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Spring 2012 Vol. 45, No. 2

TRANSFORMING CONGREGATIONAL EDUCATION

IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

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A PUBLICATION OF CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, SEWARD, NEBRASKA

Transforming Congregational Education

Spring 2012Vol. 45, No. 2

Reections

Rev. Dr.Brian L. Friedrich, President

Editorials

The State of Education in Congregations of the LCMS

Mark Blanke

The Critical Role of Education in a Congregations Mission:

Congregation and Family Together

John W. Oberdeck

Restructuring Congregational Education

Dean Hansen

Transformations in Congregations through Bible Study

Joel Heck

Book Reviews

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Editor

Editorial Committee

Editorials

Book Reviews

Associate

Associate

Graphic Design

Copy Editor

Circulation Coordinator

Issues in Christ ian Education is available online only. We encourage church workers, lay leaders, interestedcongregational members, university and seminary faculties, district and synod ofces, and libraries to visitww w.cune.edu/issues and simply complete the sign-up form on the page.

Marvin Bergman, Ed. D., Ph. D.

Russ Moulds, Ph.D.

Paul Holtorf, M.Div.,Ph.D.

Daniel Thurber, A.D.

Brian L. Friedrich, M.Div., Ph.D.

Seth A. Boggs, B.F.A.

Marlene Block, B.A.

Holly Matzke

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CONCORDESIGNSTUDIOA Student + Faculty Design Collaborative

TYPEFACES USED IN THIS PERIODICALTitles set in 22 point Mrs. Eaves Roman (Emigre of

Sacramento). Tracking normal.Subheads set in 13/13 point Mrs. Eaves bold.By-lines and author information set in 13/13 point

Mrs. Eaves small caps.Footers and folios set in 11 point Mrs. Eaves.Feature articles set in 11/13 point Mrs. Eaves.Three column text set in 9/10 point Mrs. Eaves.

Layout, design and illustration by CONCORDesignof Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska.

Artist: W. R. Wolfram, M.F.A.

Recentconversations with Christian educators from across the countryhave both inspired and discouraged me regarding the state of Christianeducation in our lcms congregations and schools. In some congregationsChristian education ministries are ourishing; in others they are languis

As I reect on those conversations it occurred to me that the teacheris asignicant yet, at times, overlooked ingredient in the process of transformcongregational education.

A case in point: In March during the Veterans of the Cross Retreat Leesburg, Florida, I enjoyed a wonderful conversation with a ConcordUniversity, Nebraska alumna, Class of 1964. Herself a teacher, she toldthe story of the teacher who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, had inspiher to become a teacher. She wanted to know if her teacher (an alumwho is retired and living in Seward) was still living. When I told her yshe told me that for some time she had wanted to thank her teacher fimpact she had on her life.

To my surprise a few days later I received an envelope with a letterenclosed. Our alumna asked me if I would hand deliver the letter of thwith a big hug. Our alumna said she had not sea led the envelope and ifI chose to read the letter she had written, I was welcome to do so. Withpermission I share a portion of our alumnas letter to her teacher.

It all started with the school year 195051! You were my third gradteacher at St. Pauls in Ute, Iowa . . . I no longer remember how manothers were in our one-room school that year. What I do rememberthat you were my only lady teacher for all of my elementary years. Yoalso allowed me to sit on your lap during some story times. It was thschool year that I learned love, and, it was that school year that I kneI wanted to be a teacherjust like you!

Many good teachers impacted my life in very positive waysspiritually, musically and academicallybutyou started the ballrolling according to His wil l and His Spirits guidance. Hopefullythis letter is a blessing to you and a simple but huge THA NK YOU,GOD, for putting you into my lifes journey!

The rst step in transforming congregational education happens whethe God of the universe transforms the hearts, lives and minds of Hisdaughters and sons through the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. The next stein transforming congregational education happens when God uses the gtalents and abilities He gives his daughters and sons to teach, model and

witness to the faith that lls them. Through these steps God rst transfo

the minds, hearts and lives of His sons and daughters so they might, in tuteach others the Good News about Jesus and, in so doing, continue to futhe Great Commission imperative to teach Gods people to obey everythiHe has commanded us to teach.

May God continue through Word and Spirit to enlighten the mindsand sanctify the lives of the teachers He draws to His service. May Hebless those who teach and those who learn that all the baptized mayapply themselves with ready diligence to their tasks and faithfullyfulll their service according to Gods will. (lsb, p. 306 paraphrase

Brian L. FriedrichPresident

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editorials

Educating All of GodsPeople: What Can Help?

Some years ago, a very wise, experiencedpastor friend (Dr. Charles Mueller, Sr.) gaveme some questions to ask when parishes wereexamining their systems past, present,

and future. They included: What day is it?Where are we? Why are we here? Hows itgoing? Could we improve? How? When?

Who could help us?On the basis of nearly 50 years of

ordained service in the Church, including13 years in each of two parishes and 11 yearson a district staff, I offer some items toconsider asyour team of leaders examines howthe system of continually educat ing all ofGods people for witness and service couldbe strengthened in your parish.

People have asked, What helps in the continuingChristian education of Gods people? We beginby rememberingWhose and Who we are: Godsbaptized children, disciples, stewards, witnesses, a gents,trustees, distributors and dispensers of His love and life!Christian education, on every level, hasthat as its biblical, Chri st-centered focus.

Please Consider the FollowingIdeas and Insights into WhatCan Help?

Keeping the meaning and the message ofChrists cross, the Gospel, in the centerof everything!

Praying with discipleship, servant, stewardvo cabulary (e.g., of fe ring pr ay er s,requests, etc.)

Singing hymns about serving, loving,blessing, strengthening, caring and alwaysbeing stewards.

Using bulletin/screen items that highlightthe on-going serv ice of Gods stewards

who is doing what, where, why it is done,and what happens because of this.

Saying Thank you often, regularly, in avariety of ways and occasions.Helping people see the good that is being

done in the name of Christ as one of Godsstewards and as a group of Gods baptized,commissioned and sent disciples.

Providing monthly/quarterly statements showingparticipation and nancial support in areasof service, worship, communion participation. . . and their impact on peoples lives in thecommunity.

Sharing biblically-based testimonials by layleaders who tell of the blessings that come frombeing Gods steward in a variety of areas oflife: at school, at work, in the community,and

reporting them on the websites, in thenewsletters, and bulletins.Offering resources, materials, inserts, screen

notes and other media that help raise thesights of the members of the congregationto look beyond themselves and the localproperty lines.

Praying regu larly for the blessing of the HolySpirit to open the lives of Gods stewards tofulll His purposes while asking, To

whom is God calling us?Offering Bible studies that examine the familiar

and the not-so-familiar portions of Scripturethat illustrate the life of Gods serving andwitnessing agents, His stewards in action.

Raising up Sunday school, Bible class, vbs,and small group leaders who regularlyapply the meaning of the Gospel to fellowstewards, of every age group, in the lessonsthey teach.

Regularly publicizing information about the totalministry of the congregation that interpretsand applies what we are doing togetherand why! The Gospel is our motivation!

Providing biblical discipleship training inall new member classes and in periodic re-orientation classes for long-time members.How are we helping stewards in and forall of life?

Emphasizing outreach to the lost, thesearching, the dri fting peoplepeopleloved by God!

Using a variety of ways to tell the story of thework of the Church in other places so that theview of our common mission does notstop with our church. We are partners

with others in the area, district, s ynod,and beyond!

Providing attractive materials, mailings,dvds, videos and other media in teachingGods stewards.

Including stories about being Gods stewards

in website updates, mailings, etc.Conduct ing periodic every-membervisits to ask members for suggestionsand counsel about the ministry andprograms of the parish (visit #1) andthen a visit (#2) to enlist talent andnancial support to carry out the ideas.

Praying reg ularly for the leaders of thecongregation, so that they can be goodstewards of t he leadership positionsentrusted to them.

Asking other cong regations as well as area,regional or national leaders for insights andsuggestions.

Dr. David BelasicPastor and Eastern District President

Emeritus, Buffalo, New Yorkdbelasiced@verizon.net

NOW . . .What do you think helps toeducate all of Gods people as youre-examine the systems, organization,approaches, emphases, and mission of yourcongregation?

God bless your partnership as His people, baptized,commissioned and sentstewards of the Gospel!(Matthew 28:1820; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 1Corinthians 12; Romans 12; 2 Corinthians5:1415).

Remembering that the very purpose of life is tobe Gods steward, disciple, manager tolet our lives be a contribution to others in the Nameof Christ! We are developing people ofpurpose!

