RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20958, 22 February 1930, Page 5

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

By Ajipltos.*' A TEACHER'S PRAYER. God of the heart and k’and,Teach nse -to. understand. • , ' \ ,1 have forgotten in'the long, long years All of my little, childish hopes, and . _ _ rears, , . It is so very, .very-long /ago-, ■ Since I .was-.in the world.the children know: ' \ 1 :1 have .forgotten whatl-ueed-toplay . And dream and' do’ in that fari yeeter- ; ::• ■■■ day. • •. ■■■• ■■■.. ;.- ■ -All the wioc wonder of nay childhood ■ - .eyes. ■. ■ ••••- 1 ■■■' ... .. ■ -■■ /Sine.. I haye grown so old and'worldly - ' .wise— "■■l-; ' nowv tuere come, with- faces raised i- to mine, 'These little ones—dear Father, they *-■ are Tame, ' , ■ . ■ • Teach'.me to'lead them to Thine "own .twilight; ! . ■ . Help mc/to guide their feet aright.

; God ol the heart and hand, . . , Teach me. to understand. > • I know, so little ;of the thought that ' lies ' ~Back of. the shining .of those childish eyes. . ••.. .guess so little v of/the.wonder there ' purling of.the sunny .hair. - - It .is so; very, very long ago j Since I knew the things that children -know; ' ■;-■■■■■ ■■ ~ hast Thou given them to me to' .- - read. : One -of -. Thy , wisdom’ grant- me all .1 ■■ need— ■ , .; Patience; of: purpose, faith, and tender-

•, ■ - ness, Trusting Thy perfect love to lead and ■-■ bless. ■ ■, - 'Help me to remember^—ah! for this 1 .: pray— ” ■ i -■ Make me again the child- of yesterday. God of the heart and hand v - Teach me to understand. . ’ —Marion B. Craig. ;

