The rose is a Sunday school, humble in its beginning; the lonely place is Elizabeth, South Australia. Literally speaking this is not a lonely place for Elizabeth is a satellite city to Adelaide. It was established in 1955 with its civic centre 18 miles from the G.P.O. and already boasts a population of 31,000. We are told by the authorities that within the next decade this figure could increase six-fold.
Of this rapidly increasing number (of people only a dozen or so Christadeiphian brethren and sisters reside in the area as yet. Nevertheless in 1962 a serious approach was made to the Arranging Brethren of the Adelaide ecclesia for assistance in establishing a Sunday school. The ecclesia had already purchased a block of land at Elizabeth with a view to building a place of worship when conditions were favourable.
The result of these negotiations was that arrangements for the use of a Hall owned by the Education Department were made and on 7th October, 1962, the first school was conducted. The scholars, eleven in number, were the children of the brethren and sisters in the area. The staff comprised those of the local brethren having the ability to do this work and a number of willing teachers from Adelaide.
Early in 1963 door-to canvasses were carried out in the vicinity of the school, yielding a further twenty scholars. Of this total enrollment of 31, average attendances of 25 have been maintained, which is felt to be satisfactory for the present. A further feature of this school is the formation of an adult Bible study group held concurrently with the class period. This caters for brethren and sisters who may have to accompany their children on account of distance and also for interested folk who may have been contacted by the Gospel Extension Society or privately.
As has been the experience with other pioneering ventures of this nature elsewhere, the facilities to call for and transport the children of non-Christadeiphian families to school are a great asset. It is believed that if the means are found to increase our capacity to do this the size of the Elizabeth Sunday school may be considerably increased.
However, the standard of the new scholars gained has been pleasing and teachers have found a gratifying response. In all these humble efforts it is felt that God’s blessing has been with the work.
If the Lord delays his coming, surely a numerous and growing community such as this is a promising place to raise a light-stand for the Truth. At present Elizabeth is a lonely place for those who would proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom, but as the humble beginnings of a Sunday school have been blessed with some success, so in days to come great work may be preformed here and good fruit brought forth to the honour and glory of His Holy Name.
Fellowship with the Maker and Brethren