LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 149

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1. missions
1-01

To Celebrate Fan into Flame Blessings
and Commit to Its Completion
Whereas, The 2004 LCMS convention adopted Res. 1-04, which
called for the Synod in convention assembled to commit itself to
supporting the major fund-raising effort approved by the Board of
Directors of the Synod and administered by the Mission Support Unit,
with a goal of raising $100 million above the regular LCMS World
Mission budget in time for a celebration of God’s blessing by the
2010 Synod convention; and
Whereas, This effort, named the Fan into Flame campaign, was
begun in earnest in 2005; and
Whereas, The Mission Support Unit was tasked with the engagement of each district in a local effort and the national effort in order
to raise support for mission activity in local congregations, districts,
throughout the United States and around the world, using a case
model that incorporated Jesus’ charge to His disciples in the Book
of Acts 1:8 (“… in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to
the end of the earth”); and
Whereas, In 2007, an interim report was made to the Synod convention sharing the blessings of Fan Into Flame to that point and
celebrating over $20 million in pledges to the campaign; and
Whereas, Two-thirds of LCMS districts have completed their district efforts to date; and
Whereas, One-third of the districts will require additional time to
complete their efforts; and
Whereas, An additional $40 million in major gift requests are
pending; and
Whereas, $54 million dollars has been raised, 8,000 new donors
have been added to the ranks of mission supporters, 18,000 gifts
have been generated, and 1,100 congregations have participated; and
Whereas, A number of Ablaze! projects and initiatives of the
Synod and her districts and congregations have been undertaken as a
result of the Fan into Flame campaign; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod in convention celebrate God’s blessings through the Fan Into Flame campaign, it having developed over
$54 million to date for mission work in local communities, across the
country, and around the world; and be it further
Resolved, That the congregations of the Synod celebrate the formal completion of the campaign on Reformation Day of 2011; and
be it further
Resolved, That Fan into Flame campaign support mechanisms
remain in place until the remaining districts and congregations of our
Synod complete their campaign efforts and all pending gift requests
have been closed; and be it finally
Resolved, That a final report of the Fan into Flame campaign be
provided to the next Synod convention.
Board for Mission Services
1-02

To Increase Outreach to Immigrants
at Congregation Level
Whereas, Already in the nineteenth century, Dr. C. F. W. Walther,
the first president of the LCMS and himself an immigrant, recognized
the needs of new immigrants to our country and the responsibility of
the Missouri Synod to reach out to these new Americans, as he spoke
to the Synod in 1874, “In the course of time millions immigrated to
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our new fatherland overflowing with all of God’s wonderfully rich
blessings. Many are still landing on our coasts here to establish a life
for themselves … But not only has God gathered His church out of
the mass of lost and condemned humanity but He also, as always, has
cast His Church into the midst of this lifeless and decaying mass as
the only purifying salt of the earth” (“Glorious Challenge—Difficult
Task ”); and
Whereas, The most recent LCMS statistical report (2008) contains
the information that 219 congregations have reported that they have
“specialized worship services” to address the needs of minority language and other immigrant communities (less than three percent); and
Whereas, More than one million people were naturalized as U.S.
citizens in 2008 alone; and
Whereas, Many of these people have come to our country without faith in Jesus; and
Whereas, LCMS congregations and individual members can play
an important role in the incorporation of these people into the kingdom of God; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2010 LCMS convention thank God for those
congregations that have stepped out in faith to meet the needs of the
immigrants in our midst; and be it further
Resolved, That the convention urge the districts and the National
Ministry Office of LCMS World Mission to work together to find
ways to strengthen their commitment to and increase the effectiveness of the work of LCMS congregations and their members among
the new immigrants in our midst; and be it finally
Resolved, That the convention urge Concordia Seminary and
Concordia Theological Seminary to continue the expansion and
development of the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology (EIIT)
and other such programs that provide education for ministry to immigrants and ethnic groups via distance education.
Board for Mission Services
1-03

To Implement 2007 Res. 2-04A re Position
of Director for Strategic Development
of Hispanic Ministries
Whereas, The 2007 LCMS convention overwhelmingly authorized “the President of the Synod, working with the Board for Mission
Services and the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Hispanic Ministry and
in consultation with the National Hispanic Lutheran Convention, to
appoint a Director for Strategic Development of Hispanic Ministries
as soon as funding is available” (Res. 2-04A); and
Whereas, Hispanic immigration into the U.S. continues; and
Whereas, At the district, circuit, and congregational levels, LCMS
members are seeking guidance and direction as they make their plans
to reach out to Hispanic people; and
Whereas, Funding for this position could not be found in this triennium; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2007 convention again affirm the need for
faithful and effective outreach to Hispanic people, reaffirm the need
for a Director for Strategic Development of Hispanic Ministries to
guide the church in this important task, and urge the prompt appointment of this director.
Board for Mission Services
2010 Convention Workbook

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