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Student Christian Movement

Once more the Victoria College Student Christian Movement has had a fairly full and, on the whole, satisfactory year. While several of the cultural and intellectual clubs of the College have been complaining of a decrease in the interest formerly shown in them by the students, the active membership of the Student Christian Movement has shown an increase; the reopening of the Training College in Wellington has of course, been one of the reasons for this increase.

There has been no great change in the activities of the Movement as compared with former years. Three weekly study circles have been held, catering for various interests, as can be seen from the themes studied, namely Communism, the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, and the question of religion. The spiritual side of the Movement has not been neglected, every Monday evening students have gathered for a brief period of prayer.

Since the first meeting of the year, in the Gym., when Mr. Lex Miller and Mr. Max Riske spoke on Christianity and Dialectic Materialism respectively, most of our studies and addresses, at the College or at camps, have centred round the position of the Christian and the Church in society; we have had addresses on "The Church in Society" and "Pacifism"; at camps we have studied "The Church as a Missionary Society," "Salvation," and "The World Situation To-day."

In June we were privileged to have a visit from Rev. C. F. Andrews, of India. In a series of four addresses he outlined the need for Christian love in the world to-day, and the power of that love to transform men and to sustain them through all the vicissitudes of life. His own genial personality, brimming over with love, joy, and peace, and his own life of devoted service, added special point to his message. His visit was followed up by a meeting at which, after several students had explained what Christ mean to them, Rev. J. S. Murray gave a splendid talk on the necessity for discipline in the Christian life.

Apart from our meetings at the College, we have held since the end of the 1935 session three Sunday teas and three week-end camps. These gatherings are valuable not only for giving us opportunities of studying things spiritual and of worshipping together, but also for the opportunties they afford us of learning to understand our fellows better.

The practical side of our faith has not been neglected. The improved financial condition of the poor families we have been assisting has rendered such material assistance less necessary—though a little is still done in that direction—but we have continued to visit regularly one at least of these families. At the beginning of the year the Movement ran, as usual, its Second-hand Book Stall and its Information Bureau; and at Easter we assisted with the Tournament by providing a tea on the Sunday for the Tournament representatives.