*■ THE MISSIONARY DEPARTMENT OF THE STUDENT ||lf| YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION The Missionary Department of the Student Young Men’s Christian Association JOHN R. MOTT Third Revision, Fourteenth Thousand New York Young Men’s Christian Association Press 1908 Copyright 1901 BY The International Committee of Young Men’s Christian Associations 3561 CONTENTS PAGE I. Why Should the Student Association Pro¬ mote the Cause of Missions? . 5 II. The Organization of the Missionary Depart¬ ment of the Association. 8 1. The Missionary Committee. 8 2. The Volunteer Band. 10 III. Means Employed by the Associations to Pro¬ mote Missions . 12 1. The Missionary Meeting. 12 2. Mission Study Classes. 16 3. The Missionary Library. 19 4. Financial Cooperation with Missions . . 25 5. Prayer for Missions. 28 The Missionary Department of the Student Young Men’s Christian Association I. Why Should the Student Association Promote the Cause of Missions? In addition to the considerations which should awaken an active missionary interest in city, home, and foreign missions among all Christians, there are reasons which should influence with peculiar power the members of the Student Young Men’s Christian Associations. 1. As Dr. John Hall has said, “Missions should constitute the business of the Church.’’ The As¬ sociations, therefore, as a part of the Church, should place themselves in line with her greatest work. Moreover, the Student Associations are to furnish most of the leaders of the Church. Mani¬ festly, therefore, the members should be profound¬ ly concerned in that which constitutes the largest part of the work of the Church which they are to lead. 2. The express purpose of the Association movement, of which the Student Associations form a department, demands that they promote the cause of missions. Recall the words of the Paris basis, which unites the Associations of the world: “The Young Men’s Christian Associations seek to unite those young men, who, regarding Jesus Christ as their God and Saviour, according to the Holy 5 Scriptures, desire to be His disciples in their doc¬ trine and in their life, and to associate their efforts for the extension of His kingdom among young men.” Would the most literal interpreter limit the ap¬ plication of this purpose to the young men of Christian lands alone? No; the all-embracing pur¬ pose of the Associations comprehends the two hundred millions of young men of mission lands, as well as the great number still unreached in Christian countries. Unless the Associations are true to this purpose great multitudes of young- men will never know Jesus Christ. 3. The Association owes it to its members to bring them into intelligent touch with the cause of missions. The Association teaches the Bible; it should not forget that missions constitute the cen¬ tral theme of the Bible. The Association exalts Christ; in doing so it should bear in mind that “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.” The Association should desire the best things for its young men. There is no subject more elevating, more broadening, more deepening, more quicken¬ ing than the extension of the kingdom of God among men. Moreover, if young men are to understand their generation and discharge their responsibility to the world, they must be kept in intelligent touch with the great missionary movement. 4. The fact that the large majority of the mis¬ sionary leaders of the Church have been students should stimulate the missionary zeal and spirit of college men to-day. Not to mention the home leaders, what inspiration is afforded by the names of less than a score of the thousands of student foreign missionaries—Paul, Apollos, Patrick, Col- umba, Boniface, Lull, Duff, Martyn, Wilson, Liv¬ ingstone, Hannington, Mackay, Patteson, Paton, Eliot, Brainerd, Judson, Goodell and Falconer. In particular, Association members should never for¬ get that the great American foreign missionary movement was conceived by students,* and that it has assumed its wonderful development almost entirely under the leadership of students. 5. The Church leaders, both at home and abroad, are looking to the students of the United States, Canada, Great Britain and other Christian lands in this generation of tremendous crisis. The expectation appears both in their personal and official appeals for workers. It is implied, moreover, in the very requirements imposed upon candidates by the missionary and other religious societies. Remember also the words of Josiah Strong, “I believe it is fully in the hands of the Christians of the United States during the next fifteen or twenty years to hasten or retard the coming of Christ’s kingdom in the world by hun¬ dreds, and perhaps thousands, of years.” Then reflect that so far as both the United States and Canada are concerned the large majority of the missionaries and ministers of all denominations must come from the ranks of the Student Asso¬ ciations. Can the Association escape a sense of special responsibility? 6. The life and power of the Association de¬ pend upon its loyalty to the world-wide purpose of the mission of Jesus Christ. Without argu¬ ment and comment, it need only be stated that the *Mr. L. D. Wishard, the first student secretary, who also introduced the missionary department into the college Associations, has discovered a most interesting chain of facts connecting the first American student missionary uprising with the College Association move¬ ment of to-day. Briefly stated those links are: (l) Awaken¬ ing of missionary interest at Williams, Andover, and other institutions under the leadership of students like Mills, Richards, Judson and Nott. (2) Publication of an appeal written by one of the students who went out to the foreign field under the influence of this missionary revival. (3) Dr. John Scudder led by this appeal to become a medical missionary. (4) A young man influenced, by the sailing of Scudder to India, to devote his life to Chris¬ tian work. (5) This young man, James Brainerd Taylor, entered Princeton College, and there formed the Phila¬ delphian society. (6) The Philadelphian society took the lead in inaugurating the Student Young Men’s Christian Association movement. 