LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 26

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26 MISSIONS

Jan. 20—22. 1981, Yahara Center, Madison, Wis.

Feb. 10—12, 1981, Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale,
Ariz.

Sermonic Studies: Dr. Kenneth Rogahn, St. Louis, Mo.

Worship: Rev. Walter Schoedel. Kirkwood, Mo.

13. Materials Published

One of the major publishing projects of the past biennium
was the publishing, through Concordia Publishing House, of
the completely revised Evangelism Resource Book. originally
published in 1971 with a grant from the Aid Association for
Lutherans. The Aid Association for Lutherans again provided
some funds to assist in providing some of the material to the
students in the evangelism classes at the synodical colleges
and seminaries. The book is now available as a complete
notebook of 16 sections, with the sections also available as
individual units.

The Response Series continues to be a very popular series.
Two new books were developed to make the series complete at
10 volumes, How to Respond to the Muslims by Rev. Philip
Lochhaas and How to Respond to the Science Religions by Dr.
Frederick Harm.

With the Board of Parish Education, two manuscripts were
developed and published as educational bulletins: ‘“‘The
Lutheran School Opportunity for Mission” by Kent Hunter
and “Evangelism Through the Vacation Bible School” by
Edward F. Krueger.

Other items published in the last biennium in addition to
the material mentioned in other sections of this report include:

1980 Evangelism Festival material on the theme “God
Opens Doors”
—order of worship, sermon, planning suggestions, banner
patterns
—Bible study, ‘Growing in Discipleship”
1981 Evangelism Festival material under the theme, “You
Have the Kev to God’s House”

—order of worship, sermon, planning suggestions, door-
knob hanger

—Bible study on “Growing in Christian Friendship and
Hospitality”

14. Witnessing to Jewish People

After the Board for Evangelism studied the 1979 convention
resolution on Jewish evangelism (1-30), which adopted the
“Statement of Jewish-Lutheran Concerns” and instructed the
board to continue to encourage and assist congregations to
reach out to Jewish people in their communities and to share
with them their faith that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised
Messiah, the board again appointed a special committee:

Mr. Steve Cohen, New York, N.Y.

Rev. Edward Einem, Detroit, Mich.

Rev. Bruce Lieske. N. Fond du Lae, Wis.

Mrs. Jean Kiefer, Warrington, Pa.

Rev. Robert E. Lindemann, Queens Village, N.Y.

Rev. Erwin J. Kolb, Board for Evangelism

The committee was active in the following areas:

a. Assisted in conducting workshops on witnessing to
Jewish people and an evening of Jewish understanding

b. Developed tracts to be used in witnessing to Jewish
people

c. Generated articles for publication in periodicals on
understanding Jewish people and their customs and how to
witness to them

d. Continued to build a library of Jewish evangelism
materials housed in the Evangelism Department of the Synod

e. Maintained a list of Missouri Synod pastors who have a
special interest in Jewish evangelism

f. Maintained liaison with other Lutheran agencies that
are doing Jewish evangelism, Good News for Israel and the
Institutum Judaica, Delitzschianum

g. Reviewed tracts, books, and other materials pertaining
to Jewish evangelism and made the information available to
the Board for Evangelism

Among the items published were (1) An 85-frame color
filmstrip with a 22-minute cassette on anti-Semitism and how
to witness to Jewish people. A grant from the English District
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League made this possible. A
free copy was given to each synodical District. (2) A Passover
Haggadah for Christians. both a participants booklet and a
leaders guide, to help congregations conduct a seder that is
authentic as well as theologically sound and arranged so that
it can include a celebration of the Lord’s Supper.

15. Conclusion

The Evangelism Department continues to serve as a
resource in evangelism and relates to the other boards and
commissions of the Synod and its auxiliary organizations to
cooperate and assist in any way possible with evangelism
activities. In the past biennium it cooperated with the Lutheran
Laymen’s League in the promotion of the followup of the letters
sentin response to the Lutheran Hourand “This Is the Life." It
participated with the Lutheran Council in the Lutheran Media
Mission Project; it served on the Evangelism subcommittee
of the Committee on Cooperative Projects in Congregational
Life; it assisted the Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ in their
application to the Board of Directors for status as a Listed
Service Organization of the Synod; it served on the committee
for the Portals of Prayer Telephone Ministry; it maintained
liaison with other Lutheran organizations that are doing
evangelism among Lutheran congregations: Lutheran Dis-
cipleship Ministry, Lutheran Evangelism Association, Parish
Leadership Seminars, and Lutheran Tape Ministry.

Evangelism is done person to person. It_is done through
congregations motivating and equipping God’s_people. It_is
done when pastors lead their congregations and set_the
example for them. We continue to plead for the prayers of the
church that the decade of the ’80s will be a time of renewed
commitment to the great task of being and making disciples for
Jesus Christ.

William R. Wright, Chairman
Erwin J. Kolb, Executive Secretary:

1-03

Report of Lutheran Church
Extension Fund—Missouri Synod
and Board for Church Extension

The primary purpose of Church Extension is to support the
mission ofour church. Lutheran Church Extension Fund is not
just another lending institution. Its first concern is not profit or
fund balance or fund growth; it is to help provide space and
place for ministry to Jesus Christ. The growth in assets under
management, the number of loans in progress, an advance-site
program, and District interest in joining LCEF are only a few
of the special blessings of our Lord on Church Extension
during the biennium.

The funds required to finance the capital needs of our
church reach a staggering sum, not only because of inflation,
but because new sites and facilities are constantly needed. The
pattern of our church work often involves site purchases,
architectural plans, construction of facilities, also involves
enlarging or remodeling older buildings. And to do this
requires many, many dollars. Church Extension provides a
way for members to invest some of their savings, earn a good
rate of interest, and redeem their investment in accord with its
terms. All the money invested is carefully managed, loaned for
sites or buildings, repaid by the borrowing congregations or
Districts according to policies adopted by the Board of
Directors.

While Districts have their own Church Extension program
for essentially the same purposes, there are not 38 separate
Church Extension programs—each pursuing independent
goals and objectives. There is only one Church Extension
program carried out in 38 locations.

Recently many states require the registration or other
filings with respect to our Church Extension notes. Con-
sequently, an offering circular has been prepared in which
disclosure is made of financial statements, policies, and the