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By Norma R. Ellis
A S evangelical Christians, we pride ourselves on being part of a mis sionary-minded church. We regard our selves as missionary-minded people. But what about our young people, our own children? Are they missionary-minded? Do they want to be missionaries them selves? Are we interested enough in the spread of the glorious gospel to direct our own children’s thinking into chan nels which will lead them to give their lives for the evangelization o f the lost? Of what does an interest in missions consist? Certainly it consists first in a knowledge o f the gospel, and, of course, an acceptance o f it personally. We must know experimentally that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners like us. Second, an interest in missions pre supposes a knowledge of the condition o f the heathen. We must know the living condition and the dying condition of the millions who do not know the Saviour. Third, an interest in missions involves a desire, deep and sincere, to see that the heathen are reached with the gospel. Of course, this first requisite is the aim of every department, every meeting of a truly evangelical church, as well as of the Christian home and Christian school: to increase a knowledge of the gospel and to further Bible study. As real as we recognize death and eternity to be, we know so little about them that our thoughts center more upon this life than that which is to come. This is even more true o f children and young people before whom life seems to stretch in an endless, fascinating road. For even the most sincere of young Christians it is very difficult to appreciate Paul’s words: “ To die is g'ain.” It is natural that this should be so. This means, I believe, then, that young people are much more impressed by the M A Y , 1 9 5 0
Let us acquaint ourselves with their full names . . . the exact place of their labors, and the nature and problems of their work.
facts related to how the heathen live without Christ, than how they die with out Him. The African who dies unsaved will have the same fate as our next door neighbor has in this life the advantages neighbor has in this life the advantages of a civilization which, although marred by sin, still bears the influence of a truly Christian origin. The African does not. His life is bound in fear and supersti tion. He is besieged by disease and dirt. He does not know the true meaning of love and peace. The position he assigns women and children is very low. So our children and young people need to be educated with regard to the daily life of . the heathen as well as his spiritual con dition. But this is but in the realm of intel lect. There is also the realm of the emo tions. There must be a burning desire to see the heathen reached with the gospel. Let us not be afraid to let emo tions enter into our program. We were created, emotionally as well as intellec tually and spiritually, in the image of God. We were redeemed totally in every realm of our natures, being made new creatures. Emotion is the driving force of our interest. This is what impels young people to pray for missions, to give for missions, and to go to the mis sion field themselves! How shall we implant such knowl edge and arouse such a desire in our children and young people? By making missions personal, adventurous, attrac tive, graphic and significant! How shall we make missions personal? By not talking to children about “ mis sions” as such, or even referring to
“ the missionaries we support” or “ tne missionaries on the home and foreign field.” Sometimes we use these terms so glibly, even in our prayers! Let us call each missionary by name. Let us ac quaint ourselves with their full names, the names and ages of their children, the exact place of their labors, the na ture and problems o f their work. Like wise, let us not speak vaguely of “ the heathen” or “ the natives.” Let us men tion Young Fu or Nasir Pasha, even if we do not pronounce them correctly! This is personalizing missions. I recall a true illustration of what personalizing missions can do for a child. In a certain Sunday school the offering of the Primary Department fo r the gen eral missionary fund was not meeting the assigned budget. Not that the total offering was lower; it was higher in fact, but the gift was not going into the reg ular missionary fund. An investigation revealed this very interesting reason: A missionary, one who knew the impor tance of personalizing missions, had ad dressed the Sunday school. She had asked each child to sacrifice something during the week and bring in the money for the support of little Johnny who lived in a Christian orphanage in the Southern mountains. She described Johnny in such a way that he became a real boy, not just a name, to the chil dren. What happened? Little Tom and little Mary in the Primary department looked at the missions envelope, the gen eral fund envelope, and the jar for little Johnny. All the pennies went tumbling into the jar for poor little Johnny, who Page Fifteen
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