Opening of A New Mission Room At Rushden
On Tuesday evening the new mission room recently built on Higham Hill was opened by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese. A tea for about 100. was provided in the room at four o'clock, the admission being by tickets, which had been distributed by the Rev. Canon Barker to the residents of the neighbouring houses. After tea, the Bishop of Peterborough arrived from Wollaston, attended by the Rev. Canon Barker. He was received at the entrance of the mission room by Mrs. Barker, Rev. E. Templeman (vicar of Higham Ferrers), and the Rev. J. A. Lecker (curate of Rushden). The dedication service, a very suitable and impressive one, immediately commenced by the singing of a hymn, after which the Rector offered prayer, which was followed by a short address from the Bishop, in which he alluded to the great increase of the parish and its growing prosperity, and the need of such a room to supply the spiritual wants of the district. The Bishop observed that people were eager enough to provide for all temporal wants, while for their spiritual necessities they were less solicitous. The room was quite full, and amongst others from Rushden and the neighbourhood we noticed the Rev. J. A. and Mrs. Geldart, Miss Wright, Mrs. Currie, Miss Currie, Miss Mason, and others.

In the evening the service in the parish church was well attended, the church being well filled. The service was quite plain, the psalms only being chanted. On ascending the pulpit the Bishop stated that his address, although it would be delivered in the presence of them all, was not intended to apply to all, but he was going to address the church-workers, those of the laity who have given their time and energy to church work,—that he was going to speak to them a few words of encouragement. As the first minister in this diocese, he thought it was only right that he should invite them to hear a few words from him, and it was one of the first duties of his office to strengthen and confirm them in their work. He spoke from the passage where the Lord Jesus sent out the 70 evangelists, who, he said, were the lay representatives of that time. The Church was a great society, and had rules and orders of its own; and for the good of the Church it was necessary that the work of the Church should be done in order, the same as in any other society. He then in his own forcible way pointed out some of the work of the laity. Although the laity could not preach with authority in the parish church, or administer the Sacraments yet they could visit the people at their own homes, and introduce them to the minister and read to them, and in cases where he approved they could also preach in rooms set apart for the purpose. He was glad the opinion that the clergy were the only church workers was fast disappearing, he hoped never to come back again, as the laity could no more neglect their duty than the clergy could theirs without injury to the Church. Teaching the young was another duty of the laity, and the distribution of the alms collected in the church should be also undertaken by them, as the minister should be kept as free from all money matters as could be. The duties of the churchwardens were then noticed, the Bishop remarking that they were to be a link between the people and the parson. All church work should be done in the church method, and in due order. God forbid that he should say there was no good work done outside the Church, but on that occasion he had to deal with Churchmen, and, added his lordship, every man should be able to give a reason why he was a Churchman. He did not believe in those sort of men who did not see any difference between Church and Dissent, but thought on the contrary that every church worker should be earnest and true to the Church as their spiritual mother. He concluded by reminding them of the triumph that would attend work done in the right spirit for the Master. Hymn 274 was then sung, and the Benediction concluded the service. A collection was made towards the purchase of a bell for the new mission room.

THE MISSION HALL—A new Sunday School in connection with the new Mission Hall, has recently been opened, under the direction of the Rector. Although there are so many schools, there was evidently one required for this neighbourhood, and between twenty and thirty scholars have already attended. The school is under the superintendence of the Misses Hume, who have received valuable assistance from Mrs. A. Cave, Mrs. Smith, Miss M. Williamson, and it is hoped that the school may be a benefit to the locality.