Viewing page 13 of 25
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
12 METOKA AND GALEDA MAGAZINE. [Column 1] (Other derelictions were noted, but I spare you.) "Brother J., what we need is a new superintendent," repeated the anxious worker. "Don't you think so?" "How long has he been in his present office?" asked the writer. "Sixteen years," was answered; "and he has tried to beg off several times; but there is no one to take his place, and so they have to re-elect him each time, nolens volens." Ladies and gentlemen, a heart-to-heart talk was had with that pastor, and the whole situation was gone over most minutely. It was yet four months until Conference. Dear good Brother X., the incumbent of the superintendent's office, simplified matters greatly by warning the pastor emphatically that another man would have to be put in his place when his term expired. The pastor did not know a man who would accept the place. Every one he approached on the subject replied: "I know nothing about the superintendency. Make the present man stay there; he will do as little harm as any one." Panic-stricken, the pastor came for another conference. "What on earth shall I do? All whom I have approached refused the office, and to import a man is impossible." "No," said I, "we can't import a man; but we might make one to order. Now do not look so incredulous and hurt. I am not poking fun at you or joking when I say that one must be made to order." Now there was a certain young man in the congregation whom no one had thought of. He was just a struggling young grocery merchant, about twenty-seven years old, with two years' experience as a school-teacher before he set up his little grocery business. This young man never missed church and was very affable and popular. The amount of success attending the little grocery he was building up without capital or pull revealed unmistakable organizing ability and resourcefulness. "But," said the pastor, "he knows nothing about running a Sunday school, hardly of what one consists." "Teach him; break him in. If he is the man that you describe and will undertake the matter, success is assured," was the reply. Two or three volumes of modern Sunday school books were supplied the young man on securing his consent to take the office and "do his best." These volumes were devoured with [/End of Column 1] [Column 2] increasing eagerness. He taught a class of boys several Sundays in succession, and then a class of girls. The primary department interested him greatly, or rather its needs, and the juniors filled him full of ideas for their betterment. The possibilities lying out before a Wesley Bible class impressed him profoundly. At a glance he saw many of the places and reasons for the failure of his predecessor. He caught a vision of what might be accomplished easily with such a force and plant. He visited several schools in near-by cities and minutely examined their organization and managment [sic]. He became thoroughly imbued with the Sunday school idea, prepared to meet his responsibilities, and--well, you shall know what he did, for you will read it in the next Magazine. -Sunday School Magazine. ***** A BIG BIBLE SCHOOL IN THE MAKING. Out in Iowa there is in the making a great Bible school. W.T. Fisher, who has given some of the best years of his life to Bible-school work, is in Mason City, and it is there that the process is going on. The first thing necessary for the making of a big Bible school in Mason City was the erection of an adequate plant. The task seemed a big one, but with characteristic energy, Fisher has made possible a new church building, which will be one of the finest for Bible school work in the Middle West. In this new building there will be, first of all, a nursery room, the home of the Cradle Roll department. Every other department of the Bible school will have its own home. There will be a large kindergarten room and an ample Primary room, containing three smaller rooms, one for each grade. The room assigned to the Junior department will contain eight classrooms, and can be divided by a folding partition into two parts, one for the boys, the other for the girls; the partitions between the classrooms can be folded back against the walls, leaving the boys and girls sitting as an audience in one large room. The Intermediate department has an equipment an exact duplicate in every detail of the Junior. The Senior department will occupy a large room, arranged purposely for Senior work. A folding partition will divide this room into [/End of Column 2] [[end page]] [[start page]] 13 METOKA AND GALEDA MAGAZINE. [Column 1] two parts, one for young men, the other for young women. Each of these parts will contain three rooms, one for each of the three grades. There are four large class-rooms for organized classes. Besides all these there are three very large rooms for Christian Endeavor meetings, C.W. B.M. meetings, prayer-meetings, etc. One of these rooms is arranged as a ladies' parlor. There are an office and minister's study, financial secretary's office and Bible school secretary's office. There are also cloak-rooms, check-rooms and robing-rooms in connection with the baptistery. Finally, there is the auditorium, which, with its balconies, has a seating capacity of one thousand. For ordinary purposes it is arranged to take care of about 650. Naturally, the Mason City people can hardly wait to get into this new structure. Meanwhile, however, they have resolved themselves into a large training-school, and are using every moment of the time elapsing before the new building can be dedicated, in training worthy and efficient leaders for every department of the work. Fisher has a big job on his hands, but with the type of folks that live in Mason City, a gospel without the least hint of destructive criticism, and the help that comes from above, his success is sure. -Christian Standard. ***** GETTING THE BEST OUT OF OUR SUMMER ASSEMBLIES. The day has passed when we look upon our summer assemblies and encampments merely as good place to spend a vcation [sic]. They are all of that, but vastly more besides. In looking froward [sic] to the Texas encampments for this summer, it will be beneficial for our people generally to have some well defined ideas as to what the encampments really stand for, and what they offer to the people. It is well, also, to dwell upon what we should do while we are in attendance upon an encampment. I shall note down here some of the great features of our encampment, and some ways to get the best out of attendance upon them. I name first the social and fellowship features of our encampment. The people who attend our encampments are usually the best, [/End of Column 1] [Column 2] brightest and the most congenial people of our churches. For this reason the social atmosphere of our encampments is pure, sweet, and glorious. The making of new acquaintances and the winning of new friendships comprise the happiest, richest and most enduring investments of life. Many lives in this world are narrow and unhappy because of an unnecessary poverty of friendship. No life can be sad or little which possesses a wealth of sweet, unselfish friendship. The people who attend our religious encampments love Christian society. Friendships are easily made in such beautiful environments. Another great feature of our summer encampments consists in their educational opportunity. A glance ot [sic] the program being offered at our encampments for this year will show that they will afford a real school of instruction. The teachers and lecturers are the best that can be gotten in all the land. One will be able to choose for himself most any course of study in church pursuits which he might desire. To get the best out of the programs, every one attending an encampment should map out for himself at least one basic study course to which he will give himself faithfully. He will be sure by that means to take away from the encampment some lasting benefit to himself which he may use as a blessing to others. Another great feature of our encampment life is that powerful thing we call Inspiration. We may not be able to define what religious inspiration is, but we know it is a powerfully vitalizing, determining force. It is that thing which the Apostle Peter felt at the Transfiguration which made him exclaim, "Master, it is good to be here." How our poor hearts need the uplift of holy inspiration! The great devotional and doctrinal lectures and sermons at our encampments can not be surpassed in their power to inspire and help our Christian purposes. No wonder that under such environment we frequently hear the shout of newborn souls under the evangelistic fervor of our encampments. We should remember to encourage the unconverted to attend these gatherings in large numbers. It is hard for an unconverted person to live through one of our encampment periods without finding his Savior. [/End of Column 2]
