01 - Chapter 1

CHAPTER I ADOPTING A PLAN The Rev. Thomas Evans and the Advisory Board of the Freetown Church had met for their regular monthly meeting. The special topic for consideration was “ The Evangelistic Campaign in Our Church.” Each man felt keenly the importance of the topic. They all prayed for Divine guidance.

There was a difference of opinion as to the best method to recommend to their church for the present year.

Deacon Jones proposed that they secure a well-known evangelist and hold three weeks of revival services.

Deacon Lovejoy suggested that cooperation be secured with the other churches of the community in a united campaign, inviting a certain evangelistic party to hold a series of meetings in a tabernacle. Mr. Howard, the church clerk, said, “ I think that the best way is for our church to do its own work of soul- winning, using the regular services of the church and the regular organizations with an evangelistic aim in and through them all.”

Mrs. Read, President of the Woman’s Society, suggested that their own pastor be requested to hold two weeks of special meetings in their own church, and that every officer pledge him hearty cooperation.

Mr. Richards, the Sunday school superintendent, said, “ Our Sunday school is our greatest field for evangelism. In recent years eighty-fivepercent, of all who have joined our church upon confession of faith have come from the Sunday school. Whatever plans are adopted by this church, we should not forget the Sunday school.”

Mr. Witter, president of the young people’s society, commended the statement of the superintendent, and reminded the members of the Board that his society was taking a course in personal work, that many of the members were teaching in the Sunday school, and that the young people were- already studying and planning and praying that they might win other young people to the Lord Jesus Christ.

All now turned to the pastor who. up to this time had listened carefully but had said nothing. “ I too,” he said, “ have felt the burden for souls. There are many in our congregation and many more in our community who ought to be won for Christ. I have prayed much about this. I believe this meeting tonight is in answer to prayer. It encourages me to see your interest in evangelism and to know that you have been thinking of ways in which our church can best win others. I have listened carefully to the various plans which have been proposed. In one thing we are all agreed. Our church should attempt something very definite in the way of evangelism.

I could speak of the advantages of each plan proposed.

Each has its advantage and has proved its worth in many places, and in all kinds of churches. I wish, however, to propose a plan which we have never tried, but which I believe is the best plan for our church this year ’ The Evangelism of Youth’“

“That sounds interesting,” said Mr. True, one of the trustees, “ explain to us.”

“ I shall be glad to do so,” replied the pastor.

“ I was won to Christ when a lad of thirteen. The church did not pay much attention to the young people who took their stand for Christ at this time. Indeed, I have since learned that the church considered that series of meetings a failure because only eight boys and girls were converted. I became a member of the church as a matter of course, without any special training. There was a Christian Endeavor Society, but it did not interest itself at first in the young converts. All through my boyhood and young manhood the church made little effort to train or use young people. When I was in my sixteenth year I was elected president of the Christian Endeavor Society. I did not know how to conduct such a society.

One good woman was always ready to encourage and help. The training which I received in this society did much to turn my thoughts to Christian work. I had ideas as to how my church ought to be run. They never asked me for them. Nor would they have followed them had they asked me, but had they asked me and had they followed my suggestions they would have had a better church. I was sure of it then.

“In college and seminary there were no courses in child psychology, in religious pedagogy, or in anything that would help in work with boys and girls or young people. In fact the whole course of instruction was largely from the adult point of view. In my junior year in college I preached for a little country church during the summer vacation. I was asked to become superintendent of an afternoon Sunday school in a neighboring town. This school was a great success. I began to be interested in Sunday school work. During my senior year in college I became a student pastor. My church was the only church in a fine farming community. There were many boys and girls and young people in this community. The church had never served them. We organized a young people’s society and began to develop these young people. In this way I became interested in young people’s work.

“ While I was in the theological seminary, I went to New York City for two summers to act as a principal of a Daily Vacation Bible School. In these schools I came into contact, for the first time, with those who loved boys and girls, who knew the laws which governed their development, and who knew how to adapt a religious program to their needs. I was interested, and began reading books and trying out experiments in Christian work with young people. When I became a pastor I began to specialize in work for boys and girls and young people. You know of my interest in this church in the Sunday school, the young people’s society, the intermediates, the juniors, and the Daily Vacation Bible School. I have given much time, thought, and effort to every phase of this work. You know that we have already received many young people into our church. You know that many fathers and mothers have joined our church because of our interest in their children. In my study and out of my own experience, I am convinced that true evangelism gives a large place to the education, the winning, and the training of boys and girls and young people.”

