Details
The Foundations program provides a great introduction to Christian education for parents of children in a Lutheran school or those considering one. It provides a clear picture of the blessings a Christian education can bring by helping parents understand the value of working together with their Lutheran school toward the common goal of offering an education for their children that yields peace, hope, joy, and love in Christ. The program has a suite of products that includes a book and a resource CD. Foundations Resource CD includes many resources to help lay this foundation in a Lutheran school situation.
Click here to to listen to KFUO radio interview with author Kenneth Kremer.
The History of "Foundations"
Following two decades of declining enrollments and steady erosion in the number of WELS elementary schools, the Foundations project was first proposed to the Commission on Parish Schools in the fall of 2007. It was viewed initially as an effort to restate the mission and purpose of WELS educational institutions at all levels of instruction, including childcare programs, early childhood education, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. A year later a team of dedicated writers was commissioned, and the wheels for designing the program’s conceptual development were put into motion.
The Objectives of "Foundations"
During the development process six carefully stated objectives emerged to sharpen the project’s focus and guide the way:
- Reestablish God’s Word as the bedrock for Christian education.
- Serve as a powerful witness for Jesus as the Lord of life and our Savior from sin.
- Reassert the proper application of law and gospel as the basis for the motivational model used in WELS schools.
- Reorient WELS schools to a supportive role that assists the work of parents in training their children in body, mind, and spirit.
- Provide opportunities for non-member parents to participate in group Bible study during their children’s first years in a WELS school or childcare center.
- Embrace the parent-teacher partnership as a critical component of the Christian education model.
One of the beauties of the program is that not only can its materials be used with member parents, but it can also serve as an introduction to the Gospel of Jesus for your unchurched parents.
The Components of "Foundations"
Foundations focuses on creating a shared mission for Lutheran schools and parents in all levels of instruction—from childcare programs to high schools. With its message solidly established on the bedrock of God’s Word, theFoundations program helps teachers and parents work together toward the common goal of offering an education for their children that yields peace, hope, joy, and love in Christ.
The Foundations suite consists of a book; a resource CD containing a book study, faculty Bible study, and other items; and beautiful, original downloadable choral music for children and adults based on the themes (Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love) of the program.
