p. Thirteen | The New Neighbors by L. Ervin Wright

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California, U. S. A. · Jul 8, 1930

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 57, No. 26.

The story of how they turn a town upside down; and for the first time the town was right side up.

The New Neighbors

By L. Ervin Wright

L. Ervin Wright

CHAPTER X

THE STORY THUS FAR: Mrs. Winters, her son, Dale, and daughter, Theresa, newcomers to the town of Fairdale, begin an active missionary program. They are the first Seventh-day Adventists ever to live in Fairdale. Mrs. Helman, a very prominent woman, becomes interested in the teachings of the Adventists. She asks Dale Winters to hold Bible studies in her home, to which she invites several of her friends. In visiting the Reverend Mr. Dodson, pastor of the church, Dale is accused of belonging to a cult, and being a proselyter. Dale stands his ground in a Christian manner.

Starting a Sunday School

I AM going to start a Sunday school,” announced Theresa Winters at the noon hour a few days after Dale had visited Pastor Dodson. “You mean a Sabbath school,” corrected her mother. “No; I mean a Sunday school. There are just lots of folks in Fairdale who don’t go to a church of any kind. They don’t work on Sunday in a regular way, and yet they don’t attempt to keep it as a Sabbath either. In the section of Fairdale where I have been distributing the SIGNS OF THE TIMES for the past eight weeks and have been doing my home nursing, I have met some lovely people, although many of them do not go to church as a regular thing. Their children do not go to Sunday school, either; but I have the promise of more than twenty children from these homes that if I would start a Sunday school they would come. We can teach them the truth of the Bible on Sunday just as well as on the Sabbath, and we shall get a better attendance, for those who wouldn’t come to Sabbath school would come to Sunday school. All I lack is a church or hall or some place to hold my school.” “Well, sis, I think you are a real genius, for that is certainly a capital idea. If I can secure a hall or something, will you agree to let me share your glory in this Sunday school idea?” asked Dale, from across the table. “Of course, Dale. But do you think that we can secure some place?” questioned his sister, rather excitedly. “I am sure we can. You know that this is not our work only. This is God’s work also; and if we ask Him, He will answer our prayer if it is His will.”

That afternoon Dale searched for a hall that might be donated for a Sunday school or even rented for a nominal price. But as every hall was either not available or an exorbitant rental was asked, Dale felt somewhat discouraged. But noticing the Fairdale Daily Times sign over the shop of Fairdale’s only newspaper, Dale felt an inner prompting to visit the Times office. Upon entering the shop, he met Edith Helman. “How do you do, Miss Helman,” smiled Dale, in response to Miss Helman’s salutation. ## A BUDDING EDITOR “Didn’t you like my write-ups of your Bible studies at our home, Mr. Winters?” “Did you write those news stories?” “Certainly, I did. I want to be a society editor on a big daily some day, and I have a job of reporter this summer with the Times. I am writing up everything and everybody. I may be asking you for your life story one of these days.” “Well, I wish you all the success in the world. I think your write-ups were splendid. I might give you a news tip, if I thought you could help me with a problem I have.” “Help you?” “Yes; I want a hall or a church free of charge if possible.” “Going to start some Bible lectures?” “No; not now. Theresa wants some place to start a Sunday school.” “But you are Seventh-day Adventists!” Then Dale explained their plan. “I am sure that father can help you, Mr. Winters,” said Edith Helman. “Father has returned from the Bankers’ Convention, and

