A Hakka Boat, China Xts RcsponsibiUty and Cilork By ELLA D. MacLAURIN Young People’s Department Bmedcan JBaptist /Iftlesionarp TUnton BOSTON -p I £3 vM - Ln piLripJLririj[nrJinr^PT nJ^ ^ ^ j ...THE... [or:!) teiKij cjjI For Young People’s Societies J^ouno Ipeople’s S^epartinent. ..JUST THE FUEL TO MAKE THE FIRE BURN.. Pray Without Ceasing. Andrew Murray. 5 cents. Prayer Cycle. 5 cents. Prayer Calendar. 25 cents. Prayer and Missions. Robert E. Speer. 5 cents. Money and the Kingdom. Dr. Josiah Strong. 3 cents. Biblical Finance. A Business Man. 3 cents. The Resources of the Kingdom. A Business Man. 3 cents. A Brief for Foreign Missions. Rev. Henry Vandyke, D.D. 5 cents. Have Your Own Missionary, scents. A Missionary Meeting: What it is, and How to Conduct it. s cents. The Missionary Committee : Its Responsibility and Work. 5 cents. Where Does the Money Go ? Rev. Henry C. Mabie, D.D. 3 cents. Leakage in Beneficence. Rev. Albert Waffle D.D. 3 cents. The American Baptist Missionary Union. Dr. Duncan. 3 cents. Motives Instead -of Enticements in Giving. Rev. Lemuel C. Barnes. 2 cents. Are the Heathen in a Perishing Condition 1 Rev. E. A. Stevens, D.D. 2 cents. A Plea for China. Rev. William Ashmore, D.D. 5 cents. Special Dispatches to the Churches from the Mission¬ aries at the Front. 2 cents. Missionary Magazine, ^.i.00 per year. Kingdom. Twenty copies each month for ^i.oo. ' —FREE Globe Circular. Dr. A. J. Gordon’s Last Letter to His Church. God’s Tenth. Rev. A. J. Gordon. Missionary Committee Policy. Pledge Cards and Envelopes. Globe Boxes for Young People and Sunday-schools. The Committee on Missions : Its Responsibility and Work. HE object of missions is the spread of 1 tlie knowledge of Christ at home and abroad. The very last words of our Lord on earth, his parting request to his church gathered on Olivet’s crown, are: “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be wit¬ nesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judosa and Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” Christ gave Missions the Throne in Church Work. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,” and “ I must preach the kingdom of God in other cities also.” Not the “I must” of uncontrol¬ lable circumstances, but the “ I must ” of a moral obligation, of a holy enterprise, of a sacred enthusiasm, of a self-sacrificing love for souls. We do thank God for that word “also.” It is the golden link that binds every part of the globe to the heart of Christ and his church. The field is — the world. The 3 gospel — the message. Every disciple — the messenger. With this definition of missions —its scope, its message, and its messengers — we will consider the responsibility and work of the committee. A word just here to presidents of Young People’s Societies: Let me write it in letters of fire upon every heart, that there is no committee that is so important as the Committee on Missions, or one that needs to be selected with greater care, for their faithfulness will give or with¬ hold the Light from thousands. The Young People’s movement is a missionary movement, just as much as the volunteer movement is a missionary movement—“ Relying upon Divine help, I hereby promise to be true to Christ in all things.” Missions then are its soul and life. Missions are our distinguishing badges among the nations of the earth. Therefore you will see that the missionary committee is transcendently the most important. Appoint this committee first and put your very best, your brightest and most devoted members on this committee. Will you do this ? 1. —ITS PURPOSE. One has well said that “purpose is the eter¬ nal element of success.” Half of the failure in mission work is traceable to the lack of pur¬ pose. A purposeless life is like a vessel in mid- 4 ocean without an anchor. There was a mighty purpose in the life of the first great Missionary. “ The Son of Man hath come to seek and to save that which was lost.” “ He came not to be ministered unto but to minister.” In the light of his life, O missionary committee, what is your purpose ? The Book of Life is the completed edition of the book of the Acts of the Apostles. It is the story of the world won to Christ. The story of your life and mine is be¬ ing penned by the fingers of God. God is now writing an everlasting story of the faithful and unfaithful stewards. Thou, O chairman of the missionary committee, art a character in that story ! Which character is it ? Eternal des¬ tinies play upon its pages and the crown of immortality awaits its true heroes. Oh, mis¬ sionary committee, step into thy closet and pray — pray—pray until you get God’s thought concerning missions! With this preparation your purpose will be to awaken an intelligent missionary enthusiasm in every member of the society, an earnest, prayerful determination either to go or send the news of redemption to lost humanity at home and abroad, in city and jungle. 