Evangelism for the Young
During the past twenty years there has been a remarkable uprising of the young people of the Church of Christ. Those who have studied the movement carefully have not only thanked God for what has been accomplished but they must also have been impressed with the fact that he is moving and working with and through the young people as he has always worked with his own in the different movements of the Church.
With the beginning of this special work there was aroused the greatest amount of enthusiasm. The churches in some instances were transformed by the infusion of new life into all of the services. The local, state and international gatherings where methods were discussed and great speakers addressed mighty throngs of hearers were unparalleled in the history of the Church, certainly during the past century.
Naturally enough this enthusiasm after a while began to run in other channels than those 151 marked out in the past and in view of this diere were some who said that the movement was waning and that the time would soon come when the young people’s societies would either be wiped out of existence or God would call to the front some one leader who should be able to call the members to follow his leadership in another direction. This it seems to me is far from true. I have studied the movements most carefully, have been closely identified with them for the past few years and have no hesitation in saying that while there is a change in the emphasis of the work there is no real diminution of interest As the Rev. Francis E. Clark, the founder of the Qmstian Endeavor Society said recently, “the Christian Endeavorers have simply gotten their second wind and are now prepared for a more effective and successful race.”
It is my firm conviction that in the matter of Bible study, missionary effort, rescue mission service, and in general and consecrated endeavor throughout our land, the young people’s societies are in better condition to-day then ever before, so far as real blessing to the Church is concerned.
In view of what has been accomplished in the past may not these societies be organized most effectively for evangelistic effort?
With reference to this open door now so far ajar before the young people of our churches, the following suggestions may be made:
First: Call the officers of the society together to meet with the pastor and the officers of the church, at which time there should be laid upon the young people the special responsibility of some organized effort in behalf of the young.
Second: Let the pastor make an appeal to all the members of the society to adopt the suggestions made to them by their leaders.
Third: Particularly emphasize the necessity of asking that special individuals be prayed for by name and that definite objects of service be placed before the members.
Fourth: Have frequent meetings with those who pledge themselves to such service, listen carefully to their reports and offer words of suggestion and encouragement.
Fifth: Have a time limit for the special effort to be made, say for three or six months. The particular advantage in this is that the young people, while they may be interested in a movement which is to extend for years through the church, would feel a burden of responsibility for that work which stretches out before them for a definite period. There is no question at all but what if these suggestions should be followed, modified as they must be to meet the condition of the local church, that a most effective work would be done.
The Sunday-School.
Good work has been accomplished within the past few years in the almost universal observance of decision day in the Sunday-schools, the idea being that a special day be set apart, when the scholar old enough to take such a stand should be urged to accept Christ as a Saviour.
It is quite true that some objection has been made to such a day, the objectors stating that every day should be one of decision in the Sunday-school. While this is true as a theory it is rarely worked out in practice, and since every day is not one of decision why not set apart at least one Sunday in the year when such an effort should be made; two Sundays would be better and three would be better still.
This plan for the leading of the young people to Christ has been tried and proven throughout the world and has the advantage of having the almost universal approval of Sunday-school workers everywhere.
One of the best illustrations of the working of the plan has been found in the experience of the Rev. T. V. Moore, D. D., of Omaha, Nebraska. He writes as follows:
I. The Preparation. — This is a most important part of the work. I first got my superintendent into my study alone, explained the plan to him, got his ready consent to try it, and gave him the leaflet to read. That meeting was on Sunday, January 26th. We fixed the day for decision day four weeks later, on Sunday, February 23d. This was in order to get time for prayer and preparation. We two agreed together that we would pray daily until then for God’s blessing on the effort. The following Sunday, February 2d, after Sunday-school, we got all the teachers and officers together and laid the matter before them. They all entered heartily into the plan, and agreed to pray daily for its success and for the individual members of their classes and to do personal work among them.
