nineteen hundred and forty-six - Amazon Web Services

SUNDAY SCHOOL BOARD 407
ing Union Department of the Sunday School Board, and all the state Training
Union secretaries will appear on this program. Capacity reservations have already
been made for all three weeks. Ridgecrest is a great factor in the promotional
program of the Training Union.
ASSOCIATIONAL PROMOTION
LEONARD E. WEDEL. Director of Associational Work
The close of the war with its release of thousands of our Southern Baptists
from military service is playing an important role in strengthening the associational
organizations. Many of these discharged service men and women already
are serving their associations as associational officers.
1. According to our records there are 915 district associations. A total of 658
of these associations are fully organized and 157 associations have at least
an associational director. This makes a total of 815 associations fully or partially
organized.
2. In 1945 there were 33 Standard associations, the largest number in our history.
This figure represents a gain of 38 per cent over 1944.
3. A total of 478 awards for the Associational Baptist Training Union Manual
were issued.
4. Associational officers' training clinics were held in every state and the District
of Columbia.
5. Every state and the District of Columbia promoted the Southern Baptist
Simultaneous Associational Training Union Mass Meetings on December 7,
1945.
6. A statistical summary of our association-wide projects promoted during 1945
in all the states of the Southern Baptist Convention is as follows:
(1) Enlargement campaigns in 68 associations
(2) Central training schools in 54 associations
(3) Simultaneous study courses in 50 associations
(4) Summer field work in 77 associations
7. The Training Union Associational Bulletin was increased from 6 pages to 8
pages in order to provide more space for helpful promotional suggestions.
8. Six states have full-time workers charged with the responsibility of associational
promotion.
Our work for the future is directed toward three great objectives:
1. To organize a Baptist Training Union in every Baptist church in the Southern
Baptist Convention.
2. To strengthen and enlarge existing organizations.
3. To provide the best material helps possible for all our Training Union leadership.
We are thankful for the fine Christian leadership of the state Training Union
secretaries and their associates. They have made possible whatever progress has
been achieved.
ADULT DEPARTMENT
CLAY I. HUDSON. Director of Adult Work
The Adult work of the Training Union made great gains in 1945.
The circulation of the Adult Union Quarterly for the fourth quarter of 1945
was 257,450. This is a gain of 30,747 over the fourth quarter of 1944.
The churches are learning that it is profitable to grade the Adult union work
more closely. Practically all churches should have at least two Adult unions,
one for adults who are in the age group from about 25 to 35, and one for the adults
36 and above. There is great progress also in departmentizing the Adult work.
All churches which can have two or more unions in the age groups as indicated
above should have two Adult departments.
Perhaps the greatest need in the educational program of our churches is to
expand and develop the Adult departments of the Training Unions. The whole
church life may be revitalized by bringing large numbers of adults into the
Training Union on Sunday evening.