# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S38 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 38 MISSIONS developed programs that provide intensive evangelism train- ing programs in order to prepare directors of evangelism (such as Concordia College. St. Paul, Minn.. and Christ College. Irvine. Calif.) and encourage them to continue to recruit students for the program and to develop and improve the evangelism offerings. and be it further Resolved, That we urge the congregations of the Synod. when increasing their professional church-worker staff, to consider adding a director of evangelism. Board for Evangelism William R. Wright. Chairman Erwin J. Kolb, Executive Secretary 1-31 To Encourage Use of God-given Gifts WHEREAS, Scripture clearly teaches that God gives to every member of the body of Christ, the church, special gifts and ministries that he or she is to use for the good of the entire body so that it may function properly and do the work God has given it to do on earth (see especially 1 Corinthians 12; Eph. 4:11-16; Romans 12; and | Peter 4:7-11); and WHEREAS, Discovering and using one’s God-given gifts helps members of a congregation find satisfaction in being a part of the work of that congregation; and WHEREAS, Some congregations of the Synod have developed means by which they help members discover and use their God-given gifts and have been richly blessed through their programs; and WHEREAS, The proper understanding of the gift of evangel- ism, which according to the experience of many congregations is given to approximately 10 percent of their members, and the role of witnessing, which is the responsibility of every Chris- tian, enables all members to be involved in evangelism and produces church growth by God’s grace; and WHEREAS, The materials developed for evangelism training by the Synod’s Evangelism Department are planned for two groups: for every Christian as a witness in daily life and you who may have the gift of evangelism and can be involved in more intensive evangelism calling; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod encourage the congregations of the Synod to study the New Testament Scripture, which speaks about the gifts and ministries that God gives to each member (as listed above); and be it further Resolved, That the Synod encourage the congregations of the Synod to develop ways and means of helping their members identify their God-given gifts and to use them in their congre- gations; and be it finally Resolved, That the congregations of the Synod seek to provide training in witnessing for all of their members and to provide more in-depth training for those who have the gift of evangelism. Board for Evangelism William R. Wright, Chairman Erwin J. Kolb, Executive Secretary 1-32 To Intensify Membership Conservation Program WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church~—Missouri Synod con- tinues to lose, on an average over the past 10 years, 50,000 members a year by defections (removed from the membership list because of lack of participation or because they moved away and did not transfer or because they were excommuni- cated); and WHEREAS, The various programs that have been developed by the Synod and the Districts to decrease this figure have in the long term had little effect; and WHEREAS, None of the departments of the Synod have found the time nor have the staff to do the necessary research and to develop new approaches to the problem; therefore be it Resolved, That the Board for Evangelism intensify its efforts to develop a membership conservation program; and be it further Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Synod fund a staff person to serve as Secretary for Membership Conserva- tion on a four-year appointment to the evangelism staff of the Synod; and be it further Resolved, That the Department of Research and Planning assist the Evangelism Department in conducting the kind of studies needed to determine the effectiveness of such present programs as the Membership Referral System, the transfer procedures, the soul-accounting systems, and so forth; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary for Membership Conserva- tion, on the basis of the research done in conjunction with the Department of Research and Planning, develop programs that can be implemented by both Districts and congregations; and be it finally Resolved, That the goal for the program be to reduce the defections by 10 percent each year. Board for Evangelism William R. Wright, Chairman Erwin J. Kolb, Executive Secretary 1-33 To Care for Those Who Move WHEREAS, Ours is a very mobile society, and our Lutheran people are not exempt from this mobility; and WHEREAS, Oftentimes Lutheran people fail to become identified with another Lutheran church in their new location; therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention assembled encourage its pastors and congrega- tions to be mindful of their responsibility toward their members who move and to alert pastors in the vicinity of their members’ new home, so that the ministry to such people continue uninterrupted. Trinity Lutheran Church Memphis, Tenn. Paul R. Martens, Pastor Ronald J. Wiese, Pastor L. V. Schmidt, Chairman 1-34 To Expand Jewish Missions Work WHEREAS, The Board for Evangelism, through its Commit- tee on Witnessing to Jewish People, has for the past six years conducted an expanding ministry of evangelism to the Jewish people; and WHEREAS, The Synod through its resolutions (2-27 in 1977 and 1-30 in 1979) has mandated that this work be done; and WHEREAS, The interest in Jewish evangelism in our Synod continues to grow, as evidenced by the fact that more than 2,000 people visited the Jewish evangelism booth at the Great Commission Convocation and more than 300 people requested further information; and WHEREAS, The Committee on Witnessing to Jewish People, as presently constituted, is unable to meet adequately the demands for services that our people are requesting, thus necessitating them to seek the help of other Christian agencies; therefore be it Resolved, That the Committee on Witnessing to Jewish People continue its work; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod commend to the World Mission Institute of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, the establishment of a Jewish Missions Department; and be it finally Resolved, That the Committee on Witnessing to Jewish