RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Evening Star, Issue 19658, 10 September 1927, Page 15

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

[By Forward.] “Christ’s service is the only liberty; all, without this, is serfdom.”—S. W. Partridge. DIVISIONAL ASSOCIATIONS. The Children’s and Young People’s Division Associations will meet iu Hanover'Street Baptist School on Monday, September 12, at 7.3 U p.m. In the children’s division the subject for the general meeting is ‘Educational Evangelism in the Children’s Division.’ The devotional period will be a junior worship service, while iu tho sectional meetings ‘ Special Days ’ will be discussed. In tho young people’s division the subject for the general meeting is, 1 Our Policy for ‘(c) Associations, (d) Schools, (c) Institutes.’ The worship service will be a young people’s division, service. In the intermediate section the subject is, ‘Principles undergirding Department and Class Activity,’ in the Bible Class sections, * Some Problems of Our Work.’ These are the last sectional meetings for tho year, the October meeting being a conference and social for tho two associations. A thanksgiving service will be conducted by Rev. E. S. Tuck well, 8.A., in Hie Hanover Street Baptist Church on Sunday, September 18, at C. 30 p.m. INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT. The aim of the intermediate department may bo briefly stated “as to secure thorough worship, instruction, and expression, the highest type of manhood and womanhood expressing itself in right living and efficient serving.” To attain to this aim, then, there must bo definite organisation to meet the needs and instincts of these young people. The simplest form ot organisation will be found the most suitable—a leader, sub-leader, pianist, secretary, treasurer, and a librarian probably will bo sufficient officers. Then a few standing committees, elected by the classes, and the necessary shortterm ones, will be able to carry out all the schemes put forward. The committee will provide a. training ground for the young people, and more interest will bo stimulated if the majority are for a short term only. Where the building permits there should bo a separate departmental assembly ball and separate classrooms. Everything should be as simple but as beautiful as possible, especially in the assembly hall, where an opportunity will bo provided for both training and expression iu worship iu as beautiful surroundings as possible. Tho music should bo of the very best, and the hymns should be suitable to the scholars of this age; while the spirit of reverence should he felt iu all that is said and done. A motto for the intermediate department might well bo; “ Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” Tho great law at the back of all work with intermediate scholars is activity. By wise guidance and direction in expressions! activity much can bo done to impress the lessons taught in the instruction hour. Expression and instruction go hand in hand, and any department which fails to provide means for expression for its young people will never fully reach tho aim of the department. The need for activity is not confined to one day, and through-the-wcek activities should certainly bo provided for the young people in the intermediate department. It has been said that “ the success or failure of any organisation is determined by the effectiveness of the smallest unit in that organisation.” In the intermediate department tho smallest unit is the class; so to susure a successful department that class must be an organised one. Again, one of the aims of'’the-intermediate department is to discover and to train future leadership, and the opportunity of holding office in an organised class is the beginning of that training. An organised class is a class in which the duties and activities are carried out by tho members themselves. From this definition it is easily seen that the members in each class should he of an ago and with common interests and abilities. Tho actual work of tho class should bo done by tho members with the help and the counsel of their leader. Where possible it is advisable that tbc leader or teacher should bo elected by the class, as well as a president and a secretary. There should also be shortterm. committees of perhaps two or three members to carry out the work in a definite programme for Sundays and week days. PATHS TO POWER. “ I have been inlluenced by two convictions regarding religious instruction which I hope 1 may commend to my readers. The first is that tho religious education of the young ought chiefly to bo an endeavor to inspire Christian ideals rather than to impart knowledge. My second conviction is that in this task theoretical explanation is not enough. The faith to which wo arc trying to lead the children means more than knowledge—it means more even ■; ‘ n belief —and _ our educational methods are only likely to achieve the highest results when wo recognise this fact and deliberately aim, not only at imparting information about Christ, but at creating an appreciation of tho worth and grandeur of His Spirit. It lias been said that it, is & delicate matter to meddle with souls. The truth of tho statement need not bo denied, but it is a task that cannot be refused. The world is meddling with tho souls of children all the time, and not always with the best intent, Christian people, to whom j]as been given the perfect pattern of life in Christ Jesus, cannot shirk the responsibility of bringing that life to bear on tho minds of the young that they may be transformed into that same .likeness. “ These and many other ideas directly suggested by tho facts of the story will crowd upon his mind. But it is obvious that they are not all of equal importance. We have to select for emphasis the ideas that are most calculated to incline the children to a Christian life. Some dements in tho lesson will be particularly appropriate for one class; other elements will bo suitable for another. In the senior classes the great truths of our faith os they crop up in the lesson from time to time will demand some explanation. But for the great mass of the children in our Sunday schools it is tho practical examples of Christian life that are of most vital importance. It is through the ideals in the lesson that wo can most effectively preach Christ to tho child-mind.”—Pro-fessor Robert Corkey, M.A., Ph.D., iu 1 Paths to Power.’ YOUNG PEOPLE’S WORKER. “ Four great demands must be met by tho young people’a,worker now and in tho future,” says Herbert C. Mayer in his book ‘The Church’s Programme for Young People.’ “First, wo must bo passionate searchers for truth. We must push on without hesitancy to discover now material and new methods. Truth costs iu life stuff, hut it frees us from the bondage o figuorauce and blundering. Young people’s loaders dare nob

ceaso their search lor truth. Then, there must bo unity of action. _ The past lias seen too much division. There have been ton many sets and cliques. Wo must learn to work together, that a now day of Christian co-operation may take tho place of denominational competition. This docs not mean uniformity, but it does mean agreement on common tasks. Iu tho third place wo must have sincerity of purpose. Too often there have been ulterior motives in tho currying on of young < people’s work. There has been suspicion toward oihers. We have not beeiy willing to grant to others the same rincerity of purpose that we felt was our own. Such days are past. The future must see only a sincere love of the work for the sake of young people. Finally wo must give ourselves with abandon. What docs it matter what you and I get? Of what consequence is our little life? Wo deal witli the human forces «f the next generation in our voting people. What wo do counts little, but what they do becomes our hope. After all tho young people’s worker realises more kccnlv than any other that wo must decrease, while young people increase. That is the secret of young people’s work. They aro incomplete now, but by the grace of God and every effort of ours they shall be complete. Such is the task to which the leader of young people dedicates himself. Ho asks no reward, no Ware of trumpets, no grand title, and many times no thanks. Ho works with young people because ho loves them. He sees their need, and lias no other choice but to help them.”