# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S46 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 46 SYNOD REPORTS R1-02 LUTHERAN WOMEN’S MISSIONARY LEAGUE The mission of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League is to assist each woman of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in affirming her relationship with the Triune God so that she is enabled to use her gifts The LWML is the official women’s auxiliary of the LCMS. In 2007 we celebrate our 65th year of “Serving the Lord with Glad- ness.” As Lutheran Women in Mission (“doing business as” name adopted in 1998) we have at our “mission heart” thousands of vol- unteers daily dedicating their lives to making a difference and using our God-given talents to meet the challenge of sharing the Gospel message. Since our last convention report, the women of the LWML have been involved in the following activities: * Responded to a request from LCMS World Relief/Human Care with health kits for Hurricane Katrina and Rita survivors with the help of Orphan Grain Train for shipping. It is estimated over 100,000 kits were supplied by the LWML. «November 2004 the LWML held a Leadership for Tomorrow event in St. Louis, Missouri. Three women from each of the 40 LWML districts were invited to attend. Leadership training has continued in the districts, impacting our target of supporting new leaders. *In 2005 the delegates to the LWML convention in Tampa, Florida, voted approval of a mission goal of $1,625,000. *LWML Sunday 2005 theme was Lives Transformed through Christ—in Time for Eternity (Philippians 3:20-21) and was au- thored by LCMS President Rev. Gerald Kieschnick. ¢ In March 2006 in St. Louis, Missouri, a new group of women were trained as Mission-Ministry Vision Consultants, giving us 101 active MMV Consultants. The MMV Consultants assist women’s groups as a guide, as a resource, and for support. «In 2006 the 40 LWML districts held conventions with over 13,000 women attending, including 600+ “official” young women representatives. The districts voted to support over $5.9 million in the mission outreach and focus of the LWML. * LWML Sunday 2006 theme was Let There Be Light (John 8:12) and was authored by Rev. Charles S. Mueller Sr. ¢ During the 2005-2007 biennium, Friends Into Serving Him was launched. These are teen LWML groups in congregation settings. ¢In partnership with the LCMS Foundation, the LWML has en- gaged the services of our first Gift Planning Counselor. A Thrivent for Lutherans Foundation Charitable Gifting Initiative Grant was received to begin this Gifts of Love planned-giving ini- tiative. *LWML Sunday 2007 theme is ROCK! Rest on Christ the King (Psalm 31:1-3) and is authored by Rev. Barry Keurulainen. * Knowing Christ and Making Him Known is the mission of the Lutheran Woman’s Quarterly, the official publication of the LWML. Individual or group subscriptions are available through the LWML office. New music downloads and Bible study leader guides are available on our Web site. In June 2005 the Board of Directors adopted the following tar- gets and goals for the 2005-2007 biennium: 2007 Convention Workbook Primary Target: Personal Spiritual Living Each woman’s life is reflecting Jesus’ love as she is nourished by the Word. Primary Target: Partnering for Diversity Oneness in Christ is strengthened through intentionally team- ing with our LCMS sisters of varied ethnic, cultural, generational, and organizational backgrounds. Primary Target: Servant Response Each woman, guided by the Spirit, is actively investing herself in demonstrating Christ’s love. Primary Target: Supporting Leaders The LWML identifies, encourages, and informs leaders who confidently and competently fulfill their responsibilities. The LWML met in convention June 16-19, 2005, in Tampa, Florida, where over 3,200 women gathered to be nourished by the Word, to select new mission grants, to approve a mission goal of $1,625,000, to elect new officers, and to celebrate under the theme Live Joyfully as Salt and Light. The Scripture verse was from Matthew 5:13-16. 2005-2007 Mission Grants Shipping Orphan Grain Train Containers Africa & Russia $30,000 Ablaze! Implementation in North America $100,000 Responding to HIV/AIDS among Congregations in Kenya $51,000 Urban Ethnic School Expansion East St. Louis, Illinois $75,000 CAME—Reaching Asian Immigrants $50,000 Expanding Ministries to Youth and Adults in Southwest Alaska $75,000 Lutheran Blind Mission Outreach ‘ Program $32,000 CCCS Lutheran School Support Sierra Leone, Liberia & Ghana $84,000 LBT National Co-workers Training Scholarships $44,000 Gospel Outreach and Church Planting w/Childcare—Open Arms $70,000 Inner-city Mission and Ministry Buffalo, New York $100,000 Lutheran Leaders’ Training Institute Pakistan $75,000 Kiswahili New Testament—Braille $54,411 Expansion of Mission Outreach Training—NW District LAP program $80,000 Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation—China $100,000 Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology Deaconess Training $100,000 Hispanic Outreach—West Houston, Texas $17,089 ROCK! Rest on Christ the King (Psalm 31:1-3) is our 2007 convention theme. The convention is June 21-24, 2007, in Sioux Falis, South Dakota. Highlights include celebrating the 65th an- niversary of the LWML, selecting new mission grants, hearing from LWML grant recipients, selecting a new mission goal for 2007-2009, and the election of our 16th president, who will serve this organization for the next four years! Linda K. Reiser, President