LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 26

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26

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

Context Modules include witnessing to cult members, witnessing
in conjunction with mercy work, witnessing to people who are dechurched, witnessing to a person experiencing a personal crisis, and
witnessing during public events (e.g., street evangelism). Specific
Context Modules include witnessing to Mormons, witnessing to former Lutherans, witnessing to a person grieving the sudden death of a
loved one, and witnessing on or near college campuses. Each Context
Module features the expertise and experiences of people who are
subject matter experts in the specific application addressed in that
module.
Context Module Training
Training for Context Modules is structured according to the
LASSIE approach. The training provides specific information and
recommendations for applying LASSIE to the witnessing context
addressed by the module. Apart from a brief introduction to the module, all Context Module training content is developed and presented
using the LASSIE approach.
Because Context Module training is supplemental training, access
to the training sessions is only available to participants who have successfully completed the Every One His Witness Core Module training.
Context Module training is available online. Workshop versions of
the training may be conducted if a venue provides an adequate number of interested participants who are eligible to enroll in Context
Module training (e.g., a break-out session in a conference, preparation for a focused evangelism event).
Context Case Studies
Case Studies for each witnessing context addressed by a Context
Module are available as resources for a witness seeking to learn from
other people’s witnessing experiences. Additions to the library of
Case Studies are incorporated as new experiences are captured and
documented as Case Studies. This library is available online and
available to participants who have completed both the Every One
His Witness Core Module training and the corresponding Context
Module training.
Context Forums (Evangelism “Crowd-Sourcing”)
Online forums for specific witnessing contexts provide witnesses
the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with people across
the Synod who have shared interests and experiences in that witnessing context. Context Forums leverage the vast collective knowledge
of LCMS members to address questions, challenges, opportunities,
issues, etc. that are not addressed in the Core Module or Context
Module training.
Context Forums are available to people who have completed
both the Core Module training and corresponding Context Module
training. In addition to having limited access, Context Forums are
moderated to mitigate abuses.
Supplemental Resources
Supplemental Resources are tools that assist people with using the
Every One His Witness Primary Resources. While Primary Resources
are provided at no cost to the participants, Supplemental Resources
will be available for purchase by those who wish to make use of them.
•

LASSIE Road Map
o The LASSIE Road Map is a printed, folded card that assists
the witness with keeping track of where he is in witnessing to a
specific unchurched person. Guiding questions and assessments
for each part of the LASSIE approach provide opportunities for
evaluation, reflection, and determining how to proceed with that
person.
o The LASSIE Road Map app will provide this resource in an electronic format for IOS or Android devices.

•

Every One His Witness Day Planner/Tracker
o The Every One His Witness Day Planner/Tracker is a personal

2016 Convention Workbook

calendar ordered around an individual’s life as a steward-servant
of Jesus Christ. It includes the key components of the LASSIE
Road Map. Day planning, month-at-a-glance, and week-at-aglance perspectives help incorporate witnessing into everyday
activities.
o The Every One His Witness Day Planner/Tracker app will provide
this resource in an electronic format for IOS or Android devices.
Life and Health Ministries—Stephanie Neugebauer, Director

Life Ministry carries the banner both in our church body and the
culture at large that all life is sacred from conception until natural
death. Through a variety of resources, publications, and programs,
Life Ministry supports and encourages life as made in the image of
God.
Although abortion and end-of-life issues are perhaps the most
demanding issues of the present culture, Life Ministry is also committed to educating and encouraging God’s people in matters of
marriage, family, human sexuality, bioethics, disability, and society.
Publications stemming from Life Ministry include a quarterly publication Notes for Life, materials to promote the observance of Life
Sunday, and more than 250 articles via the Life Library. Currently,
Life Ministry is coordinating with the Office of the President to update
nine of the What About pamphlets concerning life issues.
The Sanctity of Human Life Committee serves as an extension of
Life Ministry, providing helpful resources, publications, and guidance on current trends in the church and culture regarding life. During
this last triennium, the committee has added to its numbers and is
currently functioning at its maximum of 14 members. In addition,
Life Ministry works in concert with Lutherans for Life to support
and uphold district life coordinators. District life coordinators are
appointed by the district president and serve as a link between the
Synod and districts by which life resources can be communicated and
promoted. Twenty-six of the 35 districts are currently represented,
leaving nine districts without a district life coordinator.
In addition to these resources, Life Ministry has developed a free
educational curriculum entitled Looking at Life in the Womb for use
in middle school and high school classrooms. Comprised of six modules and a short video, this curriculum brings the miracle and sanctity
of human life into the classroom through the use of ultrasound technology. The beauty of this program is that the classroom modules
can accommodate several disciplines, including science, mathematics, history, language arts, and religion. By providing such a versatile
curriculum, it is the goal of Life Ministry to reach both public and
parochial schools, Christian and unchurched students alike, homeschooling families, youth groups, and confirmation students. As of
date, Life Ministry has sent out more than 1,000 copies of Looking at
Life in the Womb. The goal is to begin work on adapting the curriculum for elementary students by 2017. Life Ministry is also partnering
with Lutherans for Life to provide fetal models (via Owen’s Mission)
to all Lutheran schools who order the curriculum.
Finally, Life Ministry continues to represent the LCMS at the
March for Life, which takes place both in Washington DC and San
Francisco, California. In conjunction with the March for Life in
Washington DC, Life Ministry will host its 2017 Life Conference.
Life Ministry will continue to work tirelessly, carrying the banner for our church to the world that all human life is sacred. However,
in moving forward, Life Ministry has identified contemporary life
issues which it is currently not fit for handling, either due to budget
constraints, resource availability, or lack of expertise. Topics such as
contraception, in vitro fertilization, embryo adoption, and the abortion exception are issues that need great and immediate attention. In
order to properly address this need, Life Ministry strongly supports
the formation of a Synod task force that will appropriately respond
to these issues.