LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 38

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38 MISSIONS

developed programs that provide intensive evangelism train-
ing programs in order to prepare directors of evangelism (such
as Concordia College. St. Paul, Minn.. and Christ College.
Irvine. Calif.) and encourage them to continue to recruit
students for the program and to develop and improve the
evangelism offerings. and be it further

Resolved, That we urge the congregations of the Synod.
when increasing their professional church-worker staff, to
consider adding a director of evangelism.

Board for Evangelism
William R. Wright. Chairman
Erwin J. Kolb, Executive Secretary

1-31
To Encourage Use of God-given Gifts

WHEREAS, Scripture clearly teaches that God gives to every
member of the body of Christ, the church, special gifts and
ministries that he or she is to use for the good of the entire body
so that it may function properly and do the work God has given
it to do on earth (see especially 1 Corinthians 12; Eph. 4:11-16;
Romans 12; and | Peter 4:7-11); and

WHEREAS, Discovering and using one’s God-given gifts
helps members of a congregation find satisfaction in being a
part of the work of that congregation; and

WHEREAS, Some congregations of the Synod have developed
means by which they help members discover and use their
God-given gifts and have been richly blessed through their
programs; and

WHEREAS, The proper understanding of the gift of evangel-
ism, which according to the experience of many congregations
is given to approximately 10 percent of their members, and the
role of witnessing, which is the responsibility of every Chris-
tian, enables all members to be involved in evangelism and
produces church growth by God’s grace; and

WHEREAS, The materials developed for evangelism training
by the Synod’s Evangelism Department are planned for two
groups: for every Christian as a witness in daily life and you
who may have the gift of evangelism and can be involved in
more intensive evangelism calling; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod encourage the congregations of
the Synod to study the New Testament Scripture, which speaks
about the gifts and ministries that God gives to each member
(as listed above); and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod encourage the congregations of
the Synod to develop ways and means of helping their members
identify their God-given gifts and to use them in their congre-
gations; and be it finally

Resolved, That the congregations of the Synod seek to
provide training in witnessing for all of their members and to
provide more in-depth training for those who have the gift of
evangelism.

Board for Evangelism
William R. Wright, Chairman
Erwin J. Kolb, Executive Secretary

1-32

To Intensify
Membership Conservation Program

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church~—Missouri Synod con-
tinues to lose, on an average over the past 10 years, 50,000
members a year by defections (removed from the membership
list because of lack of participation or because they moved
away and did not transfer or because they were excommuni-
cated); and

WHEREAS, The various programs that have been developed
by the Synod and the Districts to decrease this figure have in
the long term had little effect; and

WHEREAS, None of the departments of the Synod have found

the time nor have the staff to do the necessary research and to
develop new approaches to the problem; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board for Evangelism intensify its
efforts to develop a membership conservation program; and be
it further

Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Synod fund a
staff person to serve as Secretary for Membership Conserva-
tion on a four-year appointment to the evangelism staff of the
Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That the Department of Research and Planning
assist the Evangelism Department in conducting the kind of
studies needed to determine the effectiveness of such present
programs as the Membership Referral System, the transfer
procedures, the soul-accounting systems, and so forth; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Secretary for Membership Conserva-
tion, on the basis of the research done in conjunction with the
Department of Research and Planning, develop programs that
can be implemented by both Districts and congregations; and
be it finally

Resolved, That the goal for the program be to reduce the
defections by 10 percent each year.

Board for Evangelism
William R. Wright, Chairman
Erwin J. Kolb, Executive Secretary

1-33

To Care for Those Who Move

WHEREAS, Ours is a very mobile society, and our Lutheran
people are not exempt from this mobility; and

WHEREAS, Oftentimes Lutheran people fail to become
identified with another Lutheran church in their new location;
therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in
convention assembled encourage its pastors and congrega-
tions to be mindful of their responsibility toward their members
who move and to alert pastors in the vicinity of their members’
new home, so that the ministry to such people continue
uninterrupted.

Trinity Lutheran Church
Memphis, Tenn.

Paul R. Martens, Pastor
Ronald J. Wiese, Pastor
L. V. Schmidt, Chairman

1-34
To Expand Jewish Missions Work

WHEREAS, The Board for Evangelism, through its Commit-
tee on Witnessing to Jewish People, has for the past six years
conducted an expanding ministry of evangelism to the Jewish
people; and

WHEREAS, The Synod through its resolutions (2-27 in 1977
and 1-30 in 1979) has mandated that this work be done; and

WHEREAS, The interest in Jewish evangelism in our Synod
continues to grow, as evidenced by the fact that more than
2,000 people visited the Jewish evangelism booth at the Great
Commission Convocation and more than 300 people requested
further information; and

WHEREAS, The Committee on Witnessing to Jewish People,
as presently constituted, is unable to meet adequately the
demands for services that our people are requesting, thus
necessitating them to seek the help of other Christian agencies;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Committee on Witnessing to Jewish
People continue its work; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod commend to the World Mission
Institute of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, the establishment
of a Jewish Missions Department; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Committee on Witnessing to Jewish