# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2016_S476
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

476

FAMILY, YOUTH, AND YOUNG ADULTS

Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention, as one way to honor
the historic event of the Reformation, encourage pastors and congregations to participate in the Preach the Word Project; and be it further
Resolved, That in celebration and praise to Christ of His saving
work for all sinners and for His use of Dr. Martin Luther and other
faithful servants in reforming the Christian Church, largely through
preaching, the convention assembly rise and sing the Doxology.
Faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne,
IN; Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO;
Minnesota South District

16. Family, Youth, and Young Adults
REPORTS
R1, R1.1, R1.2, R6, R11, R14, R59
OVERTURES
16-01

To Make Strengthening Lutheran Families
a Mission Priority
Whereas, The foundation of every human society is the family
as created and sustained by God (Gen. 1:26–28; 12:13; Matt. 19:1–
9); and
Whereas, The family as created and sustained by God is under
constant attack from the devil, the world, and the flesh, especially in
our time and place; and
Whereas, Dr. Martin Luther’s emphasis and teaching on the
household estate and the family vocations of husband and wife, father,
mother, and child was a key insight of the Reformation; and
Whereas, The unmarried and widowed also constitute an essential and God-pleasing part of the family (1 Cor. 7:8); and
Whereas, Two demographic reports commissioned by the
Stewardship Ministry of the Office of National Mission indicate
that the rate of marriage, divorce, and child-bearing for the Missouri
Synod closely reflects the culture around us rather than the patterns
of God’s Word; and
Whereas, These same reports indicate that the decline of the
Lutheran family in terms of accepting God’s gift of life with generosity is the most important causal factor in the Synod’s significant
decline in membership over the past four decades; and
Whereas, The Office of National Mission has begun a Lutheran
Family Initiative among its various programmatic ministries to begin
looking at ways to strengthen the Lutheran family; and
Whereas, The LCMS currently has six mission priorities, to wit,
1. Plant, sustain, and revitalize distinctly Lutheran churches.
2. Support and expand theological education.
3. Perform human care in close proximity to Word and Sacrament ministry.
4. Collaborate with the Synod’s members and partners to enhance mission effectiveness.
5. Nurture pastors, missionaries, and professional church workers to
promote spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being.
6. Enhance early childhood, elementary, and secondary education and
youth ministry.

therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention amend the mission
priorities to include “Strengthen and support the Lutheran family in
2016 Convention Workbook

living out God’s design”; and be it further
Resolved, That the convention commend the work of the Office
of National Mission’s Lutheran Family Initiative.
Board for National Mission
16-02

To Develop Resources for Christian Care
and Teaching of Young Unmarried Fathers
Whereas, It is clear from Scripture that our heavenly Father wants
men and women of childbearing age to marry and have children, as
children have a special place in His heart; and
Whereas, Scripture tells us that the children’s father is to be a
spiritual leader in the household, leading them in prayer, teaching
them in godly ways, and nurturing them as they grow; and
Whereas, It is clear in today’s society that children are often born
out of wedlock, contrary to God’s plan and design for marriage, without the spiritual counseling that is usually provided for couples prior
to their marriage; and
Whereas, Maintaining a family unit would be God pleasing; however, in many cases there is no intention on the part of the father to
marry; and
Whereas, The young father has no knowledge of what is expected
of a father, and many times becomes nonexistent at the time of the
birth of his child; and
Whereas, There often exists care and teaching for the mother
and her newborn child, allowing her to properly attend to the child’s
well-being; and
Whereas, There are not always readily available means of
Christian care and teaching for the father to learn about his responsibility, obligation, maintaining a family unit, and the needs of the
family that he had a part in starting; therefore be it
Resolved, That the LCMS develop and foster resources that are
designed for the purpose of Christian care and teaching of young
unmarried fathers.
Brainerd Circuit
Minnesota North District
16-03

To Encourage Member Congregations
and Families to Pursue Affiliations
with Alternative Scout-Like Organizations
Whereas, At its national annual meeting in May 2013, the Boy
Scouts of America (BSA) announced a policy change admitting
homosexual youth to scout programs effective January 1, 2014, but
also reaffirmed its long-standing policy of not allowing openly homosexual adults to serve as scoutmasters or leaders in any capacity; and
Whereas, The BSA National Executive Board on July 10, 2015,
lifted the BSA’s ban on openly gay scout leaders, resulting in a dissolution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and the BSA and the cessation
of an official LCMS relationship with the BSA; and
Whereas, The national organization of Girl Scouts of the USA
(GSUSA) has long permitted adults of any sexual orientation to serve
as leaders and allows both its local councils and local units to affiliate
with and utilize the materials of Planned Parenthood, an organization
that is responsible for the majority of abortions in the USA and that
promotes unchristian sexual activities among girls; and