PRESBYTERIAN SUMMER . .. CONFERENCE. _S, twenty-fifth annual conference for Bible class workers,;;and Sunday school teachers was held at Waimate irom December 26, to. January 2, Waimate wel- - uomed__the 785 "delegates with open arms, qua all the local arrangements were excellent. The delegates- were cainped in; various schools and kails, and the churches qndmeeting.-;place»-- were^vail . in. dose ; proximity to the. camps. The dining hall was _ situated .near; the women’s camps. A •spirit ,of , earnestness was visible- all through the conference, and ‘ while’ ikere . was plenty of , fun and good fellowship, -:■■■ • no N>ue , forgot the spiritual side : of the : gathering,- and the meetings were-- at-: .tended.ky all the delegates; There'was evidence of strong. prayer life, .the church in which services’ were held each evening being far too small to ■accommodate all who wished to attend.. Part of each-morningwas set/aaide for 'a , time of quiet, / for- study And’ private ■ prayer,.and circles met for prayer m various plocss in the' camps, . The ’theme’ of the conference was mis- . siohary endeavour, the meetings and study ■.. book dealing with vital matters in con- ; Section with the brotherhood’ of man , ’a’nd, the - evangelisation of the .hrorld.. It .was ’good -to .see L the earnestness, of the , / young people as they'.met each morning ‘■t: in study cirdca to study the booklet. “ The , Field is the World/' written for, the ,pur- .- pose by. the Rev.; fl. H. Barton. % Great , questions were''discussed-in these circles' y —questions- of Christianity, and jam, Christianity and ’ the foreign field; Christianity compared with other re- ; RgionS, racial problems,; the; brotherhood : v of . man’and - the ''■FatherhoOd/ of God; and ,our--response-to the' Divine love as shown in> otir lb ’ Christ - and 1 to our : fellow-inen. ‘These studies were a fine ■preparation - fbr ’; the vevening - meetiifgs which followed up the missionary -theme. The 'Rev. ;R, ’ M;.Ryburn,. youth: director, addressed - the second evening ; meeting ■(ohe first having keen- the -welcome). on - ■ the subject “ The Centre of the Old Tcatament,”, and pointed out that; tha centre of the Old Tetsament was God; .revealed first of 'all to . Abraham, and revealed in a’greater. degree to-Moses;,’Samuel,-and. ■ the ■ prophets, until the revelatioa’ / was made complete/ in Jpsus,' Christ. ' .The Rev. P. Gladstone Hughes spoke, oh subject '" The--Quest -of- the.; Age’s,” And ' showed how the/: Old. Testament ;-was a v record l '.of/*.;:loM^:|piritn^i;^pilCTiinßge, -,• which ’ led to/Jesus : 'CHrwt,;' to; ’ whose. - - supreme personality there -is r but •. one .thing to. dor-rto, 'yield. ’ The meed for .the r presence* of .-the -Divine 'Redeoner! was’ . shown on the,-evening devoted to foreign .miSsions. the subject-keing " The Unoccupied Fields.” when Miss Dorothy Mathew ana Mias Jessie Hardie,-from India, and the Rev.: -W. M.awson : 'Bpoke of .the- great. • needs of these’-unoccupied; fieldk./abroadi and’ the 'challenge was thrown /Out--to youlh’to go forth and. occupy/these fields ■ for- the Master. ' At the close; v o£. this great' gathering the Young Women s Bible ; , Class- Union kanded over -to the -Rev,--Hi ~ ! Hj. Barton; chairman, the Aum;/of £3BO, . 1 which had been given by B.C. members * as "a- thank-offering for the/-25 years, ot the'.movement; together -with. aubsidiM ■' from the mission ’funds, flb’’that | ’£l-00 7 might be given to each of the'following: Presbyterian Women’s Training Institute, • ’itha Theological; Hall Committee Aor kursaries, the’ Home, -Maori, New Hebrides, - Indian, and China ■ AffSung was dedicated' in a beautiful;o»or? ship service, and gratefully .accepted by, the Rev. W, Mawson, ioreign-missioos secretary. ‘The closing address : of the cqn- ’ ference was. giyenky the_Rev. _J, Allan, ■ convener of the Youth Committee,, and was a challenge; to all to. Go work today in My vineyard.” , ’ ■ ! v The educational side of the confetence was not forgotten, and at the morning meetings delegates -were given opportunities for equipping themselves more fully ■ for the great tasks which-were theirs, and 'which were being constantly opened up before them/; The call for service, rang ■ out at every meeting, and in every study circle and here practical assistance was given; ■ On the first morning, Dr, Dickie addressed all Bible; class members and Sunday school teachers on “ Why-: we should study the Old Testament: Comparative values of the Old and the New Testaments.”', On the succeeding days the “ "delegates had a choice of three sections — one for Bible class leaders/ and senior members, one for junior Bible class memkers, and one. subdivided into six groups, for Sunday school teachers. . Ip ■ the senior group the Rev. C.. G. Wilcox spoke on.“ How to Study the Bible,. Privately and in Public”; Miss M. D.’ Shannon, on “ Youth and the New World ”;, Mr A. T, M’Naughton, on Worship in the Bible Class'”; and Mias M. Salmond and the Rev. G. Taylor,. on “ Equipping . Yourselves for the Great Tast,” - At. the same time, the junior/members were, given an. insight into the working of missionary clubs tinder the general title of. “ Far ’ Horizons,” the various fields, India, China, .’and Africa, being A studied . under the leadership or the different district com- ■ mittees. ,- r '.. The Sunday school section was divided / .into Six groups, for cradle roll workers, sole charge .teachers, and teachers of beginners, primary., junior, and,intermediate departments. These sections were-taken by- a band of workers. /from .- Dunedin, most of whomwere students of the Otago ; School of Religious Education,. The . • cradle roll group was; naturally small; as these workers are few in number, though . th4ir work is most important,-since thej are working with thekome and .with' the children in -the beginning of, their ’ lives. It ris their work toi - lay the foundations and to help mothers in - the, early. religions training of their children.’ ’ Those who heard Miss D. : . G. Allen on this subject were impressed with the importance of it.' and the: abundant opportunities that awaited the cradle roll , and - kome department,- worker. In .the. begin--ners' section /Miss-;Anna Kirkwood .gave ■ practical kelp :in the, successful conduct of A keginner’s department, 'dealing with -the responsibility of the church fpr these ■ small children, the. aim’ of- the department, - ihet characteristics and-needs, of the; chil- ■ dren, and practical 7 methods of meeting . these needs through proper equipment, suitable worship, 'and- A properly constructed programme. / Miss E. Diyk led the primary teachers’section,: dealing witn , -the- characteristica : of children from six . year of age to eight, the aim of the department, and the- methods-.-in-, use. ,In . the junior section Miss Doreen Moas;gave practical methods, of teaching' jtimors, through worship,/instruction; and-expres eion. It was significant that of. the /schools represented, in this section not one had a separate/departmerit for the juniors,put-, all mot with the,: intermediates. It 'is time that’ church managers and super intendenta realised that the needa of each group are, distinctly different,” and that - they should have separate departments. •Mr-vA T-.-. M'Naughton-was: in : charge of the Intermediate section, and spoke of the ■ fourfold characteristics/and needs of boys jind girls in the early adolescent years, •; and various methods/'were discussed/'This -seetion ’ inet with.-the Bible' class’Meadefs one. mothing - to hear “ Worship for Young Feople”- discussed. = A- long-felt need: was mot -ky - the sole ’ charge section, for many ;of J those.- present came/; from’/ the; country districts in.which the- work- is often, most i

difficult and uninspiring, and teachers felt kind ef her'experience in . this • W ,°A. was able to give valuable discussing the conduct of the school containing children of all accs under pne, teacher. • an ages dSa e rture Sio but nt t°l 1 theSe P ups was a new thnf I, b .i , those who attended felt i y - h ? d been we H worth while as other, and keen discussion took place All went away inspired to hidier ■f«s “a™”’ it A report of the conference woufd nnt he services' 3 referC ? ce to ke Sunday services, file communion service at 7 a-m.., was most inspiring and will ■live long in the memorv w ? 11 w«re: privileged to attend. ’ihe -erW™ |?vic b e! feext n hein?“ Same. Yesterday, To?day and Forever IPiiW Ufl^ pby j l ' Cal - md ? 18 catered for in ath 'delegates go home with many ° hanSv I hfp3 f made! {lfibiP3 rene ' Ved and a^