# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S119
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Young People’s Work 119

Ill. YOUNG PEOPLE'S WORK

Report of Board for Young People’s Work
(Memorial 301. Cf. Unprinted Memorials 2 and 28)

Soon after the Cleveland convention of 1935 your Board for
Young People’s Work resumed its regular monthly meetings and
other activities to carry out the resolutions and instructions of
Synod and to plan and undertake such other enterprises as are
commonly classified as young people’s work. Specifically this term
includes only those matters which directly refer to the Christian
education and training of young people. Broadly speaking, how-
ever, the term includes the consideration of ali those matters or
factors which favorably or adversely affect their spiritual develop-
ment. Thus understood, young people’s work concerns itself with
young men and young women as members of the Church, with
their continuing growth and preparation for intelligent and con-
secrated participation in the affairs of the Church, with helping
them to build and strengthen a Christian philosophy of life as it
may be improved or impaired by countless contacts and forces of
their daily vocation or avocation. In directing our work to these
ends, we have come to appreciate that our efforts must be both
positively constructive and vorbeugend.

In discharging its duties for the Synod, your Board has con-
sistently kept in mind the limitations imposed by the nature of its
work as a synodical committee whose duty it is to improve and
unify young people’s work, without violating the rights and respon-
sibilities of local autonomy, or to assume duties which rightfully
belong to the home and the home congregation. Ours js the task
to assist in the direction of this work so as to keep it in accord with
principles and policies of the Synod as a whole.

Throughout the triennium we have relied for assistance on the
many District committees. They have regularly given us detailed
reports of their activities and submitted numerous suggestions for
the general improvement of young people’s work. At intervals,
digests of these District materials are prepared and mailed to all
District committees and officers of Synod. In this connection we
are happy to report that our recent digest contained items of value
from every District committee of the United States and Canada.
Our brethren in South America reported with regret that young
people’s work there is hampered by lack of men who have time
to give to it. It is the diligence and fine spirit of cooperation of
the District committees which enable your Board to serve as
a clearing-house for information and supervision. The major por-