# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S32 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 32 OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS there awarded in 2015 the Norman Nagel Award. He was a plenary speaker and worship leader at the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians gathering in Atlanta in July 2015, and his presentation was recently published in their periodical, CrossAccents. Worship provided numerous prayers and resources for the Synod’s Facebook and social media, as well as for The Lutheran Witness. Beginning in August 2015, Worship initiated the hosting of a daily Bible study on KFUO, renamed Thy Strong Word. The show walks through a chapter of Scripture each day, and features pastors from around the Synod. It is readily available to be heard anywhere in the world via live-streaming or podcast. Throughout the triennium, Unwrapping the Gifts (www.lcms.org/worship/unwrappingthegifts) has provided numerous free resources to the pastors and congregations of the Synod: complete Propers to celebrate a Divine Service remembering the Persecuted Church; hymn suggestions for both the three-year and one-year lectionaries; and various resources to strengthen family worship. By far the biggest event for Worship was the 2014 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching, and Church Music held at Concordia University, Nebraska, with over 400 attendees. The event was titled Comfort, Comfort Ye My People and focused on the way God brings His comforting promises to His people in sermon, service, and song. The attendees gave the conference a very high evaluation with over 98 percent rating it excellent or good. Worship is in process of updating the Kids in the Divine Service resource, rapidly wrapping up a hymn-of-the-day Bible study PDF resource, and overseeing the final work on two companion volumes for Lutheran Service Book. Meanwhile, we still provide the weekly “LetUsPray” and lectionary summary resources. Stewardship Ministry—Rev. Heath Curtis, Coordinator By working with the districts of the Synod, Stewardship Ministry helps pastors and congregations teach the Word of God regarding one aspect of Christian sanctification: imitating God in sacrificial generosity. “By the mercies of God: present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,” (Romans 12:1) for “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). It’s been an exciting triennium of new ventures in Stewardship Ministry. Right before the 2013 convention, the ONM brought on Rev. Heath R. Curtis as Coordinator for Stewardship and Rev. Nathan Meador as Assistant Coordinator (the previous director, Rev. Wayne Knolhoff, had taken a position at Concordia Seminary, where he continues to be a valued voice for faithful stewardship in the Synod). Both Rev. Curtis and Rev. Meador remain parish pastors, directly connected to Word and Sacrament ministry and to the challenges of funding that ministry in an ever-changing environment. When you contact our office (email stewardship@lcms.org), you will reach Mrs. Robbie Clasen, the Stewardship administrative assistant at the International Center. We seek to serve the districts of the Synod in four main ways. • • Resources. Production and dissemination of stewardship-, vocation-, and sanctification-themed resources. These are all given away for free at our website (lcms.org/stewardship) and range from book-length treatments of active stewardship in the Lutheran parish to newsletter articles and bulletin blurbs. Periodic resources recur weekly and monthly, and permanent resources are updated and added regularly. Teaching and speaking. Rev. Curtis and Rev. Meador regularly travel to present at pastors conferences, circuit meetings, district conventions, etc. Our main teaching event, the Philippians Workshop, is aimed at the circuit/bi-circuit/regional level, and we have been fielding a steady stream of invitations from the districts for these events. To schedule an event in your district, email us at stewardship@lcms.org. We are currently scheduling these events 9–12 months in advance. We are also 2016 Convention Workbook • • developing a partnership with DOXOLOGY to provide instruction in stewardship at their Insight Conferences. Training leaders. Some districts have effective and extensive stewardship staff and boards, and some make due with stewardship being one of many tasks taken on by a sole full-time executive. But every district can use more hands on deck. To this end, we hosted two training events for district-approved pastors we helped identify who have agreed to step up into district-level service in the realm of stewardship. Each district will use them differently, but we are confident that this training will be a blessing for whatever role they step into. We are currently refining plans for a three-to-four-year cycle of conferences and training events for future years. Planning for the future. Our office has hired two demographers to study, evaluate, and report on the demographic makeup and likely future of the Synod. Under the theme of Generational Generosity, our researchers (one from Bethany College and the other from the University of Alabama) have presented us with bracing findings. A summary of their findings has been produced, and we hope to fund other research in the future based on the results of these studies. Recognized Service Organizations—Deaconess Dorothy Krans, Director “The granting of recognized service organization status by the Synod signifies that a service organization, while independent of the Synod, fosters the mission and ministry of the church, engages in program activity that is in harmony with the programs of the boards of the Synod, and respects and does not act contrary to the doctrine and practice of the Synod” (LCMS Bylaw 6.2.1). We currently have 184 recognized service organizations (RSOs) providing a diversity of services from beginning to end of life. These organizations serve nationally and internationally and extend the mission and ministry of the LCMS by providing acts of mercy, witness, and life together. Since the Synod’s 2013 convention, 64 RSOs have received status, of which 22 were new organizations applying for RSO status and 43 were renewing RSOs. These organizations have continued to build up LCMS board membership and continue to look for stronger relationships with our LCMS congregations. Twentynine RSOs were terminated, denied, or were asked to withdraw their applications for RSO status. The ONM strives to promote the services and programs of the RSOs, connect them with the other entities in ONM, and network LCMS congregations, districts, and auxiliaries to connect RSOs with resources. Small grants are given as scholarships to the CEOs to attend Lutheran conferences which enable them to strengthen their board governance, organizational structure, and leadership skills. Grants are also given to provide devotional material and offer assistance with programs. Association school RSOs were moved from the area of School Ministry to sit under the RSO department in October 2013. There are 152 association schools that hold RSO status. Thirty association schools had their RSO status renewed, one new school association was granted RSO status, and one independent LCMS school received RSO status. As faith-based organizations, RSOs continue to face challenges with changes in state and federal law that infringe upon their religious rights of freedom. The Supreme Court decision regarding the legalization of same-sex marriage has and will continue to challenge how our organizations live out our doctrinal belief in the area of adoption and foster care. RSOs working in the area of aging services are also concerned regarding the proposed laws dealing with the legalization of self-assisted suicide and euthanasia. RSOs continue to strive to live out their Lutheran identity showing the mercy of Christ to the least of these who are often seen as the undesired among us. RSOs provide a diversity of opportunities for LCMS members to express their love, compassion, and concern in meeting the needs of their neighbors.