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T h e K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
September 1932
whom he has persuaded to take the course. They meet together for a half hour each week for a personal confer ence in which they discuss the various questions brought up by the study. The advisor is thus given an opportunity each week to deal with the student, making possible the gradual approach to the principle question, which is taken up in the fourth week, as to a personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord of the life. The University Bible Clubs is a thoroughly evangelical, independent, non-denominational organization, which was founded on the Vermont Avenue campus of the University of California at Los Angeles in November, 1927. For four years, a careful scientific investigation was made of the conditions on the modern university campus. Experi ments were conducted in the endeavor to discover thè best means of presenting a sane, strong, Christian testimony to the young people on our campuses. Last year, the move ment was expanded to twelve university and college cen ters throughout Southern California. Literally scores of plans of student approach have been tried in the endeavor to work out a comprehensive solution for the problem of presenting Christianity on the campus. Much time has been expended in perfecting a plan whereby a constructive, evangelical Christian work can be conducted on a campus by the students themselves, thus eliminating the need for numerous paid secretaries or an expensive staff of denominational advisors in each school center. Results which already have been obtained through the University Bible Club plan of campus work have dem onstrated that this organization has an effective, workable plan of operation. This year will see the work carried into university centers clear across the continent. The support of many outstanding, evangelical Christian ministers and laymen has been secured, and Christian people everywhere are invited to join in promoting this work in one of the most needy missionary fields in all the world^-the univer sity campus. How C hristians M ay H elp There are several ways in which Christian people can aid materially in the advancement of this work in the uni versity centers of our country. First : The Bible Club work has been built on a founda tion of prayer. Over fifteen hundred Christian people have signed prayer covenants, promising to remember this work regularly in their petitions at the Throne of Grace. We believe that much of the blessing that has come to us through this work is a direct result of the intercessory work of the loyal friends of this movement. Second : It costs approximately twenty-five cents a month to supply each student with his lesson material and keep him actively engaged in his Bible study work. Since there is no other source of income for this work aside from the freewill gifts and investments of Christian people, it can be seen that the number of 'students reached depends entirely upon the response on the part of those who are vitally interested in presenting a definite gospel testimony to our young people. Since its inception, the. University Bible Clubs have been a faith work, with every effort made to accomplish the utmost possible with every dollar in vested. Third : Those who are especially interested in this work and are not students in any university or college may affili ate with the movement as Adult Members. Adult Members promise to pray for -this work regularly and to support it to the extent of at least one dollar per month. The initial twenty-five cents o f this dollar is used in sending to the Adult Member the Devotional Bible Course and other [Continued on page 394]
A G r o u p of S t u d e n t s L o u n g in g o n t h e L ib r a r y S t e p s “ You’d be surprised, Paul, how quickly that twenty- five minutes goes, and how it helps you in doing the rest of your day’s work in much less time. Some of the fellows that are taking this course don’t stop at twenty-five minutes but spend as much as an hour a day. Believe me, after you’ve worked on it a little while, you realize that you dare not neglect this sort of thing. After all, our spiritual na tures are far more important than even the development of our intellects, and the University provides no way whatso ever to build up the spiritual life of the individual. You have to get that for yourself. Students who neglect this side soon turn into skeptics or agnostics; they are unhappy and cynical; they leave school with a warped complex that tends to cloud their whole life. I’m telling you that a fel low can’t afford to take a chance on that sort of thing. But here’s what I would like to suggest: You try the course for a month, and if it doesn’t work out, and if you don’t think it’s worth-while, you can drop it then. But make an honest trial of the thing. As I said before, it doesn’t take so very much time, but it will transform your whole outlook on things here at the University. I can give you my own testi mony that it has meant a tremendous lot to me, and I want to pass on the aid that I’ve received to the other fellows who are coming in this year.” “ Well, I guess I can try it for a month. It wouldn’t hurt anything, anyhow. I’m certainly glad I met you, Wil liamson. Can I sign up now?” “ That’s the spirit! Here’s the declaration; let me go over it with you.” How the W ork is C arried O n Conversation such as the above will be repeated on many a campus during the first part of this coming school semester. There are several hundred enthusiastic Chris tian young people who are engaged in seeking to interest other students in the study of the matchless Book of all the ages-—the Bible. They use a method of approach which has been worked out over five years of careful experimentation on the university campus itself. An entirely new plan of Bible study, which is especially adapted to the university student, has been prepared. The first four weeks of this course present in a clear, definite manner the reasons why the Bible should be the subject of special investigation on the part of every student. The claims of and evidence for the Bible as being the Word of God are dealt with in a positive, sane, constructive manner. Each day additional proof is given, and the effort is made to build up the con fidence of the individual in the integrity of this Book. After the first approach, suggested in the conversation given above, the Bible Club member, who has been study ing these lessons, serves as an advisor to some new student
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