# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S39
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
The Every One His Witness Core Module has been translated into the Spanish language and is available to LCMS congregations at no cost through the ONM. Also, LCMS Youth
Ministry has developed a supplement to the Core Module to
address the unique witnessing issues facing high school youth.
Work is underway to develop a supplement for LCMS Campus
Ministry that addresses witnessing in college settings.

Context Modules
Context Modules build on the Core Module to equip disciples for speaking of Jesus to people in specific witnessing settings. A Context Module addresses the challenges of witnessing to nonchurched people in a given context. Each Context
Module features the expertise and experiences of people who
are subject matter experts in the specific witnessing context addressed in that module.
Categories of Context Modules include “World Religions,”
“Religious Organizations and Movements,” “Dechurched,”
“Unchurched,” “Life Events,” and “Human Care.” As of February 2019, five more Context Modules have been completed,
including “Witnessing to Mormons,” “Witnessing to Muslims,”
“Witnessing to Jewish People,” “Witnessing to Dechurched
Adult Children,” and “Responding to Scientism.” Over 50 additional Context Modules are planned.

39

(literally, “regarding vitality) program has been built on. However, vitality is not the same thing as viability (i.e., sustainability).
Our Lord Jesus promised vitality when He said that “wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with
them” (Matthew 18:20). A congregation of two or three has vitality, but not viability. re:Vitality seeks to address both vitality
and viability while keeping the emphasis on that which makes a
congregation vital.

Focus
re:Vitality is a suite of resources designed to assist congregations achieve better health and viability. Initiated in response
to Resolution 3–08A passed at the 2013 LCMS Convention,
re:Vitality focuses on “doing what we do because we are the
Church, not because we are a church in decline.”

Approach
Through its threefold approach of self-assessment, action-oriented training, and outreach-integrated witnessing,
re:Vitality guides congregations in identifying and implementing actions that increase vitality and sustainability by becoming
more effective in inviting, welcoming, and receiving people from
outside of the church.

Self-Assessment
Congregations are able to objectively answer the question
“Where are we … really?” through the re:Vitality self-assessment
tool. This resource is an online survey developed in conjunction with Dr. Rachel Eells of Concordia University—Chicago.
Data correlation and analysis was performed by Ryan Curnutt
of LCMS Roster and Statistics to develop a concise, meaningful report. The resulting report provides a one-page, graphical
overview of the congregation’s overall stage of development or
decline and the factors contributing to that status. The self-assessment is available at no cost to LCMS congregations.
Context Modules include video instruction on how to use
the LASSIE approach effectively in the subject context, video
case studies, links to additional resources on the subject matter, and an online forum for users to interact with other participants in that Context Module. Although the Context Modules
were originally designed for independent study, the additional
resources for selected Context Modules will now include group
study guides.
The Context Modules are available through the Every One
His Witness website. Access to the website is provided at no cost
to all people who complete the Core Module workshop. Instructions and access codes are included in the E1HW participant’s
workbook.

Revitalization—Rev. Dr. Mark A. Wood, Director
Background
With nearly 80 percent of LCMS congregations in some
stage of decline, our need for revitalization has never been greater. But it has also never been less.
The key to faithful revitalization is to focus on that which
gives a congregation vitality. Vitality is found wherever God’s
Word is proclaimed in purity and His Sacraments are rightly administered. This understanding of vitality is what the re:Vitality

Sample Congregational Self-Assessment Report

Action-Oriented Training
re:Vitality was originally designed to provide resources for
action-oriented training to congregations through districts that
had partnered with the ONM to implement the program. In
this arrangement, districts identified people to serve as facilitators, whom ONM then trained and supported. As the program
evolved, it became apparent that requiring trained facilitators was a significant constraint. Only eight districts agreed to
identify candidates to serve as facilitators, and the results were
mixed.
To make re:Vitality resources more widely available and
more easily accessible, modules are being redesigned to be used
2019 Convention Workbook