# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S131
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

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131

assistance to neighbors without the resources or
ability to undertake needed repairs on their own. Two
of the three projects implemented were completed in
partnership with LCEF’s Laborers for Christ.

3. Build NHSC’s capacity to become a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and provide
loans that support our partners’ community development initiatives.

NHSC launched its first post-disaster initiative in
2017. Project RENEW (Reaching and Engaging
Neighborhoods through Empowered Witness) is a
strategic response to the devastation experienced by
residents of the Trinity Gardens neighborhood in
Houston, Texas, which was most impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Through Project RENEW, NHSC
is spearheading a comprehensive LCMS collaborative effort that provides human and spiritual care to
individuals and families residing in the inner core of
Houston.

4. Improve capacity to respond to the needs of congregations, districts, RSOs, and their community partners.
5. Strengthen NHSC’s infrastructure, staff, finances, and
management systems to position the organization for
growth and long-term sustainability.
6. Assure long-term viability of NHSC by recruiting and
maintaining a stable and effective Board of Directors
and working committees.
7. Continue to carry out only funded endeavors in College
Hill, while crafting an exit strategy to include building the capacity of the College Hill Foundation to be
the direct service provider.

College Hill (Direct Services)
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Completed construction and sold five (5) homes in
the Nazareth Homes Development. By investing in
new housing stock in a neighborhood once devastated by crime, neglect, and poverty, the appraised
values of homes in the neighborhood have increased
by 25 percent and at least one new resident-owned
business was started where none existed.

We ask for your continued prayers and support of housing ministry. Additionally, we humbly ask for your support of
NHSC’s forthcoming overture.
Nicole Turner-Ridley, Chief Executive

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Completed critical repairs for low-income homeowners, serving more than twenty (20) residents.

Atlantic District

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Contracted with an urban planning and economic
development consulting group to engage residents,
developing a comprehensive Community Development Plan.

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Executed a multipronged strategy that decreased
crime acts by an average of 49 percent, relative to
2009. These strategies included (a) property acquisition and demolition focused on nuisance properties
and failing structures; (b) community events such as
community cleanups and police-community relations
events; and (c) installation of an integrated security
camera system comprised of twelve (12) cameras in
four (4) crime “hotspots” identified by the St. Louis
Metro Police Department.

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Planned and secured funding for a community play
space to transform parcels of abandoned and unsafe
land into a welcoming green space designed for
creative play.

The Atlantic District is composed of the eastern portion of
New York State. We start at the Canadian border and come directly south through the Adirondack Mountains; the state capital region around Albany, Schenectady, and Troy; the Hudson
Valley through the Catskill Mountains; the northern suburbs of
New York City; New York City (the capital of the world); and
all of Long Island. It is one of the most beautiful geographical regions of the United States, and one of the most densely
populated. Roughly 19 million people reside within the borders
of the Atlantic District, many of whom are unchurched or dechurched. Both the Capital Region and New York City continue
to be listed in the top 10 post-Christian, least-churched places in
the United States. This mission field creates endless challenges
and opportunities to “Engage the World with the Gospel of
Hope,” the Atlantic District theme.
This mission field is a challenging place filled with challenging people. It is a place where the threefold emphasis of
Witness, Mercy, and Life Together is lived out in various ways
in neighborhoods, homes, and parishes.
Witness is a part of the mission outreach of the Atlantic
District as we share the Gospel in multiple languages; different
cultural groups; and across the global neighborhood in which
we live. The Words of Institution can be heard in 20 different
languages on a given Sunday, so people from cultures across
the globe can participate side by side and receive the body and
blood of Christ. While the languages may be different, it is the
Lord’s body and blood that continues to offer life and salvation
among people of every nation, tribe, and race.
Witness and mercy are expressions of each congregation as
she reaches out to the neighborhood, meeting identified needs;
each school as they share faith through each interaction with
students that come from various neighborhoods who may be

Over the past three (3) years NHSC has achieved some tremendous milestones! As NHSC presses forward, growing pains
have strained the corporation’s financial and human resources.
The NHSC team continues to stay focused and works diligently
to explore operational efficiencies, employ cost-reduction strategies, and identify additional financial resources. NHSC’s current strategic objectives include the following:
1. Diversify and increase NHSC’s income stream.
2. Strengthen NHSC’s image and brand to position the
organization for greater visibility and impact within
the Synod.

R21

2019 Convention Workbook