=< - sous os cones 1 Locues aousenaqnanageeanensgbedertanaeieeeemamabarmadssanane ie emeeae eee eae ae setciereael mr nae = Sresntkephpierereresnpnpapearesnedesathpagapapenenpaenenpaphengrdmemamshpioamapnfeneneien See EE ES SS saokiterssanapipressabepuprenbeseephareesoee = SA en A RR EO a ES aE RT COR Le aE Ne a AAS cu LS pee OES ES cad RES ee ERE IES Ew RR a PRE SESE EEE Sree ee Aer ee tee = Cyite nest ecetee s1 0 Sve Tew enene SASODEs PUTt Ieee STO TeTESRORSE SET SY HUE TENET OTCT OOO OTET WETS OOTOOTO TS RSRTST ETT TADDICOTT WEE TREE ITT 8 TCETE SEPUTE SOFT ETETLISSTOTE DEEDS SRO COTE DE INTO : phe ee ea eae RR EE ES eT A REE Eg eR EELS ERR GRR UR ETE RTE RCE Te RE EE SET Ee Ee EE Ty Oem Scovswans sasusavansver teanrasnsatesnawenyeneninewroreyt anceseesisuae vowt riensersumacssecleernre suravereewe foneegeneseruneesanet Sebweeeree Tuseswers suaserenee tysusususeeneraseeeeeetasUsnee er EnCauSIuTE SITE SSCSOCeTTESESUOIITS ts Va ec kw ae ae ee Re Ce Ge RC NEE i ne eT BR EE RONEN ISTE ~ = " To eng ca Ce AS le Nf aca aan ee = _ aad sc uegnaven ve fearenyentavurwnd wr eceySeeuenserac weve faveen taser en ater eee toweseurarer aati eera = “on ~ = * < ere owen - ng ’ SET Tae es rene eneTw ee cOVEDWEEOReOT TELLS ECOL ES IL ESOVERN TRIE POT EYET USAT TAN HAIR FOSLSESS FOARALEN ON SRTET TE #4 LOTTI CE NO AT OT TE DET YT TS TE DOO OT TAS SETS FOOERTOY REESE TULMETE SS ORTOTTY £R FOLOT VETTE Ce 8 TE TENET CTSOTE TY SUSE LETTE TELE TS OCOTE VERSE SOTTOTE £97 SOTEET UETS PRLUONE TEPOTI DY AF 04 | a eee ee typ ngr ster mare: wuedee Brarree Sanat} Ponda eater aerate delaras enya SD an aE Eat a RRS LRN GY a LE ae EEE ES CE Ne RT RE APE aR EE CE COD Se La RR ee et oe - RTT SETS ELAS TEV OTUEET SO TEES TCIED TELE TERN PTNENELDUT ET TS YN IVEY SSIS SST ANT SST ETE GCCS SUS SEIN TRI ROSETTE ENDS EMT TT RIEOSTTONESS avn EER Eh oe ae eA : ee EE eS ES - Re aren ene eyed nt dee rhe Be on RE HR GTS ORO RE SS REE PE RESORT Ne eee eS nd Renae mesons . rapagbeidermemnantetessierstaenaphsheudrhenasstelcunehetisd campuepadsarnensmen — — now e ~ — + oop aon aol -* neers —— ame -* “ 7 nt Tees a " —— = os o -$ -_— _ — - Lereneeeeierecamaginnen wong Sor Serres = ap tower wenecerernerne~ Geers ~ ong — apegemnenepinemen anaes pEpsvosw ss seswenvw =eaeynen . poe ap rrereisnensncorts slo Ra ad een erercrmmonren esse = — me perempneet pee) ee entetens zs - eee ene —— 9) LORE er ee ee nt SR ene ES oo Ae eh | LCC —— Fa ee _ ip emmtokgrerenmens ——subaes +apease auhbneas tm - een ennnementerinee a mtn nn ms < eekeneepemcmnepaet AES Kyaw peewee” © ee ieee cee ae eae ee | neem eneeenn ie cents » acameaertay Aeon nt een eae tee ea eng ae eT ee eee RE TT ce et ee OIE mem pee neta enn | aap ny Aetna eta HEPEEEPREEIPE PELE rere PPL Ty I PE( Epa ll PT TT Bataan | Me A AB il LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY | PRINCETON, N. J. PRESENTED BY ~ Rev. H. Me A. Robinson , D:D. IEE ETE psn gory Maus, Cynthia Pearl, 1878- 1970. Youth Organized for religious education ee Sa ‘ee YOUTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Other Books by Miss Maus Youth and the Church Teaching the Youth of the Church YOUTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Aan OF PRINGE es By CYNTHIA PEARL MA JAN 23 1928 eas RN Yy Q Zovies Lge A Manual on the Organization and Administration of Intermediate, Senior, and Young People’s Departments % A Textbook in Teacher Training, Conforming to the Standard Outlined and Approved by the International Council of Religious Education Third Year Specialization Series Published for THE TEACHER TRAINING PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION By THE BETHANY PRESS, SAINT LOUIS Copyright, 1925 By CYNTHIA PEARL MAUS Printed in the United States of America CONTENTS CHAPTER TBC aCe. fe aoe _ E WOOT sei ntroductiOnas eee te ee i C1; IIT. 1Vs Ver VI. Principles Underlying Successful Work SVL OUT OOD LO. eee Essential Factors in an Educational Pro- Orin alOrmy OUNCE COD Cm sae ee se Correlation of Local-Churech Organiza- VERA LE Se MARU OIE Solon, hea ROL RCD ee oe co The Sunday Session of the Departments __ Extension Meetings of Intermediate, Senior, and Young People’s Departments . The Class Unit of Organization -________ . Fourfold-Life Evaluation Standards and RECCTAMS ss ee - Building Fourfold-Life Programs .______ . Conferences, Leadership, and Co-opera- tion ier Se ae Mee ee 96 112 128 147 167 SPECIALIZATION COURSES FOR TEACHERS OF INTERMEDIATES, SENIORS, AND YOUNG PEOPLE Conforming to the standard approved by the International Council of Religious Education Closer Specialization Units Intermediates— The Psychology of Early Adolescents, E. Leigh Mudge. Intermediate Materials and Methods. Organization and Administration of the Intermediate De- partment, Hugh H. Harris. Materials and Methods of Worship for Intermediates.1 Seniors— The Psychology of Middle Adolescents, Mary E. Moxey. Senior Materials and Methods. Senior Department Administration. Materials and Methods of Worship for Seniors.1 Young People— The Psychology of Later Adolescents, E. Leigh Mudge. Young Peoples Materials and Methods. Young Peoples Department Administration. Materials and Methods of Worship for Young People.1 Wider Specialization Units? For thie three departments of the Young People’s Division— Youth Organized for Religious Education,1 Cynthia Pearl Maus. Agencies for the Religious Education of Adolescents,1 Harry C. Munro. Materials and Methods of Vocational Guidance.1 1WMlective. "In case any denominational or interdenominational school or class finds it inadvisable to separate the teachers of adoles- cents into the three groups contemplated by the provisions for specialization contained in the Standard Training Course, it may, by consultation with its Denominational Board, or in interdenominational schools and classes, with the International Council, arrange to offer courses covering a wider field of adolescent life. It is understood that International credit will be given and that graduates may be awarded an International diploma. Records shall bear notation as to whether closer specialization or wider specialization was covered in the course. —Educational Bulletin, No. 3, on International Standards for Teacher Training. PREFACE RELIGION THE GREAT DyNAmIC IN HUMAN LIFE We shall preserve our liberties only by the re- ligious education of our youth.—George Washing- ton. Talk about the great problems of our day. There is only one great problem: how to bring the truth of God’s Word into vital contact with the minds and hearts of all classes of people.—F.. E. Gladstone. No study is more important than the study of our Bible and the truths which it contains; and there is no more effective agency for such study than the Sunday school. Religious education is one of the greatest factors in our lives in its develop- ment of moral fiber. The Sunday school lesson of today is the code of morals of tomorrow. Too much attention cannot be paid to the work which the Sunday school is doing.—Woodrow Wilson. In the past five years I have had twenty-seven hundred boys pass before me for sentence in the Brooklyn Juvenile Court, I have asked each one of them this question, ‘‘Do you go to Sunday School?’’ and have found that not one of them was a Sun- day school attendant.—Judge Lewis L. Faweett. Recent years have witnessed a marked awaken- ing as to the importance of religious education in the period of youth. The pronouncements of states- men like Washington, Gladstone, and Wilson, to- gether with a scientific study on the part of educa- tors of the period of adolescence, have contributed no smal! share to the increased appreciation of the 5 6 PREFACE importance and significance of an adequate pro- gram of religious education for the youth of the church and the nation. With this study of the needs and interests of adolescence has come a reali- zation of the enormous losses in membership in the church and Church school of those of the teen-age years, causing religious workers everywhere to seek the reason, to question prevailing methods of or- ganization, administration, and instruction, and to strive earnestly for a better way of dealing with these difficult years. One of the first results of such inquiry has been the development of specialized methods of dealing with young people in the church and Church school. Prior to 1910 the Sunday schools of America in- cluded all members of the school above the ele- mentary grades in one mass assembly. Within the last decade the realization has become almost uni- versal among progressive church workers that in dealing with adolescents, as with children, it is necessary to differentiate between the interests and needs of young people in the periods of early, mid- dle, and later youth. This has led in the larger and better equipped churches to separate departments for Intermediates (twelve, thirteen, fourteen years), Seniors (fifteen, sixteen, seventeen years), and Young People (eighteen to twenty-three years, inclusive). Most of our Protestant Church schools have a comparatively small membership. A large number enroll fewer than two hundred pupils. More than one-half enroll fewer than one hundred. For these PREFACE 7 smaller schools, most of them with inadequate | equipment, a completely departmentalized program of religious education is impossible. They must combine certain groups of pupils because of the smallness of enrollment or the architectural inade- quacies of the building. It is with a desire to help in a definite way leaders of young people in these small as well as in large churches that this general specialization course of forty lessons on the entire adolescent period has been prepared. Two courses are provided in the Third Year Spe- cialization Series for leaders of adolescent groups. The first is a close specialization course providing four units of study each on the three periods of adolescence—ecarly (twelve to fourteen years), mid- dle (fifteen to seventeen years), and later (eighteen to twenty-three years). The second is a general specialization course covering the entire adolescent period in four units of ten lessons each. The first unit in this general specialization course covers the psychology of the adolescent years; the second, agencies of religious education; the third, teaching methods and materials; and the fourth unit, the or- ganization and administration of the program of religious education for the entire adolescent group. In approaching the preparation of this fourth unit on the organization and administration of the entire youth period, the author fully realizes her in- ability to cover the field adequately in so short a scope and must necessarily leave to the practical experience and good judgment of workers with young people the filling in of many things from the 8 PREFACE background of their own knowledge and experience or refer them to the fuller treatment of the or- ganizational side of young people’s work to be found in the close specialization course. In the first three chapters we shall endeavor to face (1) the general principles that have been ap- proved by the International Council of Religious . Edueation as a guide in working out a program of religious education for the youth of the church; (2) the aims to be realized in an adequate program of religious education for youth; and (3) the essen- tial factors in an educational program for young people. The subsequent chapters will discuss correlation projects in the interest of a unified, constructive, chureh-centered program of religious education for youth; Sunday and extension meetings of depart- ments; the organized class unit; fourfold-life evalu- ation and standards; the building of fourfold pro- erams; and the training of leadership. In addition to such acknowledgments as are made in the text the author wishes to express her appreciation to the Professional Young People’s Work Committee of the International Council of Religious Education, to her associates in the depart- ment of Religious and Missionary Education of the United Christian Missionary Society, and to a host of young people’s workers the continent over whose counsel and co-operation have contributed to this book. CYNTHIA PEARL MAUS. Saint Louis, Missouri, April 30, 1925. EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION SPECIALIZATION COURSES IN TEACHER TRAINING Effective leadership presupposes special training. For teachers and administrative officers in the Chureh school a thorough preparation and proper personal equipment have become indispensable. Present-day standards and courses in teacher train- ing give evidence of a determination on the part of the religious-educational forces of North America to provide an adequate training literature. Pop- ular as well as professional interest in the matter is reflected in the constantly increasing number of . training institutes, community and summer training schools, and college chairs and departments of re- ligious education. Hundreds of thousands of young people and adults, from all the Protestant evan- gelical churches and throughout every state and province, are engaged in serious study to prepare for service as religious leaders and teachers of re- ligion or to inerease their efficiency in the work in which they are already engaged. Most of these students and student teachers are pursuing some portion of the Standard Course of Teacher Training outlined originally by the Sunday Sehoo! Couneil of Evangelical Denominations and more recently revised by the Committee on Edu- cation of the International Council of Religious Edueation. The course as revised is organized on 9 10 INTRODUCTION the basis of study units of not less than ten lessons, or recitation hours, each. The completion of twelve such units in accordance with the general scheme for the course entitles the student to the Standard Training Diploma. Of the twelve units, eight are general units (six required and two elective) deal- ing with child study, principles of teaching, Bible study, the Christian religion, and the organization and administration of religious education. The re- maining four units of the course are specialization units arranged departmentally. That is, provision for specialization is made for teachers and workers with each of the following age groups: Cradle Roll (three and under) ; Beginners (under three to five) ; Primary (six to eight) ; Junior (nine to eleven) ; In- termediate (twelve to fourteen) ; Senior (fifteen to seventeen); Young People (eighteen to twenty- four) ; Adults (over twenty-four), and for Adminis- trative officers. For denominations and classes not in a position to follow the closer specialization above the Elementary grades, there are provided in addition general units covering more briefly the adolescent period (twelve to twenty-three) as a whole. Which of these courses is to be pursued by any student or group of students will be determined by the particular place each expects to fill as teacher, superintendent, or administrative officer in the Chureh school. Teachers of Juniors will study the four units devoted to the Junior Department. Of these three are required units, while the fourth may INTRODUCTION 11 be chosen from a number of available electives. Superintendents and general officers in the school will study the four Administrative units (three required and one elective), and so for each of the gvroups indicated, thus adding to their specialized equipment each year. On page 4 of this volume will be found a complete outline of the Specializa- tion Courses for teachers of Intermediates, Seniors and Young People. A program of intensive training as complete as that outlined above necessarily involves the prep- aration and publication of an equally complete series of textbooks covering more than fifty sep- arate units. Comparatively few of the denomina- tions represented in the International Council are . able independently to undertake so large a program of textbook production. It is natural, therefore, that the denominations which together have deter- mined the generai outlines of the Standard Course should likewise co-operate in the production of the required textbooks, in order to command the best available talent for this important task, and to in- sure the success of the total enterprise. The prep- aration of these textbooks has proceeded under the supervision of an editorial committee representing all the co-operating denominations. The publishing arrangements have been made by a similar commit- tee of denominational publishers, lkewise repre- senting all the co-operating churches. Together the editors, educational secretaries, and publishers have organized themselves into a voluntary association 12 INTRODUCTION for the carrying out of this particular task under the name, ‘‘Teacher Training Publishing Associa- tion.’’ The textbooks ineluded in this series, while intended primarily for teacher-training classes in local churches and Sunday schools, are admirably suited for use in interdenominational and commun- ity classes and training schools. . This volume is one of four general units cover- ing the entire period of adolescence (twelve to twenty-four), and intended for use where the closer specialization by age groups corresponding to -the standardized departments seems impracticable. The three other units in this group of four are ‘‘The Psy- chology of Adolescence,’’ ‘‘The Agencies of Religious Education During Adolescence,’’ ‘‘Teaching Meth- ods and Materials for Adolescence.’’ An explana- tory statement concerning this volume, ‘‘ Youth Organized for Religious Education’’ for the adoles- cent group, to which the reader is referred, will be found in the author’s preface on another page. 9) For the Teacher Training Publishing Association, HENRY H. MEYER, Chairman Editorial Committee. For the Bethany Press, MARION STEVENSON, Editor, Department of Bible School Literature. CHAPTER I PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING SUCCESSFUL WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE Four general principles have been approved by | the International Council of Religious Edueation as basic in working out a comprehensive program of religious education for the youth of the church. It will doubtless be wise for us to consider these four principles in the initial chapter of this brief textbook on the organization and administration of a program of religious education for the adolescent years.”* Scope oF YounGa PEOPLE’s WorK The first principle has to do with defining the field to be included in discussing young people’s work in the Church school and the importance of recognizing that youth is in itself a natural epoch of life that should be treated as a whole. Briefly stated, the principle is: The scope of work with young people in the local church should cover the entire period of adolescence—twelve to twenty- three years, inclusive—and should recognize within that scope three clearly defined natural groups: 1. Early adolescence (twelve to fourteen years), as the Intermediate Department or group. *Educational Bulletin, No. 2, pp. 29-30, of Council of Reli- gious Education. 13 14 YoutTH ORGANIZED FoR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 2. Middle adolescence (fifteen to seventeen years), as the Senior Department or group. 