St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-15
SHOW AN INCREASE OF 206
IN EIGHT YEARS. AND HAVE A To-
tai ENROLMENT OF 2S,5S3
AT THIS TIME.
NEXT LECTURE ON CHURCH UNITY.
Church. Minneapolis, VIII Talk
on "The Sacranents.T


sofa and their work has just been COM
pleted by Rev. Robert P. Herrick, SUI
perintendent for Minnesota. 1t gives
some interesting facts as to~the prog
ress of the work since the Congrega-
tional Sunday School and Publishing
society began it's missionary work in
! Minnesota eight years ago. In his re-
port Mr.. Herrick says:
AT the state association in 1887 a re-
quest was made and forwarded to the
CCngrega tional Sunday School and
Publishing society that it would ap-
point a superintendent of Sunday
schools for Minnesota. At the associa-
ton in Owatonna in 1888, the society
proposed superintendent for the state
and the present incumbent was indorS-
ed for the position by a vote of the
churches there represented. Until 1883
the only attention given to our Con-
gregational Sunday school work was
through committee annually appoint
ed to gather such facts as could be OBJ
tained and make suggestions as to steps
! to be taken for advancing the inter-
eStS of the schools. The advantage of
having some one to advance the mis-
sionary interests along Sunday school
lines and to keep constantly in view
| the whole range of our Congregational
|
parent, as the years have gone by. A
few fundamental principles were laid
| down at an early day for the develop
ment of our Sunday school work. 1t
was determined that the work should
be as largely as possible a cooperation
with the pastors Of the state, helping
| them in their own fields and in the
country districts around. In this way
the new schools organized were gen
orally supplied with the care of a min
lister from the start and watched over
and developed by the neighboring
church, the missionary workers doing
| all in their power in organizing and
| helping in the care Of these branch
| Sunday schools. Many a pastor has
| found his influence more than doubled
| through these opportunities for reach
ing out into the country around his
| home field and a great number of con-
versions has been reported and large
amount of Christian work has been at
tanned through these plans. We desire
to generously acknowledge the large
| part which the pastors of the state
have had in the results obtained.
The work in the cities has ever been
a matter of solicitude to the Superin-
tendent of Sunday school work during
these eight years. 1t may here be
| noted that in these eight years the
! churches in the cities have grown
from twenty-one to thirty-five, all of
them promising to be permanent help
ers in the great problems of city evan
gelization. Quality rather than guam
tity has been constantly kept in view
in the organizing of new work. In this
way the Sunday schools of Minnesota
have generally organized with a larger
average membership than those of
many other states, and the proportion
of the dead and missing is compara-
L. Airr or.c,J
In 1888 we had IA Sunday schools
on our list, but in 1896 there are 50D,
a net increase of 206 Sunday schools.
The membership reported in 1888 was
about 1900, but the report in 1896
shows total of 2S,583 as our present
enrolment, more than doubling the
membership enrolment in eight years.
The standard of Sunday school work
in the established schools has con-
stantly improved, as is shown by the
efforts to secure the conversion of the
scholars and their training in Christian
life, as we'll as in the establishment of
the home department, graded schools
and other improved methods of work.
The annual gifts to the Sunday School
society increased from $500 to 81 400 in
these eight years, while a marked ef-
fort has been made in helping all lines
of missionary work through the con-
tributionS of our Sunday schools.
In view of these results, what may
we aim at for the annual report of
1897? Surely we ought to attain to
$4,000 enrolment; and that implies ali
increase of less than 1,500. If the SUI
perintendent of the Congregational
fort to increase the membership and
attendance at their schools by at least
one-fifth and the pastors will keep
watch for new opportunities for or
ganizing branch Sunday schools, the
workers of the Congregational Sunday
schools and publishing society will do
their part in organizing and visiting
to carry our enrolment far past the
10000 mark.
With the same cooperation of the
pastors and workers that we have
had in the past, and the blessing of
God upon this far-reaching form of
missionary work, and with the gener-
Gus contributions of churches and
Sunday schools for it's support, 1896
will be the best year in the history Of
this work
According to the church calendar to-
day will be mid-Lent or Refreshment
Sunday. This day has been called
from a very ancient period Dominica
Reflections, no doubt from the Gospel
in which our Lord is set forth as feed
the wilderness. This administration
of the loaves, endowing them with
capacities which they did not previous
ly possess, is typical of that Bread
from Heaven" which Christ distributes
to His people in the wilderness of this
world, by the hands of ministers, for
their spiritual refreshment and
strength.
Upon this day His Holiness" at
Rome bIesses the golden rose" and
presents it to some distinguished per-
son, who is considered to have rendered
good service to the church during the
past year.
This evening the Rev. J. Salingar.
rector of ST Boniface Swedish Episco-
pal church, will be the special Lenten
preacher at st. Peters church, ,Dayton's
Bluff. Swedish Episcopalians are
cordially invited. The Sunday school
children connected with this church
vices during Passion and Holy week,
''The Story of the Cross
The fourth series of'Christian Unity"
lectures under the auspices of the
church club, will be delivered at Christ
church. Tuesday evening, p M, when
the Rev. J. ]. Faude, rector of Geth-
samane church, Minneapolis. on the
theme assigned to him, viz. ''The Sac
raments." AS a theologian and preach
er Mr.. Faude has few equals if any in
this part of the country If this lee
ture does not prove as eloquent and in
tereSting as the preceding ones, the
fault will not be on account of the in
ability of the lecturer to make the sub
jeet clear and appreciative A similar
course of lectures are being delivered