Ordinance of the Evangelical Synod of the Canton of Thurgau on 'Church, Child and Youth' - Principle

1. The Church accompanies children and young people from birth through to young adulthood by strengthening their faith, providing life guidance, and fostering church community.

2. This mission of accompaniment is called "Church, Child, and Youth."

1. Through church offerings, children and young people can

1. Become acquainted with the message of the Bible and important figures and events in church history

2. Engage with questions of life and faith

3. Experience community with God among themselves, in church celebrations, and other occasions

4. Experience and become familiar with Christian core values

5. Meaningfully organize and experience leisure time

6. Acquire social experiences and skills in groups

7. Take on responsibility and find meaning in life through their own efforts

2. Children and young people experience the community of church members as a place where faith is practiced, their concerns are taken seriously, there is a willingness for open discussions on questions of faith and life, and where they have space for age-appropriate activities.

1. "Church, Children, and Youth" encompasses the following areas

1. Religious Education

2. Church Celebrations

3. Church Leisure Activities for Children and Youth

2. The church congregations provide offerings in all three areas.

3. Whenever possible, the three areas should be interconnected.

1. The categories include the following age groups

1. From birth until primary school

2. Primary school time

3. Secondary level, seventh and eighth grade

4. Confirmation year

2. The church communities provide age-appropriate offerings at all age levels.

3. The individual age levels can be introduced or concluded with a special ceremony.

1. Based on the provisions of this regulation, the Church Council issues principles and guidelines in a concept for the national church regarding the mandate "Church, Child, and Youth."

2. Within the framework of this regulation and the cantonal concept, the church congregation develops its own regulation "Church, Child, and Youth." This is submitted to the Church Council for acknowledgment.

1. The church council bears the responsibility for "Church, Children, and Youth" in the community and oversees its supervision.

1. Parents are called upon, based on their baptismal promise, to encourage their children to attend the offered programs in an orderly manner.

2. The church council maintains and promotes collaboration and contacts with parents in all areas of "Church, Child, and Youth."

3. The church community promotes programs that can be attended jointly by children, parents, and other caretakers.

4. The church council informs parents, particularly about the community's specific regulations regarding programs for various areas and age groups.

1. The church council particularly fosters collaboration in its community with the authorities and the teaching staff of the schools, as well as with the responsible parties of the Catholic parish and, if applicable, other local churches, especially in regard to religious education and church leisure activities for children and youth.

2. It promotes cooperation with neighboring communities.

3. The regional church supports and promotes interdenominational and ecumenical collaboration in all areas of "Church, Child, and Youth."

4. The regional church and parish communities promote and support the church youth associations in their activities for "Church, Child, and Youth."

1. The parish may offer religious education classes from the 1st to the 8th school year.

2. In primary education, religious education is provided annually for children in either the 3rd to 6th grades or the 2nd to 5th grades. This is primarily conducted in weekly individual lessons.

3. In secondary education I, a total of two annual lessons are provided in the 7th and 8th school years. The church council determines the number of lessons per class.

1. The educational content is to be coordinated with that of Sunday School and other providers of religious instruction.

2. In addition to the regular weekly classes, primarily at the secondary level I, teaching methods such as units, half or full days, or camps are possible. These can, in agreement with the Catholic denominational part and the schools, replace the regular class hours.

3. If young people are unable to attend religious instruction, the church administration may, in exceptional cases, make special arrangements and agree on an alternative program. The competent offices support the church communities in this regard.

1. Attendance at religious education is generally mandatory for children and adolescents who belong to the Evangelical Church of the Canton of Thurgau. The catechists conduct attendance checks in the classes. The church council seeks dialogue with those who are absent and their parents.

2. Evangelical students who do not or no longer wish to attend religious education must be deregistered in writing by their parents or legal representatives.

3. For students with gaps in attendance, the church council decides benevolently on a possible re-admission to religious education.

1. In matters of professional oversight, the Church Council supports the local authorities and designates an appropriate office for this purpose.

2. The Church Council ensures the provision of suitable professional consultation.

3. The professional oversight and consultation encompasses religious instruction at public, private, and special schools.

1. The size and composition of the classes shall be determined by the local conditions and the composition of the classes. A class division should, over an extended period, comprise at least eight and at most fifteen students.

2. Part of the instruction may also be conducted interdenominationally within the class group.

1. Religious instruction shall be provided at all levels by teachers who are specially trained for this purpose.

2. It shall be based on the curricula established by the church council.

3. The municipality shall bear the costs for the teaching materials. The church council may recommend teaching materials.

1. The parish communities shall bear the educational costs for the children and adolescents who reside within their community.

2. The coordination of accounting is the responsibility of the church council of the school location. The church council issues recommendations regarding the billing rates.

1. Adolescents who have duly attended religious education as well as ceremonies and events in accordance with § 25 are admitted to the confirmation year.

2. In the event of any absences, the church council shall decide, upon the application of the designated person, on admission to the confirmation year and on any requirements that still need to be fulfilled. The individual situation of each adolescent should be taken into account.

1. The confirmation class comprises at least 40 lessons. Regular attendance is a prerequisite for admission to confirmation.