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An Educational Paradigmthat Will Truly Transform

It is an experience that is common toevery educator. You meticulously prepared

your lesson, poli shing particu lar pearls ofwisdom to a brilliant sheen. You labored to

create learning strategies that will enablethe students to take these truths to heart.With a mixture of pride and trepidation,you handed the life-changing truth overto your students and then it happened the disquieting realization that no one

was li stening. The only sound that youheard was that of those precious spheresof truth hitting the floor and rollingunceremoniously under the desk. Thissound has been heard for as long as therehave been teachers.

Whi le st udents ha ve ne ve r been asreceptive as their teachers may want, thereseems to be a growing disconnect between

the parish educator and congregationalmembers. Many of the adults and youngpeople in the congregation are disengagedfrom the educational ministries of thechurch. They simply are not participatingin the educational programs that have beenput in place. When they are, they often havedifculty internalizing the informationthat is presented to them. The problem isntnecessarily rooted in ineffective teachingmethods or a deciency on the part of thelearners.

The problem is rooted in how their mindshave been formed: the way they have been

trained to think. The minds of our peoplehave been formed with epistemologicalassumptions that are radically differentfrom those required by the Christian faith.The result is that Christian educators arefaced with the impossible task of insertingthe square peg of faith into the round holesof the minds of Christians.

In the 18 t h and 19 t h centur ie s ,Enlightenment educators like HeinrichPestalozzi, Johann Herbart, and FriedrichFrbel challenged the model of educationthat had been used by the church for

centuries. That model, based on theancient libera l arts, was found to be idealfor the purpose of preparing minds that

would be recept ive to the tr uths of theChristian faith.

For these educators and the many whofollowed them, this ancient model ofeducation was seen to be detrimental tothe development of the individual. Theybelieved that minds should be formedaccording to a different pattern that

would predispose them to reject orthodoxChristianity and instead look instead withinthemselves for truth and wi sdom. It took along time, but eventually they succeeded.

The proof of their success can be foundin the minds of the men and women whooccupy the pews of our congregations andthe chairs of our classrooms today. Theybelieve that they have been taught to thinkcritically. Instead, they are the products ofan educational philosophy that was expresslydesigned to turn them away from the verythings that we, as Christian educators, aretrying to teach.

I believe that there needs to be aparadigmatic shift in our educationalendeavors. Content and methodologythose things which occupy most of ourattentionare cert ainly important, but we

need to think carefully about how mindscan be shaped so they are receptive to theChristian faith. We must consider what toolscan be used to prepare true critical thinkersso that when they are presented with theeternal truths that have been revealed byGod, they will recognize them as truth andreceive them with glad and sincere hearts.In short, we need to teach peopleespeciallythe youngto think like Christians. Thenwe can teach them what a Christian thinks.

The good news is that the time has neverbeen better to make this shift. Modernity,

wit h its progressive, optimi stic views of

mankind, is increasingly seen as bank rupt.The old ways of doing educationthevery wa ys wh ich mi ti gated ag ai ns t thecultivation of a Christian mindare beingquestioned. I am convinced that there is anaudience for a credible alternative, and Iam equally convinced that there is nobodybetter to present that alternative than weLutherans. We possess the double blessingof an unparalleled confessional clarity andrich educational history. The confessionalclarity enables us to understand why theChrist ian mind must be formed to think in

such a way, and our education heritage givesus the answers to how that formation can beaccomplished. If we draw on those two deep

wells, then we can boldly step forward andput forth an educational paradigm that willtruly transform congregational education.

Dr. Thomas KorcokSenior Lecturer, Niagara University

tkorcok@gmail.com

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The Stateof Educationin Congregationsof The LCMSWith this edition focusing on transformingcongregational education, the questionmust then be asked, W hy do we needtransformation? Several themes emergewhen one looks at the rationale for transformingor changing something. First, one mustask which deciencies exist that need to berectied. Second, one must consider theinstitutional and societal trends that will likelyimpact what we are now doing and determinechanges that can respond to those trends.

Deciencies

Exploring the rst theme, responding

to deciencies, requires that one identifythe gap between a preferred condition andthe present realities. This rst step in thetransformation process is made somewhatcomplicated by the simple fact that one ndslittle or no mention in district or synodicaljudicatories of what constitutes a preferredcondition in congregational education. Infact, the past 20 years within the lcms haveseen a signicant decrease in the guidancebeing provided by district and synodicalsources on issues related to parish Christian

education.Some of this decrease likely can be linked

to reduced resources available to judicatories(not just within the lcms.) At one point, oursynodical ofces had individuals serving inpositions with signicant responsibilitiesin youth, children, family and adulteducational ministries. Today, personnelcuts have left only youth ministry withdesignated staff, and much of that staff hasto be externally funded. Twenty years ago,

Dr. Mark Blanke serves as the Director

of DCE Ministry and is the Director of

the Institute for Religious Education,

Concordia University Nebraska.

Mark.Blanke@cune.edu

Mark Blanke

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districts started to reduce the staff memberswith specic expertise and responsibilitiesin parish educational ministries, choosinginstead Mission and Ministry Facilitators

(mmf s) who as generalists were assignedresponsibilities for geographical regions of thedistrict and perhaps given some component ofresponsibility for parish education.

The lack of designated individuals andresources at the judicatory level has reducedthe advocacy that once existed for parisheducation within our synod. While thisreduction of resources was not done for anymalicious reasons, and there is truly goodintent within the judicatories for excellentChristian education in our congregations,

the result of the cuts has been extremelydetrimental to the overall health of oursynods parish educational ministries. Forexample, our ability to determine anystandardized goals or priorities in educationalministries for congregations throughout thesynod has been diminished.

The last major synodically funded researchon parish education was the Congregationsat Crossroads study in 1994 (results werepublished in 1995). The study was partially

based upon the Effective Christian Educationstudy completed by Search Institute in 1990.Among other things, the Search study foundthat participation in Christian educationwas one of two factors that had a strongrelationship to the development of faithmaturity in adults and youth. The qualityof formal Christian education (yes, thereare degrees of quality to be consideredin Christian education programming)within the congregation also had a strongrelationship to the level of growth in faith

maturity among members (this was the onlycongregational variable that showed a strongrelationship to faith maturity). The qualityof a congregations educational ministryalso had a strong relationship to the level ofcongregational and denominational loyalty.

The Crossroads study also sought to lookat congregational factors inuencing faithmaturity. Thirty congregational qualitieswere assessed and compared with responsesto questions that pointed to nine indices

of the faith maturity of members. Thoughresponses were from the most active membersof the congregation (70 percent of therespondents said that they worshipped

regularly), the authors noted that:We nd it sobering that, even among the

most active people who responded, thedata stil l point to serious issues that mustbe faced by congregations. (59)

Among those serious i ssues, theresearchers noted among their elevenrecommendations that, Nowhere is theneed for a culture shift more evidentthan in the findings on Christianeducation. (34)

They found that practices in 1994 focusedon right beliefs which led to a passivelearning experience that didnt engageparishioners.

The study concluded that Indeed, onereason many people may not be active isthat the education that is offered is neitherrelevant to their lives nor engaging incontent and process. Most youth andadults experience primary education thatis leader-centered and passive. (34)

While no specic studies on the same scale as

the Congregations at Crossroads study have beendone within the synod since 1994, there issome statistical evidence that little has beendone to respond to the recommendations ofthe study. Statistical reports within the lcmsprovide a consistent stream of data fromcongregations. While there are many awsin the reporting, one can reasonably assumethat any aws that were present in 1994 arestill present today.

Statistics from 1994 indicated that a

maximum of 27 percent of membersattended Sunday and midweek studies.(This includes children and adultparticipants and does not take intoaccount those individuals who attend onSundays as well as midweek studies. So,actual participation is likely to have beenmuch lower.)

Data from 2008 show that overall attendancehas dropped to 23 percent of totalbaptized members.S

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Analysis of this data sent to the lcms ofcein the form of congregational reports alsoshows that 7.6 percent of communicantmembers attended a Sunday class or Biblestudy group and an additional 4.8 percentof communicant members attendeda weekday religion class. Assumingthat none of the Sunday attendees alsoattends midweek classes (an unlikelyassumption), attendance of adults in aneducational experience sponsored by theircongregations is no higher than 12.4percent of the communicant membership.

If the Crossroads researchers were correctin connecting participation levels witheducational relevance and engaging

methodologies, one could assume thatparticipation rates might be decliningbecause churches havent made significantstrides in increasing relevance or chang ingmethodologies to be more engagi ngsince 1994.

Although the synod as a whole has notcarried out extensive education-relatedresearch since 1994, there has been someresearch conducted by other entities,both within and outside the lcms, which

provides glimpses into various aspects ofeducation in the church. One such piece isa 2006 study completed by the Institute forReligious Education (ire) at Concordia,Nebraska. The intent of this research was togain a better understanding of the currenteducational practices of churches withinthe lcms.

