LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 23

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
many of our youth not just during their college years but even well
beforehand. This must change, and we must engage in increasing
efforts to retain them through their high school years and keep them
connected during college. This need is all the more urgent given the
increasing turmoil on our nation’s campuses, the soft persecution that
exists toward a Christian worldview in academia, and the increasing
strains on religious liberty and the freedom of expression.
Our universities are great incubators of ideas, both good and bad.
The nation’s college campuses are also a vast fertile mission field with
the ever-growing influx of international and unchurched students. It
is time for us to step up our efforts in the academic square not only
for our own youth, but also for the sake of reaching the atheists and
agnostics alike, and the increasing need to defend our opportunities
for religious expression and spiritual pursuits in and around our academic communities (ref. 2013 Res. 1-15A, “To Encourage Further
Support for Campus Ministry”).
We have witnessed a rebirth and revitalization of direct support
for campus ministry in the Synod. While the Synod went under a
comprehensive internal restructure in the previous triennium, campus ministry was an area actually added back into the structure. The
Synod’s 2013 convention commended all those involved in campus
ministry, thanked those organizations involved directly in helping
support campus ministry over the last decade, transitioned from utilization of the name Lutheran Student Fellowship, and recognized the
efforts of the ONM through LCMS U to further expand the development of campus ministry across the Synod.
This progress began earlier in 2013 with the UNWRAPPED
National Campus Ministry Conference held at Saint Louis University,
attended by approximately 425 college students and those who work
with them. Students focused on themes related to the apologetic task
and the defense of the faith, while also having opportunities for fun
and the daily gathering around Christ’s Word in prayer and song.
UNWRAPPED was the largest dedicated LCMS college student gathering in the past 40 years and was a fitting occasion to launch LCMS
U, the Synod’s new initiative for campus ministry.
Much of the focus during the last triennium has been on developing a structure for LCMS U and integrating campus ministry within
the Synod’s new structure. Three full-time campus pastors helped
directly with these efforts in addition to their regular campus ministry duties. Rev. Marcus Zill served as the LCMS U Coordinator along
with Rev. Ian Pacey and Rev. Jay Winters as Assistant Coordinators,
until Zill was called as Director of Campus Ministry and LCMS U
in the summer of 2014. This position represented the first full-time
dedicated Synod staff position to directly support campus ministry
since 2002.
A major highlight of the past triennium was the TABOO National
Campus Ministry Conference in January 2015, held once again at
Saint Louis University, attended by 475 students and campus ministry workers representing over 100 colleges and universities. The
main focus of TABOO was addressing issues relating to marriage
and sexuality, including those things which are not often talked about,
including dialogue about the sanctity of marriage and witnessing to
those who have embraced the homosexual lifestyle. A banquet was
also held on the Feast of the Epiphany to highlight GEO (Globally
Engaged Outreach) mission opportunities before having the Divine
Service at Concordia Seminary. A special Epiphany offering was
taken to continue the support of International Student Ministry.
A new radio program and podcast, The Student Union, was developed in the summer of 2015 in conjunction with KFUO to serve as
a weekly opportunity to connect college students, campus ministry
workers, parents, and all who love the young people of the church.
Topics range from apologetic interests, the intersection of science and

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academic pursuits, issues of marriage and sexuality, the support of
religious liberty, and the cultivation of one’s devotional life.
Ultimately, all campus ministry is local. The heart and core of our
efforts takes place in, with, and through local congregations. There
are now more than 200 intentional LCMS U chapters throughout the
United States, ranging in size from large full-time campus ministries
and part-time town/gown congregations to congregations taking initiative to reach out to students at a nearby college campus. In some
circumstances, campus ministries are supported directly by districts,
entire circuits, or regional mission societies and are recognized service organizations.
In the upcoming triennium, the concept of LCMS U as a virtual
campus connecting college students wherever they go to school, as
well as those who work with them, will be fleshed out and expanded.
The goal is to help engage and support college students and campus ministry workers by providing those resources and events to
help them at the local level, as well as help congregations become
more intentional in caring for their own college students and finding
opportunities to engage in outreach on local campuses. New training
opportunities will be provided for campus workers and volunteers
as well as encouragement and support for LCMS faculty members
who work at public or non-LCMS private colleges and universities.
Consultation will continue to be provided for existing campus ministries as they seek to expand their outreach efforts and new efforts
throughout the Synod and beyond.
In addition to having conferences for college students and developing various additional resources for campus ministries, congregations,
college students, and parents, in the upcoming triennium the following will be developed and introduced:
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A COLLEGE BOUND worldview boot camp(s) and resources to provide high school seniors with the opportunity to get prepared for the
world they are going to step into while they are yet beginning to make
preparations to go to college
Fall and spring semester “roundtables” on issues related to campus
ministry, its support, and expansion, utilizing subject matter experts
and designated campus workers to help aid the development of
resources for local implementation
An expanded devotional and witnessing tool, The College Companion,
is in development with CPH as a next generation of the pocket-size
Blessings and Prayers for College Students
The next National Campus Ministry Conference, LIBERTY, will be
held in early January of 2017 and will focus on issues surrounding the
confession of faith in the public square and the defense of religious
liberty
An International Campus Ministry Conference is in development to
serve as a study abroad educational experience for LCMS students
as well as an opportunity for collaboration with college students and
campus ministry workers in international partner churches
The development of regional college retreats that will be simultaneously live-streamed under the theme HERITAGE—to celebrate the
500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017
Close work with the Lutheran Young Adult Corps, the Synod’s Free
to be Faithful initiative, and the OIM to provide service and outreach
opportunities for college-age youth

Though the times on campus are getting increasingly tougher, the
opportunities are equally ripe for witness and outreach, and the future
is bright for campus ministry as we continue to develop LCMS U.
There are ultimately four reasons to CARE about campus ministry that we will seek to champion through LCMS U going forward:
Catechizing and caring for our own,
Apologetics in the academic square,
Reaching out to those who are lost, and
Engaging a dying culture with Christ.

May God continue to bless all the young people of the Church;
our collective efforts at the Synod, district, and congregational levels
2016 Convention Workbook