A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

for intensive youth work. A new world order (or disorder) and new philosophies of life confront our young people. The latter, on the other hand, have more education and more contacts with the outside (non-Mennonite) world than the previous generation. If left to themselves, young people lack the spiritual discipline that could save them from unnecessary pitfalls. That so many young men went into the military, that so many young men and women come to the cities where they are reluctant to identify themselves as Mennonites we are compelled to admit as tragic facts. This calls for repentance for our past failures and the resolve to make better provisions for the future. —We must begin now to think of the possibility of another war and teach our children. Our Sunday school, youth fellowships, youth instruction, youth literature, etc., must all be governed by one sacred, overruling purpose: To lead our youth to Jesus Christ as the only Savior, to deepen their religious life, to assist them to perform better Christian service in their own churches, and to win them for the work of the kingdom of God in the whole world." The conference responded favorably to the report and the projections of the interim committee. A youth committee was elected composed of a central executive and representatives from the provinces. H. F. Klassen, Abram DeFehr, and David Reimer, all from Manitoba, were elected to serve as Youth Executive. F. C. Thiessen (British Columbia), J. A. Toews, Jr. (Alberta), and D. B. Wiens (Saskatchewan), were the provincial representatives. The committee was charged by the conference with the responsibility of translating the booklet, Fundamentals of Faith (by H. F. Toews) into the German language, to be used in youth meetings as a basis for instruction in Bible doctrine. The conference also accepted a recommendation of the Youth Com- mittee to publish a youth paper in both German and English." In 1945 the Youth Committee took over the publication of the Konferenz-Jugendblatt, formerly a publication of the Manitoba Youth Committee. This illustrated quarterly was published in Winnipeg until 1954 and edited by H. F. Klassen. Beginning in May, 1954, it was printed in Yarrow, B.C. and edited by H. H. Voth. During the last few years of its existence it was issued bi-monthly, and almost exclusively in English. This language change in the paper reflected the cultural and linguistic changes in the constituency. Through its pictorial surveys of youth activities and its timely articles the Konferenz-Jugendblatt served as a strong unifying influence among the young people of the Canadian Conference during a difficult 234 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH transition period. In 1957 this youth periodical was merged with the Mennonite Observer, published by the Christian Press. ss Other publications of the Canadian Conference Youth Committee include a pamphlet entitled, Why I Should Be a Churc