2. It includes community-building activities and events. Additionally, the class is supplemented by a camp or weekend retreat.

1. A class size of at least 8 confirmands is to be aimed for.

2. If possible, confirmands of all school types are to be instructed together.

1. The organization of confirmation classes and their content are the responsibility of the pastor or the person appointed by the church council.

2. Whenever possible, confirmation classes should be organized with additional participants. The involvement of young adults, in particular, should be encouraged.

3. The church council may recommend curricula or teaching aids for the organization of the classes.

4. The church community bears the costs for teaching materials and aids.

1. The parish offers celebrations suitable for children of preschool age. Children up to the 3rd grade are offered children's services or similar celebrations and events.

2. Where no youth service is yet offered for students in the fourth grade, they are invited to children's services.

3. The content of religious instruction for these grades and those of children's services are to be coordinated with each other.

1. The church congregation regularly offers youth services to students in the intermediate and secondary levels up until the year of confirmation.

2. Separate offerings should be made for the intermediate and secondary levels whenever possible.

1. Family services and community festivals provide children and youth with the opportunity to celebrate with the adult community.

1. A portion of these celebrations shall be designed to be participatory and experiential. The youths shall contribute with their personal talents and be actively involved.

1. The church council regulates the scheduling of these offerings. It ensures that there are sufficiently diverse offerings available throughout the entire year. A reasonable portion of these should be scheduled on Sundays.

1. Attendance at "Fiire mit de Chliine" and children's church services is voluntary.

2. For primary and secondary education levels, as well as the confirmation year, the church council determines the number of church celebrations and events to be attended, in accordance with the cantonal guidelines.

1. For grades 4 to 6, the cantonal guideline is 20 visits, distributed over grades 4 to 6 or grades 5 and 6.

2. For secondary education, the cantonal guideline is 20 visits, distributed over the first two grades.

3. For the confirmation year, the cantonal guideline is 12 visits.

1. Care must be taken to ensure that the offering of creditable and youth-appropriate events exceeds the number of events required to be attended as stipulated by the church community.

2. Attendance at adult and family worship services, as well as other church ceremonies, is equivalent to attending the youth worship service.

3. Participation in church events can also be recognized. The church council shall regulate the details definitively.

1. The church council assigns voluntary leaders to oversee the children's worship service.

2. The leadership of youth worship services is the responsibility of pastors, deacons, or leaders with appropriate training.

3. The confirmation classes are under the direction of pastors, deacons, or individuals with appropriate training.

4. Those appointed to leadership may prepare and conduct children’s worship services, youth worship services, and confirmation classes as a team.

1. Church recreational activities for children and youths enable them to engage with questions of life and faith. They promote social interaction and the experience of community within the group.

1. The church community promotes and supports age-appropriate church recreational activities and projects for children and youths at all age levels.

2. It may run its own youth groups and maintain collaboration with the corresponding youth associations.

3. The church community may co-sponsor and support the open youth work offerings of the school community or the political municipality.

4. The church leadership promotes regional collaboration.

1. Tasks of leadership in church recreational activities for children and young people are entrusted to trained employees.

1. The officials of the parish familiarize the youth and the confirmands with the offerings for young adults available within their parish, the region, or the canton.

2. The parish ensures a smooth transition into these offerings.

1. Employees in "Church, Children, and Youth" of the parish congregations are, within the scope of their responsibilities

1. Pastors

2. Deacons

3. Diaconal employees

4. Youth workers

5. Catechists

6. Children's service leaders

2. The parish congregation creates the necessary positions for the implementation of the concept.

3. The church board elects the position holders. The terms of employment are to be regulated by contract.

4. The regional church may issue salary guidelines for the employees.

1. Employed staff demonstrate their qualifications through training appropriate to their position.

2. The Church Council may recognize training courses or offer its own courses.

3. It decides on the recognition of certificates of competence.

1. The church council may delegate individual tasks within all areas of "church, children, and youth" to voluntary staff members.

2. It promotes and supports this cooperation, organizes the tasks and competencies, and ensures appropriate guidance and recognition.

1. Supervision of employees in all work areas and age groups of "Church, Children, and Youth" is the responsibility of the church council.

2. It may seek advice from the specialist departments of the national church.

1. The regional church offers further training courses, and opportunities for intervision and supervision to its employees.

2. These employees are obligated to pursue regular further education.

3. The regional church, together with the parishes, participates in the further education costs according to separate provisions.

4. All employees in the "Church, Children and Youth" sector are obligated to fulfill and comply with the conditions outlined in the concept "Protection against Boundary Violations and Sexual Assaults."

1. The Regional Church maintains specialized departments in the areas of

1. Training and Further Education in Religious Education

2. Consultation/Supervision of Religious Education

3. Media Center

4. Youth Work

5. Church Celebrations

6. Integration of Children and Youth with Disabilities

2. The Church Council elects the staff, defines their duties and responsibilities, and exercises supervision.

1. The Church Council appoints temporary advisory boards as needed for issues in the area of "Church, Children, and Youth," which require a broad perspective and have significant implications for the church communities.

1. If compelling reasons arise from the local circumstances for a regulation deviating from this ordinance, it can be approved by the church council upon request from the church leadership.