Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-25
Students Of Whole World Object
Of Present Day of Prayer
John R. Mott, on behalf of Worlds Student Chris
tian Federation, Issues Call to Churches
By THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER

ena of the war. One of John r.
Motifs books for students has been
circulated in the trenches of Germany
to the extent of forty-three thousand
copies.
Soldiers of Civilization
The sobered thought of humanity
is more inclined to-day to heed all
calls to prayer than it was FIVE years
ago. 1t sees the effect of the present
cataclysm upon civilization. The need
for new national and international
leadership, and for the inflow of new
ideals and forces into society is mani
fest Christian students must in
large part meet these needs. If the
ideals of civilization are to be pre-
served, Christianity must have large
part in preserving them. Within
educational realms the state of mind
is more serious to-day than for
generation past.
Religious rivals in educational CEN
tcrs are reported from all parts of
the land. Special campaigns have
been conducted in the big Eastern
Western colleges. Nor are these meet
ings confined to America alone.
George Sherwood Eddy has just re-
turned from India, where his amazing
series of evangelistic meetings among
Chinese and Japanese students have
campaigns in certain great cities are
quite matched by the less notorious
revivals in educational centers.
Campaigning In Colleges
A concentration of effort in behalf
of the ChristianiZation of the college
life of America is under way at the
present time. The effect that both
the churches and the Young Mems
Christian Associations are united in
observing this as a Day of Prayer is
merely symptomatic. Some denomina-
tions, notably the Presbyterian, have
been having a week of college vista
tions during the past six days.
The whole country is covered with
a net work of special effort for higher
institutions of learning. Most of the
! leading denominations now have
department of student work. They
employ a staff of Student Pastors"
experts who give themselves wholly
to the spiritual care of the students
in the great universities. Various
plans Of the university churches have
been adopted by the denominations,
and in some cases UNCONVENTIONAL
houses akin to the fraternities have
been opened.
Delegations of the strongest minis
ters in certain denominations have
been set apart for weeks at time to
do work in the colleges. The aim is
TO keep the students in vital touch
with Christianity and with church
work. 1t is a well-known fact that
the average student during his absence
from home at college loses contact
with church activities, and is COM
monty lost TO church work.
AY. NJ. G. A. Army
While less known to the public
than the great city Y. NJ. c. AS, the
college work of the Association is of
unmeasured significance. There are
student Y. NJ. C. AS In seven hun
dred and seventy institutions, and
proportionately large number of Y.
w. G. A. in women's colleges and CO.
educational institutions. Seventy-tiVe
thousand men are enrolled in these
associations, and thirty-eight thou
sand are members of Bible classes.
Nine thousand men are working in
college communities in practical So
cial service.
A veritable military staff of gen.
eral secretaries direct the Y. NJ. G. a.
work in the colleges of the land. 1t
has been said that the leaders of these
men, like a. j. Eliot, II. p. Turner
and John r. Mott, have II better grasp
of the basic moral and religious
phases of preSent-day education in
America than do the famous college
presidents themselves. This does not
imply any lack of sympathy or CO.
operation between the educators and
the Y. NJ. G. A. men. On the contrary
there is a new and close cooperation,
so that educational institutions lend
hearty support to the observance of
the Day of Prayer for colleges.
All alert churches in the land will
make recognition of this special OBJ
servance of February 81 as a Day of
20 iG hot ha=
the special sympathy of parents
whose children are at college. The
general keeping of the day betokens
the widespread interest of the whole
Church in the Christian leadership of
! tomorrow.
| THE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.