“ Pastor,” said Mr. David, one of the prominent laymen, “ we agree with you in your emphasis upon winning people to Christ in their youth. You have evidently given much thought to this. What plans have you to suggest for our church? “

“ In the first place,” said the pastor, “ we ought to become familiar with the ’ laws of the Spirit ’ in the lives of young people. If we understand these laws we will be working in harmony with God and will be able to accomplish wonderful things. There are definite * Seasons of the Soul ’ times when the heart is more sensitive to the touch of the Spirit times when the voice of God is heard more distinctly. We should know these seasons and work with God in his times.”

“ This is a new idea to me,” said Mrs. Parker, a teacher of teen-age girls. “ I want to know more about it.”

“ I shall be glad,” replied the pastor, “ to explain this at a later meeting to which we shall invite all our Sunday school teachers and officers and all members of our church interested in young people. When we understand these Seasons of the Soul,” he continued, “ we shall know better how to work with God in winning souls for his kingdom.

Then we should plan to develop a warm, loving Christian atmosphere in our church; we should seek to win others as Jesus did through personal work; we should welcome our Divine Helper the Holy Spirit; we will plan and prepare for a Decision Day in the Sunday school; we will carefully train all new converts; we will make such adjustments in our church life as may be necessary because of the coming into our membership of new-born Christians; and we will not forget to seek the cooperation of the parents in developing Christian character in the home.”

“ I do not know about this new-fashioned way of winning people to Christ,” said Deacon Smith. “We have never done it that way before. I think we ought to go pretty slow.”

“ I agree with Deacon Smith,” said Mr. Miller. “ I do not think much of getting a lot of boys and girls into the church. What we need is men. Anybody can win children; but we heed some one to get hold of the men who have money and influence.”

“There is another objection,” said good old Deacon True. “ I do not believe we can educate people into the kingdom. I believe in old-fashioned conversion.”

“ It is well for us to face objections frankly,” said the pastor. “ I can understand Mr. Smith’s objection.

Although it is a new method for this church, it has been tried successfully by many of our best churches. I have followed this method for several years in my former churches. It is not so easy as Mr. Miller thinks really to win children into the Christian life. It may be easy to get an emotional reaction in some service, but to take a child and strengthen this decision and to help him produce a strong Christian character is a task which requires the greatest skill and consecration. We cannot educate people into the kingdom, as Mr. True says. Neither can we win to Christ unless people know who Christ is and that which he will do. There can be no intelligent decision for Christ without education, and one of the weaknesses of our former methods of evangelism is that there has been no definite training of young Christians. Education and evangelism go together. Neither can succeed without the other.”

Mr. Richards, the Sunday school superintendent, said, “ The plan proposed by Pastor Evans seems to me most reasonable and gives promise of good results. I believe we ought to follow it for this year. We have met together to form a plan of evangelism. We could not agree on any of the other types of evangelism. We asked our pastor for his plan. He has given it to us. Our pastor is our leader. I believe in following his leadership. I move, therefore, that we recommend to the church for this year ’ A Campaign of Evangelism of Youth.’ “Several seconded the motion, and after some further discussion it was unanimously carried.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Describe a revival service in which you have participated. What were the results? What are the advantages of this type of meeting? Disadvantages?

2. What are the advantages of union meetings?

3. How would you organize a community for tabernacle meetings?

4. Think of the ordinary evangelistic meetings; to whom was the appeal made adults? young people? or children?

5. What is educational evangelism?

6. What is social evangelism?

7. What is the Lowell plan?

8. What methods were employed by the various churches of which you have been a member to win people to Christ?

9. Tell the story of your own acceptance of Christ.

10. What training did you receive for church-membership?

11. At what age were you most interested in the young people’s society?

12. Did you have ideas in your youth about improving your home church? What were they?

REFERENCES “ Educational Evangelism,” McKinley.

“ Social Evangelism,” Ward.

“ Constructive Evangelism,” Bill.

“The Lowell Plan,” American Baptist Home Mission Society.