Social Service.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XVII, Issue 5, 1 November 1926, Page 2 (Supplement)

Social Service.

[Contributed.] In the report, of the Social Service Board of the Diocese of Wellington, the Eev.. T. Fielden Taylor said: "If you had practical knowledge of the matrons, of our various homes and orphanages; if you had ever experienced the sorrow of having to refuse admission to most deserving cases; if you remembered that we are sometimes forced to send our children to Eoman Catholic and Salvation Army Homes because we cannot provide for them ourselves, you would realize the urgency of the work and take those necessary steps towards systematic and adequate giving, which would ensure the better fulfilment of our manifest duties." Is it not time the Church faced the fact that it is not her people's fault that they have not been interested m her rescue work, as they have been m that of those who make their regular appeal to them? It is easy to say that the clergy should be able to interest their people, but it is the extent of the Social Service that makes this almost impossible. . In one Diocese alone the .clergy are asked to interest their parishioners m four annual Sunday collections for Home and Foreign Missions. Besides these they have m their churches lists of Diocesan appeals, six different social service • and rescue works, seven Diocesan funds, educational institutions (including two for Maoris), and the assessment of the Board of Missions. How is it possible for country clergy with large districts, m which the necessary buildings have yet to be either built or paid for, to interest their people m all these funds? Yet many of the people are interested or at least know of the work of Dr. Barnardo's Homes and the Salvation Army rescue work, because their appeals have been made on business lines. We have the Diocesan papers which reach the most helpful parishioners on whom there are continual calls, but it is the wider Church appeal that is needed— to every house and to every child. Contrast this with the Salvation Army. For 20 years one man has had charge of

Home Mission districts, and m not one of them has there been a Salvation Army officer stationed; yet every year the houses have been canvassed for money for, Army rescue work. If we had a Board of Social Service for New Zealand it could make an irresistible appeal, and do more for rescue- work than even the Board of sions has done for Foreign Missions. Our people are interested m rescue work; but not m our own, because the constant appeals for so many different institutions have not left them really interested m any. Think of the constant appeals- for Dr. Barnardo's Homes and the interest they have aroused. It is the same with the rescue work of many small churches; they co-ordinate their work and take care their appeal reaches all their people. Without doing so their institutions would have 16 close. Social Service work and Foreign Mission support have increased greatly m late years. The Board, of Missions makes its appeal to the children as well as to the people, and so its influence will increase. A Social Service Board for New Zealand could do the same, and be a strength at the back of the clergy m all their efforts. Our rescue work is second to none; but it is not the clergy's fault, nor yet that of the people, that others have better methods of making the work known. A monthly or even a quarterly illustrated Social Service paper for New Zealand, that could be enclosed as a supplement or bought at cost price by parishes and sent to all Church-people, seems to be what is needed. It would ask for help to care for the 900 children now m our orphanages, for funds to . carry on present work to the full capacity of our buildings, for building funds, and for all social work m the same way. Then, when the people know about the work, parishes could be assessed so that our Social Service might become worthy of the Church. Such, an appeal would not only reach and interest our people, but it would also -help the clergy m all their work.

Be patient with everyone, but above all with, yourself. I mean, do, not be disturbed because of your imperfections, and always rise up bravely from a fall. I am glad that you make a daily new beginning; there is no better means of progress m the . spiritual life than to be continually beginning afresh, and never to think that we have done enough. — -S. Francis de Sales. Trouble and perplexity drive us to prayer, and prayer driveth away trouble and perplexity. — Melanchthon.