Junior endeavor in theory and practice

Front matter

JUNIOR NDEAYOR fSSSR

Book. X_G

CofiyrightN" :

Contents

I. The Need from Which It Sprung . 7

II. The First Junior Society .... 14

III. The Value of the Society .... 20

Chapter I. The Need From Which It Sprung

The Need So Strongly Felt.— Before beginning the story of the formation of the first Junior Christian Endeavor society and the resulting world-wide organization, and before we discuss its principles and methods, it is well to glance briefly at the work done for children in the modern church, and to consider the need so keenly felt a quarter of a century ago, which led to the formation of Christian Endeavor societies and later of Junior Endeavor societies.

It has been said that the religion of Jesus Christ is the only religion that has a place for the children. The first disciples, however, seem to have had little thought for them until our Saviour himself taught them the lesson that " of such is the kingdom of heaven." After his resurrection one of his lasft commands to Peter was, ** Feed my lambs." Ever since that time the church has borne in mind the Master's command, and has tried, though sometimes feebly and ineffectually, and often spasmodically, to obey that command. It would be interesting to know just what efforts Peter made to obey the command, but there is very little hint of his work in this direction in any of his writing, except an occasional message of tender love.

The Rise of the Sunday-School. — In the modern church there seemed to be very little thought for the children until at last Robert RaikeS arose, and showed to the world something that might be done for them ; and the church finally followed his example, until now there are few Protestant churches that do not have a Sunday-school where every Sunday children are taught in the Word ; and many children and older people date the beginning of their Christian lives back to the time when, in the Sunday-school, a faithful teacher first opened to them the Scriptures, and led them into the love of Christ.

The Church and the Children. — But the Sunday-school reaches the children for only one hour in the week, and its province is largely to teach ; there seemed to be a need for something more. After a time it began to dawn upon the church that the children might not only be taught in the Scriptures, but they might also be trained for Christian service ; and, as the years went by, various organizations were formed in the church with this object in view, until there were in many churches Mission Circles, Bands of Hope, Loyal Legions^ and various other children's organizations, all of which had for their purpose to enlist the children in some one branch of religious or philanthropic work. Many who are to-day among the most earnest Christian workers in the church received their first training in Christian service in some mission circle or other children's organization. And so, as the

THE NEED FROM WHICH IT SPRUNG. 9

nineteenth century went on into its last quarter, the church became more wide awake to its duty to the children, and was trying everywhere, in many different ways, to care for the lambs of the flock.

Williston Church. — In the Williston Church, where the first Christian Endeavor society was formed, there had been from the very beginning of the church much time and thought given to work for the children and young people. Indeed, the church itself began in a Sabbath-school ; and a few faithful Sabbath-school teachers, with some of the young people who in that Sabbath-school had become Christians, were the first members from whom that church was formed.

The Mizpah Circle. — When the first Christian Endeavor society was formed, there was in that church a large and flourishing mission circle called the Mizpah Circle, which had been in existence for five years, and which had been trying to train its members for Christ and the church. At this time there were in the Mizpah Circle some seventy or more members, comprising boys and girls from seven to seventeen. Their special object was to interest all the members in missions, and also in their own church, in which respect it differed somewhat from most mission circles at that time, since it did other than missionary work.

It was the custom of the members to give every year a definite sum to their own missionary board, to be used as the board pleased ; but it was also their custom to do something, whenever they could, for their own church, and one large window in that church was the gift of that Mizpah Circle, whose members still look at it with pleasure, as they remember the days when as boys and girls they toiled to earn the money, that they might help to beautify the church. They also bought and presented to the church copies of the Psalms to be placed in every pew and used for responsive readings, and in many little ways, as they were able, they tried to help their own church, as well as their own missionary board. In these and other ways the children of that mission circle were being trained for Christ and the church.

But this mission circle did not seem to be doing all that ought to be done if Christ's command, ** Feed my lambs," was to be obeyed.

Pastor's Class. — The pastor was sometimes present at the meeting of the Mizpah Circle, and he was well informed about every member of it. After the meetings of the Week of Prayer there were always some boys and girls among those who gave themselves to Christ, and the pastor felt that these boys and girls especially needed shepherding ; so he gathered some of them into a ** church-preparation class," that those who wanted to become Christ's professed followers might be ready, when their own hearts should dictate the step, and their parents should be willing, to enter intelligently and understandingly and sincerely into covenant with God and his people.

