Teenage Crusade Trailer (1960s)

Heat. [music] [music] Heat. [music] >> [music] [music] >> We here at Family Films would like to tell you about our series of motion pictures made especially for teenagers. We talked with church youth workers in many parts of the country. And the more we talked, the more we realized how important such a series of films would be for our churches. And we were told over and over again by people such as yourselves who are actively and seriously at work with young people that this is one of the most critical areas of church work. And I'm sure you will agree with me that we need powerful tools to present the message of Christ today, especially toers. And this series of films will help you have a dynamic teenage crusade in your church. We'll help you challenge decisionmaking teenagers to live for Christ. As you know, teenagers live pretty much in a world of their own. So we decided to go straight to teenagers for much of the basic material for these films. And we gathered together young people from many churches and with a variety of Christian experiences. And we tape recorded hours of discussion with them. We told them to let their hair down and talk about their problems. Boy, did we get an earful. For instance, when they began talking about parents, it turned out to be a very warm subject. And here on this tape recorder is a sample of one of our discussions. Listen. I mean, uh, you don't listen to their Well, I I always tell them, see, after I get done, I said, "Now, now look, Mom." I said, "I think I'm pretty good. I have an open mind. I listen to your side of the story." You're not right, but at least I [laughter] No, correction. I never say you're not right. I say, "I think you're not right." Otherwise, I'd be thrown out of the house if I could say, "I think you're right." This is the kind of material our writers use to prepare the final shooting scripts. But now let's look at a scene developed from some of those tape discussions about parents. It's from our Teenage Crusade series, a film called Teenagers Parents. My dad tells me I'm not old enough to go off on the weekend with the family car and five minutes later he's telling me I'm grown up now and to act that way. >> Man, you're exactly right. That's just the way it is at my house. First, you can't do that. You're not old enough. And then, when are you going to grow up and take some responsibility around here? >> Yeah, I don't know whether I'm a an old kid or a young man. >> Maybe it's our fault in a way. We treat our parents like part-time parents. We want to be grown up and stand on our own two feet, yet we always expect them to be there when we need them. >> That's right. Whenever I don't agree with my parents, I always get the same old routine. Wait till you're older, Helen. Then you'll understand. >> Why don't parents accept the fact that we do grow up? Oh, I love my family, and I don't want to hurt them, but I don't want to be tied to them. Doing things as a family is okay, but not all the time. >> Well, I don't think it's wrong for you to feel that way, Carol. It's uh part of God's plan that children grow up to become independent individuals. Well, how can you grow up to become individuals if you can't even pick out your own clothes or you can't have your friends call for you? >> One of the subjects that kept coming up was the problem of standing up for one's Christian convictions under pressure. For instance, cheating during an exam at school. Everybody does it, they're told. But our leading character in Teenage Code faces this problem and brings right out into the open the Christian principles involved to help your teenagers when they face a similar situation. >> You've been worrying a lot about that history exam, haven't you? >> I got plenty of reason to worry. >> Oh, well, not anymore. Old Shawsy's given us 50 questions. 50 questions that have to be answered with only one word. True or false? >> How do you know that? >> Well, never mind. But this little sheet of paper's got the right answer to every one of those questions. Now, is Joe Clover being a palerine? Now, you've got nothing to worry about. What's the matter? >> I don't want anything to do with this, Joe. >> Keep it. I couldn't cheat. Joe, hold it, >> man. What's wrong with cheating on one lousy exam anyway? Plenty. Now, take it back, Joe. Don't be a fool. There's nothing wrong with cheating unless unless you're caught. And there's not a chance in the world of us getting caught. >> Many of the actors and actresses we used in these motion pictures are dedicated Christians. They enjoyed working with us because they felt they were contributing to the spiritual enrichment of other teenagers. In teenage loyalty, the script writer had written a stirring speech for the climactic scene. The young actress portraying the leading role surprised all of us by literally living her part. She had taken the words of the script to heart and was uttering them with such personal feeling that we watched and listened spellbound. >> I'm pretty ashamed. I not only failed you, but I failed in my loyalty to the church and to Christ. I suddenly realized that I had been trying to serve God while also trying to serve mammon. Because although mammon means money and material things, I think that it means other things too. And when these other things that weren't really necessary took so much of my time that I couldn't serve my Lord and my church, then I realized that I was acting like I did love these other things more. I've asked the Lord to forgive me and I hope that you'll forgive me also. I realize now that I spread myself so thin I forgot my chief loyalty, my loyalty to Christ. It is both pleasing and surprising to realize the deep dedication of some of our Christian teenagers. One question that kept coming up in our discussions was the matter of keeping true to one's testimony for Christ. So we developed a story about a young man who always carried his New Testament with him. This got him into difficulties just as it had some of our real life teenagers who had similar problems in witnessing. And here is an example from Teenage Testament. What this young man did should be an inspiration to everyone. >> I suppose you think it's pretty funny that I carry my testament around with me. But before you start laughing, let me tell you why I carry it. >> Hallelujah. >> Amen, brother. >> I believe that that the most important thing in the world is to have faith in God. And if anyone wants to laugh at that, we'll we'll go right ahead. That that book you're holding, Vern, it's been called the greatest book ever written. Do you know why? Because it has the only answers as to why we're here on earth and and what we're supposed to do with our lives. A lot of men have died so that the Bible could be brought to people everywhere in the world to show them the way to eternal life. I carry my testament with me because I have faith in God and believe in Christ with all my heart. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed. I'm proud of it. Serious Christian teenagers often ask, "What does God want me to do with my life?" How does one know that he is called to the ministry? Well, certainly any teenage crusade should challenge young people to give their lives to the Lord's service, whether full-time or not. And we decided to include in our teenage crusade films one that would help young people understand what it means to be called to the Christian ministry. We have done this in the film Called to Serve. >> For a long time, I've wondered whether I should go on in business administration. But what aptitudes have I what special aptitudes have I for the ministry? Well, I think uh first a minister has to uh like to work with people. He must have an interest in history, language, communication, and a desire to study the great thoughts and ideas of the scriptures and then implant them in the minds of others so they can take root and grow. Well, people, history, the church, Bible study have always interested me. But how can I be sure that that this should be my life's work? That this is what God wants me to do. Evangelism also in one form or another is of serious concern to many Christian teenagers. This is not always personal evangelism for the youth group as a whole has a responsibility of witnessing for Christ and winning others to him. In the film Teenage Crusade, we show a lively church group that decides to reach unchurched young people in the community. First of all, they want their friends to know what fun and good times they have together. So, they invite them to a party down at the church where they can get better acquainted. It was this film, Teenage Crusade, showing a group of dedicated Christian young people carrying on an evangelism campaign in their own way that inspired the broader concept of this entire series. motion pictures being used by Christian youth groups for a dynamic teenage crusade in their own churches. Here are Christ centered motion pictures that focus directly on the problems young people are facing today. These films were made by teenagers for teenagers with the help of Christian teenagers. The use of this teenage crusade series in your church will help you increase the attendance of young people and be the means of outreach to the unchurched in your community. Here is youth evangelism at work. We've had reports from those who've used these motion pictures and we have tested them with young people ourselves. We know that they provide strong motivation for decisionmaking teenagers. We urge you to consider these films as powerful tools for helping your young people make lifelong decisions for Christ and his church. [music] >> [music]