Christ was anxious that in our busy program of preparing souls for the kingdom we should not overlook the priceless value of the souls of children and youth. In His final charge to Peter, first of all He said, "Feed my lambs."
A boy or girl brought to the foot of the cross and saved for Christ means that a life has been plucked from the burning. If rightly guided, his talents and energies can be used for the cause of God.
This is the appraisal the Lord places upon our endeavors to reach their youthful hearts. "The soul of the little child that believes in Christ is as precious in His sight as are the angels about His throne." Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 591. And then again He challenges us in this way: "We may bring hundreds and thousands of children to Christ if we will work for them." Counsels to- Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 172. Realizing this, why then should we not exploit every avenue possible in this thrilling field of child evangelism?
In an endeavor to help our churches meet this need we have encouraged each pastor to open the doors of his church at some time during the summer months for two or three weeks to the children and teen-agers of his community for a Vacation Bible School.
Last year five such Vacation Bible Schools were conducted in the Southeastern California Conference, and every pastor was well pleased with the splendid success that attended the effort. One pastor stated that two of his finest baptisms resulted from a contact first made through a teen-ager who attended his Vacation Bible School. Both she and her mother were baptized. Another pastor says there are nine new members in his Sabbath school at the present time who were first reached through his Vacation Bible School.
These pastors gathered a strong group of lay workers about them who understood children and enjoyed working with them. They organized carefully, planning a daily program similar to the following:
9:00- 9:10 A.M. Opening Exercises
Song Service
Lord's Prayer
Flag Salute
Offering
9:10- 9:30 A.M. "Adventures in the Bible"
9:30- 9:50 A.M. Bible Lesson Workbooks
9:50-10:05 A.M. Games
10:05-11:00 A.M. Handicraft (MV Honors)
11:00-11:15 A.M. Calisthenics and Marching
Drills
11:15-11:45 A.M. Stories or MV Classwork
11:45-11:55 A.M. Songs and Closing Exercises
Church members went from door to door giving a verbal invitation to the children as well as leaving a printed announcement in each home. In every case the attendance grew as the program progressed, and I am sure one junior girl expressed the general reaction when she said, "I wish we could have Vacation Bible School all summer long!"
Along with the evangelistic potential of this plan we should also realize that our own boys and girls are greatly benefited and encouraged along the pathway of righteousness as they too participate.
We must face the facts. According to a recent survey made by Keld J. Reynolds and L. A. Skinner, we are not doing enough to shepherd our primary and junior boys and girls. Startling as it may seem, we lose 26.8 per cent of those baptized before the age of fifteen. Yet this is our most fruitful field of evangelism. We must endeavor to do more to hold them.
In view of this fact, surely the Lord would be pleased to see a strong Vacation Bible School conducted in every church during the summer months of 1952.