Each year after the meetings of the Week of Prayer this pastor's class was formed, and was continued for three or four months ; and usually by the first of May some of its members were ready by their own wish and with their parents' consent and approval to unite with the church. I think it was in that

THE NEED FROM WHICH IT SPRUNG, 11

pastor's church-preparation class that the form of the pledge which is now used for the Junior society was first used. Each member of that church-preparation class was invited to sign this pledge, and many of them did so. As used then, the pledge was, I think, as follows :

*' Trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for strength, I promise Him that I will try to do whatever He would like to have me do ; that I will pray to Him and read the Bible every day, and that, just so far as I know how, throughout my whole life I will try to lead a Christian Hfe."

When afterwards this pledge was adapted to the Christian Endeavor society, there was one sentence added to it, which was substantially as follows :

<* I will be present at every meeting of the society unless prevented by some absolute necessity, and will take some part in every meeting." The whole Christian Endeavor pledge as used to-day is really included in this shorter one that was first prepared for that little class of boys and girls, and whatever has been added since has been only for the purpose of intensifying and explaining the meaning of the original pledge as the needs of the times have seemed to demand.

Other Methods of Work for Children.— But the work that was done for the children in that church was only a sample of the work that was being done in many ' churches all over the laud. Everywhere the church seemed to be waking up to the needs of the boys and girls. In some churches it had begun to be the custom to have five-minute sermons for the children every Sunday morning, and in others children's meetings were held ; and everywhere the question was, What shall we do more for the children ? The following words, quoted from Rev. Charles Roads, since Junior Christian Endeavor was begun, will show something of the feeling that had grown up in many churches.

** Who does not praise God for the teachings of Christ concerning children ? But let us beware, lest we fail to get his full loving purpose concerning them. The Christian world is yet far from looking upon children with the eyes of Christ.

<* Writing for those who are learning, though late, to see somewhat with the eyes of Christ, we feel the need of a children's meeting supplementary to the Sabbath-school. We have nothing but praise for the enthusiastic and effective labors of the faithful teachers, now the rule in our Sabbath -schools ; and the love for Bible-study they have patiently developed is largely the cause of the present extraordinary interest in all biblical discussions.

'* But the Sunday-school is ever a school, with a school atmosphere necessarily and properly in view of the importance of Bible knowledge, and cannot, therefore, satisfy the religious needs of the child any more fully than those of the adult. The Christian father and mother want a prayer-meeting, a testimony-meeting, and preaching; and the pecuHar spiritual help

THE NEED FROM WHICH IT SPRUNG, 13

which these supply, in addition to the best possible Sunday-school, is also needed by the child.

" And as an easy transition to church- fellowship the children's meeting has an important place. . . . With due sense of the necessity of more direct and systematic work for the conversion and training of children, some time will always be found for the httle company to gather.

" The church is coming profoundly to believe in the reality and power of a child's conversion, and in the clearness and joy of his salvation. The children's meeting is to deal specially with this young religious life, and to bring the child into actual church-fellowship by easy stages.

" Under ten years of age lifelong impressions are unquestionably made. Every adult has personal experience of some such impression. Shall we not, then, surround the child with the sunniest and most powerful spiritual influence ? Moral and mental habits are begun and in building. Up with our scaffolding, and see that the soul is erected after heavenly drawings and plans."

Questions for Review.

(a) What was the church doing for the children before the Christian Endeavor societies were organized ?

(^b) What was the Mizpah Circle ?

(c) What organizations for children were in the church ?

(ji) Describe the pastor's church-preparation class in Williston Church.

CHAPTER 11.

THE FIRST JUNIOR SOCIETY.

Juniors in the First Christian Endeavor Society^ —

When the first Christian Endeavor society was formed, it had a place in its ranks for the boys and girls. Nearly half of those who were its first members came from the ranks of the Mizpah Circle, and were between the ages of twelve and fifteen. They took part in the meetings with the others, and were given some work to do for Christ. Of course, the whole society was an experiment, and it was not thought wise to try two experiments at once ; so there was no separate organization for the boys and girls, but the first Christian Endeavor society was almost as much a Junior as a Young People's society.