7 most philanthropic, evangelistic, spiritual, and fruitful Associations are those in which the mis¬ sionary spirit most abounds. II. The Organization of the Missionary Depart¬ ment of the Association. 1. The Missionary Committee. The missionary work of the Association should be under the direction of a missionary committee. The committee should be large enough to carry on properly the work of the missionary department. (1) In making up this committee care should be taken to select students having these qualifica¬ tions :— (а) They should have an active interest in city, home and foreign missions. (б) They should be students of missions. The importance of this cannot be exaggerated. (c) Some of their number should, if practicable, be students who expect to devote their lives to missionary work, including the leader of the Volunteer Band. It is not well, however, to have the committee composed entirely, or even chiefly, of this class, provided qualified members other than they can be secured. ( d) They should be influential and representa¬ tive men, in order that students who are not inter¬ ested in missions may be drawn into this depart¬ ment of work. (e ) They should be thorough students in order that the work of this department may be of a high standard. If it is impossible to find students having these qualifications, the next best thing is to select earnest Christian men who are willing to prepare themselves by special study for carrying on this department, and willing to give the necessary time for the successful prosecution of the work. If there is a Young Woman’s Christian Associa¬ tion in the institution, it may be found advisable 8 for the missionary committees of both Associa¬ tions to cooperate at times in order to promote phases of missionary work which can be advanced better by combined effort; for example, the rais¬ ing of the fund for the support of a college missionary. (2) The work .of the missionary committee may be outlined in brief as follows:— (а) To diffuse general missionary information throughout the college. (б) To promote a more careful and systematic study of missions by as many students as possible; and, to this end, to organize and foster mission study classes among the students. This involves the wise selection of leaders and the constant supervision of the classes throughout the year. (c) To see that the institution is well supplied with missionary literature (both books and peri¬ odicals), and that such literature is wisely used. ( d ) To help in the formation of right habits of giving to missions. (e) To promote prayer for missions. (/) To influence students to a thorough con¬ sideration of the claims of missions upon them as a life-work, and to cooperate in promoting the work of the Volunteer Band. See pamphlet, “The Volunteer Band.” ( g) To lead students who are not to be mission¬ aries to recognize that they are, nevertheless, equally responsible for making their lives tell in furthering the missionary enterprise. ( h ) To arrange, on consultation with the presi¬ dent of the Association, for the visit of a traveling secretary of the Student Volunteer Movement. Suggestions are given in detail under the third main division of this pamphlet as to how to carry out these lines of work (pages 12-29). (3) The work of the committee might be di¬ vided among its members so that one man would be responsible for promoting the study of missions, one for adding to the collection of missionary liter¬ ature and for facilitating its use, one for stimulating 9 giving to missions, one (the leader of the Volunteer Band or some leading volunteer) for securing volunteers for missions, and one for pro¬ moting prayer for missions. (4) To grapple with their work intelligently and successfully, it is imperative that the mem¬ bers of the committee secure special preparation. It is suggested, in the first place, that they care¬ fully read this pamphlet. They should then review what has been done for missions in their institution during the previous years—especially by the Association. Let them examine carefully the pamphlets of the Student Volunteer Move¬ ment. Let them review the file of The Intercol¬ legian, especially the articles and departments bearing on methods, meetings and studies. They should read without fail the report of the most recent International Convention of the Student Volunteer Movement. Let each one read from month to month The Intercollegian, Foreign Mail, The Student World, The Missionary Review of the World, and the missionary periodical of his own de¬ nomination. In addition to this, the members of the committee should be moving spirits in the mis¬ sion study class. During vacation each member should read at least two or three inspiring mission¬ ary books. The chairman of the committee should make it a special point to go to one of the Student summer conferences, at which he should focus his attention upon the missionary features, and should also attend the convention of the Student Volun¬ teer Movement in case it is held during his term of office. It is not necessary to add that the com¬ mittee should hold regular and frequent meetings, preferably monthly, to plan and pray for their work. Careful minutes should be kept of all such meetings. 2 . The Volunteer Band. The Volunteer Band is an organized group of students who have indicated their purpose to become foreign missionaries. Its composition and 10 work are fully treated in the pamphlet, “The Volunteer Band.” In some colleges there are regular volunteer bands or foreign missionary societies entirely inde¬ pendent of the Association. Even in some insti¬ tutions where the two are nominally united, there is a tendency on the part of those most deeply interested in missions to segregate themselves, and, on the other hand, a tendency on the part of those not especially interested in missions to delegate all responsibility for this important de¬ partment to those who are thus interested. Each of these tendencies should be strongly discouraged. Moreover, independent bands and societies should be urged to merge themselves into the missionary department of the Association. (1) There are marked advantages in having the Volunteer Band become, not only nominally, but also actually and organically, a part of the Association. a. Advantages to the Association:— (а) The members of the independent band or society would greatly strengthen the missionary department of the Association, because of their special interest, knowledge and training. (б) They would strengthen also all other de¬ partments of the Association by thus throwing themselves more intimately into its work. (c) They would promote the Association move¬ ment in foreign lands much more effectively if brought into close relation to it at home. b. Advantages to the independent band or society:— (a) It would become allied to an organization more nearly permanent, because of the varied character of the work of that organization and its much larger membership. If all those who are especially interested in missions should leave the college, the Association would be in duty bound to care for the missionary work, as much as for the the work in the interest of new students, Bible study, or any other department. 