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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2016, Page 313

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

NATIONAL WITNESS
		 (1) Topic—based on Scripture lesson (e.g., parable)
		 (2) Topic—proof text in context (e.g., marriage)
B.	Include extra material based on local congregation as ending message on DVD
		 (1) History
		 (2) Worship service
		 (3) Directions to church, times of worship, Sunday School
		 (4) Other information about day school, pastor, community
service, etc.
		 (5) Local congregation is responsible for local material
C.	Distribute DVDs to visitors at local congregations
5.	Run as a pilot program in several districts of the Synod:
A.	Run as pilot first and solicit comments before expanding
B.	Expand to more districts if results are positive
C.	Consider continuing if results are positive, as an evangelism
effort of the Synod
D.	Develop criteria for evaluating
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To Encourage Mission Culture in the Church
Whereas, The Lord calls out and sets apart His people to be
the Church (ekklesia) in the midst of the world and releases them to
live out their baptismal lives every day through their various vocations; and
Whereas, Scripture gives witness to the Church as the Body of
Christ on earth (Eph. 1:22−23); and
Whereas, The Church is called to build itself up in love as it
receives God’s grace through Word and Sacrament, as it is continually sent out into the world to serve the Lord with gladness and bring
the Gospel to all nations; and
Whereas, The world continues to be a dark place where the evil
one prowls to deceive believers that God’s kingdom and reign are
diminishing in a culture which has moved farther and farther away
from its Creator, Redeemer, and Lord; and
Whereas, God so loved the world to the point of sending His
own Son, Jesus, to the cross to redeem and save the world through
Him (John 3:16−17); and
Whereas, The Church, Christ’s Body in the midst of the world
today, functions with the same love for all people, bearing witness to
God’s grace and mercy to humanity in the shadow of the cross and
the light of the empty tomb; and
Whereas, Christ calls His Church to be the “light of the world”
(Matt. 5:14) and, through His Word, commissions us to “let your light
shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give
glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16); and
Whereas, Jesus, the Head of His Body, the Church, remains victorious for He is risen from the dead, having conquered sin, death,
and the power of the evil one; therefore be it
Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention steadfastly encourage
God’s people, the Church, in their mission to BE the church outside
of its institutional walls; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod foster and develop a missional culture
in our church body as we walk in witness, mercy, and life together as
Christ’s disciples in the world today.
Board of Directors, Southeastern District; Board of
Directors, Florida-Georgia District

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To Recognize, Affirm, and Give Thanks for Mission
Training Center, Concordia University—Portland
Whereas, The Gospel writer Luke describes the devotion of
the believers in Acts 2:42: “They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to
prayer”; and the apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:9: “Whatever
you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put
into practice. And the God of peace will be with you,” and further
in 2 Thessalonians 2:15: “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold on
to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or
by letter,” and in 1 Timothy 4:13: “Until I come, devote yourself to
the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching”; and
Whereas, Luther himself, in the Preface to the Large Catechism,
section 19, states: “Let them constantly read and teach, learn and
meditate and ponder. Let them never stop until they have proved by
experience and are certain.” And he further insisted that we never
stop studying Scripture and learning how to apply it for ministry; and
Whereas, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has a long history of supporting and celebrating lay ministry training—for example,
the Lutheran Lay Training Institute programs (Lutheran Witness, Nov.
1960; 2011 LCMS blog/commentary/celebrating 50 years of LCMS
lay ministry; and so many more); and
Whereas, The 1962 Synod convention passed Res. 11-08, recognizing the importance of and support of ongoing mission education;
and
Whereas, The continued teaching and training of our laypeople
for service in areas of mission and ministry and roles of leadership
have always been of paramount importance to the LCMS; and
Whereas, The Mission Training Center (MTC) on the campus
of Concordia University—Portland develops people for God’s mission through training opportunities centered in the Bible and taught
through the lenses of God’s mission, as participants of MTC confidently and competently reach into their communities with appropriate
and contextual proclamation and disciple-making ministry; and
Whereas, The MTC, through 2015, has had 974 students (national
and international) who have taken advantage of the 20 courses offered
through which participants grow and are developed in their missional
skills and gifts for ministry; and
Whereas, Over 30 LCMS districts utilize the MTC for preparing people for active mission and ministry in their congregations and
communities; therefore be it
Resolved, That all congregations and districts of the LCMS consider what the Mission Training Center has to offer and be encouraged
to promote and take advantage of this unique and valuable gift for
equipping and training our laypeople for mission and ministry and
roles of leadership in their congregations and communities; and be
it further
Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention give thanks to God
for the ministry of the Mission Training Center, recognize its value
in training and developing the laity for mission and ministry and
roles in leadership, and affirm its importance and impact to the mission of the church.
Board of Directors
Northwest District
2016 Convention Workbook