The Detroit times., 1911-10-27

/ SlIOnS, ntdllus ohhhoF SNASSi -
! like locomotive without steam
A locomotive without steam Is
like tea kettle. and there are
lots OF tea kettles in the church.
There are TWO ways TO handle
poor Sunday school teacher
fire up or fire out.
| These eptgrams sparkied from an
address given by w c. Pearce. Chi
cago. Superintendent of the adult de-
pertinent of the International Sunday
School association OF North America,
i'm the Thursday morning session OF
the Men and Religion Forward Move
ment in the auditorium OF the Y. NJ.
c. A. He spoke on The church and
mems organizations" and the burden
OF his talk was the Importance OF as
sCciating the church brotherhood or
club with the Bible class
mo church brotherhood or club
can succeed If il is not directly con
nected with the Bible class. said MIR.
Pearce. A society may make some
progress without being associated
with a Bible class. but eventually IL
Will fail Bible study is absolutely
club of any character. The two go
hand in hand. In reality. the brother
hood should conduct the Bible class.
II is a mistake TO think that a church
membership can be recruited from
the outside without first sowing the
seed. You cannot go out into the
streets and shake recruits from the
branches OF trees. The harvest will
only be where the seed is sown.
Therefore, il is necessary for the
biotherhoods to try TO build up the
congregations from the Sunday
school. which is really the cradle of
the church. The church that plants
the seed OF religion In the boys heart
is the one that is going TO flourish.
That was the old apostolic method of
building up the church. We. too.
mpst come 70 IL.
Defines Duties OF Brotherhood.
"Brotherhoods should also take
charge OF the Sunday schools, supply
the teachers from their own ranks
and also fill the Office OF the superin-
tendent. II is big mistake to allow
the pastor TO assume the superin-
tendency. for he hasn't time to do the
work much as he might like to. His
sermons must suffer IL he is obliged
TO give the Sunday school attention.
And this is just where the value of
organization comes in A Sunday
school or brotherhood that is not we'll
organized is bound TO fall There
must be a sound head TO lead and a
good corps of officers to continue the
work in case the leader drops out for
some reason or other The church
without well-conducted Sunday
school is like a locomotive without
steam; locomotive without steam Is
like tea Kettle, and there are many
tea kettles in the church"
Mr. Pearce said that men could not
be interested In sermons and church
worship unless they were. given relig-
ious work OF some sort. One church.
he said, had made rule that no one
could be an officer OF the church un-
less he served in some capacity or
other in the Sunday school.
That rule would be pretty hard on
the leaders If IL were adopted gener-
ally observed a man in the audience.
Yes. and do you know that II
there is any travesty on.-the church
today IL is an elder" Mr. Pearce re-
IOTJeu. 1 Ills TeU1dTk caused IauRn.
Mr. Pearce, at this juncture, men
toned the case of a Grand Rapids
business man who had gone TO his
pastor and begged 10 be allowed 10
! teach a class in the Sunday school.
May the Lord send more OF them.
remarked the Rev. j VI. Barley, OF
the Forest-aye. Presbyterian church.
Yes and let us get out and hunt
| for such men" Mr. Pearce added
Fire Up" Or Fire Out"
Mr.. Pearce was asked what was the
best way 10 handle a poor teacher
| in the Sunday school He re9lied
that he knew of two courses 10 pur-
sue. One was 10 fire up" the def
cient person and the other TO fire
| him out"
| In reply to a question as TO whether
II was advisable for pastors 10 coax
the men in the church to do religious
services, Mr. Pearce advised against
"coddling" I-
Men like to be called on TO do big
Jobs said Mr. Pearce. Don't be
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