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Olivet Nazarene University Digital Commons @ Olivet Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today Church of the Nazarene 9-1-1985 Herald of Holiness Volume 74 Number 17 (1985) W. E. McCumber (Editor) Nazarene Publishing House Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation McCumber, W. E. (Editor), "Herald of Holiness Volume 74 Number 17 (1985)" (1985). Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today. 215. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh/215 This Journal Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Church of the Nazarene at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A N • E D TOR A EVERYBODY OUGHT TO GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL by General Superintendent Eugene L. Stowe he time— Saturday night, June 22, 1985. goal of 2,000,000 on our Responsibility List (Enrollment The place— Anaheim stadium. by 1995). This will mean almost doubling in the next TMore than 15,000 of us had gathered for a Giant Sun decade. It can be done. Just in the United States and day School Rally on the eve of the 21 st General Assem Canada, multiplied millions of children and adults never bly. go to Sunday School. Then around the world billions The service opened with that great congregation have no Christian education. Can we do less than this? singing “Everybody Ought to Go to Sunday School.” I The Board of General Superintendents has desig hadn’t sung that chorus in years. A flood of memories nated 1986 as the “International Sunday School Year.” washed over me— This will be our major thrust as we open the new qua- — Sunday School contests drennium. We’ll be getting a head start this fall. This — Brand-new people issue of the Herald o f Holiness will tell all about it. — Bulging classrooms — Attendance records broken One great obstacle to Sunday School growth in many During the evening we were reminded that everybody countries where our church is in operation is a dearth of isn’t going to Sunday School. In most of our churches printed materials. We take teachers’ and pupils’ quarter more people attend the morning worship service than lies and other lesson helps for granted. But many Naza- Sunday School. Actually, adult classes are larger than rene Sunday Schools in Third World areas have no ma ever. That’s great! Nobody is too old for Bible study. But terials at all! We are challenging our people to give a the number of children in our Sunday Schools has been minimum of $250,000 to help provide literature for those steadily declining for the last several years. That’s not who need it so desperately. This investment will reap great! rich dividends. There is a great hunger for reading mate General Superintendent Jerald D. Johnson stabbed rial in many countries where the literacy rate is rising. our consciences in that Saturday night service about Thousands will start to attend Sunday School if there is our God-given responsibility to get boys and girls into literature for them to read. This can be a tremendous Sunday School. He spoke frankly about getting buses harvest field for the church. “out of mothballs” and back into service. He challenged Every Nazarene should take this renewed emphasis thousands of adults to leave the comfortable pew in a on Sunday School seriously. It is a basic part of our Bible class and volunteer to teach children’s classes. all-out evangelistic commitment— “That the World May Christian Life Division Director Phil Riley unveiled the Know.” □ A DREAM COME TRUE riday, December 7, began just have Sunday School each week, but as any other day. There were by PHIL RILEY many without any materials in Froutine phone calls, appointments, their language. In our efforts to ex due dates, and letters to write. with here in our headquarters. It tend our missionary work into new However, there was one exception has been a difficult decision to pri countries, we have not always —the Planning and Budget Coun oritize for 1986. However, by unani translated scriptural materials into cil of International Headquarters mous vote of our board, we are go the language of the people. This was to have its quarterly meeting at ing to designate 1986 as the year we has hampered our discipling efforts 1:30 p.m. in the Bresee Conference emphasize the Sunday School and very seriously. Just think of how Room. This council is comprised of its importance worldwide. Since much more effective our weekly Bi the general superintendents, gen the growth pattern of our denomi ble study can be with the proper eral church officers, the education nation follows the outreach growth materials. At last we can do some secretary, and the division direc of the Sunday School, and because thing definite to change this situ tors. Since I serve as secretary of we have Sunday School in our ation. Our yearlong effort is multi this group, I was busily putting to churches around the world, we are faceted: gether the agenda. One o f the first going to designate it the Interna 1. Create awareness of the need. items would be to hear the report tional Sunday School Year. The two The fall Sunday School emphasis from the Board o f General Superin main purposes will be: will center around the theme “Let tendents on their recommenda “1. To emphasize the impor Them Know.” Every local church tions for top priority programs to tance of Sunday School in the will be asked to acquaint each per be emphasized in our denomina Church of the Nazarene around the son with the need for literature tion for 1986. I was curious as to world; around the world. what these would be. “2. To increase awareness of the 2. Promote attendance and en All week long, the general super need for Sunday School literature rollment. During this yearlong ef intendents had conducted meetings in the countries where the Church fort, each local church is asked to with the director o f each division, of the Nazarene is working and ma “Take God’s Love to New People” ministry and service, as well as the terials are not available in the lan (spring 1986) and prepare for the general church officers. Each had guage. This involves more than 60 “Weeks of Harvest” (fall 1986). outlined, as convincingly as possi language groups in over 75 coun Let’s find, enroll, and urge new peo ble, the program that seemed to be tries. ple to come to Sunday School. the m ost im portan t in that d i “We are also appointing a com 3. Give unselfishly to provide vision. At this Friday afternoon mittee to organize and implement Sunday School literature to those meeting, the announcement would the plan. They are Rev. Phil Riley, who desperately yearn for it in their come! division director of Christian Life language. While $250,000 has been After the usual call to order by and Sunday School, who will serve earmarked in the 1986 budget, the Chairman V. H. Lewis and the usu as chairman; Dr. Bill Sullivan, di hope is to match this amount with al preliminaries of any business vision director of Church Growth; a denominationwide offering in meeting, our attention focused on Dr. L. Guy Nees, division director Sunday School on October 26, the first agenda item: the 1986 o f World Mission; and Dr. Bennett 1986. This will not bring literature Budget Priority. Dr. Jerald D. John Dudney, director of Publications to every country where we now do son, chairman o f the Board o f Gen International.” not have any, but it will be a giant eral Superintendents, was asked to By this time I could hardly see to step to begin the process. present this item. All eyes turned to take minutes of the meeting. Tears Yes, we will respond. Yes, we will him. He began by saying, “This has Hooded my eyes. My dream of the give. Yes, we will show our world been an excellent week for us. We past four years was becoming a through the printed page that God have received insight and informa reality—a dream of bringing im loves each one. Yes, we will con tion about all that you are involved portance and visibility back to the tinue to promote the study of God’s Sunday School in the Church of the Word in Sunday School each week. Nazarene! This action would show Yes, we will touch the lives o f new not only that Sunday School is im people through our renewed efforts. Phil Riley is Christian portant and essential but that it is Yes, we will pray for more Sunday Life and Sunday School Di vision director for the gen international. I was reminded of School workers. I promise to do my eral church, headquartered the 7,600 local churches located in part—will you? Let’s make it at Kansas City, Missouri. the 75 countries of the world that happen—starting now! □ SEPTEMBER 1, 1985 HERALD M„fHOLINESS W. E.F McCUMBER,Mr.CUMRFQ EditorFriitnr in Chiefrjimf Bible Quotations in this issue: IVAN A. BEALS, Office Editor Unidentified quotations are from the KJV. Quotations from the following translations are used MABEL ADAMSON, Editorial Assistant by permission. (NIV) From The Holy Bible.