May, 1935
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
168
That BOY!
Hold
I
EXPERIENCES WITH REAL BOYS ' B y JULIA E. COLE* Chicago, Illinois
M y boys won’t: listen,” I heard a discouraged teacher of a class of thirteen-year-olds remark. “ If that is disheartening,” rejoined the department su perintendent, “ what about this ? For years, out of every four graduated into our department, one has gone on into the next department; and this when every teacher is a con secrated Christian, and we are in a rapidly growing Sun day-school.” “ H -mm -S ’ considered the teacher. “ A seventy-five per cent loss! What can be done ?” Because this is the usual situation in the early teen-age departments of our Sunday-schools, we venture an answer to “ What can be done?” “ T hey D on ’ t S eem I nterested ” The most common remark o f Sunday-school teachers coming to my office for help is, in effect', “ They don’t seem one bit interested.” In the older teen-age classes the pupils “ just sit, looking bored” ; in the younger classes, they “ do everything imaginable but listen.” I usually ask, “ Have you found out what does interest them ?” That is the beginning o f the solution to the problem. It mav be that they are interested in postage-stamp collec tions,"football, historic or current events, radio construc tion, or a host of other things. I have discovered that even boys like notice given to their new name plate bracelets and leather jackets. It does not matter that we are rather ignor ant about some o f their mechanical contrivances. W e need only be interested, and they delight in supplying the in formation. It so happens that I
him, and we hope that after a time he will decide to go o f his own accord.” As we talked, the boy and his dog came in. The friendly dog made it easy to get acquainted with his master. Ash ley’s eighth grade graduation day was only two weeks away. In connection with the interest of this occasion, we talked about the high school problems which were looming up. What subjects should he take? What language, if he pre pared for rajlroad engineering? What college would be best ? As we were speaking o f science and drawing, I was shown the science notebook. Our conversation drifted to ice skating. It was decided that we should go over and investigate the pond. Nor was the pond the only part of the park my enthusiastic guide exhibited. The botanical gardens and the zoo buildings were among his special interests. Our thoughts again turned to drawing, and Ashley dis covered that we needed a map o f Palestine for our class room. And now, one o f the prize possessions o f the class is an excellently drawn map. But best o f all, we have all the boys who originally made up the class when it came from the Junior department, and one in addition. The group is working and praying definitely for two other boys who are not in Sunday-school. One o f them was never in church before he visited our class. From the boys’ prayers last Sunday, I am expecting that the new boys will be won for the class and for Christ. W hen B oys P ray This subject suggests another question which is often asked—-“ How can we get these self-conscious, giggly early teens to pray aloud ?” This is what took place in our class; On the October morning we first met together, I let the boys understand that this was not my class, but our class. No one o f us would do all o f the talking, or all o f the praying. When it was time for prayer, each o f us thought o f something we wanted to say to God. We all stood with bowed heads. Instead of prayer, we heard from the first boy, “ How do you start?” Without surprise, in a natural tone, I explained that we first addressed God as “ our heavenly Father,” then asked Him, or thanked Him, for what we had in mind. When it came to the third boy, we heard, “ Milton prayed for what I was going to ask.” It was explained that we often wanted to ask for the same thing that some one else had mentioned. The teacher expected each boy to pray, and each one did. Now every Sunday when we stand for prayer, one boy is called on to lead, and each one follows who has some re quest or thanks to express. Most o f the boys pray each time. It has been a delight to watch this growth in their prayer life. Remembering the tendency to self-conscious embar rassment, we seek to help them forget self by keeping be fore them both God’s promises and the needs for prayer. Some suggestion is made or question asked each time, to direct our thoughts. Two weeks ago we asked for the read-
now have a class o f boys, the teaching o f which has been especially helpful in the preparation o f the les sons. Before I b e cam e really acquainted with my new class from the Junior department, one o f the boys stopped coming to Sunday-school. I called at his home one Sunday a f ternoon. Ashley was out, but his father and mother freely talked to me about their son and their prob lems with him. The father explained, “ J u n io r does not want to go to Sunday- school. Every S u n d a y morning we have had the same struggle trying to get him up and started. We have decided not to force *Writer o f Intermediate les sons fo r the All Bible Graded Series, and instructor o f De partmental Work at the Moody Bible Institute o f Chicago.
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