11 (6) It would have the use of the Association organization, and through the Association would have helpful relations with the missionary work of all the colleges of the United States and Canada. (c) It would have a much wider field for work and influence. ( d ) It would have a more fertile field in which to work. Bible study, personal work, neighbor¬ hood work prepare men for the reception of mis¬ sionary ideas. See pamphlet, “The Volunteer Band,” for further reasons. c. That the lines of advantage here indicated are not theoretical is proved by the fact that dur¬ ing the last few years nearly all the independent volunteer bands and missionary societies have be¬ come organic parts of the Association and in not a single instance has there been a return to the original plan. (2) The Volunteer Band may become and re¬ main an organic part of the Association by merg¬ ing itself into the Association. The president of the Association should then arrange to have the leader of the Band placed on the missionary com¬ mittee of the Association, unless he is obviously unqualified. The Band will remain an organic part of the Association. (а) By electing its leader, subject to the ratifi¬ cation of the president of the Association. (б) By reporting officially to the missionary committee, and thus to the Association, the work done each year. ( c ) By cooperating with the missionary com¬ mittee in pushing aggressive lines of missionary work in the institution. III. Means Employed by the Associations to Promote Missions. 1. The Missionary Meeting. (1) Time. At least once each month the Association should 12 hold a missionary meeting, provided it be made strong. This should not be placed at a special time, but should come in the regular series of weekly meetings. A majority of the missionary meetings should ordinarily be devoted to foreign missions. The reasons for this are that the foreign field is a far wider one to cover, that it is a much needier field, and that, as a rule, people are more ignorant concerning its needs and claims. (2) Leader and participants. The leader must be one who is well informed, or who will make conscientious efforts to become thoroughly informed, and who is able to make the meeting interesting. The participants will be determined by the leader and the missionary committee, and by the plan which they adopt for the hour. For presenting foreign missionary topics which bear upon the need for workers, or calls from the field, men who expect to be mis¬ sionaries should often be selected. Participation in these meetings, however, should not be limited to such members. It is sometimes well to have some strong student who has not been actively interested in missions study and present some part of the topic, although the responsibility for the leadership of the meeting should hardly be placed upon him. This plan has been the means of enlisting some who have become ardent sup¬ porters of foreign missions. A similar plan may be employed in connection with home missionary topics. Every member should be led to feel a responsibility for the world-wide field. Possibly not less than one half of the meetings should be conducted by the students. From time to time, however, missionaries who speak interestingly and impressively, pastors filled with the missionary spirit, professors who are authorities on certain aspects of missions, or who are deeply interested in the subject, secretaries of missionary societies, representatives of the Student Volunteer Move¬ ment and Association secretaries, should be secured for addresses. 13 (3) Preparation. The secret of the success of a missionary meet¬ ing lies chiefly in thorough and prayerful prepara¬ tion. The committee, therefore, should appoint the leader, assign the topic and plan its method of treatment fully one month in advance. The leader and committee should cooperate con- - stantly, and see that the best plans possible are laid and carried out. In case the topic is divided among several speakers, there should be a con¬ ference two or three days before the missionary meeting of those who are to participate and the chairman of the committee. (4) Topics. The topics for the missionary meetings of the year should be determined by the missionary committee. They will know best what subjects will be most helpful in promoting the work of the missionary department. The topics should not be determined without very careful consideration. Many Associations find it most satisfactory to make out topics for the student year in advance, subject to modification when necessary or desira¬ ble. It may be deemed advisable to change a topic occasionally, owing to some special develop¬ ment, or to some unexpected opportunity which presents itself. To guide committees in choosing topics and in securing their best treatment there has been maintained in The Intercollegian for several years a regular department devoted to the monthly missionary meeting. The committee should therefore examine, so far as possible, the files of this paper before making up the list of topics for the year. Or they may prefer to take the topics treated in current numbers of this peri¬ odical as they appear. (5) Accessory features. In addition to the regular presentation of the topic by one or more persons, a number of features may be introduced which will add to the interest and abiding influence of the meeting. (a) Maps. As soon as possible each Association 14 should own and have on the walls of the meeting 1 room Colton’s missionary map of the world. Besides this, in a denominational college, the Association may wish to exhibit maps showing the mission stations of that particular denomina¬ tion. Special maps also may be prepared with comparatively little work. For example, a map showing the location of former students of the college now on mission fields, or a map showing the location of the foreign secretaries of the Association movement. (6) Carefully prepared charts, either on paper or blackboard, or photographs, will often add greatly to the vividness of the presentation of the topic.