RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22628, 20 July 1935, Page 27

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

By Amplxus. “He renders the kindest and truest service to his fellows who best helps them to make themselves valuable in the life of the community.” PRESBYTERIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION. The monthly meeting of the Presbyterian Sunday School Union was held at the North-East Valley Church on Monday evening, when there were 60 present, representing 11 schools. The Rev. C. G. Wilcox occupied the chair. As each teacher entered he or she was given a slip of paper on which appeared half a proverb. Partners were found by the other half and a short time was spent in getting to know one another. Then the company was divided into groups, the members of which sat together for the meeting. It was hoped, in this way, to make the evening more sociable, and give people an opportunity of meeting others from different schools. The meeting was begun by a devotional period conducted by Mr Wilcox, who introduced the speaker, the Rev, W. A. Steveley, whose subject was “ The Art of Illustration.”' Mr Steveley pointed out the value of illustrations, one of the arts of skilful leaching being the clever manipulation of this art. A book or a lesson without illustration could be Very dull, while a book or a lesson could be so bright when lightened by vivid illustrations. This was an age of pictures, and of illustrated papers, while in the future television would make even more use of the sight as well as of the hearing. There was a desire to see things illustrated. The idea was not new. Jesus, the perfect Teacher, had given the most perfect example of the art of illustration, his stories and parables being unsurpassed. Three points regarding the nature of illustrations were stressed: (1) Good illustrations should be simple. Jesus used simple things of every-day life to illustrate His lessons —the sower sowing his seed, the woman baking—and in such a way that even to-day these homely duties called to mind the great truths that He taught. (2) Illustrations should be apt, not merely brought from another quarter and applied, but thought out for the particular ocasion. There was need to “'focus ” the illustration properly, in order that it might teach what it was intended to teach. (3) Illustrations should be short. Long illustrations defeated their own ends, by tiring the listeners. Children wearied of a long illustration, and it tended to obscure the point that was being illustrated. In some cases the story was remembered and the point at iaspe forgotten. Certain types of illustration were discussed. In every case an illustration should help to make more concrete the lesson that was to be taught. They might be chosen from biography, which was a fruitful source. Carlyle had said that just as the Gospel was the greatest biography so every biography was a Gospel. God sent Jesus into the world to be a perfect illustration, as Dr Denney had said, “The last word of God by way of illustration of what God wants people to be.” The biographies of great men Were a storehouse ot illustration of the qualities in active service that one wished to see in children. History, too, was a fruitful source, for it was the story of God’s dealing wijth mankind. The different means of illustrations were by pictures, objects, models, the blackboard, and verbal illustration. An important question to be decided by every teacher, was where the illustration was to be used. Was it to be given as a preparation _ t 6 the lesson proper, to prepare the mind for the truth, or at the end of the lesson to drive home and make more clear the poifit already taught? Teachers should trv both of these, and decide for themselves which was most successful. Some teachers did not illustrate their lesson because of the wrong assumption that what was perfectly clear to them through much preparation and study was equally clear to the children. The more teachers put themselves in the place of the children and tried to think their thoughts, the more would they see the value of illustrations.

Mr Stevely received & hearty vote of thanks for hia address. A keen discussion followed, teachers giving their opinions and experiences along this line. It was stated that nature was a good source of illustration, for children were interested in nature. The question was also raised “ Should teachers, after telling a story by way of illustration, point out the moral, or should the children find it themselves? ” in reply to which it was stated that if the illustration did not make the moral so clear that it was unnecessary to state it, then the illustration had missed the mark, and did not illustrate. The value of expression work for finding what truth the children had learned from the lesson was also stressed. Another point raised was that the Bible itself was an Oriental book, written in vivid, picturesque Oriental language, and was for this reason profusely illustrated, for the Eastern mind thinks in pictures. This was why the stories, parables, and similies and metaphors of Jesus’s teaching appealed so strongly to His listeners. After the singing of a hymn, supper was served by the staff of the NorthEast Valley Sunday school, a vote of thanks being passed to them for their hospitality. The meeting was brought to a close by family worship conducted by the Rev. N. E. Oakley. The next meeting will be held at Caversham, and the executive hopes to see representation from those schools which have not yet been represented at the monthly meetings^ AUCKLAND TEACHERS’ CAMP For the seventh time the King’s Birthday week-end saw a number of Presbyterian Sunday school teachers at the young women’s Bible class camp at Mairangi Bay, anxious further to equip themselves for their job. The weather was bright and crisp, and the place very beautiful. Delegates will not easily forget the communion service in the bay of looking across the early morning sunlit earth and sea.' The camp father, the Rev. I. E. Bertram, conducted this beautiful service. This was the heart of conference, but much happened leading up to it. The thenle was “The Master,” and three theme talks were given by the Rev. W. T Blight. Miss Earle, and the Rev. Roy Aliev. Mr Blight spoke on “The Master and the Teacher.” He reminded all of the supreme importance of His work, and the necessity for complete surrender to Christ. Mr Alley, in a clear, concise way, presented the modern view of the Bible. For Miss Earle’s talk the campers were joined by the Mairangi Bay Presbyterians! The Rev. Morgan Richards conducted a church service. Miss Earle’s lecture was therefore a sermon, or, as Mr Richards said; “Ten sermons in. one.” “The Master and the Children ” was Mis Earle’s subject, and she dealt with the boyhood of Jesus to His encounters with children in the Gospels and the teachers’ part in drawing the children to Jesus and then withdrawing as Jesus and the children met. Two members of the Training College staff made the long journey to guide the teachers in lesson preparation and expression work. Mr Lopdell spoke on “ Guiding Principles in the Preparation of a Lesson.” and Miss Kennedy on “Junior Expression Work.” The keynote of all talks from the Training College staff was “ Pupil activity,” and until in the Sunday schools children could be allowed full scope for expression they would be failing in one of the most important aspects of Christian education. On the other hand Mr Lopdel] said: “There can be no expression without impression.” Mr Lambert’s session on music was a very happy one. Mr Lambert is an old friend to the conference, and always has something new to say. His subject was “The Use of Music in Programme Planning.” He built up a primary service and a junior service romid the story of the lost sheep. Miss Green ably assisted by giving a primary Nature talk, accompanied by Mr Lambert at the piano. Mies Green’s main contribution to the conference was a primary demonstration on Sunday afternoon. Mrs Morgan Richards brought her school to the camp. Miss Green chose for her lesson the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. The African note was struck very early in the service, and the background very cleverly filled in before story time. Again the Nature talk was illustrated by Mr Lambert at the piano. For expression work Miss Green had provided for each child a small roll on which was printed “ Behold the Lamb of God.” the very verse the Ethiopian had been reading when Philip met him. This demonstration was greatly appreciated by all. In spite of the full programme, there was time for the lighter and social side. Miss Armstrong, games supervisor at Myers’ Park came out on the Saturday

night and taught numberless new games for use at play hours and socials. It was good to be visited by Sir Hew, (president of the Sunday School Union), and to have for nearly the whole of Monday Mrs George Green (vice-president of lire union). The campers were also "fateful to the union for sending such a splendid selection of books for teachers to see and purchase. —Doris Chisholm.