For the regular weekly teachers’ meetii preceding decision day, which is held on WediKSday evening, just before prayer-meeting, a special efibrt was made to get out every teacher and officer. The pastor led the meeting. Instead of the lesson study that evening, the time was given to the consideration of the special work of the coming Sunday. The subject of early decision was considered from the standpoint of personal experience. Out of twenty-four teachers and officers present, nineteen were found to have confessed Christ and come into the church before the se of twenty years; many of these were before the age of fifteen, and some as early as their eleventh year. They were asked to say frankly whether they thought they had made a mistake in coming so early, to the Lord’s table. No one thought so concerning himself Attention was then called to the number in our school not in the church and to the importance of getting them early to decide for Christ, and to confess him. The procedure for the following Sunday was discussed in detail It was agreed that there must be no merely emotional appeal to any; that in the case of younger children there must be no urging to public acts of committal; but that pressure should be laid for all on the one point of personal decision for Christ; the door should be opened for all to come to the Lord’s table who so desired; and the older ones should be urged to some overt act of confession and committal of themsdves to Christ then and there. A card to be used by the teachers in this work was read and its terms exactly explained. (See below.) The one subject was to be that of personal acceptance of Christ. All subsidiary questions and all diflRculties as to joining the church or concning some particular church were to be set aside for future determination by each pupil. This work as far as signing cards and making any public expression were concerned, was to be confined to the intermediate and adult departments. Prayer was made for the coming Sunday. Meanwhile nothing had been said to the pupils about decision day. They came to school expecting nothing out of the usual course.
II. The Day, — When the day arrived, February 23d, the pastor preached in the morning to the congregation a sermon, addressed rather to adults than to the children, on “Christ’s claim on Childhood” (“Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not “). The superintendent opened the school with devotional services, choosing evangelistic hymns like “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” He then in a few words told the intermediate and adult classes what was proposed for that day, — that the teaching of the regular lesson would be set aside and a more important matter made the subject of consideration in those classes: namely, our personal relation to Christ.
The pastor then spoke briefly, urging decision for Christ and open confession of him.
The teachers were then given their classes for about fifteen or twenty minutes, in order that each teacher might appeal personally to each pupil to decide for Christ, then and there. For this work the cards furnished the teachers were to be used. The cards read:
l acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Lord, and I trust in him as my Saviour. From this day, by God’s help I will follow him. Name
Address
While this work was going on in the intermediate classes, the adult classes (all of whom were church members) were taken by the pastor into a smaller room apart and there spent the time in special intercession in behalf of the teachers and the pupils in the main room.
The pastor then called the school to order and took charge. He brought in the adult classes. He again made a brief appeal for, and urged the necessity of immediate decision for Christ, reminding them that it would be some day too late. He then called on one or two older men for testimonies as Christians. Men were chosen to speak for the reason that boys are harder to reach on such an occasion than girls, and the testimony of men would have more influence with boys than that of women. He then asked all church members present to stand. He then asked all who desired to be Christians but had not confessed Christ to stand with the others. Almost the entire school rose. To test them farther and see whether they would stand out alone, he had all seated and then invited all who had signed cards but who had not otherwise confessed Christ and who desired to do so and to be his followers to rise again and stand alone. Again almost the entire school not already communicants rose. Among them were two or three girls of sixteen or eighteen.
who sat in the organ loft and had to stand up in the face of the whole school. The teachers were then asked to secure the names and addresses of all who had risen but had not signed cards and to pass in these together with the signed cards.
There was no conspicuous manifestation of feeling, and absolutely no commotion or outward excitement. Indeed, the pastor was somewhat apprehensive as to whether there was enough emotion, as much as would be natural on such an occasion, if there was a realization of its meaning. All such fears, however, were dispelled by what he afterwards learned.
III. Afterwards; Conserving the Fruits. — The real work was now only begun. Counting four or five cards which came in during the next two weeks, seventy-six had signed the cards, or given in their names without signing. These must be dealt with individually by the pastor. They must be examined, instructed and brought, if possible, intelligently into the full communion of the church. Their parents also must be seen. And this must be done without delay. The next communion was to be on Easter Sunday, five weeks hence. Towards this time the pastor
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had determined to work as an object point of final decision. Accordingly, before dismissing the school on decision day, the pastor appointed a meeting immediately after school for all who had signed the cards or stood up, to arrange for future conferences with him.
First at this meeting he told as many as could do so to tell their parents what they had done, ask their wishes and come back at six o’clock that evening to talk with him. About thirty came with each of whom the pastor had personal conversation, learning what each meant by signing the card. They generally said they signed the card for just what it said. He found that most of them meant that they wanted to be Christians and to join the church and that most of the parents were willing.
