Missionary Volunteer Work in Australia by E. M. JAMES

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 20, 1914

Missionary Volunteer Work in Australia

By E. M. JAMES

In the society next to our office, prayer bands have been organized for the past quarter. This phase of the young people's work in our church has brought rejoicing and encouragement to us. The bands were organized three months ago; but before they had been in operation but a few weeks, we all felt like praising the Lord for answers to prayers. Four young persons for whom we were praying, who were not Seventh-day Adventists at that time, are now whole-hearted in obeying the truth and in doing what they can to spread a knowledge of the message. The tithe that comes to us from week to week and the remarkable success of one of our canvassers for whom we pray regularly, are other very pleasing features. Our prayer bands were organized at the farewell meeting of two young men who left our society to go into the canvassing work.

Our bands meet at the close of our society meeting, and there is a good attendance in all three of them, even the little ones praying. Some of the young people who were backward about praying in public, have been wonderfully helped through these bands.

The plan to form the prayer circle for our coming camp meetings has been adopted. We look forward to the camp meeting as a time when many of the young people may make their decisions for eternity. Those who join the prayer circle are to pray every day between now and camp meeting, morning, noon, and night, for one or more young persons whom they desire to see take a definite stand for the Lord. At our last camp meeting forty-five of the young people went forward in baptism, and we are looking for even greater results this time.

We do not have the Standard of Attainment here as you do, but we have the doctrinal studies. Each quarter, examinations are taken on one subject at a time. About two hundred and fifty examination papers came in this past quarter; and we are aiming for three hundred at the end of June. We seek to place in every home a list of the texts to be learned. These are pinned in some prominent place where all can be reminded of the texts. The texts are reviewed in the Missionary Volunteer meetings every Sabbath afternoon. Some of our children write out the verses on paper or in a notebook, and carry them to school to memorize during the noon hour or on the school playground. In this way they have interested other children so that some of those not of our faith join in Bible classes and take the written examinations. Some of the younger members of the family have also interested their parents or members of the family who were not in the message, in the study of the Scriptures.

One little Chinese girl who lives next door to one of our Volunteers, has been memorizing the doctrinal texts for about twelve months. She takes her examination each quarter, and although her parents are not in the truth, they call this child in to repeat her texts to their Chinese and English friends. She is only seven years old. So we are reminded of what the Lord has said about the way he would use even children to spread a knowledge of this truth.

We have tried to keep the conference workers in touch with what is planned for the young people, and their influence has helped greatly. We have had the president of the conference present the certificates on two occasions. Last Sabbath afternoon (April 24) Elder E. H. Gates presented 107 certificates to the young people of the Sydney churches.

Our Reading Course is gaining influence. We received a shipment of two hundred and fifty books yesterday; and already I have had to send for another fifty copies. Last quarter, Reading Course enrollment slips were sent to each member of our Reading Course circle with a letter asking that each find one other reader, and return the enrollment card with the name and address. We found that this worked well; for it is only personal effort that is needed to get readers for these good books.

In order to increase our offerings, we have set an aim of £50 a quarter for the state. We encourage each society to set an aim, and also suggest one for the isolated band. In writing to the isolated members, we acquaint them with the amount that is received from time to time. Some buy our magazines and sell them again, making eight or ten shillings from the first sixpence.

We have also found it very helpful to keep the societies and isolated members in touch with the progress in the mission field to which the offerings are given. They correspond with our missionaries, and they in turn send reports of our work to the office each mail, which is once a month. We glean from these letters some items of news to be read in the meeting each week just before the offering is taken. We also have a prayer list consisting of the names of the natives who are interested in the message, all those for whom our missionaries are working. These names are distributed among the young people, each family taking the name of one person for whom to pray: then when a new list comes from our missionaries, they tell us of the progress made by these natives, naming each one and stating whether he is attending the meetings or not.

The Morning Watch Calendar is a splendid help. There are not so many using the daily reporting system as we

should like, but it is our aim to have this used by every Missionary Volunteer. We find the comparing of reports from week to week and quarter to quarter very helpful, and when the reports are given in the meeting each Sabbath, many of our leaders have the blackboard rolled up like two large report blanks on which the reports are written as they are given, and then totaled. E. M. JAMES.