WOODWARD-STREET CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5610, 22 March 1879, Page 3

WOODWARD-STREET CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

The following is the report for the year, which we were yesterday compelled, from want of space, to omit in our report of the proceedings at Thursday evening's meeting:— “ At the close of another year of our Church life it befits us to cherish a thankful spirit. Whatever opportunities of service we have had, whatever light has broken upon us from the Word, whatever experience of Divine things has been granted, whatever loving though trying discipline any of us has been carried through, in whatever measure we have been able to comply with the calls of duty, is due to the abounding grace of an everlasting God. “Of His own have we given Him.” The several agencies of the Church have been maintained in their usual activity, and have been worked with ordinary efficiency. The results have been, so far as we are capable of judging, as satisfactory as could be expected. We have to report an addition of fifteen to our membership—ten haviug been admitted during the year to the fellowship- of the Church upon a profession of faith in Christ, and five upon certificates from Congregational Churches elsewhere. Letters of dismission have been granted to five upon their removal to Courts-nay-place or other parts of the colony. The number now on the roll is eighty-six, but of those several, because of distance, are unable to commune regularly with us. ■ There has of late been an improvement in the attendance upon the Lord’s-day and weekevening services. ,We view such as a hopeful sign, as there is no surer indication of the spiritual health -of the Church than the measure in which religious ordinances are appreciated. At the suggestion of one of our fellowship a social meeting, exclusively for Church members, was recently held. The letters of invitation issued secured a fair attendance. The objects of the meeting were to promote friendly feeling and to beget a deeper and larger interest in Church work. The evening was spent in friendly converse, prayer, and praise. Suggestions were offered and opinions expressed which we hope will bear good fruit. There is reasou to believe that the Church’s social meeting may become a most serviceable means of expanding our sympathies and stimulating our faith and works. With this view it is proposed to repeat the experiment. :

“Bevenue. —The Church revenue for the year ending Slat December last was from all sources £682 10s.’ lid., and the expenditure £691, Os. 6d. The details of the expenditure are as follows ;—For ordinary Church purposes, ■ £429 3s. ; contribution towards) tho support of the Courtenay-place pastor, £SO ; parting gift to Bev. Mr. Trivett, £26 ss. ; contribution to Congregational Church building fund, Timaru, £l6 ss. ; purchase of school site, Tinakori-road (contributed wholly by Mr. Burne), £l7O 7s. 6d. ; total, £691 Os. 6d. For our freedom from care and anxiety in reference to money matters, for the generous provisionyou have made during the past year, we are very thankful. ■ “ Sunday-school.—We regret that through a physical infirmity the superintendent of the Sunday-school felt it his duty, to retire from this work. The teachers received Mr. Burne’s decision with considerable regret, and put on record their appreciation of his services in establishing and superintending the school over the long term of twenty-nine years. It gives us pleasure to state that the vacancy thus occasioned has been filled up most satisfactorily. The Bev. Mr. Habens, who has recently come amongst ns to reside, has yielded to the unanimous request addressed to him to Undertake this work. There are nearly ninety children on the roll. Omitting five very wet Sundays, the average attendance for the year has been fifty-seven ; and for the past quarter, omitting- two very wet Sundays, sixty-five. There are in addition to the superintendent and secretary and Mr. Woodward, who takes part in the school twice a month, four male and four female teachers. “ The Pastor’s Bible Class, held at his own house on Sunday afternoon, has been well attended. There is a growing interest on the part of its members, and we cherish good hopes as to the results of the teaching, both in this class and in those of the Sunday-school. “An advanced class for Biblical study has been’ held on Tuesday evenings. Whateley’s “Christian Evidences” has been carefully gone through, and the class is at present working at Angus’s “Bible Handbook.” We wish we could- report a better attendance, but though the attendance is small, the pastor regards this class as of the highest usefulness. There can be no better preservative against the scepticism of to-day, which is to a large extent flippant and shallow, than to study the proofs which have been drawn out by men of the ripest scholarship and intelligence, which show that the ‘ Bible is not a book that man would have written if he could, or could have written if he would.’

“ The Ladies Benevolent Society in connection with this church, which has been doing its work of mercy for the last five years, has held its meetings regularly at the residence in town of its members. A number of articles of clothing have been made up and given away or benevolently disposed of. The aim of the society is not only to relieve cases of pressing need, but as far as possible to relieve that need in such a way as to stimulate self-help, “Tinakori Road School.—The purchase of the site' for a proposed school building in Tina- ; kori-road has onlyjrecently been completed, owing to the inevitable delay which accompanies all transactions with native lands. The continued increase of population in that neighborhood renders a building which could be used as a schoolroom and for religious purposes more than ever a necessity. This want has in some slight degree been temporarily supplied ’ by one of the members, who has lent' the use of a room for a weekly prayer meeting. “ Mitchelltown Sunday-school. —A room has been obtained for Sunday-school purposes in Mitchelltown, Te Aro. A population has sprung up in this neighborhood during the past year, and it is hoped that the school to be opened for the first time on Sunday next will provide at least for those who are required to go. the long distance required to reach the nearest one already “ Courtenay-place Church. —The Rev. Mr. Trivett having in December last resigned the pastorate of the church in Courtenay-place, the pulpit is being supplied temporarily by the pastor of this church, with the assistance of the Rev. Mr. Habens and Mr. Woodward. We trust that the friends at Courtenay-place will be guided speedily to such a decision as may render unnecessary a long continuance of the present temporary arrangement. ' “TheChoir.—With aviewtotheimproyement of our service of song, a new American organ

has been purchased, and we take this opportunity. of thanking Mr. Charlton and the members of the choir for their painstaking endeavor to render this portion of our service an aid to joyful worship. “ In conclusion.—Whilst we have much in the review of the past year to excite gratitude, there is much in our present outlook to make us sober and thoughtful. How many in our midst need Christian instruction ? How many are there in this city as yet unreached by any Christian agency, ordinary or extraordinary ? Hoes it not become us to cherish a continually deepening sense of our work and our responsibility? Are we not called upon in virtue of the spirit of Christ within us and his claims upon us to care for men—to be hopeful respecting the very worst ? Woe be to us if we regard the Church as a place to make ourselves comfortable in, from which we may view with icy heart the blunders, follies, and sins of our fellow men. Let us emulate those noble Macedonian believers of whom Paul says that ‘ they first gave themselves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God,’ and then the new year will be better spiritually than any we have seen. A hearty, intelligent dedication of ourselves to God. This is the spring of Christian usefulness, —let this characterise each of us, and then our work shall be full of Divine energy.”