Youth Council—the young men's and young women s Bible class movements of 'w. pngli ca + n' Bai*l st' Congregational, .and Presbyterian Churches, the youn* S 6, 5 department of the Methodist •Church, Churcnes of Christ, and the Vw rT £ VmZ' ,the Y-M.C.A., the .Y.WCA., the Student Christian Movemen; the Nurses' Christian Union, the Guls Life Brigade, the Boys' Life Brigade, the Boy Scouts' Association, I8 c Boys \ Instlt"te, and the Crusader f SJ°r m5 ntA ■ T°gether with some hunftall ' §atheri«g fi"ed the The Rev. W. E. Falkingham president of tho Christian .Youth CoSjcil.

welcomed the representatives of the various organisations and said that the rally was probably one of the greatest of its kind ever held in Wellington. The occasion was a significant one, because they had just started one o.E ■the greatest movements in the city's history. All the non-Roman churches had united for a campaign for Christian Order, and they had the good will of the Roman Catholic Church in their endeavours to take the message of the Christian faith to whatever sphere they might be in—to the factory, the shop., the school, the office, and the college. The raliy was being held so that those present could dedicate themselves to the great task. Youth was being asked to do a real missionary job. Put another way, the young people were being asked to "back the attack."

c The principal speaker, the Rev. R. F. Clement, of the Dun'edin Central c Mission, said he would suggest that the young peojjle present were the ones I to make the attack, not simply to back 5 it. Zero hour had struck, Christian 1 Order Week had begun, and its suca cess would depend in great measure a upon the part that youth played in ~ it. X they were going to help bring _ Christian Order into the life of the f community, there must be Christian s Order within the hearts and inward a lives of everyone making the attack. I Three steps must be taken in such an s undertaking. First, they must desire . Christian Order within themselves. j Then they would have to decide to serve Him. A lot of people desired to give that service, but stopped short s of deciding upon it. The third step ; was: .to depend on Jesus Christ The ; rewaid" for trusting Him was that He , would trust them to serve Him. Mr , Clement "expressed his hope and cont fidence that from the gathering that , afternoon there would emerge a new -purpose and a stronger desire than 5 ever to glorify Christ and spread His teachings.

Community singing prior to the service was led by the Rev. E. W. Grigg An invocatory prayer was offered by the Rev. R. Thornley, and his Excellency, the Governor-General who was accompanied by Lady Newall read the Lesson. The hymn of thanks giving was sung by the Rev. L A. North, and Mr. Thornley led the gathering in prayers of thansgiving, confession, intercession, and dedication. Several hymns appropriate to the occasion', including "Youth of the Race Arise/ and "O Worship the King"' were sung, to the accompaniment of i Mr. Clement Howe at the grand organ