Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

3YOUNG PEOPLE'SSECRETARYoung PeophSpear of Walton; and an evening withthe Psalms, August 19,planned andorganized by Mrs. R. D. Edgar ofPhiladelphia.All who were present at the weekendretreat last year praise God for Hispresence and His blessing, and the wayHe showed us the meaning and gave usthe ability to participate in that greatChristian privilege of Prayer. We areasking great things of God for thissummer too, which will be our 32ndencampment. Our theme is from Isaiah12:3, "Therefore with joy shall yedraw water out of the wells of salvation."Few of us have begun to knowthe depth and greatness of our salvation, of all that it includes.Let us be in prayer that all of uswho should attend this conference willbe there. You will find gracious campparents to greet you upon your arrival.If you can't make it for the entire tendays, come on the weekends. But besure to come!THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S SUMMERPROGRAMIt is commonly considered that thesummer program for young people consists in the Conferences of July andAugust. This year there are six, two inJuly and four in August. They run fromfive to ten days. What more can theyoung, people want for summer?The National Young People'sStaffsponsors a program of training andservice which runs from the close ofschool until mid- July. It is in two parts,a Leadership Training School, until theSummer Service Teams.This year the Leadership TrainingSchool was held at the Seminary building in Pittsburgh from June 14 to 21.Nineteen young people were present asstudents with four additional youngpeople's leaders. The students had beenchosen from a list of over ninety,recommened by their pastors orsessions, or others. They came fromFlorida, Kansas, New York, Californiaand points in between.The days began at 6:30, which wasS. R. T. (suggested rising time). For themost part the hour was well observed,and not long after you could see boysmoving out across the beautiful backJuly 27, 1955yard of the seminary to some favoritespot under the trees,open they held communion with theirLord.where with BiblesAbout eight o'clock the girls arrived,for only the boys were housed in theseminary, the girls were provided withrooms in the homes of the generousCovenanters of Wilkinsburgcinity.and viThen breakfast in the big diningroom -"who wants coffee? Tea, tea,Tea!! How are the eggs fixed this morning? More toast? Pass the jam.At nine there were prayer groups,and at 9:20 came an hour of Biblestudy. These studies had been preparedpreviously and the students workedthem out, preparatory to dicussion inthis Bible study hour. Through exchangeof ideas, and through informationbrought by one or another, the messagesof the Bible were made plain.Then came the morning "break."Cocoa in the dining room. You'd be surprised how proficient one can get inhandling cup and saucer in the samehand.Came then a long period in which themembers of the Teams learned thecourses of Vacation Bible School departments which they were to teach,and others in the school learned how toset up Bible studies, and matters ofthat nature.In the afternoon there was a two dayclass on Personal Counseling, and a threeday series on Gospel Team preparation.The evening programs were featuredby different speakers, Rev. Sam Boyle,Dr. Bruce Willson, Rev. Willard McMillan, Jerry Kirk of the Young Life Movement, and Dr. Remo Robb.The fellowshipof the school was ofthe highest Christian order. The chatterand joking around the table, the stuntspreceding two evening programs, theSaturday picnic in the back yard, allwere a part of consecrated Christianyoung people enjoying life together.The devotional service was upliftingthe singing of the Psalms, indoors, outon the lawn, the girls quartette everything was most beautiful.On Sabbath every student was amember of some Gospel Team that hada part in a church service in some congregation of Pittsburgh presbytery. Anda company of ten went to the AgedPeople's Home for a brief sing andgreeting. The School had had word fromthe Home that daily prayers were beingoffered for its success and blessing.Finally, June 21 came, and the schooldismissed. Most of the students went totheir homes, but eight of them, feelingcalled of the Lord, volunteered to continue on in the Service Teams.Two young people, Wayne Spear andBarbara Huston, went to San Diegoto help in the Bible School there. Twoothers, James Pennington and JackiePatton, went to Sparta to assist Rev.John McMillan. These four young peoplelater united as one team to work in theSterling, Kansas, congregation.A team of four, John Russell, DonWindham, Joanne Pogemiller andTeddie Morris, helped in a VacationBible School at Wilkinsburg, and latermoved on to Oakdale to be responsibleparty in the communityschool there.By July 22, the national summerserviceprogram is finished, and theyoung people return to their homes.But it will be a question who has beenmost benefited, the churches or theteams members. In such service theyoung people of today meet first-handthe problems of the church of today,and will better prepare to bring thesolutions to the Church of tomorrow.By the next issue of Echoes, I hopeto have some pictures and some furtherreports of this summer activity.I wish to thank all of the congregations that have contributed so generously and have helped the young peopleto carry through this important project.We receive your help as from the Lord,and pray that in our use of it we maytruly glorify Him.NEW PSALM RECORDSThis year, the Genevans, under thedirection of Alfred H. Johnson, haverecorded two sacred numbers. Theseare; O Send Thy Light Forth (a partof the 43rd Psalm) by Balakireff andthe Twenty-Third Psalm set to thetune ofCrimond by David Grant.This is an unbreakable record sellingfor $1.25.Bob GrossGeneva College57