LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1962, Sheet 151

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FINANCE AND STEWARDSHIP 151

Proposals to Congregations

Wuereas, Two thirds of our Districts and over fifty
percent of our congregations have failed to underwrite
synodical and District budgets during the last decade;
and

Wuereas, The method of asking Districts and con-
gregations to give their “fair share,”
sponsible share,” is proving increasingly ineffective in
that it works a hardship on a few congregations in ac-
tually poor financial circumstances and tends to curb
the giving potential of congregations which could give
much more than the “average”; and

or “minimum re-

Wuereas, Too many congregations are satisfied in
giving only their “fair share” and no more, even though
their potential is much greater; and

Wuereas, Many of our Districts recognize the need
for a new approach in determining and suggesting chal-
lenging goals to their congregations; and

Wuereas, The stewardship leaders of our Districts
at the 1960 Synodwide Stewardship Conference came to
full agreement on several new procedures for determin-
ing and suggesting more challenging goals to their con-
gregations; and

Wuereas, These procedures are flexible and can read-
ily be adapted to the varying circumstances obtaining
in our Districts; and

Wuereas, Three fourths of the Districts have already
begun to operate with these procedures (some have an
experience ratio of three years); and

Wuereas, The 1960 Stewardship Conference of the
Synod requested this Fiscal Conference to recommend
these new procedures in determining and suggesting
goals (as planned by the Synod’s 1960 Stewardship Con-
ference and contained in the recommendations which
follow) to all of the Districts of the Synod; and

Wuereas, The 1961 Fiscal Conference of the Synod
adopted this resolution and herewith presents this over-
ture to this 1962 convention of the Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That all Districts favorably consider the
use of the “Proposal Plan” as a means of securing ade-
quate support for their own District and synodical pro-
grams; and be it

Resolved, That Districts not ready for the “Proposal
Plan” be urged to use the “Modified Plan”; and be it
finally

Resolved, That Districts having congregations already
giving generous support to their own synodical and
District programs may want to suggest to such con-
gregations the consideration of the “Self-Allocation
Plan.”

Exuisir (Capsule Definitions)

A. The Proposal Plan. Congregational goals for
District and the Synod are proposed on the basis of
their true potential (giving potential as well as other

important factors to be included in the establishment of
such a proposal).

B. The Modified Plan. Congregational goals for Dis-
trict and Synod are suggested primarily on the basis of
past performance and their giving potential, with flex-
ible increases suggested to congregations which in the
past have not fully met their “minimum responsible
share.”

C. The Self-Allocation Plan. Goals for District and
Synod are adopted by congregations following intensive
training and motivation through a good, ongoing stew-
ardship and mission-education program. These congre-
gations are in a special category, having already ex-
ceeded their “fair share”; they are to be encouraged
to go from strength to strength in their generous sup-
port of their own program through District and the
Synod (one third, one half, or more of their total offer-
ings set aside for District and synodical work).

Every-Congregation Visit
RESOLUTION 11-11

Report 804, Recommendation IV, p. 335,
Reports and Memorials

Resolved, That Recommendation IV (“Every-Con-
gregation Visit”) be adopted as it is printed on page 335
of Reports and Memorials with the addition of the
words “first with the pastor and then” after the word
“meeting” in line six of the “Resolved.”

Action: This resolution was adopted.

Note: The recommedation (as changed) read as
follows:
Every-Congregation Visit

Whereas, The 1961 Fiscal Conference of the Synod
in purpose and essence approved the every-congrega-~
tion visit after it had been developed by the triennial
Stewardship Conference of the Synod in 1960; and

WuereEas, The every-congregation visit is inherent
in the proposal plan, which the 1961 Fiscal Conference
of the Synod approved and is bringing to this conven-
tion of the Synod in overture form; therefore be it

Resolved, That Circuit Counselors and their steward-
ship leaders in the circuit cabinet, duly oriented by
District stewardship leaders in the work program or
budgets of the District and the Synod, each fall conduct
an every-congregation visit in all congregations, meet-
ing first with the pastor and then with the entire con-
gregation or with its designated leaders to challenge
them to a strong participation in their own work through
the District and the Synod in the ensuing year and being
ready, where helpful and necessary, to propose a goal
which the congregation might consider as its commit-
ment to the District and the Synod; and that the actual
commitment, then or later adopted by the congregation,
be reported by the Circuit Counselor to the District
President no later than February 1.