in front of the entire congrega tion. The incident has some interest ing overtones. B e than y Bible Church has a good program of guidance for missionary candi dates, but many churches do not. The problem is aggravated by the fact that secular schools now have extensive testing and counselling for career guidance. If the church provides nothing but a dedication service for young people, we may lose many highly-motivated and well-qualified y ou n g men and women for Christian service. When mission boards complain about candidate fall-out, the prob lem may lie right here: young people get a hard-sell in front of the congregation during the mis sionary conference and after that — a total lack of involvement from the church from then on. Young people are asked to make an instantaneous decision and then face long delays in prepara tion and application. They are told everybody ought to be will ing to go to the mission field and then finally face rigorous screen ing. If this continues, we may find the next generation disillu sioned about overseas’ service en tirely. The young student’s complaint in the College and Career Class is backed up by Scripture. Paul told Timothy, “ Lay hands sudden ly on no man” (I Tim. 5:22). He told him to, “Make full proof of thy ministry” (II Tim. 4:5). This was true in Timothy’s case; Paul sought out his young missionary partner, (not vice versa). And Timothy was already “well re ported o f by the brethren” (Acts 16:2). Many churches have initiated excellent programs of follow-up for missionary volunteers. The pastor meets with them regularly for prayer and counsel. He co ordinates with the parents. Some set up missionary reading pro grams and training in practical Christian work. Testing isn’t all done on paper, especially o f spiritual qualities and gifts. Many churches, instead
of putting on programs for young people, put young people to work. County fairs, county jails, rest homes, urban evangelism, and campus teams provide local prov ing grounds for preparation of Christian workers. Appalachia, migrant work, camp counsellors, American Sunday School Union summer staff are more structured forms of in-service training. At Westbrooke Baptist Church in Overland Park, Kansas, the young people worked up a folk singing group. Last summer they organized a gospel team and worked in Arizona with a mis sionary to the Navajo Indians who is supported by their church. First Baptist Church in Wayne, Michigan has sent students to Latin America for summer serv ice but only on completion o f six months’ of screening and orienta tion. Pastors may feel they are not professionally trained for coun selling. By working hand in hand with high school counsellors a minister could profit by such ex tensive vocational aptitude tests. The church may influence the stu dent’s choice of college. Whether he chooses Christian or a secular school, keeping in contact with the student during college is im portant. Highland Park Baptist Church of Southfield, Michigan each fall conducts a pre-college retreat which has resulted in close personal ties between the pas toral staff and the college student. The church could recommend evangelical churches to college students away from home, help them in meaningful summer em ployment, or b r in g third and fourth year students in on the summer staff o f the church. Candidates often apply to mis sion boards during college. Con sequently, the church which loses touch with a student may find that he has applied to a mission board unknown to the congrega tion. If the church disapproves of the mission, this is frustrating for the candidate; if the church does support the candidate, its mis sionary giving may be diversified
by Philip E. Armstrong
\\ IF NOBODY COMES AFTER THE LAST VERSE / /
“ | didn ’ t want to say this be- I hind the pastor’s back,” blurt- I ed one of the students as he saw Dr. John Mitchell, pastor of the Bethany Bible Church, Phoe nix, Arizona slip into the back seat. The College and Ca ree r Class was conducting a discussion group after the Wednesday eve ning service of the missionary conference. The student’s next remark was a blast: “ I don’t think the church has any right to ask a 12-year-old to come forward and dedicate his life to the Lord for the mission field.” He went on, “You don’t do that if you want doctors or teach ers. You are taking advantage of him. After an emotion-packed message and exotic pictures, you ask him if he wants to be a mis sionary. That isn’t fair.” In the dialogue that followed, less bold students agreed. The group had no question about ask ing a young person to dedicate his life to the Lord. Their problem was asking someone for a spon taneous decision on a life career
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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