# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1998_S113 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) SYNODICAL REPORTS 113 District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to consist of 75 maturing, growth-oriented, confessional Lutheran congregations who are effectively nurturing and involving their growing mem- berships for statewide mission outreach to all the unchurched of every community and ethnic group. At this convention, the delegates probably set a synodical record by enthusiastically adopting the final bylaw changes to make the council structure permanent in under five minutes! We have provided opportunities and assistance for everyone of our 59 congregations to pursue that vision. Two workshops for small- and mid-sized congregations were attended by representa- tives of a majority of our churches, and many have been adopting and pursuing a new vision as a result of those workshops. Two churches have begun nursery schools, a suburban congregation is partnering with a neighboring church in a changing community to provide shared pastoral staff, and other churches are addressing their mission in new ways. A partnership with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund and the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Foun- dation has enabled us to welcome a second full-time staff member who will provide greater assistance as our churches continue to serve their communities in new ways. We face continual challenges as we work to reach all people, including those of other ethnic groups which surround us. Our mis- sionary to the Japanese has returned to the seminary for graduate study. The Lord blessed his work with a partnership with several congregations in Bergen County that reached over three hundred Japanese and resulted in sending baptized Christians back to Japan to carry on the witness to Jesus Christ there. As this is being writ- ten, we prayerfully await an answer to our cail to a former mis- sionary to Japan to help us establish an even broader Japanese mis- sion field in the northwest corner of our State and across the Hudson River into Westchester County, N.Y. Our District “family’’ consists of an able and caring group of professional servant workers. Most of these meet regularly to sup- port one another in their personal and professional growth. They all are committed to sharing the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in a challenging environment. With them, the members of our congregations as well as our District staff are happy to share the Gospel-centered witness of our Synod | in our area of the East Coast of our nation. Donald W. Sandmann, President R7-05-20 North Dakota District Thank you! We, in the North Dakota District, indeed thank God for all of you. You have come to help and befriend us in so many ways. In April 1997 the sandbags refused to hold back the rising Red River. Normally, the Red River is 75 yards wide, but now in some places became 22 miles wide. The cities of Grand Forks (N. Dak.) and East Grand Forks (Minn.) were completely inundated. Over 50,000 people evacuated their homes. The fire in downtown Grand Forks destroyed an entire block, as 4 feet of water sur- rounded it like an island. When the floodwaters in the valley, from the South Dakota border to the Canadian border, began to recede, thousands of families returned to find their homes severely dam- aged. Soon, the berm in front of every house became a monument to that family’s history as their flood-damaged possessions began to pile up. Their homes and their churches would have to undergo ex- tensive repair at costs beyond their means. But you were led by our God to come to their assistance. Your prayers, your dollars, your labors of love poured into our state. We thank God for you and all that you have given to help restore the lives of our people. The task is not completed. But you continue to come to help. Thank you! During the winter of 1997-98 our farmers and ranchers lost well over 125,000 head of livestock. The last major three-day bliz- zard came the weekend of April 4—6. This storm hit right in the midst of the calving season. The loss of livestock in this single storm was devastating. But once again, the people of God re- sponded with gifts of money, cattle, and labor to help reduce the material loss while at the same time, reassuring them with their prayers. Again, we say, “Thank you! Your support is filled with compassion and love. We thank God for you!” In the past triennium, we have continued to strive to meet the changing conditions in our corner of the world, as God has enabled us. We confess that there is much we could have and should have done which didn’t get done. We continue to search for options which will answer the question of how to minister to God’s peo- ple in the small, declining congregation. Martin Luther Elementary School opened in the fall of 1995 and has grown to include grade 7. This Bismarck-Mandan School Association numbers six on their faculty and an enrollment of 85. They now seek facilities which will allow for their rapid growth. The LWML continues to respond to their auxiliary role of sup- porting the work of missions both within and without our District. The Orphan Grain Train of the LLL was invaluable to us during and after the floods. It not only supplied food and building materi- als, but also the labor of many volunteers. They were also active in the “One Good Cow” program, which seeks to help replace lost livestock. Our LYF program is a bold example of organization, vi- sion, and opportunities for our youth to be involved in the ministry of our Lord. Our District staff consists of a full-time District president, an executive director, and one secretary. We have also entered into partnership with the Foundation to bring aboard a full-time Gift Planning Counselor who has a part-time secretary. Constant evalu- ation of activities, reallocation of resources, and rethinking of pri- orities has resulted in improved services to congregations. Many larger Districts discuss the need to build relationships between their District and congregations and the need to provide services to indi- vidual congregations. It is reassuring because the North Dakota District has conducted its ministry in this manner for many years. Bringing God’s unchanging Word to a constantly changing world is exciting as well as challenging. As we work together, challenge ourselves, and continually ask if what we are doing makes sense, we are comforted by the un- changing love which God has for His people. We trust Him to con- tinue His love in Christ Jesus. We indeed are committed to our common confessions and mission. We will continue to increase our support of His work within our District, nationally, and throughout the world, trusting God to sustain, enrich, and guide us. Norman C. Sincebaugh, President R7-05-21 North Wisconsin District Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All [have needed Thy hand hath provided — Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Our God is a faithful God. He has been and continues to be faithful to the family of believers that comprise the North Wiscon- sin District, gathered in 223 congregations and planted in 50 coun- ties across northern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michi- gan. Our family gathered to celebrate His faithfulness at the 1997 District convention under the theme “Faithful Lord—Faithful Church.” “Faithful Lord—Faithful Church”—this theme reminds us that our life, our hope, and our work are all based on the faithfulness of God, who makes and keeps precious promises to all His children. These promises are made to us in Christ and are fulfilled day by day as we experience and live by His mercy. His faithfulness fills us with the desire to be faithful to Him in return. That was the thought held up before the convention and the District: “We want to be faithful to our faithful God!” Faithfulness takes many forms. One form is to be faithful to our Lord’s Great Commission. The convention focused on this form of faithfulness. It considered a three-year mission strategy in depth, worked through four separate Bible studies, and then adopted the strategy titled “Mission 2000" without dissent. A significant por- tion of the strategy follows: