# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S295
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

PARISH EDUCATION 295

the entire church membership of our Synod td praise and thank
God for these precious blessings.

’ 1,2. Mindful of the important consequences of the decisions
reached by our Synod at this historic convention, the Board for
Parish Education calls upon the entire Synod for a determined
effort to expand and improve our system of Christian education.
We urge Synod, every synodical District, every congregation, every
family, and every individual member of Synod, to give emphatic
expression to this determination in word and action. We implore
God to bless all our pastors, teachers, and laity in their efforts to
implement this high resolve.

2. The Christian Home
In view of the importance of the Christian home in the program
of Christian education, we recommend that every congregation of

our Synod be urged to plan a constructive program to build and
strengthen the Christian home. This would include:

2.1. That every family of our Church be encouraged to meet
more and more the Biblical standards of a Christian home, to set
up a family altar, to emphasize Christian child training, to utilize
the facilities for Christian education in the congregation, and to
seek by precept and example to make the home a positive influence
in the Christian training of the child.

2.2. That courses on Christian family life and parent education
be given in Bible classes, by men and women’s groups, and by
parent-teacher associations.

3. Parochial Schools

3.1. The statistics for 1945 show that only 27.8% of our children
of school age are in our parochial schools. Ideally we should have
all of our children in our schools, but this goal is probably un-
attainable. As an attainable objective for the next twenty-five
years, we submit that Synod adopt the goal of having 50% of
our school-age children in our schools. Obviously, some Districts
will far exceed this average. Many individual congregations will
be able to reach the 100% goal or to come close to it.

Setting this goal is a venture in faith. To attain it will require
faith, prayer, consecration, determination, and leadership. Progress
must be made step by step in the respective Districts and the
congregations, but some growth should be evident each year. Such
growth in our system of parochial schools is demanded alike by
concern for our children and concern for the future of the Church.
The children have need for an integrated program of Christian
education in home, church, and school. The Church has need for
a well-indoctrinated laity. Only as we build our system of paro-
chial schools, can this be assured.