LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2010, Page 195

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Seminary and University Education
Concordias and developing an endowment of $400 million for the
support of student scholarships; and
Whereas, Many Lutheran students attending a Concordia college
or university are in need of financial assistance to reduce the cost of
their education; and
Whereas, The Lord of the Church has blessed the “For the Sake
of the Church” initiative through the generous response of His people; and
Whereas, The “For the Sake of the Church” initiative has helped
to increase the number of Lutheran students at our Concordias and
has provided over $200 million in endowment gifts and pledges over
the past 10 years; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Synod give special thanks to the Lord of the
Church for blessing these efforts to recruit Lutheran students for service to the church and society and for the stewardship gifts of His
people to assist Lutheran students financially; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod encourage congregations and church
leaders to assist in the recruitment of students to prepare themselves
in a Lutheran Christian environment for a lifetime of service; and
be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod celebrate the efforts of the “For the
Sake of the Church” initiative, offering special encouragement to
congregations and individuals to continue their support of this ministry program.
Concordia University System;
Board of Regents, Concordia St. Paul;
Board of Regents, Concordia Univerity Texas;
Faculty, Concordia University Portland

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To Encourage Pastors and Laity in Their
Recruitment Role
Whereas, The Lord calls pastors to the role of servants of Christ
and stewards of His mysteries (1 Cor. 4:1); and
Whereas, The Lord by His good order has chosen to use these
men to rightly preach, teach, and administer these mysteries; and
Whereas, No man should take this task upon himself, and concerning church order it is taught that no one should teach publicly in
the church or administer the sacraments unless properly called (AC
XIV); and
Whereas, This role is thereby such an important one to be encouraged in the church; and
Whereas, Countless seminary students have indicated that their
encouragement to enter the seminary has come from pastor and laity
alike; and
Whereas, Those who play such a significant role in this encouragement often overlook this significance; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2010 LCMS convention recognize the importance of this office which the Lord has established; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod affirm the efforts of those who faithfully
encourage men to consider preparation for the Office of the Ministry
as highly significant; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod emphasize to pastors and laity the
importance of intentionally engaging in this task; and be it finally
Resolved, That the Synod give thanks to the Lord of the harvest
by rising and singing the Common Doxology, knowing that He will
always keep His promise to raise up workers for His harvest— His
mission to seek and save the lost.
Mount Calvary
Brentwood, MO

195

To Increase Impact of Vicarage Program
Whereas, The vicarage year of seminary formation is intended to
provide a comprehensive opportunity for the student to learn to apply
theology in a practical and specific context; and
Whereas, There are congregations whose context and location
would provide for a rich and meaningful vicarage experience, but
they may not be able to afford the cost of supporting a vicar; and
Whereas, It would be of great benefit to the seminaries, seminarians, and the Synod to have excellent locations for all vicars to increase
the overall impact of this important year; therefore be it
Resolved, That the seminaries work collaboratively to identify
the characteristics of congregations best suited to be vicarage locations; and be it further
Resolved, That the Council of Presidents work with both seminaries annually to identify the most suitable locations for vicars, based
on the number and needs of students; and be it further
Resolved, That the president of each district in which such vicarage locations are identified ascertain the willingness and the financial
capacity of such congregations to support a vicar; and be it finally
Resolved, That by 2012, the Synod, districts, and seminaries commit to finding and allocating financial resources to make it possible
for congregations well suited to be learning environments to cover
the cost of supporting a vicar.
Board of Regents
Concordia Seminary

To Include Disabilities Awareness Training
in Seminary Curricula
Whereas, An estimated 30 to 40 million Americans experience
disabilities to one degree or another; and
Whereas, The ministry of Christ reveals a special care for people
with disabilities, and the Christian Church throughout the centuries
has strived to extend hospitality to all people in the spirit of Christ;
and
Whereas, An aging population brings to the local congregation a
significant challenge of increasing disabilities; and
Whereas, That number is steadily increasing as American troops
serving in foreign wars return with physical, emotional, and mental
disabilities; and
Whereas, There is a need to equip professional church workers to
minister effectively and confidently to people with disabilities; and
Whereas, Ministry to people with disabilities does not appear to
be articulated in the required core curricula of our seminaries and
universities; and
Whereas, The rich gifts of people with disabilities are thereby not
being used in the Body of Christ; therefore be it
Resolved, That the Northwest District in convention memorialize the Synod’s 2010 convention to encourage LCMS seminaries and
universities to incorporate in their core curricula for the training of
pastors and other professional church workers an emphasis on ministry to, with, and through people who have disabilities; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod’s Board for Pastoral Education together
with Synod’s Board for University Education take responsibility for
assisting the seminaries and universities in articulating objectives
to be included in their core curricula within the next triennium; and
be it finally
Resolved, That the appropriate unit under the Synod’s Board for
Human Care Ministries serve as consultant in the establishment of
this training for professional church workers.
Northwest District
2010 Convention Workbook

2010 Convention.indb 195

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