# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S111
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES
town congregations by establishing a national Rural/Small
Town Ministry Committee; and
WHEREAS, The Board for Congregational Services’
Rural/Small Town Ministry Committee properly serves as a
linking and coordinating center with the Districts by training pastors and other full-time workers to understand rural
cultures, effective outreach and leadership styles; by assisting congregations with adult, child, evangelism, family,
leadership, schools, stewardship, youth department resources; by developing adult Bible studies through CPH; by
linking LCMS Human Care and government social welfare
agencies; by collating and sharing supportive resources
with District leaders and rural/small town committees and
establishing ongoing communication with Districts and
congregations; therefore be it
Resolved, That Districts be encouraged to establish
Rural/Small Town Ministry Committees to work in partnership with the Board for Congregational Services’
Rural/Small Town Ministry Committee to strengthen the
mission and ministry of the LCMS congregations where
farming, leisure/tourism, mining, fishing, or forestry are
the dominant means of making a living for the members.
Action: Adopted (10)

To Support Outreach Discovery Events
and Harvesters for Christ

111

investigate the use of a Harvesters for Christ evangelism
team to serve in their congregation for four to eight weeks
to help begin or refocus the congregation’s evangelism ministry; and be it further
Resolved, That congregations that have shown themselves effective in evangelism ministry be encouraged to
serve as teaching congregations through Outreach Discovery Events; and be it finally
Resolved, That congregations be encouraged to send
their leaders to Outreach Discovery Events that will help
them grow in reaching the unchurched in their community.
Action: Adopted (10)

To Respectfully Decline Overtures
RESOLUTION 2-16
Overtures 2-44–48, 2-53, 2-71, 2-75–76, 2-79–80 (CW,
pp. 138–39, 141, 147–49)
WHEREAS, The floor committee has considered all overtures assigned to it and has concluded, for various reasons,
that certain overtures should be declined; therefore be it
Resolved, That the following overtures be respectfully
declined for the reasons given:
Number

Subject

Reason

Ov. 2-44

History of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod

Already studied and declined
by 150th Anniversary Committee as
being too costly to produce
relative to potential market; video
series issued instead.

Ov. 2-47

To publish names of
authors

Current processes of doctrinal
review and dealing with concerns
are adequate.

Ov. 2-48

Lower direct-sale cost
of Sunday school
materials from CPH

Resellers result in lower costs
to congregations.

Ov. 2-53

New International
Version

International Bible Society states
inclusive language version permnently abandoned; Synod does not
have an official version; synodical
publications already use multiple
versions.

Ov. 2-71

Disband BFCS

St. Louis, 1995, Res. 2-04A.

Ov. 2-75–76

Statistical Yearbook

Information already available in
electronic format on LCMS Web
page (www.lcms.org).

Ov. 2-79–80

Clarify 1995 Res. 2-11B

St. Louis, 1995, Res. 2-11B.

RESOLUTION 2-15
Report R2-01 (CW, pp. 20–28); Overture 2-31 (CW,
p. 135)
WHEREAS, Congregations have expressed a need for onsite training and guidance in evangelism ministry; and
WHEREAS, Many effective congregations are willing to
serve as teaching congregations in evangelism; and
WHEREAS, Many dedicated laypeople and church workers have been richly gifted by God and are willing to use
those gifts “for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:7) and to work
with congregations seeking assistance in evangelism; and
WHEREAS, Ministries such as Harvesters for Christ and
Outreach Discovery Events, sponsored by the Department
of Evangelism Ministry of Congregational Services, have
proven effective in training and encouraging evangelism
ministries in congregations; therefore be it
Resolved, That LCMS congregations be encouraged to

Action: Adopted (10)