LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 112

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112 SYNODICAL REPORTS

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of God as we see baptized membership over the last 10 years going
from 108,673 to 111,638 and communicant membership from
81,666 to 84,051. We continue to be presented with open doors and
challenges to reach out with the Gospel, and we see God’s people
responding to those challenges.

Enrollment in Nebraska’s 42 Lutheran schools and 34
preschools not affiliated with Lutheran schools continues to grow.
Total °97—-98 enrollment, preschool through grade 9, was 6,592.
Three high schools are now operating with an enrollment of 174,
with a fourth one scheduled to begin. One new elementary school is
scheduled to open for the 98-99 school year.

Another special blessing to our District as well as our Synod, is
Concordia College at Seward. The greatest number of church
worker students continues to be at Concordia, Seward, where about
60 percent of the students are enrolled in church-profession study
programs. The total enrollment for the present school year is 1,112,
the highest enrollment since the early 1970s. This summer there
will also be a name change as we become Concordia University at
Seward.

The LCMS Foundation Gift Planning and the Lutheran Church
Extension Fund continue to be special blessings from our Lord.
Here in Nebraska, both are growing, not only in dollars, but also
in the number of people being reached through their ministries.

Being a rural District, we continue to have the challenge of
helping our smaller rural congregations continue to increase their
viability, spiritual growth, and ministry to one another and in their
community. This will continue to be a challenge where the rural
population is decreasing. At the same time there is also the chal-
lenge to start new congregations in our larger cities, where the pop-
ulation is growing.

The future of the Nebraska District is an exciting one as we
move into a hope-filled future under the blessing of our God. We
know the One who goes with us. We know He sends us forth with
the changeless Christ, with His changeless love and with His
changeless Word. The times before us are times of opportunity,
times to courageously and boldly move forward as people of hope,
to see the harvest for souls that is so plentiful, and then, as God
empowers us, to go! “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by
the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Eugene V. Gierke, President

R7-05-18
New England District

The theme of the | 1th regular convention of the New England
District was ‘Sent Forth by God's Blessing ... in New England.”
Our 1997 District convention adopted the following mission state-
ment: “The mission of the New England District is to encourage
and assist its congregations in their ministry of Word and Sacra-
ment to build up the body of Christ and to make disciples of all
people.”

Special recognition and appreciation was shown to Rev. Dr.
Osmar Lehenbauer who, after six years of faithful and dedicated
service as District President, had chosen to retire. We truly praise
God for a job well done by a true servant of the Lord.

The new District Bylaws and structure that were approved at
the 1994 convention went into effect with the proceedings of the
1997 convention. Major changes in the new structure included the
following: ministry to be carried out through three departments—
Parish Life, Missions, and District Matters; Board of Directors re-
duced from 16 to 11 members; 3 instead of 4 regional Vice Presi-
dents; Board of Directors meeting reduced from 6 to 4 times per
year.

We are making every effort to reinforce the understanding that
amongst our 70 congregations, 5 Lutheran schools, and 30 plus
preschools, we are a partnership in mission. Our District exists to
enable our congregations to share the message of Jesus’ love with
the people in the world around them.

The concept of “one congregation at a time”’ is important to our
District ministry. It is our deliberate intention to increasingly make
available to our congregations the various resources of people,

ideas, materials, and genuine encouragement. We need to truly care
about one another, and the varied ministries that are taking place
in each of our congregations and schools. We have so much to
share with one another and it is the desire within our District struc-
ture to help us grow in being connected in our Gospel mission.

The financial direction of our District is very encouraging.
Preparation for our budget for the fiscal year 98-99 reveals that re-
quests for funding and anticipated income allow for a balanced
budget. Expenses have dropped as supported congregations are
needing less and less District support. We are truly rejoicing at the
prospect of being able to free up support for new and exciting min-
istries. District financial support is presently being given to seven
congregations, including our Chinese mission in the suburbs of
Boston. We are also presently supporting two campus ministries.
These campus ministries are at the University of Connecticut and to
the various colleges and universities in the city of Boston.

We have been truly blessed with our involvement with the
LCMS Foundation. We have had our own full-time gift planning
counselor for a little over two years, and this ministry is a true
blessing to all involved. We praise God for His blessings granted to
each of us, and it is a God-pleasing joy to help HIS people be en-
abled to be a blessing to the church at large.

Special emphasis is being given to improving the communica-
tion within our District. We want to share the whole mission of the
District with not only church professionals, but with the laity of our
congregations. The primary communication with the laity has been
the “New England District Supplement” that is monthly inserted in
The Lutheran Witness. Our evaluation revealed that only about 20
homes per congregation were receiving The Lutheran Witness. It
became apparent that our District communication of our joint mis-
sion was just not taking place.

A New England District newsletter will be sent quarterly to our
congregations in the bulk amount equal to the Sunday morning bul-
letins printed by the congregation. This eight-page newsletter will
allow us to share not only what has been going on in our congre-
gations, but provide a wonderful opportunity to share the various
resources that are available to our congregations. We pray that this
newsletter will help us to be a partnership in mission with each
other.

Our District, at its 1997 convention, pledged its full support to
the DELTO program with the following resolves: “That the New
England District formally recognize the DELTO project and stu-
dents; and that the District encourage congregations and pastors to
help recruit students that could be trained through “DELTO.” In
addition, a District commission has been established to help create
ideas and methods to help our congregations recruit professional
church workers for future service in the church at large.

By the grace of God, the New England District is at a most ex-
citing point in its 26 years of history. The potential for further de-
veloping present ministries and jumping into new and exciting min-
istries is absolutely immense. We need no longer be so totally
occupied with just getting by and maintaining the ministry that al-
ready exists. In HIS constant presence, we are stepping forward to
be the Church that HE has enabled us to be. To God be the praise
for our opportunity of servanthood!

James Keurulainen, President

R7-05-19
New Jersey District

We observed Synod’s 150th anniversary and the 25th anniver-
sary of the founding of our New J ersey District at our convention in
April 1997. As we remembered our “roots” fondly, we celebrated
with a service of the Holy Eucharist at the Princeton University
Chapel, where our first President, Dr. Walter L. Zeile, was installed
in 1972. The service set a joyful, worshipful tone which carried
throughout our three days together. We welcomed Dr. Zeile and
his wife, Ruth, back from Florida, and heard remembrances of our
formative years from “veteran pastors” in person or by videotape.

Three years before, our convention had set in place a temporary
council structure to better pursue our District Vision Statement: We
believe that by the year 2000 AD the Lord wants the New Jersey