Parents in partnership with the church San Marino Community Church, January 29, 1958.

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    It
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    is my privilege on behalf of the session of our San Marino Community Church to
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    emphasize the basic need which brings us
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    together. In brief that need is this. We
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    who try to provide Christian education for the boys and girls of this
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    community know that we are voices in the wilderness unless we
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    are echoing here at the church what is being taught by word and attitude
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    and action at
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    home. If you prefer to take the long chance that
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    somehow something may happen, regardless of what you do at
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    home, that is your
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    responsibility. We insist however that you hear us
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    state our position, for we know from experience, both happy
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    and
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    sad that unless we enter an
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    understanding positive and joyful partnership with the
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    parents, we are working against odds which only God
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    Himself can overcome. It was a church school superintendent Ralph
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    N. MacIntyre of Topeka,
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    Kansas, who documented how church loyalty is recapitulated in
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    the children of our church homes. He made a study of
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    seven hundred church school pupils under age twenty who dropped
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    out of the church school
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    for other than good reasons. Of that number,
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    only three
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    were children of parents who were active church members. On
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    the other hand. Professor Paul Veith [Veith, Paul Herman, 1895-1978] of Yale University Divinity
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    School reports that more than ninety percent of those unite with the
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    church come from homes whose fathers and mothers are participating church
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    members. Nearly every Protestant denomination
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    now relates its church school curriculum, in greater or lesser extent, to the
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    home. Slowly they are returning to that pattern of the
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    Reformation days when the Christian education of children was centered by the
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    hearth side.
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    Martin Luther, who constructed his catechism to be taught by parents,
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    was convinced in his words that the home is
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    the God ordained place for training in Christian
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    character, a thousand times better suited for this purpose
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    than artificial monasteries as a minister. I
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    wish often that I were in the kind of institution which could require parents to
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    be present with their children somewhere at the
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    church every Lord's
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    Day. We want you to be under
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    no illusion about what we hope will happen here.
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    The Christian Faith and Life Curriculum, which we
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    use, is a program for church and
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    home. Each word in that title is
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    significant. "Christian." This involves and should
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    result in our commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and
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    Savior. "Faith." By the grace of God we
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    can respond to
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    his call and ought to. And, "Life."
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    This response to the will of God is for the whole of our lives. And, we
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    must seek to do His will in everyday living.
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    A program involving persons and materials
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    with plans for making Christian
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    disciples. For church a total
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    educational program in which the Sunday church school
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    provides training and experience for which the final goal is
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    Christian discipleship and membership in the
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    church and
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    home. In God's plan there is no substitute for
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    parents in guiding the growth of their children in the Christian
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    faith. The home is truly the first place for
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    Christian nurture. The purpose of the curriculum is to guide
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    every person to Jesus Christ so that, through him, they
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    may come to a true knowledge of God and to a living
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    faith, and through the power of the Holy Spirit live as Christ's
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    disciples in the fellowship of the
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    church. This is what we mean. And
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    we invite you to share in what is the most important phase of your
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    child's education. Because, if all
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    this happens as God plans
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    it, what we teach together at
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    home and at the
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    church will become your child's and, we pray,
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    your
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    faith and life, your Christian
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    faith and
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    life. [Organ plays hymn "O God, Our Help in Ages Past."]
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    This
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    presentation was planned by the Home and Church Committee of the San Marino Community Church, a
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    Presbyterian
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    Church. The original script with written by Mrs Tyler Oven.
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    And, credit should be given to others for help for revisions.
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    Mr RAY Bergstrom was chiefly responsible for the photography with the help and direction of Miss
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    Gertrude
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    Harvard. And, we are deeply indebted to Bill Peters as our
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    recording engineer.
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    Mr
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    and Mrs Young Parent, Janet and
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    Phil and their children, four year old Martha and twelve year old
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    Mike, were living in the neighborhood of the San Marino Community Church.
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    Janet had felt a pressing need for becoming a part of a church. She wanted her children to learn to
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    feel this need
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    too. It has not been easy to express this to
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    her husband
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    Phil. Like many people, Phil felt pretty
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    adequate within himself. He had never consciously felt
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    the kind of need Janet experienced so keenly. His life was full of responsibilities,
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    the demands of his business and forced routine and the need for earning a
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    living.
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    one day Janet
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    said. "Phil, we've gone on our own long enough. I think
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    it is important for the children to go to Sunday School
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    now." "Important! Oh, no! I don't think it's
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    important at
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    all." So, on the following
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    Sunday, they visited the nearest church.
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    [Organ plays "Fairest Lord Jesus.]
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    They explored the children's
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    building, noting the facilities for preschool children,
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    the kindergarten,
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    the second grade, the fourth
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    grade. In every room Janet and
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    Phil were pleased with the cheerful environment.
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    The new youth building was next on their
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    tour. "What a perfect place for Mike, when
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    he becomes a teenager to join his friends and enjoy real fun and
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    fellowship. And, maybe he could join a youth
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    choir." They noticed a glassed in bulletin
