The Senior Youth Circle

Dear Susan,

You’ve asked the right people about running a senior youth circle. Uncle Tom and I have been involved, one way or another, for nearly 30 years. During that time, we’ve been part of a program that has had excellent long-term results.

Recognizing a need

We started in this work when, along with others, we recognized a problem and an opportunity. Due to the make-up of our ecclesial area at that time, a large number of children would be growing into adulthood over the next 20 years. Their parents felt that the spiritual quality of the ecclesias was in decline. They could see that if decline continued for another generation, the Truth would be in serious trouble in our area. We badly needed our children to become virile members of the ecclesia, believers who would reinvigorate the meetings.

An evolving plan

The first step was to start up a junior program for the 11 to 14 year olds which met every third week and centered around marking first principle topics into a wide-margin Bible. Each lesson provides a chain of references on a basic subject with every verse being accompanied by a short comment. The young people copy the information into their Bibles.

At first ,they did the marking together in class; gradually, however, class time has been reserved for explanation of the material covered with the Bible marking being done at home.

There are obvious disadvantages to a simple copying of someone else’s notes into one’s own Bible. Yet, with 30 years behind us, we can say the approach has done much good with no harmful side-effects.

The next step was to develop a senior program that would provide a training ground for useful participation in full ecclesial life. The age range was 15 and up with the assumption being made that a ground-work had already been laid in the basic elements of the Truth by the Bible-marking experience of the younger youth circle.

A mini ecclesia

The senior group was organized to simulate many ecclesial functions. As in the full ecclesia, members take turns handling speaking chores; they elect some of their own as secretary, etc.; they organize and run activities and get involved in preaching and pastoral work.

Speakers and topics

Members handle most of the speaking chores themselves. Since many young people cannot carry a full class, groups of two or three are assigned a topic. One of the group will be more experienced, with the others expected to help out with visual aids, a short supplementary presentation and questions that stimulate discussion. New members are given some time to see how it’s done, but nearly everyone participates at varying times during the year.

Young women are included on the program. Those who are, or will be , sisters have important functions in ecclesial life. They teach Sunday School, instruct younger sisters and, most importantly, provide spiritual guidance for their children. Like the young men, they learn best by doing Bible study themselves rather than just listening to someone else.

Over the years, we have faced some problems with the young people doing the classes. Some very short talks have been given (three minutes is the record). Unusual interpretations have been presented (but only a few times in 30 years). And other things have happened.

A few of the problems have been corrected by the class format. The presider is always a brother. The lead presenter is usually more mature. Most of the difficulties, however, are overcome by capable counselors. They have been good about providing on-the-spot answers or filling in the balance of a short class. Also, the counselor can work with the person beforehand to direct the material included in the presentation.

The topics have varied greatly with no one pattern proving ideal. Since the programs are laid out in five-month sessions, the young people are never stuck with anything for too long. We have come to expect complaints in this area and have learned not to force something on the group just because we like it. Probably the best pattern has been a combination of practical subjects intermixed with several classes on a Bible book or theme.

Youth circle leaders

We have settled on a president, vice-president, secretary and activities director. The first two must be brethren as they preside over an annual young people’s gathering. The last two jobs can be filled by any of the group.

Electing from their own has brought problems but no different from those faced in ecclesial life. Not everyone elected carries through on the various duties. But these situations have to be faced later, so learning to handle them at a young age is good experience.

Other activities

To help the young people develop a sensitivity for visiting “the widows and fatherless in their affliction,” they participate in a weekly schedule of picking up some elderly ecclesial members. They transport them to and from meeting and normally accompany them for a meal after meeting. In addition, they organize an annual “old-folks” day which consists of a fraternal-type activity for all those who meet the age requirement.

They also get involved in sending cards to those who are sick or shut-in and will help out if someone needs a garage painted or a yard cleaned up.

The young people do most of the actual work in organizing a young people’s weekend gathering. They plan the meals, buy the food, cook breakfast, clean the facility, arrange for speakers and preside over the meetings. This has been excellent preparation for running activities on the ecclesial level.

