Figure 1.-- This is a Children's Special Service beach mission at Bridlington in Yorkshire. Bridlington is a coastal town on the Holderness North Sea coast. It was about 25 miles north of Hull, an important fishing port. Bridlington also had a small fishing port specializing in shellfish. The tourist trade was a major summer activity. The photograph is not dated, but looks like the 1910s.

The Children's Special Service Mission (CSSM) was organized (1867). It is now known as the Scripture Union. It was founded by Thomas 'Pious' Hughes and Josiah Spiers in Islington, London. This like the Salvation Army was both evangelical and ecumenical. It proved very popular with chidren because it was less formal than Sunday Schools of the day and sought to put together fun activities. The CSSM attracted children who often brought friends from other churches. CSSM developed into into an international movement that included both actual buildings as well as popular beach missions. They became especially known for their very vissible beach missions. They were organized by volunteers from different churches who were called Missioners. They go out and set up tents at popular seaside resorts during the summer holidays. There are sites where large number of people were already present. The beach missions were commonly for 2 weeks. The Missioners to keep expenes low, lived in tents and caravan parks. Marquees were set up for both daytime and night meetings. There were activities for children, teenagers, and adults. A Leader wa in charge of each mission and Sub-Leaders managed the various activities. In some seaside towns like Sheringham in Norfolk, the volunteers had access to large houses for accmodations. Parents on holiday saw beach mission as a safe and wholesome place for children to spend part of thir day. The children were provided with fun activities and the parents had a little free time to be on their own. As the children had fun, they commonly asked to participate while at the resort and when they retuned in sucessive years. One source describes a typical day which began at about "8.00 am with 'Gold Diggers' where a volunteer and a small class of children would meet and discuss a short section of the Bible. From this section everyone would then pick a 'password' - which was a sentence or part thereof of the section. Throughout the day attending children and volunteers would challenge each other to remember both the password and where in the Bible it came from. Later on in the morning there would be a service on the beach. The pulpit would be made of sand and a text would be added made up of brightly painted metal bottle tops. Instead of hymns, short choruses would be sung by all those attending. A story would be told by the volunteer chosen to host the service of the day. It was so much more fun than Sunday School and children learned about Jesus and the Christian faith through happiness and example." Music was an important part of the program. The children did not have to spend all day with the program, but could come and go as they or their parents desired. Often arrangements were made with nearby churches to use their facilities for activites like a dance.

Children's Special Service Mission (CSSM)

The Children's Special Service Mission (CSSM) was organized (1867). It is now known as the Scripture Union. It was founded by Thomas 'Pious' Hughes and Josiah Spiers in Islington, London. This like the Salvation Army was both evangelical and ecumenical.

Popularity with Children

The CSSM proved very popular with chidren because it was less formal than Sunday Schools of the day and sought to put together fun activities. The CSSM attracted children who often brought friends from other churches. CSSM developed into into an international movement that included both actual buildings as well as their bpopular beach missions.

Beach Missions

The CSSM became especially known for their very vissible beach missions. They were organized by volunteers from different churches who were called Missioners. They go out and set up tents at popular seaside resorts during the summer holidays. There are sites where large number of people were already present. The beach missions were commonly for 2 weeks. The Missioners to keep expenes low, lived in tents and caravan parks. Marquees were set up for both daytime and night meetings. There were activities for children, teenagers, and adults. A Leader wa in charge of each mission and Sub-Leaders managed the various activities. In some seaside towns like Sheringham in Norfolk, the volunteers had access to large houses for accmodations. Parents on holiday saw beach mission as a safe and wholesome place for children to spend part of thir day. The children were provided with fun activities and the parents had a little free time to be on their own. As the children had fun, they commonly asked to participate while at the resort and when they retuned in sucessive years. One source describes a typical day which began at about "8.00 am with 'Gold Diggers' where a volunteer and a small class of children would meet and discuss a short section of the Bible. From this section everyone would then pick a 'password' -- which was a sentence or part thereof of the section. Throughout the day attending children and volunteers would challenge each other to remember both the password and where in the Bible it came from. Later on in the morning there would be a service on the beach. The pulpit would be made of sand and a text would be added made up of brightly painted metal bottle tops. Instead of hymns, short choruses would be sung by all those attending. A story would be told by the volunteer chosen to host the service of the day. It was so much more fun than Sunday School and children learned about Jesus and the Christian faith through happiness and example." Music was an important part of the program. The children did not have to spend all day with the program, but could come and go as they or their parents desired. Often arrangements were made with nearby churches to use their facilities for activites like a dance.

Created: 2:28 PM 7/24/2016
Last updated: 9:43 PM 12/23/2018