NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19151, 7 November 1927, Page 4

NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL.

FOUNDATION STONE LAID. There was a large attendance of members and supporters of the Clarence road Methodist Church on Saturday afternoon, when the foundation stone of the new brick Sunday School hall was laid by Mr J. A. Flesher (vice-president of the New Zealand Methodist Conference). The chairman (tho Kev. B. J. James) extended a welcome to the visitors. He outlined the history of the Church from the time it was built in 1911 at a cost of £530. Eight years later the parsonage had been built, costing £IOOO, and in 1927 they were building a new, brick Sunday School hall at a cost of £1330.

The Rev. W G. Greenslade, president of the North Canterbury District, thanked all those in Riccarton who had made the building of the hall possible. He stated that it was now recognised that the young people observed and required the best that could be given them. He felt confident that the time must come when adequate attention would have to be given to the Sunday Schools if they expected to make progress in the Church. "Parliament, in its unwisdom, has thrown out the Religious Instruction Bill," said Mr Greenslade. "There are many who have worked for years for the passing of this Bill. There will be many who will bo disappointed because of what they consider as a retrograde step on the part-of Parliament." Miss Rae Barrell presented the trowel to Mr Flesher, who then laid the foundation stone. Mr Flesher stated that the Methodist people of I»ower Riccarton were to bo congratulated on the progress that had been made in the past sixteen years. The building of a Sunday School was the best investment that anv Church could have. Sunday Schools were more necessary than ever before. For fifty years, under the education system there had been no Biblical instruction in schools. They would have to do everything possible 'in the future to instruct the rising generation. More than half the children in New Zealand were growing up with no knowledge of the Bible. He agreed with everything that Mr Greenslade had said in connexion with the Religious Wcises in Schools Bill. The action of Parliament in that respect had not lightened the work of the Church It seemed that the time was coming when they would have to have paid superintendents, wbo would give their whole time to instructing the children. if P / f L, 2* th , 6 ,. ne T Sunday School would fulfil its obligations in instructing the boys and girls in the highest and noblest ideals.