OUR SUNDAY SCHOOLS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19282, 20 September 1924, Page 5

OUR SUNDAY SCHOOLS

Br AitPLrna. “ The very foundation of the whole Commonwealth is the proper bringing up of the young.”—Cicero,

‘‘My friend, nowhere on earth can yon find a higher virtue than is displayed by tho stranger, who takes your children and gives them a faithful training,—a labour which parents very seldom perform, oven for their own offspring.”—Martin Luther.

“Your school has been mentioned at the great World Convention that has just closed at Glasgow,” writes Miss Lillian Steel, who was a fellow-student of Mr and Mrs Robert Blair at 'Westhill. ‘‘The New Zealand representative, Mr Busfield, mentioned a new school of method, a sort of junior Westhill, as he described it, having been formed.” Miss Steel speaks of the thrilling inspiration of the groat convention, and. says that at the closing session the Hallelujah Chorus led by a choir of 300 gave a foretaste of tho great and glorious day when “at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord to tho glory of God the Father.”

THE GROUP CONFERENCES. On Wednesday evening, September 10, a company from tne School of Religious Education journeyed to Port Chalmers for conference. The meeting was held in the Congregational Church and the Rev. W. M. Grant presided, Tho roll call disclosed that the following churches were represented—Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational, and Salvation Army. In all there were fully fifty present. Tho platform address. Why Grade? was taken by Mr Robert Blair, and the sectional meetings by Miss Isabel Turnbull (beginners), Miss F. S. Warner (primary), Mr S. G. Maofarlane (junior), Mr R. Blair (intermediate), and Mias Bessie Macfie (Bible Classes). Supper was kindly provided by the local workers and it was felt that tho conference should have far-reaching results for good.

DR MERRINGTON’S LECTURE. The open night of the second term of the Otago School of Religious Education on Monday evening saw a large and interested gathering at Trinity Church to hoar tho lecture delivered by Dr E. N. Morrington, on “Creed and Character.’ In his opening remarks Dr Merrmgton congratulated those responsible on the establishment of the Otago School of Religious Education and the measure of success which had followed their steps. The city and province were fortunate in possessing such a fine institution in their midst, aiming at the greatest contribution to the future well-being of the citizens —namely, Christian education. Much thought and sacrifice of time and energy had gone into tiffs high form of service, and the gratitude of tho community, and in particular the thanks of the various branches of the Church of Jesus Christ, would be readily accorded to all who so cheerfully and competently carried the burden of this work, inspired by the aim of raising the standard of religious teaching in the Sunday schools and Bible classes of the church at homo and in tho • mission field. The lecturer pointed out that all education, although there was a special place for Christian education, was religious, because tho ultimate aim of all forms of education was one — character as the rarest and finest and noblest fruit of human life. If we failed in this we failed in the long run everywhere.

CHURCH BUILDINGS. According to the Congregational Church Building Society Annual, 1922, U.S.A., “all denominations ere lamenting the many un worthy, ugly, and repellant house of worship in our land. They represent an' undeveloped condition of society when anything which would give shelter and comfort was welcomed as good enough for a church. They also represent ignorance of architectural principles and standards.” Standards for city church plants in volume I of the “Indiana Survey of Religious Education” will bo found, invaluable for those who contemplate building or remodelling.

GLASGOW CONVENTION

“MAKING THE WORLD SAEE. ’

The official report of the Glasgow Convention quoted some weeks ago goes on to state that months previous to the convention the Glasgow Committee had been preparing for the great event, and the General Committee had laboured assiduously and unceasingly to prepare a programme that would leave nothing to be desired in the way of hospitality and efficiency of service. The hearts and homes of Glasgow were wide open with a generous hospitality, and both official Glasgow and the citizenry of the great city contributed with a wealth of attention to the happiness of every visitor. Glasgow has been the scene of many conventions, but none have ever made a deeper impress than this gathering from all parts ol the globe, all intent upon the attainment of certain high ideals. The report of the General Secretary, Dr W. G. Landes, of New York, entitled from “Tokio to Glasgow,’’ gave a picture of Sunday school progress in every land. Thirty-one national units are now federated in the World Association; of these ten are now self-supporting. The Sunday School continues to he the most productive method of teaching Christian truth in non-Protestant and non-Christian lands. A wealth of new literature in the way of indigenous lesson courses, teachers’ text books, lesson notes, and papers for children have appeared during the quadrennium. Associations new committees have been organised in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria, Ceylon, Chile, Syria, Rumania, Jugo Slavia, Spam and Portugal. . “The only way to make the world sale and civilisation "secure,” said Dr W. C. Pearce, Associate General Secretary ot the World’s Association, “is to teach the children.” He presented a challenge to a great task by saying, “Wo must nave Christian training and spiritual culture, and more Sunday schools must be organised for the teaching of the children until there is a school for the teaching ot Christ s evangelical truth the reach of every cliild in the world.” It was an intensive as well as a progressive Sundav school period. The world survey made by the leading nations revealed Sunday school conditions and needs in many lands, and for two pre-Conven-tion days these leaders, representing not only Christian lands, but coming from Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, and Pagan lands, sat together in brotherly conference to talk about the greatest business in the world—-the winning of the world to Christ. This Conference ot Officials was a very constructive feature of the Convention. Here, under the leadership of Dr W. C. Pearce, Associate General Secretary of the World’s Association, and Dr W. G. Landes, the World’s General Secretary, who have been visiting many countries of the globe since Tokio, 1920, sat in fine fellowship and earnest spirit, National Sundav School leaders of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the United States, Canada, Prance, Holland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, Hungary, Czecho-Slovakia, Etgypt, In cilia, Burma. Ceylon, Japan, Korea. China, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, the Argentine Republic, Arabia, Latvia, and other portions of the world-wide Sunday school field. They came, not singly as ordinary Sunday School Convention delegates, but they boro commissions from the National Sundav School Unions of their countries, many only recently formed, to confer with others and to plan for a campaign of worldconquest through the Sunday school, to continue “Until tlvo whole earth shall be full of the knowledge of God, As the waters cover the sea.” As a result of this conference, which will have a wide outreach of influence, the Committee on Findings submitted an elaborate report—whose suggestions were ratified and adopted by the Convention.