I AM a Bible teacher and I've been trying to understand our youth—the teenagers —that "troublesome group in our church." This is the group that leaves the church. I've been trying to find out why they leave our ranks, why they are rebelling against the church, why they try anything that comes along.
I think I'm beginning to see why. Brethren, we are the reason! We who are their spiritual leaders—their examples. We are guilty of segregation. No, I'm not talking of any color or race segregation, for enough has been said on that subject to inflame the world, but we are guilty of segregating the youth from the rest of the church. We do it in our entire program. Then when they realize and accept this and go their segregated way—we blame them.
What do I mean? Just this. From the time they are old enough to attend church and listen we start to turn them off and out. God's counsel is that in every sermon there should be a corner for the youth and children. So what do we do? We segregate them. We give them a "little junior sermon," then we give them the idea, when that's over, that they don't have to listen to the other sermon; that's for adults only. They can now turn off. This is the beginning!
God says their corner should be part of the whole thing, not a separate thing. They need to sit at the same table with the adults and feel the importance of being one with us.
Next we urge their baptism from the early age of ten or thereabouts. I wonder sometimes whether it is for statistics sake or for their sake. As soon as they are in and members in good and regular standing, we just leave them standing. Oh, ye^, we do tell them they are now important^; people, important to God, to their church," and to the community. But in reality we just leave them standing there bewildered.
They can't go to the world now—they are members of the church. But the church gives them nothing to make them feel that they are wanted.
You may say, "Yes, we do. We plan MV meetings, socials, youth activities, we let them have their youth efforts, and other things." But that's the trouble! Again they are segregated! This is the frustrating and discouraging thing. They want to belong, to feel wanted, to feel important and needed, but they are frustrated when they are always segregated. When they are alone with youth groups only—they are in a competing world. When they try something and they are an accepted part of a homogenous church or community group, then those of more experience can give them encouragement and support. This gives them that image of self-acceptance that they need!
If I understand the Spirit of Prophecy correctly we are told to give the children tasks to do within the home that will fit their limited abilities. Work with them, guide them, counsel them, encourage them, and within their limitations let them start practicing to make some decisions, but all these within the home, not as segregated units. Could this procedure not also work within the church?
What have we done? When we baptized them at ten or twelve years of age we told them, "You are too young; you'd better keep quiet and listen to us—we know all the answers." Children are to be seen, not heard. But shouldn't they be interning as junior church members? Shouldn't they be given the opportunity to present their ideas even in the august assembly of the church business meeting? Can't we tolerate some childish suggestions for the sake of their training and development?
Shouldn't some of them be asked to serve on the nominating committee, shouldn't they be permitted to suggest someone to lead their departments, shouldn't they be kindly encouraged to sit in on some church board meetings and see what is required to make their church function? Shouldn't they be taught, by practice, to care what happens to their church? It is theirs too, isn't it?
How can we expect them suddenly to learn to care for an organization that didn't train them to bear its burdens in their youth and didn't teach them to care?
Why can't we urge them to sit on the church budget committee, to study the expenses that are involved? Why can't we share with them the thought from the counsels that if every member were faithful in giving there would be no shortage of funds? Why can't they be permitted to help compute the possible church income if all, young and old, were faithful? Why can't we let them feel the responsibility of their part in the support of the church program? They need to understand the promises God gives to those who are faithful, even at their tender age.
Through the years it seems we have left all of these heavy burdens for the old, the gray-haired members. We have segregated these youth—the power of the church. We have taught them by example that the church cannot trust them. However, the devil's world turns them on and makes them feel important. It gives them those badges of acceptance that make them feel accepted, and so they go with the world!
Then we see them marry, establish homes, get jobs, and in all of these activities they do quite well in spite of us. We suddenly realize we need them in the church and after eight to twelve years of turning them away into segregated channels and training them to keep out of the business of the church we suddenly try to reverse the process and try to "weep over them" to bring them back. Why don't we train them to belong?
Why don't we accept them as junior deacons and elders, with limited responsibilities according to their abilities? Why can't we make them assistants to the treasurer, or lay activities leaders?
Why can't young teen-age girls be junior deaconesses and meet with the older ones— to listen in on, and join, the discussions that deal with their problems?
These youth have the zeal, the enthusiasm, the vision, the keen, clear minds of youth, they have the boundless energies the church needs.
Do we lose our youth? No, we drive them out. The servant of the Lord tells us that if these were "rightly trained" how soon might come the end of the misery of this world, how soon might the sin-sickened world hear the message of hope and salvation! How soon might the Saviour come!
The condition for all this is youth rightly-trained. But this does not merely mean going to church-supported schools! This means on-the-job training. The world believes in this method. The world of business accepts young people and trains them in junior achievement and in actual business situations.
We of the church are asleep to the facts. The devil believes this; Communism trains youth to work with age to destroy the freedoms of this nation and this world. Why can't we see that the youth need to learn the principles in the schools and practice and develop these skills in on-the-job training in the churches?
In our Bible classes we have been studying the organization and function of our church. The students are interested. We have asked them to go to the Dorcas meeting, to sit in on a board meeting, to ob serve a Five-Day Plan (better if they could actually help), to talk to the treasurer, the clerk, even to attend a conference session. Their eyes open wide as they begin to see how their church operates. They love it and are eager to have an active part. They want to belong!
We discuss the conference treasurer's re port—and the reports of the other conference departments. Then we have simulated nominating committee meetings, board meetings, and they have fun pretending. But they ask seriously, "But why can't we take part in all of these activities in our home churches?"
Brethren, I am embarrassed. What can I say? "We don't think you .are intelligent enough"? What answer can I give?
Sometimes I hear rumors that we aren't even going to include a study of church organization in our Bible classes anymore. Then I shudder. Where will these lambs learn? The church segregates them, the school refuses to teach them; where can they be rightly trained?
Our early leaders were youth. Present-day youth are every bit as talented, as consecrated, as full of desire for a Saviour and for eternal life!