2. —ORGANIZATION. An efficient missionary committee is one in which each member is responsible for some definite work. How can we. have such a committee ? By having a thorough, practical, business-like organization. At the first meet¬ ing make each member responsible for some definite work. Appoint: (i.) A Secretary who shall keep a record of all the committee meetings, of work done, difficulties met and overcome, etc., etc. (2.) A Treasurer who will see to securing systematic and proportionate giving; have charge of pledge cards, envelopes and boxes ; secure veritable members of “The Tenth Le¬ gion ” — and who will act as a link also between the society and its missionary boards. Half of our young people do not even know the name and address of the treasurers of our mission , boards. (3.) A member on meetings who, with an¬ other member of the society (the leader of the meetings for that month) will arrange and be responsible for the missionary programme. (4.) A member on missionary literature who will send to our boards for the bright, wide¬ awake, pithy leaflets, missionary papers and magazines. Then every society should have a missionary library. Let your motto be; Quality not quantity. Better a big shelf with one thrilling missionary book in great demand than a great number of volumes that will not G be read. Strike for a good, live missionary library. (See page 15.) (5.) A correspondent who will keep in touch with the missionaries on the fields, at home and abroad; who will induce others to write bright cheery letters, and who will watch with eagle eye the reports in the denominational papers and the missionary magazines that come from the different fields. 3 .—THE MONTHLY COMMITTEE MEETING. You will certainly devote a regular evening in each month to this purpose, having extra meetings at the call of the chairman. Don’t visit in this meeting; remember whom you represent and attend strictly to the Kind’s busi¬ ness. Open the meeting with an earnest sea¬ son of prayer, every member takin^g part; for the best of plans will fail unless conceived in his wisdom, guided by his love and carried out in his strength. With the changeless reality of his presence, as the most interested member of that committee, proceed in the most prac¬ tical way while doing the Lord’s business, and not in the slipshod manner with which we are too often content. Ask the secretary to read the minutej of the last meeting; then let each member report his or her definite work for the past month. Let there be free discussion and 7 definite action, giving each member whatever help seems necessary. Of course the mission¬ ary meeting will receive special attention, each member gladly doing all in his power to help the member in charge in making it the “Zone” of Power it ou^ht to be. This plan is worth trying, as it is invaluable in attracting and ‘holding young men and women of thoughtful minds. The business¬ like way of doing things appeals to their higher and nobler sense of manhood. The one reason why our meetings are shunned by many is because of the namby-pamby, wishy- washy, linsey-woolsey way we do our work. Oh, for a committee full of faith, dead in ear¬ nest, constantly alive, always-at-it, never-give- up, bound-to-win, patient, loving, having a mighty faith in the perseverance of the saints ! Will you be that committee ? Don’t change the missionary committee every six months, and never change more than half of them at a time. 4 .—THE MISSIONARY MEETING. A missionary meeting, a real missionary meeting that shall be wideaw'ake, pithy, inter¬ esting and educational every month, will be the purpose of the efficient committee. The true reason for indifference to missionary work 8 is not lack of willingness, but lack of knowl¬ edge. Our young people only need to know, and- their interest is at once aroused. Oh, how many have said to me, ‘‘ I never realized before that the great commission had anything to do with me directly and personally! ” If our young people are to give their pray¬ ers, the^r time, their money and their lives to this work, they must be educated, they must know about it. This great responsibility is placed upon the committee on missions, and their chief aid is the Missionary Meeting. The preparation of the program should be most thorough and complete. Let the leadet of the meeting, with the member of the com¬ mittee, be responsible for the program,— a new leader for each meeting. These two may call on every member of the society to aid in its execution. I do believe in giving every¬ body something to do. Allow no public use of scissorings from papers, or nice little bits given out to be read. Plan for Independent Thought. • Give facts in your own way. Suppose you have fifteen two-minute guns, or two bright, brief, boiled down, condensed, real live papers, after which throw the meeting open for general participation. This can be made exceedingly interesting and very helpful. Be sure and 9 attend carefully to details,— maps (See The Missionary Meeting, page lo.), music, organist, ushers. Appoint Two to Act as Ushers. They can see that the room is well ventilated and everything nicely arranged. How many times have I gone into Young People’s meet¬ ings to find the reply of Father Abraham to the request of the rich man so true : “ Between me and thee there is a great gulf fixed.” Many young people who will scramble for the front seats in the consecration meeting at our great Conventions, can be found in the back seats in their home churches. Ushers, bridge this gulf. Young people, take the front seats ; the backsliders will fill the back ones. Systematic, Proportionate, Worshipful, Heroic, Hilarious and l^e^ular Giving. It is often said, and truly, that when our members become interested they will give; but many become interested in certain ob¬ jects more than in. Christ, and to a large measure give spasmodically and from im- pluse. God wants us to give regularly and from principle, ever remembering that it is into the outstretched hand of the world’s Savior we are to place our gifts. The basis of all true giving is a realization of the prin- 10 ciple of stewardship. For the teaching of this principle, see Gen. 2 : 15 — God put man in the garden to dress it and keep it. Hag. 2 : 8 — Silver and gold are mine. Luke 16: 12 — Faithfulness in that which is another’s. Three scriptural methods: (1.) Systematic giving as shown in tithing or giving a