Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Page 348
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Page 348

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

348 PARISH EDUCATION AND SERVICES

tion of service in the interest of Sunday schools, vacation
Bible schools, and weekday schools.

A series of information bulletins provides suggestions
for the organization, administration, and supervision
of the part-time agencies. Copies are made available
to District boards and distributed to congregational
leaders.

Since the 1966 Synodwide Sunday school convention
in Chicago, 25 Districts have held District Sunday school
conventions attended by approximately 14,000 church
school workers. Such conventions offer opportunities
for the in-service training of teachers, for inspiration,
and for exchange of ideas.

The Board of Parish Education urges Districts to
sponsor circuit Sunday school conferences and annually
issues program materials for such conferences.

The fourth general Sunday school convention of
the Synod is scheduled for Washington, D.C., Wash-
ington-Hilton Hotel, July 24—26, 1970. All congregations
are encouraged to send their officers and teachers to
this convention, which again will be concerned with
all educational agencies.

The 1962 synodical conventicn at Cleveland resolved
that District boards of parish education be asked to pro-
vide annual workshops for the training of vacation Bible
school teachers. Since 1962 the Synod’s vacation Bible
school staff assisted 12 Districts in training leaders for
area workshops and has conducted area workshops
in six Districts.

Since the publication of the weekday school ma-
terials, the series editor attended weekday school work-
shops in seven Districts.

Increasing numbers of congregations are providing
professional teachers for their part-time agencies. Some
congregations engage full-time directors of Christian
education to lead their educational and youth min-
istries. No doubt many congregations will consider
staffing needs as a result of Parish Renewal study and
planning. In some instances groups of congregations
may find it possible cooperatively to engage and utilize
a director of Christian education.

3) Helps for the Training of Teachers. The Concordia
Leadership Training Series has been a useful resource
for the in-service training of teachers. At the present
time the Leadership Training Committee is reviewing
all extant courses. Useful courses are being revised;
dated courses are being replaced: new courses are
being prepared.

Interaction, the monthly magazine for church school
workers, continues to provide teachers with reading
material for growth in Christian faith and life and with
practical helps for their teaching.

4) Helps for Parents. For many years the board has
recognized this need for parental interest and involve-
ment and has sought in a variety of ways to help congre-
gations provide a ministry to parents. Curricular ma-
terials produced by the board provide opportunities
for parents to participate in the Christian education of

their children. Leaflets for parental guidance are in-
cluded in the Concordia “Life in Christ’? Sunday school
series. The nursery roll program is an attempt to help
parents provide a Christian environment for infants.
Through its Family Life Education Department the
board provides both materials and field services to
assist parents to be effective Christian teachers in
the home.

c. Needed Congregational Action

Improvement in the program of the part-time agen-
cies is basically a problem that must be dealt with by
each congregation. Action related to the four issues is
suggested as follows:

1) Dealing with Change

a) Check the findings of Parish Renewal Through
Education and make improvements as nec-
essary.

b) Consider the establishment of a weekday school.

c) Tackle the problem of absenteeism in the Sun-
day school.

2) Enrollments
a) Develop a soul-accounting system that identi-
fies persons who should be enrolled but are not.
b) Make an effort to enlist full participation in
the educational program.
c) Emphasize the evangelism outreach in each
educational agency.

YL

Improving the Quality of the Teaching Staff

a) Select the teaching personnel carefully.

b) Provide prospective teachers with introduc-

tory courses and helps.

c) Conduct regular Sunday school staff meetings.
d) Offer courses of the Concordia Training Series
each year.

Provide professional leadership by engaging
a full-time director of Christian education or
using day school staff in part-time agencies.

2

f) Encourage teachers to attend area Sunday
school association meetings and District and
synodical Sunday school conventions by pro-
viding adequate funds.

g) Provide the teaching staff with an adequate
working library.
h) Conduct workshops and training sessions for

vacation Bible school and weekday school
teachers.

4) Opportunities to Involve Parents
a) An active nursery roll program
b) Visits by teachers to the parents of their pupils

ec) Special church school programs explaining
the work of the church school to parents

d) Involvement of parents in the church school
program either as teachers or learners

e) Parent education programs