The ire study received responses from200 congregations, providing an overview oftheir educational practices.

Within the 95 percent of churches that offeradult Bible study opportunities, the studyshowed that approximately 11 percent ofthe conrmed membership attended achurch-sponsored adult Bible study in theprevious week.

Of the 187 (94 percent) of churches thatoffered Sunday school for children,approximately 32 percent of the non-communicant membership were inattendance in the previous week (the

survey was completed by churches in theFall of the year).

About one-third of churches offered mid-week educational programs for children(not counting conrmation).

About two-thirds of congregations offerededucational programming aimedspecically at senior high youth.

Senior pastors were asked to completeone section of the survey which asked fortheir perceptions on the quality of theeducational ministries.

Asked to rate their current educationalministries (on a scale of 1-10, with 10being high), the pastors rated theirchurchs childrens educational programs

a 6, the youth (7th12th grades) a 5, andthe adult Christian education programs a 6.

Twenty-seven percent believed that the youthministry area was the area most in need ofimprovement compared to 23 percent forchildrens education and 15 percent foradult education.

The majority of respondents (52 percent)believed that the amount the churchbudgeted for the educational ministries ofthe congregation was too low.

Interestingly, these pastors estimated thatthey spent approximately 23 percent of theirtime working on the Christian educationministry (teaching, planning, preparation).A majority (57 percent) never had collegecoursework outside a seminary that focusedon educational methods (most seminariansare only required to take one seminarycourse which focuses on congregationaleducation.) Another majority (56 percent)had never participated in any continuingeducational experience that focused on

educational methods since becoming pastors.When asked to describe the central

purpose of the education ministr y ofcongregations, 20 percent said that thepurpose was primarily cognitive, fourpercent said primarily affective, 13percent named primarily lifestyle, and 52percent responded other. Seventy percentof the respondents indicated that thereare no written goals for the congregationseducational efforts. Is

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Pastors were asked whether they believedthat educational effectiveness had changedwithin the lcms as a whole in the past15 years. Seventeen percent felt that

effectiveness had improved, 30 percent feltit had stayed the same, 45 percent felt it haddiminished, and eight percent were unsure.

When the ire research data is taken as awhole, one gets a view of Christian educationin our churches that shows the following:

Many churches are offering a variety ofeducational opportunities being attendedby a minority of congregational members;

These programs are led by individualswith few chances to develop educationalexpertise through formal learningexperiences, despite the need to spenda large portion of their time involved inleading educational ministries;

The programs themselves are perceived asadequate despite poor attendance, and theprogram with the lowest attendance (adult)is perceived to be the healthiest.

There seems to be little intentionalityin articulating a clear purpose forthe educational minist ries of thecongregation. In fact, there doesnt seem

to be a unified concept of the purpose ofeducational efforts within the synod as awhole.

By almost a three-to-one ratio, more pastorsfelt that the synods overall effectiveness inparish Christian educational efforts haddiminished compared with those who feltthat it had improved.

While it is hard to dene what constitutesa specic deciency in congregationaleducation when preferred characteristics

havent been lifted up within the synod, itwould be difcult to review the data from theire research and not assume that decienciesexist within our congregations.

Another signicant study related tocongregationally based education withinthe lcms was a study on conrmationpractices by Dr. Marv Bergman in 2010.This study was the most comprehensive studyon conrmation in the Lutheran churchsince the work done by a pan-Lutheran study

group in the mid to late 1960s. Bergmansstudy was especially interesting in that thesamples included confirmation leaders,parents of confirmands, and confirmands.

He also asked district education leaders toidentify those congregations that they felthad exemplary confirmation programs.Bergman then compared the practices ofthe exemplary programs with those of theother congregations.

Bergmans study provides an overviewof the practices of churches in a seminaleducational program that is common to mostcongregations throughout our synod. Theoverview is extensive, but one of the moretelling components allows us to compare

instructor goals with participant outcomes.When responding to the question of Howmuch attention is given to the followingtopics? Ninety-seven percent of theconrmation leaders said that prepare toreceive Holy Communion receives majorattention, along with Holy Baptism and TheApostles Creed as the highest of 18 topicswithin their conrmation program.

Leaders also rated the importance of thegoal of preparing the conrmands to receive

Holy Communion as very important asthe fth highest of 20 goals. Yet, despitethe level of attention and the importanceof th is single subject in the minds of theleaders, responses by conrmands to thestatement In Holy Communion, onereceives . . . were:

Twenty-four percent responded bread andwine as symbols of Christs presence;

Thirty-eight percent said Christs body andblood which replace bread and wine;

Thirty-six responded with Christs bodyand blood and bread and wine.

Obviously, leaders were unable to effectivelyhelp learners to recognize the correctLutheran response on this importanttopic, even though it was a priority in thedevelopment of their program.

On a related note, a majority (54 percent)of the conrmands parents were alsounable to complete the sentence correctly.Additionally, 61 percent of the conrmandsS

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agreed (20 percent strongly agreed and 41percent agreed) with the statement that Inorder to be saved, I must obey Gods rulesand commandments.

The data from Bergmans study shouldalert all of us to the fact that the effortsbeing made in conrmation programsthroughout the lcms are not having thedesired outcomes. Data do not provide uswith a reason for this inadequacy, whetherit is the methodologies being used, thecurriculum, the lack of reinforcement inthe home, the timing of the conrmationexperience, or some other factor causingthe disconnect. But one cannot look at thisdata and not conclude that there is a gap

between the preferred condition and thepresent realities.

So, despite the dearth of standards beingset for educational ministries of the lcms,the research does provide us with enoughdata to determine that:

Our educational ministries are reaching asmall portion of our membership, andthat portion is getting smaller;

There are few, if any, written goals set forour educational efforts;

Where goals are articulated, we have evidencethat we are ineffective in teaching tothose goals, at least in one of the priorityeducational programs of our church.

I believe that this data provided evidence thatwe are not achieving a preferred conditionwhen it comes to the educational efforts ofthe lcms.

Trends

When considering how certain trends may

necessitate transformation of our educationalministries, the difculty is in choosing fromthe myriad of possible trends and inuences.Societal shifts ranging from social mediato declining marriage rates are seminal innature and are inuencing how we carry outthe work of the church (although they do notchange our messagethe proclamation ofthe saving work of Jesus Christ in our lives!).At the risk of minimalizing the depth ofchanges affecting society and the church, Id

like to focus on one trend and look at howour educational programs are responding tothat trend.

The trend Id like to look at is that of a

growing apathy in the church and a decreasein religious practices in general within theU.S. Research conducted by the NationalStudy of Youth and Religion, the AmericanReligious Identication Survey, Barna,Gallup, and LifeWay all point to a decreasein the importance Americans place onreligion in their lives. Recent books such asUnchristian, Almost Christian, Growing an EngagedChurch, Souls in Transition, Soul Searchingandothers provide insight and suggest manyimplications for congregational education.

According to this growing body ofresearch, a relativistic American societyand the diminished importance of religionhave negatively impacted the church andhow others perceive the church. This trendraises a number of questions, such as:Is a transformat ion of the educationalministries of congregations necessary inorder to respond to this insidious trend?Are there any indicators of how wel l we aredoing in responding to this trend?

One often sees the effects of this trendin a declining participation in activitiesin congregations, which is evident in thelcms and in many churches. As religiousimportance wanes in the eyes of members,responding to church activities becomesless important than other commitments.For example, the Faith Communities Todayresearch found that work, school, andsports schedules were the highest ratedevents that make it difficult for people toregularly participate in the congregation.

This data comes as no surprise to theindividuals who are planning andimplementing educational ministr y of acongregation. Managing schedule conflictsand the apathy of some members havebeen a constant challenge for the parisheducator. Yet, despite years of concertedeffort on the part of the leadership of thechurch to respond to the apathy they areencountering, we are seeing telltale signsof increased apathy in many churches. Is

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Perhaps our responses are not adequatelyaddressing the real cause of the trend.

Transformative Actions

In his book, High Expectations, Thom Rainerresearched those factors that inuencedassimilation of new members. He foundthat only 16 percent of new members whoparticipated in worship only were active veyears after joining the church. Of thosewho attended worship and went to Sundayschool and Bible class, 83 percent were stillactive after ve years. He goes on to say,The research is clear, if not overwhelming.Sunday School [and adult Bible class] isthe [emphasis in original] most effective

assimilation method in evangelistic churchestoday. (47) Despite these and other data,few churches are choosing to put increasedresources into their Sunday morningeducational ministries.

