LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 33

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SYNOD REPORTS
by Reformation 2017! [Note: 118 cumulative new starts in July 2004,
211 cumulative new starts in July 2008]
A triennium project highlight of Black Ministry, a National
Mission Affiliate, is New Luther High School, Chicago, IL. The
school has been totally reorganized and renamed The New Luther
High School of Math, Science, Fine Arts & Performing Arts with the
help of Northern Illinois District endorsement and funding from a
Lutheran Church Extension Fund loan. Under the leadership of Rev.
Paul Anderson, New Luther High has made impressive improvements
to its physical plant, a radically redeveloped business plan that meets
its projections, regained its RSO status, revamped its staff, and has
81 students enrolled. The school held a reorganizational “Worship
Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving” October 18, 2009.
In the past three years, LCMS Campus Ministry, a National
Mission Affiliate, has had an active role in establishing 62 new dedicated ministries to the campus community and three new International
Student Ministries. The organization has also assisted in the revitalization of 14 campus ministries. Continuing with its mission of
“making disciples who make disciples on campus,” 1,522 students
and staff have received outreach and leadership training through local,
regional, and national events. Six national events were held for new
campus ministry leadership, student leadership, and staff continuing
education; and 30 workshops were held at the district level focusing
on opportunities and strategy for building ministry on campus. We
give thanks to God that more than 111,300 people have been reached
with the Gospel!

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1. Members of LCMS congregations are equipped and encouraged to reach out to chaplains, military personnel, and veterans
in their congregations and communities, especially those far
from the support of military bases.
2. Operation Barnabas district counselors in areas across the
LCMS are trained and ready to serve reserve chaplains and
their families through pre-deployment, deployment, and
post-deployment.
Funding Trends for the 2007–2010 Triennium
Annual Fund Support for LCMS World Mission

Whether through one-time or pledged direct gifts, planned gifts,
or the allocated portion of Sunday morning offering plate contributions—God’s children in the LCMS are passionate about missions!
The trends continue that people want to personally select the mission field, project, or initiative for their gift and select the program
through which to give. We are excited to see such personal interest,
and hearing people say “our mission field” or “our mission project”
is encouraging—the global Lutheran missionary community is walking together in outreach!

• National work/project totals for the triennium

2007–08 actual
2008–09 actual
2009–10 budget
TOTAL		
3-year average

$2,431,187
$2,652,818
$2,379,219
$7,463,219
$2,487,740

Scope of Current LCMS World Mission
Ministry to the Armed Forces Work

LCMS Ministry to the Armed Forces currently endorses and supports 215 chaplains. The ministry provides military chaplains to serve
on the field; provides chaplains for veterans hospitals; maintains
records of pastoral acts; works with pastors and civilian congregations to provide for the spiritual welfare of their members in uniform
(see Operation Barnabas below); and provides spiritual resources to
LCMS members serving in the armed forces through a “Ministryby-Mail Program.”
Ministry to the Armed Forces leadership continues to recruit
actively at both seminaries with personal visits and chaplain candidate training programs. Ongoing professional learning is now offered
through a specialized Doctor of Ministry program available for all
military chaplains, active and reserve. A dozen chaplains are currently
enrolled in the program.
In 2007, in response to the ever-increasing needs of returning
service men and women, Ministry to the Armed Forces initiated a program called “Operation Barnabas.” The initiative reaches out to all
components of the military, but has a special emphasis on our Reserve
members and their families. As the program expanded, an LCMS
chaplain was called in 2009 to serve as the full-time program manager.
Two ministry components are currently being offered—both
of which equip and encourage people for compassionate care and
Gospel-sharing outreach.

[*This allocation of spending follows the IRS-990 form guidelines,
seen largely as a fiscal reporting standard for nonprofit organizations
in the United States.]
To sustain and expand global Gospel outreach through LCMS
World Mission, the $25.3 million budget is supported through various channels:
• $19.5 million—comes directly from more than 40,000 individuals, congregations, LCMS districts, and organizations (this
includes specialized granting organizations, and bequest and
endowments gifts).
• $3.6 million—comes from your local congregation offering
plate donations, a portion of which is passed along to your
district, of which a portion is passed along to Synod, and of
which we receive an allocated portion. On average, $0.0027
(less than one-third of a penny of every dollar you place in
your local offering) makes its way to LCMS World Mission,
and these “fractions of pennies” add up to a special blessing
for our ministry.
• $2.2 million value of volunteers—those GEO (Globally
Engaged in Outreach) long-term missionaries that serve in
a capacity valued far beyond the actual funds raised for their
1–2 years of service and ministry.
We are extremely thankful for the 500-plus LCMS congregations
and 600-plus families currently partnering to support the outreach
ministry of specific LCMS missionaries through the Together in
Mission (congregations) and Mission Senders (families/individuals) programs. In fact, in 2007, 2008, and 2009, 39 congregations
celebrated 25 consecutive YEARS of participation in the Together
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