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CHAPTER XXIV.

THE SCOPE OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

SUGGESTED READINGS.

*THE CHURCHMAN'S MANUAL. Butler.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. Moore. p. 18.

Index.

CLASS TEACHING; THE FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION. Seeley. pp. 240-245. THE BOY PROBLEM. Forbush. p. 27.

*THE PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION. S. 8. Commission.

*THE SUNDAY SCHOOL OUTLOOK. S. S. Commission.

PRINCIPLES AND IDEALS OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. University of Chicago.
THE MODEL SUNDAY SCHOOL. Boynton.

THE BIBLE SCHOOL. McKinney.

THE MODERN SUNDAY SCHOOL. Cope. Index.

HOW TO CONDUCT A SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Lawrence.

Index.

What the Sunday School Is and Is Not.

Let us realize that this section is of interest to the individual teacher, and not alone to the Clergy and Superintendent. It is the ideals of the combined individual teachers (very frequently of an individual teacher who "will not down"; but keeps on pushing), which set the tone of the School, and, as in democratic politics, affect the legislation and system of the School. Many a poor School has been reformed by a few inspiring teach

ers.

(a) What the Sunday School Is. Theoretically, the Day School should supply an all-round education, covering the five lines of a fully-educated man, as laid down in Chapter I. In Germany it does this. Dr. Garmo, in his Lecture on THE PRINCIPLES OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, and Professor Seeley in the last chapter of his book already cited, deal fully with this point. England has a pretty thorough system in her Common Schools. France omits it altogether; but gives Thursday as a free-day, a holiday (holy-day, in the right sense of the term), for private sectarian or confessional instruction, in connection with the

Churches. The United States, ever since the final ruling of the Wisconsin Court, has excluded definite religious teaching from the Common Schools, in some States, however, permitting the reading of the Bible without comment. The only place at present (unless the newly-formed Religious Education Association is able to accomplish wonders in the restoration of religious education to the Day Schools) where such part of man's educational equipment can be secured is the Sunday School. The Sunday School, first and foremost, then, is to be a school in character, that is, its primary object is to be instruction-religious education. Therefore we set a three-fold, definite, specific Aim or Object for the Sunday School. 1. To give a general Religious Education, covering a wide field of Subject-matter. 2. It may inculcate sound ethics and impart the particular Doctrinal Material, which belongs to the particular interpretation of the Bible, which it represents. 3. It should bring the children to Christ, that is to the fullest privileges and responsibilities of the Church, to enjoyment of her Worship, to appreciation of her Sacraments, to the definite assumption of individual burdens and responsibilities of Church Work.

(b) What the Sunday School is Not. 1. It is not the Children's Church. It can never and should never take the place of Public Worship, "the assembling of ourselves together." The element of Worship should be cut down to the lowest consistent place. Let the Children consider themselves a part of the general congregation, coming with their families to the united worship of the Lord's Day and the Daily Services, taking their special part, and being trained just as definitely in the habit of Public Worship as in the habit of truthfulness or politeness. In many churches it becomes imperative, from circumstances, either in the homes or in the nature of the Services, to provide a Children's Service. The training in the entire, unmutilated Service is the ideal thing. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal age. At any rate, the School is not the Children's Service, and is not for Worship.

2. It is not a "Revival Service." There is little danger, however, of that element in our general Sunday School. The danger is that of the other extreme: coldness, formalism, lack of heart, head work rather than heart work.

3. It is not a combination of Social Clubs. Certainly, the "group feeling" is to be wisely made use of; and high success will attend the formation of each class into a "Club" or a NamedClass (as those bearing particular mottoes or named after Missionary Heroes, etc.), at the "set" or "gang" age, in later childhood and early adolescence; but this is not to make the work of the Class in Religious Education of the nature of a social gathering, for gossip, baseball talk, dress-conversation, reading storybooks, or telling of jokes. The day school does not descend to trifles that occupy the attention of too many Sunday School Classes.

4. It is not a Free-nursery, where irritated, selfish parents may send their children to be rid of them. There have been plenty of instances of children going to two Sunday Schools a day, each of a different religious profession.

