LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 100

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100

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS

directors. In doing so, we considered and discussed the eight criteria put forward in 2013 Res. 7-04A, according to which district
viability is to be measured. At its January 2016 meeting, the Kansas
District board of directors adopted Res. 16A-06-04, concluding that
the Kansas District is indeed viable according to these eight criteria.
Official visitation according to Synod Bylaw 4.4.4 also received
considerable attention during the past triennium, this in keeping with
2013 Res. 7-01A. Following a presentation to our circuit visitors
and praesidium by President Dean Nadasdy of the Minnesota South
District, the Kansas District appointed a committee to customize a
plan for the Kansas District based on the model presented to us by
President Nadasdy. The resulting plan was discussed by our circuit
visitors in October 2015 and January 2016 and has now been adopted
for action. The district president, together with the circuit visitors and
vice-presidents, have set the goal of visiting all 163 congregations of
the district during the next triennium and each triennium thereafter.
The past triennium was not without its challenges, of course. Our
district lost one part-time and two full-time staff members in the areas
of missions and stewardship. After a time of uncertainty and reevaluating, we have now budgeted to fill two of these positions in 2016,
by calling an executive for missions and stewardship and by hiring
an administrative assistant to assist him.
In the area of international missions, our 19-year association
with mission work in Guinea, West Africa, has changed significantly
because, for the time being, the LCMS is no longer deploying missionaries to Guinea. However, we are in close conversation with the
LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM) to explore new areas of
cooperation in international missions. In terms of national missions,
the Kansas District is working to strengthen its ties to the Office of
National Mission (ONM). In January 2016, the executive director
of the ONM, Rev. Bart Day, came and spoke at length to our district
board of directors to show some areas where the Kansas District might
partner more closely with the ONM. Witness and Outreach, Church
Planting, Re:Vitality, Rural and Small Town, Disaster Response,
Stewardship, and Hispanic Ministry are among those areas. Our district has also appointed a “life coordinator” to work more closely with
LCMS Life Ministry, as well as with Lutherans For Life. Lastly, the
Kansas District will begin mentoring our new pastors through the Post
Seminary Applied Learning and Support (PALS) program.
In October 2013, our district began an initiative which we called
“Renewal in Wellness” to focus the attention of our workers and congregations on worker health. For the following two years, this was the
unifying theme of all conferences and conventions up to and including our fall workers’ conference in October 2015. In addition, there
were monthly articles in our publications as well as numerous other
resources and undertakings. A team of two district executive staff
members plus one circuit visitor worked closely with the Concordia
Plan Services’ Ministerial Care Coalition to guide this process. As
part of this emphasis, our district is also serving as one of three
pilot districts for the national LCMS Church Worker Family Needs
Assessment, which is under the direction of Concordia Plan Services,
the LCMS Office of National Mission, and the Concordia Center for
the Family at Concordia University Wisconsin. The goal is to use
survey results to assist districts in strengthening care for church workers and their spouses and families. Lastly in this area, our 24-month
“Renewal in Wellness” emphasis has now led to restarting our district’s Church Worker Care Committee, under the oversight of the
Board for Caring Ministry.
As we move into a new triennium, my prayer is that we as the
Kansas District will be ever more faithful, bold, intentional, and unified in confessing Jesus Christ and Him crucified to a dying world.
And in centering all our work together upon this rock, I pray that the
Lord will lead each of us daily to repent of our sins, confess Him
2016 Convention Workbook

before others, and rejoice in the saving gifts He gives through His
Holy Christian Church.
Peter K. Lange, President
R29

Michigan District
Focusing on the critical targets of Great Commission Ministry,
Great Compassion Ministry, Healthy Congregations, and Healthy
Church Workers, the Michigan District has effectively served the
congregations and church workers in its care. We continually strive to
“hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who
promised is faithful.” We will also boldly “consider how to stimulate
one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling
together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and
all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:23−25).
The 2013 Res. 7-04A asked that district presidents evaluate
their respective districts and provide the evaluation as part of this
report. The survey was sent to all congregations and church workers in 2015. The majority of the comments were very positive about
ministry and support in the Michigan District. Listed below are the
results from the survey.
Does the district …
1. Provide resources for the district president to carry out ecclesiastical
supervision as defined in the Synod’s Constitution in a reasonable
and timely manner?
		
Yes			89%
		
No			 7%
		
No Response
4%
2. Provide resources for the district president in carrying out the minimum requirements for official visits to each of the member congregations, including coming to the pastors and member congregations
at least once every three years as a brotherly adviser, “reminding them of the joy of serving in the mission and ministry of the
church”?
		
Yes			69%
		
No			24%
		
No Response
7%
3. Provide appropriate guidance and support to member congregations
for participating in the mission God has given to the church, including how that is carried out in the various missions and ministries of
the church?
		
Yes			87%
		
No			 6%
		
No Response
7%
4. Provide encouragement and needed congregational services to
member congregations, and provide advice and counsel to member
congregations struggling to carry out their core functions?
		
Yes			87%
		
No			 6%
		
No Response
7%
5. Adapt to new circumstances and meet changing needs related to the
mission and ministry of the church?
		
Yes			87%
		
No			 5%
		
No Response
8%
6. Meet its financial responsibilities and obligations, and receive sufficient financial resources from its membership to support the mission
and ministry of the church in the district and financially assist the
mission and ministry of the Synod?
		
Yes			76%
		
No			16%
		
No Response
8%