A Word to Church Elders Elect
By Milton E. Kern
“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers.” Acts 20: 28. “All the flock” includes the lambs. Every man who has made sufficient progress in Christian experience to act as a church elder, knows that Christian life is maintained by Christian activity; that Christian service is the logical outworking of Christ within, and that he himself would backslide if he made no effort for the salvation of others. What is true in these respects of the adult Christian is doubly true of the young disciple. The emotions of his life must work themselves out in some concrete expression. Herein lies the whole philosophy of the young people’s societies. The restless energy which is so often a source of danger to the young, can be so directed that it will flow out in streams of blessing to a sin-sick world. See “The Desire of Ages,” page 640. Our church elders should ever keep the following instruction in mind: “Very much has been lost to the cause of God by a lack of attention to the young. . . . When the youth give their hearts to God, your care for them should not cease. Lay some special responsibility upon them. Make them feel that they are expected to do something. The Lord chooses them because they are strong. Teach them to labor in a quiet, unpretending way for their young companions. Let different branches of the missionary work be laid out systematically, and let instruction and help be given, so that the young may learn to act a part. Thus they will grow up to be workers for God.”—“Gospel Workers,” pages 278, 279. In order to help the whole church to carry out this instruction the Missionary Volunteer Department was organized. And our young people have responded splendidly. We want 1915 to be the banner year of our Missionary Volunteer movement. Whether it is or not will depend very largely on our church elders. Hearty encouragement from them goes a long way toward making the Missionary Volunteer work in the churches a success. A lack of interest on their part, or a few words of criticism, blights the courage of the youth like a hot wind. The leaders of the church in North America believe that “our young people constitute an important factor in the working force of this denomination,” and in recent session the North American Division Conference Committee suggested the following as the goal to be reached by the Missionary Volunteer Department in 1915:— - 1,000 new members of Attainment.
- 2,000 young people added to the church and to our Missionary Volunteer organization.
- 2,000 young people to read the Bible through.
- 3,000 Reading Course certificates issued.
- $25,000 for missions given through the Missionary Volunteer Societies.
These are large tasks, but our motto still is, “We can do it, and we will.” But we cannot do it without the help of our church elders and other experienced workers. First of all, we must work and pray to the end that at least two thousand of the ten or twelve thousand unconverted youth in America shall be brought into the fold during the year. May God grant that there may be many more. I have been told that there are churches where no definite effort has been made for the conversion of the youth for years. If you do not know what to do, pray, and seek counsel. Then there are the three educational items of the goal. If you do not fully understand what the Standard of Attainment means, please send at once for literature, and inform yourselves. The educational features of our Missionary Volunteer work are having a tremendous influence in molding the lives of our youth. By these means we reach the young people where they are, and set into operation influences that help to fix their ideals for life. One of the best ways to encourage is by example. It has been my happy privilege within the last year to sign several Standard of Attainment certificates for conference presidents. A knowledge of the Reading Course books will be a great aid to you in encouraging your young people to start on a course of good reading. One thing surely you will do—read the Bible through during the year. We purpose to publish a short introduction to each book of the Bible, and other helpful notes in the Instructor week by week. Will you not soon set before your church the great value of this plan, and get as many as will to unite with you in this reading? It is astonishing how much can be done when it is done regularly, even though only a few minutes a day may be devoted to it. The Bible can be read through in one year by reading three chapters each week day and five on Sabbath.22 At the beginning of the organized young people’s work we laid no special plans for money raising. But we soon began to receive requests from societies that they might support a missionary or present some concrete gift to some mission enterprise. We answered these requests by suggesting opportunities for such service. Then some conferences and union conferences made requests for missionaries or fields to support. This all led to the adoption last year of a definite financial goal for the North American Division, and the assignment to the various parts of this field of definite enterprises to support. The response has been good, and the North American Division Committee has set the same goal, $25,000, for the year 1915. Surely this is an important feature of the work of the Missionary Volunteer Society, which is a training school for young Christians. The Lord has told us to honor him with our substance, and it is very essential not only that our children and youth learn the value of money, but that they learn to economize and to sacrifice in order that they may give to God’s cause. Will not our church elders plan definitely with the society leaders in regard to a financial policy for the societies? Everything that is raised by them counts on the Twenty-cent-a-week Fund. The young people will gladly assume responsibilities along this line, I am sure. And best of all, they will develop under such responsibilities, and will learn by experience that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” As general officers of the Missionary Volunteer work we wish it might be possible to meet personally every church elder in America, and join with these elders in pledging to do our utmost to make 1915 the banner year of our Missionary Volunteer work. Surely it cannot be otherwise. Let us, then, as church and Missionary Volunteer officers, wherever our place of labor may be, “Expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God.”