3. Later adolescence (eighteen to twenty-three years), as the Young People’s Department or eroup. It is of primary importance that we face, first of all, the fact that adolescence is in itself an epoch of life. God takes approximately the first eleven years of human existence to erow the body, mind, heart, and soul of a child; then he takes the next twelve-year period to turn the body, mind, heart, and soul of the child into an adult who functions with all the capacities and powers of adulthood. The term ‘‘adolescence’’ means growing, maturing ; and a close study of life shows that there are three (not two) clearly marked stages of growth within this ten- or twelve-year period. The first stage covers the years from twelve to - fifteen and is often referred to as the organic period or early adolescence. During the period of echild- hood nature has been at work building up the body of a boy or girl. With the first five or six years of the adolescent period the body of a child becomes the body of an adult in that the bones, muscles, and organs of the body attain to the size they are going to be throughout maturity and take on the function they are going to have. Puberty is the distinguish- ing characteristic of the intermediate years (twelve to fourteen). The second stage covers the years from fifteen to eighteen and is often referred to as the emotional FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 1D period, or middle adolescence. During these years nature, having built the body of an adult, matures within that body the emotional intensity of adult- hood. The third stage covers the years from eighteen to twenty-four and is often referred to as the in- tellectual period, or later adolescence. During these years experiences increase memories and as- sociation and the flexibility of association processes multiplies the individual’s capacity for abstraction and comparison, giving the power of independent thought and balance to the emotional instability of ‘the middle teens. Of course, as Professor Athearn indicates, ‘‘all these changes are going on at once, but physical changes are the dominant characteristic of the first period, emotional development the characteristic of the second period, and intellectual reconstruction is the distinguishing element in the third period.’’* It is evident, therefore, if we are to achieve the largest success in work with young people, that we must be clear in our understanding of adolescence as an epoch of life, and of early, middle, and later adolescence as natural groupings within the epoch we call youth. . To plan a program that takes only part of the adolescent period into account is poor economy, yet in many churches that is exactly what is being done customarily. Church workers plan for and work out a fairly good Intermediate Department but *The Church School, Athearn, p. 174. 16 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION make no provision for any sort of young people’s organization beyond the intermediate years, feeling that young people are then old enough to be grouped with adults, without further consideration of their needs, interests, or desires. As a result the church annually loses hundreds of these young people who might have been held if they had been made to feel that they had a place and a part in the work of the local chureh and school. Still another group of churches plan for and achieve a fairly good Inter- mediate-Senior or High School Department but pro- vide no student controlled organization beyond the high school years. They also complain about not holding older young people through college and vo- cational life. Young people, to be held, must be occupied. They must be given a place and a part in the work of the church at home and to the ends of the earth if their interests are to be maintained, and their lesser loyalties tied over into the greater loyalty of the church family itself. Youth is an epoch of life. Young people are not adults in thought, in dreams, in their developed loyalty to the greater work of the church until they reach approximately twenty-four years of age. For their own best development they need to be asso. ciated in homogeneous groups that will provide in the largest possible measure for their growing initi- ative and self-expression along physical, intellect- ual, social, and religious lines. To push them into adult life and activities too early means to repress initiative and to retard growth, or to lose them al- FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 17 together because of their inward feeling of being out of place and not at home in adult groups. After many years of experimentation with vari- ous groupings of adolescent pupils, the following vroups have become established as most satisfac- tory: 1. Intermediate Department or group (twelve to fourteen years approximately). 2. Senior Department or group (fifteen to seventeen years approximately). 3. Young People’s Department or group (eighteen to twenty-three years approximately). This plan of organization draws the line between groups at the point of most rapid transition in the life of the average pupil, so that within each group there is a maximum of homogeneity, or similarity of interests, life situations, and problems. This grouping follows the plan of organization of junior and senior high schools—a plan that is being woven into our public educational system in the interests of increased efficiency and better adaptation. These groupings are not arbitrary but are based solely on the developing life and changing needs and interests of pupils. The public school grade, social tendencies, the general mental and moral growth and ability, and even the physical develop- ment of each pupil should be considered in placing him ‘in the correct departmental group. With sufficient flexibility to take account of the exceptional pupil or the unusual situation, the fore- going plan will be found thoroughly practical in 18 YoutH ORGANIZED FoR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION every type of church and school. Where the small- ness of the group or the architectural inadequacies of the building make three departmental assem- blies impracticable, the following combinations are suggested with the understanding that each depart- ment (no matter which combination of groupings may be used) shall be fully organized as a depart- ment, with its own set of boy and girl officers and committees and its adult superintendent or coun- selor: I. For the large Church school: 1. Three departmental groups even where the building permits of only one assembly for young people, rotating the worship program from week to week or month to month among the departments thus combined: a) Intermediate (twelve to fourteen years approximately ). b) Senior (fifteen to seventeen years ap- proximately ). c) Young People’s (eighteen to twenty- three years approximately). Il. For the medium Churebh sehool: 1. An Intermediate-Senior or High School De- partment (twelve to seventeen years ap- proximately) and a Young People’s Depart- ment (eighteen to twenty-three years ap- proximately) or 2. An Intermediate Department (twelve to fourteen years approximately) and a Young People’s Department (fifteen to twenty- three years approximately). FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 19 III. For the small Chureh school: 1. A Young People’s Department (twelve or thirteen to twenty-three years approxi- mately), recognizing in the class groupings the periods of early (twelve to fourteen years), middle (fifteen to seventeen years), and later (eighteen to twenty-three years) adolescence. Any Church school, however small, can have at least a Young People’s Department (ages twelve or thirteen to twenty-three years) properly organized, with its own set of boy and girl officers selected from among the older young people, its adult super- intendent or counselor, and comprising at least three class groups; intermediate boys (twelve to fourteen), intermediate girls (twelve to fourteen), and mixed young people’s class (fifteen to twenty- three years). If there are enough pupils to have five or six classes the following plan is much to be preferred: An intermediate boys’ (twelve to fourteen), an intermediate girls’ (twelve to four- teen), a senior boys’ (fifteen to seventeen), a senior girls’ (fifteen to seventeen), and a mixed young people’s class (eighteen to twenty-three), or a young men’s class (eighteen to twenty-three) and a young women’s class (eighteen to twenty-three). Certain it is that the largest success will attend the church that looks upon adolescence as an epoch of life and plans its program so that it takes adequate care of the needs and interests of young people in all three of these natural life periods. 20 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION A CHuURCH-CENTERED PROGRAM A second ideal that has been approved as a goal by the International Council toward which the edu- eational work of the local church should strive is the principle of one organization, and one only, for each natural group of adolescents. This one organi- zation should be church-centered, with the definite purpose of tying the loyalty and devotion of young people to the church, and not to auxiliary organiza- tions, as has been the tendency of organizations in the past. Briefly stated, the second principle is as follows: That the ideal (goal toward which we should work) is one inclusive organization in the local chureh for each natural group of adolescents—intermediate, senior, and young people; that each of these organi- zations should provide all the necessary worship, in- struction, training, and service through depart- ments made up of classes, the classes to be organized for specific tasks and for individual and group training, the departments to be organized for group activities and for the cultivation of the devotional life through prayer, praise, testimony, and other forms of self-expression. That in churches where there are already a Sun- day school, young people’s societies, and other or- ganizations for adolescents, the work of these or- ganizations should be correlated in such a way as to be complemental, not conflicting and competing. For this purpose there should be in each group a committee composed of the presidents of classes, FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES ya officers of various organizations involved, the pas- tor, and any other advisory officers appointed by the local church, whose duty is, in conference with those charged with the work of religious education, to determine the program of study and activities in order to prevent overlapping and duplication. This principle has been at work in the local church for a number of years now, and out of actual project work in experimenting with this principle three successful correlation plans have gradually evolved. As it will be impossible to discuss, within the limits of this chapter, the correlation principle and project in detail, a later chapter will be given to discussion of forms of correlation which are meet- ing with success. A FourFotp PROGRAM A third principle with which leaders of young people need to be familiar, if they are to experience the widest suecess in their work with adolescents, has to do with the range of the program of study and activities. Briefly stated that principle is: That the pro- eram of study and activities for adolescents be such as to develop all sides of their natures—physical, intellectual, social, and religious. It should include Bible study and correlated subjects, such as mis- sions, church history, ete., the cultivation of the devotional life, training for leadership, and service through stewardship, recreation, community work, citizenship, evangelism, and missions. 22 YouTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION It is impossible to develop adolescents in a bal- anced way if the leaders of young people look upon the Chureh school as the only means and method of erowth in Christian living. We have long ago come to understand that life functions as a unit—that what young people do between class and depart- ment periods is as important, sometimes more so, as that which they do in the formal class or depart- ment session on Sunday.: With most of us the se- verest tests of our Christian experiences do not come on Sunday in the formal sessions of the church and Church school, but through the week, as we meet the hundred and one harassing problems and life situations that must be faced and solved. How much more is this true of growing boys and girls! They must come to understand that religion is life —the Jesus’ way of lving—and they must be taught to look upom every problem and every life situation as an opportunity to apply coneretely the Christian principles studied in the Sunday school class, experienced in the worship service, discussed in the open forum Christian Endeavor meeting. In proportion’ as we can make them see and feel that all knowledge must function in personal life and conduct, we shall help them to incarnate Christlike living. Then, too, we must come to understand as lead- ers that informal instruction and training are in many instances more powerful in their actual out- reach into life problems than is the formal instruc- tion of a class period. Religion is, after all, largely FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 20 a matter of cultivating habits that are Christian. And habits are cultivated not by talking about a principle, no matter how fine and true it may be, but by applying to daily life situations and prob- lems, types of behavior which, repeated with suffi- cient frequency, produce Christian habits. From this viewpoint it will be readily seen that in a pro- gram of religious education for adolescents the emphasis must always be on ‘‘doing things’’ which, frequently repeated, grow Christian habits. No one type of material, no one element of edu- cation, is sufficient to develop one in an all-round way. Bible study alone is not sufficient, no matter how well or how generously it is provided. The pupil must know something of the church at work today throwgh its lving missionaries in all the earth. Young people must learn to pray by pray- ing; to understand and appreciate the great music and devotional literature of the church by build- ing and participating in worship services. They must experience the joy of giving by giving; or service, by serving; of personal evangelism, by winning their companions and chums; of recreation, by planning class and department good times for the joy and refreshment of others. Christian char- acter is the by-product of Christian behavior. It is developed through the give-and-take of Christian experiencing in social relationships, and it can be developed in no other way. Leaders of young people must know the needs of adolescents and the materials with which these 24 YouTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION needs are to be met. They must work with young people, sharing alike in the joys and disappoint- ments of Christian experiences. And in the sharing their finest contribution is more often made without than within the formal class period—in personal eontacts as they work with young people m com- mittee work, in program planning, in social, recre- ational, and service activities. ADEQUATE AIMS OR GOALS A fourth fundamental principle in successful work with young people has to do with an adequate aim, or goal, toward which all the activities of the group tend. The leader who knows what he is trying to accomplish, in trying to lead the group in their growth and development, is altogether likely to arrive. It is important, therefore, in attempting to build a program of religious education for the youth of the church that we ask ourselves, What is the ultimate goal of the chureh in its work with young people? And what are the intermediate aims, or goals, which, achieved from year to year as we work with each age group, will contribute to the development of the ultimate aim or goal of Chris- tian education? In the following chapter the author will discuss the summarized aims and goals to be progressively achieved in work with young people. In prepara- tion for the study of that chapter, leaders of young people are requested to formulate, without the background of the chapter in mind, their own aims, FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 25 both general and for each age group. Clarifying your own thinking in advance should prepare the way for a broader appreciation of the fundamental importance of clearly defined objectives. QUESTIONS FOR CuAass DiIscussION 1. Why is it important that the period of youth be regarded as an epoch of life? 2. Give three reasons why you feel that ado- lescence should be regarded as a unit and a progres- Sive program developed with the entire life period in mind. 3. Is the principle of one organization, and one only, for each natural group logical? 4. Is one organization, one leadership, one pro- eram, better than many organizations, a divided leadership, and independent programs? Why? 5. From the background of your study of ado- lescent psychology do you think the program of development for young people should be fourfold? Why? PROJECTS FOR ASSIGNMENT 1. Ascertain the number of young people in your church who are members of each and of all the auxiliary organizations for adolescents—Church school, young people’s society, organized classes, circles, or triangles (or missionary guilds), Boy Scouts or Hi-Y clubs, Camp Fire Girls or Girl Re- serve clubs; and any other organizations to which young people belong in connection with the life of the church. In the light of your survey how many are getting a fairly well-rounded, balanced pro- cram of development? 2. Write out what you think should be the ulti- mate aim of the church in its program of religious education for young people. - CHAPTER II AIMS, MEANS AND TESTS The first thing in discussing an adequate pro- gram of religious education for the adolescent pe- riod, twelve to twenty-three years, is to consider the aims to be accomplished in the lives of young people, the means by which these aims shall be achieved, the relation of class and department equipment to the accomplishment of the aims, and the importance and value of tests by which the aims are to be progressively measured. AIMS Religious education concerns the development of the human soul. It is the introduction of self- control into human behavior in terms of the Christ ideal of life and conduct. Christianity is not a doc- trine; it is a way of living—the Christlike way of living lfe abundantly. The Master Teacher said, ‘‘T came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly’’ (John 10:10). Again, in John 14:6 Jesus said, ‘‘I am the way to God, I am the truth about God, I am the life of God lived in a physical body. No man ecometh unto the Father save through me.’’ (Weymouth translation.) Religious education has to do with teaching childhood, youth, and maturity the Christian way of daily living. The primary work of religious education is not to 26 Aims, MmrANS AND TESTS 24 teach the Bible, especially the life and teaching of Jesus, as an end in itself, but always as a means to the end of producing followers of Christ heroic enough to try to live the life of Jesus daily. The ooal of Christian education is Christhke character. This goal is not reached when boys and girls know about Jesus or even when they have formally com- mitted themselves to him by uniting with the church ; it is reached when boys and girls and young people habitually live the life of Jesus in all of life’s situations and relationships. Understanding does not constitute living the Jesus way. Explaining Jesus’ life and personality is not our ultimate task ; but so to enshrine Christ in the thinking, feeling, and willing of young people as to enable them to radiate his spirit in their daily lives. The work of religious education should result (1) in an open acceptance of Jesus Christ, (2) in a de- veloping loyalty to him as a personal Savior and Lord, (3) in a definite personal commitment to the Christian life as a member of the church, (4) and in whole-hearted enlistment in active, skilful, Chris- tian service. To whatever extent the program fails to accomplish these results in the lives of individu- als, it fails in its great objectives. That the above results may be achieved, it is nec- essary that there shall be for each natural life epoch a clearly defined aim, or goal, toward which all the work and activities of the group tends. The general aim, or objective, of the adolescent years, as stated by the International Council of Religious 28 YoutrHu ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Edueation, is: ‘‘Building on the foundation laid in childhood, our aim is to produce, through wor- ship, instruction, recreation, and service, the high- est type of Christian manhood and womanhood, ex- pressing itself in right living and in efficient serv- inves” Furthermore, it is essential that we have, not only a goal toward which the work and activities of the entire life period tend, but also definite aims, or objectives, for each of the natural groups within this adolescent period. These depart- mental aims should be related to the larger goals and, when progressively accomplished through each hfe period, should bring to pass the ultimate goal of all work with young people—developed Chris- tian personality dedicating itself to the work of the Kingdom throughout all the earth. The specific aims of each departmental group must be based on the needs of the pupil in each suc- ceeding period of development. Viewed from the life needs of young people and the growth of the Kingdom the specific aims of the early, middle, and later adolescent years, as summarized by the Inter- national Council of Religious Education are: INTERMEDIATE, OR EARLY ADOLESCENT, AIMS 1. To secure the acceptance of Jesus Christ as a personal Savior and Lord. The studies of Coe, Starbuck, and Athearn show that this period is the age of the first conscious religious awakening. The aim of the Intermediate Department, therefore, Aims, Means AND TESTS 29 should be to win each life for God at the very be- ginning of this first religious awakening. 2. To cultivate an ever-increasing knowledge of Christian ideals and of the Bible as the source of these ideals. 3. To secure on the part of boys and girls a per- sonal acceptance and open acknowledgment of these ideals in their daily life through Bible study, prayer, Christian conduct in work, play and service. 4. To awaken in boys and girls a growing appre- ciation of the privilege and opportunities of church membership, that they may come to have a deep and genuine reverence for the Lord’s Day and the Lord’s house. 5. To secure an all-round development through the cultivation of the social consciousness and the expression of the physical, intellectual, social, and religious life in service to others. 6. A knowledge of Christian principles in choos- ing a life-work or vocation. SENIOR, OR MippLE ADOLESCENT, AIMS 1. The acceptance of Jesus Christ as a personal Savior and Lord. Since the human soul is pecu- liarly sensitive to the appeal of Christ during these emotional years, we should endeavor to win to Christ and the church each life that has not already taken that important step. 2. The testing of earlier Christian ideals in the hght of enlarging experiences and the consequent adjustment of lfe choices and conduct. Young 30 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION people must be helped to see that Christian ideals must function in conduct, in the choice of friends, amusements, vocations, ete. 3. The expressing of the rapidly developing so- cial consciousness through co-operation and service in the contacts of the home, church, and community. 4. The development of initiative, responsibility, and self-expression in Christian service. One may not be a Christian in the largest and fullest sense of the term who deliberately or indolently withholds the development of initiative in Christian life and service. ‘‘Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord slovenly’’ needs to be said to a good many nominally enrolled Christians whose lives bear no fruit in Christian service. 5. A knowledge of Christian principles in choos- ing a life-work or vocation. | 6. The realization of opportunities for lfe-work that are open in the field of full-time Christian eallings. YounG PEOPLE’s, OR LATER ADOLESCENT, AIMS 1. To win to Christ each young person who has not already dedicated his life to him. The church, first, last, and always, is an evangelistic agency. One of its primary tasks is personal evangelism. If young people are to grow in Christian life and char- acter, they must learn early that sharing in the evangelism of the world, beginning always with their own cirele of friends and acquaintances, is a primary responsibility. One may not leave undone Aims, MrANns AND TESTS a his share of winning the world to Christ and be a Christian. 2. To help young people maintain tested Christian ideals in relation to the practical work of life in the face of disillusionments that are bound to result as they meet the realities of economic and industrial independence in a social order that is not yet wholly Christian. 3. To prepare them for and to help them assume the responsibilities of home-making and citizenship. 4. To prepare them for and help them assume their place and part in the work of life (business, professional, industrial) that in and through their daily work they may do the will of God and help to promote his Kingdom in the world. do. To prepare them for and to enlist them in the work of the church for the community and the world. 6. To give them a knowledge of Christian prin- ciples in choosing their life-work or vocation; and to bring to them a realization of opportunities for life-work that are open in the field of full-time Christian callings.* MEANS Whether or not the aims of these departments will be progressively realized depends almost wholly on the adult leadership of young people in these three periods. If the department superin- *Approved in 1923; Local School Standards for Young Peo- ple’s Division, International Council of Religious Education. 322 YouTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION tendents, teachers and advisers check the work in their respective departments or groups regularly, if they weigh and evaluate lesson courses, equip- ment, plans and methods of work, class and depart- mental activities with the objectives clearly in mind, it is altogether hkely that both the specific aims for each departmental group and the general aim of the entire life-period will be achieved. But if the objectives are in themselves vague, intangible ideals without relation to the life-needs of the pupils, the program of study and activities, the class and departmental equipment, then it is also probable that leaders of young people, having no clearly defined aims or goals, will make no econtri- bution to developing life. If the aims are taken seriously as a basis in program building for each group, the courses of study, special features, cor- related reading, ete., will all be planned in such a way as to contribute definitely to the attainment of these goals. To achieve these aims for a given age group one must re-examine every item .and element in the. program of religious education—the organization, the equipment, the program, standards, and activi- ties. The department superintendent and teachers for a given age-group, with the aims of that age- group in mind, should work out the method of pro- cedure by which the aims are to be progressively achieved. With the intermediate aims in mind the following questions indicate one method of pro- cedure. Aims, MEANS AND TESTS 33 1. What per cent of the pupils in intermediate classes accepted Christ as'a personal Savior within the past year? How many are still to be won to Christ? In the hght of the condition what ought our soul-winning goal to be for the current year? 2. In order that we may know that our pupils are cultivating an ever-increasing knowledge of Christian ideals and of the Bible as the source of these ideals, what items in the curriculum of each year (memory work, stories of Bible and mission- ary characters, outlines, map work, ete.) should be- come a part of the permanent life possession of intermediates? Ask each teacher to make a lst of the things in the year’s work which should be the possessions of the young people at the end of the year. 3. What methods are we using in the class and department program which enable us to check the growth and development of intermediate pupils in prayer, missionary education, daily conduct in home, church, and school, right ideals in play and recreational life, and service (the daily good turn) in home, church, and school. Suggest a permanent elass and department honor roll standard that might help in the achievement of this aim. 4. What method shall we use this year to check church attendance, church worship, a deep and gen- uine reverence for the Lord’s house and the Lord’s Day? How may this item be built into the class and department honor roll standard? 34 YouTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 5. In what ways may the Sunday and the through-the-week meetings of organized classes and the department contribute to the cultivation of the social and religious life in service to others? What relation have class and department attendance goals to the development of the social consciousness in service to others? | 6. What items in our programs, if any, have to do with acquainting intermediates with the prinei- ples that should guide them in the choice of their life-work or vocation? Would a study of Making Infe Count (Foster), in connection with the Sunday evening vesper meeting of the department help? Having decided what elements should be in the program in order to realize the intermediate aims, the superintendent and teachers should proceed to formulate class and department standards that will contribute to the achievement of the aims. They should make definite recommendations to the com- mittee on education, the church board or governing body, with respect to needed equipment, lesson courses, plans and programs for the year. TESTS The following suggestions of tests and measure- ments are given to indicate the manner in which one department superintendent attempted to check the work in her department with respect to realizing the aims and goals of the Senior Department in the life of the individual pupils. A questionnaire, with the aims of the department printed on one side and Aims, Means AND TEstTs 35 the following list of questions and projects listed on the other side, was given to each teacher in the de- partment with the suggestion that she get all the in- formation asked for during the fall quarter and that she fill additional information on each item from quarter to quarter throughout the year: (JUESTIONS 1. What per cent of your class has already ac- cepted Jesus Christ as a personal Savior ? a) Give names and address of those who have not. b) Enlist the co-operation of those who have accepted Christ in a ‘‘win-my-chum’’ cam- paign. c) Arrange for personal conference between yourself and those who have not as yet made the great decision. 2. What per cent of your class accept assign- ments on lesson projects and report regularly from week to week, thus acquiring an increasing knowl- edge of the Bible as a source of ideals that must function in life? a) Give names and addresses of those who give evidence of little or no co-operation in lesson assignment and projects. b) Plan the development of lessons in such a way as to secure pupil participation in the study, discussion, and application of Chris- tian ideals to life problems. 86 Youtu ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION c) Assign to each pupil during the quarter at least one project that will require the test- ing of Christian principles of conduct, recre- ation, and in service. 3. To what extent are your pupils expressing their rapidly developing social consciousness in the home, church, and community? a) Has each brought a new member or a vis- itor to the class sessions? b) What per cent are regular attendants at chureh services? c) What per cent attend all the meetings of the elass, church, and Church school? d) To what extent are they interested in and participating in community affairs? 4. In what ways is the development of initiative, responsibility and self-expression in Christian serv- ice manifesting itself in the lives of the members of your class? a) What offices do the members hold in church and chureh-life organizations? | b) What service activities is the class, as a class or as individuals, carrying on? c) Give a list of the service activities engaged in by the class in the preceding year. d) In what definite missionary instruction has the class engaged? dD. What courses or activities has your class en- gaged in along the line of life-work and vocational choices? Aims, MEANS AND TESTS 37 a) List any courses that may have been studied by the members in class or individually. b) Are any courses or activities along this line contemplated for the current year? 6. Has your class studied any book or heard a series of lectures on opportunities for life-work in the field of full-time Christian callings? Learn the sentiment of your pupils as to their interest in such a course. Christian living is an art. Workers with young people must not only teach them what Christian standards are and inspire them with a desire for Christian living, but must continually give them practice in the art of such Christlike behavior as will make their religious life habitual and easy of accomplishment. Knowing, feeling, and doing must be molded into a harmonious whole, else the fate- ful divisions of split personality may ensue. Lead- ers of young people need not be ‘‘blind leaders of the blind.’’?’ We may know, and we will know when we pay the price of standardizing our aims, means, methods, and program in terms of conduct, whether or not our pupils are achieving the goal of devel- oped Christian personality dedicating itself in sac- rificial living, giving, and serving. QUESTIONS FOR ChAss DISCUSSION 1. What is the ultimate aim in work with young people? | 2. Name the six immediate aims for the age-group with which you are working or planning to work 38 YouTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION and tell how they contribute to the realization of the ultimate aim. 3. Are standards and tests essential to the accom- plishment of the general and specific aims of ado- lescence? Why? 4. What value is there in setting aims or goals that cannot be immediately reached? 5. In what ways does a standardization of aims, means, methods, and program in terms of conduct contribute to the goal of ‘‘developed Christian per- sonality’’? PROJECTS FOR ASSIGNMENT 1. With the general aim and the aims for the in- termediate years in mind arrange a standard of means, methods, programs, and activities which, when accomplished, will contribute to the achieve- ment of both the ultimate and specific aims of early adolescence. 2. Assign a similar project to those who work with or are planning to work with seniors, the mid- dle adolescent period. 3. Assign a like project to those who work or who are getting ready to work with older young people. CHAPTER III ESSENTIAL FACTORS IN AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE In the preceding chapters we have considered the general principles that should guide us in working out an adequate program of religious education for the youth of the church, and the aims that are to be realized in their lives. In this chapter we will con- sider the fundamental factors that should enter into an adequate program of religious education and the principles that underlie successful program building with young people. ESSENTIAL H'ACTORS Educators are agreed that a complete program of religious education for young people should include four factors: worship, instruction, recreation and service; and that with each of these factors there must be the elements of co-operation in planning and of participation in execution on the part of young people, if the largest development is to come to them. The theory that ‘‘we learn to do by doing’’ applies alike to every faculty in human life and to every phase or factor in education. The aim of these four factors, briefly summarized, is: 1. A program of worship to strengthen the devo- tional life. 39 40 YoutH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 2. A program of study to widen the intellectual background and stabilize the idealism of youth. 3. A program of service as an avenue of expres- sion for the ideals that young people accept. 4. A program of physical and social activities to give outlet, in a character-building process, for physical restlessness and to aid in establishing helpful, wholesome social contacts.* In planning a church-centered program of reli- gious education, these four factors must be taken into account, with a proper emphasis given to each. 1, Worship.—Training in worship is important because worship is a universal human instinct. It is characteristic of the lowest as well as the highest forms of human life. The objects of worship differ, but the inborn urge is the same. We of the Chris- tian faith define worship as the ‘‘ery of the human soul for companionship with the living God.’’ It seems to grow out of the hunger in the heart of man for companionship with his heavenly Father as re- vealed to us through Jesus Christ. It expresses itself in the universal language of the human soul—the emotions—(1) in hymns of praise, of consecration, of assurance; (2) in prayers of adoration, communion, and entreaty; (3) in Seripture that expresses comfort, consolation, and blessing; (4) in stories of love, of care, and of brotherhood. For while worship is always ad- dressed to God it brings out at the same time the individual and social aspects of Christianity, be- *Young People’s Manual, pp. 73, 74; National Young Peo- ple’s Board of the Religious Education Council of Canada, FACTORS IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM 41 eause Christianity is essentially a social religion; (5) in fellowship through offerings, self-sacrifice, and service. Worship is essential, therefore, in the character-making process because it arises out of and supplies certain universal needs.* Professor Hartshorne, in his helpful book, Wor- ship in the Sunday School, says, ‘‘The purpose of worship is to cultivate the feelings. It deals with the acquisition of new attitudes of appreciation con- cerning God, the Father, Jesus Christ, his Son, and their plans and purposes for humanity.’’t Since human lfe is graded, unfolding gradually from infancy to maturity, it will be readily understood that programs of worship must be graded and adapted to the developing needs of the group. The aim in work with adolescents is ‘‘that all worship, all instruction, and all expression shall issue in service in the home, the church, the commu- nity, and the world.’’ The educational purpose of graded worship in the Intermediate, Senior and Young People’s Departments of the church is, there- fore, (1) to teach boys and girls to worship by a conscious cultivation of feelings that have to do with new attitudes of appreciation; (2) to provide opportunity for expression by participation in wor- ship programs that are graded and adapted to meet their needs; and (8) to train young people for serv- ice in the realm of worship by making it possible for them to have part in planning and conducting *Youth and the Church, Maus, p. 176. {Worship in the Sunday School, chap. iv. 42 Youre ORGANIZED FOR REeLIciIous EDUCATION worship programs, accumulating and correlating materials, ete.* In the chapter that follows the best source mate- rials for the planning of worship services for young people will be considered. 2. Instruction.