The Christian Endeavor society was formed for the sake of training up the young people in these two cardinal principles : confession of Christ, and service for Christ. The Mizpah Circle had done a good work for the boys and girls, and they were all happy in their work ; but it was felt that the new organization might wisely open its doors to them, and lead them into larger and higher service ; that, while they were being trained to work for missions and for their own church, yet this new society might teach them all that, and also much more of Christian living and Christian service. In the new organization they would get a broader

TBE FIRST JUNIOR SOCIETY. 15

training for all branches of Christian work, and it was felt that these things ought we to do, and not to leave the others undone ; so the Christian Endeavor societyopened wide its doors, and the boys and girls of the Mizpah Circle walked in, and soon led in other boys and girls.

Origin and Growth of Junior Societies. — In other churches where societies were formed the same thing happened, till in many churches all over the land boys and girls and young men and women were being trained together for Christ and his church. But as the years went by, as the societies increased and their membership increased, and as their plans and methods of work became more fully developed, it was seen that there was not the opportunity to do for the children all that ought to be done. Many churches had held children's meetings of various kinds, and it was found that not only the older boys and girls, but even the little ones, were glad to come to these meetings ; and at last some one ventured to form a Christian Endeavor society simply for boys and girls, a society which should take in the little ones, and also keep the older boys and girls till they should be old enough to take hold more effectively of the work of the Young People's society.

Early Junior Societies. — It has been generally believed that the first distinctively Junior society called by that name was organized by Rev. J. W. Cowan of Tabor, Iowa, though others say that Rev. Mr. Savage of Berkeley, California, and others, that Mrs. Slocum of Iowa, formed the first so-called Junior society of Christian Endeavor. . It is not easy at this late day to be sure which one was first in the field; but, be that as it may, it is certain that at about the year 1884 there were many looking about for some better and more definitely practical way of training the children for the service of Christ, and at about the same time several distinct Junior societies were organized, not far apart in time, though somewhat widely separated geographically.

Object of a Junior Society. — The object of the Junior society was the same as that of the first Christian Endeavor society, of which it was an outgrowth ; it was " to promote an earnest Christian life among its members, and to prepare them for the active service of Christ " ; and they all adopted substantially the same form of pledge as that used by the pastor's class of Williston Church in Portland, the same pledge that is^ used in Junior societies to-day.

Its Development and Success. — Of course the first Junior society, like the first Christian Endeavor society, was an experiment ; but the part already taken by the boys and girls in the Young People^s societies made the success of the Juniors scarcely problematical. The societies in Tabor, Iowa, and Berkeley, California, and the other early societies, proved to be not only popular with the children, but very helpful as a means of reaching the boys and girls and leading them while young into the love and service of Christ.

As the months went by, it was seen also that those who as children were so trained in Christian Hving and Christian service might properly be expected to become the best and most efficient workers in the older society when they should be ready for it ; and,

THE FIRST JUNIOR SOCIETY. 17

as the years have gone by, that has proved to be the case in thousands of societies all the world around.

The First Junior Rally. — These first societies were soon copied by their neighbors, and soon there were many Junior societies in America. At the Christian Endeavor Convention in Montreal, in the year 1893, there were so many Junior societies in existence that it was thought that there ought to be a children's hour in the great convention. Accordingly a time was set apart, and a children's service was held in one of the largest churches in that city. This service was found so helpful to the children and so interesting to their elders that it has been continued ever since, and now at every national convention, I think in every country, there is always a Junior rally. These Junior rallies at the State and national conventions have helped to call the attention also of those churches which had no such society, to the work for the children, and now these Junior societies have also multiplied and spread into all parts of the world till there are to-day more than sixteen thousand Junior societies in all the world.

What It Has Done for Children. — Before we go on to talk of the work of the Society more in detail it may be well to speak of some things it has done for the boys and girls of the world since the first Junior society was started, and perhaps from these results we shall be able to see more plainly the value of a separate organization for the boys and girls.