Heres where one must step away fromstrict statistical analysis and make someinterpretations of transformative actions thatmay make our educational programs moreresponsive to the growing trend of apathy.A maturing faith is one which exhibitsitself in a growing desire to participate inWord and Sacrament ministry as well asongoing study of the scriptures. The 1995Congregations at Crossroads study found that aminority of our active members had what wasdened as an integrated faith, that is, onewhich demonstrated a focus on horizontal

(relationships with people) and vertical(relationship with God) dimensions. Theearlier Search Institute study found a highcorrelation between the development of anintegrated faith and a quality educational

ministry. The Congregations at Crossroadsstudy found that much of what passesfor educational programming for adultsconsisted of leader-centered methodologyand concluded that, Amonglcms members,little correlation ex ists between faithmaturity and leader-centered, one-waycommunication in Christian education.That is to say that, in and of itself, knowledgeimparted by a teacher alone has little impacton a persons growth in faith. (1920) This

report added that few youth or adults in thelcms experienced an interactive educationalenvironment where people talk about theirunderstanding of God and help each other

apply their faith to issues and concerns intheir lives. (20)Could it be that the transformation most

needed within the lcms is to reshape oureducational efforts so that they strive to showa connectedness between learning of Christand learning how His work of salvationfor all should be impacting ones life? Doour members see the impact of how beinga believer impacts their daily lives? Do ourmembers (and leaders) understand that thechurch exists, not just to provide in Word

and Sacraments the means to bring theminto a justied relationship with God, butto provide members with guidance in howthey should live in this new relationship withChrist? Have our members been made awareof what a sanctied life looks like?

Almost 70 percent oflcms congregationsin the ire research reported that they hadno written goals for the congregationseducational ministries. Research shows thatadult learners participate in those learningexperiences that relate to their current lifesituations and content that is immediatelyapplicable (Knowles). Could it be that wehave assumed that people just know whythey need to be involved in educationalministries in our churches, and that we havenot spent the time or the energy to thinkthrough or articulate to our learners howthe subjects we address and the methodswe use will better equip them for a life ofservice to God and people? Have we becomecomplacent in our view of educational

efforts which is somehow immune from theoperational principles that shape educationalpractices in other venues?

If we answer yes to the questionsposed in the previous paragraph, thenwe need to begin look ing at the veryfoundational understandings of oureducational ministries in order to do realtransformation. We need to see our churchesas open systems, with a distinctive missionbut still inuenced by the realities andS

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nuances of the society outside the churchdoors. We can no longer ascribe a marginaleffort to education in the church. We canno longer disregard the research that shows

the importance of effective educationalministries. Too much is at stake.C.S. Lewis said, Christianity, if false,

is of no importance, and if true, of inniteimportance. The only thing it cannot beis moderately important. Apathy is anunacceptable trend, and the directive of ourLord is clear when He says, Therefore goand make disciples of all nations, baptizingthem in the name of the Father and of theSon and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching themto obey everything I have commanded you [emphasis

added.] And surely I am with you always, tothe very end of the age. (Matthew 28:1920)

We have His command, and we havethe assurance of His divine guidance andparticipation. All we need do is to makeintentionality and effectiveness a priorityagain in our educational ministries so we areable to transform those ministries into toolsto prepare Gods people for works of serviceso that the body of Christ may be built up.(Ephesians 4:12)

References

Benson, P.L. and C.H. Eklin. (1990). EffectiveChristian Education: A National Study of Protestant

Congregations. Minneapolis: Search Institute.Benson, P.L., E.C. Roehlkepartain, and I.S.

Andress. (1995). Congregations at Crossroads: ANational Study of A dults and Youth in The Lutheran

Church-Missouri Synod. Minneapolis: SearchInstitute.

Bergman, M. (2010). Whats Happening inlcms Conrmation? A Study of Findings

Based on Nine Populations. Unpublished.Blanke, M.S. (2008). The State of ChristianEducation in the Lutheran Church-MissouriSynod. Institute for Religious Education.Unpublished.

Dean, K.C. (2010).Almost Christian. New York:Oxford University Press.

Holton, EF., M.S. Knowles, and R.A. Swanson.(2011). The Adult Learner: The denitive classicin adult education and human resource development.(6th Edition). Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Kinneman, D. and G. Lyons. (2007). Unchristian.Nashville: Baker.

Rainer, T.S. (1999). High Expectations. Nashville:Broadman and Holman.

Roozen, D. A. (2011). Faith Communities Today.

A De ca de of Ch an ge in Am er ic an Co ng re ga ti on s2000 2010. Hartford: Hartford Institute.http://ww w.faithcommunitiestoday.org/

Smith, C. (2005). Soul Searching: The Religious andSpiritual Lives of Am erican Teenagers. New York:Oxford Press.

Smith, C. and P. Snell. (2009). Souls in Transition:The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults.New York: Oxford Press.

Winseman, A.L. (2006). Growing an Engaged Church.New York: Gallup.

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Rev. Dr. John W. Oberdeck is

Professor of Theology and

Director for Lay Ministry,

Concordia University Wisconsin.

John.Oberdeck@hotmail.com

Something about education in ourcongregations needs to change. At least,thats the implication of the theme ofthis edition. But what needs to change?And why should it be transformed? Otherarticles in this issues no doubt are tackling

the why and what questions. I want toaddress the Who question. Who needs tochange in the critical role of education in acongregat ions mission?

Education is critical to a congregationsmission; otherwise we would not bother withthat tricky business we call catechesis. Butto whom does the responsibility primarilybelong? This is not an easy question toanswer. Tension exists, and has existed

for some time, over the locus of Christianeducation. Is the responsibility rooted in thehome or the parish? The dining room or theclassroom? The priesthood of all believers orthe ofce of the public ministry?

Of course, this is a false dichotomy, andthe obligation is a shared one. Nevertheless,questions remain. Is the congregation thecenter for Christian education supportedby the family? Or is Christian educationlocated in the family and supported by the

The Critical Role of Educationin a Congregations Mission:Congregation and Family Together

John W. Oberdeck

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congregation? Which is primary and whichis secondary? As congregational education istransformed, how are these responsibilitiesto be shared? What needs to change, andwhat needs to stay the same?

Navigating through transformationaltimes is never easy for those called to serveGods people in his church. Thats why I lookfor guidance to those who have traversedsimilar rough seas before us. In this articleI want to share with you three principles toguide us through transformational times.But before I do, I want to take us back to atime even more transitional and tension-lled than our ownthe early 16th Century.

Who is Going to Do It?

In 1524 Luther wrote, Today we areliving in a different world, and things arebeing done differently (Luther, To theCouncilmen of All cities in Germany thatThey Establish and Maintain ChristianSchools, 370). I suspect that in 1524when Luther wrote these words, he wasunderstating the case. The developmentof moveable type was transformingcommunication, and the challenge to theRoman Catholic Church brought forwardby the Reformation was transforming theworld. As pertinent as they were in his ownday, Luthers words are just as appropriatetoday, and all the more so when we realizethe source of the quote comes from a treatiseon the subject of educationspecically whoshould be doing it!

It Is the Familys Responsibility

I assume that most who read this article arefamiliar with the thesis of Ben Freudenburg

in his book, The Family Friendly Church.

Parents are the primary Christianeducators in the church, and the family isthe God-ordained institution for faith-building in children and youth and forthe passing of faith from one generationto the next. (Freudenburg 21).

A number of Bible pas sages comeimmediately to mind in support of parentalresponsibility for instruction in the faith.

And these words that I command youtoday shal l be on your heart. You shallteach them diligently to your children(Deuteronomy 6:67 esv). The wordtranslated teach diligently ( )inHebrew comes from a word describing thesharpening of swords and arrows, whichgives us a sense of the seriousness with whicheducation is to be done. Not only shouldthere be an edge to education, but thelearning experience should leave a mark.A second root of the word means repeatand several Bible translations (Jerusalem,New English) use this root in translation(Harris 943). Regardless of which root wechoose, education by impression through

sharp teaching or education through roterepetition is the responsibility of parents.

Many other Scripture passages can becited. The responsibility of one generationfor the next is amply attested to in the Psalms.He [God] established a testimony in Jacoband appointed a law in Israel, which hecommanded our fathers to teach to theirchildren, that the next generation might knowthem, the children yet unborn, and ariseand tell them to their children . . . (Psalm78:56 esv). Ephesians 6:4 (esv) states,Fathers, do not provoke your children toanger, but bring them up in the disciplineand instruction of the Lord.

In TheLarge Catechism, we nd Luther,after spending many paragraphs on theresponsibility of children toward parents,addressing the responsibility of parentstoward their children.