—It is impossible to develop the religious life of young people and leave out of the program of development a study of the Word of God as the Book of Life. ‘‘To whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life’’ is as true of the life and teachings of Jesus today as it was when this inquiry fell from the lips of the bewildered fishermen of Galilee. Young people, if they are to grow habits that make for Christian behavior, need to know the Bible as a Book of religious history, portraying the life situations and struggles of men and women of all ages in their search after God. Every difficult problem youth will meet as it walks this earthly way is there illustrated in the life struggle of someone who has gone before. Every type of leadership in the world’s life may be found in its pages. It is the Book of God, and more than all other books in all the world, it deals with the ever present problems and experiences of the race. The Bible, however, is not a magic book, in some unusual or miraculous way implanting itself on idle souls. It is a book of religious history and it is to be studied and understood in the same way that any other book of a similar character is mas- tered. The study of the Bible requires the same *Youth and the Church, Maus, p. 177. FAcTORS IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM 43 kind of mental application which is required for the mastery of chemistry, physics, Latin, and sec- ular history; and young people and leaders of young people alike who are too indolent or too in- different to engage in a serious study of the Book of Life can never hope to reach their highest spir- itual development. A study of the needs of the world as a field of Christian service is equally important to the full development of young people. The stories of mod- ern missionary heroes provide a field of lesson and - illustrative material unequalled in its power to vitalize, emotionalize, and make dynamic the Chris- tian thinking and living of young people. Instruction in the Intermediate, Senior, and Young People’s Departments will be given largely through the class unit. As religious education con- cerns the formation of Christian character, it fol- lows that lesson courses that are to be of the lar- gest moral and spiritual value to young people must be chosen with the needs and interests and life prob- lems of youth in mind. Professor George H. Betts names three tests that should be appled in the choice of lesson materials: 1. Does the material contain fruitful knowledge? 2. Does it insure right attitudes? 3. Does it modify conduct ?* The application of these three principles argues strongly for the use of the International Graded *How to Teach Religion, Betts, p. 109. 44 YouTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Lessons in the Intermediate and Senior Depart- ments (these lesson materials are selected by the Lesson Committee with the life-needs and inter- ests of early and middle adolescence in mind, and provide biblical and missionary instruction), for the use with older young people of elective lesson courses chosen on the basis of their interest and value in meeting the life situations and problems of later adolescence, or for the use of the Graded, or Improved Uniform Lesson Series. The scope of the International Intermediate Graded Lessons is as follows: For pupils Theme I. Life of Christ: Gospel of twelve Mark (26 lessons). years old: Theme II. Studies in Acts of Apostles . (13 lessons). Theme III. Winning Others to God (8 lessons). Theme IV. The Bible: the Word of God (5 lessons). For pupils Theme I. Biographical Studies in thirteen the Old Testament (39 years old: lessons). Theme IJ. Studies of North American Religious Leaders (138 lessons). For pupils Theme I. Jesus, Master of Men (5 fourteen lessons). years old: Theme Il. Companions of Jesus (15 lessons). Factors IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM 45 Theme III. Early Christian Leaders (22 lessons). Theme IV. John the Baptist (10 les- sons). The scope of the International Senior Graded Les- sons is as follows: For pupils fifteen years old: For pupils sixteen years old: For pupils seventeen years old: Theme Theme Theme Theme Theme Theme Theme Theme Theme i IT. LEG IV. Theme II. Theme Theme LV Jesus Entering Upon His Life-Work (13 lessons). Jesus in the Midst of Pop- ularity (13 lessons). Jesus Facing Opposition and Death (13 lessons). The Teachings of Jesus (13 lessons). What It Means to Be a Christian (13 lessons). Special Problems of Chris- tian Living (13 lessons). ) Ehes. Christian. sand. ‘the Chureh (13 lessons). . The Word of God in Life (13 lessons). The World a Field for Christian Service (26 lessons). The Problems of Youth in Social Life (18 lessons). . The Book of Ruth (8 les- sons). The Epistle of James (10 lessons). 46 YoutuH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The International Graded Lesson Course for young people covers three years, as follows: First year: A Study of the History of the He- brews. Second year: A Study of the Historical Back- erounds of Christianity. Third year: The Bible and Social Living. The International Lesson Committee has approved the principle of elective courses for young people. Several of these elective lesson courses are avail- able, varying in length from three months to three years. The Standard Teacher Training Course (inter- denominational and planned in units of ten lessons each: a diploma course) is also recommended as an elective course for young people. The Improved Uniform Lessons may also be used as an elective course in the Young People’s Department. The following books are commended as elective courses for young people: € The Bible The Manhood of the Master, Fosdick. Social Principles of Jesus, Rauschenbusch. The Worker and His Bible, Hiselen-Barelay. A life at Is Best, Edwards-Cutler. Paul and His Epistles, Hayes. The Character Christ: Fact or Fiction, Lhamon. Studies of the Books of the Bible, Stevenson. A Living Book in a Living Age, Hough. How Jesus Met Life Problems, Elliot. Studies in the Parables of Jesus, Lueccock. The Life of Christ, Burgess. Factors IN EpUCATIONAL PROGRAM 47 Missions and Social Service Servants of the King, Speer. Ancient Peoples at New Tasks, Price. The Gospel for a Working World, Ward. The Christian and His Money Problems, Wilson. Training World Christians, Loveland. The Kingdom and the Nations, North. India on the March, Clark. Christianity and Economic Problems, Page. Ming Kwong (China), Gamewell. Adventures in Brotherhood, Guiles. Christian Ideals in Industry, Johnson-Holt. Facing Student Problems, Bruce Curry. Clash of Color, Mathews. China’s Real Revolution, Hutchinson. Evangelism and Life Service The Meaning of Service, Fosdick. How God Calls Men, Davis. A Challenge to Life Service, Harris-Robbins. The Art of Winning Folks, Darsie. The Human Element in the Makine of a Christian, Conde. The Christian Family, Darsie. 3. Recreation.—Adequate physical, intellectual, and social recreation is quite as important to the normal development of adolescent life as light, air, food, and exercise, for the play instinct is normal like every other inborn urge. The task of the church in its program for the development of young people is to provide, control, and properly condition the amusements of young people so that they will become constructive character builders. Margaret 48 Your ORGANIZED FoR Reticious EDUCATION Slattery, in speaking of the social needs of ado- lescents, says, ‘‘If the opportunity to choose came to me, as to Solomon, I would rather have the knowledge and power to give the young people of today sane, safe amusements than anything else I KnoWeae Adolescence is the age of nerve and muscle edu- eation. The development of a good physique and of sportsmanship in play should therefore receive adequate consideration. Young people’s organiza- tions that would meet the needs of growing life in the largest way must make adequate provision for the development of young people through a pro- gram of physical recreation and play which will include: 1. Athletic games and field sports of all kinds. 2. Swimming and aquatic sports. 3. Camping pienies and hikes. Adolescence is also the age when the intellect is at its best—keen, alert, thirsty, seeking to be chal- lenged. The program of recreation should provide mental as well as physical stimulation through: 1. Conversation, extemporaneous speaking, and debates. 2. Recitations, impersonations, and interpretative readings. 3. Story-telling, story-writing, and criticism. 4. Dramatization, plays, and pageants. 5. Music, art, and poetry. *The Girl in Her Teens, Slattery, pp. 67-68. F'AcTORS IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM 49 One fundamental principle in successful work with young people is the recognition of the impor- tance of the social element in education. ‘‘The world must live together, work together, and play together; and always and everywhere, among those who live and work and play, the young are the more eager.’’ Class and department good times, especially if the young people have a large share in planning and conducting these activities, ought to provide for the fullest expression of this social urge through: 1. Parties, receptions, banquets, and social life functions. 2. Stunt nights, powwows, hobbies, and fads. 3. Fireside, joke nights, songfests, carnivals, and festivals. 4. Training for service (a) in the home through courtesy, kindness, and mutual helpfulness; (b) in young people’s organizations through committee work, teaching, ushering, singing in choir, etc.; (c) in the community through par- ties for children, shut-ins, story-telling hours, playground work; collecting of magazines, ete.; and (d) in the world through the gift of self, service, and substance for the needs of humanity the world over. Recreational activities of the department should cover a wide range of interests and they should be balanced along physical, intellectual, social, and service lines. A general plan for the year, with an average of one activity a month for each depart- ment, should be the rule. The activities should be 50 YoutH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION planned in advance, seasonal in their appeal when- ever it is possible to make them so, and construc- tive so that, taken together, they are effective in the development of young people. The following lst of source materials will be found helpful in plan- ning the recreational activities of the department alone fourfold lines: All-the-Year-Round Activities for Young People, White. Social Plans for Young People, Reisner. Phunology, Harbin. Ice Breakers, It Is to Laugh, and Fun for the Family, Geister (three books). A Handbook of Games and Programs, Laporte. Joys from Japan and Chinese Ginger, Miller. Social Activities for Men and Boys, Chesley. Games for the Playground, Home, School, and Gym- nasium, Bancroft. Handy, Rohrbough (loose-leaf). 4. Service.—‘‘Life is not lived in isolation but in social groups, the home, school, church, and com- munity; and the Christian law for all these rela- tionships is love expressing itself in service.’’* Cer- tain it is that no program of development for young people can be regarded as complete which does not have as one of its chief objectives the training of young people for definite Christian service through the normal contacts of home, church, school, and community life. Aside from the definite service training afforded by the ‘‘daily good turn,’’ from the holding of offices in church and school organiza- *Canadian Girls in Training, p. 16. Factors IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM 51 tions (sharing in committee work, accepting respon- sibility for leadership in the field of teaching, sing- ing in the choir, ete.),there is a wide range of activities that should be undertaken by the Chris- tian forces in every community. One of the best projects in which the young peo- ple of a church can engage is making a social- service survey of the educational and philanthropic organizations and institutions of a given community with the service principle in mind. Securing in- formation concerning the needs of the organizations and institutions, the types of equipment and service activities most beneficial to these institutions, fol- lowed by cataloguing the information and classify- ing the activities is a constructive service activity which is worthy of the highest consideration. The following books will be found helpful by leaders of young people in developing the service principle and project with young people: Missionary Education in Home and School, Diffen- dorfer. Graded Social Service, Hutchins. World Friendship in the Church School, Lobingier. PRINCIPLES IN BUILDING DEVOTIONAL PROGRAMS There are not only four factors to be considered in the building of an adequate, church-centered pro- gram of Christian education for young people, but also four underlying principles in the use of these elements that are equally important if the program of worship, instruction, recreation, and service is 52 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION to be of largest value in the developing hfe of ado- lescents. - Briefly stated, these principles are: 1. There should be a unifying—or—centralizing idea, topic, or theme for each program, no matter what type or what the occasion may be. In indus- trial life the efficient salesman does not try to sell a half-dozen unrelated ideas or things at the same time but centralizes on one thing toward which the attention of the buyer is focused. In a program of religious education we are vitalizing and emotional- izing ideas and ideals; and there, as in the practical, everyday affairs of life, if we would do our best, we must build programs of worship, instruction, recreation, and service around some one particular topic, idea, or theme. This principle is true in teaching a lesson, in building a devotional worship service, in planning class and department good times, in working out a service activity or program. No matter what the character of the program may be—whether worship, formal teaching, recreation, or service—leaders of young people should select for each program one central topic, idea, or theme in which the interests of the group will focus for that meeting or activity. 2. Every item in the program should be so eor- related as to fit naturally and normally into the central idea, topic, or theme. No element in a pro- gram ought to appear extraneous, out of place, unrelated to the focal thing around which the pro- gram is built. To apply this principle to every type of program requires far more detailed plan- Factors IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM 53 ning and thought than would otherwise be neces- sary; but it also means that the result will be one single, clear-cut mental or emotional impression felt by the group, and so have far more educational value than the confused program which having no definite purpose, accomplishes no certain result. 3. In planning and. executing religious educa- tional programs of every sort we need to use boys and girls and young people for every possible item in the program. This principle applies to every type of program—worship, instruction, recreation, and service. If the principle is true that ‘‘there is no learning without activity on the part of the pupil,’’ then it is important that young people have a place and a part in planning every worship service—selecting the topic or theme, correlating the elements that are to be a part of the program, participating in the actual conduct of the program (hymn leading, telling of stories, special music, or intercessory prayer). They should afterwards evaluate the ma- terials used in the program with reference to the contribution made by each in completing the pro- oram. This principle applies also to methods of recita- tion in formal class periods. The teacher who does not plan regularly to enlist the activity of pupils in reporting on assignments and projects, entering into class discussion, developing lesson material, ete., has not yet learned that ‘‘lfe becomes, learns both to know and do, by doing.’’ We learn how to 54 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION worship as we participate in planning and conduct- ing services of worship. We learn how to study, and to study God’s Word as applied to the problems of today, by studying, not by lstening to a digest of the lesson by a lecture-method teacher. We learn to render active service in the home, the church, the community, and the world by accomphshing serv- ice projects in these fields, and in no other way. Jesus taught his disciples the service principle by the project method. He multiplied the loaves and fishes, but they fed the multitude. Your young people will learn or fail to learn the same lesson in degree as you succeed in getting them to engage in definite, actual service projects for Gad’s needy ones throughout all the earth. This principle applies also to recreational and social-life programs with young people. The best approach to the teaching’ of right social-life ideals is the planning of the right type of balanced phys- ical, intellectual, social, and service good times with eroups of young people. Let them help to decide what physical, intellectual, social, or service activ- ity should be included in a program, what its pri- mary value is and whether some other activity will not provide more permanent results. You have thus, by their own thinking and choosing, educated them in the matter of Christian ideals in the fields of play and recreation. 4. A fourth principle that is basic to the largest success in developing the lives of young people symmetrically is the assignment..of—definite-and— Factors IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM 55 specific bits of responsibility to each one _participat- ing in—a—given_activity. In worship services all asignments should be made sufficiently in advance as to make it possible for young people to prepare in private, so that they may be helpful to others in public worship. Pupils will often need help in regard to the manner in which their contribution is to be made. They need to have developed within them the joyous sense of working together with adult teachers and leaders in executing whatever part of the program may have been assigned to them. The social instinct is strong in young people. The joy of working with someone else on a given project is in itself educative. Therefore, all pro- grams, of whatever type, should be planned far enough in advance for every young person to con- tribute the specific part assigned to him with a feeling of assurance that comes through adequate preparation. Set for your department a standard of excellence. It may be: ‘Good, better, best! Never let us rest Until our good is better, And our better best.’’ Our best, and our best only, in the service of our King. Prepare in private for whatever you would do well in public. 56 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - Devise a slogan for your department or group and challenge young people, in whatever task, to make that slogan ring true. Commend the good, repress the inferior, and eventually nothing but the best will be your reward. QUESTIONS FOR CLASS DISCUSSION 1. What are the four essential factors in a pro- vram of religious education for adolescents? Why are they fundamental? 2. Discuss the value and importance of worship in a program of education for young people. 3. What are the best lesson courses for inter- mediates, seniors, and young people; and why? 4. Discuss the scope of activities that should be included in an adequate recreational program for adolescents. 5. Why is the factor ‘‘service’ development of young people? 6. How would you proceed to develop the sery- ice principle among young people? 