p. 18 | Nebraska by Alice I. Teeple

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Dec 10, 1903

Nebraska

By Alice I. Teeple

BEAVER CITY.—A general meeting, combining the features of a Sabbath-school, young people's, and missionary convention, was held in Beaver City, Neb., November 20-22. Representatives were present from the Sett, Lebanon, Cambridge, Wilsonville, and Edison churches, and the meetings were quite largely attended by the public. The president of the conference, the superintendent of the district, the educational superintendent, the Sabbath-school secretary, and the State canvassing agent were present, and took an active part in the exercises.

At the opening service on Friday evening, Elder Robinson spoke on the message for our time, emphasizing the thought that present truth brings with it present duty to be performed. After the Sabbath-school on Sabbath morning, Elder Kite preached from Obadiah 17. The Spirit of the Lord came very near with forgiving and converting power, and many were made to rejoice in the Saviour's love. In the afternoon a missionary program was carried out, and the special Signs movement was introduced, resulting in over eleven hundred copies being subscribed for. Elder Wheeler preached in the evening, dwelling on the need of missionary work, not only as a means of saving others, but as a means by which the worker receives strength.

On Sunday morning the Sabbath-school convention was opened by the usual exercises of song, Scripture reading, and prayer. Words of welcome were given by Miss Lucy Mayo, chairman of the convention, welcoming all those present, and giving a glance backward over the twenty-six years since the Sabbath-school was organized. Elder Wheeler presented the first subject, dealing with the office and mission of the Sabbath-school. His remarks were founded on the text, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” The one great object of the Sabbath-school is to bring souls to Christ. The school is composed of individuals, and success depends upon the interest manifested by each one present. While all are benefited by the lessons learned, the children are our special burden, as youth is the time when the most lasting impressions are made. The training can not begin too early. The Sabbath-school is the life of the church, because in it the children may be converted and trained for the missionary work, both in the neighborhood and in the regions beyond. Heavenly things should be held as of supreme importance before the minds of all. The Sabbath-school is the church at study, and all the members of the church are expected to attend and take part.

Carrie Taft gave a recitation, entitled “The Charge of a Human Soul,” which brought out plainly the fact that often the foreign fields are talked about, while the friends we meet daily are refused even a kindly look or cheering smile.

H. A. Jenkins presented the next topic, that of the qualification of teachers. The teacher must be a Christian, one who loves the children, and is anxious for their salvation. All the children should be spoken to in language they can comprehend, especially the younger ones. The teacher should understand the needs of each child, and be interested in his welfare, both temporal and eternal, and if at any time the child is absent from the class, the teacher should visit him. A true teacher can do more to get a child to study than perhaps any other one person. The teacher should be familiar with the lesson, and able to ask the questions from memory; then he can reasonably expect the children to answer from memory. The teacher must keep his personality hid in Christ if he would be a “fisher of men.” The daily life must be in harmony with the precepts of the one hour spent each week in the Sabbath-school.

The importance of the teacher holding closely to the leading thought, not only of the lesson for the day, but to that of the entire quarter, was presented by Elder Robinson, who illustrated a quarter's Sabbath-school lessons by a house of thirteen rooms, with each room fittingly furnished, and with perfect harmony existing throughout. So, having fully mastered the contents of one lesson

each week, there will be a perfect harmony of the entire lessons for the quarter. The teacher should be so filled with the truth of the lesson to be taught that he can begin at any point therein and instruct his class. A definite plan should be in his mind. No time should be lost by generalizing. Other subjects should be banished from the mind, and should the minds of the pupils tend to wander, some pointed question should be asked to draw the mind back to the subject of the lesson. It is well to look over the lessons for the whole quarter, and not crowd into one lesson thoughts that should be brought out in other lessons, and to know what to expect will follow in succeeding lessons.

The Home Department of the Sabbath-school was presented by the State secretary. This department provides for those who are able to study, but are deprived of the privilege of attending the regular Sabbath-school. Those living near any local school will be members of such school, in which case they would report to the school of which they are members, while others would be members of the State Home Department.

At the afternoon session Elder C. R. Kite presented the subject of the necessity of harmony in the teaching of the whole week. A recitation, entitled “The Church and the World,” was given, which portrayed in a vivid manner the virtues which the church yields, one by one, at the request of the haughty, sinful world. The office of music as a part of the Sabbath-school exercise was presented in one of the papers. In song many thoughts and heart impulses can be expressed that otherwise would not be truly complete. This was impressively illustrated by a solo rendered by Elder Kite, after relating the circumstances under which the song sung had been written. The importance of system and order in all departments of Sabbath-school work was set forth in a forcible manner in a paper by the State secretary. The opening of the question box called forth many replies, touching different features of Sabbath-school work.

The members of the local Sunday-school attended, and took part in the convention, adding much to the interest of the occasion.

Elder Kite spoke in the evening on the subject of Christian education. All hearts were deeply affected by the Holy Spirit, as they were led to see what true education is. The audience filled the meeting house, and when an appeal was made, nearly every one in the house arose, signifying a desire for a deeper experience in eternal things.

ALICE I. TEEPLE.