THE BIBLE CLASS SUMMER SCHOOL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3079, 28 December 1908, Page 5

THE BIBLE CLASS SUMMER SCHOOL.

A VERY SUCCESSFUL GATHERING.

Though Thursday proved wet and wintry and Christmas Day gave us anything except summer weather, the Bible Class School gatherings have been most hearty. Rev. I. Jolly, of Palmerston North, delivered his Presidential address on Thursday evening to a very representative gathering of students. His subject was "The Bible and the Spiritual Life." Leaving out of account the question of the Bible as literature and as a theological authority he went on to speak of this Book in its relation to our spiritual life. He laid down the position that Christianity is a life in the sense that God in His Gospel and by His Spirit brings new life tu man. The Bible speaks to us as men with reasonable souls and God honours His word in influencing men.

Spiritual . growth and general development dependent on His Word. In the best type of home the is all powerful and the same is true in individual lives. But for the Bible the great devotional books Thomas A'Kempis and Bunyan for example—would never have been written. The address closed with a few plain and simple hints as to the best way to use the Bible for the culture of the spiritual life. On Christmas Day, after a short devotional meeting, the members of the School listened to Rev. J. McKenzie, of Christcburch, speak on Bible Class Leadership. He emphasised the need of leaders in connection with the work of the Bible Class Union, and urged that in every Church there should be a class for the training of leaders. Reference was made to the work and qualifications of the leader, and the speaker closed his address by pointing out that the opportunities of the leader were simply untold in value! To-day he knows not what his work is doing. He might' expect to know the real outcome of his labour only after very many ; years.

/ Sectional meetings on Bible Class and Sunday School work followed between 11.15 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. Miss Strang spoke to the ladies on "A Young Woman's Difficulties;" Mr F. VV. Reese spoke to men on "The Outside Activities of the Bible Class;" and Mips Sinclair gave a demonstration of the work of teaching by means of the "Sand Tray."

On Christmas evening Mr Caughley spoke on "Religious Education." The speaker defined religious education as properly directed spiritual growth, and pointed out that it started from the day of .birth. He urged the need of properly-graded training in this branch of education. A beginning must be made where the child's experience is. Give the children the facts they love first, and then later they will desire to know the underlying truths, was his contention.

In grade 1 children should be given Bible lessons appealing to the emotional nature. Aimless story telling was to be avoided. T he stories should meet phases of t:.e child character. . This grade, ti-. .■ most important of all, would take in children up to seven years. Grade 2 consists of children to 9 years of age, and should be told stories of heroes and their deeds. In grade 3 character could be compared and contrasted. This would include children'up to 13 years.

Grade 4 would be what we know as the Bible Class. Mr H. Mac Lean followed with an address on the "Young Man's' Opportunity To-day." Taking an opportunity to be a suitable combination of condition-i tor a desired end or event tho speaker pointed to the need which the Church was voicing to-day —the need of men and especially young men. The great opportunity is that of religious service and Sunday Schools, Bible Classes, backblock preaching stations, and Foreign Mission fields, all pleaded for men who were willing to give their < lives to the service of Jesus Christ. He closed a very impressive address by urging that' an opportunity occurs only once, and when seen becomes a duty. Saturday broke beautifully warm and bright, and the coldness of Christmas Day was forgotten by the students of the Summer School. Again the morning was given to meetings and study. The devotional meeting concerned "The Preparation of the Heart." Then at ten o'clock the lady students met to discuss the question of "The Undecided Member," and the men held a meeting to consider "Causes for a Congregation's Failure to Influence men."

Miss Wilson spoke to the ladies, while Meßsra Perry ami Hectare addressed the men. In the later part of the morning Miss Strang and Rev. G. H. Jupp conducted Specimen Bible Classes. The afternoons are all given to recreation. Christmas afternoon was too wet to allow of'the Garden Party in the Park being held, and so an impromptu concert was held in Knox Church Schoolroom. Saturday afternoon was occupied with a sports gathering in the Showgrounds. Yesterday the ordinary Church services were held, Rev. J. McKenzie pi-eaching in the morning from Matthew, 7-21, and Rev. I. Jolly in the evening from Hebrews 12-16 and 17.

A public meeting was also held in the Town Hall after the Church services, when Messrs Hustwick and Mac Lean delivered addresses.

TO-DAY'S PROGRAMME. To day Mr H. Davies, a missionary who is going out to Canton as the representative of the Presbyterian Bible Class Union, will speak on the claims of the mission field at 10 o'clock, and at 11.15 a.m. "The Principles of Syllabus Construction" will be considered by the Bible Classes, while the Sunday School teachers will discuss the use and value of the blackboard in Sunday School work. A Basket Ball Tournament for teams of ladies will be held in the Showgrounds in the afternoon, and in the. evening Rev. S. McKenzie will speak on "The Church and Men," and Rev. G. Budd on "The Heights That are Possible." All the meetings are open to the public and the authorities of the School state.that they will be very pleased to see as many as can come I to any of the meetings.