# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2013_S121
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

SYNOD REPORTS

121

Current Activities following Restructuring

Between October 31, 2011 (the last day of the active fund-raising phase) and June 30, 2012, the Synod’s fundraising unit saw the departure of the last senior campaign leader and two senior gift officers who had been intimately
involved in the Fan into Flame fund-raising effort. Several fund-raising staff members from LCMS World Mission
continue to serve in the restructured advancement unit; however, their previous roles in Fan into Flame were support
focused rather than decision-making focused. The new executive director of Synod’s new Mission Advancement unit
started, purely by coincidence, the same day the active phase concluded.
Effective July 1, 2012, Mission Advancement employed just one full-time staff member tasked solely with providing dedicated Fan into Flame support, primarily for processing quarterly disbursements back to congregations and
districts. Pledge-fulfillment support efforts draw upon staff resources allocated to other aspects of Synod’s advancement work. These staff members are in areas associated with missionary support and other pledge-based programs,
allowing Synod to leverage their expertise for the benefit of Fan into Flame fulfillment efforts.
The passive phase of Fan into Flame, which focuses on supporting participants as they complete multi-gift and
multi-year commitments, will continue until all outstanding pledges have either been fulfilled or written-off as uncollectable. In addition, Mission Advancement is responsible for processing the disbursement requests which direct
campaign funds back to participating congregations and districts as additional cash and pledge payments are received.
Progress reports are submitted to both the Chief Mission Officer of Synod and, via quarterly reports, to the Synod’s
Board of Directors.
To date, $5,397,297 in pledges have been written-off as uncollectable due to donor deaths, changes in personal
circumstances which prevent donors from fulfilling a pledge, or because donors have been unresponsive to pledgefulfillment support efforts. Synod policies do not treat outstanding pledges as a bill that must be paid in the face of
some demonstrable consequence or aggressive collection effort.
This report was prepared by Mission Advancement (Mark D. Hofman, CFRE, MBA, Executive Director), with
support from the Synod’s Accounting Department and the LCMS Foundation.

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*To Celebrate Fan into Flame Blessings and Commit to Its Completion
[2010] RESOLUTION 1-01
Overture 1-01 (CW, p. 149)

Whereas, The 2004 LCMS convention adopted Res. 1-04, which called for the Synod to commit itself to supporting the major fund-raising effort approved by the Board of Directors of the Synod and administered by the Mission
Support Unit, with a goal of raising $100 million above the regular LCMS World Mission budget in time for a celebration of God’s blessing by the 2010 Synod convention; and
Whereas, This effort, named the Fan into Flame campaign, was begun in earnest in 2005; and
Whereas, The Mission Support Unit was tasked with the engagement of each district in a local and national effort
in order to raise support for mission activity in local congregations, districts, throughout the United States, and around
the world, using a case model that incorporated Jesus’ charge to His disciples in the Book of Acts 1:8 (“… in Jerusalem
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”); and
Whereas, Three-quarters of LCMS districts have completed their district efforts to date; and
Whereas, One-quarter of the districts may require additional time to complete their efforts; and
Whereas, Approximately $40 million in major gift requests are pending; and
Whereas, $57 million has been raised, 8,000 new donors have been added to the ranks of mission supporters,
19,000 gifts have been generated, and 1,100 congregations have participated; and
Whereas, A number of Ablaze! projects and initiatives of the Synod and her districts and congregations have been
undertaken as a result of the Fan into Flame campaign; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention celebrate God’s blessings through the Fan into Flame campaign, which
has raised over $57 million as of May 2010 for mission work in local communities, across the country, and around
the world; and be it further
Resolved, That the congregations of the Synod celebrate the formal completion of the campaign on Reformation
Day of 2011; and be it further
Resolved, That Fan into Flame campaign support mechanisms remain in place until the remaining districts and congregations of our Synod complete their campaign efforts and all pending gift requests have been closed; and be it finally
Resolved, That a final report of the Fan into Flame campaign be provided to the next Synod convention.
Action: Adopted (8)
(Res. 1-01 was adopted as presented, without debate [Yes: 819; No: 221].)

2013 Convention Workbook