# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S293
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

3874 MISSIONS

possessions beyond any other period in the history of our Ch
must grow in the grace of giving and bring far greater ‘offer h,
to the war treasury of our Lord Jesus Christ, tin!

But above all, our critical need is the need of Manpower, of
more and better-trained laymen and women to carry out the divine
commission of our Lord. Thousands upon thousands are Needed ty
perform the vital tasks which confront the Church today. To giv,
only an indication of the vast requirements of manpower and
womanpower which are called for, if our Church is to carry on
a progressive program of expansion during the coming Years, we
mention the following:

We shall need at least 15,000 additional Sunday school teachers
if the enrollment of our Sunday schools is to reach the set goal
of 500,000 pupils in the near future. 7

We shall need at least 8,000 more‘ Bible class teachers if
a third of our communicant membership is to be won for our
increasing number of Bible classes.

We shall need at least 25,000 more laymen who will identify
themselves with the spiritual program of our congregations if we
are to make an effective and sustained effort to reclaim our de.
linquent and almost-delinquent members. We shall need the active
co-operation of our more than one million one hundred thousand
communicant members if our Church is to live up to its highest
potential in the field of personal evangelism —a field which con-
tinues to cry for immediate development.

As the program of our Church continues to develop, we shall
be able to make more and more use of full-time lay assistants,
The largely unexploited fields of parish workers, deaconesses, and
other areas of Church activity by lay people call for intensive
study on the part of our pastors and people. ,

How to Meet the Need

A program of church work to meet the expanding opportunities
for Kingdom work which confront us at this time will require
that the individual Christian widens his. horizons of interest and
responsibility for Kingdom work. __

As children of God, each one of us must: recognize that we
are in the world because God has work for us to do. The Lutheran
Church has properly emphasized. the doctrine of the priesthood of
all believers. This doctrine is based on 1 Pet. 2: 9, where God de-
clares of all Christians: “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show
forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into
His marvelous light.”

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believers constitute .a spiritual priesthood, into whose
ist has committed all the rights and powers of His
“There must be active participation of every Christian

Dec the following: —

~) 1, Bringing spiritual sacrifices to the Lord.

a. A deepening personal commitment to the Lord Jesus. _

: ty.ur bs Living the stewardship life:by devoting time, talents, and
- treasure to the sérvice of the Lord. ;

oa ie: Financial support of the work of the church at home

and at large.

- »:; @. Concern for the poor and neédy within the congregation,

‘the church at large, and the world.
' 2. ‘Activities within the family.
a. Family worship.
‘b. Concern for the Christian growth and development of the
individual member of the family.

'¢e. Loving encouragement and’ admonition to one another
to walk in the ways of God. ,

3. Personal mission work.
a. Personal witness to non-Christians.

b. Inviting the unchurched to come to church and/or church
schools. . ;

c. Acting as sponsors for adults enrolled in the membership
class, calling for them and attending class with them.
' 4, Mutal encouragement and admonition of Christians.
a. Working and living together as becometh saints.
b. Visiting, holding devotions, or serving shut-ins at home
or in the hospital. ,

ce. Concern over delinquent members that leads to loving
admonition. ; ,

5. Acts of teaching in the parish.
a. Sunday school. . ‘
b. Vacation Bible school.
c. Bible class.
6. Ministering at the sanctuary ‘before the Lord.
a. Fervent’ participation in worship, prayer, and song.
b. Singing in the choir. a . ;
c. Helping, according to our ability, to enhance the beauty
of the service. . a
d. Serving as deacons and lectors in the services. .

MISSIONS. 875:

"tasks by which the priesthood is carried out. Some of these

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