If the church committees all over our land could be consulted as to the children who have come into the church-membership in the last two decades, and how they have been brought into the church, I believe that we should find that the answer to the question, " When do you think you became a Christian ? '' will often be, as I have heard it given myself in many cases, " I think it was when I first signed the Junior pledge," ** I think it was in one of our Junior Endeavor meetings," ** I think it was in one of our little Junior after-meetings that I gave myself to Christ." Perhaps no one can tell all of the influences that have brought any one person into church-membership and into the active Christian life, but without doubt it can be shown that one strong influence that has helped many children into the Kingdom has been the Junior Endeavor Society. If it had done nothing else in these years than this, it would have fully justified its existence.

But, more than this, it has trained children in the expression of their Christian life.

It has trained them in Christian service. Many boys and girls have learned that loving Christ means living for Christ, being willing to give time and thought to his service. It has so trained them that many of them have in these twenty years become very efficient workers in the older society.

It has proved that it is as well worth while to train the children in Christian living and in the Christian graces as in music and the celebrated " three R's," and in gymnastic?.

It has proved itself in many ways a valuable industrial training-school for the church; training the children not only in missions or temperance, but in missions and in temperance and also in Christian Hving and Christian service in many directions.

Look to-day into the membership of any church

THE FIRST JUNIOR SOCIETY, 19

which has for several years had a Junior Endeavor society, and you will be hkely to find among its most earnest young members those who through the Junior society have been brought into the Kingdom and trained for service there.

Questions for Review.

(a) What place was there for children in the first

Christian Endeavor society ?

(b) What was the origin and object of the first Junior

society ? (^) Where were some of the early Junior societies? {d) Tell of the development of the society and its

growth in America. ( ^ ) When did the Juniors first have a part in a national

convention ? (/) What are some things the society has done for the

children ?

Chapter III. The Value Of The Society

The Children's Age. — This has sometimes been called the Children's Age. It is the age of child-culture and child-study, of kindergartens and day nurseries and cradle rolls, and of children's clubs ; and it sometimes seems as though a very large part of the thought of the world is given to the proper development and training of the child's nature, until the very children themselves come to feel that they are of great importance and value in the world. All these things are good, and it is well that th'e world is awake to the needs of the children; yet, with all the care and thought that are given to the children, there are in their education and training neglected corners that ought to be cultivated.

The Children's Education. — Our children go to school for five hours a day for five days in the week to study geography and grammar and arithmetic and other books, and then they go for an hour on Sunday to the Sabbath-school, and we think we are training them well.

In too many Christian homes children are taught to feel that the one most important thing for them while they are children is their education, and the inference is that education means only the education that they can get in the day-school. But what about their edu-

TEE VALUE OF THE SOCIETY. 21

cation in the Bible, and in Christian service, and in the duties of the Christian Hfe ? How much time do the children give to these things ? Too often they are taught to feel that these are of secondary importance ; that they 7nus^ go to school every day, rain or shine ; that no slight thing is to keep them away ; that there is no excuse for failure in their lessons ; their lessons 7nust be learned ; that is for them the important thing. But how is it when Sunday morning comes ? Are they taught that they must be in God's house at the morning service; that no small reason should keep them away ; that their Sunday-school lesson must be at least as carefully prepared as their geography lesson ; that their presence in the church prayer-meeting should be the regular and expected thing, if they are old enough to go out in the evening, just as much as their presence at their day-school? Too often these things are allowed to take care of themselves, and a much smaller excuse is allowed to keep a child at home from the church service or the prayer-meeting or the Sunday-school than would keep him at home from the day-school.

Manual Training. — We think it worth while, too, that our children should learn to work with their hands, and manual training has come to have a very important place in the education of our children. There are sloyd classes in many of our large cities, and every boy in many grammar schools is allowed two years or more of this manual training if he wishes it. There are sewing-classes, too, for the girls ; and in some places there are whittling-classes for both boys and girls, where they are taught to do very good work with their pocket-knives. Now all this manual training is very good, but why not also apply this same theory to their training in Christian living ? Why not train them also in Christian work, and help them to realize that this is even a more important part of their education than anything else they can do ? Why is it that in so many of our churches the number of those upon whom the pastor can rely to do the work of the church is only a very small proportion of the membership of the church ? Is it not because they have not been trained in Christian service? They have never been taught to feel that Christian living means Christian service.