5. Lastly, the Sunday School is not a Prize Lottery. Very, very many parents consider it such, however, though they would not confess it to themselves. They plan very carefully what "it will pay them." Often it is said: "I will send my child to your school, because it did not get a nice present at Christmas where it went last year." The crowded schools immediately preceding Christmas and the dropping off after that present-giving season has passed is proverbial. The schools fill up again a month before the Excursion, the trips to the Fresh Air Homes, the distribution of Coal, Clothing, etc. Many poor families develop a most marvellous concern for religion and the salvation of their children by Baptism and Sunday School, when they learn that the Church pays rents, supplies coal and food, and fits them out in clothing. This idea should be forever and entirely eliminated from the Sunday School. Let the faithfulness and general claim of the family determine relief, with due regard to the fact that "the household of faith" have prior claim (prior only) to others outside the pale of the membership of that Church. Let the token at the Birthday of the Christ-Child be but a token, not of munificence enough to create a scramble. It is all very well to "make the Sunday School attractive," to use bait to catch fish for Christ; but beware lest we make Christ and His religion to be despised.

The Possibilities of the Sunday School.

Spite of all that has been said here, the Possibilities of the Sunday School are enormous. It should not be given up in despair, and disbanded, as some few discouraged Clergy have done. It has wide spheres of Influence, if properly organized and conducted. It reaches-1, the Child in School; 2, the Child in Church; 3, the Home Child; 4, the Home Circle. It commences at the Kindergarten Age in the Font or Baptismal Roll, goes on to children of Primary Age, of Childhood, of Youth, of Adult Life; it goes beyond this to the Home Department, the "Shutin" (or better, the Shut-out) Child, the Parent, the busy Worker, absent in Sunday Toil. To all these classes it carries at least some thought of God, of Duty, of Religion. Much of what the Possibilities may eventuate depends upon the Clergy, the Superintendent, the Organization. It is really the Organization carried on by "the man behind the gun," that converts the possibility into probability, and actuates the ideal into a fact. The Organization.

To a slight extent this must differ, as between a large city, a small, fashionable city, and a country school. Numbers will necessarily affect it. Still the same general plan may be outlined for all; local conditions only influencing minor details. First, let it be noted that the same business-like Order, System, Regularity, Regard for Rules once made, Enforcement of Discipline, Attention to Details, careful Planning and efficient Oversight, zealous Interest and painstaking Devotion to Duty and Obligations should characterize even the smallest schools, as are shown in any proper business house. Thus a good, conscientious business man makes the most ideally capable Superintendent.

A certain wealthy business man in a large city in Central New York was recently placed in charge of a run-down Sunday School by a wise Rector. In two months the School went up from 150 to 400, and is growing. The same thought and care was given to it, especially to "the business-end" of it, that the man put into his business. The man at the gun made that School. The rector never could have done it.

Few of the Clergy are efficient business men, and it is no discredit to them to acknowledge it. It is not their forte, nor

their training. Let them do what is a plain duty, and put a business man at the helm, but for business purposes only. Loyal, true-hearted, recognizing his function and obligations clearly and distinctly at the outset, which concern secular not spiritual matters (the Minister is responsible for all educational features, all teaching, lessons, etc.), given a free hand, under loyal consultation with the Minister, in what is clearly the Superintendent's work, with responsibility, to make things run, bravely laid upon his shoulders, this consecrated business man will in almost every instance prove a boon and a blessing.

In some rare instances, however, a trained Common School Educator, with marked business and organizing ability, such as a Public School Superintendent, may be secured. In such an event, he will be, by all odds, the ideal. Usually a "businessman” is all we may dare hope for, using the "Grading Teacher" for pedagogical guidance. We deal again with this matter under "the Superintendent."

The Organization will deal with the following details:

The School Year.

In the majority of schools, division into Long and Short Terms or Sessions will be most suitable, and accord best with many systems of Source Lessons that provide Long and Short Courses. The Long Course could commence early in the Autumn, September or October, as may be, and run through until the end of May or June, when, in most schools, the attendance of both teachers and scholars diminishes. The Short Course would be the Summer Session, conducted, in contrast with the Long Course, with few teachers and larger classes, or teachers perhaps as helpers, and lecturing and teaching Masters for each. room. The Long Course will probably run from 25 to 40 Lessons; the Short one from 8 to 15 Lessons.

Special Days, etc.

In general, there are likely to occur the following Special Days and Occasions: "Sunday School Day," where the facts bearing on Sunday Schools are considered, usually from the pulpit in the Church Service; Christmas Festival; Missionary Day, usually of the Junior Auxiliary; Easter Celebration;. examination Days; and Commencement Day. On these occasions the

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