# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S95
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

CONVENTION BIBLE STUDIES
you? Can you identify by name one person right now
that you know doesn’t attend a Christian church?
2 What is your congregation doing intentionally and vigorously to make known the love of Christ, by word and deed
in your congregation, your community, and the world?

God acted to save us while we were dead in our trespasses and sins. He set us apart to declare His praises to
those inside and outside the church. Not everybody has discovered a comfortable way to talk about their own faith to
others. But you can encourage someone in their quest to do
this. You can teach them to say what you say. You can take
someone with you to demonstrate how you share the Good
News about how Jesus Christ came to give eternal life to
all who believe in Him.
President Kieschnick told us in his inaugural speech on
September 8, 2001: “We must begin to honestly view as
simply unacceptable the fact that we are surrounded by
people who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior
from sin. It must be of utmost concern to our Synod and to
each one of us that such individuals are on their way to
eternal condemnation. We must, in winsome fashion, share
the Good News of what God has done through Christ in
order that those who accept by faith His undeserved love
will spend eternity with Him, in heaven, forever.”

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I pray that in our days together we will celebrate our
past efforts of Gospel proclamation and empower the people
of our LCMS congregations to make known boldly the love
of Christ. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one
and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish
but have eternal life.” Proclaiming this is our mission, our
ONE mission: Christ. God bless our convention and the
work each of us does every day to that end.
William R. Diekelman
First Vice-President
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
PRAYER for the mission of the Church:
Almighty God, You have called Your Church to witness that in Christ You have reconciled us to Yourself.
Grant that by Your Holy Spirit we may proclaim the
good news of Your salvation so that all who hear it may
receive the gift of salvation; through Jesus Christ, our
Lord. Amen. (Lutheran Service Book, 305)

2007 Convention Proceedings