# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2004_S136 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 136 MISSIONS 1-12 To Establish Model Ministries among Hindu People Wuereas, The Hindu people are the largest unreached religious group; and WuereAS, Hindu people are receptive on a personal level to having prayers said regarding their needs and are receptive to neighborliness; and WHEREAS, Models of ministry in their midst, such as the Arul . (grace) Tamil Ministry of St. John’s, Toronto, need various forms of support and encouragement; therefore be it Resolved, That we encourage the Arul Tamil Ministry through our prayers and financial support; and be it further Resolved, That the English District, in convention, memorial- ize the 2004 LCMS convention to establish three additional model ministries among Hindu people before the 2007 convention. English District 1-13 To Affirm “Tracking the Spirit” as Effective Model for Twenty-first Century WueErEAS, Luke 5:1—11; Matt. 4:18-22; 28:16—-20; and Luke 19:10 provide the church with a biblical basis for outreach to lost people; and WHEREAS, Acts 16:15; 2:46; 20:20; Philippians 2; Rom. 16:5; and 1 Tim. 5:13 provide an effective model for outreach to the lost by planting churches; and ; WHEREAS, 8 out of 10 people in the Northwest do not claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior; and WHEREAS, Almost 8 out of 10 of our churches are in “decline/recline” mode; and WHEREAS, The average growth for LCMS churches nationwide is two new members per congregation per year; and WuerEAS, Northwest District Board of Directors and leaders have developed and adopted the following vision statements: 1. We see in the church of today all the congregations and ministries of the NW District working together as one church, bringing in God’s miraculous catch. ; 2. We see in the church of today disciples enthusiastically waking to the urgent call of Jesus to reach lost people in loving, caring, and relevant ways. 3. We see in the church of today an ever-growing number of disciples gladly listening to the teachings of God’s Word and joyfully living them out in their daily lives. 4. We see in the church of today all disciples acknowledging them- selves as miracles of God because of their Baptism and expecting miracles from God as they partner with Him in His harvest fields. 5. We see in the church of today a church that is as multicultural, as multiracial, and as multiethnic as the makeup of the Pacific North- west. 6. We see in the church of today disciples casting out their nets into societies and communities with optimism and enthusiasm. 7. We see in the church of today disciples joyfully risking in the name and call of Christ for the sake of the harvest. 8. We see in the church of today all God’s people in all of the congre- gations, missions, and ministries of the NW District functioning as missionaries of outreach; and Whereas, Northwest District leaders have developed and adopted the following measurable goal: Trusting in God’s blessings, power, and provision, the NW District of the LCMS, under the banner of the Great Command- ment to love one another as God loves us, has the vision to focus joyfully and optimistically on partnering with God in carrying out His Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. As miracles of God, we expect miracles from God. To that end our goal is to grow from 82,000 disciples to 103,000 disciples by the end of 2006. This growth is more than numbers. It includes the ongoing spiritual development of new and existing disciples to be disciples that make disciples; and WHEREAS, This goal includes the planting of 33 new Planting Churches in 2003-04; and WHEREAS, “Tracking the Spirit,” a biblical approach for mak- ing disciples of Jesus, seeks to meet this goal by establishing a Dis- trictwide prayer chain; selecting pastors, laypeople, and congrega- tions who want to plant churches; covenanting to plant churches; and planting churches; and WHEREAS, “Tracking the Spirit” identifies Planting Churches and mentors who will commit to support the new vision through prayer, leadership (support, sharing, caring), and their commitment to help mentor planters; and WHEREAS, “Tracking the Spirit” identifies committed laypeople (“church planters”) who will implement an effective lay-ministry process that will reach the lost of the Northwest; therefore be it Resolved, That the Northwest District thank Denny Langston, Denny Lorenz, and President Schumacher for the development of this new model of outreach; and be it further Resolved, That the Northwest District affirm “Tracking the Spirit” as an effective model of outreach in the twenty-first cen- tury; and be it finally Resolved, That the Northwest District memorialize the Synod to affirm “Tracking the Spirit” as an effective model of outreach and discipling in the twenty-first century. Northwest District 1-14 To Organize Circuit Mission Teams WHEREAS, Christ commands us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20 NIV); and WHEREAS, Financial support for the Synod’s programs is de- creasing and our Mission Department is growing smaller; and WHEREAS, Every community is a mission field; and WHEREAS, Some Districts already have Circuit mission com- mittees or teams; therefore be it Resolved, That the Circuits of the LCMS be encouraged to es- tablish a mission team; and be it further Resolved, That the purpose of these teams be to spread the Word of God making use of the various opportunities for Gospel proclamation in these communities and beyond. Brainerd Circuit Forum Minnesota North District 1-15 To Preserve Christian Mission Imperative among Us WHEREAS, In every book of the Holy Bible in literally hundreds of passages the only real God tells us, both directly and by clear implication, that there is no hope of eternal salvation for any human being apart from Jesus Christ and His substitutionary death for all mankind (e.g., Isaiah 45-46; Matt. 28:18-20; John 14:6; Acts 4:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-20; 1 John 2:2; 4:1-6; 5:5-12; Rom. 10:12-17; Rev. 11:15; 19:11-21); and WHEREAS, When those who call themselves Christians are not firmly convinced that those who die without faith in Jesus Christ as their own Savior are condemned to eternal damnation (e.g., Mark * 16:15-16; John 3:16-18; 8:24; Matt. 25:41, 46; etc.), their purpose for evangelism and missions wanes, and the work of the church on earth loses its urgency and often takes on this-worldly goals in- stead of the salvation of sinners through the spread of the Gospel and the Sacraments; and WHEREAS, The members of our beloved Synod are also not im- mune from these dangers; therefore be it