The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-09-07
THE COMING Y. P. O. Us
BY REV. AMOS cRUM, DID.
New YORK CITY.

We are required by the topic assigned
to sketch. il possible. the coming Y. P.
G. U. Our committee appear to be i'm.
pressed with the fact that our Y. P.C.U.
is in state Of transition; they are pass
ing from something that has been to
something not yet arrived.
1t may be doubted whether we are able
to sketch this rather indefinite possibil-
ity.called the Coming Y.P.C.U." Some
of us may derive but little solace from
the reflection that if the coming Y. P.
Q. U. shall be very long in coming we
may not be present to witness it's arrival.
I am strong in the confidsnce however,
that it will come. and that there will be
both members and spectators to be glad
dened thereby. This Of itself is encour.
aging. ! we'll remember the time, now
not long past. when no prophet was dar-
ing enough to declare the appearance uf
our present Y. P. G. U. This noble band
of young workers for our faith had not
yet been organized for duty. They had
not yet heard their call. And If they
should now vote to disband and close
their career, many of US would be able
to trace some of our best growth to the
meetings that had been held and the
topics that have been studied in the
precious Y. p. @. U.
They have brought freshening life
to many church. broadening vision
to many soul, wave of conservation to
many group OF hearts. Even though
its history has been short, the memory
of its influence will remain with us, and
while life endures we shall bless the
founders of our Y. P. G. U.
But why indulge in this retrospect be-
fore invoking the forward look? Let me
answer that it is the past that must in
struct US concerning the future. AS this
organization of young people has been
blessing in the past we may we'll believe
that it will be blessing in the future.
It's strength is not abated nor its mis-
sion restricted. The causes which in
spired it's beginning still plead for it's
continuance.
But you will ask that more particu-
larly describe the Y. P. G. U. that is to
come.
There will be in the older members a
disposition to shape the meetings to suit
older and more mature minds. They
will scarcely remember that the young
people Of today will not be the young
people Of even five years from today.
Each year will note changes in the
membership. Present members are grow
ing older-younger members are coming
on from the Junior Unions. That is to
say they ought to come. There ought
to be Junior Unions formed to consider
and discuss simpler topics and to furnish
preliminary practice for those who are
to take our places. These juniors are
not the coming Y. P. G. us, but they
are shaping and tempering the elements
which will form the coming Unions.
In my judgment no nobler service can
be done by the present workers in our
Y. P. G. U. than to work for the perpet-
uation Of this great movement by help
ing the Junior Unions. We must pre-.
pare our recruits. We must keep in
touch with the little people who may
not feel at home with the deeper topics
and more educational methods of the
older societies. AS time goes on and as
the doing of this work improves those
who do it, the older members will be-
come more spiritual and we hope more
earnest. To them this is benefit, but
the danger is that they will grow away
from the Younger life around them.
Their very faithfulness has developed
them. They need meetings that are
richer and more spiritual. The little
people will not relish the strong meat
required by the older workers. and there
a. division is liable to occur. Junior Un-
ions must be formed and sustained in
order to provide work and nourishment
for minds Of different degrees of matur-
ity. BY working along this line we shall
assure the future of our Y. P. @. U. as
we'll as broaden and spiritualize and
unity our church. This is the noble
mission of the present Y. P. G. U. 1t is
to furnish the trained workers for our
coming church.
But again and more particularly, the
coming Y. P. @. U. will complete the 30.
lntion 0f the Drohlano of ito own av;sf
ence. To-day some Unions are attempt
ing to maintain an existence by merely
literary exercises as study clubs or social
cliques. While these are good for the
purposes which they attempt to fulfill,
they always fall short OF results distinct
ly religious.
'ADDREss at the Iowa Y. P. C. U. Convention
June, 1895.