How May We Best Work for Our Young People at Camp-Meeting?
By B. E. HUFFMAN
The success of our efforts for our young people at camp-meeting depends largely upon the way we begin our work. I would, therefore, suggest that we begin by planning definitely for the young people's work, and be sure that the object of the meeting is understood by those chosen to work for the young people. This object, considered from the viewpoint of our young people, “is to attain a higher Christian experience, to advance in the knowledge of God, to become strengthened with spiritual vigor”; and unless this is realized, the meetings will, in a measure, be a failure to our young people. Considered from the viewpoint of our young people's workers, this object is stated as follows: “The ministers should teach the people how to come to the Lord and how to lead others to him. Methods must be adopted, plans must be carried out, whereby the standard shall be uplifted, and the people shall be taught how they may be purified from iniquity and elevated by adherence to pure and holy principles.” “Those who teach the word must themselves live in hourly contact, in conscious, living communion with God.” “They should keep in the very atmosphere of the meetings, becoming acquainted with the people as they come in and go out, showing the utmost courtesy and kindness, and tender regard for their souls. They should be ready to speak to them in season, and out of season, watching to win souls.” The young people's workers should become personally acquainted with each young person on the ground, and recognize him whenever he meets him. “It is acquaintance that awakens sympathy, and sympathy is the spring of effective ministry.” As a rule, too many meetings, I believe, are held daily in our camp-meetings, or if not too many meetings, they are often held too long. Our youth are expected to attend all the meetings held for the older people, and one or two others especially for them. Not being used to sitting in meeting all day, they will leave the services, pair off and go to the city, or wander aimlessly about the camp. This opens the door for many evils to creep in which defeat much of the good the camp-meeting should do for our young people. From “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. VI, we quote: “Do not immediately follow one discourse with another, but let a period of rest intervene, that the truth may be fastened in the mind, and that opportunity for meditation and prayer may be given for both ministers and people.” A definite program should be followed in all our camp-meeting work, and the services should begin and close on time. Two meetings for our young people should be held each day. The first should be a devotional service, and the second should be given to teaching the young people how to seek the Lord and how to lead others to him. “Every day—the early morning hour is the best time—a praise meeting should be held, a simple service of thanksgiving to God. There would be much more power in our camp-meetings if we had a true sense of the goodness, mercy, and long-suffering of God, and if more praise flowed forth from our lips to the honor and glory of his name.”—Id. The afternoon young people's meetings should give special attention to teaching the young people how to be soul winners, and those who are Christians should be organized into bands or companies for prayer and for service. In this work we should plan for permanent results. We should not work alone to see a large number of young people converted at camp-meeting. If this is the extent of our purpose, we shall fail in a large degree of holding our young people in the truth. Too long have we as ministers been losing the results of our labor by leaving our new converts before they are well established in the truth. Let us no longer serve our own young people in this manner. The instruction given and the plans on which the young people are set to work should be such as they can use not only at camp-meeting but in their home churches. This may necessitate devoting one or two of the afternoon young people's meetings to reports from representative young people from the various societies and churches in the conference, in order that the workers may know the conditions with which our young people are surrounded. In fact, I believe that such reports are as inspiring and helpful to the young people as to those in charge of the meetings. Our young people should be inspired with a zeal for a place in the Lord's work. They should be made to feel that the Lord has need of them, for he has a definite place for each one in his work. They should be talked with personally about their place in the work, and encouraged to enter upon the work for which they are fitted, or to attend school to receive such further education and training as may be needed. Influences should be set to work which will bind our young people to the State young people's secretary and conference president. These influences should be followed up by regular correspondence and other means of communication. Every young person at camp-meeting should be made to feel that the State secretary and conference president are his personal friends, those to whom he can come for encouragement and counsel at any time. Our young people are more anxious than we think, many times, to know the course to follow in order to steer clear of the hidden rocks upon which many are dashed to pieces. Our secretaries should be active in searching for these souls. I believe that at the same hour we hold our afternoon young people's meeting, a children's meeting and a parents' meeting should be held. If, while our children and youth are being instructed, some good father or mother in Israel who has made a success of rearing a family, should give instruction to our parents, the prevailing influences in many homes might be greatly improved, and the parents would work more intelligently for the education and salvation of their children.