# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1986_S209 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) i aN na oA mS b ct ae 7. HUMAN CARE To Encourage and Strengthen Congregational Social Ministry Activity RESOLUTION 7-01A Report 7-01 (CW, p. 345 ) WuereEas, Jesus responded in love to human suffering (Luke 7:1—-10); and Wuereas, St. Paul exhorts us, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us” Eph. 5:1—-2); and Wuereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is determined to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ in ministering to total human need; and Wuenreas, There is in every community in which our congregations exist no lack of opportunity to express our love of Christ as our response to human suffering; there- fore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention direct its boards, commissions, and districts to expand their financial, material, and human resources in order to respond more effectively to human need; and be it further Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention urge its congregations to seize every avail- able opportunity to minister to total human need through intentional social ministry activity; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod, districts, and congregations support one another in social ministry; and be it finally Resolved, In order to encourage and strengthen congre- gational social ministry in the next triennium, congrega- tions should be urged to 1. grow in sensitivity to human need and our need to respond through use of available Bible studies related to social ministry and World Relief. 2. appoint a World Relief representative, participate in World Relief programs and projects, and distribute Sharing. 3. conduct an assessment of local needs, identify com- munity resources, and intentionally initiate an appro- priate congregational action. 4. study needs of aging persons, identify resources, and initiate appropriate action so that older people are viewed as resources and their needs are met. 5. consciously touch the hearts and lives of our people suffering from the agri-community or other crises with Christian care, especially by listening, understanding, and supporting them. 6. eliminate physical barriers from our facilities which alienate the physically challenged. 7. participate in at least one refugee sponsorship within the next three years. 8. increase 10% per year the giving level for local social ministry, world relief/world hunger, and affiliated Lu- theran social ministry organizations. 9. strengthen congregational support for local institu- tional ministries. 209 10. provide their pastors with continuing education in pas- toral counseling and crisis intervention. 11. in serving those in need, draw upon the special min- istries of our church’s professional social ministry re- sources (i.e., LCMS Board for Social Ministry staff; Task Forces on Aging, Sanctity of Life, Agri-Commu- nity Crisis, Substance Abuse; District Board for Social Ministry). 12. engage in health and healing ministries which promote the relational, mental, emotional, and physical well- being of persons under the cross. 13. promote concern and caring for healthful service en- vironments for church workers and their families. 14. provide education to promote support of cross-cultural Gospel ministry and cross-cultural social ministry. 15. other. Action: Adopted (14). To Strengthen Social Ministry Activity at All Levels of the Synod RESOLUTION 7-02A Report 7-01 (CW, pp. 345-52) Wuereas, The Board for Social Ministry Services has completed a two-year planning process resulting in a plan- ning document entitled “Blueprint for the Decade Ahead”; and Wuereas, The planning document has articulated ma- jor objectives for Social Ministry programming; and Wuereas, Social Ministry activity should take place at all levels of the Synod; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod in convention commend the Board for Social Ministry Services for its detailed planning process, which has resulted in the “Blueprint for the De- cade Ahead”; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod in convention endorse the goals and objectives as outlined in the blueprint (CW, pp. 345-46) and the recommendations of the Standing Com- mittee on Agencies and Institutions (CW, p. 347) as applied to all levels of the Synod; and be it further Resolved, That we urge each congregation of the Synod to assess the social ministry opportunities of its community and find ways to meet those opportunities; and be it further Resolved, That in support of the congregational effort, each district of the Synod seek to double the number of congregational social ministry committees in its district; and be it further Resolved, That in support of the districts, the Board for Social Ministry Services work with those districts which do not have an active district committee to organize such committees; and be it finally Resolved, That in support of the congregations and dis- tricts, the Synod in convention urge the Board of Directors to give high priority to fill vacancies on the staff of the Board for Social Ministry Services (CW, p. xv). Action: Adopted (6).