# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S65
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
or feelings about the need for direct control. Competition risks
sending mixed messages to church and world about what is truly
important to all of us: Jesus.
We see opportunities to strengthen international pastoral
formation and church planting. The Gospel, Luther said, falls
upon the earth like rain. It moves on. Building the internal capacities of partner churches plants seeds that will one day bear
fruit, perhaps even in our own country as the repression of
Christianity and the free proclamation of the Gospel comes under increased pressure. One day, the missionaries we know may
not be ours; they may be walking our streets, having come from
another country here to tell the Good News.
We see opportunities in the gift of technology. Today, a
missionary in Asia or Africa can speak directly to a congregation in South Dakota via video conferencing, and words of encouragement pass from that congregation to a missionary or
a seminarian or a future teacher by email, text messages, and
social media. Technology opens doors and windows to see mission—the Gospel—alive and active in the world.
We see opportunities in the simple truth of living joyfully
as Christians, confident that our salvation is already secure, and
we are free to be vigorous and bold with the Good News. Letting go of the fears, frustrations, and anxieties of today—and
tomorrow—there is opportunity in being who God has already
made us to be: “Joy:fully Lutheran.” The world is waiting to
receive what we already have been given.

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An online gallery of Concordia Historical Institute’s
most prized Reformation images: personalities, maps
and towns, events, and objects.

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A lively two-year blog on Reformation topics.

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A steady stream of social media postings on celebration news and activities throughout the Synod and
around the world.

Following are brief descriptions of the areas in our department and summaries of key accomplishments in producing our
own resources and serving the communication needs of our
ministry partners. It’s worth noting that many projects involved
a team approach, with combinations of Editorial, Graphic Design, Web, Photography, Video, Social Media, and Production
contributing to a job’s success.

Editorial
The news and information of the Synod, involving its
many ministries, auxiliaries, partners, and Recognized Service
Organizations, provides a constant flow of content for a variety
of audiences delivered through the following media outlets:
Reporter (print and online) reporter.lcms.org
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The official newspaper of the LCMS.

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News and actions of Synod offices, boards, ministries, and task forces.

Communications (COMMS)—Mr. David
Strand, Executive Director

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Mailing list: professional church workers, lay leaders,
convention delegates, subscribers, and others.

One could say the past triennium peaked with the Synod’s
year-long celebration of its spiritual heritage in the 500th anniversary observance of the Protestant Reformation. Certainly,
this occasion is a fitting place to start this report, because it
showcases how nearly all of LCMS COMMS’s assets played
a role in the historic commemoration. This exemplifies the
breadth of services we offer and the multifaceted, multimedia
approach we take in many of our communication endeavors.
Consider this sampling of what COMMS did either on its
own or in concert with others to highlight “Reformation 500”:

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Monthly circulation: 34,000.

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Website redesigned in 2018.

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Email newsletter subscriptions: more than 5,000.

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Most-read stories this triennium (on Reporter Online):

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Devoted the expanded October 2016 Lutheran Witness to Reformation themes and what became a very
popular “Reformation Timeline.”
In collaboration with Concordia Publishing House
(CPH), continually updated the lutheranreformation
.org website, major components being the “Reformation Celebration Congregation Kit,” “Faces of the
Reformation,” and a Bible-study series.
A “virtual tour”—20 separate videos hosted by President Harrison—of the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s
outstanding “Treasures of the Reformation” exhibit.
A two-part video—“The Luther Mile: President
Harrison Traces Martin Luther’s Footsteps”—shot
in Wittenberg, Germany, and also featuring Bishop
Hans-Jörg Voigt, head of our partner church in
Germany. (More on these videos below under “Video
Services.”)

oo

Movie review of The Shack. Unique page
views: 60,632.

oo

“Luther film to air on PBS Sept. 12.” Views:
21,746.

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“President Harrison provides a Lutheran
view of church and state.” Views: 18,504.

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Supreme Court delivers landmark ruling in
favor of LCMS church preschool. Views:
16,376.

oo

“Reversing the LCMS membership decline:
not just by having more children.” Views:
14,019.

The Lutheran Witness (subscribe to print and digital
issues at cph.org/witness) and online (find highlights
from the print magazine plus web-exclusive content
free at witness.lcms.org):
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The official magazine of the LCMS—now in its 138th
year of continuous publication, making it one of the
longest-running periodicals in America.
2019 Convention Workbook