7. Give the four fundamental principles that underlie successful program building with young people. * important in the PROJECTS FOR ASSIGNMENT 1. Make a list of the recreational source-books that you think should be for young people in the workers’ library of a local church. 2. Plan a worship program, a lesson, a recrea- tional program, and a service activity, applying to each the four fundamental principles of program building discussed in this chapter. CHAPTER IV CORRELATION OF LOCAL-CHURCH ORGANZIATIONS The problem of correlation is the direct out- erowth of the fact that various organizations con- cerned with the religious education of young people have arisen from time to time to meet particular needs. As a result each of these agencies has ad- dressed itself to a certain specific phase of the edu- cational task and has, for the most part, worked out its program without reference to other agencies working in related fields. In consequence there have resulted confusion, interference, and _ ineffi- clency. We are beginning to understand, however, that the experiences of an individual are a unit, and that it is possible to take into account the total edu- cational needs of youth and to formulate a unified, coherent, and constructive program to meet these needs. The fundamental problem in working out a cor- related program of Christian education for the youth of the church has to do with finding a proper basis of correlation. There is a growing feeling that that correlation basis must include: 1. An adequate statement of the aim of Christian education. a7 58 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 2. A recognition of the fact that the person, not the organization, is the center of consideration. 3. A realization that no one element of religious education is sufficient to meet the needs of the in- dividual, no matter how well, how often, or how generously it is provided. 4. An understanding of the fact that worship, in- struction, recreation, and service, broadly inter- preted, are essential in a comprehensive program of Christian education and development. The problem of correlation in the local church in- volves three fields—the correlation of organizations, the correlation of leadership, and the correlation of programs. In this chapter we shall discuss the prin- ciples of correlation only in so far as they are related to and affect the correlation of organiza- tions and programs. THE PRESENT SITUATION The present plan of organization for Christian education in the church through graded, depart- mental Church school worship and organized-class instruction, young people’s societies, missionary circles, guilds, and clubs, and other organizations auxiliary to the church, such as Boy Seouts, Camp Fire Girls, ete., is unable to meet the needs of the present day, because it tends to perpetuate a di- vided leadership, overlapping organizations, and competing programs. Even with all these organiza- tions there are yet whole fields of knowledge and experience not covered by any of them. CORRELATION OF ORGANIZATIONS 59 Then, too, we cannot permit the loyalty of young people to be divided among three, four, or more independent organizations. Whenever this condi- tion exists in a church, young people choose one or two of the organizations that appeal to them most and dismiss the others from their consideration. This might not be so serious if one or more of these organizations offered a fairly complete program of development, but no one of them does. The Church school, through its organized departmental groups and class units, doubtless comes nearer than any to offering a program of Christian education for all ages. But no Chureh school enthusiast at the pres- ent time would be willing to say that the Sunday school program, with all its development of the past decade, does offer a complete program of Christian education. Nor does any other organiza- tion or movement (denominational, interdenomina- tional, or undenominational) make such a claim for its program or organization. Beheving that no satisfactory progress could be made until all the agencies touching the life of youth saw the necessity for a unified and correlated program of Christian education, the Sunday School Couneil of Evangelical Denominations adopted, in 1917, certain principles, which were later approved by the International Council of Religious Education. These principles recognized for the first time the “necessity of having ultimately in the local church, not a number of unrelated organizations for the 60 YoutH ORGANIZED FoR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION three adolescent groups, but one organization only for each natural life period. ~The principles adopted by the Couneil in 1917 have since been tested in local churches and have eontributed in no small way to the present realiza- tion of the need of a comprehensive and completely correlated program of religious education not only for adolescent groups but for the entire life period. When these principles were adopted, all the Prot- estant communions of North America were face to face with the problem of how the plan of ‘‘one inclusive organization for each natural group of adolescents in the local church’’ was to be made effective. In many churches there already existed a number of independent organizations for young people, each attempting, without the knowledge or co-operation of the other, to build a program around some particular phase of the work, and there were already well-developed loyalties, at least, on the part of those included in and touched by the pro- gram of each organization. In a conference of leaders on the return trip from the meeting of the Sunday School Council of Evan- gelical Denominations in 1917, this problem came up for discussion, and the suggestion was made that, instead of disturbing the whole group of churches, each communion should select from among its total number of churches a group with as per- manent a leadership as possible and representing at least five different types of churches, as follows: CORRELATION OF ORGANIZATIONS 61 institutional city churches, churches in residential sections of cities, large-town churches, small-town echurehes, and churches in villages or rural com- munities. It was suggested that these churches be asked to experiment, during a period of from three to five years, with the problem of correlating their overlapping organizations for young people in an effort to realize for each natural group of young people one organization in each local church. Through that one organization the leaders were to expose young people to all types of instruction and training essential to develop them into full-rounded Christian men and women. These correlation proj- ects were to include organized classes and depart- ments of the Chureh school, Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, and Baptist Young People’s Union societies, missionary circles and guilds, federations, ete., and such extra-chureh organizations as Boy Seouts, Camp Fire Girls, ete. Experimenting churches were requested to keep the Departments of Religious Education of their respective communions in touch with the project by sending them diagrams of plans of organization, descriptive matter, con- stitutions, ete. This plan of procedure received the hearty ap- proval of many of the denominational leaders, and experimentation was begun. Not all of the proj- ects in experimenting churches were earried to successful conclusion. Sometimes a plan failed be- cause of a change in the local minister or other 62 YoutH ORGANIZED FoR Reuicious EpucATION paid or volunteer leader, sometimes because of the interference of overhead organizations both within and without the communion. Enough of these ex- periments did succeed, however, to produce at least three types of correlation that may be recomended, with reasonable assurance of successful operation in the solution of this problem of correlating or- ganizations and programs. In making a recent, rather limited study of correlation projects among the several communions, the author has found that practically the same three types, with minor vary- ing adaptations, have resulted and are in successful operation in all denominations. LoosE CORRELATION, OR CORRELATION THROUGH CouNCIL OR COMMISSION One of the earliest plans of correlation was an attempt to solve the problem by creating a council or commission for each natural group of adolescents made up of one or more representatives from each of the existing organizations. This council or com- mission then organized with a president, secretary, and four or five sub-committees or commissions, such as devotional, membership, missionary, recrea- tion, and finance, with the understanding that each of the sub-committees was to be responsible for cor- relating a certain phase of the program in all the different organizations. In this form of correlation the independent organizations did not lose their identity, but the correlation of programs and activi- CORRELATION OF ORGANIZATIONS 63 ties was effected through the four or five commit- tees of the council or commission defining the field of work and delegating to each organization par- ticular responsibility. The chief criticism of this form of correlation is that it requires at least one of the most alert leaders in each of the independent organizations to con- stitute the council or commission in the first place, and innumerable meetings of council and commit- tees after the council is organized in order that it may function in such a way as to be really effective in correlating overlapping programs. However, the plan is operating successfully, and in churches where there are old, established loyalties to existing organizations it is perhaps the wiser form of cor- relation, at least as an intermediate step toward a closer correlation of organizations and programs. The diagram on page 64, which is a reprint from the March, 1924, Philippine Teachers’ Journal, in- dicates the method of operation in this form of correlation.” CLOSE CORRELATION, OR CORRELATION THROUGH UNIFICATION A second type of correlation is known as correla- tion through unification. This plan makes one set of officers and committees responsible for planning and promoting the entire program of Christian *Use by permission of the Board of Education of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 64 YourH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION LOOSE CORRELATION, OR CORRELATION THROUGH COUNCIL OR COMMISSION THE CONGREGATION | The Official Board | YOUNG PEOPLE’S FEDERATION ‘ All the young people of federated organizations (approximately eighteen to twenty-three years old) YOUNG PEOPLE’S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CABINET Made up of one or more representatives from each organization | ACTIVE MEMBERS ADVISORY MEMBERS President and Minister, active officers, Director of religious Counselor - education, Superintendent of Church school EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Presidents of all organizations "| YOUNG MEN’S YOUNG WOMEN’S YOUNG PEOPLE’S YOUNG WOMEN’S ATHLETIC BIBLE CLASS _— BIBLE CLASS SOCIETY MISSION CIRCLE ASSOCIATION SUGGESTIVE UNIFIED PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WORSHIP INSTRUCTION AND SERVICE AT HOME AND SOCIAL AND TRAINING ABROAD RECREATIONAL AIM AIM AIM AIM Devotional Intelligent ‘Active Abundant Christian Christian Christian Christian MEANS MEANS MEANS MEANS Departmental Graded Departmental service, Department socials, worship instruction Christian Endeavor or Christian Endeavor services, Epworth League service, or Epworth League Christian Endeavor Bible study, Church service socials, or Epworth League activities, Dramatics, devotions, Mission study, Home service activities, Athletics, Church services, Leadership Community and world Musicales, Personal training, service, Physical, intel- devotions, Church history Membership campaigns lectual, social Offerings activities ‘Note: This plan of correlation may be adapted to intermediates, seniors, or young people. be ee SOCIO SE bE a eh hee dE RAN ee eee 65 CORRELATION OF ORGANIZATIONS ——— tO “yquoul AJOA9 Ajie[Nse1 Joour pynoys 99}}1WUIOD sy] - *sdayoea} 9Yy1 JO auo Ajqeiojoid ‘iesiApY [NPY ue. pue ‘sse[2 yove Woy VAI}EUaSIIdeI eB ‘AIPJaIIIg aIeINOSSY UP 2d91P 99IITWIWOD 9YI JO Sdoqwow 194}0 OUT y SURGTNAN WLVIOOSSVY GNWV WZAILOV aioe Soe ae ee oe ————— 4 Sr ee ae en “SUTeyye [eo ‘OJo ‘sjuvesed ‘stv]d weld 9ouBpus} -os ul sdnoig sz0y}0 AICBUOISSIUL 9]OWOIg “F -o1d Ajafoog sad -78 younyd sJOWOIg “g ; . -O9qg sunox [eUOT} UTM 9}¥19d0-09 ‘¢ Ye) REreNdROF 0} -euImWoUusp 9}OULOIg °“g Sp41o0o01 SHISIA ‘SUISUIS [OIBO g d3o UB SOTJIAT 3UIT re , yueus x «OF TAN eet SAE SA9AINS = BOUIN,“ -AOQ uUoTseT YWWayZ -o8 pue uol}ezIues “ ie & IU ; Areaan pues «nowy ene?) -10 SS¥BID 9}OUIOIG °% a SUSE se cruuoissTUlvepIACld “ie ke ees beet eel sue1so1d Sea ee a sSurjoeu Areuols Suruaaod Aepung dt ystoM sulusoul -dajje ABpung ued ‘T -stu AyTyJUOW Uejg ‘Tt %0Wo0Id pue ured ‘T Aepung oaplaolg ‘fT SHILOAG sSHILCOd cSHILAd sSHILAd pUBUWITeYyO rUBULITE YO 4 poe. uBUdTeyO ‘\uOpIselg-901A YWNoT “WepTsetT-SOLA — ~PTPMHals Fe eee dae: tee BOSS ‘yuaptsodd-201A " -4sula ; OC UN A Cc EC INF : } ; ALL TW -WOO HOIAUAS TVIO -LIWWOO ALHIOOS GAGCCLIN WOO -WOO WAIT TVIOOS -OS GNVWV SNOISSIW S.@1IdOHWd ONIQOA TOOHOS HOWIANHO \ ) ae ~\- SS 2 ee Ds ———————wxY ‘SIOSIADV NPV i “LOTIS ‘SOSSBID JO SoTIejaI00g ‘sesse[D jo sjUspIseig LN ie AE © ea Sta Dette et a ‘Kaeya109G 9} eTOOSS ‘galrejaIoNg 9}BIDOSSy AO ATG Sst k : Sere Le spueouIO ‘s]USpIsold SopRRING abe Age jo pasodwop Pet DRL jo pesodu0p AQLEIWWOO HAILOAOAXD SHHOLAAO HHOLLIAWOO dIHsSHaadnan ee Ss J ad a al Se fe PN arse = ee ERE ee a ofIT Younygy jo yuowjyledsg s,ejdoeg sunoxX 10 ‘lo1luaeG ‘ayeIpseuie}Uy JO UOI}L[OALOD sO] 10¥ ure] g 66 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION education for a given group—intermediate, senior, or young people—in a local church. Churches ef- feeting this form of correlation have, as a rule, taken the departmental groupings of the Church school as the unit of correlation, since the Church school reaches the larger number of young people of a given age, but have selected the officers and committees for the unified organization with the entire educational program in mind and have en- larged the function and arranged additional meet- ings of the departmental group in such a way as to take care of all types of work hitherto carried on by three or four independent organizations— namely, Sunday school, Christian Endeavor (Ep- worth League or B. Y. P. U.), missionary circles and guilds, and auxiliary organizaions such as Boy Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, ete. In effecting this type of correlation there usually is constituted a nominating committee made up of one or more representatives from each independent organization, the pastor of the church, the director of religious education, and the young people’s su- perintendent. This plan of organization has, as a rule, two sets of officers—active and advisory—and four or five committees. The active officers are president, one or more vice-presidents, a secretary and treasurer. The advisory officers are the pastor, director of religious educaticn, young people’s su- perintendent, and teachers. The committees’ are devotional (or program), membership, missionary CORRELATION OF ORGANIZATIONS 67 (or service), recreation (or social), and finance. In some churches the committees are unified as follows: Devotional or program comnittee—Not appointed but composed of the president of the department as chairman, with the presidents of the organized class units within the department. This committee is en- tirely responsible for the worship services of this department of the Chureh school, Christian En- deavor, Epworth League, or B. Y. P. U. meetings, and for general supervision over special-day pro- grams of the department. Membership committee —This committee is com- posed of the secretary of the department as chair- man, with the chairmen of membership committees of the organized-class units. It is entirely respon- sible for keeping records of attendance at all meet- ings, membership surveys, campaigns; growth and consistency in attendance at all meetings. Service or missionary committee—This committee is composed of the chairmen of the missionary (or service) committees of the organized classes, with the first vice-president of the department as chair- man. It is responsible for the promotion of mis- sionary education through the Church school, mis- sion-study, and reading-cirele courses; the special once-a-month missionary program of the depart- ment for the study of missionary work of its com- munion; and the promotion of practical service ac- 68 YouTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION tivities in the home, the church, the community, and the world. Recreation (or social) committee —This committee is composed of the chairmen of recreational commit- tees of the organized classes, with the second vice- president of the department as chairman. It is entirely responsible for the recreational plans of the department as a whole, for the once-a-month social-life meeting of the department, and for cor- relating its plans with the recreational activities of the various classes within the department. Finance committee——This committee is composed of the treasurer of the department as chairman, with the treasurers of the organized class units within the department. It is responsible for the financial plans and program of the department in co-operation with the executive committee. Executive committee.