LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 364

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364 PARISH SERVICES

Education and Concordia Publishing House are joined together
in a team ministry in which each team member seeks to accept
the challenge and faithfully serve as messengers of the Lord.

V. Curriculum Resources for Equipping Messengers
of the Lord

In Handbook 7.25 ¢ the Synod charges the Board of Parish
Education to “plan and direct the production of textbooks and
other printed materials necessary to carry out an effective
program of parish education.” During the past biennium the
board has again devoted much of its staff time to developing
curricular plans and materials centered in God's Word and in
the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord. Curricular plans and
materials, of course. are only means to an end, not ends in
themselves. Accordingly. the board through its staff has at-
tempted to devise plans and materials that will lead users
through Word and Spirit to a bold and active confession of
Jesus’ lordship. In all this the board and staff have been con-
scious of the presence of God's gracious Spirit and confident
that He uses the best as well as the faltering efforts of His people
to accomplish His own good purposes.

Because the board is committed to providing first-rate study
courses usable in the various schools and programs of local
congregations, its staff has carefully monitored the church's
needs to determine which programs need revision and what
kinds of new lesson materials might be desirable.

The following, then, are specific projects undertaken by
the board through its staff in fulfillment of Handbook 7.25 ¢:

A. The Mission:Life Program

The first courses in the Mission:Life program were intro-
duced for congregational use in the fall of 1971. By God's grace
the program is now into its fourth year. Since its introduction
the program has gained in popularity until. at present, approxi-
mately 60% of the Synod's congregations are using all or parts
of the program.

With this in mind. the Board of Parish Education at its
September 1974 meeting resolved to “reaffirm its endorsement
of and commitment to the total Mission:Life curriculum and
give thanks to God for the many blessings that have accrued
through the instrumentality of this curriculum and its faithful
witness to the Gospel.”

The Mission:Life program, of course. has not been without
criticism. Accordingly. the Board of Parish Education has
attempted, through its staff, to satisfactorily answer all criticisms.
The board feels it has been preeminently successful in dealing
with questions about the program.

It is also worth noting that the Mission:Life program has
managed to maintain itself financially. Reports or rumors
regarding its supposed financial failure are incorrect.

B. New Mission:Life Materials

Since the 1973 convention of the Synod new Mission:Life
courses have been published on schedule. New Orange (VBS
and camp) materials have appeared annually on eight levels,
including youth and adult. VBS packets for mentally retarded
persons have also been prepared and offered to the church.

Eight new Green (Sunday school) Christ-Style minicourses
for youth classes became available in the past biennium. Several
Red (weekday) adult courses were published to complete that
program. The Gate. the Green (Sunday school) study guide for
adult groups. has continued to offer a variety of courses on a
quarterly basis.

In response to a significant number of requests. a booklet
entitled Memory Selections from Mission:Life was produced
to provide a memory selections plan for Mission:Life users
who desired such a plan. A supplement to the Green 8 (Sunday
school) courses was also prepared to explain how these courses
could be used with the new Epistle and Gospel readings sug-
gested by the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship’s Church
Year Calendar and Lectionary.

None of these materials would have been possible except
for the dedication and skill of an excellent staff of Board of
Parish Education editors working in close cooperation with
artists and craftsmen from Concordia Publishing House. In
Mission:Life, Board of Parish Education editors and Concordia
Publishing House employees have together been able to prepare
one of the most extensive and attractive curriculums ever
produced by a Christian denomination.

C. Revisions of Mission:Life

Revisions of Mission:Life materials continue to be made as
specific courses come up for reprinting. A thorough revision
of the Green 7! ‘Sunday school) course titled “The Case for
God's Power" has been completed by the Board of Parish
Education staff. Other such revisions and improvements will
be carried out as funds are available and a definite plan of
action can be established that will allow for needed revisions
while at the same time protecting the investments of both the
Synod and the local congregations as much as possible.

D. Life in Christ

Because not all congregations have been able to use Mission:
Life. the “Life in Christ’’ series of study materials has con-
tinued to be offered. This series, too, has needed occasional
revision, but only minor revisions have been carried out at this
point. A modest but important survey of selected “Life in Christ"
users was conducted by Concordia Publishing House and the
Board of Parish Education early in 1974 to determine the future
of this curriculum and to identify strengths and weaknesses in
the curriculum that could be considered in future planning.

As a result of the survey and other contacts with congrega-
tions, the need for a thorough revision and update of the “Life
in Christ’’ materials became clear. Accordingly. the Board of
Parish Education has begun work on another Bible-story-based.
easy-to-use, elementary-level curriculum for Sunday schools
that will, in effect. be a continuation of the “Life in Christ”
series. This curriculum has been scheduled for initial use in the
fall of 1976.

E. Materials for Special Classes

In the past biennium the Board of Parish Education has
devoted staff time to the development of materials for special
classes of handicapped persons. Series II and III of Lessons for
Special Classes continue to provide congregations with outstand-
ing resources for educational ministry with mentally retarded
persons. Series I has gone out of print, but will ultimately be
replaced by Series IV, which will contain lessons on basic Chris-
tian teachings for trainable mentally retarded persons. No firm
date for the issuance of Series IV has been set at this time.

There is a growing need in the church also tor materials
for deaf persons. A steady increase in the number of Sunday
school classes for deaf children has been noted in the past 2
years. In response to this reality the Board of Parish Education
and Concordia Publishing House have begun to explore what
kinds of materials might be needed, and how and when these
materials can be produced. An advisory committee of persons
in the church who are directly involved in education ministries
with the deaf has been appointed by the Board of Parish Educa-
tion to work with the editorial staff in developing these materials.

F. Mini-Curriculum in Christian Doctrine

Board of Parish Education editors have completed four
elementary-level courses in Christian doctrine for use in various
church school settings. The courses are group-graded, that is.
one course each for Grades 1-2, 3-4. 5-6, and 7-8.

At this writing the Board of Parish Education is attempting
to arrange with Concordia Publishing House for the publication
of these courses. Therefore no date for their issuance or avail-
ability can as yet be indicated.

Once again, the development of these courses came in
response to the call of congregations for simple courses in
Christian doctrine that could be used as an “elective” option
in the Sunday morning program.

G. New Early Childhood Materials

A series of field workshops was conducted this spring to
introduce to the church the first quarter Green Sunday school
nursery and kindergarten materials. These materials have been
designed for beginning use in the fall of 1975. Other courses
in this series are in various stages of production. The pre-
kindergarten materials will appear in time for fall 1976 use.

The new nursery and kindergarten materials will fill the
curricular needs of the growing number of early childhood
classes being established throughout the church. Lesson plans
follow a Bible story approach and feature home and parent
involvement, more so than any previous resources on this level.
Take-home leaflets and a Bible story book are designed specif-
ically for the use of parents and children in the home.