LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 30

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30

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

Needs training process as congregations seek to engage their communities and await the Holy Spirit to touch hearts open to receiving
a Gospel witness:
Resolved, That the LCMS Office of National Mission encourage districts and congregations to utilize the Planting Gospel Seeds While
Serving Human Needs training process and develop additional training
materials to introduce, offer, sustain, and expand the existing efforts to
encourage congregations to immerse and root themselves in their immediate neighborhoods for the sake of proclaiming the Gospel.

“Engagement” is at the heart of this initiative. Developed in 1998,
Gospel Seeds is a four-day training, held monthly at various congregations. Congregational pastors and members are trained in conducting
“agency interviews” and “residential interviews” as concrete tools to
meet and potentially partner with community agencies (already serving the community) and neighborhood residents in addressing mercy
needs in the congregation’s neighborhood. Congregations who use
the Gospel Seeds methodology to immerse themselves in their community by addressing burning community and neighborhood needs
find receptive communities.
Trinity Lutheran Church in Islip, New York, identified heroin use
as a critical problem when they conducted the agency and residential interviews. They responded by sponsoring a community forum
to address the issue proactively and plan concrete responses and
solutions. Six hundred people attended the forum. Likewise, Peace
Lutheran in Decatur, Georgia, gained 12 new members within six
months of receiving training. It simply works!
Domestic Grants—Barb Hoffman, Manager

Grants are awarded to congregations, districts, recognized service
organizations, and other agencies to develop or expand projects that
reach out in communities and address unmet human needs while sharing the Gospel message and proclaiming Jesus Christ as the world’s
Savior.
Past Triennium Major Accomplishments:
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Awarded 205 domestic grants totaling $2,993,616 to benefit projects
in 29 districts throughout the US. These grants assisted food distribution and gardening programs, after-school or tutoring programs,
immigrant assistance and assimilation programs, health and wellness
programs, crisis pregnancy care, pro-life education, counseling, chaplaincy care, and church-worker wellness, among others.
Awarded a total of 132 domestic disaster grants totaling over $5.79
million for work in 22 districts. The majority of these grants aided
LCMS districts and congregations involved in recovery work related
to Superstorm Sandy, the floods in Colorado, and severe tornadoes in
Moore, Oklahoma, and Pilger, Nebraska. Other disaster grants helped
those affected by tornadoes (Alabama, Illinois, and Mississippi); floods
(Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia);
wildfires in Colorado; and other local disasters.
Provided core budget support to pan-Lutheran partners Lutheran
Services in America (LSA, $406,000) and Lutheran Immigration and
Refugee Service (LIRS, $455,000). In addition, seven grants were
awarded to LIRS totaling $200,000 to host an International Lutheran
Roundtable on the Exodus of Children and Families from Central
America, in order to develop and strengthen connections between
Lutherans and community newcomers; lead conversations with service
experts and policy leaders to protect unaccompanied, undocumented
children; and develop resources for LCMS congregations interested in
refugee mentoring, detention visitation, and other immigration issues.

Youth Ministry—Rev. Mark Kiessling, Director

Youth Ministry began the triennium by hosting the 13th LCMS
Youth Gathering, Live Love(d), held in San Antonio, Texas, with
22,250 youth and adults participating at the event. An additional 2,500
programmers, planners, and volunteers provided program planning
and support. The five-day event provides opportunities to learn more
2016 Convention Workbook

about the Lutheran faith and current and future vocational roles. The
days were filled with workshop sessions, large-group events, servant events, worship, and other learning and fellowship opportunities.
The event also showcased Concordia University System institutions,
LCMS ministries, recognized service organizations, and other LCMSrelated ministries. Planning for the July 16–20, 2016 Gathering in
New Orleans, Louisiana, is well underway. A “future search” committee met following the 2013 Gathering and gave input and guidance
about the future of the event.
Leadership training for adults included the National Lutheran
Youth Workers Conference, July 2015, in New Orleans, with 400
participating. The 2014 Youth Ministry Symposium for youth workers
focused on ministry with millennials in their young adult years. The
2016 Youth Ministry Symposium included speakers and discussion
about junior confirmation and the new LCMS catechism in process.
Servant events are hosted by LCMS congregations, recognized
service organizations, camps, and other social service agencies. More
than 4,000 young people served at such events over the triennium.
Through servant events, youth engage in acts of mercy and enhance
their understanding of vocation and service in the church.
The Lutheran Young Adult Corps (previously Lutheran Youth
Corps) started in 2012, and through staff changes, planning continues
to initiate the program in 2017. The program will provide extended
service opportunities (3-month and 11-month terms) for young people ages 18–26. Participants will live in houses in close proximity to
LCMS Word and Sacrament ministries and in primarily urban cores
of US cities. A pilot event happened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
in August 2014.
The Teen Leadership Initiative of Lutheran Youth Fellowship provided training for teens in three areas: 2014—Teen Bridge Building
focused on nurturing basic leadership skills; 2015—Teens Stand
Strong focused on youth knowing their rights and opportunities to
stand for truth in their world; 2016—Teens Reaching Teens in the
Digital Age provided outreach training for teens to their peers, especially considering their digital footprint. A basic principle of the
Initiative is to provide training which allows for young people to
replicate the training for their peers.
Resource development included regular monthly updates of
YouthESource (www.youthesource.com) online resource, including Bible studies, apologetic talk-sheets, blogs, and other youth and
young adult ministry website resources. The office also provides
resources through servant events (Bible study and worship materials),
Youth Gathering (Bible studies, aids for adult leaders), and Lutheran
Youth Fellowship (leadership training materials). Youth Ministry staff
also presented on youth ministry topics in a number of venues including LCMS seminaries, Concordia universities, LCMS district youth
events, district church-worker events, and LCMS conferences.
School Ministry—Terry Schmidt, Director

During the past triennium, in an effort to better serve more than
250,000 students annually attending 2,111 Lutheran schools, School
Ministry has been involved in the management of ongoing programs,
developed specialized projects, and improved infrastructure in order
to better serve Lutheran schools and enhance their ability to serve
students well.
National Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA) is a process that
continues to provide a means of structured self-evaluation and goal
setting intent upon improving Lutheran schools. A record number of
697 Lutheran schools are currently accredited. In order to address the
changing environment of education, over the past three years NLSA
materials have been updated, revised, and improved. Formal partnerships with regional accrediting agencies (WASC, AdvancED, and
Middle States) exist to enhance a school’s desire to pursue and obtain