LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1962, Page 184

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184 UNPRINTED MEMORIALS

Christian education we mean: all of the planned activ-
ities which take place under the conscious guidance of
the Christian community in all of the agencies it pro-
vides for the Christian education of its members —
children, youth, and adults.

Not long after the staff had initiated the curriculum
study, they realized that to give the attention which
the important matter of curriculum deserves would
require more time and a type of leadership which under
present conditions it is impossible for. the members of
the staff to give. Most of the members of the staff are
editors (9 out of 13), and the constant pressure of
deadlines does not allow time on the part of any one
of them to direct an overall curriculum study and to
provide the necessary leadership for coordinating the
curricula of the various agencies. The number of in-
volvements of the four executive members of the staff
prevents also them from serving in this capacity.

It is for this reason that the Board is respectfully
advising the Synod of the need for a full-time Co-
ordinator of Curriculum Materials. The coordinator
would provide the leadership necessary to make a thor~
ough study of the curriculum needs of the Synod, and
coordinate the curricula of all of the Synod’s agencies
of parish education, so that the program of Christian
education in the congregations may be made as effec-
tive as it is possible to make it.

The need for coordinating the curricula of the var-
ious agencies is emphasized when one realizes that the
possibility always exists that the same Bible material
with similar objectives or goals may be presented
within a short time to some of the same students in
as many as four different agencies. Efforts have always
been made to prevent this from happening, but in spite
of those efforts there have been times when a higher
degree of coordination should have been achieved.

Functions of the Proposed
Coordinator of Curriculum Materials

The particular concerns of the Coordinator of Cur-
riculum Materials would be:

1. Acquainting the staff with new insights in cur-
riculum building;

2. Interrelationship of curriculum materials used
in the various agencies of Christian education;

3. Curriculum needs of the congregations of the
Synod;

4. Theological content of current curriculum ma-
terials;

5. Planning a new overall curriculum in parish edu-
cation;

6. Establish liaison with the Synod’s terminal schools
and the other departments of the Synod.

In giving attention to these concerns the Coordinator
of Curriculum Materials would perform the following
functions:

1. Give leadership in acquainting the members of
the staff with new insights in fields related to the theory

and practices of curriculum building and to the process
of Christian education in general, such as Christian
theology, Christian education, educational psychology,
philosophy of education, methodology, etc.

2. Provide the leadership necessary in making a
study of the interrelationships of the various agencies
of Christian education — the family, elementary school,
high school, Sunday school (including Bible classes),
vacation Bible school, Saturday school, weekday classes,
released-time classes, confirmation classes, leadership
education courses, etc. The Coordinator of Curriculum
Materials would also study the educational programs
provided by other agencies such as youth groups,
women’s guilds, and men’s clubs to determine how the
curricula of these agencies can best be coordinated with
our instructional materials. Such studies would include:

a. Identifying objectives for all age levels, irrespec-
tive of agencies;

Age-level objectives have been set forth in the cur-
riculum materials for each agency. For example, gen-
eral objectives for children of elementary school age
are identified in the curriculum guides for Lutheran
elementary schools. However, a comprehensive state-
ment of age level objectives that cuts across all agencies
has not been developed by the Synod.

b. Determining the nature and potential of each
agency of Christian education;

Each agency has its peculiar characteristics,
strengths, and weaknesses. Up to this time these fea-
tures have influenced to some degree what has been
taught by the agency. However, a thorough study of
the agencies needs to be made, so that the emphases
best suited to each can be assigned in a more systematic
way, thus achieving a higher degree of coordination and
effectiveness of operation for all agencies.

c. Identifying the age-level objectives each agency
is to focus on. In the light of the findings of the agency
studies, objectives will be assigned to each agency so
as to insure the most effective Christian education pro-
gram possible.

d. Determining how the instruction in each agency
can best be made a part of, and be coordinated into,
the overall program of Christian education;

It will be the task of the Coordinator of Curriculum
Materials to see that each agency will make a specific
and significant contribution to the overall program of
Christian education.

3. Give leadership in surveying the curriculum needs
of the various types of congregations in the Synod, with
a view to planning the curricula of the various agencies
of Christian education in such a way as best to meet
with those needs. Such a survey would include:

a. Determining the composition of the congregations
of the Synod; that is, finding out the kind and type of
individuals being served in the program of Christian
education (rural, urban, inner-city, suburban; lower,
middle, upper economic class; depth of Lutheran back-
ground; etc.);