# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S25 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) MISSIONS 25 8. The Evangel-Gram Tabloid In order to reach the congregations and professional church workers in the most efficient and effective way, the Board for Evangelism eliminated one of its annual envelope mailings in order to launch an eight-page tabloid newspaper called the Evangel-Gram, which shares news of new materials from the Evangelism Department and stories of how congregations are conducting evangelism in their own styles and programs. The paper also incorporated a student.tabloid, the Ambassador. which exchanged among the colleges and seminaries what is happening in evangelism on their. campuses. So the Evangel- Gram is also distributed on the campuses. The Evangel-Gram has been well received, with congrega- tions and Districts providing news and examples to share. It is mailed free to the congregations and schools of the Synod and to the chairman of the evangelism committee or board of the congregations that have sent that name to receive the Reporter. Additional copies, either single orin bulk, areon asubscription basis. The Editorial Committee for the Evangel-Gram is Rev. Wallace Schulz, Rev. Paul Devantier, and Dr. Theodore Raedeke. Assisting Dr. Kolb, who is the managing editor, are volunteers from the St. Louis area: Matt Welser, layout and design editor; Joyce Pranschke, campus editor; and Rev. Joel D. Heck, District and congregation editor. 9. Consultation on Bible Correspondence Course for Unchurched A good number of the congregations of the Synod continue to use the material of the World Home Bible League for Bible study for the unchurched, either the original course of four lessons called ‘“The Bible’s Answer” or the newer course, “The Touch of His Hand.” In order to provide some Lutheran theology of the sacraments, the Evangelism Department has published two courses that can be used with the World Home Bible League material: “No Greater Jewel” (on Baptism) and “One Bread, One Body” (on the Lord’s Supper). There continues to be a desire fora Lutheran Bible Study correspondence course for the unchurched. To explore the question further, the issue was discussed by Synod’s Task Force for Planning and Coordinating, which appointed a special committee to study the need and explore the question with the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, and the Lutheran Laymen’s League. The result was a consulta- tion of people who had experience with conducting correspond- ence courses for the unchurched. The consultation was spon- sored by the Board of Parish Education and the Board for Evangelism. The consultation was held on Nov. 13—14 in 1980, in St. Louis with the following: Rev. Eldor W. Haake, Moline, III. Rev. Ellis Rottmann, Missouri District, St. Louis Mr. Leonard Dresser, Enid, Okla. Rev. Robert Matej, Lakeside, Ohio Rev. Theodore Schroeder, Board of Parish Education Dr. Erwin J. Kolb, Board for Evangelism The recommendation from the consultation to the Task Force on Planning and Coordinating was that there is a need for a Lutheran course and that one should be developed by the task force and published by Concordia Publishing House. 10. Consultation on Evangelism Books The need for Lutheran books on evangelism for use in courses on evangelism at synodical colleges and seminaries, as well as by pastors and interested laypeople, continues to surface. No such books reflecting Lutheran theology are presently available, so Lutherans read materials from other sources with other theologies. In order to further explore the need and develop proposals for publications, the Board for Evangelism and Concordia Publishing House jointly spon- sored a consultation Aug. 12—13, 1980, at St. Charles, Mo. Present were: Dr. Kent Hunter, Detroit, Mich. Dr. Alan Harre, Seward, Nebr. Dr. Milton Rudnick, St. Paul, Minn. Rev. Bruce Lieske, N. Fond du Lac, Wis. Dr. Paul Foust, Ann Arbor, Mich. Mr.Charles Sauer, Concordia Publishing House Mrs. Ruth Ann Johnson, Concordia Publishing House Dr. Erwin J. Kolb, Board for Evangelism The consultation recommended the publication of a two- volume series on a theology for evangelism and a history of evangelism followed by a shorter series of practical books on such subjects as ministry to inactives, church growth, Great Commission mentality. and asurvey and evaluation of various methods of evangelism. Concordia Publishing House and the Board for Evangelism are in the first stages of carrying out these recommendations. 11. Consultation on World Evangelization In 1974 an International Congress on World Evangeliza- tion was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, which brought together 4,000 evangelism leaders from around the world for 10 days of sharing and learning. After the congress a Continua- tion Committee continued to coordinate evangelism concerns from the different denominations and countries. In July 1980 a followup Consultation on World Evangeliza- tion was sponsored by the Continuation Committee in Pattaya. Thailand, where 630 leaders in evangelism from around the world participated in a study to develop strategies for evangel- ism in various areas of need in order to reach the three billion people in the world who do not claim Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Attendance was by special invitation. Those participating from the Missouri Synod were: Dr. Roland Miller, Regina, Sask., Canada Rev. James Uhrinak, Brainerd, Minn. Dr. Elmer Matthias, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. Dr. Theodore A. Raedeke, St. Louis, Mo. Dr. Erwin J. Kolb, Board for Evangelism Participants joined in study groups before the consultation, and at the consultation spent most of their time developing strategy papers on reaching people in various categories. The results are now published in separate booklets on reaching Buddhists, Chinese, city dwellers, Hindus, Jews, Marxists, Muslims, mystics and cultists, nominal Christians among Protestants, nominal Christians among Roman Catholics, secularists, traditional religionists, and refugees. 12. Retreats Some congregations and Districts continue to conduct Renewal Retreats, which were begun by the Evangelism Department in 1976. During the past biennium, Districts that conducted District Renewal Retreats for Circuit Counselors and their wives were Northern Illinois, Northwest, Kansas, and Indiana. The Board for Evangelism published the second small-group Bible-study manual on Philippians, “On the Grow,” to be used in repeat retreats. Together with the Youth Department an adaption for youth retreats was developed and material published both for the leader and the participant under the theme “Share Life.” Another type of retreat that continues to be promoted by both the Youth Department and the Evangelism Department is the Gospel Communication Clinic under the title of “The Gospel According to You.” Leaders who can conduct the retreats on a regional or area basis, as well as in local congregations, have been trained in Districts. A participants and a leaders manual have been jointly published by the Youth and Evangelism Departments. A special kind of retreat, just for pastors and their wives, has completed its third year, the Pre-Lenten Pastors Retreat. The congregation sends the pastor and his wife to a retreat for rest, relaxation, and study before the busy Lenten season. Presenters provide devotional material and help for the pastor to prepare a special Lenten series, and a representative of the Evangelism Department discusses Lenten evangelism. The retreats of the last two years were: Jan. 8—10, 1980, Camp Allen, Navasota, Tex. Jan. 22—24, 1980, Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale, Ariz. Sermonic Studies: Dr. Gerhard Aho, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. Worship: Rev. Richard Kapfer, Ames, lowa