GENERAL SUGGESTIONS by C.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 2, 1879

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS

By C.

SABBATH-SCHOOL HINTS.—NO. 5.

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS.

It is as impossible to lay down inflexible rules that would be applicable to all schools as to prescribe a method of government that could be universally adopted; yet general statements can be made and suggestions offered from which specific rules may be deduced. First of all, then, every school should have a regular

ORDER OF EXERCISES.

It may not be best that this order of exercises should be just the same in all schools, as often what will work well in one place will not succeed at all in another. But there are some regulations that may with profit be uniformly adopted, even in our smaller schools. 1. Instead of scattering promiscuously over the house, so that classes must be arranged after school opens, let teachers and pupils all take their places on coming in. 2. To save unnecessary delay, strike the bell, and announce the hymn. 3. After giving ample time to find the page—say a minute or two—have the whole school arise while singing. 4. Let all kneel while the superintendent offers prayer, after which class and general exercises can be conducted as may seem most proper.

MAPS, ETC.

Maps and illustrations of various kinds are very useful in securing the attention of a school. The power of illustration is great to arrest the attention and impress the mind. Ministers who have the most success, generally speaking, are those who enforce the truth, point by point, by impressive illustrations. No one goes to sleep under their preaching. Everybody likes to hear them; and even the children are heard to exclaim, “How plain that is!”

Not so, however, with the stoical theologian. No matter how sound his doctrine or impregnable his line of reasoning, while there is nothing to break the dull monotony of his logic his congregation may be seen in various postures denoting inattention. Some will be lolling in their seats to keep from yawning, while others will have their eyes closed and heads dropped, apparently in deep meditation. Suddenly the minister says, “Now by way of illustration,” and the effect is magical. The lolling ones sit upright; the sleeping ones rub their eyes and look up, and the entire congregation is all attention. This proves the efficacy of illustration. It is just the same with Bible maps. When used in connection with the Sabbath-school lessons, they are valuable helps, and no school should be without them. Maps of different kinds and sizes can be purchased at the Office of the REVIEW AND HERALD.

PAPERS.

These are needed, even if a school has a good library. A good weekly paper, with its short, pithy paragraphs and simple illustrations of truth, is even better than the best library, as the matter contained in it is fresh every Sabbath, besides being more in accordance with the truth. The weekly INSTRUCTOR is designed for this purpose, and each church should immediately order a sufficient number of copies to supply each member of its Sabbath-school with one. They can be sent to one address, and distributed every Sabbath after the lessons are recited; this will serve as a stimulus to faithful attendance. In this way, too, the papers will come at reduced rates, and it will be much better than taking them separately outside of the school.

SINGING.

Singing is as necessary to the spiritual nature of children as that of older people, and is therefore an important exercise in the Sabbath-school. Good singing is needed, singing in which every one can take part not as a formal duty, but as a precious privilege and true delight. To secure this, a class of music adapted to the wants of the entire school is certainly necessary; and why not have uniformity in singing in our Sabbath-schools, as well as in our churches? Certainly no church would think of being without our standard hymn book, and for substantial reasons. For the same reasons our Sabbath-schools should not be without a standard singing book. The “Song Anchor” is a work of real merit. It is well adapted to the wants of old and young, and should be in every school. It can be had at the REVIEW Office, in quantities, at forty cents per copy. Single copies, fifty cents.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

The Sabbath-school, like all other institutions, in order to succeed must be supported financially. Means are needed to procure books, papers, maps, etc., without which the school fails to answer the purpose for which it was instituted. To meet these wants, a contingent fund is necessary. How to raise such a fund and keep it good has been a subject of much discussion. The most successful way yet devised is to have every member of the school each Sabbath bring a small contribution and drop it into a box prepared for that purpose. This can be done without any violation of the Sabbath commandment, when the money is provided through the week and simply carried on the Sabbath and dropped into the box as a free-will offering to the Lord. Funds will then be always on hand, and no school need be destitute of the helps needed in the training of those under its care. C.