Every audience before whom we stand holds its portion of young people, and every church and district has youth whose hearts our message should reach. This ever-present youth problem is a constant challenge to ministers, teachers, and parents to bridge the gulf between our age and theirs with a quickening, saving message.
From What Are we to Win Them? There have been temptations peculiar to every age. The youth of early Christian times were attracted by the gilded glory of Greek culture and philosophy, combined with Rome's allurements to physical prowess and sensuous living. The national calls to knighthood, which beckoned the young people of the Middle Ages to do and dare for love and fame, concealed a carefully laid snare of the fowler to turn the loftiest ideals into low, unhallowed channels. But the last decade seems to have combined all the allurements of past ages, and to have added increased facilities for amusement and travel. There is no need to detail the temptations of these last days. We have only to walk the streets of our cities to see them.
To What Must We Win Them? When understood and accepted, the message we carry to the world sweeps away from young people all their former aspirations and associations. What do we offer in exchange? Having denounced in loving-kindness, but in all fearlessness, the things that have heretofore made up their lives, we must be prepared to provide a new and a sure foundation. Jesus is preeminently the Foundation. In His life are portrayed all the Christian graces; and only as youth builds on Him will their superstructure rise beautiful and strong. Firmness in the cause of right, fearlessness when called to defend principle, helpfulness in place of threatening despair, abiding peace in place of restlessness and discontent, ambition sanctified by love to God and fellow men—these are Jesus' offerings to youth. Adherence to the rules and duties of home and school, with courtesy and kindness to all associates, are necessary building blocks in this beautiful edifice of Christian experience.
A poet has written, "At the devil's booth all things are sold, each ounce of dross costs its ounce of gold." The young people need to be given gold for dross. No counterfeit or sham will do to supplant the gaiety or gaudiness of the devil's program for the youth of today. Only the genuine will attract and hold them. We have Jesus only to offer; there is nothing else. But Jesus we can hold forth to them with all assurance.
"By pouring the whole treasury of heaven into this world, by giving us in Christ all heaven, God has purchased the will, the affections, the mind, the soul, of every human being."—"Christ's Object Lessons," p. 326.
How Can We Win Them? There can never be a set formula for winning souls. There are perhaps as many methods as there are individuals to be won, and only as souls are sought after and labored for individually will they be won. The young people for whom we labor and ways and means of reaching them may be divided into three classes, as follows :
I. Young People Who Caine to Our Evangelistic Services. A certain number of young people help to make up the congregation in a public effort. The fact that they are there indicates the presence of a measure of interest, though it may not be far developed. They may have come because of the importunity of a parent or a friend. Pick them out in your audience, thank God that they are there, and deliver a message from Him direct to their hearts. This is your privilege and should be your purpose. You ask, How shall we do this? Here is the answer:
"The Saviour was the greatest teacher the world ever knew, and His voice was as music to the ears of those who had been accustomed to hear the monotonous, spiritless preaching of the scribes and Pharisees. . . . The old and young, the ignorant and the learned, could catch the full meaning of His words, but this would have been impossible had He spoken in a hurried way, and rushed sentence upon sentence without- pause. . . . Jesus' manner of teaching was beautiful and attractive, and it was ever characterized by simplicity. He unfolded the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven through the use of figures 'and symbols with which His hearers were familiar, and the common people heard Him gladly. . . . He illustrated the glories of the kingdom of God by the use of the experiences and occurrences of earth. In compassionate love and tenderness He cheered, and comforted, and instructed all who heard Him ; for grace was poured upon His lips that He might convey to men in the most attractive way the treasures of truth. This is the manner in which He would have us present His truth to others."—"Christian Education," p. 126.
The specific truths for our day and generation may still be clothed with Jesus' graciousness, appealing to hearts as did His talks by the sea, on the hillside, or in the homes of the people. An up-to-date grasp of current events, a knowledge of important advances in science and inventions, an interest in popular but practical reforms, make a point of contact in our sermons and are an absolute necessity in reaching young people. But keep the latest sports news, frivolous stories, and obscene tragedies as foreign to your sermon as you hope to have them foreign to the lives of your youthful converts.
The music in all services may be made a most effective means of winning young people. Careful selection and good leadership in this matter will pay a hundredfold. Your song leader should make them feel that their help is needed. Thus those who come simply to sing, may, remain to pray. For a moment of appeal in your sermon, it is sometimes helpful to suggest the singing of a hymn, with a call to surrender to and fellowship with Jesus. Interest is ofter sustained in this way, and this phase of our work is rich in possibilities.
2. Young People We Meet Casually in Their Homes. Perhaps in no part of our work are we more under observation than in the homes of unconverted young people, and particularly of those who may be opposed to the truth. Unconsciously, these young people are measuring 'us by our profession. Our graciousness in their homes, our evidence of personal piety without show, our ability to meet their prejudice or their questionings kindly, may be the only attributes that will arrest their interest, In the home, religion becomes intensely personal and practical, and our young hosts and hostesses will put ours to the test.
This is our golden opportunity to show sympathy with their problems. Make them feel that we have a common ground, that youth has not entirely passed us by, and that this beautiful message of ours is eternally young. The steps in the winning of these young people will lead from confidence in you as a minister to appreciation of you as a personal friend. This will give you an opportunity to present Jesus as the friend of friends and as the great Master Comrade. Every visit of this kind should be preceded by a most earnest season of intercession, that God will make us wise and kind.
3. Young People of Adventist Parentage. The young people who come constantly under our ministry in the churches—the growing children and the mature youth who are yet unconverted—are often harassed by the same temptations that beset the youth of the world. We should bear this in mind and build against it just as we do in working for those not of our faith. A connected series of studies on present truth, especially adapted to their needs, will do much to make the church dearer to these young people. Many of them may never have attended a series of sermons on doctrinal topics, and so may have only a sketchy knowledge of the fundamentals of our faith,
Our pastoral visits to the homes of our people in a social capacity, will help cement friendships with the young people, and give us the privilege, as occasion arises, of being counselor or comforter to those in special need.
How Can We Hold the Youth? Over and over, Mrs. E. G. White has stressed the importance of caring for the youth, holding them in the church, using them in service. To quote one very familiar passage:
"With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world !"—"Cou,nsels to Teachers," p. 555.
An enthusiastic, lucid presentation of every phase of the message will do much toward holding the interest and enthusiasm of our youth. A place of usefulness in the church and in work for those outside the church, will unite their interests with ours, and do much to strengthen the cords that bind them to the church. They will not easily desert that for which they labor.
Another point of contact in the holding of our youth lies in their social life. It is our duty and privilege to see that legitimate and recreative entertainment is provided. We need to replace restraint with recreation.
"Christians have many sources of happiness at their command, and they may tell with unerring accuracy what pleasures are lawful and right. They may enjoy such recreations ... as will not disappoint, and leave a sad after influence to destroy self-respect or bar the way to usefulness."—Id., p. 342.
Summing up, there are three main factors in winning and holding the youth:
1. Well-adapted, constant instruction in doctrinal truths, keeping always before them Christ as their life, example, guide, and friend.
2. Definite place of responsibility in the church, and consecrated service for others outside the church.
3. A sanctified social life, calculated to refresh mind and body.
The magnitude of this task may sober us, but we need not be discouraged, for united with us are heavenly intelligences. The resources and suggestions of the General Conference Missionary Volunteer Department are ours to make use of. We have besides, as allies, the whole church organization, including the Sabbath school, appointed by God to help us build into the lives of the youth, attributes that will hold them close to God and faithful to His cause. Let us win and hold our youth.
