LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 115

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

SYNODICAL REPORTS 115

R7-05-23

Northwest District

The work program of the Northwest for the next three years will
be built upon what we have learned by working together as a Synod
for 150 years and as a District for nearly 100 years. By the year
2000, we will have clear policies and evaluations of how we are
fulfilling the Lord’s Great Commission. We are well on our way
toward the “Shores of Tomorrow.” As Synod’s largest geographi-
cal District, the Northwest District reaches from southeastern Idaho
through all of Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Since 1990, the
Northwest District also includes Church of All Nations in Hong
Kong.

In the next triennium, the Northwest District, in convention Res.
3-01A, voted “To adopt as its special mission emphasis the further
expansion of the Alaska Mission Committee model (utilizing
trained lay workers in bringing the Gospel to people in remote and
sparsely populated areas) in similar areas in the District; i.e., south-
ern Idaho, Oregon/Washington coastal areas); and that the North-
west District Board of Directors assume the responsibility for the
proper implementation of the project and the distribution of all
funds designated for this project.”

The first balloting of the 58th Northwest District Convention
brought the reelection by acclamation of Rev. Warren Schumacher
_ as President for the next triennium., President Schumacher ac-
cepted, citing the “great opportunity for service this position al-
lows.” Delegates were asked to register their prayers for the Dis-
trict, their own congregations, and their own personal lives. With
strong leadership and congregational support the Northwest Dis-
trict looks with excitement towards the “Shores of Tomorrow.”

The Northwest District Board of Directors extended a call to
Lee Wendland to continue and to expand his role as Director of
Professional Church Worker Care as a three-year term call. With
Rev. Lee Wendland’s acceptance the working leadership team be-
came five executives plus the President. The restructuring of the
District continues with the resignation of Greg Long. Keith Nyman
(a member of the Board of Directors) is currently acting as interim
Business Manager for the District.

With the addition of Rev Lee Wendland, caring for the profes-
sional workers in the Northwest has taken on new dimensions. Rev.
Lee Wendland, Director of Professional Church Worker Care, re-
ports having made over 1,200 calls in the District. He has visited
some workers as often as four times since he started making calls.
Rev. Lee Wendland and President Schumacher have also received
training in dispute resolution and conflict phenomenon to better aid
those churches that are struggling.

Congregational Services under the direction of Glenn Herbold,
Director, and Carol Warren, Associate Director, focuses on 10
areas of ministry.

Evangelism / To reach the lost outside the household of faith
with workshops, plans, and resources.

Human Care / To reach out through the chaplaincy program and
work with struggling congregations who have been on assistance
for five years or more. Human care ministry also provides sup-
port to Lutheran Social service agencies in Oregon, Washington,
and Alaska with grants for special programs.

Leadership / To provide leadership, learning, and planning for
facing change in order to fulfill the Great Commission.

Older Adults / To provide support, functional activity, and re-
sources of people and programs to enable fulfillment of the Great
Commission.

Worship / To provide outreach worship settings as is appropri-
ate to include the unchurched. Worship Outreach Workshops
(WOW) help train interested congregations how to use worship
as outreach.

Regarding the convention worship which modeled “‘worship”
as outreach, Dr. King said, “You are right on target when it comes
to sharing the Good News.” In a later interview Dr. King said such
religious services appeal to a newer generation. “We must use
styles of worship which are timely and promote the Good News of
Jesus Christ Our Savior ... Of all the Lutheran conventions I’ve at-
tended in the last 1! years, this one receives my highest recom-

mendation for style of worship for our time and which retains the

central elements of Word, prayer, confession, and songs in keep-

ing with our theological and confessional position. This would be a

model for me and one which | would recommend to others.”

* Adult Ministry / To provide resources, networking, and training
that assists congregational leaders of adults in their faith life in
relationship to Jesus Christ, others, and the church.

¢ Youth Ministry / To equip, advocate for, and provide congrega-
tions access to resources and opportunities for growth.

Children’s Ministry / To identify, create, train, and advocate for
children.

* Family Ministry /Identify and/or create effective models of fam-
ily ministry based on congregational need and current trends. De-
velop appropriate strategies for implementation and networking
of family ministry.

* Schools /To assist, equip, uplift, advocate for, and network with
Lutheran school educators and schools so that through them,
children may be equipped as disciples and apostles of Jesus
Christ. ‘

The Department of Expanding Ministries, under the direction
of Rev. David Hoover, works toward expanding ministries through
a passion for the lost and helping congregations and clusters of con-
gregations in their call to start new churches and ministries. This
department also works with special ministries (existing and new
development): Campus Ministry, Deaf Ministry, and Ethnic Min-
istries—Hispanic, African American, Native American, Chinese,
and others.

A new program to the Northwest District provides congrega-
tions with demographic interpretation, which results in linking con-
gregations with their community and the development of strategic
plans and written mission and ministry plans. This program has
been well received by the congregations and shows promise for
helping congregations fulfill the Great Commission.

The Department of Expanding Ministries continues to work
closely with the Mission Education Committee and the China Con-
nection Task Force to promote ministry in the Pacific Rim, the
Alaska Highway Ministry, the Inner-City Ministries of Portland,
and the new three-year District project of taking the Alaska Mis-
sion Committee lay ministry model and initiating this type of min-
istry in Southern Idaho and along the Washington/Oregon coast-
lines.

If you would like to know more about the Northwest District,
come visit us on the Internet at www.nowlcms.org.

The theme “On Our Way to the Shores of Tomorrow” suggests
that we make this journey together. I am confident that God will
use the team of the Northwest District staff and the professional
church workers of our District. With outpost mentality and out-
reach eyes, we’ll fulfill the Great Commission. It will be the task of
the Board of Directors and staff of the Northwest District to “En-
courage Servant Leaders, Empower God’s People, and Expand
God’s Kingdom.”

Warren Schumacher, President

R7-05-24
Ohio District

The Ohio District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is
people, God’s people redeemed by Jesus Christ, engrafted into the
faith through Holy Baptism, fed in regular worship through Word
and Sacraments, committed to the mission of the church in bringing
the Gospel to the lost and hurting, living under the assurance of the
forgiveness of sins, and trusting in the sure and certain hope of eter-
nal life in heaven.

As such, the Ohio District consists of some 170-plus congrega-
tions and mission stations in Ohio, northern Kentucky, and West
Virginia. One-half of these congregations are in northeast Ohio,
one-quarter in northwest Ohio, and one-quarter in southern Ohio
from a line above Columbus and then south into Kentucky and
West Virginia.

The last two years were a period of thanksgiving as we joined
with our brothers and sisters in the Missouri Synod in celebrating