Young People’s Work in Newark, N. J.
By William F. Schmidt
RECENTLY our young people’s society entered upon an active campaign of missionary effort. Deciding to devote to the Lord our time, thoughts, talent, and treasure, we can report the following results for the first quarter of this year:— The members of our society, feeling that the Protestant ministers should be given an opportunity to read the lecture delivered by Dr. McKim in Washington, D. C., on the subject “Why We Are Protestants,” sent them 108 Protestant Magazines, with letters soliciting subscriptions to the same. Each member sent from five to ten magazines and letters. We also sent Liberty for one year to the city council, three newspaper editors, the chief of police, and the mayor. We sent literature on Christ’s second coming and the Sabbath to all the foreign Protestant ministers in this city, and also sent tracts prepared by Brother Gilbert to all the Jewish rabbis in the city. We distributed four hundred copies of the Liberty and Signs of the Times magazines to the church members, to be sold to aid our society financially. Our society has distributed hundreds of tracts, and a large number of the Signs of the Times and the REVIEW. Some of our members went out with about three thousand Signs of the Times leaflets, and distributed them from house to house for the purpose of searching out those who are interested in the gospel. Most of those who went out did not distribute these leaflets by throwing them in the yard, but by ringing the doorbells, meeting the families personally, and having a gospel conversation with each. We intend to continue this kind of work by distributing the Family Bible Teacher each week to those who are interested. The Missionary Volunteer Societies in our church prepared an excellent temperance rally, which proved an uplift not only to those who came, but to the young people themselves, and created greater zeal for the work. Forty-five, fifteen of whom were strangers, signed the pledge. We also sent out two hundred Jewish tracts to Jewish families, and distributed flowers to the sick, and helped the poor by giving them food, clothing, etc. The best experiences our young people have had since our reorganization in January was when they went out with the Signs of the Times leaflets and had conversations with the people. It was a new experience to most of those who went from door to door, and many intend to continue this kind of work and become active missionaries at home. We have also sold the Protestant Magazine at two great Protestant mass meetings held in this city. The people were glad to buy them, and we hope these magazines will be the means of interesting18the people in the true principles of Protestantism. While there has been more missionary work done by our members than appears in this report, yet we intend to do a greater work for the Master, and to help proclaim the message that we have for the people at this time. We do hope that this report will be an encouragement to those who read it, and will inspire them to greater activity in the Master’s service.