Therefore let all people know that it istheir chief dutyat the risk of losingdivine gracerst to bring up theirchildren in the fear and knowledge ofGod, and, then, if they are so gifted,also to have them engage in formalstudy and learn so that they may beof service wherever they are needed(Luther, Large Catechism 410:174).

The words spoken to sponsors in theBaptismal Service in Lutheran Service Bookprovide a more subtle description of therelationship between church and home. Is

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After the sponsors have accepted theircharge to assist in bringing up the childin the nurture and admonition of theLord, the pastor responds, God enableyou both to will and to do this faithful andloving work and with His grace fulll whatwe are unable to do (Lutheran Service Book269). What is the congregation unable todo? The congregation cant tuck the childinto bed at night with bedtime prayers,establish the practice of family devotions,or faithfully bring the child for worship.The congregation can encourage, exhort,and urge, but the parents and/or extendedfamily must do what the congregation isunable to do.

Th eSmall Catechism may also be enlisted insupport of the role of the family, inasmuchas the headings of each chief part beginwith As the head of the family shouldteach it in a simple way to his household(Luther, The Small Catechism with Explanation11). However, Luther actually has his footon both bases. The quote above is from theGerman edition, while the Latin editionof 1529 couches the introduction in termsof schoolteachers and students (Luther,The Small Catechism, 351, note 24). It appears

that Luther did not want to leave eitherthe home or the school (church) out of theall-encompassing task of guiding the nextgeneration into the living faith receivedin baptism.

It is the Communitys Responsibility

Before passing the responsibilityforChristian nurture and education solely to thefamily, there is a word of caution, however,and it comes from none other than Luther.

In his 1524 essay, To the Councilmen ofall Cities in Germany that they EstablishChristian Schools, Luther doesnt denyparental responsibility, but he does establishparental shortcomings that make reliance onthe family a lone an inadequate strategy forChristian education.

Luther begins his argument by pointingout that the largely ineffective monasteryschools are closed in evangelical territories,and many parents are simply sending their

children into the workplace rather thanseeing to their education. While one mightthink, Luther argues, that the princes oughtto be concerned and remedy the situation,the reality is that they are more interestedin sleigh riding than attending to theeducational needs of their people. Sincesociety absolutely must have an educatedpeople for the clergy and for the professions,someone must provide adequate schools.Luthers answer is for the city councils toestablish schools for their communities.

In case the councils respond by sayingthe parents ought to provide the education,Luther presents three reasons why thats apoor solution.

In the first place, there are somewho lack the goodness and decencyto do it, even if they had the ability.Instead, like the ostrich [ Job 39:1416], they deal cruelly with theiryoung. T hey are content to have laidthe eggs and brought children intothe world; beyond this they will donothing more. . . .

In the second place, the greatmajority of parents unfortunately are

wholly untted for this task. Theydo not know how children shouldbe brought up and taught, for theythemselves have learned nothing buthow to care for their bellies. It takesextraordinary people to bring childrenup right and teach them well.

In the third place, even if parentshad the ability and desire to do itthemselves, they have neither thetime nor the opportunity for it, whatwith their other duties and the care ofthe household . . . (Luther, To theCouncilmen of All cities in Germanythat They Establish and MaintainChristian Schools 354355).

Before going further, there are somelimitations on how we can apply the threeareas of concern expressed by Luther.First, Luther is addressing education inthe liberal arts, not just the catechizing ofthe young; its the whole education packageS

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that Luther is ta lking about. Second, whenLuther puts education of the young into thehands of the community, he is assuming aChristian community that openly supports

Christian values and Christian teaching.Such an assumption is not tenable today.(I wonder what Luther would think of thecontemporary educational scene in whichany vestiges of religion are suppressed inthe public square?) Third, when Lutherdescribes the challenges presented byparents, he is describing the community as awhole, not the circumstances found within agiven Christian congregation.

Though these limitations present sizablehurdles for application today, Im going to

jump them anyway and suggest that the threeconcerns expressed by Luther can guide howwe transform the educational mission ofcongregation in our own day.

Understanding Family is Essential

for Transformation

Thinkabout these three concerns of Lutheras if each is a bipolar category. The rst dealswith care. How much does a given family unitcare about faith? How committed are they?

We can on the one hand imagine with someease families that show up periodically ornot at all, except for Christmas and Easter.On the other hand, we know of families whohave devotions, attend every Sunday, and arefully engaged in the life and ministry of thecongregation. The second concern deals withability. How well is the family unit equippedto be the primary education provider for thechild? Have parents absorbed for themselvesan understanding of what it means to be

justied by grace through faith? Can theyapply Law and Gospel in ways that div idethem rightly? Some households will be able,while others wont. The third category istime and opportunity. Many family unitstoday are struggling as they attempt tobalance job responsibilities in a strugglingeconomy, childcare needs, and the addedresponsibilities if it is a single parent home.Other families do have time and opportunityto be a center for feeding the growing faith

of children in the home. In each bipolarcategory we can imagine families all alongthe continuum, from high to low.

Now lets consider what it would meanif we take care, ability and time and thinkabout them three dimensionallycrossingthe bipolar categories by height, length anddepth, thereby creating a cube of familypatterns. We then arrive at eight differentpossible family patterns. [See illustrationbelow] Lets take a look at those patterns,starting with the four that form the upperstory.

Families that CareHigh Care High Ability High Time Myimmediate reaction to this pattern is thatits the pastors and teachers families inthe congregation. The commitment ispresent, the skills are all there, and whilethe schedules can be quite hectic, time willbe taken. There are lay families in ourcongregations who have the same pattern,and called workers give thanks when theyencounter these faithful families. I call these

Foundational Families.High Care High Ability L ow Time Imagine

the level of concern that ex ists when theultimate importance of faith is known,and there is knowledge to be shared, butnever any time to do it. The transformationneeded for this family involves priorities andscheduling. Are there resources availablethat can help relieve the workload? Or, isit possible to say No to time-consuminghabits? These are the Busy-Busy families. Is

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High Care Low Ability Low Time Here,we have not only the chal lenge of schedules,but also the cha llenge of little knowledge ofthe faith or of Scripture. This is the homethat is looking for maximum support fromthe congregations education ministries.The care is there and parents are lookingfor assistance. Parents schedules mayprohibit them from active involvementthemselves, but they want it for theirchildren. A transformational educationprogram wil l attempt to address the parentsneeds as well as the childrens for theseFrustrated Families.

High Care Low Ability High Time I suspectthat families that care and have time but

dont have the background in the faith area relatively small group. But they do exist.Because they care and have the time, they canbecome the bridges between learning in thehome and learning at church. When parentsask if they can attend conrmation withtheir child, I know that I have come across aSponge Family thats ready to soak up theGood News.

A careful reection on the cube of familypatterns reveals that the upper story has adistinct advantage over the lower story. All

four patterns in the upper story care aboutfaith in Jesus Christ, whereas Low Care is thecommon denominator for the lower story. Asa result, any consideration of transformingChristian education on the congregationlevel wil l at some point need to address thecircumstances of families that could not careless about the Christian faith and who areliving in a culture that increasingly agreeswith them. These are families that we justdont see. We are not on their radar screen.

Families that Do not Care

Low Care High Ability High Time Of all thefamily patterns, this is one that causes methe greatest unease. Do such families exist?Are there homes in which the Gospel of JesusChrist has been present, but is now slippingaway through every nook and cranny? Imafraid that there are. Only consider thenumber of older adults in our congregationswho are daily praying for their adult children

to return to the faith of their childhood forthe sake of their grandchildren. This is ageneration who think they know the storyand have the t ime to invest, but do not valuefaith. Falling Families would make a goodname for this category.

Low Care Low Ability High Time Thispattern matches much of the description ofthe Falling Family, except for adding thatthere is no real knowledge of the Gospel.Perhaps a good way to characterize thispattern is the Secular Family. They areengaged in many of the active pursuits oflife in North America and have resources tospend, and so they doon themselves. I knowthis sounds judgmental and harsh. It is, and

that is part of the challenge the church has inreaching out to the disafliated.

Low Care Low Ability Low Time What canone say? Strike three, youre out? Thispattern describes the Lost Family that notonly doesnt know or care, but also doesnthave time in its stressed-out existence to ndout or respond. Perhaps this pattern linksmost closely to Luthers comments aboutgeneral education in the third decade of the16th Century. Somebodythe city councilshad better intervene because the family cantdo it, wont do it, and doesnt know what todo anyway.

Low Care High Ability Low Time Bynow this practice of crossing bipolarcategories in order to create two-or three-dimensional typologies has grown prettythin. Nevertheless, for the sake of closure,something should be said about the patternthat I refer to as the Agnostic Family. Thefaith is known, perhaps even studied at ahigh level, but in their eyes, the faith fails

to meet their needs. The seed of the Gospelhas fallen on rocky soil, and the weeds havechoked it out.