Depending on the mix of the young people, various recreational activities have been successful over the years. There were times when many of the members got together every Saturday afternoon for football, basketball, ice skating, sledding or softball. At other times, the group was not as socially close. It is important, however, to encourage interaction on the social as well as the scriptural level.

The counselor’s role

For the most part, this is intended to be an advisory job of seeing things run smoothly and that personal spiritual problems receive the right attention. In addition, the counselors are expected to provide impromptu answers to the questions that invariably arise form Bible study. This affords an opportunity to expound the principles of the Truth when people are most ready to receive and remember the information. (It also sharpens the Bible knowledge of the counselors.)

The number of counselors has varied over the years depending on the size of the group. We have always tried to have at least one sister involved. Often a husband and wife team work together.

Another thing that has been a key to success is that the counselors have participated with the youngsters in the extra activities. The young people have really liked this and the older heads keep activities within proper limits; they also provide transportation and money for eats.

Location of meetings

We found that the homes of brethren and sisters were the best places to have meetings. This provides a warm and relaxed environment and has an unexpected important advantage — association with the hosts and their children. The younger children in the home are always included in recreation and refreshment time and the hosts regularly sit in on the meetings. This all helps to simulate the ecclesial situation where all ages are present.

Gospel proclamation

Organized as it is, the senior youth circle is more oriented to training those who are from an ecclesial background. While we have always had some interested friends along, the participatory organization, and the Bible study emphasis has, in many cases, minimized the value of the youth circle as a method of outreach. The young people, however, have consistently been attenders at lectures and helpers in any bill-pushing efforts. In addition, we have two nights a year when members are encouraged to bring a friend.

The common denominator

The only common element that binds Christadelphians together is the Truth. Recognizing that fact, the youth circle meetings are centered around Bible study. Typically, the Bible study portion of a meeting lasts an hour-and-a-half, which includes the formal presentation, discussion and a short book review or “thought for the week,” usually given by one of the younger members.

The scriptural portion is followed by refreshments, informal chatting and the kind of recreation frequently available in our home: ping-pong, darts, pool table, etc.

The objective is dominant

Throughout the history of our youth circle efforts, there have been a number of changes infrequency, location and time of meeting. Depending on the wishes of the members, meetings have been held in one place several times running or a different location each time. Sometimes Friday night has been the time to meet, other years it has been Saturday and one time we even tried Sunday afternoon. We have tried weekly, biweekly, and semimonthly schedules.

As I indicated earlier, the topics have been switched around depending on the interest. One time, we studied the life of Christ for three years.

It has been felt that flexibility in these areas would not hurt attaining the objective of training young people to be a force for the invigoration of ecclesial life.

Success or failure

The final assessment of any ecclesial endeavor awaits the judgment seat of Christ. Any evaluation we make is wholly overshadowed by that consideration. As best as we can judge now, however, the initiatives that were begun over 30 years ago have worked.

While the population of this part of the country has declined, ecclesial membership has doubled. The number of ecclesias has tripled and the weight of all aspects of ecclesial life is borne by those coming through the youth circle programs. Furthermore, several of our “graduates” have moved to other areas where they have been useful members. Three of them are recording brethren of their ecclesias. The percentage of children of Christadelphian parents accepting the Truth has risen from 75% to 90%.

While not many people have come from the world to the ecclesia directly through the youth circle, many of our former members have taught neighbor­hood or work acquaintances the Truth. This indicates that young brethren and sisters came up through a program of sound Bible instruction and were ready, when the occasion arose, to be a vehicle of witness to others.

From our point of view, there seems to be another definite development: in spite of the society as a whole becoming more consumed with materialism, the ecclesia in this area seems to be less afflicted with this spiritual disease than it was 30 years ago.

Through man’s eyes, we would have to conclude that the program is successful. We can only pray that the Lord shares our opinion when we are summoned before him in that great day which we all know is coming very soon.

With much love,
Aunt Sarah