New Britain herald., 1925-06-29
CHURCH EDUCATION
 IS HERE TO STAY
So Say Experts at Discussion Of
 Local Situation

NCCh-udy TVlbious SuuCdlloH ID one of tho most rapidly growing movements in the United States to- day but it has come to stay" This was the message of two leading ex- perts on weekday religious educa- ton, Edwin l., Shaver, M A. of Boston, and Professor Walter A. Squires of Philadelphia. who spoke Saturday noon to leaders in the pro- posed weekday church schools of four cooperating churches In this city. First church of Christ South Congregational church, Stanley Me- norial church. and Trinity Meth odist church. "The teachers and the supervisors have the most important work in their contract with the pu- pils but the churches and tte par ents must back them up or they can do nothing, said the leaders," The addresses were delivered at a meeting in the Y. W. c. A.
 A. Tyson Hancock, vice-chairman Of the board of directors for the CO., operating church schools, voiced the feeling of the meeting when he said that the local public school board had taken a forward step when tt voted to dismiss the public school children one hour week for re- ligious instruction in the churches. New Britain has escaped obstacles experienced at this point in some other cities" he said.
 Warren Nj. Blodgett, minister Of 'eligious education in the First church Of Christ and one of the supervisors of the week-day church schools, informed the local leaders of progress already made. The num- Ter Of cards turned in to the school authorities from the above four CO., operating churches correspond al- most exactly with the numbers of children between grades three and eight in the Sunday schools Of those churches. These children have been assigned 10 church buildings for their instruction. On Wednesday the Smith and East street school children In grades 3. 1, and will attend the Stanley Mem orial church All other school children of grades and will attend the Trinity Meth. odist church and the First church oi Christ. Fifth and sixth grade chil. dren will attend the South Congre. gational church. On Thursday, al
 Junior high school pupils will at
 tend the First church Of Christ anc the South Congregational church
 number Of teachers have alread, agreed to teach next fall. Tn,
 courses of study have been selected
 IL is planned to correIate the week
 day and Sunday church schoo
 classes so that the teachers vii
 work as partners and teach diferen
 parts of the same lesson. Tn thi
 way the great bogey of all past Sun , day school work. viz. lack or ade
 Quate time, can be overcome" ex
 plained MT. Blodgett.
 The keynote Of Mir. Shaver's tall
 was that not only is more reIigiou
 instruction in the week day school needed but also better quality In th' teaching. He said that experience ) In other cities proves that standard of teaching are raised by the intro
 duction of weekday schools Preachers in the week day school are paid and better work can be de : manded of them. There is a favor
 able reaction upon the Sunda, school SSachers. They see what cal be done and they strive harder t' : raise their own standards"
 Mir. Shaver was very insistent tha the local workers must not expect f. merely pass on information abou the Bible to the pupils but must un :, dertake to change their character to corresnond to the Christian wa, of life. This can only be done h. living with the pupils through eK
 periences which call for a Christia'
 solution. Christ did this wifi
 marvellous results. He taught lit
 He memory work but he did cdu cate his disciples by having them {
 things which were Christian" h added.