May 1925
TH E K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
205
A Gathering of the Tribespeople (The following from “China’s Millions” [organ of the China Inland Mission] gives a realistic glimpse into the daily life of a missionary, and will be especially interesting to the K. B. Family coming, as it does, from a B.I.O.I/.A. graduate. Mrs. Cooke was formerly Miss Leila Robinson, graduating from the Institute in 1918.)
was a banging of guns almost all of the day I Christmas. What for? Oh! that is the vay of welcoming guests. The Lisu from all strict around came trudging over the moun
are seated by the table and Mr. Flagg is questioning them from the catechism. On the other side are others bustling around getting supper. In the distance a group are singing hymns, while just at the foot of the table Ruth Flagg and our little boy are making mud, pies. Now, look up at the beautiful red sunset and praise God for bringing you here where the people want the Savior as their own. Now, come again after supper and sit around the camp fire with us and hear these nearly five hundred Lisu sing hymns. Does it not do your heart good to hear these dear people just rescued from devil worship singing and praising the true God? But think for a minute! There are not more than a dozen or two houses in the village. Ask that man at the side where he came from, and he will tell you he traveled eight days’ journey to get here. Yes, they come from great distances in all directions. How far do you dear friends in America go to hear about Christ? Are you willing to travel several days on foot as most of these people have done? To be sure many of them hardly know what it means to worship God; many have been attracted by the desire to learn to read, but most of them are sin cere as far as they know.
tains to celebrate with us. Our village consists of only eleven families, but they found room to entertain hundreds of guests, building a row of brick stoves for them to cook upon and a big booth covered with branches where they might sleep. A little way above the village they made a pretty gate of bamboo leaves. There they fired off guns, as the Lisu from the dis tant villages came near, and we all ran up to the gate to welcome them. At the gate they stood still while we sang a song of welcome. Then more banging of guns and finally a hearty hand shake. But such a lot of people! Almost five hundred-Bwhat a happy group! Their clothes of bright red, green, yellow and blue seem quite suitable for a festive occasion. But now I want you to see a picture which has moved me very much. Out on the mountain side, in God’s open air, they have prepared long bamboo tables where they expect to eat their meals. A group of those wishing to be baptized
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A Christian Club for Christian Young Men (The Fishermen’s Clnh of Los Angeles)
H INETEEN years ago a group of young men met in the b a s e m e n t of Immanuel Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles for a “hand out” supper and a Bible message. Soon outgrowing the facilities offered by the church building, and in order to make possible the attendance of young men from other churches, accommoda tions were found for the supper 'and Bible class in a lunch room of the Church Federation. The original dozen soon multiplied several times. The name “Fisher men’s Club” (suggested by Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” ) had a good grip on the fellows, and an organization was effected with a constitution containing a statement of doctrine covering the essential doctrines of the evangelical church, and a button adopted bear ing a design of a fish and the letters “F C.” These buttons were “loaned” to the members upon the deposit of one dollar, with the understanding that the return of the button would be demanded, and the deposit of one dol lar refunded, upon the failure of a member to be loyal to the principles and purposes of the club. Many other groups of young men desired to take the name, but these requests were denied for fear the char acter and purpose of the club might
not be maintained by them, and the name “Fishermen’s Club” thereby dis honored and lose its prestige. For fur ther protection, the club was incor porated and the pin copyrighted* The -Fishermen’s Club has never once failed to meet on Monday night during the nineteen years' of its exis tence, and has never deviated from the original program— a simple supper at 6:00 o’clock, followed by a song ser vice and Bible study. Many times the members have tarried for all night prayer meetings, which have resulted in the deepening of the spiritual life and the dedication of many lives to service for the Master in this and other lands. No “functions” have ever been held, or any secular lectures givep. The “soul” of the Fishermen’s Club has always been the “winning of souls,” and the obligation of every member to be a “fisher of men” has been insistently a n d incessantly stressed with them, following the com mand of our Lord as expressed in their motto, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Members of the club are now preaching the Gospel in nearly every country in the world, as well as in the homeland, and out of the Fishermen’s Club and the Lyceum Club (a similar organization for young women) grew the Bible Institute of Los Angeles,
which for eighteen years has carried on its work of preparing young men and women for definite Christian work in this and other lands. Recently, it has been laid upon the hearts of some of the older members of the Fishermen’s Club to form an interdenominational, international or ganization, having the same statement of doctrine and wearing the same pin, so that young men, especially from the- High Schools and colleges in other communities, may be gathered to gether on the same basis as that which has been so definitely blessed in this club. The conditions in the world, the church, and the schools, are. such that it is felt such an organization will meet a need which was formerly met by the Y. M. C. A. when it was a sim ple, practical, soul-saving organiza tion. The details are being worked out so that in any community, where a small committee of older men will take the oversight, one of these clubs may be formed and given a charter, one of the conditions of which will be that the same restrictions will be placed upon the wearing of the pin as in the original Fishermen’s Club. Any pastors or others interested will be furnished a leaflet giving full par ticulars upon application to T. C. Horton, Editor-in-Chief of The King’s Business.
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