he wants to meet you. This will be a good time to see him.” Samuel A. Helman, president of the Fairdale National Bank, was a kindly-appearing man of fifty. There were already touches of gray in his hair, but his face was young. The two found Mr. Helman in his private office at the bank. Introductions over, his daughter explained Dale’s wants. “Well, Mr. Winters, you may have the clubhouse maintained by the Chamber of Commerce down on Second Street, if my influence in Fairdale means anything. As president of the Chamber of Commerce, I will see that you folks have the hall without costing you a cent. All we ask is that you leave the building in as good condition as you find it.” Theresa was overjoyed with the news that Dale brought home that evening, and plans were immediately formulated for the organization of a Sunday school. “Mother will be pianist; I will be superintendent,” announced Theresa; “and you, Dale, will be chorister. I am expecting some boys to attend, and you may have the boys’ class also. Mother’s hearing will prevent her from teaching, so she may act as secretary also, and give out the papers and cards. And I will teach the girls’ class. I can hardly wait for Sunday to come.” The next morning the Winters visited the clubhouse. There were plenty of chairs, several tables, and a piano. The main floor was amply large enough to seat five hundred people. Then there were smaller rooms in which classes could be held. In the Saturday’s issue of the Times, a clever write-up by Edith Helman telling about the new Sunday school appeared. The prospect of an “Advent Sunday School,” as Cyrus Moore expressed it, created no small sensation at Butterfield’s grocery store Saturday evening. In fact, it became the topic of discussion throughout Fairdale. ## THE SUNDAY SCHOOL OPENS At nine o’clock Sunday morning, the Winters opened the doors of the clubhouse. Sunday school had been announced for nine-thirty, but they had come early in order to put up charts and maps and devices. It was necessary to arrange the chairs and the piano, as there had been a dance in the hall the night before. At nine-twenty the children began to saunter in. Theresa met them at the door with a cheery, “Good morning.” At nine-thirty twenty-four boys and girls from the age of four to fourteen had gathered in the hall. Dale had his hands full in keeping order and maintaining a minimum of noise. By starting an early song service, decorum was saved. But the surprising feature was that within five minutes after the opening song half as many adults filed into the hall as children. And before the close of the second song more than thirty adults were gathered in the hall. “Friends,” smiled Theresa in her winning way, after all were seated, “I welcome you to your Sunday school. I recognize some of you, and some of you I do not. However, I trust that I shall become acquainted with each of you. And I hope to see you all back here next Sunday morning.” She then explained the purpose of the Sunday school.

Following this, Dale played a violin solo. Mrs. Winters then told a story of missionary endeavor in Africa. “This morning we shall have only two classes. I shall teach the class of boys and girls, and Mr. Winters will teach the class of adults,” announced Theresa. A few minutes later Dale found himself looking into the faces of thirty-three men and women. Most of these Dale recognized as being those to whom he had given copies of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Ezra Peters, Cyrus Moore, and Silas Hewitt, whom he had met at Butterfield’s, were among the number. Mrs. Gilroy and Mrs. Perkins, who had attended the Bible studies at Mrs. Helman’s home, were also present. And just before Dale began to conduct his class, Mr. Helman and his daughter entered and took a back seat. “Friends,” Dale addressed his class, “we are handicapped this morning for lack of Lesson Quarterlies, but I wonder how many Bibles we have with us.” Eight Bibles were held up. “That is fine. But I wonder if we couldn’t adopt a slogan like this: ‘Every member with a Bible every Sunday.’ We are going to study about what the Bible says about itself this morning. Will some one please read 2 Timothy 3:16?” “‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,’” read a man to Dale’s left. “In the Greek,” commented Dale, “the thought is that all Scripture is ‘God-breathed.’ That is, the Bible was not primarily the production of man, but God was the author. Some one read 2 Peter 1:21 for further confirmation of this.” “‘For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,’” was read. “The Holy Spirit, as it is translated in the American Revised Version, was the prime mover of the Bible writers. Mrs. Gilroy, I see that you have a Bible, will you read for us 2 Samuel 23:2?” “‘The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue,’” read Mrs. Gilroy. “Who is the person here speaking, Mrs. Gilroy?” “It was David.” “Did David write any of the Bible?” “Yes; the Psalms or most of them.” “Mr. Moore, I believe that you have a Bible. Will you read Romans 15:4?” Cyrus Moore arose and read: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” “Who wrote that?” “The apostle Paul.” “Whom does he mean by ‘our’ and ‘we’ in this text?” “The Christians.” “But what writings was he referring to here that were written for the learning of the Christians?” Moore hesitated. “It appears to me, Mr. Winters,” spoke up Ezra Peters, “that Paul was referrin’ to the Old Testament.” “That is right, Mr. Peters. Now will some one read 2 Timothy 3:16, 17?”

A woman unknown to Dale then read: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” “‘All Scripture,’ means literally all that is written, hence Paul includes both the Old and New Testaments as being profitable to the Christian. It is unfortunate to find Christians who have no use for the Old Testament because they think it was for the Jews only. The Scriptures the noble Bereans searched daily, when Paul preached Christ to them, were the Old Testament Scriptures, for the New Testament Scriptures were then unwritten. We would do well to follow the example of the Bereans. Mrs. Perkins, will you read Acts 17:11?” She read: “‘These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.’” (To be continued)