The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-06-03
A Prophetic Sunday School.

ouhboy1 ohNf NSHaS1 ''N 1890
been teaching her class of girls, instead
Of my own class Of young men, | would
scarcely have known how to handle the
lesson to which she referred. In studying
the lessons Of the past few months, in
company with my teachers, | have felt
that It must be hard task to interest
small children. The question has been
raised in my mind, Cannot our Sunday
School system and our methods of instruc.
tion be improved9
Great advancement has, undoubtedly,
been made in the systematic study of the
Bible, and in the helps to study which
have been furnished to teachers. But is
not greater advancement yet possible
These questions have recalled to my mind
school which seems to me 10 have made
some steps in advance, and to be pro.
phetic promise Of better things to come.
About one year since, 1t was my privi
lege TO pass two Sundays in the village OF
Wellington, in Northern Ohio, village
presenting, extremely, the appearance Of n
New England town, and possessed, evi.
IDENTIFY, of New England enterprise. 1t is
from such community that able min
listers and learned theologians, such as
Jonathan Edwards, Edward Robinson and
Albert Barnes are wont TO come, and ii is
in such a community that we frequently
find the most thorough Biblical instruc.
tion. The Congregational Church edifice
in this village is admirably adapted to
Sunday School purposes, having large
number of class rooms opening into the
central Sunday School room, thus afford.
ing an opportunity of bringing the whole
school together for general exercises and
of secluding the asses for the study Of
the lesson.
The superintendent of the school is a
man who held, for several years, the posi-.
tion of principal OF the public schools.
He has introduced into the Sunday school
some of the features of our graded school
system. The scholars are divided, accord.
ing to age and scholarship, into infant,
primary, intermediate and normal depart.
ments, and the adult portion Of the school,
which is large, into Bible classes. Each
teacher is supposed to be specially quail.
fed for his or her department At the
close of each quarter, a written examina.
ton is held on the lessons Of the quarter
And at certain times, l cannot now say
how frequently, scholars are promoted,
and at the close of the year badges are
given for attendance and scholarship. The
school impressed me as being the mos,
thoroughly organized Of any ! had found
and II was evidently place not of enter
tainment but OF instruction. This school
has suggested To me the possibility oi
improvement upon our present system oi
Sunday school work, in several directions
1. As to lessons. Might il not be well
for the committee which arranges the
Sunday school lessons for seven years tC
change their plan, somewhat, and arrange
three or four series of lessons, adapted tC
the different ages Of pupils in the schools
For example, the primary department of {
school would be interested in tho bio
graphical stories of the Bible, such as the
childhood of Samuel and David, Jesus
and the kindness Of the captive maid L
Naaman. The children OF the interme
diate department would probably be in
terested in Biblical history and in the his
tory of the life Of Jesus. and older pupil
would be interested in the doctrines anC
the duties Of Christianity. This will indi
cate possible lines of division. Even now
publishing houses md II necessary Il
issue papers and lesson.leayes adapted u
children Of different ages, and the cost o
issuing such papers upon different lesson
would be but trifling If any competen
society, such as the Congregational Pub
fishing House, or the Presbyterian Board
would undertake such work, /, for one
would prophesy success.
2. As TO teachers. AS our schools ar
now commonly constituted, little regard
paid to the absolute fitness Of a teache
for his or her, special class. 1t happen
not unirequently that teacher will tax
q class OF girls or boys, and, having wo
their love, which is we'll, will keep ther
until they are grown up even, althoug
she may not have the learning nccessar
TO stimulate and instruct them In th
latter part Of their course, which is nc
we'll There are teachers adapted TO II
struct the young, und there are thos
particularly adapted to instruct the NOR
mature. A great gain will be made wbe
more regard Is had to the fitness Of eac
teacher for his, or her, particular class, an
better teaching would often result iroI
fewer teachers and better classlfie
school.
AS TO the scholars, undoubtedly, scho'
to accomplish the highest results ought
be graded and the children ought u fec
as In a day school, that they are in Il
Sunday school to learn and are expecte
10 advance and that their advancemeI