LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1986, Page 120

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120 RESOLUTIONS

ture, mission education, and motivation to Christian wit-
ness and service; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod continue to respond to the
doors the Lord is opening to our church by bringing His
Gospel through 114 new sent missionaries to 24 new un-
reached nations in the world during the next three years;
and be it finally

Resolved, That every member and every congregation
of the Synod be urged to rededicate themselves to the
Lord’s mission, fervently praying for

opportunity eyes with sharpened vision to see and seize

upon all the mission challenges and opportunities
which the Lord places before us, where we live and
throughout the world;

open ears attuned to God’s Word and to the call of His

Great Commission;

joyful voices that speak of God’s answer to human needs

in Christ Jesus;
generous hearts that know no boundaries of race, color,
or culture, overflowing with the love of Christ and
aflame with the desire to share His Good News;

busy hands, folded in prayer, hard at work, and open
with a rich share of financial support for the Lord’s
work; and

adventurous feet, marching forward in every life cir-

cumstance as His sent ones, committed in whatever
earthly vocation to God’s heavenly mission beginning
where each one lives, and through congregation, dis-
trict, and the Synod to all the world.

Action: Adopted (12).

To Address Our Church’s Mission Spirit
RESOLUTION 1-02
Overture 1-21 (CW, p. 32)

Wuereas, The report of the Board for Evangelism Ser-
vices strongly indicates that only a small percentage of the
laity and clergy of the Synod identify outreach as an im-
portant function of the congregation; and

Wuereas, This depressed mission spirit is reflected in
the non-growth or even net annual losses of members in
congregations in our Synod; and

Wuereas, It is critical to the Synod that a positive and
joyful mission spirit be restored in our professional and
lay people to cause both to be active in outreach to people
outside the church and in retention of present members;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the widespread apathetic mission spirit
throughout our church be acknowledged as a matter of
major concern of the Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That members of our Synod be urged to repent
of the sin of mission apathy and implore God’s Holy Spirit
to bring about a spiritual renewal among us; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Synod energize existing programs
and develop new programs, if necessary, to address our
attitudes toward outreach; and be it finally

Resolved, That our synodical schools and seminaries be
urged to address the Synod’s mission spirit on their cam-
puses in attitude, direction, and curricula.

Action: Adopted (8).

(Prior to offering the resolution the committee agreed to delete
the word all from the second resolve and to substitute the word
Synod for church there and in the final resolve.)

To Focus the Attention of All
Congregations of the Synod on
Outreach and Membership Conservation

RESOLUTION 1-03

Report 1-01, Appendix 1-01A (CW, p. 8); Overture 1-
55 (CW, p. 36)

Wuereas, Our Lord has commissioned His disciples to
be His witnesses, proclaiming the saving Gospel to all, and
has made them His ambassadors in the communities
where they live, as well as in all the world (Matt. 28:19—
20; 2 Cor. 5:17; Acts 1:8); and

Wuereas, The second objective of the Synod as listed
in the Constitution is to “strengthen congregations and
their members in giving bold witness by word and deed to
the love and work of God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and extend that Gospel witness into all the world”; and

Wuereas, The Synod grew numerically from its begin-
ning in 1847 until the 1970s, when it began to decline and
now has leveled off; and

Wuereas, There is an increasing desire in the Synod to
carry out the Great Commission and to again be a growing
church, as evidenced by the response to the Great Com-
mission Convocations of the Synod, the districts, and the
circuits, as well as the growing interest in evangelism;
therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod, informed and inspired by the
Holy Spirit, commit itself to making the proclamation of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially to those who may
not know Him as Savior and Lord, a top priority, and rec-
ommend that each individual congregation commit itself
to this also; and be it further

Resolved, That we urge all congregations of the Synod,
the circuits, the districts, and the departments of the
Synod to study the “Forward in Growth Report” and im-
plement the suggestions for outreach and membership;
and be it further

Resolved, That congregations be encouraged to make
suggestions for evangelism programs and materials to both
the evangelism committee or board of their district and to
the synodical Board for Evangelism Services; and be it
finally

Resolved, That all members of our congregations com-
mit themselves to daily prayer for the Synod and clearly
speak the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that by God’s grace
the church may again grow.

Action: Adopted as amended (, 8).
(In offering the resolution, the committee changed the word