two people at one time. This is not love. It is flimsy, temporary affection. You should leave this boy alone. Then God will lead you to His choice. Talk with your pastor or your youth leader. You would also benefit from read ing my book, Young Only Once. Two chapters on dating and courtship dis cuss such matters fully. This boy’s “ conversion” may not have been genuine. If he were saved, he would love the things of Christ. COURSES FOR M IN ISTERS Question. / would appreciate your dis cussing which courses in psychology would be best for a ministerial student to take. Which ones would help me most later on as a pastor? Answer. The minister’s responsibility lies in three major areas: (1) He must have a thorough knowledge of the Word of God, (2) He must be able to speak well, and (3) He must know how to work and counsel effectively with people. It is in this last area — counseling and working with people that courses in psychology make a special contri bution to ministers. The following courses will help any pastor: (1) Child growth and development, (2) Abnormal psychology, (3) Counsel ing, (4) Mental illness, (5) Skills of leadership. BUSY AT EIGHTY-FOUR Thank you for your fin e articles and your page in The King’s Business. I am 84 years old but I keep busy farming 50 acres of land, milking six cows, caring for a bunch of sheep and some chickens, doing my own house work and also my mending. I hardly ever visit a doctor. Comment. Please send me your secret. I (and many of my readers) would like to know how you do it!
judgement. The child is yours ■— and the Lord’s. TEENAGE TRAUM A Question. Can a person be in love with two people at the same time? It is almost a year ago that as a born again Christian, I was going with an unsaved boy. I prayed to God con stantly that He might save him, then we could be one in Christ. Naturally, he wasn’t interested in Christian things. During the months that I went with him, God made it plain to me that a child of His can never be united with a child of Satan and have God’s blessing. I thank God before we took that final step, we called it off. It was about half a year later that I saw him again. I invited him to come to Youth For Christ. He finally did say “ yes” and so he went to the rally. (Before while we were going steady, it was just impossible for me to go to even one rally.) Thanks be to God, at the conclusion of the rally he went forward to accept Christ as his Saviour. But even since his conversion he has never gone to church on Sundays. And in the meantime, he has started to go steady with a non-Christian girl. On several occasions I have talk ed to him about his conversion, and spiritual things in general. It was dur ing a recent conversation that he ad mitted that he still loved me, yet he said that he loved his other girl friend, too. W ill you tell me, Dr. Narramore, can he possibly love two people at the same tim e? Is it possible for a per son who loved someone very much to ever fall in love again and completely forget him? As for me, I have committed my future, myself unto the Lord and am only trusting in Him regarding my life here on earth. Thank you for your counsel. Answer. No, one does not really love
BABY IN CHURCH Question. / would very much appreci ate it if you would give me your opinion on taking a year-and-a-half old boy to church. M y husband and I are both saved. W e have tried to take our son to church, but being young, he doesn’t understand being quiet and behaving in the house of the Lord. This matter has troubled us because our parents feel he should go and should learn how to behave. O ut feelings, however, are that we should wait until he un derstands and is old enough to start Sunday school. W e have short home devotional periods after supper with the reading of God’s Word. But the length of a church service tends to make him irritable, thus spoiling the sermon for us as well as for others. W e would appreciate your opinion on this important matter. Answer. Each child is different and must be handled differently. Although some young children are able to sit quietly for a little while, most of them are unable to do so until they are several years old. This is one reason why many churches arrange for nur series and for “ kindergarten and pri mary churches.” Even a small church can usually arrange to have a nursery if several of the parents who are needing it will contribute a small amount (25 or 50 cents each week) to it. You are very wise, of course, to have devotional periods at home with your family, and as your child gets a little older he will undoubtedly enjoy at tending services with you without disrupting the service. Should parents train their very young children to sit quietly in church? Yes, but not to the point that they disregard the child’s immaturity and his God-given need for activity. As to the grandparents— be respectful and courteous but don’t let them overrule your own good
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