LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1986, Page 209

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i aN na oA

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7. HUMAN CARE

To Encourage and Strengthen
Congregational Social Ministry Activity

RESOLUTION 7-01A
Report 7-01 (CW, p. 345 )

WuereEas, Jesus responded in love to human suffering
(Luke 7:1—-10); and

Wuereas, St. Paul exhorts us, “Therefore be imitators
of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ
loved us and gave himself up for us” Eph. 5:1—-2); and

Wuereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is
determined to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ
in ministering to total human need; and

Wuenreas, There is in every community in which our
congregations exist no lack of opportunity to express our
love of Christ as our response to human suffering; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
in convention direct its boards, commissions, and districts
to expand their financial, material, and human resources
in order to respond more effectively to human need; and
be it further

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
in convention urge its congregations to seize every avail-
able opportunity to minister to total human need through
intentional social ministry activity; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod, districts, and congregations
support one another in social ministry; and be it finally

Resolved, In order to encourage and strengthen congre-
gational social ministry in the next triennium, congrega-
tions should be urged to

1. grow in sensitivity to human need and our need to
respond through use of available Bible studies related
to social ministry and World Relief.

2. appoint a World Relief representative, participate in
World Relief programs and projects, and distribute
Sharing.

3. conduct an assessment of local needs, identify com-
munity resources, and intentionally initiate an appro-
priate congregational action.

4. study needs of aging persons, identify resources, and
initiate appropriate action so that older people are
viewed as resources and their needs are met.

5. consciously touch the hearts and lives of our people
suffering from the agri-community or other crises with
Christian care, especially by listening, understanding,
and supporting them.

6. eliminate physical barriers from our facilities which
alienate the physically challenged.

7. participate in at least one refugee sponsorship within
the next three years.

8. increase 10% per year the giving level for local social
ministry, world relief/world hunger, and affiliated Lu-
theran social ministry organizations.

9. strengthen congregational support for local institu-
tional ministries.

209

10. provide their pastors with continuing education in pas-
toral counseling and crisis intervention.

11. in serving those in need, draw upon the special min-
istries of our church’s professional social ministry re-
sources (i.e., LCMS Board for Social Ministry staff;
Task Forces on Aging, Sanctity of Life, Agri-Commu-
nity Crisis, Substance Abuse; District Board for Social
Ministry).

12. engage in health and healing ministries which promote
the relational, mental, emotional, and physical well-
being of persons under the cross.

13. promote concern and caring for healthful service en-
vironments for church workers and their families.

14. provide education to promote support of cross-cultural
Gospel ministry and cross-cultural social ministry.

15. other.

Action: Adopted (14).

To Strengthen Social Ministry Activity
at All Levels of the Synod

RESOLUTION 7-02A
Report 7-01 (CW, pp. 345-52)

Wuereas, The Board for Social Ministry Services has
completed a two-year planning process resulting in a plan-
ning document entitled “Blueprint for the Decade Ahead”;
and

Wuereas, The planning document has articulated ma-
jor objectives for Social Ministry programming; and

Wuereas, Social Ministry activity should take place at
all levels of the Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention commend the
Board for Social Ministry Services for its detailed planning
process, which has resulted in the “Blueprint for the De-
cade Ahead”; and be it further

Resolved, That the Synod in convention endorse the
goals and objectives as outlined in the blueprint (CW, pp.
345-46) and the recommendations of the Standing Com-
mittee on Agencies and Institutions (CW, p. 347) as applied
to all levels of the Synod; and be it further

Resolved, That we urge each congregation of the Synod
to assess the social ministry opportunities of its community
and find ways to meet those opportunities; and be it further

Resolved, That in support of the congregational effort,
each district of the Synod seek to double the number of
congregational social ministry committees in its district;
and be it further

Resolved, That in support of the districts, the Board for
Social Ministry Services work with those districts which
do not have an active district committee to organize such
committees; and be it finally

Resolved, That in support of the congregations and dis-
tricts, the Synod in convention urge the Board of Directors
to give high priority to fill vacancies on the staff of the
Board for Social Ministry Services (CW, p. xv).

Action: Adopted (6).