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    board with snapshots of one hundred and seventy five church school teachers,
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    all volunteer
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    workers. " Hmm. Lots of working members in this
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    church. That's good."
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    Just notice how many men are teaching. That doesn't begin to number all
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    the people who are at work
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    here. In the sanctuary,
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    Janet looked up at the breathtaking beauty of the benediction window. And, she knew that Phil
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    too was moved by its simplicity and
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    splendor.
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    The next Sunday they decided to go back. They went to the office to register
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    their
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    children. At the registration
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    desk, they filled out their first time registration form and paid their tuition for the
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    family. The registrar
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    said, "This goes toward the cost of the whole year's Christian
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    education
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    expenses." The registrar added that the board of elders or
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    session ruled that parents are expected to attend a parent
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    meeting.
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    The mother ahead of them had
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    protested, "What again? I attended one last year. I don't
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    have time to go again."
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    Yes. the parents are expected to attend at least one meeting each year as a part of
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    their children's registration for church
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    school. Their predecessor in line had seemed a little miffed.
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    But businessman Phil took it in his
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    stride. Rules are rules. And who knows? I
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    may learn something. Keep that open mind.
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    Let's see what was that meeting
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    date. The young parents had made a good decision
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    today. The family had come to church
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    together.
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    Later
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    that day Phil tried to explain to a friend why he had to change his plans for the night of the parent
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    meeting. You fellows will never miss me. No. It's
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    a meeting for parents. No. I think the church does have a right to expect us to
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    come to just one meeting. Oh well you get along without me.
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    Yeah I made up my
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    mind. See you later.
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    Goodbye.
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    Don't say a word, my dear. You know I agree with you, but I'm glad to see you're
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    beginning to be convinced
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    yourself.
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    [instrumental interlude.]
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    [Choral anthem with brass, "Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past"]
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    At
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    the parent meeting, Janet and Phil were given their
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    materials. They were the new parent teacher magazine published every
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    three
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    months" Growing. Opening Doors.
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    Discovery. possible in This
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    Generation. The registrar told
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    them. You should try to read at least one magazine each quarter. There is a
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    lesson for every Sunday in the quarter and if a child should be absent for any
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    reason, the parent can help him at home.
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    Actually there are study guides in the Faith and Life
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    curriculum for pre-three children through senior adult.
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    The reading books for the children will be given out at church school. But these copies are here
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    for display. There are simple and beautifully illustrated stories for preschool
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    children and those in grades one, two and three.
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    And well written and interesting books for fourth graders through high school. The parents were told that they
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    too should read the books that each of their children
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    received. They were told that in the Faith and Life
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    curriculum everyone will be studying the life of Christ this year,
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    each on his own level.
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    Well take for example a second grader. Will he be studying the life of Christ
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    this year? Yes. And, when he comes back to this scene in three years in the
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    fifth grade, he will be studying it on a more mature level.
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    I see. I suppose he'll study it again the next time in the eighth grade.
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    That's right with a still different emphasis, particularly stressing the
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    young person's relationship to
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    Jesus. The
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    teaching material is planned to rotate on a three-year cycle around the
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    themes of Christ, the Bible, and the church. This will include all
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    ages from preschool through senior adult. If you miss a Sunday, you
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    never come back to the same material in the same way again.
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    Well then it's important for the family to follow along at home.
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    Yes. Or at least create the kind of climate in the home where it is natural
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    for the family to discuss religious questions.
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    Phil thought.
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    Well this is no hit and miss program for Christian an
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    education.
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    One year of the curriculum is devoted to the study of the Bible
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    to awaken our faith in Christ. Last year
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    we studied the growth of the church from the time of Christ down through the work of
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    the Reformation leaders, such as John
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    Calvin, to the present day spread of the gospel around the
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    world.
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    This
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    year we are concerned with the events and experiences in the life of our Lord Jesus
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    Christ, who he is, what he
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    does, and with bringing our children into a real relationship with
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    Him. The children will learn that the Jewish people had
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    waited long for the promised Messiah. Christian faith sees
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    in Christ one who was human as we
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    are and yet was
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    God. They will discover that the boy Jesus was
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    dedicated to the doing of God's will from his early
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    childhood. The significance of our sacrament of
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    baptism will be made
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    understandable and personal through the experience of Jesus with John the
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    Baptist. The ministry of Jesus will be shown in a way that will help
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    the children to understand that his mission was to announce the good news of
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    God's
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    rule. The opposition to Jesus will be pointed out in order
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    that children can understand that today too there are forces
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    opposing right.
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    They must learn to be strong enough to combat
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    these. Jesus was more concerned about
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    serving than being
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    served. Jesus had compassion for all
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    people in
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    need. The hands of Christ are still active to heal the
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    wounds and spiritual sicknesses of men. His
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    forgiving love included even people who were
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    despised. Jesus chose God's
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    way even when it was hard. He
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    said, "Not my will but thine be done."
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    Jesus gave his
