p. 19 | The Great Need of Co-operation in This Work

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 22, 1910

The Great Need of Co-operation in This Work

By M. E. K.

That young people have an important part to act in the closing work of the gospel, must be clear to all; that they can not do their part of this work without hearty co-operation on the part of those who are older, must be equally apparent. “The Lord has appointed the youth to be his helping hand;” yet it is the duty of those who have been longer in the service to encourage, counsel, and train these younger workers. The work that our young people do, and, in fact, their salvation, depend largely on their being properly directed and encouraged.

Co-operation is an essential element in God's work. While there are many kinds of work to be done, requiring varied talents and experience, and while there are several departments of the Lord's work, the cause is one. “The eye can not say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.” By all members and departments doing their appointed work, and with the active sympathy and co-operation of all other members and departments, the work will be quickly finished.

Co-operation in the Home

In no part of God's work are these principles more clearly illustrated than in our young people's work. The infant comes into the home a helpless and dependent individual; and God has endowed parents with ability to mold and control the child. It is the nicest work ever given to mortal man to train the delicate, growing mind for eternity. The child must be taught obedience to constituted authority; yet the will must not be broken but trained. And as the child approaches the age with which our Missionary Volunteer work has to do, and desires to do some definite task of his own, he should be encouraged and guided. This marks the development of one of God's greatest gifts—reason and individuality.

It is an important and solemn truth that character is largely made or marred by the home life. How important, then, that father, mother, and child, constituting earth's holy trinity of relationship, should co-operate in this sacred work of character-building! How important that the home should be a place where “love lives and reigns and trains”! How important that the members of this miniature home church should unite together in doing missionary work! Parents with such ideals as these will welcome any help which can be obtained from the church or the Missionary Volunteer Department, and will keep themselves informed on the plans of the church for the upbuilding and training of the youth. With parents and homes like these, the work of the church and of the conference will be comparatively easy.

Co-operation in the Church

That the older members of the church, and church officers especially, should keep themselves informed in regard to our denominational young people's work, and should seek to co-operate with the young people in carrying out these plans, is so apparent that it scarcely needs stating. This would seem to be the very least they should do. But how often we find a lack of such interest and co-operation! Earnest efforts are being put forth by the General Conference and by the local conference Missionary Volunteer department to provide suitable Reading Courses, and to plan for Bible study, and missionary effort; yet how often these plans fall flat in the local church, for lack of earnest prayer, careful planning, and hearty encouragement on the part of church officers!

While as older members we should exercise care not to wholly do the work which the young people should do, because we might do it better, we should often be found in the young people's meetings, assisting by our presence, our prayers, and our words of encouragement. Young people are helped by words of approval. Sometimes it is necessary to reprove, but let us first commend. Go to the young leader who perhaps thinks he has made a failure, and cheer him with some words of warm approval. By so doing you may win for the church a good worker, whose efforts will bring many others to the fold. “Just an earnest whisper in the ear of a young boy or girl who has given some stammering testimony may decide the child's whole future.”

Close acquaintance with the work of the Missionary Volunteer society will prevent the repetition of some blunders that have been made when the church came to select officers for the society. The present plan of electing officers is believed to be the best and safest; but the only way that it can be successfully carried out is that the church shall be intelligent about the work of the society, and that the young people shall be represented, or have a chance to express themselves, on the nominating committee.

Conference Co-operation

All that has been said concerning the co-operation of church officers in this work could be repeated concerning conference workers. As the minister, church-school teacher, Bible worker, or canvasser goes among the young people, he should be a storehouse of information on the young people's work, and should be filled with zeal to see the young people making a success in life. He should be able to advise the youth with reference to getting an education, and how they can act a part in God's work for this time. It is not sufficient to condemn the pernicious reading indulged in by many of our youth. We should present to them a better class of reading, and be able to show them that it is better and really more interesting. It is not sufficient that we should exhort the young people to have a knowledge of the Bible and denominational history. Let us help them to get started in the Standard of Attainment plan.

Aside from stirring up all the workers to co-operate in Missionary Volunteer effort, the conference can co-operate by appointing a wide-awake missionary secretary, and by giving him opportunity to spend his energies in the solution of this tremendous problem. The conference president will see that such a secretary has opportunity to make use of the Missionary Volunteer literature provided for this work, and that his time and efforts at camp-meeting, that golden harvest-time of the year, are spent in active efforts for the youth. A conference Missionary Volunteer secretary is a necessary link between the General Conference Missionary Volunteer Department and the young people.

The conference that will actively and sympathetically co-operate with this Missionary Volunteer movement will have canvassers, Bible workers, teachers, and ministers for its own needs, and will have precious sons and daughters to give to the world-wide work.

M. E. K.