A lot has been assumed in theconstruction of these eight family patterns.I have simply, and perhaps naively, trustedin Luthers observation of his world in1524. Would the constructs of care, abilityand time withstand the rigor of researchanalysis in the 21st Century? Withoutactually doing the research, the best I canS

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say is that the patterns have a high degree offace validity with signicant support frompersonal experience.

On a Limb with Martin Luther

With these caveats in place, let meshare guiding principles for transformingcongregational education. The rst threeare drawn from my analysis of familypatterns and focus on the irreplaceable roleof families.

Nothing will be transformed incongregational education without theparticipation of the congregationsfamilies. Families are that important!And, lets use as broad a denition offamily as we can. This is about adults as

much as it is about children.Transforming congregational education

will happen within a context where thefamily itsel f is under transformation. Thecultural pressure on families is enormous.

The target for transforming Christianeducation within families centers oncare. Do families care about Christianeducation, or dont they? We bring theGospel to families that may be losing it!

The next three guiding principles for

transforming congregational educationrecognize that the congregation itself isunder transformation and are intended forleaders.

Leadership in the congregation will betransformational for Christian educationwhen it doesnt come across as judgmentaltoward family decits. Most families havesome awareness of their shortcomings.Encouragement and hope for the familyjourney is the atmosphere to create.

Transformational leadership wil lnevertheless recognize the pressures onfamilies today and consciously refrainfrom programming that further erodesfamily cohesion.

Transformational leadership in thecongregation will rmly ground itself inthe message of Gods grace for Jesus sake;there is forgiveness for family fai lure toannounce, and there is the promise ofrenewed life in Jesus Christ to proclaim.

To summarize, transforming congregationaleducation is not an option, it is a necessity.Accomplishing transformation is a sharedresponsibility between congregationsand families. To succeed, pastors andprofessional church workers will benet

from taking into account the family patternsof the families they are called to serve.

Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewal ofyour mind, that by testing you maydiscern what is the will of God, whatis good and acceptable and perfect.Romans 12:2.

Resources

Freudenburg, Ben. The Family Friendly Church.Loveland, CO: Group Publishers, 1998.

Harris, R. Laird, ed. Theological Word Book of theOld Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980.

Luther, Martin. The Large Catechism. The Bookof Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran

Church. Eds. Robert Kolb and Timothy J.Wengert. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000.

. Luthers Small Catechism with Explanation. St. Louis:Concordia Publishing House, 2005.

Luther, Martin. The Small Catechism. The Bookof Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran

Church. Eds. Robert Kolb and Timothy J.Wengert. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000.

Luther, Martin. To the Councilmen of Al lCities in Germany that They Establish andMaintain Christian Schools. Luthers Works.Eds. J. Pelikan, H.C. Oswald and H.T.Lehmann. Vol. 45. Philadelphia: FortressPress, 1999.

Lutheran Service Book. St. Louis: ConcordiaPublishing House, 2006.

Oberdeck, John W. Designing the PerfectStroller. The Lutheran Witness, January, 2011.

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RestructuringCongregational

EducationIn his book, Retrofuture, Gerard Kellytells the parable of the UnbreakableCoffeepot. It is a delightful story withmany applications. When viewed in termsof the future of Christian Education, itbecomes particularly poignant. Allowme to retell, summarize and possiblyembellish the parable.

Joe, while ghting in a war, nds acoffeepot in a farmhouse destroyed bybombs. While the house was in ruin, theenameled coffeepot was unbroken, andJoe carried it w ith him for the duration ofthe war. Upon returning home, Joe usedthe pot daily. It was soon passed on to Joesson Tom. The legend of the coffeepot grewas family members told stories of the potbeing dropped with never a scratch to showfor it. Soon the legend grew as stories ofthe pot blocking bullets and sav ing Joeslife emerged. The coffeepot was placed

on a high shelf so children couldnt touchit. It was shined and began to look betterto observers than ever before. Tom lovedto tell his chi ldren and grandchildren ofthe wonders of the unbreakable coffeepotwhich brought back many memories of Joe.When Tom reached old age, the familygathered to celebrate his 75th birthday. Asone of the great-grandchildren listenedto the stories, he asked why it sat on a shelfif it was unbreakable and why no one wasallowed to touch it. Then it happened. Justas everyone was leaving, one of the relativesgasped in horror as the great-grandchildappeared at the attic window near the edgeof the roof with the coffeepot. Nearly in onemotion, the entire group ran in an effort

to catch the unbreakable pot, knowing itwould be too late. Tom watched as the potoated through the air toward the concretedriveway below. He thought of his fatherand could only smile.

We, who serve in Christian Education,are entrusted with a treasure. The treasureis not ornamental, but rather functional.It has endured for many generations. As welook at restructuring Christian Education inour congregations, we will look at the facts,strip away the myths and offer suggestionsfor testing the methods we use.

The Coffeepot

It is important for us to strip awayeverything but the facts as we start to lookat the treasure we call Christian Education.Obviously, Gods Word taught in its truthand purity is the basis for all ChristianEducation. As we look historically at the

lcms, we can be proud of all that has beenaccomplished. Our Lutheran schools areaward- winning. Our Sunday schools havebeen a signicant part of our churchs effortto teach Gods Word to children. Our youthministry efforts have been exemplary. OurConcordia universities and seminarieshave grown remarkably. Our ordainedand commissioned ministers are amongthe most highly trained anywhere. We havemaintained our own publishing companyfor more than 100 years. We have truly been

blessed. The Holy Spirit has and continuesto work mightily among us. Our heritage isone of which we can be proud and for whichwe should continually praise God.

However, in recent years, the numberof Lutheran schools which are closing isout-numbering those that are opening.Enrollments in our Sunday Schools aredeclining. Youth ministry is struggling inmany areas. The number of church-workstudents entering ministry is decreasing,

Professor Dean Hansen serves as

the Director of DCE Ministry,

Concordia University at Portland.

dhansen@cu-portland.edu

Dean Hansen

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and the outlook for engaging enoughcommissioned and ordained workerssometimes looks dim. So what has happened,and what can we do about it?

Myth and Reality

We seem to have placed Christian Educationon a high shelf to admire, shined it up soit looks better than it possibly is, and let itstand on its own merits. Heres what I mean.

Over the years we have adopted thepublic education model as our own. We havedivided people into age groups, assignedthem to classrooms and used public schoolexpectations for Christian Education. Many

educators would agree that this model isnot effective in the public school setting,let alone Christian Education. Even ourclassrooms reect an aging model of tables,chairs, and lecterns, resembling a publicschool classroom rather than a welcomingplace for interaction.

Second, we seem to have adopted secularapproaches to encouraging attendance.We give perfect attendance awards. We putinformation in bulletins which reach onlythose already attending. We put lists of

classes in our newsletter which is read onlyby members. On occasion we will placeinformation on an outdoor informationboard for those driving by. Yours truly hasnever read such an advertisement and thendropped into a church to attend the class.To my knowledge, very few people have beendrawn into a class by reading an outdoormarquee. Indeed, these approaches haveworked a few times, and when one does, wecelebrate, shine it up, and praise its worth

and wait for months for it to happen again.In his article, Missing the Signs, BradleyN. Hill discusses such signage. The nalquestion for Hill is, For whom does thechurch exist? What is our mission? Is it tobring people into the church or is it to takeGods Word into the community? Continuedstudy of the Word is unquestionablyimportant to congregational life; thequestion is, How can that study lead us intothe community?

Third, we have excused our decreasingnumbers and less effectiveness by buying intopopular myths. For example, how often haveyou heard the comment, There just arent

as many children as there used to be, so ourSunday school is decreasing in numbers?While the percentage of our population thatis in the three to 18 age bracket is smaller,the actual number of children in our countryis larger. Another example is, People arejust too busy to attend regularly. Actually,the number of hours parents are workingis somewhat unchanged, though fewer onweekends. (Neil MacQueen) The number ofhours spent in athletics is lower. The numberof hours spent by teens in homework is lower

than ten years ago.It is a reality that we live in a changing

culture while serving a God who neverchanges. We teach from a book we hold astrue and inerrant to a culture that feels thatthere is no absolute truth, with truth beingonly that which you choose to be true.

