Young people are in the Church. Not as many as there might be or could be. Thousands of children who come through church schools are lost to the Church each year as they approach adolescence.

      In every community there are hundreds of teenagers never reached by the Church at all. Among these is a hard core which constitute a grave social problem. Currently known as "bodgies" and "widgies," they have a notoriety which often leaves the impression that all modern youth are a hopeless lot. That, of course, is far from the truth. Yet the situation is disquieting enough and the Church has to do a lot of serious thinking and take adventurous action if it is to bring young people into a full understanding of life, and to equip them with the faith, the love, the loyalty to live life at its best.

      In and around the churches are millions of young people, many of whom need a face-to-face meeting with God and to respond to the call of Christ. The Church has a mission which is unique. "Let the Church be the Church. Let it be famous for that for which it is unique--Christian fellowship. Young people may experience genuine association with God and with one another. Through this association they may come to know the true nature of the divine-human fellowship which is the Christian Church. The desire to apply its spirit to everyday relationships at home, school or job can make difference in nearly everything young person does. And it can greatly change the spirit, the procedures and the accomplishments of the youth group as a whole." (Cummings).

What Shall We Do?

      In January, 1958, forty-four people met in conference at Victoria's Camp Waterman, Monbulk, in what was designated a Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF) Commission. Thirty-five of these were young people chosen by their Youth Departments to represent their State--Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Canberra. The Christian Youth Movement of our sister churches in New Zealand was represented by Ross I. Taylor, national president of C.Y.M.

      The Commission was a never-to-be-forgotten experience. A report has already appeared elsewhere. Plans were made at the first Commission for a similar gathering in January, 1959. This present survey and analysis is given in the hope that those responsible for the leadership of youth may be fully informed of purposes, backgrounds, patterns of youth work, the thinking of young people themselves and future Plans for the development of C.Y.F.

Background

      The modern Christian education movement is less than two hundred years old. The Sunday School movement commencing in 1780 in both England and America turned the minds of many Christian people to the need for Christian teaching of boys and girls and young people. It faced stiff opposition from the Church and had to work as an "outside" agency. The Sunday School is only beginning now to recover

from that "banishment." There are still some Christian people who think of the school as an "auxiliary," but there is an increasing awareness that what goes on in the church school (the school of the church) must be the concern of the whole church and must be seen as a vital part of a total programme. "Christian education has no objectives of its own, its aims are those of a truly Christian Church."

      At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, youth organisations began to appear in the Church. Many were created to meet special needs and in many churches there was confusion, competition and overlapping. More recently the "Youth Fellowship" came into being. This was not another one of a series of parallel organisations, but a step towards a unified youth programme.

      Church youth work today tends to be:

      1. Church centred. Youth work is not a cause in itself but the realisation of the living fellowship of the Church in such a way that youth as well as others experience the reality of it.

      2. Aware of the wholeness of life and personality and unified in organisation.

      3. Aware of the areas of basic need in young people's lives.

      4. Aware of youth's planning and executive capacity, but also aware that youth needs the guidance of experienced persons.

      Youth work is seen as the activity of the living Spirit of God through intelligent understanding of youth and through youth's own dedicated living to make actual the living fellowship of the Church in every area of life where young people move.

The Primary Emphases in Youth Work

      --were brought out in preparatory research and discussion and are here summarised.

      1. The starting point--persons and personality. The youth fellowship in a local church begins with a concern for people. This sharply contrasts with the earlier competition of interests and the tendency to exploit young people for various purposes through separate organisations. The new approach recognises the Christian emphasis upon the sacredness of personality. It seeks to build one clear programme of the Church to meet the total spiritual needs of young people whatever their age group.

      2. The youth fellowship expresses its concern for youth in a central loyalty to the Church of Christ. It is an inclusive fellowship accenting the total task of the Church. It is the visible expression of the Church itself at the level of youth. The Church--the body of Christ--is seen as a living whole of which the youth fellowship is a functional part.

      3. Fellowship is the heart of Christian experience. The true nature of the Church itself is found in fellowship with God in Christ and with others in the life and service of the Church. The youth fellowship is an embodiment of the central experience of the Christian life--fellowship.

      4. The "youth fellowship" looks like denominationalism, but true fellowship has the quality of inclusiveness, This sense of belonging to the whole family of God and the readiness to join with others in a comradeship transcending denominational boundaries has characterised the youth fellowship movement since its beginning.

Getting Down to Bedrock.

      "How is the youth group to experience the living fellowship of the Church" was a question dealt with early in the Commission. The findings of one group, gathering up much of what was said in others, were:

      Youth leadership and participation.

      Efficient, tactful adult counsellors.

      First-class organisation.

      Worship should be simple, well-planned, meaningful and within the experience of the group; ample time allowed for preparation and adequate resources provided.

