LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 296

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296 PARISH SERVICES AND YOUTH

executives, and their wives have been most gratifying. Few pro-
grams of Synod have received such acclaim for meeting the
personal and professional needs of God's people in ministerial,
leadership roles. Evaluations give evidence that the marriage
and family counseling seminar is one of the most helpful pro-
grams our church has provided its professional workers.

Some Districts have already requested that the same seminar
be offered again. Others desire a follow-up program which will
build on the phase one.

Another 4-Year Program Is Requested

The project committee, made up of representatives from
each participating board, has recommended that Synod offer
another 4-year project with the following revisions.

Districts could select the basic 8-day seminar which would
emphasize the theology of marriage and family, the basic tech-
niques of personal counseling, and the encounter groups. This
would be available to the persons who did not participate in the
initial program.

Also available to the Districts would be a shorter term, fol-
low-up seminar for those who have attended the basic seminar.
This advanced seminar would give greater attention to the
spiritual dimensions of counseling, family-oriented parish pro-
gramming, family and group counseling, values, and problem
solving.

The broad scope of the Christian ministry of people to people
is enhanced by the coordinated efforts of a variety of concerns.
All aspects of Christ's mission upon which we are sent, are
closely tied to the professional person as he relates with his Lord,
himself, his family, and others who live in families.

Therefore, the Board of Social Ministry, the Board for Mis-

cation, and the Wheat Ridge Foundation are asked to cosponsor
a second series of seminars with the Board of Parish Education
responsible for their implementation.

Cost For Phase Two

The estimated synodical cost for 21 8-day seminars and 21
4-day seminars is $150,000 for the 4-year period.

Each participating District will contribute $400 for the 8-day
seminar and $200 for the 4-day seminar.

Congregations are asked to contribute the Participants’ costs
which will be $110 for the 8-day seminar and $55 for the 4-day
seminar. This cost is for tuition, lodging, and meals. Wives’ costs
will be $45 for a 4-day session.

Full enrollment for the 42 seminars would total 1,680 min-
isters of religion.

We are asking that Synod authorize a special project budget
of $150,000 over a 4-year period, approximately $37,500 annually.

The total estimate for the program would be:

Synod’s budget oo... oo, $150,000
District budgets 00.0.0 10,000
Total cece. $160,000

Implementation and Administration

Our experience from the first Pastoral Care Program, to-
gether with the counsel from the executives from sponsoring
boards, indicates that a project committee should be appointed
to serve as consultant to the director of the project.

This committee would include representatives from the
sponsoring boards, a District representative, a director of
Christian education, a parish pastor, Synod’s director of family
life education, and the Project director.

The responsibility for implementing and administering the
program would be that of the Board of Parish Education through
the full-time project director.

Recommendation 1: To Extend Marriage and Family Coun-
seling Seminars

1. That a 4-year training program for parish professionals
be authorized by Synod.

2. That 21 8-day seminars and 21 4-day follow-up seminars
be offered the Districts of Synod, and where feasible, Districts
that are geographically adjacent to each other will be asked to
hold joint seminars.

3. That a budget of $150,000 over a 4-year period be autho-
rized as Synod’s portion of the total budget.

4. That the Board for Higher Education, the Board for
Missions, the Board of Social Ministry, the Wheat Ridge Founda-
tion, and the Board of Parish Education cooperate in the pro-
motion, planning, and development of the program, and that
the Board of Parish Education be responsible for the admin-
istration and implementation of the program.

5. That a project committee be formed to serve as consultant
to the project director in the planning and implementing of the
program.

6. That the Board of Parish Education be authorized to en-
gage a project director for the 4-year program.

7. That the project reports be made to the Synod through
the Board of Parish Education.

Report and recommendation presented by the project com-
mittee of the Pastoral Care Seminars, Rev. E. J. Temple, Chair-
man.

WHEREAS, The 1969 convention of The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod authorized a series of marriage education and
counseling seminars for pastors and their wives to be sponsored
by the Wheat Ridge Foundation, the Board for Higher Educa-
tion, the Board for Missions, the Board of Social Ministry, and
the Board of Parish Education; and

WHEREAS, This program has been so well received that
District requests for seminars exceeded the 25 allocated by the
Synod, and the Participating pastors, District presidents, edu-
cation executives, and their wives, have requested a similar,
follow-up project: and

WHEREAS, The initial Project was begun in March 1970 and
will conclude March 1, 1974; therefore be it

Resolved. That a similar intensive marriage education and
counseling program be offered to professional ministers, be-
ginning March 1, 1974 and terminating on March 1, 1978: and be
it further

Resolved. That the Districts be offered 21 8-day seminars
and 21 4-day seminars that will serve as a continuation or a fol-
low-up on the basic Program; and be it further

Resolved. That the program be sponsored by the Wheat
Ridge Foundation, the Board for Higher Education, the Board
for Missions, the Board of Social Ministry, and the Board of
Parish Education: and be it further

Resolved. That a project committee be appointed, composed
of a representative designated from each sponsoring board,
the project director, and Synod’s director of family life educa-
tion, and that this committee, in turn, will appoint a District
representative, a director of Christian education, and a parish
pastor: and be it further

Resolved. That the plans for financing the 42 seminars be
approved; and be it finally

Resolved. That the Board of Parish Education be authorized
to implement the program, engage a full-time project director,
and make biannual reports to the Synod.

Recommendation 2: To Encourage Development of Early
Childhood Education Programs

WHEREAS, Authorities on education recognize that early
childhood experiences and impressions are vital to a person’s
total life: and

WHEREAS, An increasing awareness of the importance of
early childhood education has resulted in the development of
many educational agencies, schools, and programs for the
benefit of the young and their parents: and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod which
has long recognized the necessity of Christian education from
“the cradle to the grave”: is experiencing the development of
a variety of early childhood Programs in many local congrega-
tions; and

WHEREAS, The Synod’s Board of Parish Education, an in-
creasing number of District boards, the synodical teachers
colleges, and the Early Childhood Education Department of the
Lutheran Education Association are actively engaged in the
development of leadership, materials, and programs for utiliza-
tion by congregations: and

WHEREAS, A variety of program and agency possibilities
exist by which congregations can aid the Christian education