LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 35

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SYNOD REPORTS
• Shepherd of the Pines, Payson, AZ: planted a satellite congregation in Tanto Basin, AZ.
• Faith, Warsaw, MO: purchased weekly broadcast time on the
local radio station
Judea—Districts’ regional and specialized outreach projects
• Pacific Southwest: Mixteco Outreach
• Florida-Georgia: Amigos en Cristo Hispanic Outreach
• South Wisconsin: French-speaking African Immigrant Ministry
• Californian-Nevada-Hawaii: Mosaic Ministry in San Francisco
• Texas: Rio-Grande Valley Outreach in South Texas
• Missouri: Congregational Revitalization and Refocusing on
Outreach
• Mid-South: Church Transformation Revolving Loan Fund
Samaria—National Mission’s support for expanding outreach initiatives in the United States
• Ablaze! in God’s Word Bible Listening Program: 55,000 digital
audio Bibles distributed to young people at the 2007 National
Youth Gathering and in 260 Lutheran elementary schools.
• Ablaze! Covenant Congregations: Currently 197 congregations
are committed to planting up to four churches—35 of these
congregations are receiving supportive grants. In partnership
with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund, a revolving Mission
Planters Loan Fund is also now available.
• Approximately 300 congregations are participating in the
Transforming Churches Network revitalization process made
possible in part by this funding.
Ends of the Earth—International Mission’s support of sister/partner church outreach and missionaries
• Ghana: New Seminary in Accra—Fan into Flame campaign
efforts provided the funding necessary ($556,000) to build this
pastor training facility of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Ghana.
• Russia: St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg— the
completed restoration project of this historic, multipurpose
facility guarantees continuing urban outreach, and the government cannot reclaim the building.
• Southeast Asia: New international school is projected to open
in August 2010 or 2011.
• Worldwide: To date, 28 new career missionaries were called
and able to begin their service as a result of Fan into Flame
funding and the Network-Supported Missionary model.
What’s Next?
A handful of districts have elected to raise funds beyond the July
2010 convention. In addition, all congregations will receive a final
invitation to participate. Furthermore, there are some remaining
individuals and foundations that will be and/or are prayerfully considering their participation in this campaign. Therefore, LCMS World
Mission has submitted an overture to the 2010 Synod convention,
“To Celebrate the Blessings of Fan into Flame and Commit to Its
Completion,” asking for congregations of the Synod to celebrate the
formal completion of the campaign on Reformation Day, October 31,
2011. Campaign support mechanisms will remain in place until the
remaining districts and congregations of our Synod complete their
campaign efforts and all pending gift requests have been closed. The
final report of the Fan into Flame campaign will be made at the next
Synod convention.
Thomas Zehnder, Executive Director
Kermit Almstedt, Chairman

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Lutheran Women’s Missionary League
“The mission of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League is
to assist each woman of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in
affirming her relationship with the Triune God so that she is enabled to
use her gifts in ministry to the people of the world” (LWML Mission
Statement).
The LWML is the official women’s auxiliary of the LCMS. The
year 2010 marks its 68th year of “Serv[ing] the Lord with Gladness”
(LWML motto, based on Ps. 100:2). As “Lutheran Women in Mission”
(“doing business as” name, adopted in 1998), thousands of women
are daily dedicating their lives to serve the Lord, share the Gospel,
and make a difference where He has placed them.
All officers, pastoral counselors, and committee personnel serve as
volunteers on every level of the LWML. Funds for grants are gathered
through voluntary “mite” offerings and other gifts. The 40 LMWL
districts receive these funds, of which 75 percent stays in the districts
to support grants and administrative costs and the remaining 25 percent is sent to the national LWML organization to finance the grants
selected at national conventions and to cover the expenses of running the organization.
Significant activities and programs since our 2007 report:
• Beginning in the 2007–2009 biennium, the LWML increased
its Internet presence through its Web site www.lwml.org. The
appointment of an Information Technology Committee resulted
in the establishment of a secure member log-in system and other
Internet enhancements.
• “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost”
(Luke 19:10). The 40 LWML districts held conventions in 2008,
with over 11,000 in attendance, voting for more than $6 million
in support for the auxiliary’s mission outreach and focus.
• The 2008 LWML Sunday theme was “Opened Eyes … Hearts
Ablaze!” with materials written by Dr. Robert Roegner.
• During November of 2008, just over 200 women, representing
all LWML districts, gathered for the “Assembly of Leaders”
and A Time to Lead training event held in St. Louis.
• 2009 LWML Sunday materials were authored by Dr. Warren
Schumacher under the theme “Look to the Hills … God
Reigns!”
• At the 2009 LWML convention in Portland, the Heart to Heart
Sisters program joyfully celebrated more than 100 participants,
women who are leaders in various cultures and ethnic groups.
Many have become involved in LWML on the national level,
having also started new LWML groups in their areas.
• Materials for 2010 LWML Sunday, under the theme “People of
God … in the Word” were co-authored by Rev. Kent Wendorf
and Rev. Nathan Wendorf.
• In February 2010, the LWML debuted a new video-based
resource, Faith Talk, developed as an interactive tool to assist
women in becoming more comfortable with sharing their faith
and the hope they have because of Jesus Christ.
• Eleven new sets of Mustard Seeds devotions have been developed, with four additional packs in various stages of completion.
• The LWML has continued to publish Lutheran Woman’s
Quarterly, a magazine for all Lutheran women and not merely
for those who consider themselves to be members of the LWML.
The magazine features stories for today’s women, Bible stud2010 Convention Workbook

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