CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR UNION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13857, 21 March 1907, Page 3

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR UNION.

CONSECRATION MEETING. j Tho annual consecration meeting tinder | tho auspices of tho Christian Endeavour ] Union was held in First Church last even- , ing, when the Rev. T. Trestrail presided, , and there was a good attendance, nearly i every society Ireing represented. * Prayer having liecn offered and several . hymns sung, tho retiring President addressed the meeting, basing his remarks on tho \Vord3 "Thy kingdom come." During- tho courso of his remarks tho president said there were people who would tell them that Christianity in' its ossence was/some belief in the head. It was not. It. was a love of God shed in the heart of man. It was righteousness, peace, and joy in the Iloly Cihost. It was a union of all Christians by tho indwelling of the Son of God. He would tuk them to think of it—a union like that. Then their movement would be the grandest union ill the Christian Church and in Otago. Tho success of the movement was in their hands. Jesus Christ was willing that night to bring His kingdom into their hands, and then the future was surely at their disposal in this work. Thoy could put back the clock of the kingdom or put it on, and he trusted they might put a new note into that prayer, " Thy kingdom come." Might God grant to each of them a more earnest desire for the coming of the kingdom of Him, and might they continue to pray with all tho earnestness that, Jesu3 could give them. Then they would fulfil in pari, at least the pledge they had so often taken together in the presence of their Saviour. After tho roll-call, to which there was ample response, the new officers of tho ■union were inducted by tho Rov. Mr Trestrail as follow:—Resident, Rev. 0. I'oyall; holt. 'vioc-prerdent, Miss M. J. Andorton (Canton Village Mission); vicepresidents— Miss E. Black, Miss Rosevear, and Mr R. Jones; recording secretary, Mr D. Williams; corresponding secretary, Mr R. Collins; treasurer, Mr Carter. Bach of the officials was formally welcomed and introduoed by Mr Trestrail, and was accordcd a warm welcome by those present. The incoming president, was well received, and first thanked all Endeavourere for having placed him in such an honourable position. He trusted the year they were about to enter upon would prove one of tho most, successful the union had ever known. lie would do his best to help the societies of tho union in every way ho could. They-wern all concerned abont the clause in the annual report which referred to tho decrease in their membership, It was nothing, in one -sense, to bo depressed about. It was to be regretted, of course, thnt any societies had withdrawn for financial reasons, but it. was more to be regrottcd tlml any members had been lost through, lack of life, for tho clause ho referred to slated, in speaking of the decrease: "The cause in most cases is duo to financial reasons, and in others to lack of leal lifo in the young people connected with tho nocictios in question." It seemed to him that the great need of all the foeieties was more life, and he would like them to take that as their motto, for it would -seem that some of their societies were dead, and that, was why thoy had dropped out. In fact.' he was sure that all of them who understood themselves wcro ready to'say tlmt ever)' oho of the aocioties could do with a great deal more lifo than they had at the present, time, lie felt that things in Dunedin were not exactly what they should tie, or as they lmd Iwen in days past, so he thought that in the words "more life" was contained a message' for them this evening. Ho prayed they might, have more, and have it abundantly. The speaker, went on to refer to the old Christian Endeavour ideals—true consecration was one which, lie said, very largely meant the consecration ot their energies ill a given way. If they could not keep all their interests going, ho fliould say the lowest should bo sacrificed to tho highest. They wanted to get awav from tho collective society idea and reniemlier tho individual idea. Tho society would then ltavo the strength of the individual. ],cl them all remember that Christ, was seeking for them through their throwing their consecrated young manhood and young womanhood into IXis service for the ensuing year.—(Applause.) < Miss Ida Fea presided nt- the organ. The meeting closed with the benediction.