LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 25

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SYNODICAL REPORTS

congregations locate appropriate personnel for their school
ministry.

_ New District school executives were provided a two-day

orientation and a variety of resources to use as they work
with schools in their Districts.

_ New Urban Lutheran School Initiatives included annual

consultations of urban Lutheran school administrators and the
Isolated Urban Administrators Project. This project
assembles 12 urban Lutheran school administrators, who are
isolated from similar schools, each quarter for three years for
a two-day in-service on site at these isolated urban schools.

. The second National Lutheran Administrator's Academy was

developed under the Department of School Ministry’s
direction and in cooperation with the Lutheran Education
Administrators Department (LEAD) of the Lutheran
Education Association.

. More effective partnering with District school executives,

Concordia Publishing House, Lutheran Education
Association, and the Association of Lutheran Secondary
Schools includes frequent communications, jointly produced
resources, and cooperation in a variety of ways. Projects with
the executives include agreement among all school
executives to a new set of Call Rubrics to use when Lutheran
school educators are interested in relocation. A joint product
with Concordia Publishing House is the revised Integrating
the Faith: A Teachers Guide for Curriculum in Lutheran
Schools. A joint project with ALSS is the identification and
training for new leaders of Lutheran high schools. Joint
projects with LEA include the National Lutheran
Administrator’s Academy, the Early Childhood Leadership
Academy, planning for the LEA convocation, and
cooperative publicity for various events.

. The accreditation process provided by National Lutheran

School Accreditation for Lutheran high schools was totally
revised with new materials.

. The Department of School Ministry now has a web page on

the Internet, including a school locator service which will
help parents interested in local Lutheran schools find those
that meet their needs.

. The Early Childhood Leadership Academy was developed

and led for over 200 directors of Lutheran early childhood
centers.

Significant Goals

1.

2
3.
4

Continue the Genesis Project for the 10-year duration for
which it was planned

. Gather consultants to design a new theme for National

Lutheran Schools Week for the next several years
List all Lutheran school educators on the computer database

. Provide services to LCMS District Presidents who have no

school executive available to assist them in their ministry to
Lutheran school educators

X. Stewardship Ministry Department
Larry Reinhardt is director and Ronald Nelson is associate di-

rector.

The department coordinates a program of education and nurture

in biblical stewardship with Districts for their congregations, de-
veloping resources to help Christians manage God’s gifts.

Significant Accomplishments

1.
2.

Assembled aTask Force to develop a draft of Biblical Steward-
ship Principles

Recruited authors from the field to write 52 stewardship
Bible studies for a collection entitled God First to be released
by CPH in 1998

Assembled a “think tank” to assist with the concept, format,
and content of a training video to help congregational
stewardship committees become more efficient and effective
in their work

. Worked with our counterparts in ELCA to articulate biblical

stewardship principles which are relevant for the Hispanic
culture

5.

10.

25

Worked with the Black Ministry Commission to articulate
biblical stewardship principles which are relevant for the
African-American culture

. Developed workshop and conference presentations that

emphasize stewardship as whole-life, year-round, and for all
ages, as well as looking at the world with stewardship eyes

. Developed a stewardship e-mail network to provide up-to-

date stewardship information to District and congregational
stewardship leaders

. Developed a stewardship home page which includes, among

other items, our catalog of resources

_ Conducted visits to 15 Districts for the purposes of building

relationships, mutually evaluating stewardship ministry, and
sharing resources

Prepared and gave presentations at the 1997 Great Commis-
sion Convocation ‘

Significant Resources

1.

10.

“Biblical Stewardship Principles” for study and use by
congregations, agencies, auxiliaries and entities of the
LCMS.

. “Stewardship Every Sunday” booklet containing stewardship

ideas, illustrations, and anecdotes on one of the lessons from
Series C for every Sunday of the church year.

. “Stewardship Ideas for Kids”—a collection of stewardship

helps for children from preschool through sixth grade.

.. | Never Thought about It That Way Before video designed to

help viewers see stewardship in a new light, which prompts
them to respond by saying, “I never thought about it that way
before.”

. With a Grateful Heart video to serve as a centerpiece for the

1997 resource “Serving the Living Lord,” or as a stand-alone
piece for teaching biblical stewardship.

. “Serving the Living Lord’—the 1997 annual stewardship

resource designed to assist congregations with the work of
stewardship nurture and education.

. Additional stand-alone Bible studies for the “Christian

Stewards Encounter” series, which will contain 48 studies on
the most asked about stewardship issues.

. Eleven new tracts designed to be used throughout the year to

teach whole-life stewardship.

“Equipping God's People for Ministry”—a brochure
designed to promote the work of the various departments of
Congregational Services and to seek additional financial
support for expanding this work.

“Biblical Stewardship Principles for the African-American
Culture"—produced by a task force assembled by the Black
Ministry Commission and added as an additional chapter to
the Congregational Stewardship Workbook.

Significant Goals

I.

To encourage pastors and congregational leaders to deal with
stewardship nurture and education as whole-life, year-round,
and for all ages

. To provide additional forums for listening to District and

congregational leaders as they define the kinds of resources
and services still needed to enhance stewardship ministry at
the congregational level

. To develop resources and approaches to stewardship nurture

and education which are appropriate and applicable in
multicultural settings

. To strengthen the working relationships with District

stewardship leaders as our primary partners

. To foster increased communication and networking through

the use of latest technology, such as an electronic mail
network and the potential benefits associated with it

. To increase financial support of our shared ministries at

District, national, and international levels

XI. Youth Ministry Department
LeRoy Wilke is director; Julie Johnston is associate director for

servant events/gathering arrangements; Terry Dittmer is Associate
Director; and David Weidner is associate director, youth gathering.