Why are we losing our teenagers? It is a source of concern to our membership, particularly to our parents and Sabbath school teachers, that so many of our youth leave the Sabbath school at about the ages of thirteen to fifteen.
A study of statistics reveals the fact that the number of Seventh-day Adventist juniors reaching the age of accountability annually is more than the net growth of the church in the United States. This simply means that we are losing more youth each year than we are baptizing converts. In other words, if we were to dedicate ourselves solely to the evangelization of our youth, and should win them and conserve them, and should cease all other forms of evangelism, our membership would show a larger gain than it does now.
Certain questions naturally suggest themselves to us : Why this loss ? Why is it that a tractable child, completely absorbed in his Sabbath school and in his church-school teacher, suddenly changes and becomes a restless, insubordinate, discontented little rebel ? He no longer finds ,satisfaction in learning Bible stories, and dislikes listening to his teacher's moralizing on what is right and wrong. He attends Sabbath school irregularly for a time, and is finally crossed off the record as a nonattendant. His teacher sighs and says, "The world has won another of my boys."
Adolescence is the age of religious decision. The psychologist Dr. Edmund, Conklin, in Principles of Adolescent Psychology (Henry Holt Company : New York, 1935) says,
"The years of adolescence ordinarily bring a consciousness that somehow or other every person should become religious and affiliate with religious organizations. Childhood years may have been religious in their way ; but as adolescence brings self-consciousness and self-control, there comes the awareness of what is expected of one religiously and other ways." —Page 359.
Another textbook on child psychology, Psychologic Care During Infancy and Childhood (Bakwin and Bakwin, Appleton Century ; 1942), page 219, states it thus : "Adolescence is the age of conversion." Still another says, "Religious changes are now made with relative ease and permanency. Religion is a matter of spontaneous interest."—NoRmAN E. RICHARD-SON, The Religious Education of Adolescence.
The child in our Sabbath school should be led to Christ by the time he is twelve or thirteen. At twelve Jesus said, "I must be about My Father's business." Luke 2:49. And the wise man said, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." Eccl. 12:1.
The critical stage follows childhood, and this is where we fail so pitifully as the child enters the threshold of adolescence. Having won his decision for Christ, we must build up that little soul into an independent character—one who looks to Christ for guidance for his decisions rather than to the authority of his parents. We are counseled, "When the youth is converted, do not leave him in idleness ; give him something to do in the vineyard of the Master. According to his ability, let him be employed."—Counsels on Sabbath School Work, p. 82. A psychologist comes to our assistance with this instruction:
"The teacher of religion whose aim is merely to help them [children from thirteen to fifteen] to pile up more and yet more information about the Bible, the Holy Spirit, or the church—information that is not especially intended for use—need not be surprised if they lose interest and disappear.
"The religious nurture of adolescent young people involves practice in prayer, in worship, and witnessing, and in service supported by religious motives. . . Unless he feels it to be a vital part of his life, something of which he is not ashamed, something that brings satisfaction through use, indifference is sure to result."—Religious Education of Adolescents, pp. 76-78.
"At the dawn of early adolescence, the child is supremely interested in doing religious things. . . . The whole religious life is now assembled or organized around the doing of things that have the approval of the highest authority."—Ibid., p. Sr.
"The budding altruism of early adolescence needs to be guided into simple and practiCal forms of service. The habit of the daily good turns, supported by religious motives and free from a spirit of self-righteousness, should be built up during these years. "— Ibid., p. 156.
"If religious ideals are maintained and find expression in such forms of service as giving material relief in cases of absolute poverty, . . . these ideals tend to become permanent and controlling factors in conduct."—Ibid., p. 88.
The psychologists quoted agree entirely with the instruction we have from the Spirit of prophecy.
"When the youth give their hearts to God, our responsibility for them does not cease. They must be interested in the Lord's work, and led to see that He expects them to do something to advance His cause. It is not enough to show how much needs to be done, and to urge the youth to act a part. They must be taught how to labor for the Master. They must be trained, disciplined, drilled, in the best methods of winning souls to Christ. Teach them to try in a quiet, unpretending way to help their young companions. Let different branches of missionary effort be systematically laid out, in which they may take part, and let them be given instruction and help. Thus they will learn to work for God."—Gospel Workers, p. 210.
"Let not the youth be ignored; let them share in the labor and responsibility. Let them feel that they have a part to act in helping and blessing others. Even the children should be taught to do little errands of love and mercy for those less fortunate than themselves.
"Let the overseers of the church devise plans whereby young men and women may be trained to put to use their entrusted talents. . . . Let ministers put to use all their ingenuity in devising plans whereby the younger members of the church may be led to cooperate with them in missionary work."—Testimonies, vol. 6, pp. 435, 436.
"They [the children] are to enlist in the army of workers to help the sick and the suffering. Children can take part in the medical missionary work."Ibid., P. 203.
"The children are to be trained to become missionaries; they must be helped to understand distinctly what they must do to be saved. . . . Christ will make them little missionaries."—Counsels to Teachers, pp. 168, 169.
We have largely left it to various departments, such as the Missionary Volunteer and Sabbath school to endeavor to train the young people. The Sabbath school has continued to try to pour instruction into their minds, when the child psychologically wants to do things rather than be taught things. Whereas if close cooperation could be maintained between all departments so that children in their adolescent years could take part in branch Sabbath schools, singing bands, sunshine bands, literature distribution, welfare work, and M.V. Progressive work, they would find the urge to do things, and they would not so readily slip out of church work.
