Reports of Gospel Work and Other Assembly Activities

RINGWOOD, ST. IVES

There is some concern at thesmall number attending the gospel meetings and consideration is being given tothe matter of moving the Hall nearer to the town, or if possible to a site on a new housing estate. Prayer is requested that the right step may be takenandthat, if a suitable site is found. Town Planning diffi-culties may be overcome.

RYDE, ISLE OF WIGHT

Major repairs to a Hall can be an almost insoluble problemto a very small assembly.The state of repair of the Hall at Ryde was almost such asto necessitate closure. The practical interest shown by neighbouring assemblies and by those who have a link with this very old assembly has been such that the repairs arc now well in hand. We are asked to rejoice with those who rejoice in the good hand of our God.

DEVON &COHNWALL EVANGELISTIC UNIT

Since the beginning of June, Edgar Jackman has been working with this Unit in Cornwall. During the first week of the campaign good interest was shown espe-cially by the children, at Holmbush Mission Hall, a building for which the St. Austell assembly has accepted responsibility. Chil-dren’s meetings on a housing estate in St, Austell proved more difficult, because the children were not: easy to manage. The caravan was then taken to the Royal Cornwall Show at Newquay find placed on a previously arranged site on the show-field. Some interesting contacts were madeand Christians visiting the show expressed appreciation of the testimony. A quantity of literature was freely distributed and several books were sold during the two days. Althoughthere was apoor response at Chacewater, there was a good hearing at Mount Hawke and St. Day. At thesetwo places children’s meetings were a feature of the work and the mothersof some of thechildren showed interest in the meetings.

BLAGDON, SOMERSET

Derek Frost has had a series of meetings at Blagdon (Somerset) where Lie was able to hire a chapel for the purpose. He was well supported by the Christians in the district and as a result a Sunday School has been restarted alter a lapse of many years. It was in this same building that the hymn “I think when I road the sweet story of old” was first sung, havingbeen composed by the daughterof the minister who was then in charge. The building was almost, full most nights, the audience inductingseveral children, and thereis reason to believe there were a few cases of definite blessing.

BIRMINGHAM

Open-air work is beingcarried on in most of the Birmingham parks on Saturday and Sunday evenings with the help of public-address equipment. For some time the assembly at Helier Hall, North field, has been exercised with regard to their inability to get the parents of the Sunday School children into the gospel meeting, in spite of repeated invitations given through the children Sunday after Sunday. In an endeavour tointerest the parents on this large housing estate it was decided tohold a “Parents’ Day” service at 6.31) p.m. on a Sundayin July. It was duly advertised by means of a letter signed by the Sunday Schoolsuperintendent and teachers, and also by visits to the homes. The children were also encouraged to come and sing their favourite hymns, H. E. Pope, of Nuneaton, was the guest speaker and it was made a matter of special prayer. As a result over 160 children filled the Hall to capacity, the audience including about 30 parents who had never been inside the Hall before. With this encouragement it is hoped to repeat the experi-ment onfuture occasions. In July a party of children (boys and girls over 12 years of age) and helpers, about 160 in all drawn from the assemblies in and around Birmingham went for a week’s camp at Poole (Dorset).

NEWCASTLE DISTRICT

Interest in tent work has been renewed and a tent was pitched at Shiney Row, a thickly-populated colliery village about 10 miles south of Newcastle. An excellent site was acquired and con-siderable interest was shown on the part of the people, especially the children, who gathered in large numbers to hear the old, old story. The work was conducted by David Hyslop, and some children professed to believe in the Saviour. The results on the whole were encouraging, and the people of the locality expressed regret when the tent was taken down. Local Christians were helped. The tent was removed to Forest Hall, a few miles north of Newcastle, and at the opening meeting for believers suitable ministry was provided to stimulate the effort to reach the unsaved. For the first night of the gospel campaign (Sunday) the gospel broadcast from South port by R. W. Wyse, was relayed in the tent.

LANCASHIRE GOSPEL TENT

We were very sorry to hear early in July that the Lancashire GospelTent had been burnt tothe ground, but as these reports are being prepared we have received intimation that another tent has been loaned, so that the campaign planned for Leigh can be carried out by Fred Whitmore as arranged. We hope to include a report in our next issue.

WALES

A number of assemblies in South Wales carry on open-air activities in their own districtsduring the summermonths. In addition the Cardiff assemblies have been holding a United Open-Air Meeting in Cathays Park on Thursday evenings. Tract and open-air bands have also visited outlying districts. On the whole the work has been encour-aging, with some interesting personal contacts. L. H. Tranter’s visits were much appreciated during a series of meetings at Treherbert, Tonypandy and Aberdare in June and July. W. A. Norris and W. Trew commenced tent work near a large housing estate on the main Cardiff-Pontypridd road, at Hawthorn, Rhydy-felin, in July. Workers visited the homes regularly with gospel literature and invitations. Children’s meetings were well attendedand sonic strangers from the district came under the sound of the Word in the adult meetings.

NORTHERN IRELAND

For a number of years a company of brethren, drawn from variousassemblies in Belfast, lias accepted invitations to sing the gospel to sick folk both in their own homes and in hospitals. A most successful year in this worthwhile work has just ended. Through the auspices of a Sunshine Committee ten of these brethren were able to pay four Sunday-evening visits to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, and they sang hymns in six of the wards. One of their visits took place on Christmas morning. It should be noted that preaching is not allowed in this hospital. Visits were also paid to the Massereng Hospital, and the Mental Health Hospital at Muckamore, where our brethren received permission to preach as well as sing. Hospitals in Lisburn and Ballymena were also visited, and on all occasions the brethren were received in a friendly spirit by the staff and patients alike, whilst many of the latter have spoken appreciatively of the messages that went forth in song. A few visits were also paid to the homes of sick Christians, the majority of whom were aged and bedridden. Such contacts have been a source of inestimable blessing and comfort to many a weary saint. The activities of our brethren have occasionally been extended to open-air meetings, children’s meetings and young people’s meetings, all of which have been held in connection with the assemblies of the Lord’s people.

A NEW IDEA

Under this heading we included a note in our March/April issue on “bottle evan-gelism.” We now hear from the Argentine that E. G. Mann, returning to that country from England on the S.S. Alcantara, was given, by the Purser, a packet of 24 bottles each containing the gospelmessage John 3. 16, withinstructions to throw them overboard at various pointson the voyage. He did this along the coast of France, Spain, Portugal, Las Palmas, Brazil, Uruguay, etc. Within a few monthstwo of the bottles had been received and acknowledged, one of them having been carried by the Gull’ Stream as far as the North of Scotland. We are very pleasedto have this information of the effectiveness of this novel form of gospel witness.

DARNSTAPLE

Tent work in a housing estate, conducted by local brethren (splendidly sup-ported by the willing labours of sisters), attracted a large number of children, many of whom had no Christian background. There is evidence that a real work was done among them – some came forward quite voluntarily to say they had trusted Christ. Adults were difficult to reach, but two Parents’ Nights brought a number in.