The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-03-17

would be effected in the conversion of
the young. How enormous the waste
of vital energies on the vices and
follies OF youth. Could this misspent
force be turned from the service of
Satan 10 the service of Christ, what
new strength and bounding zeal
would be brought 10 the aid of truth
against error. But the great Qnes-
ton is, how are we 10 win them?
believe this is not SO much a queS-
ton Of method rs OF a right spirit
and atmosphere. There must be u
warmth and welcome of love perme-
spiritual activities and making favor
able the environment in which the
soullife Of the child finds itself. II
is the pastors business TO lead in
the creation of such an atmosphere
He has i. in his power, more than
any one else to make the Sunday
school a truly evangelistic center-a
very garden OF the Lord, where seed
is sown, matured and brought to
glorious and abundant fruitage. The
pastor must keep the idea constantly
before the school, the teachers, Off
GERS and the entire church that per-
sOnal acceptance of Christ as Savior
and Lord is the one supreme thing
for every soul. Above all he should
teach and lead his teachers to be-
come soul-winners. He should make
them see and feel the dignity and
the responsibility of their office and
work. He should lay upon their
hearts the burden for the unsaved
which he feels upon his own heart
The Supreme Need.
THE supreme need of the Sunday
school is teachers who will realize
this, who will teach and plead and
pray for a verdict in favor of the
Lord Jesus. The most effective work
the pastor can do in the Sunday
school is to teach and lead the teach
erS themselves to become soul-win-
ners. There are many ways in which
he may himself seek directly to win
the scholars of the school to the
Christian life. By personal contact
and by frequent and timely appeals
in the Sunday school he may reach
many. Every Sunday should be a
decision day but there is need once
or twice a year for n special decision
day. The pastor should work for
this with all his heart. There is
time TO SOW and there is time
to reap. There is time TO instruct,
to stimulate, to deepen thought, to
awaken the imagination, to train the
will, TO accumulate facts and to form
ideals: but there comes another
time-there comes time for gath
ering all these forces together in
one supreme act of the will, whereby
the choice Of the Christian life is
made and the soul is given 10 God in
an everlasting covenant. For weeks
the idea of decision day should be
GERS of the Sunday school. They
should, under the pastors guidance,
plan for it, work for it, pray for it.
The pastor can do little without the
cooperation Of his officers and teach
ers. If in the spirit Of the Good
Shepherd and Savior he can secure
this hearty and enthusiastic support
his Sunday school will flourish his
church will prosper and the Kingdom
of Christ will be advanced"
The attendance at the state Sun
day school convention was so great
last night that an overflow meeting
was held at the Baptist church. The
same speakers addressed both meet
J ings, alternating beigecn the Pres
byterian and Baptist churches. Bol7
buildings were filled to their capa-
| city.
Rev. Luther Malmberg presided at
the convention proper. and f. o.
Sellers conducted the service of
song. assisted by the large chorus.
Rev. A. F. Winter OF this city con.
Quoted the Scripture and song ser.
vice.
err training graduates was held, and
Herbert III. MOninger gave the com.
mencement address, on Training for
leadership" He likened a person to
the trough of pump on the farm.
There was the channel or pipe, that
carried the sparkling water along to
do good. and the plug that hindered
its running.
Mr.. Moninger said: What is that
superintendent who is not present
at this meeting, if he could? He is
plug and not a pipe. Are you
! training yourself for leadership, or
not? You should plan TO become a
trained leader. You graduates should
90 home with the idea of being pipes
and not plugs. Each person Il plug
or a channel must be, IL channel to
carry Gods blessing, plug to hin.
der is he" This the speaker had the
audience repeat in unison several
times.
The speaker asked all who were
going to try be a channel to say
yes" and all did, and nobody an.
swered when he called upon those
who were going to be plugs.
| tonoronno n< R.hIa Cnk;..x.