# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S133 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 1. MISSIONS 1-01 To Commend Emphasis on “One Message, One Mission, One People” Wuereas, President Kieschnick and other leaders in the Synod have used the theme ‘“‘One Message, One Mission, One People” to encourage our entire church body toward a stronger zeal for mis- sion outreach, evangelical confession, and efforts to achieve peace and concord in our midst; and Whereas, This appeal expresses the heart of what it means to be Christ’s people in mission; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod in convention endorse and respond enthusiastically to this appeal, encouraging our brothers and sisters throughout the LCMS to do the same. Christ Our Savior, Coppell, TX; Board of Directors, Texas District, King of Kings, Omaha, NE; Family of Faith, Houston, TX; Trinity, Roselle, IL; Gloria Dei, Houston, TX 1-02 To Endorse and Financially Support “One Message, One Mission, One People” WHEREAS, President Kieschnick and other Synod leaders have used the theme “One Message, One Mission, One People” to en- courage our entire Synod toward a stronger zeal for people, mis- sion, outreach, evangelical confession, and efforts to achieve peace and concord in our church body; and - WHEREAS, This appeal expresses the heart of Christ’s ministry; therefore be it Resolved, That we endorse and financially support this ministry direction for our church body ard respond enthusiastically to this appeal, encouraging our brothers and sisters throughout the LCMS to do the same. Redeemer Austin, TX 1-03 To Establish Ablaze! National Goals Wuereas, LCMS World Mission has set a goal of working with national and international partners to share the Gospel world-wide with 100 million unreached and/or uncommitted people by the 500th anniversary of the Reformation (Luke 24:45—49); and Wuereas, LCMS World Mission has set a national goal of shar- ing the Gospel with 50 of the 100 million unreached and/or un- committed people (Acts 1:8); and Wuereas, LCMS World Mission has set the goal to begin 2,000 new congregations by the 500th anniversary of the Reformation; and WHEREAS, The Board for Mission Services has assigned to the Associate Director for National Missions and his staff that task of working with partners on the national level to implement the na- tional goal of sharing the Gospel with 50 million unreached and/or uncommitted people; and WHEREAS, The Board for Mission Services has established an Advisory Group for National Outreach to serve as “a catalyst and advocate. for igniting mission movements on the national level through partnerships at all levels”; and Wrereas, A united effort from all levels of the Synod (individ- uals, congregations, schools, Districts, colleges, universities, sem- inaries, auxiliaries, RSOs, synodical boards, corporate entities, mis- sion societies, and Synod departments) is needed to accomplish the Ablaze! goals; and WHEREAS, One of the best ways to reach new people and groups is to start new congregations; and Wuereas, One of the best ways to reach one person is through what has been identified as the critical event; and 133 Wuereas, The critical event is when one Lutheran Christian gives witness about Jesus of the hope that is within him or her to another person so that person may encounter Christ; therefore be it Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, affirm the national goal of reaching 50 million unreached and/or uncommitted people with the Gospel; and be it further Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, set a national goal to begin 2,000 new congregations by the 500th anniversary of the Re- formation; and be it finally Resolved, That the Synod, in convention, requests of the Synod (individuals, congregations, schools, Districts, colleges, universi- ties, seminaries, auxiliaries, RSOs, synodical boards, corporate en- tities, mission societies, and Synod departments) to work with the national mission office to accomplish these goals. Board of Directors, Iowa District West; Board of Directors, Southeastern District 1-04 To Commit to $100 Million Ablaze! Fund-raising Effort Whereas, God has brought to our shores large numbers of peo- ple who have no saving faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; and WHEREAS, Many of these people are asking for help, are asking for opportunities to hear the Good News about Jesus; and WHEREAS, Population shifts within our country place a heavy responsibility on our Synod to find new and better ways of serving our existing congregations as well as ways of opening new congre- gations in areas where the population is growing; and WHEREAS, The peoples of the world are crying out for a mes- sage of freedom and hope, of peace and joy, of forgiveness and rec- onciliation, and we know that this message can find fulfillment only in Jesus; and WHEREAS, The two-thirds of the world’s population that has no faith in Christ lives in countries where active hostility to Christian- ity is growing, and so action must be taken at once if people are to hear the Gospel; and WHEREAS, The Board for Mission Services of our Synod has put before our congregations the Ablaze! challenge of celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 by sharing the Good News of Jesus with 100 million people between now and then; and WHEREAS, Lack of resources at the congregational, District, na- tional, and international levels has limited our ability to respond to the outreach opportunities that God has placed before us; and WHEREAS, This convention has as its theme One Mission— Ablaze!, emphasizing our Synod’s commitment to make evange- listic outreach its first priority; and WHEREAS, Trinity Lutheran Church, formed in 1839, and served by Pastor C. F. W. Walther, the first President of our Synod and himself an immigrant to America, has maintained Dr. Walther’s emphasis on the need for all people to hear the Gospel and the re- sponsibility of all members of the congregation to share the Gospel themselves and to support those who share the Gospel in their be- half; therefore be it Resolved, That Trinity Lutheran Church, urge The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in convention assembled to accept the challenge of Ablaze! and commit itself under God’s guidance to the task of working together to share the Good News of Jesus with 100 million people by the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017; and be it further Resolved, That the staff of the Board for Mission Services be charged to work with the synodical Districts in North America and with our partner churches around the world to urgently bring for- ward plans to strengthen the evangelistic outreach of existing con- gregations and to share the Good News of Jesus in areas and among people where the name of Jesus is not yet known; and be it finally Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, in con- vention assembled, commit itself to support the major fund-raising