METHODIST SUNDAY SCHOOLS

Evening Star, Issue 16823, 27 August 1918, Page 2

METHODIST SUNDAY SCHOOLS

At Trinity Methodist Schoolroom last wight, over 60 teachers and officers in tho Methodist Sunday schools in Dunedin and district assembled for tea and conference, under the presidency of the Rev. S. Griffith (chairman of the Otago district). In an address by the Hoc. C. Eaton (Central Mission) tho qualifications indicated as being essential to successful Sunday school teaching included ability to interpret properly the facts of tho Christian revelation, spirituality of life on the teacher s part (issuing in love and patience), intellectual culture joined therewith (wide reading, converging on the ' Book of Bocks’), and a sympathetic study of the child nature, encouraging especially its qualities of imagination and imitation. A paper read by Mr H. Chapman (superintendent of Trinity School) on behalf of Mr J). Miller, dealt with essentials to success In methods in tho s; iiol, _ emphasising points swell as discipline, spiritual atmosphere, tuition, etc. One of the points ©merging from tho subsequent discussion was the amazing ignorance cf many young people in regard to Biblical matters, a« illustrated by tho average scholar’s difficulty in locating off-hand a particular book of the Bible, an Old Testament book being sometimes sought in the New Testament, and vice versa. d lie ’ever-present problem of the gap between Sunday school and church, and how to bridge It, was also discussed. Incidentally, one cf the speakers (Mr W. King) mentioned that he had been engaged in Sunday school work, as teacher* and superintendent, for 66 years.