167
May, 1945
A Sunday School superintendent of a large Detroit church faced his board of trustees who were protesting against a strong Christian club program for boys on the basis that the grass around the church would be impaired, exclaiming, “What dó you want—boys or grass? I want boys!” Today he has them—six large battalions meeting every week. The boys’ section of the intermediate and senior departments has increased accordingly. In Vancouver, B. C., Hedlay Nielsen is doing a grand job, not only with the battalions he himself is leading, but also in helping others of the area to get their own groups started. He is all out for plenty of activity, but he is also all out for evangelism. His reports are packed full of thrills like this:- ' ; • n H H H “On Thursday four boys, raised their hands expressing their desire to become Christians. Two remained behind to receive Christ as their Saviour. One wag a new boy; it was his second time at a Brigade meeting. The boys had a surprise birthday party for me. An invitation was given for any boy to see one of the leaders afterwards if he desired salvation. A sixteen-year-old boy stayed behind, and I had the joy of leading him to the Lord. This is one boy that we literally picked off the street. Several times he had disturbed our meetings with insolent remarks. He gloried in relating tales of the things he had stolen. In fact, he showed us some of these articles. We never missed an opportunity of warning him of the consequences of his deeds. Certainly God is able to save to the ‘gutter- most’ ! • “The following Thursday night after reading them a story of a man who was saved in a submarine, I asked if any wished to receive Christ as their Saviour from sin. Four boys raised their hands. In the “Guide’s Chamber” I had the privilege of leading four new boys to the Lord. Two of the boys have no father, and are supported by their older brother. We believe all this has been possible only through the faithfulness of God’s people in prayer for the work. Certainly we deserve no glory for we have only done what God has asked us to do: to win boys for Christ.” Police are quick to recognize the value of a work with boys combining activity and evangelism. In Detroit, staff worker Ben Jones has often been commended by the judge of the Juvenile Court for outstanding work in con nection with the youth problem of that city. Rev. Robert Noles, new pastor in Cornwall, New York, was surprised when the Chief of Police stopped him on the street, saying, “I want to tell you that we have not had as much trouble with the boys in this town since you folks started this Brigade work.” Boys’ work is thrilling. Boys’ work with Christ at the center of all the activity is even more thrilling. Fruit in the form of saved and kept lives is the best reward anyone could desire.
young captain started right in on the heroic adventure story of David Livingstone. Jack was enthralled. After the “ prayer huddle” and the Brigadier’s benediction, he asked the leader why he did that. This wise chap, instead of giving him |“both barrels” at once,, took him aside into his “ Guide’s Cham ber.” There he told him of the Saviour, and Jack was captivated. Jack’s parents were displeased. They ridiculed him. Week after week he had to beg to go back to the Brigade battalion in that Bible-believing church. Eventually he was permitted to attend Sunday School and then, having learned more about God’s Word, he began to tell his par ents what faith in the Lord Jesus meant. The happy re sult was that they both came out for Christ. Jack’s witnessing did not stop with his family. In the locker room, in the class room, and while walking home from school with the rest of the gang, he used every op portunity to speak of Christ. Jack and Len got together in one of the camps run by the Christian Service Brigade last summer. George was there too. On the boat making the trip to this north ern Michigan camp, George got into all kinds of trouble. Associating with girls and fellows who were not with the camping gang, smoking cigarettes, he was a real problem to the escorts of camp-bound boys. Len, a general coun selor at the camp, was one of these escorts. Jack had said, “Pray for a fellow from my high school who’s com ing up here. He doesn’t know Christ.” When Len got to camp he, too, requested definite prayer for a bpy named George who was not saved. The third night that George was in camp he sat be side the camp-fire and talked with the Skipper of the camp. There were tears in his eyes as he asked, -“Skip, can a fellow be a Christian and have dirty thoughts?” Putting his hand on George’s shoulder, the Skipper explained that Christ could give real victory in every phase of a fellow’s life. Then he said, “George, I didn’t know you were a Christian. When did it happen?” “Well, you see, Skip, I really came to camp to get to be like Jack. I knew him in my school. Len led me to Christ this morning.” Other Good Reports Boys, as boys, will follow Jesus Christ if they are led aright. This truth often escapes adults who think that boys are not ready to serve Christ simply because they are not adults. Last summer, Mr. Paul Fischer, Chairman of International C. B. M. C., wrote as follows to the General Secretary of Christian Service Brigade: “Upon leaving the Glen Oak Golf Club recently I picked up a caddy who wanted a ride to his home in Villa Park. In accordance with my usual custom, I asked,him to put fyis hand in the pocket of my coat which was hang ing in the back of the car and get out a copy of Eavey’s tract, ‘Facts You Should Know and Believe to Be Saved.’ As soon as we got to discussing the matter of salvation he said, ‘I am saved already.’ I told him I was certainly glad to know that, and told him that all people who had come to love the Lord in reality were witnesses for Him. ‘Do you witness for Christ?’ He answered, ‘I sure do. I am a member of the Christian Service Brigade, and that is part of our work.’ We had a very good time of fellow ship together.” The biggest thrill in a week-day Christian club pro gram is not only to see the way that such work will hold boys and attract new ones, but it is the boys themselves. Yet while increasing numbers of churches are realizing the necessity of having a definite during-the-week pro gram for fellows and girls, some still keep their eyes shut to the need. They do not realize that unless they provide something that is both activity-filled and Christ-centered for the young people to do during the week, they will lose three-fourths of those they have reached, and will not begin to touch the unreached areas.
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