LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 28

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28 SYNODICAL REPORTS

Services projects in the portfolios of their Planned Giving
Counselors.

3. Congregational Services received only 4.5 percent of the
unrestricted budget of the Synod. The staff is a group of
highly motivated and dedicated people who do a great deal
with the resources they have.

XV. Board Goals for the 1998-01 Triennium

1. Develop District-by-District strategies that enable us to serve
each District in response to their unique structure, staffing,
and needs, provide frequent visits and supportive dialog, and
share Congregational Services displays and resources at
District conventions and events

2. Enhance our use of technology and communication media to
provide easier and quicker access to desired information, that
the perceived gap between congregations and Districts and
the national office will be minimized

3. Develop and implement a coordinated plan to visit our
seminaries and colleges/universities and assist them in their
congregation-centered approaches in our ministry areas

4. Strengthen each department’s awareness and commitment in
the special emphases of rural, urban, and multicultural
ministry, responding to special requests for resources and
services whenever possible

5. Bring the new Department of Family Ministry into the
mainstream of staff functions and partnerships with the
Districts, to address this expressed need in the Synod and to
assist Our congregations in being more family and child
friendly

6. With the Districts, provide assistance to congregations in
leadership development to address the critical issues of these
times with a vision and courage based on the Scriptures and
focused on people’s needs

7. In partnership with the Districts, listen carefully to the great
variety of congregations in the Synod as they minister to
members and nonmembers so that our responses are as
inclusive and helpful as possible, including a visit at least
once every two years to a location representative of the
people we serve

8. Provide needed executive staffing in the three areas of
leadership, multicultural, and rural/small town ministries

9. Gear up intensively for the President's outreach and growth
plan for the first decade of the new millennium

10. In light of budget restraints, discover new ways to increase
funding for Congregational Services work that is requested in
the church

Darwin Karsten, Chairman
Lyle Muller, Executive Director

R2-02
Commission on Worship

Introduction

The Commission on Worship serves the Synod by holding high
the wondrous gifts that the triune God gives through His holy Word
and Sacraments. Through a variety of literature, the commission
seeks to “develop and deepen an understanding and love for the
Lutheran heritage in Christian worship” (LCMS Bylaws). In addi-
tion, the commission prepares and/or recommends worship materi-
als to the Synod that incorporate the riches of the past with that
which is faithful from the present so that in our worship our voices
are joined with fellow believers of every time and place.

Worship Education

The Commission on Worship has identified worship education
as a critical component of its work in the coming triennium. In
order to begin the process of an ongoing educational program, the
commission began publishing a quarterly supplemental insert to the
Reporter in the fall of 1996. This resource features articles on the
nature and function of worship, the means of grace, the church
year, catechesis, music, the role of children in worship, etc. It also

reviews and recommends suitable books and records for further en-
richment and announces upcoming worship and music conferences
and workshops. The insert is made available in bulk subscriptions.
In addition to the 63,000 copies of the Reporter that are regularly
sent to all church workers and key lay leaders, more than 300 con-
gregations and individuals are receiving approximately 25,000
copies of the commission’s insert.

Additionally the commission has continued its joint publication
with CPH, Worship: A Lutheran Perspective (formerly Lutheran
Worship Notes). Two copies of this publication are mailed to every
congregation three times a year. Articles are directed toward pas-
tors, musicians, and others who are involved in worship planning.

During the past triennium the commission issued several state-
ments on important topics. The first, “Reflections on Children’s
Sermons/Messages,” offers cautions and suggestions for congrega-
tions that provide children’s sermons (see Appendix A). The sec-
ond, “Reflections on Contemporary/Alternative Worship” was pre-
pared for the purpose of assisting congregations in examining some
of the critical issues related to this topic (see Appendix B). This
latter document was crafted as a partial response to the directive
given to the commission by the 1995 synodical convention in Res.
2-06. Reactions to initial drafts were received from members of the
CTCR, seminary faculty, and several directors from Congrega-
tional Services. These reactions were most helpful in shaping the
final document. More precise guidelines pertaining to worship will
be a project of the commission in the coming triennium.

The commission is interested in using the Internet as a vehicle
for disseminating educational materials on worship and related top-
ics. All of the articles in the Reporter insert and Worship: A
Lutheran Perspective are available on the commission’s web site,
with permission given to congregations to reprint the materials as
needed. A listing of upcoming worship conferences and workshops
are also regularly posted on the commission’s web site.

Real Life Worship Conferences

In addition to printed material, the commission has actively
sought to educate the church through its Real Life Worship Con-
ferences. Begun in 1994, these conferences have continued to at-
tract large numbers of pastors, musicians, and laypeople who are
interested in learning more about the theological character of our
worship and the rich worship practices of the Lutheran church.
During the past triennium, a number of larger conferences were
held as well as several smaller ones. Locations included the fol-
lowing:

Orange, Calif. Jan. 26-27, 1996)
Houston, Tex. (Oct. 6-7, 1995)

¢ East Moline, Il. (Oct. 3, 1996)

¢ Fort Wayne, Ind. (Oct. 4-5, 1996)

¢ Albuquerque, N.M. (Jan. 31!—Feb. 1, 1997)
¢ Alexandria, Va. (Sept. 12-13, 1997)

¢ Twin Cities, Minn. (Oct. 10-11, 1997)
Chicago, III. (Feb. 6-7, 1998)

¢ Denver, Colo. (Feb. 6-7, 1998)

To date, nearly 3,500 people have attended the Real Life Wor-
ship Conferences. Two conferences are already planned for the
next triennium and inquiries have been received from five addi-
tional locations.

Worship Resources

During this past triennium the commission was pleased to make
available to the Church a newly revised Altar Guild Manual written
by Dr. Lee Maxwell. This resource provides a thorough discussion
of topics that concern every altar guild.

Work continues to progress on the Chinese Book of Worship
(bilingual Chinese/English). The commission is now reviewing
manuscripts for this hymnal, which is scheduled to be published in
1999. During the past triennium the commission has also been ex-
tensively involved in work on the African American Hymnal Sup-
plement. This supplement, which was initially a project of the com-
mission nearly a decade ago, has for the past four years been a joint

—_w