# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S287 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) PARISH SERVICES AND YOUTH 287 unique situation. The church says today to as many who will hear, “Listen to this Word from God, all of you.” lll. THE BOARD OF PARISH EDUCATION IS COMMITTED TO CHRISTIAN EDUCATION IN A VARIETY OF SETTINGS A. The Wide Variety of Settings Learning occurs in all of an individual’s experiences in life. Christian education can take place, therefore, in a variety of experiences in many different settings. The Christian Home In a more narrow sense, Christian education happens when- ever and wherever the ‘means of grace” are used. The Chris- tian home, in which the people of God minister to one another for mutual growth in Christian faith and life, is the most effective setting in which the church (i.e. the people of God) educates. The Christian Day School The church as a congregation in a given locality educates through a variety of more formal, congregation-sponsored settings. The most promising formal setting for the Christian education of God’s people is the Christian day school, whether that school be an elementary school, a high school, or a univer- sity. In the setting of the Christian day school more time can be given to formal religious instruction than is ordinarily available. Above all, the entire environment of the Christian school can be utilized for Christian education through the interpersonal rela- tionships of God’s people. Weekday Settings For many reasons most children and youth of our church do not attend a Christian day school. Yet the Sunday school as the sole educational agency of the church is severely limited. Weekday programs of religious education allow more time than the Sunday school for formal teaching of the faith and for the nurturing of the bonds of fellowship of God’s people. Therefore congregations of our Synod are strongly encouraged to provide weekday programs of Christian education for all children and youth not enrolled in a Christian day school. Traditionally our churches have offered weekday classes in Christian education for youth of junior high school age. Through these classes pastors prepared their youth for the rite of confirmation. Our challenge today is to expand these study groups to include younger children as well as older youth and adults. Weekday programs of Christian education can take many different forms. For preschool children, nursery schools, and day care centers can provide excellent opportunities to assist small children develop Christian attitudes that will be significant for their entire future life, and also to aid parents in their under- standing of child training. Release time classes, Saturday schools, and weekday classes after school are promising settings for the formal Christian education of elementary and secondary school students. Summer Schools The summer months offer an excellent time for weekday educational programs, particularly for children and youth on vacation from school. Such summer programs as the vacation Bible schoo! can provide a period of intensive Christian educa- tion that would be impossible to offer during the school year. Moreover, summer programs reach many unchurched people. For example, each year approximately 30% of the vacation Bible school enrollment of our churches are nonmembers. Settings for Youth and Adults A wide variety of settings may be utilized for the continued Christian education of youth and adults. Camps, retreats, Sunday night groups, breakfast prayer or study groups and home groups offer possibilities. Parish leaders might well assess the situation in their specific place and creatively plan settings for Christian education that meet the needs and circumstances of their fellow members above the children’s level. As has been previously mentioned, the Adult School of Re- ligion is one setting for a weekday Christian education program for youth and adults that deserves serious consideration. Many adults prefer short-term courses to an ongoing study group. Similar short courses, perhaps several at a time, are equally suitable for Sunday morning study. The Sunday School While emphasizing the value of weekday programs of re- ligious instruction, it would be wrong to downgrade the Sunday school. In spite of its limitations, the Sunday school will likely remain the most promising agency for reaching the maximum number of people. The Sunday school is so deeply embedded in American culture that more people will be willing to attend this educational agency than any other. Rather than deplore the Sunday school’s inadequacies, let us recognize its potentials and improve its quality. Young Adults A major challenge is to minister to young adults who leave their home parish after their high school graduation for college, the armed services, or work in a distant place. These young adults also need to continue their spiritual growth through Christian education experiences. Our ingenuity is challenged to provide Christian education settings in colleges and universities, in military installations, and other nonparish environments. Intergenerational Groupings We also need to experiment with new kinds of settings. For example, traditionally we have provided educational settings in age groupings. A growing realization is emerging that there is value in intergenerational grouping for Christian education in which representatives of different generations may share their experiences, insights, attitudes, opinions, and needs, and, above all. their commitment to their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. STATISTICAL SUMMARY OF ENROLLMENT IN TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS* Nursery Day Weekday Summer Sunday Year Roll School School Programs School 1969 ____ 92,859 154,235 123,863 379,057 813,719 1970 _____ 90,264 150,980 135,381 376,299 786,374 1971 __. 87,371 146,214 141,706 363,018 750,482 Year Lutheran High Schools Weekday Adult Bible Classes 1969 «22,561 99,173 1970 __ «212,776 97,811 1971 _— 12,543 91,297 B. Moving Toward a Deeper Commitment Aware that Christian education in its narrow sense takes place wherever the Gospel is taught and the Sacraments ad- ministered, the Board of Parish Education, in partnership with the respective District Boards of Parish Education, seeks to assist congregations in identifying and using a variety of settings for their ministry of Christian education. During the past bien- nium the Board has sought to stimulate a deeper commitment to Christian education and a more widespread use of the oppor- tunities inherent in the wide variety of settings in which Chris- tian education can take place. The Board has: 1, Stimulated congregations to evaluate their present settings for Christian education, encouraged them to improve their current agencies, and suggested possible new forms for Chris- tian education, as well as a strengthening of existing forms. 2. Provided congregations with information and assistance in establishing, administering, and conducting a variety of edu- cational experiences. In particular, a heavy emphasis was given to early childhood education, weekday programs of Christian education, youth and adult education, and family life ministry. The board encouraged Districts to appoint District education consultants in the areas of adult education, family life education, youth education, and weekday schools. 3. Encouraged congregations to consider the engagement of a director of Christian education to provide the congregation with professional educational leadership as it explores and utilizes various settings for Christian education. 4. Provided a wide variety of curricular materials to enable congregations to choose those materials best suited for their specific educational needs and settings. 5. Pointed out the downward enrollment trend in most * Note the downward trend in all but the weekday school.