Young People's Work by M. E. Kern

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Jun 27, 1912

Young People's Work

By M. E. Kern

Conducted by the Young People's Missionary Volunteer Department of the General Conference M. E. KERN - - - - - Secretary MATILDA ERICKSON - - - Corresponding Secretary

Our Missionary Volunteer Work

SINCE young people's workers everywhere are constantly looking to parents and church officers for help in their work with the youth, it may be well to pass on again through the REVIEW a few items concerning our young people's work. But first cast your eyes across denominational borders to see what the young people's work is doing for other churches. Francis E. Clark, founder and leader of the Christian Endeavor Union, speaking of the results of this movement, says, "During fifteen years after its organization twice as many young people were added to the evangelical churches as during the fifteen previous years." C. E. Conley tells us that the Baptist Young People's Union is aiding in restoring the church to its normal place in Christian work, and is making intelligent Baptists. Daniel B. Brummit, in reviewing the Epworth League, says: "In brief, every activity of the church, every outgoing of Christly service, every element in the upbuilding of strong, symmetrical Christian character, every interest in the kingdom of God, has been blessed and profited through the providential use and spread of the Epworth League throughout the Methodist world." This is what long years of experience has taught other churches, and so fully have they been convinced of the importance of mustering their young people for Christian service that during the last four decades organizations have been effected which now touch the lives of millions of young people all over the world.

Now comes the question, Is the young people's organization in our own church helping to save and train her youth? With the query, there arises before us a picture of our splendid army of Missionary Volunteers. We see them, several thousand strong. They come from Africa, from Europe, from Australia, from the Neglected Continent, from the Orient, from the islands of the sea, as well as from the United States and Canada. They have heard the call of the heavenly General, and are pressing into the ranks of Prince Immanuel. Constrained by the same powerful love, and pressing toward the same goal of giving the advent message to all the world in this generation, they are going forth conquering and to conquer. Truly, he who obtains a panoramic view of the world-wide movement is fully convinced that the young people's organization is helping to train soldiers for the conflict on the Macedonian fields both at home and abroad.

Reports

The figures below represent the number of societies and their membership and donations as reported for the last quarter of the year.

YEAR	SOC.	MEM.	FOR. MISS.	HOME MISS.
1905	196	3741	$ 1331.77	$ 433.87
1906	237	4576	4115.72	1748.26
1907	339	6310	5975.96	3618.89
1908	386	6938	8028.36	6826.08
1909	428	7690	9537.90	6232.68
1910	406	7490	10997.93	5347.49
1911	458	9544	11178.41	5418.57
Total			$51,166.05	$29,625.84

Giving to Missions

The grand total shows that our societies have given to home and foreign missions $80,791.89. At the present time our Missionary Volunteers in the Atlantic Union are raising funds for an international gospel tent. In the Lake Union they have recently raised one thousand dollars for a missionary's home in China, and are now gathering funds for native work in Africa. In the Northern Union about a thousand dollars has been raised by the Missionary Volunteers for the work in West Africa. This year our Missionary Volunteers in the Central Union are raising one thousand dollars for medical work in Korea. Down across the equator, in the Australasian Union, we have a noble band of Missionary Volunteers who are supporting eleven missionaries in foreign fields. Several local conferences in the United States and Canada are lifting definite financial burdens.

Jacob Riis once said, "For every dollar you give to convert the heathen abroad, God will give you ten dollars' worth of purpose to deal with the heathen at home." The experience of our Missionary Volunteer Societies confirms this statement. They have truly been blessed in their efforts to share their own blessings with others. Their interest in missions has been deepened. Reports indicate that they are doing more missionary work at home, and giving more liberally to the regions beyond.

Other Evidences of Progress

While our Missionary Volunteers are giving to missions and doing splendid home missionary work, many of them are also preparing to do better service by improving their opportunities for intellectual advancement, and by obtaining a deeper Christian experience.

The Standard of Attainment plan, which was launched nearly five years ago, is inspiring hundreds of young people to become acquainted with our denominational history, and to learn what the Bible teaches concerning the principles for which this denomination stands.

The Reading Courses are winning friends, and holding them. More young people press into the reading circle each autumn, and a large per cent complete all the reading outlined in the courses. A Reading Course certificate is issued to each person who reads the books in any course, and writes the required reviews. Last year one conference drew more Reading Course certificates than were issued to all the conferences three years before. The courses are doing much to turn the eyes of the youth from literature that is unwholesome to that which is worth while.

Just a word concerning the Morning Watch circle. It is growing rapidly. The little calendar which provides a verse for each day, thus serving as a daily reminder of the hour for personal devotion, is pressing into all parts of our world-wide mission, and is proving helpful to old as well as young Christians in forming and fostering that very important habit of spending some time alone with the Master each day. The sales of the Morning Watch Calendar have increased from 6,000 in 1908 to 25,000 this present year.

These are some of the plans young people's workers are using to lead the youth onward in Christian service. Your cooperation has helped to make them thus far successful in the development of the young people's work, and we are grateful to believe that this work will continue to have your hearty cooperation and your earnest prayers. Pray for the young people's societies in your conference. Just now some young person near you may need a word of encouragement in his Reading Course work. Will you give it? Will you not also encourage the youth about you to press on toward the Standard of Attainment goal, for it will be worth their while? There is great need of diligence in this Missionary Volunteer work, for in many places "much has been lost for lack of attention to the young." M. E.