The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-10-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL MEETING.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL MEETING.
The afternoon meeting, at which there
was good attendance, was devoted to
discussion on the subject of success in
Sunday-schoole. Rev. Charles Conklin,
pastor of the Church of the Redeemer,
opened the discussion, giving his views
OF what part pastor ought to take IN
the work. The International Lesson Pa
pers were used successfully in some
schools, but had never been used by the
speaker. His Sunday school had devot-
ed the last eighteen months to a careful
study of the gospel of Matthew, study
of the life of the Saviour. The next year
and half would probably be devoted to
st. Paul. 1t was the speakers opinion
that pastors ought to take the most live
ly interest in their Sunday schools? He
next went on to consider, What is Sunday
school success? 1t is the success which is
the result of the right spirit applied to
this work. Why should the pastor be
interested in the Sunday school? 1t en-
larges his usefulness and power of good.
What can We do to insure this success?
We can see the need of definite, systemat-
ic study. The minister should be the
pastor of every child in the school. He
should be the missionary of the Sunday
school. He told the story of one who on
taking charge of new parish had been
told not to approach certain farmer,
who had declared that no child of his
should ever attend Sunday-school.
The minister visited the farm one day
and found the farmer in his barn yard
among his hogs. He inquired how many
hogs the farmer had, to which the irnme.
date reply was sixteen" A moment
later the minister casually inquired now
many children the farmer had. The lat
ter began to count up, and scratching
his head said he guessed it would be nee
essary to ask the "old woman" The min
ister rejoined: "You gave me the mum Der
OF your hogs at once, but don't know how
many children you have. [ guess you
care more for your hogs than you do for
your children 'You must be the Sun
day school chap, guess" said the farm
er. you've got me anyhow, and you
may go and tell the old woman to fix up
the children so they can go to your Sun
day-school. +"
The objections were briefly considered:
~ You are giving the minister too much
to do. The speaker ridiculed this idea
% Is not this part of the superintend-
ent's work? The pastor and superin-
tendent should work together When the
Sunday-school dragged, the parish also
suffered. All should work for the high
est Sunday school success.
Mr.. Hutchinsons Address.
Mr.. Charles l.. Hutchinson, Of st.
Paul's school, Chicago, explained his
idea of the superintendent's part in Sun
day school success. He said it was abso-
lutely Indispensable that the superintend-
emit should have his heart in the work.
No conscientious man will undertake the
work unless his heart is in it. The three
qualities required were love, labor and
perseverance. A superintendent first
duty was to select good corps of teach
ers. The next thing was to fill the school
room with children. If children could
not be induced by ordinary means to at
tend, extraordinary methods should be
employed. The speaker knew of a super
intendent who hired canal boat on Sun
day afternoon and invited ali the chill
dren living along the river to take five
miles trip up the river. There the boat
was moored and Sunday-school was or
ganized. The enterprise was continued
every Sunday, and within a short time
there were not enough canal boats in the
town to carry the Sunday-school schol-
airs. The speaker told Of a scheme of his
own to induce boys to attend. He had
paid six boys five cents every Sunday to
attend the school. Several of them be-
came afterward church members and
good citizens. After the superintendent
had selected competent assistants and
had filed the school room, the rest must
be left to the teachers. The superintend-
ent should place a certain limit up to
which it should be his ambition to bring
the attendance. The census showed
that there were usually three children
to every family. The superintendent
ought to get a Sunday-school which |