      Sense of responsibility to God church, group, should be cultivated.

      It should be clearly understood by the young people that the group is part of the church.

      Healthy boy-girl relationships.

      Helpful to have dedicated young people to form the nucleus of the group.

      "Cliques" must be avoided--those on the fringe must be accepted in all activities of the group.

      Another basic question was "What is man's deepest need?" Again groups focussed their thought and framed such answers as:

      To rise to oneness with God.

      Love, a sense of belonging.

      To know the meaning of life.

      A faith in and love of Someone who gives him hope and in whom that faith is justified, that love is returned and that hope is fulfilled.

      "What is God's purpose in the Church?"

      To bring man back into oneness with God and into right human relationships.

      To reveal to man the answer to his needs found in Jesus Christ. The Church is to continue what Christ began.

      The Church is the instrument of God whereby all men are to be drawn into a oneness with Him through Christ.

      Fellowship with God--a redeemed fellowship called to be a redeeming fellowship in the unredeemed community.

      Although these statements may lack definition in a theological sense, they represent the honest attempt of young people to seek acquaintance with large areas of thought and with the basic ideas of the Christian faith.

The Needs of Youth.

      As groups worked on they found that a further question must be answered, if a youth fellowship was to function realistically. This question--"What are the fundamental needs of youth which the Church must meet?" brought forth a statement of 20 needs. The groups then went back to work on the related question: "Is the Church today adequately meeting these fundamental needs?"

      The results of this inquiry are given here in composite form telescoping the work of several sessions. As the five groups reported on the second question they classified their findings as Good, Pair, Poor, Very Poor, and these are shown in the column on the right.

      The footnote to this section of study has the following comments as to reasons for the Church's inadequacy in meeting needs:

      1. Lack of leadership training.

      2. "Hit or miss" methods instead of deliberate planning.

      3. Failure to really understand youth.

      4. Youth work fragmented.

      It should be made clear that youth were taking an objective view of youth work. They were not seeking to disparage the Church. They were at work as part of the Church to discover the place of youth in the total life of the Church.

The Five Programme Areas.

      A study of fellowship patterns developed overseas during the last two decades revealed that the youth fellowship, whatever its pattern in the respective denominations, had striking similarities. A comparative study of these patterns had been undertaken and in 1951 the five programme areas became a reality. They are variously expressed and adapted by various communions. At this Commission these five areas of concern, or programme emphasis, (SWERS), were accepted:

      Study.
      Worship.
      Enlistment (stewardship, evangelism).
      Recreation.
      Service.

      The Church's youth programme includes meetings at various times Sundays and weekdays. Each of these sessions should have a distinctive purpose as an accepted meeting of the Christian Youth Fellowship. It is the work of the local C.Y.F. executive to see that the C.Y.F. group activities cover all these five areas.

      At this point there was need for clarification on the question, "What is C.Y.F.?" It was not clear whether C.Y.F. would be a co-ordinating body to link existing groups or a specific organisation.

      In addition to this division of thought, a second arose in relation to the five-point programme of C.Y.F. Some thought that the SWERS programme would be introduced into the local church by being broken into separate pieces, e. g., Sunday morning Bible study would cover worship and study, and the weeknight programme enlistment, recreation, service. Others felt that the five areas had to be all included in the one programme.

      The following statement threw understanding on the nature of C.Y.F. in the local church.

      Those who were allowing the SWERS programme to be broken up into separate pieces were forgetting one point. There is a danger that the young person who is interested in one area only--e. g., recreation--may come along on that one night and ignore the worship and study programme. In the same way, the young person who is interested chiefly in worship and study would be able to miss the recreational programme, etc. In other words, if SWERS is divided we will end with separate groups, each catering for the particular interest of certain of our young people.

      Those who wanted to put the SWERS programme into effect as a unit perceived that it is indivisible because it is a total picture of life--they realised that C.Y.F. is SWERS. This programme is the heart and core of C.Y.F. It is this full picture of life and its needs that we want to present to every Christian young person in order to broaden their interest and enrich their lives. To be specific, the person who is solely interested at present in recreation is the very person we most want to influence in the direction of worship and study. The same applies to the person whose interest is limited to any other part of SWERS programme.

      In local churches where there is no existing youth programme the full C.Y.F. pattern could be introduced. This would be affiliated with C.Y.F. on State and Federal levels. Iii churches where there are existing organisations, the SWERS programme must be presented convincingly to them as being able to fulfil the basic needs of youth. If such groups are determined to retain their identity they may still acknowledge that the SWERS pattern can round out their existing programme and broaden their picture of life, bringing them into contact with young people they may never have reached otherwise. They may adapt C.Y.F. materials to enrich their programme, and associate on State and Federal levels, so that, although they call themselves by their present name, they really will be the Christian Youth Fellowship. Gradually they may come to the place where they will adopt the name C.Y.F.

