THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1962, 20 January 1914, Page 8

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

« RADICAL ALTERATIONS NECESSARY;

TRAINING OF TEACHERS.

In the Terrace Congregational Church Hall last flight Dr. Adenoy delivered an interesting address, the title being "Tho Sunday School of tho Future."

The title, ho said, contained two suppositions: ono that there was to bo a Sunday school of tho future, and the other that it would bo changed from tho Sunday school of tho present. There wero immense possibilities in tho Sunday school, and it was to be tho Church's greatest factor. The continual patient training of tho young' was necessaryj as the Sunday school was the chief feeder of tho Churches. England would bo more corrupt, moro vicious, if it was not for the work of the Sunday schools. This was admitted, but thero was not sufficient being done. Only a small percentage of tho scholars wero worked up by the Sunday schools into the finished product. They had to contemplate drastic changes. Popular education had spread so that the old methods, adopted in the Sunday schools when tno pupils were uneducated, had to be done nway with. The restless intellectual activity had to be noted, and this gave an opportunity for teaching. Children ought not to bo left a prey to "park orators," with their sceptical attacks en religion. The first thing necessary in changing the Sunday school was proper grading along educational lines. The herding together of all classes was not suitable. Those children who had reached about fourteen years should bo separated entirely from tho juniors, and sliould havo distinctive teaching in a section that could be known, as in England, as the Institute. Three rooms at least were necessary in an up-to-date school. A second change, concomitant with the first, was the grading of tho lessons. In England they wero attempting five grades, whilo America which wanted to bo more goahead, had made seventeen grades. The question should bo, not in how many years tho Bible could be covered, but what lessons could bo best understood by children of different ages. A third point, and in some respects the most difficult to deal with, was tho training of the teachers. While thero was not a moro disinterested class than Sunday school teachers, much of their work was lost because they lacked training to properly give the lesson. 'Die question was: How was it to bo done ? One answer was in moro continuous class training in overy Church, for the young people who desired to become Sunday school teachers. In most cases tho minister was the most suitable man to do this, and it might even becomo necessary in'the larger Churches to havo a second minister. The meeting was then thrown open to general discussion, and tho Rev. J. R. Glasson, pastor or the Terrace Church, explained that many of tho reforms advocated by Dr. Adeney were recognised, and already followed in New Zealand. The Rev. A. E. Hunt, in recognising the value of Dr. Adeney's remarks, said one sometimes felt, in the ministry, really at sea when it camo to the question of tho Sunday school. Much of the good work of tho teaching was lost through lack of training on the part of the' teacher. Till they solved this question of training they would still lose their senior scholars. It was the problem of the Sunday Echool This evening Dr. Adeney will lecture at tho Courtenay Place Congregational Ofiurch on "The Bible and Modern Problems." . _ _, On Sunday evening Dr. Adeney addressed a crowded congregation in tho Courtenay Place Congregational Church, taking as his text the words: "I am come that they might havo life, and that they might have it moro abundantlv" (St. John x, 10). He commenced by contrasting the idea of the Superman sketched by tho German philosopher Nietzsche witli the teaching of Christ. Nietzsche would let the weak go to the wall in order to clear | the way for a few favoured great ones —the supermen. This method would not produce Platos and Shaksperes, but Nerocs and Napoleons. There was,however, somo ; truth in Nietzsche's attacks on certain conceptions of Christianity, and his insistenco on a full and expansivo vitality. Many people made the mistake of regarding rest as tho end and aim of the, Gospel, but Christ laid stress on the need of life— the spirit of life which, gave new energy to the torpid soul. With life came vision, victory, vigour, and joyEternal life was something more than mere everlasting existence. It meant life so abundant, rich, and, full "that it could not bo killed. It mocked at death and leaped over tho grave. The way of life meant dying to self; but it was something more than a negationit was also living for' Christ. It meant dethroning self and enthroning Christ as tho Lord within.