# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S261
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

312 YOUNG PEOPLE'S WORK

Wheat Ridge Foundation
A most remarkable evidence of the abundant blessing of God
is seen in the developments during the past three years of the Wheat
Ridge Foundation. Not only has God enabled the Walther League
to improve the services and facilities of its Wheat Ridge Sanat.
rium, but He has also lovingly guided the effort of the Walther
League to bring the help and healing: of the latest developments
of medical science and Christian love to hundreds of Lutherans
who cannot come to the Sanatorium. This magnificent achievement
God has made possible through the manifold benedictions which
He has graciously given the medical social work program of the
Wheat Ridge Foundation. Units of the medical social work under
the Wheat Ridge Foundation are now in operation in Chicago,
Detroit, and St. Louis. Two additional units are planned in other
cities within a short time. The good which this program of Christian
love has already done in winning people back to the Church, in con-
firming them in their loyalty to the Church and to Christ, in bring.
ing them a practical demonstration of Christian concern for the wel-
fare of their body and soul, and in strengthening the social welfare
program of our Church is one of the most bountiful evidences of
favor and kindness of God in all the history of the Walther League.
The Wheat Ridge Foundation is a vast endeavor of Christian love,
and its possibilities for untold blessings both upon those who give
and those who receive are limited only by small faith in the
effectiveness of the Gospel when applied to meet the deep need
of people in distress. In the Wheat Ridge Foundation the youth
program of our Church has a project for the development of unity
and co-operation among the young people of the Church which
is not equaled in any other group. It merits the understanding
and continued support of all the members of Synod, not only be-
cause of the help it gives to Lutherans ill with tuberculosis, but
also because of what it means for the youth work of our Church.
God has multiplied manifold the blessings of the Wheat Ridge
Christmas seal. Your Board urges faithful and widespread sup-
port of this program.
; Proportionate Giving
In harmony with this objective the Walther League during the
past two years has adopted proportionate giving as the method
of financial support for its program. In this way the young people
are encouraged to practice the Scriptural principles of giving and
to discover the joy also of this phase of the stewardship life. The
good which the promotion of proportionate giving has achieved
is already evident. Not only is there an increase in membership
contributions, but the young people are receiving the invaluable
training of doing the truth of Christian stewardship.

nae + panne sr enamine ntti ne: et mi met

YOUNG PEOPLE'S WORK 318

Youth Leadership Training .

Synod at its Centennial Convention “encouraged the Board for
Young People’s Work and the International Walther League to
continue the development and expansion of their program for pro-
fessional leadership training schools” (Proceedings, 1947, p. 332).
Accordingly, one of the principal concerns of your Board and the
Walther League was to set in motion machinery to provide help
for pastors, teachers, and other youth counselors in the art of youth
guidance and program development. This work falls into two
categories, the students at our teachers’ colleges and ministerial
seminaries and the workers serving the youth in congregations.
We are happy to report that at least a beginning has been made
in both groups. For the past two years Dean L. C. Wuerffel of
Concordia Seminary, St.Louis, has given an elective course to
seniors with two semester hours credit in the art of youth work
and guidance. In an all-day workshop on youth work men of the
Church who have served in the youth program for a number of
years presented lectures to the senior class on the following topics:
worship, group technique, counseling youth, the Bible in the life
of youth, choral activities, administration, recreation, youth work
on the campus. There was a panel when the students had oppor-
tunity to direct questions to the lecturers. The group was divided
into committees, and each one reported at the evening panel on
that portion of the program for which the committee was respon-
sible. The day closed with the evening devotions in which one of
the students delivered the message on youth and the work among
youth. We hope that similar arrangements can soon be effected at
Springfield, River Forest, and Seward.

For the workers in the field youth workers conferences were
held, one at Druce Lake, IIl., in 1948, and two during 1949, at Camp
Arcadia and Concordia Teachers College, Seward. Lecturers and
leaders at these sessions were persons expert in their particular
activities. Among the topics presented were: worship, group tech-
nique, recreation, drama, community singing. It is true that not
all pastors, teachers, and counselors guiding youth can attend these
meetings; however, if each District will send a few representatives
year after year, it will be possible to bring the experiences to the
conferences of pastors and teachers and to other groups.

These two-week training schools were financed in part by
contributions from the Districts and the individuals attending, and
in part they were subsidized through the Lutheran Youth Fund,
which was established through special offerings in connection with
Youth Sunday, May 23. Since, however, many pastors and others
urged the Board not to arrange these special collections, but to