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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
June, 1938
i t From a Child♦♦♦ [ Continued, from Page 242] n
Missionary to China .Although I first started to church in my parents’ arms, joined the church at the age of eight, always took a stand for Christ when confronted with an appeal, was often sorry for sin, still it was not until I was nineteen that I had any mental apprehen sion of salvation. At that time I was at tending a small Bible college where doc trinal study presented by a faithful teacher was exactly suited to my need. Then the light dawned. It was a case of “ the en trance of thy words giveth light.” The greatest help that came to me as a young convert was the early establishment of the habit of observing the Quiet Hour early each morning. In my mind this is abso lutely indispensable to spiritual health. I thank God for a mother who loved children in a very unique way, and He has given me also a deep love for boys and girls. If there is any thrill comparable to that of being the first to tell a child of the love of Christ, I have yet to experience it— unless it be to bear similar witness in a foreign land. C arolyn L. C anfield 20 years in missionary work in China and in the homeland Los Angeles, Calif. Memorable Hours of Decision When evangelistic meetings were held in our country schoolhouse, I went forward and confessed Christ without any human prompting. I was eight years old. I gave my life for full-time service when I was fifteen, in a consecration service on a Sun day evening in a little church in central Kansas. This incident stands out as per haps one of the greatest moments in my life. The Lord has led me into that service, calling me “ into the ministry.” It has been my great privilege to baptize a number of children and young people upon confession of Christian faith. C arlton C. B uck 11 years in Christian work Arlington, Calif. Two Quarter-Century Marks In a Pre-Easter revival meeting, my wife and I were the only two who responded to the invitation to accept Christ. I was twen ty-five years of age at the time. There have followed, for us, twenty - five years of Christian service, in pastoral and evange listic work. W e look back over this half century and feel that our labor among children was the most fruitful. J ay O. B ovee 25 years in Christian work Shelton, Wash. Protected M y parents were believers, and I learned to know the Lord in early childhood. I was not more than eight years of age when I accepted Christ. Children need the safe guard of the experience of salvation through Christ to protect them against the allure ments of the world. E dwin 'J. O mark 17 years in the gospel ministry Los Angeles, Calif.
children. In addition, as Headmaster of a boys’ school, I have had many opportuni ties to present the Lord Jesus to boys and young men. I not only believe but know from personal experience that youth is posi tively the most fruitful age for evangelism. \oung people today are hungry for reality. They will respond to the message of the cross, provided it is presented sincerely, courageously, and believingly. W e must not “ water down” the gospel for young people. W e must give them New Testament Chris tianity. W e must challenge them with the claims of the absolute Lordship of Christ over their lives. Visible and immediate re sults do not really measure true evangelism. I have in mind some cases where a seem ingly, unresponsive young man has received a blessing years after he was first evan gelized. The seed does not die. F rank E. G aebelein 16 years in Christian work Stony Brook, N. Y. Living, Loving Lord Many excellent methods are advocated and employed today, the day of child evan gelism. But the only really successful meth od, I think, is that which so presents the Lord Jesus Christ to each child that He becomes to that one a living, loving Pres ence— Saviour and Shepherd and Compan ion and Friend. Personally, I am not able to state at what age I was born again. As a child I felt a deep desire to be a Chris tian. Later, when I was a girl in my teens, the Lord Jesus Christ became consciously my personal Saviour. This latter experi ence came as I was reading John 6 :47, 48. E lizabeth M erritt 35 years in Christian work, par ticularly in girls’ Bible clubs Long Beach, Calif. Faithfulness to Juniors I was brought to the Lord through the faithfulness of our Junior department su perintendent. She invited me to her home— a little girl of eleven — and there talked to me of my need of the Saviour. My experi ence in young people’s work at the Lake Whatcom Bible and Missionary Conference at the Firs, Bellingham, Wash., leads me to stress the value of summer conference work with young people. By means of this plan, one has the young people for a longer time than otherwise— away from their customary environment and face to face with the claims of Christ. M rs . W illard M. A ldrich 4'■years in Christian work with young people Vancouver, Wash. Winning in Various Ways As a young child, I was born again as the result of Christian teaching in my home and in the church. My conversion came as the natural result of these influences. Others may be won in a different manner. For example, one of the most influential busi
ness men of our city, an ardent and suc cessful personal worker, remarked recently before a large Bible class that he was in that position because, when he was a lad, a woman in his neighborhood called him off the street one day into her home where she told him of the Lord Jesus Christ. His response was immediate and eager, with the result that today the Lord’s work is pri mary to him, and his business secondary. The important issue is: By all means win some! R uth H. W alter 20 years in Christian work Portland, Ore. Influence of a Separated Christian I was twenty-one years of age when the Lord saved me, in a rescue mission in New Castle, Pa. While I was a new convert, the Christian living of my sister-in-law helped me greatly; she was a separated Christian. In recent years, in evangelistic work, my wife and I have been privileged to lead many young people to Christ. W m . F. R awlins 15 years in Christian work Struthers, Ohio Today's Special Needs In a revival service in a little country church, as a ten-year-old boy, I came to Christ. Mine was a Christian home; godly parents maintained a family altar. I be lieve there is special need today, first, that attractive methods may be found to lead children to read the Bible systematically; second, that more definite soul-winning work shall be done in the Sunday-school, and third, that effort shall be made to or ganize neiy Sunday-schools in neglected districts. J ohn B. T rowbridge 44 years in Christian work, in the ministry of music Los Angeles, Calif. The Personal Touch Although I was only thirteen years of age when I heard a revival-meeting ser mon on hell and judgment, followed by an invitation to accept Christ as personal Sav iour, I came to Christ and was born again. M y sister, younger than I, was under deep conviction. When I noticed this, God’s Spirit moved me with compassion. I touched her arm, encouraging her to go to the altar. I went with her; we both prayed, and God spoke peace to her soul. W e both firmly be lieve that the personal touch was necessary and that God blessed it. God has used me in personal work in revivals since I was nineteen years o f age. Child evangelism is THE work for the present time. After young people have passed through atheistic and communistic schools, there is very little opportunity to win them for Christ. R ex A. M itchell 19 years as pastor and evangelist Paso Robles, Calif,
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