THE SUMMER SCHOOL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3080, 29 December 1908, Page 5

THE SUMMER SCHOOL.

The sessions of the Bible Class Summer School were continued yesterday morning and evening. The day's proceedings opened with a devotional meeting, and the members gathered in Knox Church to hear addresses from Messrs C. Stubbs and H. Davies on "The Need of Mission ■ Study." Mr Stubbs laid down as his starting point "that missionary enterprise in its widest sense is the first work of the Church." Then after a brief reference to the scope of mission study, hj« gave reasons for its need at the present time. He said that mission study is necessary for personal spiritual growth, for it leads to appreciation ot the blessings of ! Christianity, and is a stimulas to faith; that missionary study is needed if interest is to bo aroused and sustained in this greatest work of the Church; that it is needed to sti-nulate right habits of giving; and to make prayer definite and earnest. Mr H. Davies followed upon the same theme. He emphasised the character-moulding power or missionary lives, a-d pointed out that mission study enabled men to come to a true decision as to a life work. The fact that mission study gave a vision to youth and enabled him to form a greater conception of the world and his relation to it was carefully elaborated. Britain and America, it was pointed out, are convinced of the need of missionary education, for in both countries young people's missionary movements to carry on a crusade among young people have been started. This education, the speaker said, must go on principally among the Sunday school children and in the young people's societies. The speaker closed with a reference to the need of pushing ahead at once with this great work. Sectional meetings occupied the time between 11.15 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. Rev G. H. Jupp spoke to the Bible Class members on "The Principles of Syllabus Construction, "while Mr J. Caughley gave the Sunday school teachers a demonstration of black board work as applied to SunJay school teaching. In the evening Rev. J. McKenzie delivered a striking address on "The Church and Men." He showed the position of things as regards the relation of men to the Church very clearly. In England, America, arid New Zealand as well as elsewhere the majority of men are outside Church membership. In answer to the question of the incidence of the blame for this, the speaker pointed to the existence of sin in the world and urged that, to a very large extent, everybody was to blame. This wan admitted even by the men outside the Church. Turning to consider what must be done to meet the need, Mr McKenzie held up the work of the Apostle Paul when in Ephesus as indicating what the Church must do to-day—face the position and use every effort to commend Christ to the men of our day. He laid special emphasis upon work amongst boys, urging that if we want to win men, we must save the boys, for the period of adolescene is the oruc ; al period of Y ( r. Rev. George Bui) was the last speaker last night, rlis subject was "The Heights thac are Possible." After picturing the strength and possibilities for good or ill of the young people before him, he went on to point to the power which Jesus Christ has to lead a man to the very highest and best things. Saul the Persecutor and Paul the Apostle differed as night and day, and Christ's power was the secret of Paul's great work and worth. Sir George Williams, the founder of the Y.M.C.A., was also referred to as an example of the heights to which Christ can lead a man. The speaker closed a very j impressive addresa by urging upon I all that it was impossible to say to what heights a man might climb when animated by the spirit of i Christ.

Yesterday afternoon the Basket Ball Tournament was played in tb9 Showgrounds, when the team of ladies from St. Andrew's Church (Christchurch), proved somewhat easy winners of the banner.

To-day the regular meetings are to be held both in the morning and in the evening, while a Tennis Tournament will take place in the afternoon.