Collection › LCMS Convention Proceedings (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1938 · 37th Convention, St. Louis › Page 109
LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1938, Page 109

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

Elementary Education 109

ficient importance to deserve special mention. Our youth during
the critical postconfirmation years are exposed to peculiar dangers
in high school and elsewhere and are in need of sympathy, counsel,
and spiritual guidance. Every possible effort should be put forth to
enlist them in the Sunday morning and week-day evening Bible
classes and to keep them under the influence of the Word of God.
More care should be exercised in the selection and preparation of
teachers for our junior Bible classes. We deceive ourselves if we
think that adolescents will be prompted by a spirit of loyalty to
attend the Bible class and take an interest in Bible-study. The
Bible-class department of the Sunday-school calls for exceptionally
good teachers. Unless the teachers are well versed in the Scrip-
tures, have a sympathetic understanding of the adolescent, and em-
ploy sound teaching methods, they will not be able to motivate the
young people properly for the study of God’s Word and the young
people will not profit as they should even if they do attend class
from a spirit of loyalty.

Sunday-School Literature. —If the Sunday-school as an edu-
cational agency is to achieve its objective, and if it is to be main-
tained at a high standard of efficiency, good literature and effective
teaching must be the chief considerations. Various improvements
have been made in the literature, and plans for further improve-
ment are being laid. The Board wishes to express its appreciation
for the loyal and cooperative spirit of the workers in the field. Our
circulation has increased from year to year, the number of leaflets
issued in 1937 exceeding that of any previous year. In agreement
with a resolution of the Cleveland convention a children’s weekly
entitled The Child’s Companion was launched early in 1937. It has
met with a favorable reception.

Preparation of Teachers.—In the fall of 1936 the venerable
President of Synod appointed a special committee to project a
teacher-training program. This committee has worked indefati-
gably in planning an integrated series of booklets. A special com-
mittee report appears on another page of this volume. Every Prot-
estant denomination has been brought to the realization that much
of its ineffective religious teaching is due to the Church’s failure to
equip the lay teachers and that permanent results cannot be ex-
pected unless the teachers are thoroughly trained. As an agency
for teacher-training the regular weekly teachers’ meeting should be
accorded first place and should be encouraged everywhere by those
responsible for raising the standard of the Sunday-school. We are
glad to report that a considerable proportion of our teachers are
attending regular weekly or biweekly meetings. During the past
three years the organization of associations has continued steadily.