* (c) A few minutes of the time at each meeting might be profitably spent in the presentation of recent missionary facts taken from the current numbers of periodicals. These facts should be most carefully selected and concisely stated. If not overdone this is calculated to quicken interest and stimulate reading on missions. (d) The tie between the college and the mis¬ sionary fields will be strengthened if there be read, now and then, brief and striking extracts from the correspondence of former students who are now engaged in missionary work. Too much time should not be taken up by such reading, and care should be taken to have it done by some one who can read well. These letters might be kept on file. ( 0 ) When a prominent missionary, or some other specialist on missions, visits the Association, reserve a few minutes at the close of the hour, or at an after meeting, for him to conduct a question drawer. (/) It will repay the committee to bestow special effort upon securing appropriate missionary *For valuable hints on making maps and charts see The Student Volunteer for March and April, 1893, 1894 and 1895; also Hixson’s Missions in the Sunday School, ch. VII. 15 hymns. Suggestions on this subject may be obtained by writing to the Student Volunteer Movement. (ff) The importance of making prayer a regular feature of the meeting, particularly a closing sea¬ son, cannot be overemphasized. Let the prayers be brief, definite and earnest. It is well to sug¬ gest objects for prayer; for example, some particu¬ lar field, or missionary, or organization. Special prayer should be offered on behalf of graduates of the college who are engaged in missionary work. 2. Mission Study Classes. The regular missionary meetings of the Asso¬ ciation are calculated primarily to diffuse general intelligence concerning missions. The reading of the literature found in the library will give one a stronger grasp of the subject. But there is need in every institution, not only of affording oppor¬ tunities to listen to the presentation of missions and to read on missions, but also of stimulating a thorough and scientific study of missions. (1) Who should study missions? Three classes of students: (а) Men who are planning to enter the min¬ istry on the home field should make a careful study of the various aspects of city, home and foreign missions. The success of the foreign mis¬ sionary enterprise depends quite as much upon intelligent and sympathetic pastors of the home churches as upon the missionaries at the front. It is the duty of every young man who expects to influence the missionary work and gifts and prayers of a congregation, to make himself as nearly as possible an authority upon the subject of missions. And it is, therefore, the duty of the Association to afford him facilities for equipping himself to bear this responsibility. (б) All who expect to devote their lives to for¬ eign missionary work should engage in a special study of missions. If they give themselves to this study all through their college days, they will be 16 far better prepared for their life work than they would be otherwise. It is a great mistake to put it off, with hope of making it up in the theologi¬ cal seminary or medical school, for often less favorable opportunities for the study of missions are afforded in such institutions. Even where the opportunities are entirely satisfactory, it would be a great advantage to the student to have first improved his college opportunities. He would then be in a position to take up much more ad¬ vanced missionary studies during his years at the theological seminary or medical school. It is an even greater mistake to defer such study until one reaches the foreign field. It is true that some questions can be best investigated on the foreign field, but a careful study of missions as a whole can be carried on much more successfully on the home field where one has more time and access to a wider range of missionary literature. More¬ over, a careful study of home mission problems will prove invaluable to one who subsequently grapples with similar problems on the foreign field. (c) A study of missions should be carried on by students who have not decided to be either missionaries or ministers. Such students need this study to enable them to decide intelligently what their life-work shall be. They need it for the stimulation of their spiritual life. They need it to broaden their horizons. They need it to enable them to understand current events. Moreover, they need it to prepare them to discharge their responsibility to the world and the Church as educated laymen. See the pamphlets “Is Mission Study Worth While?” and “What is Involved in Mission Study?” (2) The organization and conduct of mission study classes. In many of the most successful Associations the third regular meeting of the student year is devot¬ ed to promoting mission study. One or more addresses on the importance of mission study are 17 given. Sometimes these are followed by brief testimonies by influential students regarding the value of such work. The mission study plans for the year are announced and an opportunity is afforded for students to indicate their purpose to join the classes. During the few days following this meeting the missionary committee should seek by personal canvass to influence students who may not have been reached in the meeting to decide to enter the classes. The “quick can¬ vass’’ plan will be found to have advantages in many institutions. It will facilitate the work of