regular part of our income at a regular time (first day of the week, i Cor.. 16 : 2). Why.? (a) Because we are creatures of habit; (/;) because it is worship; (c) it is most successful, and (^/) because God com¬ mands it. (2.) Proportionate giving or according to some fixed ratio; (a) tithing (Gen. 28; 22; Mai. 3: 8—10); (/;) as one is able (i Cor. 16: 2). (3.) With Sacrifice.' Eph. 5: 12: Christ gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God. “ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus ” (2 Cor. 8 : 1-9). “ For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich.” With this sense of stewardship, work—work ■—work—until every member in your society realizes his responsibility as God’s steward. What we want and what we are going to have is a great army pledged to systematic, proportionate, worshipful, heroic, hilarious giving. 11 Pledged intelligently, because we realize that the Bible teaches it, and that our duty as Christians demands it; pledged prayerfully, because of the tremendous responsibility with which He has charged us in making us stew¬ ards— the destiny of a lost world ! Pledged joyfully, because of the glorious privilege of helping Christ to see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied.” O awful joy ! O honor high ! To help Christ’s soul to satisfy. Believing thoroughly in this principle of stewardship, the faithful committee will scat¬ ter leaflets on the subject, and ask their pastor to preach upon it and in the society meetings present it on a scriptural basis, from personal experience, inviting free discussion, and best of all, follow it up by patient, prayerful per¬ sonal work. A Mighty Faith in the Power of Prayer. It can divide every Red Sea and cause every Jordan to roll back. Since the Day of Pente¬ cost every time the Church of Christ has set herself to praying marvelous results have fol¬ lowed. When the heathen world had its doors closed and barred against the gospel, the Church of God got down upon her knees and in one year the Lord threw open the doors of China, India, Japan, Italy and Mexico; and 12 at the same time opened the hearts of twenty men to give more than four million dollars ('$4,000,000) to carry the tidings of life through those open doors. When Messengers Were Not Forthcoming to carry the message, the Church heard and heeded the voice of her great Commander saying, “ Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest that he send forth laborers into his harvest,” and now there are in America four thousand of the choicest spirits of our land desiring to go to the destitute everywhere. In 1839 the Sultan of 'Turkey passed a decree that not a representative of the Chris¬ tian religion should remain in the empire. Dr. Goodell came to the house of Dr. Hamlin with the sad news, saying, “ Doctor, it is all . over with us ; we have to leave ; the American Consul and the British Ambassador both sav that it is no use to meet with antagonism this violent and vindictive monarch.” The reply of that noble missionary of the cross. Dr. Hamlin, was: “The Sultan of the Universe can, in answer to prayer, change the decree of the Sultan of Turkey.” They gave them¬ selves to prayer and the next day the Sultan died, and the decree has never been executed. God help us to learn the secret of the power of prayer. “As Thou hast sent me into the 13 world, even so have I sent them into the world.” He went to the hungry of the desert, to the dews of the night, to the storms of the lake, to the refuge of the mountains, to the rock-strewn road, to the persecutions of men, to the blood-sweat of Gethsemane, to the cross- crowned Calvary. And a World [Redeemed. He that taketh not up his cross and fol¬ io weth not after me cannot be my disciple.” His book was the scriptures, his illustrations were a life, his magazine was the hearts of people, on which he stamped the impress of his divine calling. His joy is sitting upon the throne, while before him they come, a multi¬ tude which no man can number, out of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, crying with a loud voice, saying: “Blessings and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen.” See accompanying booklet, “ A Missionary Meeting; What it is, and How to Conduct it.” 14 -Read Carefully. IWIISSIONARY INTEREST, if it shall abide, must be intelligent interest. The library to be of real value must contain books, interesting, instructive, devotional, and books giving a careful survey of people, countries, religions and a his¬ tory of successful Missionary enterprise. The Student Missionary Campaign Library does all this and more. It contains lectures, biography, conven¬ tion reports, history, and in fact everything to instruct and interest young people in the cause of the world’s evangelization. The library has been carefully selected by a com¬ mittee of prominent educators, who are especially well informed as to Missioiib. It contains sixteen of the very best Modern Mis¬ sionary books. It will be uniform in size and binding. It lists at twenty dollars, but a benevolent business man bought the sheets from the publishers and by having the books bound himself has made it possibie for us to furnish them for the remarkably low price of ten dollars. Orders should be sent to Miss -Ella D. MacLaurin, Tremont Temple, Boston, Mass., and in order, to secure the library at .the above price it should be ordered now. The library must be sold entire, and in no case will the set be broken. Money must accompany every order, and must be sent by Money Order, Registered Letter or Draft on New York or Boston, and must be made payable to ELLA D. MACLAURIN TREMONT TEMPLE, BOSTON 15