—The executive committee is composed of both the active and advisory officers of the department, with the presidents of the organ- ized classes. Its work is to stand behind and re- view the work of all officers and committees, and to see that no essential element of a program of devel- opment is eliminated. In many churches this plan of organization pro- vides for correlation of the activities of auxiliary organizations, such as Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls, through (in the first case) a Boy Scouts’ cab- inet, composed of the presidents of the boys’ classes and the scoutmaster, under the direction of the CORRELATION OF ORGANIZATIONS 69 troop committee; and (in the second case) a Camp Fire Girls (or Girl Reserve) cabinet, composed of the presidents of girls’ classes and the Camp Fire Guardian (or Girl Reserve Counselor). This plan operates well in churches where the or- gvanizational life, as a rule, is not so intricate. It needs to be safeguarded lest some fine type of work hitherto carried on by some independent organiza- tion be eliminated. CORRELATION THROUGH REORGANIZATION, OR THE DE- PARTMENT OF CHURCH-LIFE PLAN OF CORRELATION A third type of correlation, which seems to be meeting the needs of larger and smaller churches alike, and especially churches in which there is a well-developed loyalty to the Sunday school, Chris- tian Endeavor, Epworth League, or B. Y. P. U., missionary organizations, and clubs, as such, is correlation through reorganization. In effecting this form of correlation there is constituted a cor- relation committee consisting of one representative from each existing organization for young people, the pastor, director of religious education, and young people’s superintendent. This committee is instructed by the various organizations to take the types of work which the local church and its inde- pendent organizations have been doing, together with other elements that constitute a full program of development, and to draft a plan of correlation for a new young people’s organization that shall 70 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION be known as a department of the life of the church itself, and which will give adequate recognition to each essential type of work by making it the spe- cific responsibility of some particular committee. It will also be the work of this committee to draft a constitution defining the work of each officer and committee in harmony with the new organization plan. It should be understood that the plan of or- ganization, constitution, officers, ete., are to be rati- fied by a majority of the members of each existing organization before it becomes operative; and that, when the plan has been thus approved, all officers and committees of old organizations automatically resign, thus clearing the way for the new organiza- tion to function. Each Intermediate, Senior, or Young People’s De- partment operating on this plan of correlation usu- ally has a president; four vice-presidents (with the understanding that each vice-president shall serve as chairman of a committee entirely responsible for a certain phase of the work); a secretary and four associate-secretaries, each of which is assigned to one of the permanent committees of the depart- ment; a treasurer; and four committees of from three to seven members each, depending on the size of the department. The organization has also an adult superintendent, or counselor, appointed by the chureh board, session, committee on religious education, or whatever group is responsible for se- CORRELATION OF ORGANIZATIONS 71 lecting the educational leadership of the local church. The four committees called for in this form of organization bear names to indicate the character of their work, as Church school or educational com- mittee, Christian Endeavor or devotional commit- tee, Missionary or service committee, and the Recre- ational or social-life committee. Each committee is entirely responsible for the type of work assigned to it. There is a monthly meeting of each of the four committees, a monthly meeting of the executive com- mittee (officers and presidents of the organized class units) ; at least, a quarterly meeting of the cabinet or council (officers, committees, and presidents of classes) ; and an annual meeting of the entire depart- ment. The secretary and associate secretaries, with the secretaries of the organized-class units, consti- tute the membership committee of the department. In some churches this form of correlation makes each of the teachers of young people’s classes serve as an advisory member of the various committees, thus relating the teacher’s influence and responsi- bility to other phases of the development of young people aside from the class session. The superin- tendent or counselor of the department is, of course, an ex-officio member of all committees, and in the Intermediate and Senior Departments of the church represents the young people officially on the church board or session. In the Young People’s Depart- ment it is usually thought wiser to have the pres- ident represent the department on the church board. 72 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The department operates on a budget based on the combined askings of the four committees for their particular type of work. These askings, to- gether with any additional amounts needed for the work of the departments as a whole, are outlined by the executive committee and presented for dis- cussion and adoption at the annual meeting of the department, after which the budget is raised by individual pledges and an every-member canvass, thus giving every young person opportunity to have fellowship in it. . The advantage of this form of correlation is that it trains young people to think and plan in terms of at least four different types of work—devotional training, instruction, recreation, and service. The aim of the re-organized or church-life plan of cor- relation is to interest all the young people of a given age in attending the sessions of all phases of the department’s work; to make each young per- son feel that a full-rounded development makes par- ticipation in all four types of meetings and activi- ties imperative. The diagram on page 65 gives in de- tail the department-of-church-life plan of correlation. CONCLUSIONS We have hardly progressed far enough with the experiment of correlating overlapping organizations for young people for anyone to speak with authority on the final results. Sufficient testing has gone on, CORRELATION OF ORGANIZATIONS io however, to, justify the following summarized con- clusions: 1. That it is possible to provide young people with a comprehensive program of Christian education through one organization when we recognize that the person, not the organization, is the center of consideration. 2. That correlation of overlapping organizations does train young people to think and plan in terms of the fundamentals of a program of Christian education—namely, worship, instruction, recreation, and service. 3. That the local church is ready for a forward constructive correlation of organizations, leader- ship, and program. 4. That the chief obstacles in the path of correla- tion are not to be found in the young people them- selves but in: a) Adult leaders of young people who are trained to think in one field only and who are afraid that the organization with which they have long been associated will lose its identity. b) Overhead organizations, both within and with- out the denominations, which are not in harmony with the correlation idea or which are unwilling to merge their organizations in an effort to provide a full program of development. c) Report blanks and records of denominational and interdenominational organizations which provide 74 Youru ORGANIZED FoR Reuicious EDUCATION no means for correlated organizations to report their work. d) Interdenominational standards for young peo- ple which are not in harmony with the educational standards of denominations for local-chureh organi- zations. e) A lack of unity in aims, program, plan of or- ganization, ete., on the part of national leaders of denominational, interdenominational, and unde- nominational organizations that touch the lives of young people through local-church and auxiliary organizations. QUESTIONS FOR CuLAss DiscussIoNn 1. What is the final test of an organization or in- stitution ? 2. In what way does loyalty to an organization or institution sometimes block progress? 3. How many organizations for young people are there in your church? 4. Which of the three plans of correlation dis- cussed in this chapter do you think would best meet the need of your church situation? Why? 5. Is the recognition of natural life periods funda- mental to correlating local church organizations? Why? 6. What is the first step to be taken in attempting to correlate the overlapping organizations and pro- grams in the local church? 7. Should the young people themselves be taken into council on this problem of correlation? If so, why? CORRELATION OF ORGANIZATIONS 75 8. What development will come to them in per- fecting their own organization? 9. Is the planning or the organization in itself edu- eative? Why? 10. What are some of the obstacles in the path of correlation to be overcome? PROJECTS FOR ASSIGNMENT 1. Make a list of the organizations in your church for young people in the adolescent period. Show where they overlap in organization and program. 2. What per cent of young people in your church are being reached by: (a) the Church school? (b) the Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, or B. Y. P. U.? (c) missionary circles, guilds, and federations? (d) Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls (other clubs of a similar character) ? 3. What per cent of the young people in your church belong to all the existing organizations for young people? (a) What organizations seem to be reaching the larger number? (b) Are these organi- zations coeducational? 4. Outline in detail your method of approach in at- tempting to correlate the overlapping organizations in your church. CHAPTER V THE SUNDAY SESSION OF THE DEPART- MENTS Whether the educational work of the local church is conducted through a unified and correlated or- ganization or through two or more independent or- ganizations for young people, the program, if it is to make its largest contribution to the growing life of adolescents, must be regarded as a unit, and all the elements in the program must be weighed and evaluated with respect to their contribution to de- veloping life. The two Sunday sessions—the morning, or Sun- day school, and the vesper (Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, Baptist Young People ’s Union, or open-forum) session—afford opportunity to train young people in planning and conducting two es- sentially different types of religious services, both of which have real value to maturing life. In the Sunday school session the major emphasis is on training in worship and the formal instruction of the class period; in the vesper session the emphasis is on the informal type of training which comes through participation in leading meetings, personal testimony, extemporaneous talks, fellowship, and committee work. There is a growing feeling that the emphasis in the morning session should be on 76 THE SUNDAY SESSION rir training young people ‘‘how to worship’’ and ‘‘how to study’’ through participation in planning and conducting worship services; building lessons, re- porting on projects, ete.; and that the emphasis in the evening session of the department should be on ‘‘expression in worship,’’ personal ,witnessing, de- bates, testimony, pageants, and service projects. In the morning session the evidences of adult leader- ship and guidance will be more evident; in the eve- ning session the young people will practice the prin- ciple of leadership themselves in planning and ear- rying to a successful conclusion programs they have planned. In Canada the Sunday school session for young people is almost uniformly held on Sunday after- noon, and the Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, or Baptist Young People’s meeting is held on a week night. RELATION OF HQUIPMENT TO DEVOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT One of the first essentials to successful Sunday ses- sions for Young People’s Departments (whatever form of organization or departmental grouping is being used) is an adequate and properly equipped place of worship. Among the requirements for such a place of worship the following are impor- tant: 7 1. A square or shghtly rectangular department assembly room, preferably with adjacent class- rooms. . 78 Youtru ORGANIZED FoR RELIGiIous EDUCATION 2. Good light from the side or rear. 3. Proper heat and ventilation. 4. Approximately fifteen square feet of space for each pupil in the room. 5. Solid walls separating this assembly room from adjoining classrooms and from other assembly rooms. 6. Carpet, cork linoleum, or other floor covering to deaden sound. 7. Front of room free from doors or openings. 8. Shghtly raised platform. 9. Adjacent closets for wraps, kitchenette, and other special features. The permanent equipment and arrangement of the room should be planned with two ideals in mind—worship and instruction, and social-life de- velopment. The machinery of the organization should never be in evidence in the front of the ~ room. Everything related to records and supplies should be at the rear of the room or outside. Near the front there should be: 1. A table for the presiding officers. On the table there should be a Bible, a hymn book, and if possible cut flowers or a growing plant. 2. A piano or other musical instrument. 3. A blackboard (movable or framed in). 4. Two or three good pictures, attractively framed, such as ‘‘Head of Christ,’’?’ Hofmann; ‘‘Christ and the Rich Young Ruler,’’ Hofmann; ‘‘The Frieze of Prophets,’’ Sargent; ‘‘The Return THE SUNDAY SESSION 719 from Calvary,’’ Schmalz; ‘‘Christ in Gethsemane,’’ Hofmann; ‘‘The Light of the World,’’ Hunt; ‘‘The Last Supper,’’ Da Vinei; the great missionaries of the church. 5. The American and Christian flags on stand- ards. 6. Bookeases or eabinet for supplies (preferably in the rear). 7. Hymn books. 8. An oceasional missionary motto or poster. 9. Desk for department secretary in rear or out- side. 10. Offering baskets. Where the space in the front of the room is lim- ited, some of the items, such as 2, 4, 6, and 8, may be placed at the sides of the room. An orderly and artistic arrangement of the equipment which will avoid the appearance of being crowded will con- tribute toward the spirit and attitude of worship. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL SESSION Intermediate, Senior, and Young People’s De- partments should have a full hour for the Sunday school session, or, better still, an hour and fifteen minutes as a minimum. Fifteen to twenty-five min- utes of this period should be devoted to the worship assembly, and forty or forty-five minutes to the lesson period. Where these departments must be combined with higher departments, the planning and conducting of programs of worship should be 80 YouTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION rotated from week to week or month to month among the various departments thus combined. In harmony with the principles discussed in Chap- ter III these worship periods should be planned in advance around the centralizing ideas or themes that have a more or less universal appeal; and the various individuals or groups that participate in the program should be given specific responsibility with respect to particular items in the program. Worship themes should be selected with the life- needs and interests of young people in mind and should be seasonal in their appeal whenever it is possible to make them so. The following order of worship embodies the ele- ments to be found in a well-balanced Church school worship program for adolescents with varying adaptations to fit particular themes. It may be used as a guide in planning worship services with young people: Theme: ‘‘Be Ye Ready’’ Prelude.—Quiet music, such as ‘‘Largo,’’ Handel; or ‘‘Traumerei,’’ Schumann. Hymn.—tThe opening hymn of worship played as a processional while those who are to participate in the program march in a group to the platform. Call to worship.—Have this written upon the blackboard or printed upon a poster. Its recitation may be led by those who are to participate on the platform. THE SUNDAY SESSION 81 ‘‘The Lord is in his holy temple: Let all the earth keep silence before him.’’ OT ‘‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a right spirit within me.’’ Hymn.—In unison, led by song leader on the - platform, ‘‘Oh, Worship the King, All-Glorious Above.’”’ Responswe Scripture-—Have written upon the blackboard or printed upon a poster, ‘‘Lord, teach us how to pray, O Thou that hear- est me; Let thine hand help me, for thou art my God.’’ The Lord’s Prayer.—Chanted or quoted in unison. Do not hurry it. Response.—Written upon the _ blackboard or printed upon a poster: ‘Hear my prayer, O Lord; And help me in all my ways.’’ Announcements.—Such as are necessary. EHlm- inate all unnecessary ones. Hymn.— ‘Savior, Teach Me Day by Day.’’ Special feature——A story of a Bible character or missionary hero who was prepared, or a dramatiza- tion of the parable of preparation from Dramatized Bible Stories, Russell. 82. YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Duet— ‘Have Thine Own Way, Lord’’; or solo, ‘“Just as I Am’’ (new words to the tune of Nevin’s ‘“My Rosary’’). Offering.—Have the offering taken by two or three designated persons, who will come to front of room for the prayer-response before the offering is received. Offering response.—To be repeated by the entire department just before the offering is received by those who are to take it up: ‘“We give Thee but thine own, Whatever that may be. All that we have is thine alone— A trust, O God, from Thee.’’ Birthday recognition service.—As a rule only once a month. Have those who have had birthdays come to the front of the room. Birthday greeting—To be given by the depart- ment after the offering has been made, and before those who have had birthdays take their seats: ‘‘Many happy returns of the day of thy birth! May sunshine and gladness be given, And may the dear Father prepare thee on earth For a beautiful birthday in heaven.’’ Hymn.—Something that has the fellowship theme in it, such as ‘‘A Hymn of Friendship.’’ Closing Scripture—Printed upon the blackboard or upon a poster; to be given in unison just before the pupils pass to classes. Tur SuNDAY SESSION 83 ‘The Lord bless thee, and keep thee, And make His face to shine upon thee. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee And give thee peace. Amen.’’ Processional to classes—Some martial hymn that will contribute to an orderly getting to classrooms. Lesson period.—Closing each class with prayer, and pupils passing direct to church auditorium for the morning church service. CoMMON ELEMENTS IN DEVOTIONAL PROGRAMS Music One common element in all devotional services is music, instrumental, group or congregational sing- ing, and special numbers. We need to bear in mind that music is religious or irreligious according to the emotions it stirs. Jazz music, music with syn- copated time, even on the part of the orchestra, has no place in a devotional service for young people because it does not beget worshipful emotions. All music should be selected to contribute to the central theme of worship; and all of it should be of the best grade. Young people sing ideals into their own souls by the music they sing. The cheap, the flippant, the sensuous waltz and fox-trot tunes to be found in many of the modern evangelistic song books, have no place in the educational program of church and Church school in the training of young people for reverent, devotional worship. In vocal 84 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION music the words and tune should fit each other—that is, blend together in the emotional effect they produce. A study of the life-needs of young people reveals the fact that three types of hymns are especially appealing in the adolescent years: (1) Those that express the idea of individual religious experience, such as ‘‘Abide With Me,’’ ‘‘Just as I Am,’’ “‘I Would Be True’’; (2) those that express the idea of social goodness or the goodness of the group. Nearly all the great martial and social hymns of the church may be grouped under this head; ‘‘On- ward, Christian Soldiers,’’ ‘‘The Son of God Goes Forth to War,’’ ‘“‘Jesus Calls Us,’’ ‘‘America the Beautiful’’; and (8) those that express the idea of world salvation, or the lure of the far away; ‘“We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations,’’ ‘‘O Zion, Haste, Thy Mission High Fulfilling,’’ ‘‘Speed Away! Speed Away!’’ and ‘‘Where Cross the Crowded. Ways of Life.’’ In selecting songs for group sing- ing we would be wise to keep these three types of hymns in mind.* There should always be a good song leader, and an accompanist who will neither drag nor hurry the singing. A quiet musical prelude at the beginning of worship services will do much toward creating an atmosphere of quiet essential to real worship. PRAYER In every program of worship the element of prayer needs to be given special consideration. The *Youth and the Church, Maus, pp. 180, 181. 4 THe SuNDAY SESSION 85 fact that we have in all churches large numbers of nominal Christians whose capacity for public utter- ance in prayer is almost wholly undeveloped is largely the result of the church’s failure to train its membership in this desirable quality. Public prayer is not easy for many people. Indeed, most Christians will say frankly that one of the most difficult things they have to do in all their Chris- tian experience is to pray publicly. Many who find it easy to pray with a feeling of real warmth and a sense of vital communion with God in private find public utterance difficult, stilted, and unreal. Young people need to be taught to pray. Like the disciples of old their appeal to leaders of today is, **Master, teach us to pray.’’ Because public prayer is difficult, the worship programs of Young People’s Departments should provide training in this neces- sary Christian activity. Prayer assignments should be made in advance. The prayer theme should be broken up into two or more topics and assigned to young people with the suggestion that they build into their own private devotions for the preceding week the idea they are being asked to pray about. The feeling of com- munion may be easily established because young people have organized their thinking toward God with respect to particular ideas about which they are praying. One of the most valuable things any leader can do with a group of early adolescents is to assist them in making a personal prayer manual, 86 YouTH ORGANIZED FoR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION containing a list of their own shortcomings (the sins that so easily beset them) ; the name and prob- lems of each member of their own families; the names of friends and companions; the needs of their own church, its problems and leadership; those in governmental life who need the leading of the Holy Spirit; the missionaries of the cross who serve for us on the far-flung battle fields of the world. The use of such a manual in daily devotions will do much to aid the young person in organizing his own thinking toward God with respect to individuals, groups, community and world needs, and thus make puble utterance fuller, easier, and more sponta- neous. : SCRIPTURE The reading or quoting of Seripture, either indi- vidually or responsively, needs to be given careful attention. Neither Scripture nor prayer should be repeated as one would say the alphabet or multipli- cation table. Attention should be given to the manner in which the reading or quoting is done. A spirit of reverence, accuracy of pronunciation, and correctness of interpretation should characterize the way in which Scripture is used. Young people should be encouraged to prepare in private for any- thing that they would do well in public. In reading or quoting Seripture, as with other parts of the program, they become or fail to become a help in worship for others by the way in which they con- tribute whatever element in the program may have Tue SunpAy SEssIon 87 been assigned to them. They should be asked to read and reread many times the Scripture portion to be used; to look up the meaning of all unfamiliar words; through cross-reference work to get the real meaning of the passage for the group to whom it was originally written and any additional meaning it may have for us today. They ought to read or quote with meaning or understanding, if they are to become a blessing to others in public worship services. To read or quote haltingly, stumblingly, inaccurately, without an understanding of the meaning of the portion assigned, is to become a stumblingbloeck to all who are attempting to ap- proach the heart of God through his written Word. Occasionally the Seripture portion may be drama- tized, as in the parable of Preparation (the wise and foolish virgins); but where this is done, the same careful, reverent attitude on the part of all who participate is essential, if the Scripture portion contributes to the spirit and attitude of reverent worship. Care must always be taken to avoid the appearance of a stunt in the contribution of any element in a worship service. The Seripture should always be related to the central theme of worship and should be selected, lke the theme, with the needs and interests of young people in mind. Not all Scripture has equal devotional value; nor does all Seripture have an equally valuable message to the hearts and lives of young people. The needs of the pupils, the theme 88 YouTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION of worship, and the emotional .attitude to be cul- tivated determine the type of character of Scripture to be used. OFFERING One’s offering is in a very real sense an act of worship. Through offerings, self-sacrifice, and serv- ice the soul naturally expresses its faith and trust in the heavenly Father and its allegiance and obe- dience in sharing with Christ in the redemption of the children of men. An increasing number of Church schools are dignifying the offering by build- ing it into worship services and making it a formal act of worship. SHort TALKS AND STORIES The importance and function of the feelings in developing the religious life of young people ought never to be underestimated. Short talks and stories that have to do with achievement, heroism, self- sacrifice, and service may be naturally and legiti- mately used to nourish the emotions Godward and manward; and they often give motives for decisions that change the whole current of a life. Leaders of young people and the young people themselves should make their own collection of biblical, mis- sionary, and heart-interest stories and talks by gleaning from magazines, books, and newspapers. The missionary and religious educational publishers of the various denominations furnish magazines and journals containing materials suitable forsjust such use as this. THE SunpAy SESSION 89 Source Materials The following source materials will be found valuable as an aid in planning devotional programs for young people: The Manual for Training in Worship, Hartshorne. Stories for Worship and How to Follow Them Up, Hartshorne. Story-Worship Programs for the Church School Year, Stowell. More Story-Worship Programs, Stowell. The Meaning of Faith, and The Meaning of Prayer, Fosdick. (Two books.) Services for the Open, Mattoon and Bragdon. Services of Worship for Boys, Gibson. Prayers of the Social Awakening, Rauschenbusch. The Opening Service in the Young People’s Depart- ment (Board of Education, Department of Chureh Schools of the Methodist Episcopal Chureh). Dramatized Bible Stories, Russell. Dramatized Missionary Stories, Russell. Bible Plays and Shorter Bible Plays, Benton. (Two books. ) Stories for Special Days in the Church School, and Hymn Stories for Children, Eggleston. (2 bks.) Hymnal for American Youth, Smith. Hymns for Today, Fillmore. Worship and Song, Winchester-Conant. Youth and the Church, Maus. Famous Hymns with Stories and Pictures, Bonsall. THE VESPER SESSION The Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, or Baptist Young People’s Union session usually con- 90 YoutH ORGANIZED FoR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION venes for one hour or an hour and a quarter just preceding the evening church service. Where an hour and fifteen minutes is available, the first min- utes may be used as a pre-prayer service for the officers and leaders. The remaining one hour in many churches is now being divided into four sec- tions: devotions, fifteen minutes; open-forum dis- cussion of a given topic, fifteen to twenty minutes; book reviews, reports on projects, and other special features, fifteen or twenty minutes; and business, five to ten minutes. In churches where the Christian Endeavor, Ep- worth League, or Baptist Young People’s Union work is independently organized, the scope included in the intermediate, senior, or young people’s soci- ety should conform in age limits to the depart- mental groupings of the Church school, as these eroupings are based on natural life periods—early, middle, and later adolescence. Where combinations of these groupings must be made in connection with the educational work of the Church school, similar combinations should be made in corresponding Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, and Baptist Young People’s Union organizations in the interests of homogeniety and similarity of needs and interests on the part of adolescents. The stereotyped Christian Endeavor meeting is rapidly being supplanted by a vital open-forum dis- cussion of the real problems of the present day, erowing out of reports on surveys, projects, and THE SUNDAY SESSION . 91 reviews of challenging devotional and missionary books. The tendency seems to be ‘‘Away with chppings: we will have none of you!’’ and be- tokens a new day in the religious life of young people. Recently the author visited a church that is ex- | perimenting with a correlated program of Christian education for young people and found that the eve- ning vesper session of the department was divided into four sections. The first fifteen minutes was given to a reverent, worshipful devotional service of Seripture, music, and intercessory prayer; dur- ing the next fifteen minutes three reports based on the Home and Foreign Missions survey volumes of the, Interchurch World Movement were given. One eroup reported on the conditions revealed by the survey; the second group on ‘‘Steps the Church Ought to Take in Meeting These Needs’’; and the third group on ‘‘Our Society’s Share in Meeting These Needs.’’ The third section of the program was given to the review of a chapter of a home- mission-study textbook, Saving America Through Her Boys and Girls, followed by special music and a brief dramatization on ‘‘Meeting World Needs.”’ The last five minutes was given to the regular busi- ness of the society. One went away from the serv- ice feeling that young people had really been chal- lenged to know and to face some of the vital prob- lems of the church of today. Where the Christian Endeavor, Epworth League 92 YouTtH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION or B. Y. P. U. work is being carried on by a unified organization, there needs to be a division of respon- sibility among the members of the committee that has this phase of the work in hand with respect to certain items in the program. For illustration, the Christian Endeavor covenants, the pledge, Quiet Hour, and Tenth Legion work, should be made the specific responsibility of one member of the com- mittee. The purpose of each of these covenants should be presented from quarter to quarter in con- nection with the monthly consecration vesper serv- ice of the department and opportunity for those who wish, of their own volition and because of the spiritual growth and development that will come to them, to sign. The regular presentation of and checking up on the realization of the interdenom- inational or other denominational program should be made the specific work of another member of the committee; otherwise, some important phase of the year’s program and goals will fail to be accom- plished. ‘‘There is no excellence without great labor’’ in any young people’s organization. To do fine work means that goals must be met, programs must be worked out, and the total membership must be stimulated to reach the goals that have been unitedly agreed upon. In proportion as the entire membership of the organization is touched by the program and stimulated to do increasingly better work will development of Christian personality result. THE SUNDAY SESSION 93 Principles That Make for Worth-while Meetings 1. Select leaders three months in advance, notify them a month in advance, and check up on them two weeks in advance of the meeting they are to lead. 2. Officers and committees should work with the leaders in planning programs. The group plan of conducting vesper sessions seems to be growing in favor. In churches where the educational work is correlated, the various organized class units are each made responsible for leading Christian En- deavor meetings, and a healthy rivalry stimulated as to which class can provide the most interesting | and attractive program. 3. The element of variety in time, place, and character of the meeting is essential to the holding of the continued interest of young people: a) The committee should plan definitely to vary the type of meeting from week to week. b) A special surprise feature in the program, a rearrangement of the furniture of the room, special decorations that will contribute to the atmosphere of the program, will help to lend variety to meetings. c) The following types of meetings will bring eratifying results: (1) debates, (2) all-story meet- ings, (3) plays and pageants, (4) a musical eve- ning, (5) radio meetings, (6) candle-light services, (7) a memory meeting, (8) an evening of imper- sonations, (9) a leaderless meeting, (10) educa- 94. Youtu ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION tional and missionary exhibits, (11) a group-leader- ship meeting, (12) progressive leadership meetings. In addition to the program materials listed on page 89 the following source materials will be found valuable in planning worth-while Christian Endeavor programs with young people: 1. The Home and Foreign-Missions survey vol- umes of the Interchurch World Movement (ob- tainable through the mission boards of the various communions). . The Christian Endeavor Guide (Bethany Prads ue 3. The Baptist Young People’s Union Quarterly (Judson Press). 4. Twelve Christian Endeavor Missionary Pro- grams (published by the missionary boards of the larger communions). 5. The Christian Endeavor World (published by the United Society of Christian Endeavor). 6. Sunday school and church papers of the vari- ous communions. 7. Short Missionary Stories and More Short Mis- sionary Stories, Applegarth. 8. Leaflets, pageants, and special day programs of the various communions. bo QUESTIONS FOR CuAss Discussion 1. Do you feel that there is value in both a Sun- day school worship service for young people and a devotional vesper (Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, or B. Y. P. U.) session? Name some of the values. THE SUNDAY SESSION 95 2. What relation has adequate equipment to the devotional training of young people? 3. What two principles should be regarded in arranging the equipment of a worship assembly room? Why? 4. What is the value and importance of (a) mu- sic, (b) Seripture, (c) prayer, and (d) short talks and stories in worship programs? 5. Should an offering have a place in a service of worship? Why? 6. What methods would you use to make the offering a real act of worship? 7. What principles, should guide in planning worth-while Christian Endeavor vesper services? Projects For ASSIGNMENT 1. Make a list of the essential and desirable equip- ment for a worship assembly room for intermedi- ates, seniors and young people. 2. Select a theme and plan a Church school wor- ship service, correlating the music, Scripture, prayer, and short talks or story materials. 3. Select a topic and plan a similar Christian Endeavor, Epworth League or Baptist Young Peo- ple’s Union meeting, correlating all the elements in the program. CHAPTER VI EXTENSION MEETINGS OF INTERMEDIATE, SENIOR AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S DEPARTMENTS Whether the educational work of the local church is being carried on through a unified and correlated plan of organization or through two or more inde- pendent organizations for young people, their full- est development will require, in addition to the Sunday sessions of the department, at least two extension meetings: a monthly missionary meeting for the intensive study of the missionary work of particular communions, and a monthly mid-week social-hfe meeting of the department for the de- velopment of the social life and for the expression of the rapidly developing physical, intellectual, so- cial, and altruistic interests of young people in service to others. But some one may raise a question whether or not a monthly missionary topic outlined by the Young People’s Commission for Christian En- deavor, Epworth League, and B. Y. P. U. meetings is adequate to the needs of missionary educa- tion for adolescents. The author thinks not, for the missionary topics outlined by the interdenomina- tional Young People’s Commission must of necessity be selected with the entire field of missionary en- 96 # EXTENSION MEETINGS OF DEPARTMENTS 97 deavor in mind and must treat the more general aspects of missions that are common to all com- munions. ‘here is a very real need that the young people of any given communion shall know, not only something of the missionary enterprise in gen- eral, but also a great deal concerning the missionary work that is being carried on through the particular communion with which they are affiliated. An ex- tension missionary meeting of the entire depart- ment offers ideal opportunity for this more re- stricted study of the missions and missionaries of one’s own communion. THE EXTENSION MISSIONARY MEETING Realizing this need of young people for a more complete study of the missionary work of their own communions, nearly all the larger denominations are now providing, through their home and foreign missionary boards, materials adapted for such use. In a large number of communions this missionary material follows for six months of the year the cur- rent home missionary theme, and for the remaining six months of the year the current foreign mission- ary theme. The material is organized in every in- stance around the work the particular communion is doing in that field. Occasionally this material is organized around some particular topic or theme of special significance in the work of the communion at that time, such as the Tercentenary Celebration of the Congregational Church, the Centenary pro- gram of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the New 98 YouTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Era program of the Presbyterian Church, or the Golden Jubilee program among the Disciples of Christ. The programs are for the most part topical in character and include, along with the more general aspects of missions in particular fields, a study of the stations and types of work of the communion in that field; map talks, showing the area occupied and for which the communion has primary respon- sibility ; poster talks, featuring the types of work that are being carried on; the pictures of mission- aries of the church who serve in that field; and the problems to be faced. | In these days, when the races of men are being brought more closely together each year through business, industry, and modern inventions, it is im- perative that the youth of the church be made to understand the immediate necessity of Christianiz- ing the business, industries, and inventions of the world if the goal of Christianity—a Christian world order of society—is to be realized. The primacy of missions, the missionary enterprise of the world in its entirety, and the fields of missionary endeavor which are the particular responsibility of each com- munion must be made the heritage of each young person who would have part in the ‘‘Kingdom building’’ project of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Just now, when the churches of America are fac- ing peculiar problems in the field of missionary co- EXTENSION MEETINGS OF DEPARTMENTS 99 operation because the church in distant mission fields cannot and does not carry out exactly the same type of management which is characteristic of the church in the homeland, there is real need that the youth of the church consider the problems that must be met by the missionaries of the cross who go to far-away India, Africa, China, or Tibet. It is essential that young people shall be trained to look at the problem of world evangelism through the eyes of the missionary, who sees and under- stands the intricacies of the situation in a way that it is difficult, if not impossible, for us who are re- mote from these fields to see and to understand. It is especially difficult for the oriental mind to understand the conditions of our divided protes- tantism of the West. China especially is clamoring for a United Chureh of Christ in China, built upon Christ and the fundamental things upon which all Protestant churches agree. She is not particularly interested in our denominational differences. She demands the right to do her own religious thinking. Given Christ and the Bible, she will find her way to a united church that may yet lead the West to a spirit of unity and co-operation which we do not now possess. If the church of America is to go forward intel- ligently in its program of world evangelism, then the youth of the church must be trained to think and feel in terms-of a world-churech of Christ. The church as Jesus thought of it and spoke of it was 100 YourH ORGANIZED FoR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION not an organization but a living organism made up of the Christians of the world, banded together and committed to realizing in the life of the world the Kingdom of God. The form of organization must of necessity be changed to meet the expanding needs of each succeeding generation of Christians. The wisdom of judgment of all the Christians of all the earth—of every race, color, and kind— is needed in building the united chureh of Christ. Extension monthly missionary meetings of the department afford an opportunity for young people to study these more intricate and difficult problems of par- ticular communions. The Program.