the committee to circulate, both at the meeting and in the personal canvass, some of the Student Volunteer Movement’s pamphlets on the study of missions. A mission study class should be organized like an Association Bible class. It should have a regu¬ lar leader. He should either be an advanced student, having the qualifications required in a leader, or a professor who is deeply interested in missions and in close touch with the students. There should be a secretary to keep a record of attendance and of the work outlined and accom¬ plished. One member of the class might well be appointed to assist the leader in the preparation of special maps or charts for each meeting. This may be made a most helpful feature of the class. The number in the class should be limited ordi¬ narily to eight or ten. In most institutions there will be several classes organized. The number and character of the classes will be determined by the number of students who want to under¬ take such work, and also by their purposes, de¬ sires and previous study. In coeducational insti¬ tutions the best results have usually been obtained by having separate classes for men and women. Where there are two or more classes it will be found desirable for the leaders to meet from time to time to consider how to conduct the classes most successfully. V r here possible normal classes should be conducted. 18 The plan of conducting the class should be simi¬ lar to that employed in connection with the best Bible classes. The class leader should be in direct correspondence with the mission study secretary of the Student Volunteer Movement. In some colleges there are missionary reading circles, designed for those who do not have time to go into a thorough study of missions. They meet informally once a week. Interesting por¬ tions of books are read, and the rest of the hour is devoted to discussion and conversation. (3) Courses of study. The courses of study for the classes should cover such ground as the principles underlying mis¬ sions, the history of missions, the results and influence of missions, the missionary fields, missionary problems, missionary methods, prepa¬ ration for missionary work, the lives of mission¬ aries. The courses of study prepared by the Student Volunteer Movement for such classes are especially recommended. See the Mission Study Prospectus issued yearly by the Movement. (4) Leadership. Leaders should be appointed well in advance and should be most carefully chosen. They should be sent, if possible, to the student confer¬ ence. They should secure the set of special sug¬ gestions for leaders, for the text books they are to use, and other helps furnished by the Student Volunteer Movement. It is well not to change leaders until a course is finished. 3. The Missionary Library. Each Association should either have a carefully selected collection of missionary literature of its own or see that such a collection is secured and kept by the college. (1) Its importance. (a) To insure interesting, profitable and pro¬ gressive meetings it is absolutely essential that those who are to participate shall have access to the best material. 19 (6) There are striking examples to show that a good alcove of missionary books is a great help to students in determining aright their Jife-work. Biographical works are particularly useful in this respect. (c) Those who are to devote their lives to mis¬ sion work, either at home or abroad, should have near at hand as complete a collection of mission¬ ary literature as possible, to enable them to secure a better preparation for their life-work. ( d ) The best modern home and foreign mis¬ sionary books should be in the college, if in any place in the world, in order that students, who are to hold such responsible positions in after life, may, before graduation, become intelligent con¬ cerning the great work and problems which con¬ front the Church in their generation. ( e ) The literature of missions is becoming so extensive, and its importance is so prominently recognized, that an Association or college library is sadly deficient which has neglected this department. (2) Where the library should be located. If the Association has a home of its own, either a building or rooms which are accessible and pleasant, the books should be located there. Otherwise it should be in the regular college library. Even where the Association has its own home it may sometimes be best to have its books in connection with the college library. In any case they should be kept together, and the collec¬ tion should be designated “Missionary Litera¬ ture.” Avoid having these books located where they will not be seen by many students. Should it be impracticable to have the books bearing on missions in the college library placed together, a list of them might be prepared and kept in some accessible place. Better still, a list might be printed and placed in the hands of each member. (3) What the library should include. (a) Missionary books. In general it may be 20 stated that this collection should include a mission¬ ary encyclopedia, a missionary atlas, general his¬ tories of missions, works showing the power and fruitfulness of missions (city, home and foreign), missionary conference and convention reports, books on the different religions of the world, standard works on different home and foreign fields, treatises on the different phases of mission¬ ary work, the best biographies of leading mission¬ aries and other Christian workers. The leading works in geography, anthropology and sociology will also prove valuable in connection with mission study class work. All these classes of books may not be represented at first, but the aim should be to make the collection as comprehensive as possi¬ ble at the beginning, and add to it frequently. ( b ) Some of the very best literature extant is in the form of booklets and tracts. The mission¬ ary committee may well take the time and trouble to explore this field. Tracts and leaflets bearing on the same subject should be bound together, or grouped in strong manila envelopes or in regular library pamphlet boxes, and then indexed. The collection should include all the pamphlets and leaflets of the Student Volunteer Movement and of the World’s Student Christian