LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 61

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
Technological advances continue to impact our world and our
church body in significant ways. The pace of those advances and the
evolving needs of corporate Synod challenge us to make appropriate
use of God’s gift of technology. The IT department’s services align
with Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) standards
and enable the department to transparently and accountably serve corporate Synod with the best possible stewardship.
Over the past triennium, IT has led and/or supported the following
initiatives: expansion and enhancement of the missionary recruiting,
onboarding, and management system for the Office of International
Mission (OIM); implementation of a missionary blogging solution
for missionary newsletters; Business Intelligence (BI) and data warehouse implementations for Mission Advancement; deployment of the
LCMS app for Apple and Android smart devices; improved congregation and worker locators and other enhancements to www.lcms.org;
new websites in support of celebration efforts for the 500th anniversary
of the Reformation; replacement of copiers and printers with moreefficient and lower-cost devices; enhanced and expanded building
Wi-Fi networks; consolidated, simplified, and standardized applications and hosting infrastructure environments; Virtual Desktop
Infrastructure (VDI) implementation; and enhanced Lutheran Rosters
and Statistics System (LRSS) functionality.
Upcoming technology initiatives include rostered worker management system enhancements; a redesign of the www.lcms.org
website; strategic review of financial systems and processes; support of ministry process analysis efforts; and promotion of data driven/
data informed decision-making solutions.
Facility Services. The Facilities Department professionally, courteously, and punctually delivers services that provide a reliable, safe,
secure, and comfortable environment for International Center employees and guests, and it collaborates with the LCMS building occupants
to maximize stewardship of the International Center building and
property.
Over the past triennium, the Facilities Group has led and/or
supported the following initiatives: energy analysis and related remediation/cost-saving efforts, resulting in materially lower annual energy
expenses; required repairs and improvements to the International
Center’s front entrance walkway and surrounding grounds; productivity-enhancing conference room technology upgrades; and
required repairs and related remodeling to some original-construction, 1980s-vintage interior spaces.
Future initiatives include security/safety review of the International
Center’s front lobby configuration and additional energy-saving/costreducing initiatives.
Copy and Mail Services. The copy and mail services team
provides paper/printing production and handling, and mail/package shipping and receiving services to the entities of the LCMS
International Center.
Over the past triennium, the team processed 2.36 million pieces
of outgoing mail; received and distributed 512,000 incoming items;
folded and/or inserted 1.4 million pieces; produced 4.8 million pages
of copied materials; and folded, padded, bound, laminated, or made
into booklets 2.3 million pages.
May God continue to bless the efforts of these teams as they make
appropriate use of His gifts.
Myron A. Koehn, Executive Director of
Information Technology & Facilities
Office of Project and Policy Administration
The Office of Project and Policy Administration works closely
with the Synod’s Operations Team (Chief Administrative Officer,
Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Mission Officer) as well as with
unit executives and staff from all corporate entities. The office assists

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with project management on behalf of the LCMS Board of Directors,
providing project management oversight and/or coordination on
behalf of the corporate entities and the other service units under the
CAO’s management (Building Operations, Information Technology,
Human Resources, and Travel and Meeting services); managing the
contract process to include independent-contractor agreements and
corporate accounts; developing, recommending, implementing, and/
or administering organization-wide policies, programs, and procedures on behalf of the CAO and Synod Board of Directors; assisting
the CAO with the coordination of the Synod’s legal affairs; and serving in a support capacity to the LCMS Board of Directors in the
development of strategies and with the definition of processes and
procedures.
Since the inception of this office almost two years ago, accomplishments include the formation of project teams for the development
of a records-retention policy and the review of the LCMS cell-phone
reimbursement policy, development of a project management system to track international legal issues, coordination of a program to
highlight the service-unit objectives for administrative units at the
International Center, and the development of legal summaries and
sample policies as content for a new legal section on the LCMS website intended to benefit LCMS congregations and entities.
Kimberly Schave, Director of Policy and Project Administration
Travel and Meeting Planning
Provides event-planning services, including travel, housing, transportation, and conference needs for LCMS organizations. These
services are provided for events across the country, including the
Synod convention. Since the 2013 LCMS convention, this department has planned or assisted with more than 1,000 off-site events,
accommodating an estimated 200,000 people. In addition, Travel and
Meeting Planning supported more than 15,000 meetings and activities at the International Center buildings during that same period.
Lynne Marvin, Director, Travel and Meeting Planning
Report of the Chief Financial Officer
Since God is the creator and owner of all creation, He is the only
one who can “give” away that which He owns. And He does!!! He
gives freely, abundantly, to both Christians and non-Christians, to
both good and poor managers, without restrictions but with expectations. That is not how the majority of LCMS congregations and others
share the gifts our loving Father bestows upon us.
We trust that our most generous and loving God, the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, provides all the resources (both financial and nonfinancial) that He knows we will need to do the things He prepared in
advance for us to do. He moves the hearts of His people to share His
gifts with those called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout
this earth. Collectively, our more than 2 million members support the
mission and ministry of our beloved congregations, beloved districts,
and beloved Synod with over $1 billion annually in Sunday-morning
offerings. Some give more as the Lord has blessed them; some give
less as the Lord has blessed them; but a few give nothing.
Most congregations support the mission and ministry activities
beyond their environs by sharing some portion of their Sundaymorning offerings with the district with which they are associated,
for larger, district-wide mission and ministry activities. Some give
more as the Lord has blessed them; some give less as the Lord has
blessed them; but a few give nothing.
Each district, then, shares some portion of what it receives from
member congregations with Synod, Inc. for use in synodwide and
worldwide mission and ministry activities, along with other activities mandated to be provided by the Synod in convention and the
Synod’s Articles of Incorporation, Constitution, and Bylaws. Some
2016 Convention Workbook