—In many churches this monthly missionary meeting of the department is held in the home of the department superintendent of one of the teachers rather than in the ¢hureh. With the high school group it is sometimes held after school or on a Saturday afternoon. For older young peo- ple the monthly cafeteria supper, held in some home, with each young person bringing one pre- pared dish, seems to be growing in favor. The re- freshments are placed upon the dining room table, along with paper plates, napkins, and silver; and each young person serves himself. Hot coffe or chocolate may be served by the hostess, if desired. The program of the evening is divided into three sections. The serve-yourself lunch, with the young people grouped informally, comes from six or six- ExXtEnsion MEETINGS oF DEPARTMENTS 101 thirty until seven or seven-thirty. This is followed by the formal program of the evening—under the direction of the missionary or social service com- mittee. After the fellowship lunch hour the leader of the evening takes charge, and a program of map and poster talks, stories, special music, and drama- tizations on the field that is being studied ensues. Following the program there is usually an hour or so of play, including among other things the presen- tation of some of the games that the young people of distant lands play. The evening closes with the usual good night courtesies and adieus. As a means of affording expression to the mis- sionary interest created in the study of the mission fields of particular communions the young people should be encouraged to undertake some special missionary service for these needy fields, such as filling a surprise box with supplies that will be of service to the missionaries in their work. These boxes, as a rule, are shipped so that they reach the mission station on or near Christmas time. They may include, among other things, books or subscrip- tions to some of the better magazines of the home- land for the missionaries themselves. Mission boards are prepared to furnish lists of materials that are especially needed at particular stations. Occasionally the support of a native evangelist, a Bible woman, or native nurse results from the study of particular fields and needs. As a rule there is a 102 YoutTH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION special monthly self-denial offering, which is sent through the missionary boards for work in desig- nated home or foreign mission fields. Occasionally these meetings center around the study of some book or the work and workers of par- ticular communions, such as Mary Slessor of Cal- abar; A Master Builder on the Congo; or Pioneering mm Tibet. In some instances the book studies are linked with the program material provided by the various communions for this study of denomina- tional missions. The following books on the play hfe of mission countries contain rich suggestions for the social features in these special monthly missionary meetings of the department: Children at Play in Many Lands, Hall; Joys From Japan, Miller ; Chinese Ginger, Miller. The following suggestions will be found helpful in making the most of these missionary meetings: 1. Plan the general block of the program for at least six months, preferably for a year in advance. 2. Select the leaders at least three months in advance and check up on them at least a month in advance. 3. Plan for at least one surprise item in each program—special music, dramatizations, debates, impersonations, palaver between orientals, the visit of a real missionary, ete. 4. Link with the study program each year some specifie bit of service work. EXTENSION MEETINGS OF DEPARTMENTS 103 5. Plan for one or two park or open-air meetings throughout the year. 6. See that the members of the committee are on hand early to receive the guests as they arrive and to assist the hostess in cleaning up after the meeting. In churches where the educational work for young people is correlated the missionary or social service committee of the department should be responsible not only for the monthly missionary meeting of the department for the study of denom- inational missions, but also for enlisting and inter- esting the entire group of young people in special types of social service work. This can best be done by making a social service survey of organizatious and institutions in the city, county, and even out over the state and nation, which are attempting to do uplift work. It will include interviewing, either personally or by mail, the executive heads of these organizations; securing from them information about types of service which may be_ rendered through their organization or institution; catalog- ing this information in such a way as to show def- initely the needs to be met and the types of things young people as individuals or groups may do to meet these needs. The survey should be followed by a definite challenge to each class, department, and organization of the church to undertake some specific responsibility in meeting the needs revealed by and through the survey. 104 YourH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION THe Soctau-LIFE MEETING OF THE DEPARTMENT Adequate social-life activities are important to the development of young people. Boys and girls, especially those in the periods of middle and later ‘adolescence, have far more of common interests than they do of differences. For their own fullest development normal coeducational social contacts are needed. In its through-the-week program the organized class unit should provide opportunity for the expression of lines of interest which grow out of sex differentiation. The department social-lfe activities should be coeducational in character, pro- viding opportunity for those of the opposite sexes to meet together in normal social-life intercourse. | If the departmental social-life program is to be of most value to young people, the general scope must be planned in advance for at least three months at a time, preferably the general scheme for the entire year. It should be so comprehensive that within the year the four phases of social-life train- ing—physieal, intellectual, social, and service—will be afforded through the program. The- besetting sin of many churches is using one type of fun and frolic for young people until that kind of social activity is so worn out by repetition that it has no challenge. Social-life programs, to be challenging, must have the element of continued variety. An- other common error in many churches is going with- out any sort of social activities for a period of two or three months at a time and then having a deluge EXTENSION MEETINGS OF DEPARTMENTS 105 of poorly planned, hurriedly executed affairs just because the demand for something has become in- sistent. This hit-and-miss way of planning social affairs, if it can be dignified by the term planning, is one of the things that causes large numbers of young people to go elsewhere than to the church to find social-life activity. Leaders of young people need to know that it is possible to plan a scheme of social-hfe development for a year at a time; and that in the long run, even though it may take more time at the beginning of the year than the planning for a shorter period would require, it more than outweighs the addi- tional time required for the yearly docket plan in balance, variety, and range of activities covered. In making a social-life docket for the year one should take into account certain special occasions such as Mother and Daughter Week, Children’s Week, Father and Son Week, ete. Hither these in- terests should be blocked into the program, or a part of the time left vacant so that other groups which may wish to plan for some social event at that time of the year, will not find the schedule overcrowded. Then, too, the social-life plan for the year should take into account the seasons, climatic conditions, and school and community affairs, such as commencement week, lyceum numbers, grand op- era season, etc. The activities should be planned in such a way as not to make unnecessary conflicts with other interests and loyalties of young people. 106 YourtH ORGANIZED FoR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION In as large a measure as possible the plans for the year should associate, in the thinking of young people, the physical, intellectual, and social activ- ities with the idea of service. This can be done by oceasionally building into the social-life program of the department a fresh-air party for neglected chil- dren or shut-ins; a literary program for homes for the aged, incurables, or disabled soldiers; a party for immigrant young people. The service idea may also be strengthened by a go-to-college party for those who are going away to school in the early fall; or by a membership rally followed by a special party or social for young people in the church and community who have not hitherto been enlisted in the church’s activity program. In churches where a correlated form of organiza- tion is in operation for groups of young people the planning of social-life programs will be the specific work of the recreational, or social-life, committee of the department. Whether the program of the church is correlated or carried on through inde- pendent organizations, there needs to be a unity in planning on the part of all those organizations and groups which are attempting to meet social-life needs, so that overcrowding the schedule at certain times and a ‘‘famine in social activities’’ at another time may be avoided. In a unified plan of organization the social-life committee should meet at the home of the depart- ment superintendent or social-life adviser in the EXTENSION MEETINGS OF DEPARTMENTS 107 early fall, review the social-life programs offered during the preceding year, and, with last year’s sehedule in mind, proceed to plan in a general way a social-life docket for the year. Such a docket should inelude a balance of physical, intellectual, social, and service good times for the department with an average of one activity each month. The Annual Young People’s Department banquet will doubtless come early in the year and should include a complete review in the form of inspirational re- ports of the past year’s work by officers and com- mittee chairmen. This will be followed by the introduction of the newly elected officers and com- mittee and a preview of some of the fine things that are being planned for the ensuing year. The annual budget, covering all the phases of work and activi- ties of the department, should be presented at this banquet and pledges for the year received. Among other reports the general scheme of social-life ac- tivities for the year may be presented by the chair- man of the social-life committee. The following social-life docket for a year represents the way in which one Young People’s Department worked out its balanced physical, intel- lectual, social, and service program. You will note that the activities are arranged by seasons or quar- ters of the year and suggest for each month in the year both a service and a social activity, with the social activity for each month earrying out the idea of ‘‘social to save.’’ The program does not 108 YoutH ORGANIZED FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION attempt to give a detailed plan for each activity but merely suggests two or three seasonal things that will be a part of the department’s activity program for the year: All-Year-Round Expressional Program for Young People Fall Quarter October.—Membership survey and follow-up cam- paign, all the committees of the department co- operating. Halloween social for the purpose of welcoming new members. November.—Community survey for types of so- cial service in which young people may engage, led by the missionary committee of the Department. Harvest-home social, each young person dressed to represent some fruit, grain, or vegetable; results of the social survey announced; observance of Father and Son Week by participation in a special men and boys banquet or spread. Appropriate observance of Boys’ and Girls’ Rally Day for American Missions— Thanksgiving Sunday. December.—Sale of Red Cross seals for Christmas packages for the American Tuberculosis Fund; or plan and carry out a community Christmas tree for the unfortunate or neglected ones of the community. A white gift Christmas program for the benefit of aged ministers or for the orphanage work of your communion. An open house social during Christmas week for employed young people away from home EXTENSION MEETINGS OF DEPARTMENTS 109 or for any other group in the community who may not have a happy holiday week except through such courtesy. Winter Quarter January.—A series of vocational and professional life-work talks for the young people of the church and community. An annual birthday stunt party, celebrating at one time everyone’s birthday with birth-month group stunts. February.—Observance of Christian Endeavor week by a reception or social to the alumni society or to the Endeavorers of some other communion. A Saint Valentine’s or patriotic (Washington’s or Lineoln’s birthday) social. March.—Participation in the preparation for the Easter ‘‘win-my-chum’’ campaign. A Lenten mis- sionary or biblical pageant, with special offering for missions or benevolences. Spring Quarter April.—Culmination of the Easter ‘‘win-my- chum’’ campaign. An Easter sunrise devotional service in the church or on a hillside. An April Fool social or April Fool stunt party. May.—Participation in a community campaign for a ‘‘clean-up, paint-up, plant-up week.’’ Clean the lawn of the church. Co-operate with others in a make-the-city-beautiful effort. A May Day party or festival, including, if possible, a hike to the 110 YoutH ORGANIZED ror RELIGIOUS EDUCATION woods for wild spring flowers. Some share in the annual observances of Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May. A Mother and Daughter banquet or reception. June——Participation in an appropriate observ- ance of Children’s Day for Foreign Missions. Ob- servance of Education Day by a _ Go-to-College Sunday. Summer Quarter July.— Carry on an anti-summer-slump campaign. A Fourth of July Christmas tree for some needy mission field in co-operation with the missionary and social service committee. Co-operate with the Christian Endeavor Committee in observing a pa- triotic Sunday (nearest july 4). An annual picnic or track meet. August.—Annual representation in a summer young people’s conference or training school; or full-week camp training conference for young peo- ple of your own communion. Fresh-air camp or outing for neglected children or shut-ins. A song- fest, fireside joke night, or Indian powwow. September.—Co-operate with the Church school committee in plans for Promotion Day in the Church school. A farewell go-to-college social or stunt party. A general mass meeting wiener roast, with special committee meetings for each group to plan its program in general for the new graded Church school year (October to October): (1) Committee meetings in the late afternoon; (2) wiener roast at EXTENSION MEETINGS OF DEPARTMENTS 1niak six or six-thirty p.M.; (3) business, reports of com- mittees, including the report of the departmental nominating committee on the officers for new year; other committee reports; (4) social good time, games, songs, and elass stunts. QUESTIONS FOR CuAss Discussion 1. Why is an extension missionary meeting of the department essential to the full-rounded develop- ment of young people? 2. What elements should be included in this monthly missionary program of the department? Why? 3. What definite suggestions can you give for making these monthly missionary meetings success- ful? 4. Is a coeducational social-life meeting of the department essential to the fullest development of young people? Why? 5. What range of activities should be included in a yearly social-life program for young people? Why? 6. Why is a yearly or quarterly docket of social activities better than month-by-month planning? PROJECTS FOR ASSIGNMENT 1. Make a list of the items in the ‘‘All-Year- Round Expressional Program for Young People,”’ listed at the close of this chapter, which would be impracticable in your church. What substitutions can you suggest? 2. If this suggested program is too elaborate for your chureh, work out and plan one that you feel would provide a balanced physical, intellectual, social, and service development for young people. CHAPTER VII THE CLASS UNIT OF ORGANIZATION In discussing the ‘‘Principles Underlying Suc- cessful Work With Young People’? (chapter i) we noted that the ideal in work with ado- lescents is, ‘‘One inclusive organization in the local chureh for each natural group; that each of these groups should be organized as departments with class units; that the class unit should be or- ganized for specific tasks and individual and group training; and that the department should be or- ganized for group activities and for the cultivation of the devotional life through prayer, praise, testi- mony, and other forms of self expression.’’ In this chapter let us consider the class unit of organiza- tion: natural groupings,: prineiples that should guide in the formation of class groups, the aims that should be accomplished through the organiza- tion, the plan of organization; essential and de- sirable equipment, class sessions, and the range of activities that should be included in class programs. CuAss GROUPINGS A study of the natural interests and life needs of young people in the adolescent years clearly indicates that a desire for organization, or leadership, and for service iS prominent during this life epoch. That 112 CuAss UNIT oF ORGANIZATION BS the demand for organization is at its high tide during early and middle adolescence is evidenced by the fact that seventy-five per cent of the young people in these periods are or have been members of some sort of an organization. The demand for leadership in organization is dominant during the middle adoles- cent period; and the desire for opportunities in which life may express itself in altruistic service is at its flood tide during the later teens and early twenties. One of the early problems of the class unit of organization that must be solved is the grading and grouping of young people for class instruction. Here, as in other phases of education, the needs of the pupil must be the law of the school. eee ee 2 ne aE (eee —<<<£< es ea wee