It is a reality that Christianity remainsthe fastest growing religion in the world,followed by Islam. When we examinegrowth in the United States, we see thatthe Church of Latter Day Saints is growingrapidly. Among Christian denominations,conservative Protestant churches have grownvery signicantly over the past 40 years.It is my opinion that even though youngergenerations struggle with absolute truth, theyare very much reaching out to religions anddenominations that provide structure. Thereis a desire for direction in a chaotic world.The Lutheran church stands in a uniqueposition to offer both the direction that isdesired and the message of Gods amazing

grace. A proper balance of Law and Gospelremains our greatest strength. It is themessage of the ages, and it is the message thatis essential to todays generations.

Another reality within the Churchis that during the 1960s and 1970s, thechurch experienced a period of greatgrowth. We now have one church building(operating congregation) for every 351people in our country. (Neil MacQueen)Thirty-ve percent of worshipping Is

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Christians hold membership in more thanone congregation. Only 42 percent ofProtestant men attend church. Now is thetime to evaluate our Christian Educationministry in a day of changing demographicsand consider the options.

Testing the Coffeepot:

Restructuring Christian Education

by Improving Current Structures

There are many things we do in ChristianEducation that are good. This may lead oneto think that there is no reason to change.A favorite saying in the South, where Iserved for 34 years, is, If it aint broke,dont x it. I would agree, but take a good

hard look at the goals of your congregationseducational ministry and then evaluate. Ifyou feel that there is room for improvement,you may want to take a look at some of thefollowing suggestions. Realizing that no oneapproach is right for every situation, one cantest and hold on to what is good.

Drop the idea of developing programafter program. Programs have a beginningand an ending point. Christian Educationis an ongoing process. If Conrmation is

a program, it begins at a certain age andends at the Rite of Conrmation. If it isa process of renewing our baptismal vows,it begins at our baptism and continuesthroughout our lives.

Is Christian Education really education?Is the focus on the presentation ofinformation, or is it Christian formation,that is, a process of nurturing anddeveloping spiritual growth, of reecting onScripture and putting faith into practice?

Do we take time to teach others the

Christian language? I am painfully aware ofadults who seem uncomfortable with speakingthe name of Jesus Christ among their ownchildren. Some choose to talk about theman upstairs or the big guy or even youknow who. You cant as sume people whocome into your church know the books ofthe Bible, or for that matter how the Bibleis divided into books, chapters, and verses.Words like sanctication and justicationneed explanation. I am sure you have heard of

the young conrmation student who couldntkeep all the a-t-i-o-n words straight. Afterwaiting for a denition of one of those words,the instructor nally asked the young manif he knew what procrastination meant.He replied, Not exactly, but Im sure weLutherans believe in it.

Forming relationships is key to havinga positive learning community. Sharing,questioning, and praying, all done incomfort with each other, are essential tomaking Christian Education a process. Notbeing in a large church may be an asset.Many strong relationships already exist insmall congregations; larger congregationsmay need to be more intentional. The life of

the church is all about relationships. Jesustalked about relationships when he answeredquestions about the most important laws.Love the Lord your God with all your heart,soul, mind and strength (our relationshipwith God) and Love your neighbor asyourself (relationships with self and others).Being intentional about relationshipsby giving individuals the opportunity toshare, by doing ice breakers or other groupbuilding activities, may meet the perceivedneed of a sense of belonging.

A great start to restructuring Christ ianEducation is going back to an older ideaand updating. The old idea is having amission statement that will guide educationalprograms. Too many Christian Educationprograms are exactly that, programs. It iseasy to pick up the most recent Bible study ormost recent dvd and feel like one is meetingthe needs of people. A well-conceptualizedmission statement gives the congregation asense of identity, telling others who you are.

Such a mission statement names and directswhat a congregation needs to be doing. Welive in an era of short, ve-word, easy-to-remember mission statements such as ShareJesus with all people. Not a bad statement,but it is possibly lacking in both identity anddirection. Deserving careful thought aresuch questions as: What is our identity?Are we a loving, caring community? Arewe a congregation committed to teachingGods Word in truth and purity? Are we aS

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congregation that is worshipping, learningfrom the Scriptures, and being transformedby our relationship with Jesus? Who are we?

What do you do? Be specic! Do yousimply worship, study and grow together,or do you nurture spiritual growth acrossthe life span to help people mature in theirrelationship with God and others by offeringsituations to learn at differing points oftheir own development? The last statementis not intended to be a perfect missionstatement, but as you can see, it may givemore direction. Writing a mission statementis slow, tedious work, but ever so important.

As you continue to formulate a missionstatement, one can evaluate how time is

being invested. We seem to be stuck on theidea that Sunday morning is the best timefor educational ministry. But, take anotherlook. Are there people who are absent fromeducational opportunities because theyhave other commitments, perhaps involvingother church activities? Do some peoplescramble to pick up children? Does theworship service sometimes go longer thanusual and take away part of the study time?Are there times when people might be morefocused, more relaxed, and have more timeto develop relationships with others ineducational settings?

Perhaps the next step is to look at settingsand styles of the learning community. Forexample, most educators would agree that thetypical approach to teaching which involvesan expert lecturing to a group is among theleast effective methods for reaching peopleand changing lives.

One also can ask questions about wheregroups meet. Is there a feeling that groups

need to meet on church property? Canstudies in the home be effective? How aboutmeeting at a local coffee house? Do youutilize retreat settings?

If you understand Christian Educationas more than just having classes by alsoinvolving putting your faith into action, youmay choose to approach family issues such asparenting, hospitality, or care ministry. Youmight choose to offer a service component inhomeless shelters, soup kitchens, retirement

homes, or plan a servant event. Supportgroups are an excellent way of learning towalk through lifes journey. You can offersuch things as groups for cancer survivors,young mothers, and the newly married.Learning opportunities can be formalor informal. As you look at your missionstatement in the light of your community,you are apt to nd particular needs. A ssessthe true needs. (I once formed a singlesgroup, only to discover that there werevery few truly single people who were notattending college. There was, however, alarge number of individuals who were singleagain in the church, a true need.)

We live in a highly technological world.

Learning opportunities, devotions, andconversations online al l are possibilities andespecially important to those who travel,work long hours, or are homebound. Becreative in communications! The signboardsout front will seldom bring in people whoare in the community. The bulletin onlyreaches congregational members. The greatcommission is not to bring em in; it is togo and tell. Be sure your mission statementgoes beyond the walls of the church. Person-to-person communication is no doubt the

most effective way to connect, but we nowhave many other options for getting theWord out into the community, such as print,the computer, and social media. It takes anintentional effort; we cannot rely on a If webuild it, they wil l come mentality.

In considering these educationalopportunities possibilities, we have tossedthe coffeepot to see what happens. It is goodto test and hold on to what is good. Thereis another option: What if we completely

change the approach?A Family Approach

During the time of the Reformation,Luther encouraged taking an active rolein the education of children. At that time,the church had exclusive responsibility toeducate. Luther wrote The Small Catechism sofathers could instruct their children in thefaith. However, with the development ofcurrent structures, parents have abdicated Is

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responsibility to the church. We now takechildren to the experts to learn. This isquite a reversal; perhaps it is time to reclaimsome turf.

Christian Education may be well served toadopt a Family Ministry approach. One suchapproach is referred to as an asset model.There are ten assets of a strong family whichseem to be generally accepted. Those tenassets are:

1. Quality Time2. Open Communication3. Afrmation and Respect4. Family Tradition5. Faith Life Together6. Strong Marriage/United Front

7. Loving Discipline/Good Boundaries8. Conict Resolution9. Service to Others0. Network of Support (Balswick and

Balswick)

Developing intergenerational learningcommunities made up of families dedicatedto strengthening these assets would behelpful in equipping families to be centersfor faith formation. Parents, after all, arethe most important inuence in the lives of

children. By providing intergenerationalsettings that are educational in intent, oneis assuring families of quality time togetherrather than separating family members intoage groups. Providing discussion questionsencourages good communication. Thepotential for afrming others exists asconversations take place. Reading Scripturetogether and praying together buildsimportant family traditions and faith lives.A service component easily can be added.Connecting families with other families can

build a network of support and unity withinthe church. Singles, widows, and those withno extended family can be adopted intofamilies or form their own church families.The potential is great!

The shift from age divisions to familymeetings is going to be met with someresistance. We have become comfortablesending our families in several directionson Sunday mornings, dropping off youthon Sunday evenings, bringing pre-teens

on Saturday mornings for conrmationinstruction, and our children to Wednesdaynight programs. Adults may meet at varioustimes during the week. Unfortunately,we have become comfortable with othersteaching our children those things that wevalue most in our lives. In doing so, we havebecome somewhat inept at speaking GodsWord with our own children.

A good investment of time can be made inwatching the documentary, Divided, whichstudies the impact of separating families atchurch on our ability to retain membersduring a life-time. One of the ndings isthat we never teach our children to interactwith indiv iduals of other life stages. While

I certainly do not agree with everythingpresented in this documentary, it does raiseinteresting questions. (I have noted how toaccess this lm on your computer on theresource page.)