Training in Christian Service. — Are we not teaching and educating our children up to a very high standard of literary culture and forgetting to teach them to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness ? The Junior Endeavor society is an attempt to look after these neglected corners in the education of the children, and to help them to put first things first. It is a kind of manual training-school of the church, where the children are taught to put into practice the truths that they have learned in the Sunday-school. They are taught the first principles of Christian living and Christian service. The whole work of the Junior society is to lead the children to Christ and train them to work for him.

Objections. — When Junior societies began to multiply in the land, objections to them quickly arose and multiplied also. It was said that children could not wisely take part in a prayer-meeting, that it would make little prigs of them, that they would be insincere,

THE VALUE OF THE SOCIETY. 23

that they would learn to use words without meaning them, that the *' glib " and forward children would have their faults increased, and that it could only be harmful to all children to be taught to speak and pray in meeting like their elders.

There were not wanting, too, those who said that their children were too busy with other things ; that their education was for them the first and most important thing ; that the object of that was to fit them for service ; that, when their powers were developed and trained, and they were thoroughly educated, then they would be ready to take their place in the church life and work. Then there were endless objections to the covenant, and to the foolishness of asking children to promise what they never could perform ; it was said that they would make promises only to break them, and it was wrong to ask it of them. All these and many more objections were brought up frequently and almost vociferously.

Answers to Objections. — The Society itself has answered these objections as the years have gone on. It has not raised up a generation of precocious prigs. It has not developed insincerity, if one may judge by the lives as well as by the words of the boys and girls who have graduated from these Junior societies in many churches ; and I believe that, if the record could be made, it would be found that the children who have taken the active member's covenant would be found to have kept it much more faithfully than some church-members have kept the vows they made when they united with the church. The best answer to these objections is the Society itself and the work it has done for the children. Choose a wise, winning, and tactful superintendent ; give her all the help and counsel in her work you can ; and then watch the results of her work with the children, and these objections will answer themselves. But, though there is space here only for this simple answer to these objections, yet each one will be taken up more thoroughly in later chapters, where they will naturally arise again under other headings.

Objections from Other Organizations. — From the beginning the Society has had many difificulties to contend with. Many have been found to object and criticise and few to help and counsel. Even those who might have welcomed it because of sympathy in aims have held aloof and have feared that it would interfere with their own missionary or temperance work. One difficulty that has arisen in many churches has been from the multitude of organizations that existed already.

It has been said, " We have now too many children's organizations ; there is no room for another." Yet those who have made these objections have not realized that this new society might obviate their difficulties instead of increasing them. For, instead of adding a new organization to the number that was already too great, it has taken all these others under its roof; and instead of having a few children interested in missions, and a few others at work for temperance or in benevolent work, it has gathered them all into one society, and has set them all at work for missions and temperance and other good works, and has tried to lead them all up to the highest motive

THE VALUE OF THE SOCIETY. 25

for doing all these things, — love to Christ and his church.

Junior Superintendents. — There has also been the difficulty of finding suitable persons to take charge of the society. This is not an easy work to do. It is not a position that would ever be coveted by those who would be at ease in Zion. It involves much labor and time and thought, and much of criticism where one might expect sympathy and help. The Junior superintendents do not receive salaries. It is hard work. Their one reward is in the consciousness of service done and the pleasure that always comes in working for the Master, and many of these superintendents will receive the reward promised to those who have done it " unto one of the least of these." Many churches are to-day without a Junior society because a superintendent cannot be found. The children are ready, but there is no one to lead them.

Training for Junior Work. — One great need of our churches to-day is the need of willing workers with skill and tenderness and tact, who have themselves had careful education and training in work for children. Why should there not be normal schools for training in this work just as well as for the training of teachers in the day-schools ? There are some who are willing, but are not sufficiently well equipped for this service. Why should there not be in every church a training-school where those who would be glad to work for the children should themselves be trained especially for this service ? This is to-'day perhaps the greatest difficulty in the way of the Junior Endeavor societies that might be started in many churches. Trained, tactful, winsome Junior superintendents are needed; and, when they are found and trained, the children will be found ready.