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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2019, Page 553

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

RETENTION: SCHOOLS, FAMILY, YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS
without marriage tends to weaken religious attachment even
further,” concluding, on p. 11, “It is in the church’s best interest to
encourage early marriage (rather than cohabitation) and large,
strong families”; and
WHEREAS, The 2016 Synod convention resolved to add
“strengthen and support the Lutheran family in living out God’s
design” as a seventh priority under the three-fold emphasis of
“Witness, Mercy, Life Together” (Resolution 4-02A, 16-02A);
therefore be it
Resolved, That the Wyoming District in convention memorialize
the 2019 Synod convention to exhort all her members
(congregations, pastors, directors of christian education, etc.) and
organizations (recognized service organizations, Concordia
Publishing House, etc.) at all levels and at every opportunity to
confirm publicly that marriage and family are good and thus
promote the health and vitality of marriage and the family by
undertaking the following endeavors:
1. to teach purposely the biblical view of family, its institution
and purposes, as well as the godly expectations of
Christians to “provide for his relatives, and especially for
members of his household” (1 Tim. 5:8);
2. to teach purposely the underlying Gospel foundation that
marriage is a profound mystery that “especially refers to
Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:22–33, esp. v. 31);
3. to teach purposely that marriage is a good and honorable
estate that should be sought after sooner rather than later in
life;
4. to encourage purposely congregations to “train the young
women to love their husbands and children … working at
home” and support those mothers in meaningful and
tangible ways who wish to stay home and nurture their
family (Titus 2:1–8, esp. vv. 4–5);
5. to encourage purposely husbands and wives to consider
children to be “a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the
womb a reward” (Ps. 127:3), while providing appropriate
encouragement to bear children sooner, during “one’s
youth” (Ps. 127:4), and to seek the Lord’s benediction for
more numerous children, “blessed is the man who fills his
quiver with them” (Ps. 127:5; Psalm 128);
6. to teach purposely husbands and fathers that it is each
husband’s God-given responsibility to be “the head of his
wife even as Christ is the head of the church” (Eph. 5:23)
with God-pleasing headship manifesting itself by:
a. ensuring that he, his wife, and his children are regular
and faithful in weekly church services whereby they
devote “themselves to the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers”
(Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:24–25),
b. providing for and participating in abundant catechetical
instruction for all members of his household so that
children are brought “up in the discipline and instruction
of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4), and
c. leading his family in daily devotions with God’s Word
serving as the center piece that is talked about “in your
house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie
down, and when you rise” (Deut. 6:4–9; esp. v. 7);
7. to teach purposely that each Christian is to “lead the life
that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has

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called him” (1 Cor. 7:17), for example, the vocations of
husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, hearers, and citizens,
etc., as taught in The Table of Duties in Luther’s Small
Catechism (1991 Edition, 35–39; Lutheran Service Book,
328);
8. to teach purposely that fathers and mothers be intentional in
their efforts to help their children meet other Lutheran
youth, keeping the goal of marriage in mind;
9. to teach purposely that children ought to receive such
marital guidance from their parents and other authorities for
their good as the promise of the 4th Commandment states,
“that it may go well with you and that you may live long in
the land” (Eph. 6:3; Ex. 20:12);
10. to provide various social and catechetical opportunities for
Lutheran youth and young adults to meet other Lutheran
youth and young adults;
11. to encourage and affirm the specific giftedness that celibate
singles have within the body of Christ and the unique
opportunities the Lord provides them for life and service
“for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:10–12);
and be it further
Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, together
with all Christians who are humbled in godly sorrow, rejoice in the
fullness of the Father’s forgiveness for the sake of Christ, pray for
forgiving hearts towards those who have sinned against us, and trust
in the Triune God alone to repair, restore and heal us in his mercy.
Wyoming District
Ov. 12-06

To Give Thanks for Campus Ministry
and Endorse Best Practices Therein
WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS)
campus ministries provide an invaluable means to strengthen the
faith of college students at a time and in an environment when many
fall away from the church; and
WHEREAS, LCMS campus ministries also provide invaluable
opportunities for outreach and evangelism to young adults on
college campuses; and
WHEREAS, In the past several years the LCMS has expanded and
enhanced its campus ministry program under the banner of “LCMS
U” led by Rev. Marcus Zill, where “LCMS U is the place to connect
and support our college students as they head off to college and face
countless challenges to their biblical worldview, doctrine, ethics
and practices. It also is a place to connect and encourage parents,
congregations and campus ministries as they seek to care for
students, so that all can boldly bear witness to Christ on our nation’s
college campuses”; and
WHEREAS, LCMS U has identified four principal reasons to
CARE about campus ministry:
• catechizing and caring for our own;
• apologetics in the academic square;
• reaching out to those who are lost;
• engaging a dying culture with Christ;
and
WHEREAS, In furtherance thereof, LCMS U provides:

2019 Convention Workbook