LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1989, Page 64

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64 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

our last convention, when we adopted goals for each of our
major areas of mission and ministry.

During the past triennium, aided by a special consul-
tant firm, we have again gone to our people, in every Dis-
trict, to ascertain the kind of organizational model that
would assist our congregations to meet their needs and
achieve their goals—both within each congregation and as
our congregations act together. The results, as you know
from our publications, are quite clear. We want a stronger
sense of solidarity, achieved in part by having a common
vision for our future that is based on wide input and review
and that generates broad commitment and support. Our
people, particularly in leadership levels, seek a stronger
coordination of our various efforts (with appropriate ac-
countability), rather than the fragmentation and dupli-
cation that often is found today.

Our congregations want greater diversification of re-
sources, together with more effective ways of sharing and
utilizing them, and they seek more relational, personal
ways of being linked to one another throughout the Synod.
And underlying it all, emphasized by our people again and
again, is the strong conviction that our congregations are
the heart of the church and the primary unit of our mission
and ministry. As our leadership has met, studied, and
weighed various alternatives in two meetings of the Plan-
ning Council this spring, we have concluded that three
areas are particularly important and need immediate im-
plementation: vision planning, networking, and coordi-
nated relationships.

We will, of course, be hearing more about these efforts
as we prepare for the convention, especially through the
work of Committee 8. But as we begin our floor committee
sessions, it is important for all of us to understand that
the people of our Synod expect this convention to help us
to achieve these outcomes. I am excited about the possi-
bilities, and I hope that you are, too. Although most church
bodies today face many of the same organizational prob-
lems that we do, our church body has been doing something
about them, and this convention can do much to affirm
that process and direction. I therefore invite each com-
mittee to respond to two questions as it goes about its work:

1. What would the LCMS be like in 1995, two conven-
tions from now, if the Synod as a whole and each of its
congregations would carry out the Great Commission as
faithfully and effectively as we can?

2. What steps do we need to take now and during the
next triennium to help that to happen?

To that end, let me share some of my dreams with you
in several areas of the Synod’s work that correspond
roughly to the major areas of responsibility assigned to the
floor committees.

1. Missions

By 1995, I see The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
as the senior partner in a world-wide association of confes-
sional Lutheran churches engaged in common, mutual
mission and outreach throughout the world—a partner-
ship in which every church body, regardless of size, is not
only actively engaged in evangelizing its own area but is
also a sending church to other areas of the world.

By 1995, I see a church body in which funding for mis-

sions and outreach as a percentage of income has increased
significantly in congregational, District, and national bud-
gets, and for which intensive direct and special giving has
been encouraged to supplement budgeted funds.

By 1995, the LCMS will be a church body in which twice
as many congregations are engaged in personalized mis-
sionary support, not only to provide additional resources
for North American and.world mission work, but to give
congregations a personal identification with missionary
personnel.

By 1995, most congregations will use budgeting pro-
cesses that identify missions and evangelism as first-fruits
expenditures from the gifts of its members in an amount
that never falls below 10 percent of congregational income.

By 1995, I see a church body busily engaged in planting
and growing new congregations at an accelerating rate,
largely through the initiative of neighboring congregations
or Circuits and prioritized among the Districts through a
mutual and collegial process—funded cooperatively, and
with the highest priorities given to new starts in those
major population centers where the percentage of un-
churched members is highest, and without racial or ethnic
distinctions of any kind.

In the Missouri Synod of 1995, congregations will be
busily involved in strong mission education programs in
every Sunday school, vacation Bible school, parish school,
congregational society, and voters’ assembly. In short, I
believe The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod of 1995
will be known and perceived by one and all as a mission
church, a church body that takes seriously its responsi-
bility to tell everyone what He has done.

2. Congregational Ministry

By 1995, I believe that at least two-thirds of our con-
gregations will have developed more relational approaches
to each other, in which a wide range of congregational
needs are addressed through linkages and networks with
those who can help to meet those needs.

By 1995, at least a third of our confirmed members will
be engaged in Bible study efforts—with LifeLight having
proved to be a blessing to more than half of our congre-
gations. Attendance at Holy Communion will be more fre-
quent, and at least half of our membership will attend
church services each week (compared with our current av-
erage of about 39 percent). Celebrational, innovative, dig-
nified, liturgical worship will characterize the vast
majority of these congregations, and their hymns and mu-
sic will reflect the likes of the people while retaining a
sound, theological content.

By 1995, congregations will have learned how to sub-
stantially reduce the number of members lost through the
back door each year.

By 1995, most pastors will have received additional 4
post-seminary help to develop solid preaching, communi- -%
cation, and counseling skills. Support for pastors, teachers, 4a

and other church workers will be strong, not only finan-
cially, but also in terms of attitude. Continuing education
programs will be the rule rather than the exception for
each professional church worker.

By 1995, lay ministries will be more carefully defined
so as to preserve the distinctiveness of the pastoral office,

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