LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 47

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PARISH, YOUTH. AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES 47

resources for marriage and family. The new Concordia Sex
Education Series is a resource for Christian people of all ages
and has been well received around the country. More of a Good
Thing, sequel to Keeping a Good Thing Going, is now avail-
able. Both are marriage enrichment manuals to be used by
Christian couples over an extended period of time and include
both Scripture study and enrichment exercises.

A new resource available to District education executives,
adult education consultants, family life consultants, camp
directors, and leisure ministry consultants is the newsletter
Relate, which is published every two months. Currently there
are no plans to expand distribution from the national office.
Instead, District offices, consultants, Boards, and committees
are free to duplicate it or to excerpt any portion of it.

Relate is only one of the ways that the Board for Parish
Services maintains the link between national] and District
offices and congregations. Close working relationships con-
tinue to be developed and cultivated with education executives
and consultants in the Districts. All of these people provide a
link to local congregations and are sources of information
regarding their needs. The Lord has blessed Bible Study and
Family Life efforts of the Board for Parish Services for many
years. We remain strong in our proclamation of Him, cooperat-
ing with boards, staffs, auxiliaries, agencies, Districts, and
congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

V. Proclaiming Jesus Through Church Literature

The Board for Parish Services continues to study the needs
of the church to determine what literature may be required to
assist God's people in the local parish to carry out their mission
more effectively.

Of particular concern are the theological disciplines to which
members of the Standing Committee on Church Literature
give special attention: Exegesis, Dean Wenthe; historical
theology, George Robbert; practical theology, Barbara Steege:
scholarly research, Erich Kiehl; and systematics, James

ickel.

Fred Kramer has completed the translation of Volume III of
the Examination of the Council of Trent by Martin Chemnitz.
This volume may be combined with Volume IV into a single
book for later publication. The final decision will be made upon
the completion of the manuscript for Volume IV.

Concept statements, which are the first step in reaching
agreement on publication projects, are being considered for
new books on Christian dogmatics, hermeneutics, resources
for study of the Bible, and pastoral] theology.

The first steps have been taken for the Synod to establish an
endowment fund for scholarly research.

Funding is also being explored for continuing the trans-
lation of Johann Gérhard’s monumental Loci Communes
Theologica by Richard Dinda.

We thank God for the unique contributions Charles Sauer.
vice-president of Concordia Publishing House, and Martin
Scharlemann, professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis,
made to the ministry of publications. Their deaths this past
year have left vacancies which are difficult to fill.

VI. Helping Congregations Administer Their Mission

As a followup to the publication of the series of planning
guides for parish committees, ‘““God’s People at Work in the
Parish,” new studies are being made of proposed structures for
congregational administration, as well as theological founda-
tions for parish management.

~—-- Plans are proceeding for the publication of a new manual

for training elders for the local congregation.

Data received from an evaluation by District program
executives of the 1981—83 parish planning manual, Four Steps
Forward, suggest that the Synod continue to supply the
manual to parishes on an annual basis. A manual for 1983—84
has been sent to every congregation.

Together with the other program units of the Synod the
Board for Parish Services has begun to prepare a congre-
gational self-study and spiritual renewal program. The five
essential functions of ministry, namely worship. nurture.
witness, service, and fellowship, will be included in the parish
renewal materials.

A rather new committee for most parishes has been pro-

posed. It’s a ‘‘Professional Leaders Support Committee.” Such
acommittee would serve as a feedback group to provide liaison
between the congregation’s professional leaders and its
members. The purpose would be to strengthen relationships
and improve the quality of partnership in the Gospel.

VII. Proclaiming Him
to Developmentally Disabled Persons

The Commission on Mental Retardation became the Stand-
ing Committee on Ministry to the Developmentally Disabled
as a result of the 1981 synodical convention. This change was
brought about to more adequately serve members of the Synod
who are parents of children with varying disabilities.

The following persons were appointed by the Board for
Parish Services to serve on the standing committee: Dr. Donald
Ahlersmeyer: Rev. Ronald Reisdorf, secretary; and Chaplain
Fred Stiemke, chairman.

“Teaching Those Who Hurt,” an article from /nteraction
magazine, has been reprinted for wider distribution. The tracts
and bulletins prepared by the former Commission on Mental
Retardation are still being utilized.

A new look has been given to The Star. This publication
continues to serve the church by providing updated material,
such as federal and state regulations, new teaching materials,
reviews of pertinent films and filmstrips, books, and articles. A
message is also provided for our pastors. A third class permit
allows for economical mailing.

New curricula have been published. You and Me, God, a
confirmation curriculum for nonverbal vouth and adults, was
made available in 1982 through cooperative efforts with the
Coordinating Committee for Cooperative Projects in Congre-
gational Life. Revision of Series I] of Bible Lessons for Special
Classes, to be called Christian Life Series, is pending. This
confirmation curriculum will serve the deaf population also.

The S.E.R.V.LC.E. (Special Education Research Project)
was terminated in March 1982. Eighteen resource modules
have been published and are available to congregations,
colleges, schools, and individuals. Titles include: ‘‘Individual-
izing Instruction.” “Getting Programs Started in the School,”
“The Gifted and Talented,” ‘Parenting the Special Child,”
“Communication.” and Keeping Those New Programs Alive
and Well.”

The Parish Advocacy grant for Nebraska and Central
Illinois Districts terminated at the end of 1982. Evaluations
were conducted in each District.

Training workshops are continuing. Workshops were con-
ducted in Montana, Florida, and I]linois during 1982. Two
consultations were held. at Louisville. Ky., and Cedar Rapids.
Iowa.

Through its secretary of Services to the Developmentally
Disabled, Marshall Nelson, the Board for Parish Services
continues its contacts with the American Association on
Mental Deficiency. Down's Syndrome Congress, American
Protestant Health and Welfare Assembly, the Conference on
Learning Disabilities, the Parent Network, the Consortium of
Churches and Disability, and the Commission on Ministry to
the Handicapped of the Lutheran Council in the U.S.A.

The Secretary also attended four meetings of the Commis-
sion on Ministry to the Handicapped of the Lutheran Council
in the U.S.A. This cooperative work resulted from the all-
Lutheran meetings held in Madison, Wis., in 1980 and 1981.

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VIII. Human Care Helps ProclaimJesus  ¢-__

The new Bylaws of the Synod instruct the Board for Parish
Services to “assist congregations in becoming communities
where fellow believers care for one another and share with one
another those gifts which God has placed in their midst for the
common good.”

In consultation with the Synod’s Board for Social Ministry
Services attempts are being made to assess what’s happening
in local parishes which care about their members and the
people of their community. From congregations that are well
organized to show compassion in practical ways others can
learn how better to support and bring healing to people whoare
disadvantaged. sick. poor, grieving, physically disabled, un-
employed, dispossessed. oppressed, aged, and abandoned.

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