LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Sheet 365

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356 PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION

parish stewardship leaders, in addition to other regular
resources for parish leaders.

Marcus Zill, Stewardship Counselor

Recommendation 1
To Encourage Growth in the Grace of Giving

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod at its
1979 convention in St. Louis took action that its mission budget
be increased 100% plus inflation during the decade of the 1980s;
an

WHEREAS, Other resolutions of the Synod call for upgrading
the funding of the church and aiding members of congrega-
tions to grow in the grace of giving; and

WHEREAS, The membership of the church has been made
aware of the many opportunities for proclaiming the Gospel
through the educational and motivational phase of Forward in
Remembrance; and

WHEREAS, The people of God who comprise the parishes of
the LCMS are ready and willing to heed this call to witness and
give; therefore be it

Resolved, That during the next biennium every congrega-
tion in the LCMS be encouraged to contact every member
(individually or in a group setting) for their stewardship
commitment and response; and be it further

Resolved, That during the next biennium all members of
LCMS congregations be urged to give proportionately, moving
toward or beyond tithing, by annually increasing their regular
giving by 1% of their personal income; and be it finally

Resolved, That congregations be urged to share their
increase by annually increasing the percentage of given funds
remitted to the District and Synod by 1% of the congregational
receipts.

Recommendation 2
To Encourage Participation in STEM Seminars

WHEREAS, It is essential to gather and manage the resources
that God has entrusted to His people to carry out the mission;
and

WHEREAS, Stewardship Training Enables Mission; and

WHEREAS, The 131 STEM seminars conducted by the
Stewardship Department in the 1979—80 season have provena
blessing in training 7,991 parish stewardship leaders; and

WHEREAS, There are still some 4,000 congregations that
have not yet attended and also many parish leadership
changes in congregations where new leaders have not yet
attended; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod encourage attendance of congre-
gational stewardship leaders at STEM (Stewardship Training
Enables Missions) seminars in their areas; and be it further

Resolved, That the Stewardship Department continue to
offer the basic seminar during the coming biennium
(1981—83).

Recommendation 3

To Provide Professional Stewardship Leadership
on District Levels

WHEREAS, The Board of Directors’ 1980 stewardship study
showed that the parishes and pastors look to the Synod to
provide resource materials and look to the District to provide
the personal onsite evaluation, planning, and guidance neces-
sary to carry out a full stewardship program; and

WHEREAS, The survey also showed that no District provided
a stewardship counselor full time and that in only three
Districts executives spend more than 50 percent of their timeon
stewardship, while more than one-half of the District execu-
tives spend no more than one-quarter of their time on steward-
ship; and

WHEREAS, One of the major objectives of the Forward in
Remembrance effort was to discover and train leaders in
“stewardship/fund-raising” for use by the LCMS in the
decades ahead; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod encourage every District to
provide its congregations with the assistance and counsel of
full-time stewardship leadership; and be it further

Resolved, That this be done by providing an executive
secretary whois full time in the field of stewardship leadership
or by sharing such expertise with the neighboring District or
by entering into a relationship with the synodical Stewardship
Department to provide such counsel with and for the District;
and be it further

Resolved, That the synodical Board of Stewardship upgrade
the process of professional training of stewardship counselors
on both the synodical and District levels and that the Synod
provide regional stewardship counselors who will work closely
with the Districts and with their Stewardship leadership; and
be it further

Resolved, That the Board of Stewardship be prepared,
where mutually agreeable, to enter into an arrangement with
the requesting District to provide stewardship leadership
services on a full-time, short-term, or shared-time basis; and be
it finally

Resolved, That the Board of Stewardship take the leader-
ship in working with Districts who now have less than full-time
stewardship leadership to upgrade their services and their
ministry to congregations.

Recommendation 4
To Develop Stewardship Training at the Seminaries

WHEREAS, Most pastors indicate that they have little or no
stewardship, financial, and management training in their
preparation for the parish ministry; and

WHEREAS, Leadership and counseling in these areas is of
utmost importance for the practical parish ministry; therefore
be it

Resolved, That the faculties of the three seminaries, in
consultation with the Board of Stewardship and the Board for
Higher Education, develop at least a one-quarter course for
seminary students in the area of stewardship, financial plan-
ning, and management to be introduced no later than the
1982—83 school year, utilizing as possible the services of
experienced stewardship counselors.

Recommendation 5
To Encourage STEP Practicums

WHEREAS, The Board of Stewardship has field-tested STEP
(Stewardship Training Enables Pastors) practicums (a three-
day seminar in a retreat setting) for pastors who have entered
the ministry in the last five years; and

WHEREAS, The results in both the Minnesota North and
Ontario Districts have been most encouraging, and much has
been learned to improve future practicums; and

WHEREAS, The need exists to aid younger pastors in their
personal stewardship life, as well as to equip them for develop-
ing proper stewardship attitudes in the parish; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Districts of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod be encouraged to schedule STEP practicums
for their younger pastors; and be it further

Resolved, That the Board of Stewardship work with such
Districts in scheduling such practicums so that each District
can be thus served on a continuing basis once every five years;
and be it finally

Resolved, That the Board of Stewardship work with
Districts who request similar services for more experienced
pastors.

J Recommendation 6

To Provide Speakers Corps

WHEREAS, The Sunday morning service is the time at which
the greatest number of members of the congregation gather
together; and

WHEREAS, The time-honored custom of Mission Sunday
festivals is still fresh in the memories of most, even those who
do not observe a regular Mission Sunday; and