Mission Statement
The Catalina Lutheran Church education program for children and youth is established by the congregation to assist her Pastor/s in service to the parents of the congregation in their vocations of bringing up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4; c.f. Deuteronomy 6:7). In all of our interactions with our young parishioners, we recognize that we work under the authority of the parents (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16). We pray that our young students will:
- grow in The Faith as they commit Dr. Luther’s Small Catechism to memory;
- come to hold all the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures to be the inspired Word of God;
- confess the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, drawn from the Scriptures, as they learn it from the Small Catechism, to be faithful and true;
- hear the Word of God, and upon their right confession of The Faith, receive the Lord’s Supper;
- live according to the Word of God in faith, word, and deed;
- raise families of their own in The Faith;
- continue steadfast in this confession and Church and suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it; and in the end
- receive the crown of life immortal in Christ.
Director Job Description
The Director of Children/Youth Education will:
- Regularly receive God’s gifts in His Divine Services, actively participate in a CLC adult Bible study, and be in prayer for Pastor, the parents, the teachers and students. Be a member of Catalina Lutheran Church (CLC) for no less than six months prior to entering the office. Be willing to complete the background check paperwork.
- Guide the overall direction/thrust of the curriculum without micromanaging the teachers. Recognize the parents as under the Fourth Commandment and remain in constant communication with them to be certain that we are serving them in their parental vocations.
- Be present at and ensure that Sunday School openings are led, as much as possible. Be agreeable to teach the classes either as primary or substitute teacher, as needed. Be an encourager of all involved in the Sunday school, and speak well of them to the congregation. Be a resource for the teachers, and help identify appropriate curricular and other materials.
- Guide and support the special programs, for example, Vacation Bible School and the Reformation Festival.
- The Director is a voting member of the CLC Council, will furnish updates on the Children/Youth education program at Council Meetings and Voters’ Meetings, and will advocate for the needs of the Children/Youth education program in these settings. Further, s/he will prepare an annual Children/Youth education budget, under the direction of the Council that year.
Sunday School Teacher
The Sunday School Teacher will, using the Director as a resource:
- Regularly receive God’s gifts in His Divine Services, actively participate in a CLC adult Bible study, and be in prayer for Pastor, the parents, his/her education colleagues and students. Be a member of Catalina Lutheran Church (CLC) for no less than six months prior to entering the office. Be willing to complete the background check paperwork.
- Consult with and encourage the parents in setting high standards.
- Attend and participate in education meetings.
More ideas for teachers:
- Teach to the learning styles of the students (auditory, sight, sensory, and hands-on).
- Pace the teaching of the curriculum to the speed of the learning abilities involved with each class.
- Create different ways of testing students’ knowledge of what is being taught.
- Ask students and parents to fill out a critique of the Sunday School Program each year.
- Bring in an outside resource to enhance what is being taught—Pastor, Vicar, elder, deacon, visiting Church Official.
- Survey several other LCMS Sunday Schools or Lutheran Schools to gain new ideas for teaching the curriculum.
- Recruit, recruit, recruit!