ST. CLAIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 20653, 28 November 1930, Page 2

ST. CLAIR PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

MEMBERSHIP INCREASING The annual meeting of the congregation of St. Clair Presbyterian Church was held on Wednesday evening, the Eev. R. G. M‘Dowall presiding. Though the night was very wet, the attendance was quite good, and those present voted it one of the best of the series. Extracts from the report of the Kirk Session The services during the year have been well maintained both morning and evening, although there is still room for improvement in the evening attendance. The membership roll has increased to 310 adult and seventeen junior members, making s total of d*2< on the communion register. During the year thirty-eight members have joined by transfer and thirty-one by profession of faith; (including, four ■junior members); while forty-two have disjoined, thirty-nine by transfer and three by death, leaving a net gain o twenty-seven. The junior roll has increased from thirteen to seventeen members, and this is looked upom as a very hopeful sign. At the age of fifteen years all junior members are placed on the ordinary comniumon roll. The sacrament of the _ Lord s Supper has been observed five times during the sixteen months, .the attendances being as follow September December, 1929, 196; March, 1930, 207 June, 1930, 225; September, 1930, 154, the average being 194, the fame as the previous year Fifteen children; have been baptitod in.the homes, -two in thd Sunday school, and/ seven m toe church. Eleven marriages have beep solemnised' during toe year. .Jfe is still doing good worfc^' leading toe, service of praise under the able leadership of M/J.’ E. R.. Benton, purest thanks are due to him and to the loyal band of choir members who give their services freely from week to week. The Deacons’ Court reported that ,t, set itself the ideal of £l5O for others instead the £l7O of wear. This .amount, with £SO added 'for the extra four ‘ninths,’ has been paid over to. the general treasurer. This sum, however, is only .half of what our membership should be contributing to the work of our church outside omv own district, and toe court feels that a stronger effort will beed to 1»-made during the coming year. P n n^ 8 ? a reuses of a non-recnrmg ; nature have been high. Repairs and maintenance total W 4S :1(L added tbe cost of toe coming-of-age history (£l6 16s) and the »fw hygn books for toe fhnrch and cboir (£l4 12s 9d), a total of £ll3 13s 7d. Inis amount, however, has been balanced by tfe efforts of the choir, which produced £ll3 8s 3d; and Mrs H. Cross with her Girls’ Chib last year aided our finances with £57. the result of a sale. To these helpers toe court tenders eor- ' A noteworthy feature of toe financial statement is the fact that our envelope contributors— numbering 146, and badly depleted during the year owing to removals—provided £639 6s 3d, whereas the rest of onr niembers, numbering at least 160— aided by the gifts of adherents and snstentation fund donations—provided very. llttl ® 0 q f , n half tbe amount—viz., £338 19s 9d. It was reported that the choir undertook successfully two efforts during the Tear for toe purpose of augmenting the ‘funds of the church. A jumble sale in May produced £ll, and a sale of work in October realised. £74. Too high praise cannot be given to toe ladies who under the presidency of Mrs Brown, achieved such a satisfactory resuit. Since September of last year the choir has raised £ll4. Sunday school report showed a roll of 301 in all departments