Federation. (c) There should be in each institution files as nearly complete as possible of The Student Volunteer , The Intercollegian and The Missionary Review of the World. The first two contain not only hints on missionary study and outlines of missionary meetings, but also more practical hints on awakening and developing missionary interest among students than any other periodicals. The third affords the broadest survey of the world field and gives the best account of the progress of the missionary enterprise as a whole. In addi¬ tion to these periodicals there should be on file Foreign Mail , which sets forth the progress of the Association movement in mission lands, The Stu¬ dent World, which is the organ of the World’s Stu¬ dent Christian Federation, and also the missionary 21 papers of the denominations most prominent in the institution. A list of these may be obtained from the Student Volunteer Movement. Wherever there are students who expect to enter the medi¬ cal profession, one or more medical missionary journals should be taken. All these papers should be bound at the close of each year. The Student Volunteer Movement will gladly supply information as to the names of missionary periodicals, prices, addresses of publishers, etc. ( d ) An effort should be made in each institu¬ tion to secure a choice collection of missionary charts and maps. They should be so mounted as to make possible ready consultation and careful preservation. The missionary committees of some Associations have prepared many original charts, which have been used effectively in creating mis¬ sionary interest and strengthening missionary impressions. Too much stress cannot be laid upon the impor¬ tance of keeping missionary literature up to date. Libraries which were abreast of the times a few years ago are not so now. The missionary collec¬ tions in a large majority of our colleges are de¬ ficient in this respect. It is equally important to have the maps and charts up to date. The work is brought into ridicule by using inaccurate maps and charts. (4) How to secure the literature. Before undertaking to raise money let the mis¬ sionary committee be authorized to make out such a list of books as the Association should strive to secure as the nucleus of the library. Lists and suggestions will be sent by the Student Volunteer Movement to any committees desiring them. A liberal estimate should be made of the number of books to be secured. Different meth¬ ods may be employed to obtain them. (a) Raise by subscription the required amount among the students, professors and friends of the institution. One volunteer band raised over $300 in a short time by this plan. 22 ( b ) Write out the names of the books which are to be obtained, placing the price opposite the name of each book and leaving room on the same line for a person’s name. Circulate this list among the graduates, students, professors and friends of the institution, having each person designate the book or books which he will place in the collec¬ tion. Classes, societies or other groups of students may combine to secure the most expensive sets of books. By this plan one institution in Illinois, with about two hundred students, raised $185. (c) It is believed that in nearly every student community some friend of the Association would count it a privilege to found a missionary library, if its special need and importance were rightly brought to his attention. (d) The appropriation might be made for this purpose in connection with the regular budget of the Association. ( e ) In many instances the college authorities have been influenced to make an appropriation from the library fund to establish a collection of missionary books in the college library. This was done recently in a prominent state university. It can best be brought about by interesting the librarian or some influential professor. (/) In a number of student communities the city or public library has been induced to obtain a collection of missionary literature. The state li¬ braries of some states have traveling libraries which contain many missionary books. (5) How to promote the use of missionary literature. (a) The collection should be accessible to stu¬ dents at the most favorable hours in the week. Some one should be in charge at these regular hours who is well acquainted with the material and who is interested in having it used. (6) Some missionary committees and bands have a special subcommittee, or one member, whose business it is to see that the books, pam¬ phlets and periodicals are kept in circulation. This 23 is very important. Marked chapters, articles or pages should be brought to the attention of stu¬ dents by the members of this committee. They are thus interested to read further. Necessarily such a committee must exercise great tact. A book review meeting might be held in which sev¬ eral students review briefly interesting and impor¬ tant missionary books, the leader closing with an appeal to students to read these books. (c) In some institutions the Association has a special bulletin on which the missionary commit¬ tee places from week to week an announcement of new books, of strong chapters on certain sub¬ jects in old books, of leading articles in current periodicals, and brief statements of striking, recent missionary events. This suggests once more the need of keeping the collection abreast of the times. An appropriation should be made by the Associa¬ tion each year for this purpose. (d) At an early missionary meeting of the col¬ lege year there should be a short, interesting and suggestive address on missionary bibliography. Let the speaker call attention to the literature in the library in a way that will interest students in exploring it and which will give direction to their reading. At the subsequent missionary meetings it may be well for the leader to call attention to literature that will enable students who have been specially interested to follow up still further the topic of the meeting. (. e ) The missionary committee should stimulate those who are to take part in the missionary meet¬ ings to make use of the library in their preparation. (/) One of the very best ways of promoting the use of the literature is for the members of the com¬ mittee and the leaders