Organizing and Building Up the Sunday School: Modern Sunday School ManualsHurlbut, Jesse Lyman
Religion
Organizing and Building Up the Sunday School: Modern Sunday School Manuals
Hurlbut, Jesse Lyman
Sunday schools
3. =Relation to the Church.= However independent of the church
organization the Sunday school may have been in its beginnings, and
however self-dependent some union Sunday schools may of necessity be in
certain churchless regions, the general fact is established that the
Sunday school as an institution belongs to the church, is under the care
of the church, has a claim upon moral and financial support by the
church, should be a feeder to the membership of the church, and should
gratefully accept the supervision of the church. It should regard itself
and be recognized by all as in many ways the most important department
of the church.
4. =Government.= All power must be under direction, and the mighty
energies of the Sunday school especially need a wise, strong guidance.
In the general management of the Sunday school two elements should be
recognized: (1) the rights of the workers and (2) the authority of the
church.
(1) It must ever be kept in mind that the Sunday school is an army of
volunteers. Its workers are men and women who of their own accord give
to the school without compensation their gift of service. Those who make
such a contribution to the success of the Sunday school should certainly
have a voice in its management.
(2) But it is not to be forgotten, on the other side, that the Sunday
school is not superior to the church, nor independent of it, but
subsidiary to it; hence the church should be able to exercise some
control over the school if such control shall ever be needed. For
example, in the choice of a superintendent, who is the executive officer
of the school, the ruling body of the local church and the working body
of teachers and officers should unite. No one should undertake to
conduct a church Sunday school unless he thus has the definite assurance
that his teachers are with him, and that his church is officially
supporting him.
5. =Officers.= Little need be said here on this subject, for it is one
with which every worker is familiar.
(1) There must be a leader, or manager, the executive head of the
school, who is universally styled the superintendent. If we were
organizing a new institution, and not describing one already world-wide
and with officers already named by common usage and consent, we would
prefer that the executive of the Sunday school receive the title of
Principal or Director; but the somewhat awkward word Superintendent is
settled upon him, and will remain.
(2) There must also be an assistant superintendent, or more than one, as
the size of the school may demand. The better title is associate
superintendent, as is now given in the larger number of well-organized
schools. The superintendent should have the privilege of nominating his
own associates or assistants, the nominations to be confirmed by the
board of teachers and officers.
(3) There will be a secretary, with such assistants as he may require,
to be nominated by the secretary and confirmed by the teachers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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