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    life that we might know the power of God's forgiving
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    love which overcomes evil in our lives.
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    But Jesus rose again because he was victorious even over
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    death. And, he commissioned his followers to go and make disciples
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    of all
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    nations and left with us the promise
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    "Lo. I am with you always to the end of the
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    age." [instrumental interlude]
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    As
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    the
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    meeting continued, the parents were told that the faculty used group teaching
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    methods, eliminating the hazard of a Sunday school situation which
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    might deteriorate into a one man
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    show. There is given to every boy and girl
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    the feeling of being a necessary part of the
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    church in participating and contributing to the group.
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    It soon becomes
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    their class. Their department. Their church.
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    They were told how group teaching adds interest and depth to the church school
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    hour. Three or four adults share the responsibility of teaching
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    twenty-five to thirty
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    children. And, they vary their duties in the department from one Sunday
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    to
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    another. They alternate with such things
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    as guiding children with their worship
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    services, discussing the week's
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    lesson, becoming familiar with the
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    Bible, planning their outreach programs, and
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    doing research work in the Bible and reference books to give background to
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    their
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    discussions. Constant reference to the children's
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    daily experience brings a Christian way of life closer to them. They are guided
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    to understand and apply these lessons to their own
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    lives. Janet and Phil began to understand what the church
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    was trying to do, to communicate
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    to every mother and father the importance of families and the church
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    being partners in the business of leading our children to
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    Christ. If anyone understood the meaning of communication, it
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    was
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    Phil. Every day in his work he tried to get through to his customers and clients.
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    He had to admit it This church was getting through to
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    him. The family and the church must
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    understand together what we want for our young
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    people: commitment to Jesus Christ and lives founded on truly
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    Christian principles. This cannot be done well if we work
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    separately. At the close of the meeting, the young parents
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    promised along with all the other parents that they would try to help their children day by day to grow in
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    the Christian
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    faith.
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    [instrumental interlude]
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    old.
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    Janet
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    and
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    Phil
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    began to realize that this church wanted much more of them than they had
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    guessed. It wasn't enough to have registered their children in the church school.
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    Nor did their attending the orientation meeting mean that they could simply go home and be done
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    with it. This church wanted them as partners in the training of
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    their small Martha and rapidly maturing
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    Mike. The very next day Martha's church school
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    teacher phoned. "Just calling to tell you we were glad to have Martha in our class.
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    Does she like her reading books?"
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    Oh she loves it.
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    We've read it several times already. Mike is supposed to read a little out of his
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    book every day too isn't
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    he? Yes. He should be reading it and it is also important
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    to read the Bible every day. I know in our family we have found a
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    Bible Commentary very helpful
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    too.
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    Phil and Janet recalled their promise at the parent meetings and began to study. They read
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    the articles in the front of the quarterly magazines.
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    They got out their
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    Bible and borrowed a commentary from the church library. They took
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    time to read Martha's stories to her. And did their best to answer Mike's questions.
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    There were many things they decided that the whole family could do to make the children's experience at
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    church more
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    meaningful. One hour weekly that Martha and Mike spent at the church school had to
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    be
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    supplemented. Phil would have more father and son outings with
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    Mike. For we teach the love of Jesus by the love we show our
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    children. There would be additional time for
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    family fun planned with an eye to the children's enjoyment and their own too.
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    They would pray together as a family. They would begin by saying grace at meal
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    time to thank God for the love
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    he expresses for us in His care of our daily
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    needs. Thank you for the world so sweet.
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    Thank you for the food we eat. Thank you for the birds
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    sing. Thank you, God, for everything.
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    Amen. Phil and Janet, Martha and Mike, grew closer as the days passed. Their partnership with God
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    and the church became more important and precious to
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    them. After being up late on Saturday
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    night, it was sometimes hard to make
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    it, but they would go to church and church school as a family.
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    They had so much to be thankful
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    for.
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    The peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts
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    and minds through Christ
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    Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
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    and the communion of the Holy
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    Spirit be with you all. Amen. Phil now saw the church leading
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    him and his family toward the most worthwhile goals of his life:
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    learning, giving, praying, sharing, growing in the Christian way.
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    There was no question about it. The young parents had found their church home. They had become part of
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    the
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    church. And our whole life is different
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    because we are in partnership with the
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    church. [organ music]
Details
Title

Parents in partnership with the church San Marino Community Church, January 29, 1958.

Description

Audio portion of filmstrip presentation by the Christian Education Department of Community Presbyterian Church (San Marino, Calif.), duplicated from master, January 29, 1958.

Creator

Community Presbyterian Church (San Marino, Calif.) (creator)

Date

1958
January 29, 1958

Type of resource

sound recording-nonmusical

Genre

sound recordings

Form

audiotapes

Extent

1 sound tape reel : analog, 7 1/2 ips ; 1/4 in.

Language

English

Topics

Religious education--Home training.

Geographic subjects

North and Central America--United States--California--Los Angeles--San Marino

Rights status

IN COPYRIGHT - NON-COMMERCIAL USE PERMITTED; http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/

Physical location

KIT 133; Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA

Related item

Parents in partnership with the church San Marino Community Church : January 29, 1958. [filmstrip]--http://catalog.history.pcusa.org/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumbe...

Identifier (local)

Kit133_SanMarinoCA

PID (Persistent Identifier)

islandora:116454

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