# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S385 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) SOCIAL ACTION AND WELFARE 385 By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.” ALTON WEDEL, Chairman ARNOLD DEKE, Secretary GEORGE EBERLE JuLIAN HorrMAN WILLIAM STIEVE ALFRED Y. ARMSTEAD, Staff Eucene C. GuNTHER, Staff Eucene W. LinseE Jr., Staff Lesuie F. WEBER, Executive Secretary (9-03) Report of Commission for Services to the Mentally Retarded The commission, now in its sixth year of service, was created to assume leadership for The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in coordinating and unifying the work among the mentally retarded throughout the Synod. The commission has recognized that great need exists to help congregations and their social ministry com- mittees become aware of their responsibility toward the retarded and their families and to assist them and the pastors and teachers in meeting this responsibility. While many areas of responsibility exist, foremost among them is to provide programs to meet the spiritual needs of the mentally retarded. At the synodical convention 2 years ago in New York it was announced that the commission had obtained a full-time executive secretary. Thus the commission has had the opportunity to attempt to meet all of the duties and functions as set forth in the Handbook and to meet the needs of our people, as they relate to the retarded, in the congregation or in the community or in their everyday work as indicated by correspondence received. For instance, this past year the following is an indication of the support which the commission has been able to provide for our constituency (indicated by number of pieces of correspondence): requests for our “Packet” of helps— 75; Sunday school information and help — individuals — 28; Sunday school information and help — pastors — 27: confirmation assistance to pastors — 21; aid for residential care placement —6: inquiries from high school and college students — 38; requests for ma- terial — 200: information about residential care — 12; inquiries regarding our recent emphasis on National As- sociation for Retarded Children’s Month (November 1968) — 25; requests from congregations for bulletin in- serts for above month — 1,000; general correspondence — 450: additional requests for The Star — 200; total correspondence — 2,082. All this as of February 1969. What Is Being Done? Teacher Training Institutes— Since the establish- ment of the commission, the commission has conducted institutes and training programs at 18 locations across the country. As a result of the institutes the commission has realized an increase in the number of religious edu- cation classes that have been established throughout the Synod. Speaking engagements were filled at four workshops sponsored by congregations and agencies during this past spring. Moreover, we have now con- ducted the annual survey of existing Sunday school classes for the mentally retarded, and in the last report published in the Parish Education Bulletin (November 1968) a general increase was evident for serving these young people in our various churches. College Programs —Information is being received that various programs initiated by students at some of our seminaries and colleges to provide and conduct re- ligious classes for the retarded at various state institu- tions are being conducted. Some of these programs are being held in Austin, Tex.; Fort Wayne, Ind.: Higgins- ville, Mo.: Springfield, Ill; and St. Louis, Mo. There are probably others about which we have not yet been informed. Publications and Public Relations — The commission continues to keep on file for distribution a “Packet of Materials” which is available for a small fee to all who request it. The Star is published quarterly by the com- mission in St. Louis. The mailing list totals 15.000. The emphasis is generally religious concerning classes, teach- ers, lessons, materials, and book reviews as they refer to church-school classes or to confirmation training: Take Five for M. R., bimonthly, is a postcard for pas- tors and provides basic information relative to counsel- ing parents: Teacher Exchange, quarterly, is only for teachers of church-school classes for the mentally re- tarded: an insert in Advance, once a year, for congrega- tion church-year planning and to alert all members to National Retarded Children’s Month in November: and a Church Bulletin Insert or Bulletin Back Cover for use during November of each year with suggestions for members’ volunteer services to the retarded in church and community. Exhibit Materials have been prepared and are avail- able for display at conventions and at other meetings. Requests for use of this material for display purposes should be made to the commission. The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod is regularly represented by the commission at the various professional organization conventions. as well as parent and teacher organization conferences: this serves as a public relations endeavor. As of this writing our Synod is the only major church body providing a central office to serve the mentally re- tarded within its membership. Also in this category and toward a more complete awareness by our pastors and teachers are our packets that are distributed to the newly graduated pastors and teachers in order to pro- vide them a ready file of pertinent facts and figures re- garding the mentally retarded they are liable to find and meet in their new assignments. Committee Work —In order to further accomplish the policies of the commission, the following subcommit- tees have been functioning within their prescribed areas: a. Committee on Parish Materials. This subcommittee reviews requests for materials that can be used by chil- dren, parents, pastors, and others in a parish setting.