Love and Learning in a Time of Coronavirus       In The Great Divorce, a masterful little book about sin, death, and forgiveness, C. S. Lewis paints a fascinating image of Hell. Distinctly lacking are devils, pitchforks, flames, and overt suffering. Instead, the denizens of the great abyss are living what would appear to be ordinary […]

Thinking about Learning       I began thinking about doctoral studies in the early 2000’s, as I was completing my Master’s degree. I put the thought aside as I accepted a call to lead a school at my home congregation. It would be too demanding as a wife, mother, and principal/teacher to add “doctoral student” to […]

Editor’s Note: This article grows out of the PhD work in Organizational Leadership that the author completed in 2019. His interest in early childhood education has developed out of the two centers his congregation is growing in Houston, TX, where he is the pastor.       In order to be a leader in the church one […]

Editor’s Note: This article is taken from the article, The Temporal, Social, and Physical Environment as Applications of the Whole Child Tenets in Early Childhood, as originally published in the Illinois ASCD Journal, the Winter 2019 issue. It is reprinted with permission.       Long before children enter formal schooling they develop literacy skills that will […]

Let God Lead       Literacy. Leadership and early childhood centers. Music in the classroom. Collaboration in the workplace. Developing consensus toward working together. Overall, the articles in this issue have something for almost everyone. And when you add the columns and book reviews, the diversity of this issue broadens even further.       Thinking about the […]

Celebrating DCEs It is a joy to create something new. Whether a work of art or architecture, a story or an academic program, a game app or a makeshift bridge across a creek, creators will attest that the creation of something lovely or useful or fun is a source of joy.  The joy of the […]

It Was a Good Year A good year. 1959. Think about it. Training for Directors of Christian Education. There were a few teachers in congregations already serving as DCEs. In July 1959, the LCMS in convention approved the beginning of DCE programs in synodical schools, as well as the calling of DCEs by congregations. Thus, this […]

So what does a DCE do all week? While this is typically a question posed to pastors, it applies to DCEs as well. DCEs are lifespan Christian educators in a congregation so their responsibilities can span all ages from cradle to grave. A congregation member might see a DCE teach on Sunday morning, do youth […]

Introduction For students to excel in church-ministry professions, a specific skill set is required. They need strong interpersonal abilities, which can be acquired through training in communication, leadership, and group dynamics. Within the helping professions, individuals engaging in church work also need to be flexible with robust relational skills. Concordia University Chicago (CUC), part of […]

(Author’s note: Data and demographics were accurate to the best of the author’s knowledge as of the 2016 original publication of this research. Where more recent data were available, it was included.) Introduction Since the 1847 inception of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), as it has been called since 1947, the Synod has been ministering […]