of the meetings to prepare themselves with unusual thoroughness upon the various missionary topics which come before the Association. The man who becomes full of any subject is sure to stimulate those with whom he comes in contact with a desire and a purpose to know more about it themselves. This is 24 preeminently true of such a living and inspiring subject as missions. (g) A table of missionary literature near the door in the room where the meeting is held, and in charge of a man who can answer questions about the literature and interest students in it, will facili¬ tate the use of missionary books and periodicals. ( h ) Possibly no one has as good an opportunity to promote the use of missionary literature as the leader of the mission study class, who each week, by assigning topics for investigation and by giving definite references to sources of information on the topics, can, during one or two terms, bring the entire class into touch with a wide range of missionary literature. 4. Financial Cooperation with Missions. (1) Why should the Association promote giv¬ ing to missions? (а) It is the duty of the Christian student to give to missions while in college just as at any other time. The fact that he has entered college does not relieve him of this responsibility. Moreover, he gives to many other objects, some of which are purely secular. Should not the Association em¬ phasize the fact that the work of Christ has a larger claim on his money than has any other object? (б) Many students have never been led to recognize their responsibility to give to missions. It is the duty of the Association to help them ac¬ quire the habit of systematic and proportionate giv¬ ing to this object. When we reflect on the influ¬ ence which they are to exert after leaving college, we see the great importance of emphasizing this responsibility. ( c ) As a means of broadening its horizon, en¬ riching its sympathies and intensifying its life, the Association should have a very generous part in Christian enterprises beyond its own immediate field. 25 (2) Objects to which the Association should give. (a) Each Association should make regular con¬ tributions to the work of the Foreign Department of the International Committee of Young Men’s Christian Associations, which is seeking to extend the Association movement among the young men of non-Christian countries. The object of this work is to help evangelize the young men in the colleges and universities and in the great cities of these countries, and to lead them to recognize their responsibility to evangelize their own people. Association secretaries are sent out only in response to the call of the missionaries of the denominational mission boards and work in cooperation with them. ( b ) In a denominational college the Association should promote generous giving to the missionary work in that denomination through the regular mission boards. It may be deemed advisable to assume all, or a part, of the support of a mission¬ ary, especially of some alumnus. By thus con- centratinga greater interest is awakened and larger amounts given. Scores of colleges have already done this. Generally where the support of a mis¬ sionary has been undertaken it has been found necessary for the Association to combine with the other Christian agencies of the college, or to make it a college rather than a distinctively Association matter. While an Association should be careful not to assume larger responsibilities than it is able to meet from year to year, it should, on the other hand, devise liberal things. The principal benefits which come to an Association from carrying finan¬ cial responsbilities come through hard work, sacri¬ fice and prayer. ( c) In an undenominational or state institution the Association may support entirely or in part one of the foreign Association secretaries. Such cooperation as is practicable should be given by all Associations to city and home missions. A general principle should be observed by all 26 Associations, namely, that the missionary contri¬ butions of an Association should not be so large as to prevent the thorough cultivation of its own college field, or hearty cooperation with the State and International Association work. The facts show, however, that there is comparatively little danger in this direction. (3) Hints on raising the money. (а) In making up the budget for the year, the Association should include definite items for the different missionary objects to which it wishes to contribute. These should not be determined with¬ out thorough discussion and prayer. The mission¬ ary committee should be given authority to in¬ crease these appropriations in case they are willing to assume the responsibility of raising the extra sum without interfering with securing the balance of the regular Association funds. (б) The missionary fund should be raised by a subcommittee of the missionary committee, or by a special committee for this purpose. ( c) In raising the money a double object should be kept in mind; not only the collection of so much money for missions, but also the cultivation of right habits of giving. Special stress, therefore, should be laid upon giving systematically, proportionate¬ ly, intelligently and prayerfully. It would be a good plan to have one of the regular religious meet¬ ings in the early part of each year devoted to set¬ ting forth the scriptural principles of giving. ( d ) The money should be collected regularly and promptly according to the plan best adapted to the particular institution. (e) It will greatly help in raising missionary funds if there be prepared and circulated a printed card or leaflet giving a concise and attractive state¬ ment of the objects to which the Association is to contribute and their special importance, the amount of money desired, and the plan proposed for raising it. The judicious use of other printed matter bear¬ ing on these objects will also be helpful. (/) If there is a Young Women’s Christian 27 Association in the college it may sometimes be thought advisable to have a joint policy in the mat¬ ter of missionary giving. (g) The circulation of suitable literature bear¬ ing on the subject of giving will be of great service in enlisting the financial cooperation of students and in developing proper habits of giving. Among the most helpful pamphlets on this subject are, “Money, its Nature and Power,” “The Oppor¬ tunity of the Hour” and “Scripture Principles of Giving Illustrated.” 