      If existing groups do not accept the programme of SWERS they may be accepted in C.Y.F. as far as they are willing to be accepted and affiliated on State and Federal levels. We cannot close the door on any group.

      Because C.Y.F. is the total programme there is no such thing as C.Y.F. minus--a programme to take care of the part of SWERS not covered by existing groups. SWERS can not be broken up.

      SWERS programme is for regular meetings--devotional, study, recreation, service, enlistment--each person thus being influenced by every aspect. This does not eliminate the "special" programme, e. g., drama, social, etc.

      The church school belongs to the total programme of the church fellowship, operated by the church. It should be related to C.Y.F. only in so far as other auxiliaries are related.

      SWERS is the heart and core of the C.Y.F. programme--the recognition of young people's basic needs and an attempt to fulfil these needs. Fundamental to this is worship. C.Y.F. is the fellowship of the church at the level of young people.

      As we come to implement this programme we realise that our hope lies in the reality of our fellowship. We must rely on the Holy Spirit working through us.

      1. Commonwealth C.Y.F. Commission

      (a) established by and operating as an integral part of the Federal Board of Christian Education.

      (b) appoints Commonwealth executive.

      2. State C.Y.F. Committee

      (a) established by and operating as an integral part of the State Y.P.D. or Department of Christian Education.

      (b) appoints State executive.

      (c) appoints representatives to C.Y.F. Commission.

      (d) encourages district fellowships.

      3. Local C.Y.F.

      (a) appoints local executive.

      (b) appoints representatives to State C.Y.F. conference.

      (c) all local C.Y.F. finance to higher levels will be channelled through the local church.

      A ready exchange of ideas between local C.Y.F. groups and State and Federal executives is warmly recommended.

We Are Resolved.

      This resolution was unanimously adopted toward the close of the Commission.

      "This assembly of young people of Churches of Christ in Australia meeting as a C.Y.F. Commission at Monbulk, January 9-16, 1958, advises the Federal Board of Christian Education that after careful study and prayerful consideration we resolve to establish a Christian Youth Fellowship throughout Australia based upon the aims and objects developed by the commission."

      It was further agreed to meet in a second C.Y.F. Commission in South Australia, January, 1959, with the present delegation augmented by at least two additional delegates from each State.

      The interim organisation during this period until next Commission, with C.Y.F. in process of formation, was then outlined:

      1. We go back to our States to launch and spread the concept of SWERS as a whole of life programme by:

      (a) Reporting findings and resolutions of this Commission.

      (b) Conferring with State youth departments to ensure unity of purpose at that level.

      (c) Motivating youth departments to carry the concept of SWERS to ministers (young people may be involved but will not directly initiate action).

      (d) Spreading the concept of SWERS, at youth level by involving young people through personal or flying squad visits to local churches, and combined conferences of youth leaders where they will undergo a similar (although on a lesser scale) searching experience such as we have had, e. g. weekend or day retreats.

      2. "The Church requires YOU at the next Commission. This year will be one of preparation. We suggest that you begin at once building a file of resource material on the five areas of SWERS. This material to be classified and brought to the next Commission for use in programme building."

      3. Suggested that each State group act as interim committee with convenor appointed before this present Commission closes. This committee to be a clearing house for information and medium of communication. Federal Board to write each Department asking that they call the State group together as soon as possible.

      We are not at present forming C.Y.F.--it is in "process of formation."

      Without programme material and the acceptance of the SWERS programme emphases it would be inadvisable to launch C.Y.F. as a fully-fledged organisation.

      We are not as yet making formal recognition (through badge or membership form) of the Australia-wide fellowship of Christian youth. For the time being the C.Y.F. executive is the symbol of that fellowship.

      Executive officers appointed at this Commission were: President, Mr. K. R. Bowes (Canberra); Secretary, Mr. John Main (New South Wales).

      "There is terrific competition for youth from a multitude of lesser interests in our secular world. They will not continue in the Church unless they discover, a vital place for it in their life programme. This means an awareness that the things for which the Church ultimately stands are actually the most vital experiences of life--confrontation with the living God, acceptance of His purposes and plans, genuine worship of Him, study and application of Christian truth, acceptance of Christ as Companion and Saviour, a unique kind of spiritual fellowship and a commitment to day-by-day discipleship and vocational service. Moreover, not only is awareness necessary, but also opportunity must be provided for youth to express this faith in meaningful service.

      There is no way of estimating what may happen when youth respond to the call of Christ in a programme that is truly vital. The encouraging experience of all who have worked long with youth is that the most dynamic and creative young people are often those most completely challenged by Christ and a vital Church programme."