Second, the pastor arranged to have classes for the instruction of these young people (as is his custom preparatory to conmiunioh) in the great truths of salvation and the leading duties of the Christian life, in order that as many as wished to do so might intelligently come to the Lord’s table. There were two of these classes appointed, one on Tuesday afternoon for the younger, and one on Friday evening for the older pupils. After evening service on decision day, he distributed the names to adult volunteer workers, who should see each child and its parents, explain the situation and secure the child’s attendance at one of these classes. The pastor also himself spent the next two or three days entirely in visiting practically every parent, to explain what was being done, to ask their help and to secure the child for the classes. He made upwards of seventy calls, and found almost universal approval on the parents’ part. He also got a good opportunity to talk to parents not professing Christians, and with eifect The course of instruction embraced five lessons and was completed in four weeks. The fifth week, just before Easter, was taken up with special devotional and evangelistic meetings every evening. Between fifty and sixty members of the Sunday-school attended these classes for instruction. Those members of the classes who wished to come to communion, towards the end of the four weeks instruction met the session, as the pastor thought them prepared to do so.
IV. Results, — The figures are as nearly exact as I can make them at this time, and are accurate, I think; certainly they are substantially correct. Out of seventy-six who signed cards or gave in their names, fifty-three came to the classes, besides some others who had not signed cards. Of the seventy-six who signed cards, eighteen never took any further interest, but showed in conversation that their signing had been without proper appreciation of what they did. Of the remaining fifty-eight, four were kept back by their parents, one by illness, one or two united with another church. On the other hand, others were drawn into the classes and the church who had not signed cards. On Easter Sunday fifty-six persons were received into Westminster Church. Of this number forty-four were by confession of Christ; of this forty-four, thirty-nine were members of the Sunday-school; and of the others who came on the same occasion, by letter and confession, a great majority, I think, were reached and brought in through the influence of the Sunday-school and particularly as the result of decision day.
Just after communion Sunday the pastor called together his session and distributed to the elders the names of the new members, making it the duty of each elder to exercise special watch and care over certain particular persons, to observe their attendance at church and their general attention to their Christian duties. He also gave the names of the younger ones to the Endeavor Societies, and tried to get them all into the one or other society according to their age. He followed up communion Sunday with a sermon on Steadfastness, using the Parable of the Sower and the four different soik. And he took occasion also in that sermon to lay upon the consciences of parents, and especially of fathers, that the responsibility for their children’s perseverance and growth in the Christian life rested primarily on them, the church and the pastor being the parents’ helpers, and the mother alone being seriously hindered by a father’s indifference.
V. Pointers. — I would emphasize the following points in reference to decision day:
I. Its value. I believe it to be an admirable institution. Young people ought to be brought to a point of decision. They may otherwise drift on indefinitely. One or more days in the year especially used for that purpose will insure this being done. Pastors and teachers themselves are apt to postpone pressing the issue closely. This arouses them to the effort. Other features of the day are valuable: The preparatoryprayer, the careful and detailed arrangement of the whole plan, the common practical purpose, the united effort, the presentation of Christ’s claim as a matter and in a manner requiring immediate individual decision, the personal work secured from teachers and others, the example of companions who make the decision, are good in themselves and all conspire to make every effort of every one the most effective possible and the day memorable to all. The effort for and interest in their children also give a closeness of access, to many unbelieving parents and awaken their consciences as hardly anything else will. Decision day is good for the school, good for the teachers, good for the pastor, good for the parents, good for the church.
2. There should be no hurry or extemporaneous effort. The work should be taken in hand well in advance of the day, plenty of time allowed, and every detail should be carefully planned. And then, having planned your work, work your plan.
3. The work must be begun, continued and followed up in prayer. Prayer, prayer, prayer, is the absolute essential of success.
4. The pastor should lead and direct from the beginning to the end.
5. Merely emotional appeals are not necessary or desirable. They must be avoided and the conscience sought Children are easily swept away by mere emotion or by undue pressure into acts which are without permanent significance and essentially insincere.
6. Individualizing is of the essence of the plan. Neither the school nor the separate classes mus be dealt with in the aggregate. Personal work with each individual pupil must be done, first by the teacher and afterwards by the pastor.
7. Careful examination and instruction must follow on decision. Some sifting process is always necessary after such a wholesale ingathering. The utmost care will not prevent some from acting inconsiderately; and the most earnest have usually but a rudimentary knowledge of even the most important Christian truths and duties, and of what it means to accept Christ and to espouse his cause.
8. Those who are found after this instruction to be serious in their purpose should be brought at once into full communion with the Church.
Delay or neglect here may prove fatal and will probably result in the loss of all the advantage that has been won by the most earnest observance of decision day.
Announcement Day. Since it may be true that in many of our Sunday-schools, scholars have signed the inquirers card, might it not be well to have one or more days set apart, when it is only possible after careful training and with the consent of their parents or guardians, should sooner show determination to identify themselves with the Church, it is believed if such a day or days should be observed, that many results would be speedily apparent.