Back to the Future

Christian Faith Formation

Christian Education in the future maylook very different from Christian Educationin the past. It may move from Christian

Education with a focus on a presentationof knowledge to Christian formation as aprocess. It may move from a classroom andteacher to a congregation and mentors,from mission statements based on numbersand attendance to identifying the desiredoutcomes of living the faith.

David Anderson, author ofVibrant Faithin the Congregation, lists ve principles formoving from education to faith formation.

1. Faith is formed by the power of the Holy

Spirit in relationships rather than bypaper curriculum. We are the curriculum.

2. Effective faith formation ministrypartners home and congregations as a vitalteam instead of employing a hierarchicalmodel that places parents and other caringadults in a subservient role.

3. Home life makes an incredible differencein a childs ability to be inspired bythe faith (Then, as an adult, this childinspires the next generation.)

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4. A child (or adult) catches the values andfaith of those around them by word anddeed, not simply by lesson plans and datathat are dispensed.

5. To ignite and motivate the young withthe Christian faith, surround the youngwith adults who live that faith and wake uphungering for it.

Faith formation does not exclude preachingand teaching. These are essential. It doesinvolve the entire congregation in focusingon developing individual maturity inones faith life. Members of the youngergenerations are open to the Christian faith,but they are not huge fans of the establishedchurch. Their primary question is not

what we believe, but they are asking, SoWhat? What difference does it make to be aChristian? Can you help me discover why itis important to my everyday life? There is aneed for these generations to belong and beaccepted. There is a great desire to do what isbest for their children.

In a congregation which knocks downthe wal ls of age-groups, these questionsmay be more easily answered. Milestonesin the lives of individuals can be celebratedtogether. Christian faith formation is aprocess that covers the life span. Individualslearn from each other and serve as mentors,not in a particular mentor program, but aspeople who interact across the ages. A highemphasis is placed on building relationshipsamong people. Fellowship for all ages is a keycomponent. Service together offers uniqueopportunities to learn from each other. Foodand meals are part of fellowship. Memberscan embody the three As: be authentic,be available, and be afrming. (David

Anderson) Bible studies can implementthese three As as one learns from others,and applications of faith in everyday lifesituations are made by sharing experiencesthroughout the study of Scripture.

A focus on this process is not a threat tothe ministries of a dce, Lutheran teacher,dco, deaconess, or pastor. Rather, thisapproach gives them the opportunity toequip the most inuential people in the livesof the next generation, their parents.

One of the most positive aspects of theChristian Faith Formation Approach isthat there are no ending points. Too oftenConrmation is seen as having an endingpoint in Christian Education. High schoolgraduation and going to college are seen asother ending points. Because Christian Faithformation is considered an on-going process,events like Conrmation and graduationare celebrated as milestones that lead to thenext milestone. Members will be more likelyto continue to be faithful to the churchbecause they understand their involvementas a lifelong learning experience. Obviously,this is not a new approach but rather anancient approach that goes back to the times

of Luther and the early church.Review the mission statement and make

adjustments in timing, setting, identity andprocedures. Develop a family ministry andan intergenerational approach. Focus onfaith formation involving members of all agesin the congregation. Try this approach thatjust may work. Pray and follow the leading ofthe Holy Spirit. Be intentional about whatyou do. Learn from your mistakes. Do whatyou do with passion. Toss the coffeepot.

Evaluate. Move forward.

References

Kelly, Gerard. Retrofuture. Downers Grove,

Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1999.

Anderson, David W. Vibrant Faith in the Congregation.

Minneapolis: Vibrant Faith Publishing, 2011.

Balswick, Jack O. and Balswick, Judith K. Family:

A Christian Perspective on the Contemporary Home.

Grand Rapid: Baker Book House, 1991.

Bass, Diana Butler. Process not Program: AdultFaith Formation for Vital Congregations.

Indianapolis: Congregational Resource

Guide, 2010. www.congregationalresources.

org.

Hill, Bradley N. Missing the Signs. The Christian

Century , April 5, 2011.

MacQueen, Neil. Are Kids Too Busy These

Days for Sunday School? 2004. http://www.

sundaysoftware.Com/stats2.htm

Divided. NCFIC. http://Dividedthemovie.com Issues

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Transformationsin Congregationsthrough Bible StudyHow can we make the study of Scripturea more important part of the localcongregations life? How can we change the

study of Scripture from something we doduring our conrmation years, and thenset aside because we think we know all thatwe need to know, into a valuable, lifelong

habit? How can the Word of God becomesomething we delight in, something that wemeditate on day and night (Psalm 1:2)? Itwont happen easily, but it can be done. One

of the best ways to do this is to v isit churcheswhere Bible study is an active and integralpart of the total ministry. Thats a case studyapproach to learning about ministry. Butsince youre reading these words, perhaps afew things can be said here to get a head starton transforming the study of Gods Word inthe local church. The Gospel is not tired andworn. Its more like a caged tiger that onlyneeds to be let loose in order for its impact tobe powerfully felt.

Dr. Joel Heck is Professor of

Theology, Concordia University

Texas and the author of many

books and articles.

Joel.Heck@concordia.edu

Joel Heck

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A Leadership Challenge

The FIrst thing that needs to happen totransform congregational education is forthe congregational leadership, both pastor(s)

and laypeople, to be serious about education.This applies to the congregation without aschool just as much as the congregation witha school. It typically starts with the pastorand, where there is a school, the principal,but it doesnt end there. Most pastors andprincipals are already on-board with thisidea, but most of the rest of the congregationis not, although they would never say so. Thekey is understanding how they vote with theirfeet, that is, what they do with their time,

when they could be part of a Bible class.What message do we send to our youngpeople, especially the teenagers, if on anygiven Sunday only about 10 percent of theadult membership of the congregation isin Bible class? Ill answer that question.It tells young people that, in spite of whatmost parents say, in spite of what most layleaders say, in spite of what our cal led staffsay, conrmation truly is graduation. Thebehavior of most conrmed members of thecongregation shouts loudly that you know all

you need to know when you are conrmed,that study of the Bible is for young childrenand not for adults. If, on a given Sunday, halfof our young people are in Sunday Schooland only about one in ten adults is in Bibleclass, we are sending the wrong message.

How is it possible to obey everythingI [ Jesus] have commanded you (Matthew28:20) with a few years of studying theScriptures one hour a week, and al l ofthose years are preteen years? While the

fundamental teachings of Scripture, Lawand Gospel, sin and grace, can be taughtand understood in a short amount of time,God gave us much more than a few summaryparagraphs in His Word. Let me also saythat I realize that people can study the Bibleon other days of the week and in differentsettings. However, it is most v isibly onSunday that we send a message to the rest ofthe church by our participation in the studyof Gods Word.

So how does this translate intocongregational activity? First, we have t0ask ourselves several questions. Whatpercentage of the Board of Elders attendsa weekly Bible class? What percentage ofcongregational ofcers, President, VicePresident(s), Board chairs, and Boardmembers, attends a weekly Bible class? Howmany choir members, communion assistants,ushers, volunteers and other lay leaders arestudying the Word of God weekly? Whatabout the staff? Are the administrativeassistants, lay ministers, Directors ofChristian Education, Directors of ChristianOutreach, youth ministers, and other staffregularly studying the Bible? And, if there

is a school, the teachers need to be involvedin Bible study as well, even though they areeducational professionals. They do not needto be leading the Bible classes, except onoccasion, but they do need to participate.

Al l of these people mentioned in theprevious paragraph are the people who setthe pace. They are visible to the rest of thecongregation, so they deliver a messagealmost as much with their actions as withtheir words. We can say al l we want that wedont want our young people to drop out.However, if we are setting an example oflaying aside the study of the Word of Godonce we are conrmed, we are telling themthat Bible study is not all that important. Weare sending the wrong message.

This, of course, means that the pastormust be an advocate for the study ofScripture. And, of course, its very rarethat he isnt. He must be both a teacher ofScripture and a learner from Scripture.If the spiritual leader of the congregation

nds the need to learn at the feet of Jesus,then who can say, Well, I dont need it?For those congregations with schools,the example of the principal will be veryimportant as well.

But more on this at the end of this article,particularly on how to motivate a muchhigher percentage of adults to be involvedregularly in the study of Gods Word. I wantto afrm that each Christian needs spiritualgrowth at three levelsat the corporate level Is

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in worship, at the group level in Bible class,and at the personal level in a devotional life.This article addresses the group level of ourspiritual growth rather than the corporate orpersonal level.

Experiential Learning

Another keyto transforming ourcongregati