LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 88

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88 SYNODICAL REPORTS

And the Point. Again...

... to promote and facilitate the professional growth and personal
well-being of LCMS church workers for faithful, competent, and
joyful ministry.

The CMGS Includes

CMGS Chair (and seminary representative) Bruce Schuchard

CMGS Vice-Chair (and commissioned minister representative)
Loma Meyer

CMGS Corresponding Secretary (and college representative)
David Zersen, -

Parish pastor representative: Roger Gallup

Parish pastor representative: Vacant

Seminary representative: Dean Wenthe

District President representative: Ray Hartwig
Commissioned minister representative: William Dunk
Lay representative: Robert Rodefeld

Advisory Members:
Robert King
William Meyer
Barbara Ryan
Bruce Hartung
Congregational Services (vacant)

CMGS Staff:
Bruce Hartung, Executive Director
Sheila Soucy, Coordinator
Janet Dotterweich, Secretary (part-time)

Bruce Schuchard, Chairman
Bruce Hartung, Executive Director

R6-01

Board for Human Care Ministries

The Board for Human Care Ministries responds to God’s love
in Christ by expressing and demonstrating His love and compas-
sion in meeting human needs. Human Care Ministries reaches
throughout the United States and “‘to the ends of the earth,” build-
ing its work on the words of our Lord: “I have come, so that they
may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Human Care Ministries flows primarily from the second of the
Synod’s five vision statements, which calls for a church body that
is people-sensitive and people-centered.

Expected outcomes of Human Care Ministry for the next
triennium are as follows:
¢ Enriched lives for all people, especially those that are dimin-

ished, or at risk of being diminished, by physical and/or emo-

tional brokenness, poverty, injustices, and other societal prob-
lems and issues.

¢ Improved health and weliness for all people, including
- professional church workers and their households
- laity and their households
- community households

¢ Recognized service organizations that extend the church’s mis-
sion and ministry.

* Christian individuals and groups who care about others and ex-
press that care through their actions, including prayer, lifestyle,
and gifts.

* A caring society that reflects God’s ongoing concern for all peo-
ple.

¢ A fair and improving cost for the outcome achieved.

Family and ethnic ministry focus. Because all Human Care
Ministries work is people-centered, each of Human Care’s five
major units reaches out in a variety of ways to families and people
of ethnic/cross-cultural backgrounds.

Some examples include the following: church, social ministry,
and education leaders from throughout the country are scheduled
to come together to address the critical needs of at-risk children at
a national symposium (March 1998) co-sponsored by Human

Care’s Children at Risk Task Force. Nineteen church-related
groups were awarded more than $304,000 in New Mission and
Ministry Grants from LCMS World Relief to focus on ethnic and
cross-cultural ministry and to start or re-start churches in the United
States.

Social ministry organizations across the country are immersed
in ethnic ministry, both in terms of the ministry “doers” and the
ministry recipients. Low-income families are another key concern.
as Human Care’s new Task Force on the Church and Welfare Re-
form encourages congregations to reach out more to struggling
families as the government provides less. Many more examples of
family and ethnic/cross-cultural ministries are detailed below.

Human Care Ministries’ five major programs are as fol-
lows:

I. Committee on Districts and Congregations (CODAC)

Supports and serves Districts and congregations as those entities
do human care ministry in their own churches and communities.

Past Triennium Accomplishments

* 100 church and lay leaders gained insight into human care policy
on church and government relations as proposed in the Commis-
sion on Theology and Church Relations document, “Render unto
Caesar ... and unto God,” at the “Who Speaks for the Church?”
conference (March 1996, St. Louis, Mo.).

¢ 50 District Human Care Ministry executives and representatives
examined human care relationships in the midst of change at a
conference (August 1997, St. Louis, Mo.) in conjunction with the
Great Commission Convocation.

District Human Care executives/chairpersons participated in
quarterly telephone surveys to network ideas and exchange in-
formation.

* More than 3,250 Christian citizens were informed of government
and human care issues and encouraged to voice opinions by
“Speak Up” bimonthly newsletter.

Next Triennium Goals and Challenges

¢ Enriched lives for those presently diminished by poverty, injus-
tices, and other societal problems and issues.

¢ Outreach human care ministries that meet the needs of individu-
als and families within their neighborhoods, communities, re-
gions, the United States and throughout the world.

¢ Older adult ministries that provide opportunities for effective use
of time and gifts within the church and society.

¢ Affordable housing and housing ministries for low-income fam-
ilies.
* Districts and congregations equipped for human care ministry.
a. Committee on Housing Ministry—provides long-term tech-
nical support and housing information to congregations, Districts
and social ministry organizations that help provide affordable hous-
ing for lower income people.

Past Triennium Accomplishments

* More than 600 LCMS congregations involved in housing min-
istry activities.

* 170 decent, affordable housing units completed through LCMS
Low Income Housing Loans in Memphis, Tenn., and Brooklyn,
N.Y.

* More than 150 people from 25 states participated in first national
Lutheran Housing Ministries convocation (September 1995).

¢ 250 volunteers from LCMS congregations did servant events
sponsored by 15 St. Louis congregations at 40 urban work sites
as part of 1997 Great Commission Convocation.

* More than 1,800 people learn of news and resources from “Hous-

ing Information for Ministry” newsletter.

People in 10 cities and 1 rural community learned about housing

ministry through on-site consultations; others attended 5 work-

shops and 6 exhibits on housing ministry.