BAPTIST YOUTH SERVICES

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 November 1944, Page 8

BAPTIST YOUTH SERVICES

MEMBERSHIP INCREASES

CHRISTCHURCH, November 7.

The youth services of the Baptist Church in New Zealand have shown an overall increase in membership of 1316 in the last year, it was reported during the Assembly meetings to-day. The Rev. P. L. A. Crampton (youth director) reviewed the progress in various departments and traced some of the developments of the last year. The importance of trained teachers was more than ever realised, he said. The time when a Christian faith and good intentions were the sole qualifications was passed. Literature for the guidance of teachers was being issued regularly, and an effort made to attract suitable persons into the work. In this respect the proposal to establish permanent Baptist camp sites where retreats and conferences might be held, was worthy of consideration. Frequent conferences of teachers would accomplish much. Mr. Crampton mentioned that increased attention was given to providing visual aids in Sunday 'school instruction, and the standard of music would also be improved. When a delegate raised the question of issuing service certificates to teachers, it was stated that it-would be preferable to issue efficiency certificates rather than' a 50-years’ certificate to someone who “should have got out” 41 years before. The Sunday School Council was elected as-follows: —Chairman, Mr, K. M. Edridge; secretary, Mr. L. K. Fear; minute secretary, Miss H. Horner; representative members, the Rev. A. J. Jamieson (Auckland), Miss I. Newton (South Auckland), Messrs R. A. Comber (Central), G. H. Ivory (Canterbur’), H. A. Harris (Otago-South-land); ex officio members, Mr. Ernest Nees (president of the union), the Rev. P. F. Lanyon (secretary), the Rev. P. L. Crampton (youth director), and the Rev. E. W. Batts (convener of youth pages in the “Baptist”).. The youth department budget was approved at £750.