RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 23723, 2 November 1940, Page 4

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

[By Forward.]

LEADING THE INTERMEDIATES. It is probably in the intermediate department of tho Sunday school that the leader has to stand up to the severest criticism of his manners and methods as his boys and girls consciously and unconsciously compare him with the experts who superintend for their work in the day school. For that reason it is well worth while for the leader to pull as many strings as necessary to see something of the methods of the modern primary and secondary schools. It is astonishing what tho staff can get out of, as well as into, the adolescent boys and girls in their care. We want to be as ingenious, as persevering, and as understanding on Sundays as they are during the other days of the week. Wise is the leader who when he formulates his plans for a Sunday (which presumably ho will begin to do on the previous Sunday evening) says to himself, “ Now then, 1 must do nothing myself that I can get my boys and girls to do for me.” He should check off his ability to act upon that maxim by asking for the suggestions of his preparation class. One of the tests of the value of that class, by the way, is its ability to tell tho truth in love. Its real fellowship will in a large measure depend upon its frankness ns well as its friendliness.

Put it on the first page of your notebook; write it inside your Sunday hat; pin it inside the door of your leader’s cupboard ; “ I must do nothing myself that I can get my boys and girls to do for me.” No matter if they bungle occasionally, no matter if they let you down occasionally. As a matter of fact that needn’t happen very often if yon exercise a leader's privilege and think a job right through, and anticipate all the little odds and ends that might trip up unaccustomed feet. It is a great thing to have taught an intermediate that he can do things which up to then had been, regarded as beyond his power. Every youngster is entitled to joy in achievement. It is up to you to sea such a Divine instinct does not degenerate into conceit. It may be well at times if an intermediate finds out what he cannot do as well as ho thought he could. Deflation is not exactly an attractive duty for any leader to discharge, but now and again even this may be necessary. There needs to be a very sure and delicate touch, however, in this particular process. One thing should always be aimed at. and that is that your intermediate in carrying out any job entrusted to him should do so with complete unselfconsciousness. Nothing jars more than to see a boy or a girl looking round with a smirk before the solo, or the reading, or recitation. The leader can obviate this as a rule by a word of kindly warning before hand, and by the atmosphere he creates before the boy or girl proceeds to contribute the item to the programme. The Sunday school session is a time of worship. We want to lose all self-consciousness in God-conscious-ness. Leaders, it is your responsibility and privilege to lead your intermediates and their teachers into the presence of God. WHAT IS GOOD ENOUGH? What is good enough for the Sunday school? Dog-eared Bibles and Hymn Books? —Tho church should finance the Sunday school enterprise adequately. Expenditure in Christian education is not a sideline. The Sunday school ought not to have to manage with ragged and dog-eared Bibles and hymn books which have ceased to be good enough for adults. Our ideas of what constitutes legitimate expenditure are changing, and to-day this must certainly include what is spent on pictures, expression work materials, blackboards, etc. (It is surprising how large a proportion of Sunday schools even yet do not possess a single blackboard.) Premises. —The Sunday school should have adequate accommodation and accommodation for a reasonably large school is not really adequate until several complete departments are suitably housed. If this is difficult temporarily, arrangements should be made for double sessions; or where this is impossible rooms might be hired, or arrangements made for the use of the day school buildings. The whole question of Sunday school accommodation deserves far more attention than it usually receives from those who are erecting new church buildings. It is wasteful and short-sighted, and may prove criminal, to cripple . ourselves and our Christian work in new suburbs by providing inadequately for the educational work of the church.

Teachers. —Sunday echoed work should be looked upon as a ministry, and those who do it should be left free as far as possible from other duties. Specialisation produces the best results. At present much work is being shoddily done, because the man who does it is trying to do too many jobs, with the result that ho is for ever dissatisfied, and he is not serving his church to the best advantage. It is most important, because it is fundamental, that the local church should make provision for tlie training of teachers and leaders. There should be an increasing insistence on a trained staff for tlie church’s work among children and young people. The methods of training are many. There are many books. In every church there should be someone who can give guidance about books to read. Better still if there is someone to lend the books; but there are local libraries and postal libraries._ Unquestionably the most practical and effective means of training teachers and leaders which is open to most people is the training class. This ensures that all the teachers in the department meet their leader each week in preparation for the Sunday’s service and teaching and for the discussion of problems which arise. It is incontestable that Sunday school work will always be amateurish and relatively ineffective until something like this becomes universa!.