YOUTH WEEK BEG NS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 228, 28 September 1942, Page 4

YOUTH WEEK BEG NS

NEW CHRISTIAN ORDER CAMPAIGN IN WANGANUI , More than 700 children took part m an impressive service held in the Majestic Theatre yesterday afternoon to inaugurate Youth Week in VVanganui. In all churches this week special services will be held for children as Dart of the National Campaign for Christian Order, yesterday’s rally being the initial phase of activities which will last till next Sunday. A feature of the rally yesterday was the procession of witness which started from Christ Church and marched down Victoria Avenue, headed by the Salvation Army Silver Band Children attached to Sunday Schools in the city and suburbs took part. They formed up at various points along Victoria Avenue and joined the p'oeession on route. Mr. G. A. Ammundsen, chairman of the Sundav Schools’ Union in Wanganui, presided at the service in the Majestic Theatre, which was well filled. Associated with him on the stage were the Revs. J. H. Datsoli, C.F., marshal of the procession, A. C. McLean, F. A. Thompson (Auckland? and Kinross Nicholson. Mr. D. G. Frost read the Lessons, Mr. E. L. F. Bux ton led the prayers, and Mr. T. Cave led the singing. Two members of the Salvation Army Band provided the music for the hymns.

The speaker was the Rev. C. E. L Muschamp, a Church of England chaplain serving in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He told the children that it was a privilege to speak to them at the beginning of the special week for Christian Ord n r. ‘‘Until I became a chaplain in the Air Force a month ago I worked very hard for this campaign in Christchurcn. and while there was in close association with a Methodist Minister who was formerly in Wanganui, the Rev. Raymond Dudley,” Mr. Mus champ added.

Referring to the National Campaign for Christian Order, the speaker said it was something that New Zealand had not seen before. Seven important Christian denominations had got together, realising the need for a campaign such as this. In spite of many wonderful inventions the world to-day was in a muddle, mainly because people and nations wanted more than their share of the good things of life. Inventions which should have been used to make the world a better place to live in were being employed to make people miserable.

“We have tried to manage this world of ours without th? aid of God, and no doubt many of you have heard it said that Christianity is out of date,” the speaker added. “The Christian religion is never out of dat'' nr old fashioned, and this is because it is the religion of Jesus Christ who came down among us. If you say that the Christian religion is out of date, then you have got to say that God is out of date.”

God never became old fashioned, or out of date, and the Christian religion was the only hope for the world. God must play a part when plans for a new world were being formed, the speaker emphasised. Every afternoon from Monday to Friday this week special services will be held in Wanganui for Sunday School children. Gatherings for older children have also been arranged by the Wanganui Christian Youth Movement. To-day, Wednesday, and again on Friday, intercession services will be held, when the Rev. Nigel Williams will be the speaker. At gatherings in the Christ Church Parish Hall tea will be served, followed by a discussion hour. These meetings will be held to-morrow and Friday, and on Saturday a social gathering will also be held in the same hall. Next Sunday, the last day of Youth Week, a rally will be held in St. Paul’s Hall, when the Rev. Nigel Williams will be the speaker.