5 . Prayer for Missions. (1) The obligation. There is no duty more imperative than that of prayer for missions. And yet there is probably no duty more neglected. A revival of prayer is the most fundamental need in missions at the present time. On it hinges everything: the raising up and equipping of laborers, the supplying of funds, the sending forth of laborors, and their spiritual suc¬ cess in the field. (2) Hints on promoting prayer for missions. (а) Circulate among Christian students the pamphlets, “Prayer and Missions,” “ Prayer for Missions” and “Intercessory Foreign Mission¬ aries. ’ ’ They should also be urged to read with the greatest care Andrew Murray’s books, “With Christ in the School of Prayer,” “The Ministry of Intercession” and “The Key to the Mission¬ ary Problem. (б) Let the Association observe the Universal Day of Prayer for Students and also give promi¬ nence to Missions during the Week of Prayer for Young Men and on the denominational Day of Prayer for Colleges. (c) Let the missionary committee, by wise per¬ sonal work, seek to increase the number of students who will set apart a regular time each day to pray for missions. A large number of students have adopted for this purpose the “morning watch.” Others have set apart a different hour. 28 ( d) Emphasize the importance of each student having a prayer schedule or cycle, that is, a plan by which definite objects are remembered in prayer at stated times. The “Prayer Cycle,” published by the Student Volunteer Movement, will be suggestive and very helpful. 29 STUDENT VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT PUBLICATIONS 124 East 28th Street, New York Prayer and Missions. By Robert E. Speer. 5 cents. The Volunteer Band. By D. Willard Lyon. 5 cents. The Volunteer Declaration. By D. Willard Lyon. 5 cents. The Supreme Decision of the Christian Student. By George Sherwood Eddy. 5 cents. The Opportunity of the Hour; or, Christian Stewardship. By George Sherwood Eddy. 5 cents. Money: Its Nature and Power. By Rev. A. F. Schauffler, D.D. 5 cents. The Cycle of Prayer of the Student Volunteer Move¬ ment for Foreign Missions. 5 cents. Why Study Missions? Leaflet. By F. P. Turner. 5 cents per dozen. What Constitutes a Missionary Call? By Robert E. Speer. 5 cents. A Doctor’s Reasons for Going to China. Leaflet. By Cyril H. Haas, M.D. 10 cents per dozen. General Suggestions for Leaders of Mission Study Classes. T. H. P. Sailer, Ph.D. 5 cents. Home Ties and the Foreign Mission Field. By S. M. Zwemer, D.D. 3 cents. How Shall They Hear? Leaflet. Statistical. 10 cents per dozen. “If God Permit.” A Word to Detained Volunteers. By F. S. Brockman. 3 cents. Intercessory Foreign Missionaries. By Rev. Alfred Street. 3 cents. Is Mission Study Worth While? By J. Lovell Murray. 3 cents. The Morning Watch. By John R. Mott, M.A., F.R.G.S. 5 cents. The Non-Christian Religions Inadequate to Meet the Needs of Men. By Robert E. Speer. 5 cents. Prayer for Missions. By Professor Gustav Warneck, D.D., of Halle University. 5 cents. Scripture Principles of Giving Illustrated. By Rev. Pre¬ bendary Fox, A.M. 5 cents. Secret Prayer a Great Reality. By Rev. Henry Wright, M.A. 5 cents. Spiritual Prerequisites. By Donald Fraser. 5 cents. 30 The Value of a Purpose. By Margaret A. Bretherton. 3 cents. The Watchword a« a Spiritual Force. By John R. Mott, M.A., F.R.G.S. 5 cents. What is Involved in Mission Study. By James L. Barton, D.D. 5 cents. Organization of Mission Study Among Students. By J. Lovell Murray. 5 cents. Comparative Studies in Missionary Biography. A scheme for the study of missionary biography, which has been used with great success in the universities of Great Britain. This pamphlet has been prepared to meet the needs of the students of the United States and Canada. 5 cents. Benefits Derived from Mission Study. Compiled by J. Lovell Murray. 2 cents. Hints on Mission Study Class Methods. By Dorothea Day. 3 cents. Geography and Atlas and Missionary Maps A Geography and Atlas of Protestant Missions. By Harlan P. Beach, M.A., F.R.G.S. Two volumes, cloth bound. Net price, postpaid, $4.00 per set. Sold only insets. Volume I., 571 pages. Volume II., 54 pages, 18 double-page maps. Missionary Map of the World. Large size (6x12 feet). Printed in oil colors on fine cloth. $3.00. Map of Prevailing Religions of the World, with leading Mission Stations. Small size (15x27 inches). Fine cloth. 40 cents. List of Mission Study Text-books of the Student Vol¬ unteer Movement sent free on application. The Intercollegian. An illustrated periodical for stu¬ dents interested in Christian work at home and in mission lands. It discusses methods of work, gives news of the world-wide student movement, contains articles on personal religious life, shows opportunities for life service, reviews current literature bearing on the moral and religious life of the student class. Published monthly during the academic year jointly by the Student Department of the International Com¬ mittee of the Young Men’s Christian Association and the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Mis¬ sions. Subscription price in advance, 50 cents; foreign countries. 70 cents. 31 YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION PRESS PUBLICATIONS 124 East 28th Street, New York Student Pamphlets The Bible Study Department of the Student Association. J. R. Mott, Second revision. 5 cents. Work for New Students. J. R. Mott. Second revision. 5 cents. The Missionary Department of the Student Association. J. R. Mott. Third revision. 5 cents. The Secret Prayer Life. J. R. Mott. Also issued by the British College Christian Union. 5 cents. Bible Study for Spiritual Growth. J. R. Mott. Also issued by the British College Christian Union. 5 cents. The Student General Secretary. C. D. Hurrey. New. 10 cents. Enlisting Fraternity Men. F. V. Slack. New. 10 cents. Two New Books that Build Character, Profoundly Thought Out and Brilliantly Written The Second Mile. Harry Emerson Fosdick. More Than Men. Charles H. Parkhurst. Beautifully printed on rag paper, 40 cents each. 32