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W H Y NOT TAKE YOUR YOUNG PEOPLE?
B y A l John son , Youth Pa sto r First Baptist Church, Downey, California
O u r churches are not doing enough to challenge High School and College young people for the mission field. Direct and personal contact with missionaries is still the most effective way to challenge youth. Because of overcrowded calendars our churches are unable to give this emphasis to missions. One way in which God is challenging hundreds of young people to the task is through practical on-the-field missionary training. The youth group of the First Baptist Church of Downey has made seven of these missionary trips with thrilling results. Through these trips God has led some youth into training for the mission field; some have experienced the joy of soul-winning for the first time; some have returned to their group on fire for God to work in the “ Jerusalem” around them which they had previ ously neglected. All of them have experienced the greatest of all privileges for the Christian — that of closer fellow ship to the Lord and being used by Him. If God should lay this type of project upon the hearts of your youth group, here are some suggestions that might be helpful: (1). Have a definite missionary contact on the field. You must work with and through experienced missionaries so as to be a help rather than a hindrance. The mission ary will gui de in setti ng schedules, programs, and accomodations for your group. (2). Start planning months in advance. We found that dili gent prayer and careful planning are absolutely neces sary for God’s blessing. The weekly planning and prayer meeting will automatically decide who should go on the trip. (3). Plan to do actual missionary work. Young people can preach sermons. They can give flannelgraph lessons, object lessons, pass out tracts, do personal work, etc. In our group all had to participate. The stress was not upon observation, or even manual physical work such as painting a missionary compound as good as this may be, but upon actual missionary work. (4). Good material must be supplied to the group and time given to acquaint them with it. (5). Finally, there are such matters to be considered as advance scouting party, working out cost of food (our youth paid for everything with no obligation to the missionaries), planning the menu (all cooking was done by the youth or adult leaders), adequate adult leadership, follow-up preparation, and organization of teams (the more teams the more area covered). As to which field to visit, there is no end of possibil ities. God is laying upon the hearts of missionaries the value of having young people share their labors on the field. Check with missionary committees in your church and with your pastor and you’ll find many opportunities. Of course, there are going to be some pitfalls. Some young people will be attracted because of the novelty or glamour of such a trip, but the real values will show through when some of them will return home willing to serve God on that same mission field or any other where He might lead. Dare we hold back this challenge
One of the young people leading children in games during DVBS. Our church worked in four major areas: door-to-door and area e v a n g e l i sm , regular worship services, fellowship times with Christian young people (see below), and Vacation Bible School.
Above: After church fellowship time with the Christian young people of the First Baptist Church of Ensenada is enjoyed by all. Below: Rev. Porfirio Garcia, pastor of the Ensenada Church in Baja, California, interpreting a message for the Downey young people. The effect on the lives of the church youth is inestimable.
to our youth! JULY, 1959
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