CHURCH RUN BY CHILDREN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 September 1925, Page 7

CHURCH RUN BY CHILDREN.

EALING'S SPECIAL BUILDING

BOYS AS DEACONS

Ealing children will shortly- have a church of their very own. For more than a year Little Church has. been held in connection with the Congregational Church, Ealing Green. The children go to the ordinary service, and then file out to a room where they hold their own service.

Boys and girls form a choir, and there is a diaconate, on which there arc only- hoys at present. The deacons’ meeting, once a week, is an important gathering. They decide who shall be the readers at the next service, who shall take the collection, and what hymns shall be sung. Should any member of the congregation be ill, it. is decided who shall take flowers to the sufferer, and so on. The children have their own service book, called “My Church Book.” There are pages for the child’s record of attendances at Little'Church, and the hook also includes texts to be learnt at nine years of age, Bible passages at 10, hymns at* 11, and poetry at 12. Michael Rix, son of the minister, who thought out the plan of Little Church, told a visitor about, the new’ Little Church to he built at the back of tire parent church, and in which children alone will worship. Michael said he had been a deacon until lately, but had had to resign because of homework. “However,” he said, “I hope to rejoin the diliconate shortly.” The deacons of Little Church are at present somewhat divided on the question of the admittance of “women” to their body. There were more hoys than girls at the first Little "Church. “There is not exactly an objection to girls becoming deacons,” Michael said, “but most of the hoys seem to think it .would be better to have it to ourselves. There will he no pulpit in our church. Chairs will seat 80 —or 100 with a squash.” At 14 Little Church members go on the junior roll of the parent church.