p. 20 | An Opportunity

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Feb 27, 1908

An Opportunity

“To everything there is a season.” The day which has been set apart by the General Conference for the consideration, in all our churches, of the young people’s work is almost here. It has been said that great men see great things where other people see small things. Will not every wide-awake church see in the appointment of this Missionary Volunteer day a great opportunity to advance the advent message? Let every church on Sabbath, March 7, be in line, with a well-prepared program. Let the young people know that this is their day, and this will in itself bind the hearts of the children a little closer to the church.

Suggestive Program for Missionary Volunteer Day

NOTE.— Let the elder of the church, leader of the Young People’s Society (if there is one), and the superintendent of the Sabbath-school act as a committee to make arrangements in regard to the observance of Missionary Volunteer day. Where there is no Society, some young person of the church may be chosen to act on the committee. The following program should be adapted to suit local conditions. The readings should be assigned to persons who can read well, and are deeply interested in the work. Let all topics be assigned long enough before to give time for preparation. Be thorough and definite in all arrangements. The readings suggested for the forenoon session are published in the Instructor of March 3.

FORENOON SESSION

1. Music.

2. Reading: “History of the Young People’s Work,” by Mrs. L. Flora Plummer.

3. Reading: “A Preparation for Efficient Service,” by Mrs. E. G. White.

4. Reading: “The Young People’s Missionary Volunteer Department of Our Work,” by M. E. Kern. (The Outlines given should be written on the blackboard or on large sheets of paper.)

5. Offering.

AFTERNOON SESSION

1. Music as Arranged.

2. Reading of Letter from Conference Missionary Volunteer Secretary.

3. Discussion of Recommendations in the Secretary’s Letter.

4. Bible and Testimony Study on Good Reading.

5. The Value of Good Books and the Necessity of a Crusade against Harmful Literature. (See Leaflet, Missionary Volunteer Series, No. 2.)

6. Plans for Our Library. (Maybe a report of a committee on this work.)

7. Question Box, conducted by the leader, with opportunity for discussion. (Questions should be handed in not later than the close of the forenoon session.)

The Offering

Some of our churches have libraries for the young people, which are proving very helpful. Every church ought to have one. One third of the offering on Missionary Volunteer day is to be retained in the church for the purpose of establishing or adding to a church library. How many churches will put forth earnest efforts to start a good library? Few sense the awful results of bad literature. We must work on positive lines and furnish wholesome reading for our young people, which will build them up. A leaflet recently published (Missionary Volunteer Series No. 2) will be helpful to our young people. It has in it a list of one hundred good books. It can be obtained from the Conference Missionary Volunteer Secretary or from the General Conference Missionary Volunteer Department. One of the greatest needs of our Missionary Volunteer Department is that of proper facilities for carrying forward our work. The young people we believe will be glad for the opportunity to help equip these departments devoted to their own work. The remaining two thirds of the offering is to be devoted to this purpose, being divided equally between the General, union, and local conference Missionary Volunteer Departments. This part of the offering should be forwarded to the local conference treasury, where one third will be kept for the use of the Conference Missionary Volunteer Department, one third sent to the union conference, and one third to the General Conference treasury.