PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 22212, 14 December 1935, Page 3

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

BALMACEWEM SUMER COHTEREHGE From December 26 to January 3 a conference of delegates from the Bible classes and Sunday schools of the Pres-

byterian Church of New Zealand will meet in Dunedin. It is confidently expected that a hearty welcome will be extended to the delegates from the people of Dunedin, a city which has played such a large part in the development of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. The young women arc to be accommodated in John M'Glaslmn and in Columba Colleges, and the young men in the Maori Hill State School. The mass meetings and the sectional gatherings are to be held in Maori Hill Church and adjacent buildings, and in Knox Church. A programme of sports and social activities for the entertainment of the visitors has been arranged by a strong local committee. The conference idea has been developed in all departments of human activity. Men and women of common purpose and similar interests by the logic of life itself are driven to meet together for the sharing of ideas and for mutual inspiration. To-day all are quite familiar with conferences, great and small, held in the great world centres for tile purpose of dealing with issues vital to the life of the world. Over 30 years ago, the leaders of the young people connected with the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand conceived the idea of an annual conference. Ever since that time a gathering has been held each year in some specially selected centre. A national conference of young people is of great value in developing that group consciousness, so necessary in social life generally. Isolated church workers who, during the year, are compelled to work very much on their own, arc much' helped and inspired by the invigorating fellowship which a groat conference provides. As a result of such conference, fellowship, friendships are formed with a resulting enlargement of life and interests. The conference to bo held - in Dunedin is under the auspices of the .Youth

Committee of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, Dr J. D. Salmond being Youth Director. The chief speakers are—for the mass gatherings, Revs. R. S. Watson (Ashburton) and C. J. Tocker (Invercargill) ; for the devotional meetings, Rev. S. G. Francis (East Taieri); and for the Bible class sectional meetings, Revs. W. A. Stevely (First Church), R. T. Dodds (South Dunedin), and Dr S. F. Hunter (Theological Hall, Dunedin). Sunday school sectional meetings have also been planed and will be addressed by specialists in Sunday school work. The writer of this year’s study book is the Rev. J. M. Bates, who has recently returned from Switzerland, where he took a course of study tinder Dr Emil Brunner, one of the world’s theological teachers.