The Avondale school was especially founded in the providence of God to be a training school in which workers might be fitted to carry the gospel in the Australasian field. From its inception, it has been the aim of its promoters to conduct it in harmony with the great flood of light that has constantly been coming from the Lord relative to its policy and management.
It is a matter of growth, however, to realize all that the Lord has in store for such an institution. During the present school year the teachers have given earnest thought to the inculcation of right principles. These efforts might be summarized under the following heads:—
Basis of Admission
To make the school what its name implies, a school for Christian workers, those known to have no desire for Christian training must not be admitted.12In harmony with this principle, some have been advised not to enter, and others have been refused admission because of their known violation of the principles for which the institution stands. The result has been that a larger per cent of the students than ever before are fitting themselves for definite work in the Lord’s cause. A company of consecrated young people are preparing themselves to enter the medical and nurses’ courses, while many others are receiving a training as teachers, Bible workers, ministers, printers, canvassers, matrons, cooks, business men, bookkeepers, stenographers, etc. In short, we believe that the hope of the Australasian field lies in the education of its own workers.
Discipline
AVONDALE CHURCH
It has been the constant effort to teach the students that they should serve principle, not men; that they should be obedient in all things, “not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.” This is producing fruit in a well-ordered school.
Financial
“Owe no man anything” has been kept in darkness regarding the heavy debt of the school and the lessons to be learned from it. The necessity of adopting right methods of business dealing and promptness in settling accounts has been enforced as an essential element in the training of the Christian worker. This individual business responsibility, when fully realized and acted upon by every employee and student in the institution, cannot fail to place the school upon a paying basis. So far this plan has proved successful to the extent that the running expenses of the school have been met, many costly improvements made, and a considerable sum appropriated from the current earnings toward the liquidation of debts.
Industrial
ROAD TO SUNNYSIDE
Industrial training as an important factor in education has received considerable attention. All lines of manual labor have been carefully systematized in order to make all work as productive as possible. Those in charge of the different branches of work have continually aimed to follow the light given on this point: “We need schools in this country to educate children and youth that they may be masters of labor, and not slaves of labor.” The special instruction given regarding the Avondale farm has been studied, and followed as far as possible. Special blessings have attended the farm work, as is evidenced by the fact that the school land, almost without exception, has yielded good crops in great variety, while the surrounding country has suffered from an unprecedented drought in many places, causing utter failure of crops and great suffering to man and beast.
“Christ’s Object Lessons”
DORA CREEK BRIDGE
The enterprise for the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons” was started in this field less than a year ago, and yet a good beginning has been made. The people have responded nobly in donations to the Material Fund. The students and teachers alone have given about thirteen hundred dollars to this fund. The book is now being sold, and we hope for the early completion of this work, and the consequent liquidation of the school’s indebtedness. Attention was recently called to the importance of our school’s doing its part in this matter, and thus setting an example before the brethren in the churches. A few days later, a paper was presented to the faculty, signed by all but three of the students in the advanced department, expressing their willingness and desire to lay aside school work for a time in order that they might go out to sell “Christ’s Object Lessons.” This means much to these young people, as it will be necessary for every member of the church to sell, on an average, ten copies of the book. They will be given the chance, and we feel confident that they will succeed.
Spiritual
It is a recognized fact that a live church is a working church, and experience has fully proved that a live school is a working school. In harmony with this, the students of the Avondale school have been encouraged to conduct meetings in the vicinity, hold mission Sabbath schools, distribute tracts and papers, visit with the people in their homes, sacrifice time and labor in forwarding the medical work, and in many little ways emulate the example of Jesus Christ, who went about doing good. This has been found to be far more effectual than any artificial means of imparting spiritual fervor. The missionary and social meetings have been seasons of great interest and profit.
We are of good courage. We earnestly solicit the prayers of our brethren beyond the seas that the workers here may be given wisdom more fully to bring this school into harmony with the Lord’s mind, and that an army of workers may here be trained in such a way that they can properly carry the message to the perishing millions in the islands of the Pacific.
