LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 274

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7. PARISH SERVICES

7-01
Report of Board of Parish Education

One way to review the goals of Christian education in the
congregations of the Synod is to recall Luther’s explanation to
the Second and Third Articles.

After summarizing the redeeming work of Jesus in the
Second Article, Luther confessed what he believed to be the
purpose of what Jesus did: “‘That I might be His own and live
under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting
righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as Heis risen
from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.”

Christian congregations organize and maintain education-
al agencies so that people of all ages may belong to God
through faith in Jesus, live under His gracious rule, and serve
Him in love.

The power by which people are brought to faith in Jesus is
confessed by Luther in his explanation to the Third Article: “I
believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in
Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has
called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts,
sanctified and kept me in the true faith, even as He calls,
gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church
on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

By teaching and learning the message of the Holy Scrip-
tures, the congregations of the Synod are enabling men,
women, young people, and children, through the Word and
Spirit of God, to know God, especially His seeking and
forgiving love in Christ, and to respond in faith and love and
grow up in Christian maturity.

Remembering who they are by the grace of God, the sons
and daughters of God look forward to the challenges they face
in teaching and learning the Gospel of Christ. They anticipate
with joy the evidence of growth in faith and growth in numbers
that are God’s gifts to His church wherever His Word and
Sacraments are faithfully administered.

To encourage the ministry of Word and Sacraments in the
local parish the Synod has instructed its Board of Parish
Education, in cooperation with the District Boards of Parish
Education, to assist in every possible manner the congrega-
tions of the Synod in arranging and carrying out a com-
prehensive and effective program of Christian education, so
the Gospel of Jesus Christ may become ever more effective in
the life of the individual Christian and in the life of the
congregation.

The Board of Parish Education and its staff rejoice in the
opportunity to move forward in remembrance with the con-
gregations and Districts of the Synod.

I. Organization of the Board

In 1979 the Synod elected these new members to its Board of
Parish Education: Rev. Wayne E. Schumpe, teachers Dennis
Hintz and Charles F. Wildauer, and lay person John H.
McCants. They joined the board members elected in 1977: Rev.
Maynard Brandt and Rev. Raymond A. Mueller, teacher Fay
Richert and lay persons Roy Guess and James E. Price.

Dr. J. A. O. Preus, Synod’s President, appointed the follow-
ing faculty members to represent their respective
teachers college or seminary through their membership on the
board: G. Waldemar Degner, Concordia Theological Seminary,
Fort Wayne; Rudolph H. Harm, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis;
Lee Roy Holtzen, Concordia Teachers College, Seward; Mark
Joyce, Concordia College, Bronxville; Loma Meyer, Concordia
College, St. Paul; R. Allan Zimmer, Concordia College, River
Forest. Mark Joyce resigned his membership on the board in
May 1980 because he accepted an appointment to the faculty of
St. John’s College, Winfield, Kans. Paul Boecler accepted the
appointment to represent Concordia College, Bronxville, in
December 1980.

II. Organization of the Staff

The Rev. Edwin Fritze, after 10 years of service, retired as
director of marriage education and counseling seminars on
Jan. 31, 1980.

275

Henry Niermeier retired as assistant to the secretary of
schools on July 28, 1980. He had served for 16 vears.

Norman Junghans resigned from his position as project
director of Effectiveness Training for Lutherans, on July 31,
1980, in order to become principal of the new Lutheran high
school in Kansas City. He had been project director since 1973.

Al H. Senske, completing 10 years of service, resigned as
secretary of elementary and secondary schools on Aug. 31,
1980, in order to assume the position of assistant secretary for
nonpublic education of the U.S. Department of Education.

Jane L. Fryar began her work as associate editor of day and
weekday school materials on Nov. 24, 1980. She works closely
with Arnold E. Schmidt, editor of day and weekday school
materials.

Earl H. Gaulke, director of the editorial services unit,
supervises their work, as well as the work of the other members
of the unit: Theodore W. Schroeder, editor of Sunday school
materials; Arlon W. Rueter, editor of vacation Bible school
materials; Donald E. Hoeferkamp, editor of My Devotions;
Mervin A. Marquardt, editor of Interaction; and Frederick A.
Radtke, writer of special-education materials.

The Field Services Unit, supervised by Victor A. Constien,
executive secretary, consists of Ronald W. Brusius, director of
family life education; Dale E. Griffin, secretary of Sunday,
weekday and summer schools; Joanne Eisenberg, associate
secretary of early childhood education; Marlin W. Schulz,
associate secretary of elementary and secondary schools; Jan
C. Case, project director, special education research; and Susan
M. Cutt, project assistant, special education research.

III. Forward in Remembrance
Through Media Resources

In Bylaw 7.25 c the Synod instructs the Board of Parish
Education to ‘‘plan and direct the production of textbooks and
other printed materials necessary to carry out an effective
program of parish education.” In Anaheim Res. 7-19 the Synod
reaffirmed “its mandate to the Board of Parish Education... to
plan and direct the production of materials necessary to carry
out an effective program of parish education.” Dallas Res. 7-11
further resolved that the board, with Concordia Publishing
House, ‘provide additional Bible study materials... forallage
groups within thechurch... that the Board of Parish Education
be granted sufficient staff to produce these materials; and...
that these materials be continually revised and provided to
local congregations at a reasonable cost.” St. Louis (1979) Res.
7-08 and Res. 7-15 commended the board for its Sunday school
materials and encouraged continued use of the board’s “That
We May Grow” adult materials. During the past biennium, the
board has continued to carry out its synodical mandate by
upgrading extant materials and developing new materials that
are Bible-based, true to the Lutheran Confessions, and designed
to lead the learner to growth in faith and life.

In this ministry of the printed Word the board deeply
treasures its team relationship with Concordia Publishing
House. Although the BPE editorial staff plans and directs the
production of materials and edits all manuscripts, CPH
underwrites the costs of developing and cataloging BPE
curricular materials and contributes the skilled resources of
professionals in graphic services, advertising, and marketing.
The board appreciates this Synod-mandated BPE-CPH rela-
tionship since it provides the kind of healthy ‘‘creative tension”’
most likely to maintain a proper balance between theological/
educational concerns and cost/profit realities.

The following describes some of the specific projects of the
board, through its staff, in fulfillment of Bylaw 7.25 c and
convention resolutions.

A. New Life in Christ

Beginning with the September 1976 quarter, CPH published
anew BPE-designed and edited Sunday school curriculum for
elementary grades. This new series builds on the time-tested
model of the former Life in Christ series. It is Bible-story based
(chronological Bible history), uniform (same Bible stories on
all levels), group-graded (each level is for two grades), and