LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 223

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12. RETENTION: SCHOOLS, FAMILY, YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS
Resolved, That we urge congregations to develop systems
of study and preparation that equip parents, guardians,
and members to shape the spiritual lives of their children
using the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions;
and be it further
Resolved, That those who serve in vocations as parents,
guardians, and congregation members are encouraged to
make use of the teachings of the faith, including the Small
Catechism and the Lutheran Confessions; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in its communications highlight
best practices that effectively utilize the study of the Bible
and the Small Catechism, with generous references to the
Lutheran Confessions and LCMS resources; and be it
further
Resolved, That congregations make use of many
resources, including but not limited to:
• Luther’s Small Catechism;
• Annotated and expanded Large Catechism
(forthcoming from the Commission on Theology
and Church Relations);
• Upcoming book by Dr. John T. Pless: Luther’s Small
Catechism – Manual for Discipleship;
• Rev. Peter Bender: Concordia Catechetical
Academy (www.lutherancatechesis.org);
• Concordia Publishing House materials;
and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod in convention encourage LCMS
districts to share successful strategies among their
congregations, with other districts, and with Synod as a
whole.
Action: Adopted (3)
During discussion, it was moved and seconded to amend the
second-last resolve by omitting the third and fourth bullet
points. A motion to close debate on the amendment was seconded
and carried by voice vote; the amendment failed [Yes: 457; No:
506]. Having noted the orders of the day, the chairman initiated
a vote to close debate, which carried [Yes: 794; No: 166]. Res. 1203A was adopted as presented [Yes: 841; No: 148].

To Shape the Faith Formation Paradigm
from Generation to Generation
RESOLUTION 12-04A
Reports R1–1.1, R63, R65–66 (CW, 1–16, 343–84);
Overtures 12-03–05 (CW, 551–53)

WHEREAS, The Mid-South District has partnered with
Concordia Center for the Family for the Generation to
Generation pilot initiative to train with Dr. Ben
Freudenburg, Director of the Concordia Center for the
Family, to empower and deliver family ministry training
Resolutions

and support to district congregations, and to help Christian
families in faith formation for the sake of the Gospel; and
WHEREAS, One-quarter of the world’s population is
under 15 years of age (www.statista.com/statistics/265759/
world-population-by-age-and-region/) and their parents are
primarily millennials who believe that attending church
once a month means they attend regularly; and
WHEREAS, Some children are not raised by their parents;
and
WHEREAS, Many grandparents are raising their
grandchildren while trying to help with adult children
(“When Grandparents Raise Their Grandchildren,”
Psychology Today, 2017); and
WHEREAS, Many adult children have limited parenting
skills or may not accomplish their responsibility in passing
the faith to their children (Prov. 22:6); and
WHEREAS, 25 percent of children whose primary faith
influence is the church will remain faithful in adult life, and
81 percent of children whose primary faith influence is the
family will remain faithful into adulthood (Peter L. Benson,
Congregations at Crossroads: A National Study of Adults and
Youth in the LCMS [Search Institute, 1995], 21), which
suggests that a home-centered paradigm is more effective
for retention than one that is exclusively church-centered;
and
WHEREAS, Christian Smith, the author of Soul Searching,
says, “For better or worse, most parents in fact still do
profoundly influence their adolescents often more than do
their peers, their children’s apparent resistance and lack of
appreciation not withstanding…Most teenagers and their
parents may not realize it, but a lot of research in the
sociology of religion suggests that the most important
social influence in shaping young people’s religious lives is
the religious life modeled and taught to them by their
parents” (Smith, 2005); and
WHEREAS, We must recognize children and youth, not as
the church-future, but as the church-now (Mark 10:13–16);
and
WHEREAS, Beginning in 2019, the Mid-South District
began implementing the Generation to Generation pilot
study in conjunction with the Concordia Center for the
Family (Concordia Wisconsin); and
WHEREAS, This pilot study will offer one-day family
ministry conferences across the district, focusing on one
specific area, beginning with faith formation; and this will
affect the lives of everyone in the congregation from cradle
to grave; and
WHEREAS, The Generation to Generation pilot program is
designed to enable congregations to:
• challenge our churches to stop the decline, be
intentional, and create a system for families to
learn to disciple in the home;

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2019 (67TH) LCMS CONVENTION | 223