LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 4

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

4 SYNODICAL REPORTS

Committed to the Mission of the Church

There can be no better way for us to move together into the new
millennium than by committing ourselves—individually, congre-
gationally, as Districts, and as a Synod—to moving ahead boldly
with the task of telling the Good News about Jesus.

To accomplish this unprecedented ten-year period of extensive
outreach with the Gospel, we must first each internalize the great
call our Lord has given to each and every baptized child of God: to
tell the Good News of His Son, the Savior, that is, to be witnesses
to Christ and to proclaim the salvation that is ours in Him. Indeed,
what better gift could there possibly be for our sin-weary and sin-
filled world at such an important time as now? What better way for
our Synod to move together into the new millennium than by com-
mitting ourselves to this great effort?

We exist for this very purpose: to be beacons of light shining
brightly in the darkness that fills our fallen world. We Christians
can sit around at times wringing our hands and despairing of the
future. We can very much “go negative” when it comes to our
hopes and dreams for the future. We can indulge ourselves in
grumbling about and criticizing fellow believers or our Synod, our
Districts, our congregations, but to what end? For what purpose?
Such efforts result in nothing. Our Synod deserves better, and most
importantly, our Lord deserves better. ;

Our Lord is calling us to higher things and a higher purpose. He
has put us in this place, at this time, for this reason: to tell the Good
News about Jesus. The first president of our Synod, Dr. C. F, W.
Walther, put things well once in a sermon he preached on the
church’s great mission task. Let me here quote a portion of his re-

marks:

Another major duty of a Synod that wants to be and remain an
Evangelical Lutheran Synod is that it not seek its own glory, but only
the glory of God, being intent not so much on ils own growth, but rather
on the growth of Christ’s kingdom and the salvation of souls.

You see, dear brethren, we are assembled here not for our own sake.
We are in the faith, and by this faith we hope 1o be saved! But there are
still many millions who have no faith! This is why we are here—so that
we might bring salvalion to as many people as we possibly can, so that
the sad state in Christendom and the corruption of the poor, blind hea-
then might be remedied.

Only for this reason does our gracious God allow Christians to live
on earth, that they might bring others 10 the saving faith. Otherwise God
would immediately take a Christian to heaven as soon as he is con-
verted.

The other day I was speaking to a person who said that he
thinks part of the problem is that Christians do not adequately real-
ize just what a privilege and responsibility they have to share the
forgiveness of God in Christ. Time and again, it is simply a matter
of opening our mouth and speaking. That’s it! That’s all! It is all
about actually doing it—actually telling the Good News about
Jesus. We do this in a kind, respectful, humble, and caring manner,
but we do it! We actually tell the Good News about Jesus.

That is what this emphasis our Synod has embraced is all about.
Acts 8:35 informs us that “Philip opened his mouth and beginning
from that Scripture he told him the Good News about Jesus.” This
is not about a far-off mission field. This is not about something
across the country. This is not something miles away. This has to
do with the people we work with and live with every day. We
sometimes fail to realize that God’s mission exists not only over-
seas in distant lands, but in our own homes. It exists right across
the street. It exists right across the airplane aisle or in the seat next
to you. The mission field is anywhere and everywhere we find peo-
ple who are hurting, in trouble, lonely, sick, worn down by life, and
dejected. The mission field is where there are people who are lost
in their sin, struggling with temptation and with guilt. In other
words: God’s mission field is everywhere!

The “Tell the Good News about Jesus” emphasis has three key
emphases. First, that we all be involved in a much more intentional

2001 Convention Workbook

and purposeful manner in being in the Word and prayer. Second,
that we emphasize telling the Good News to those who are around
us. And, third, that we emphasize making our congregations an en-
couraging place for those telling the Good News and a welcoming
place for those who have heard it. May God continue to guide and
bless this effort among us.

Encouraging and Supporting One Another in Telling the Good News
about Jesus

During the past three years the President’s Office has been pur-
suing a number of activities intended to help encourage the con-
gregations of our Synod to become more personally involved
telling the Good News about Jesus. I have been impressed by the
number of our Districts and District Presidents who have also be-
come involved and supportive of our Synodwide effort to heighten
and increase commitment in our congregations to the “Good News”
emphasis. | was pleased to notice how many of our District con-
ventions picked up the theme of the “Tell the Good News about
Jesus” emphasis as their convention theme.

First Vice-President Robert Kuhn and I have visited each of our
Districts during the last triennium to meet with them and discuss
the emphasis, meeting with the District President and key leaders of
the District and discussing and sharing encouragement back and
forth about this effort as well as other issues in our Synod.

There have been a number of resources made available to our
congregations for the sake of this emphasis. A special insert in the
Reporter has appeared four times a year offering helpful articles,
Bible studies, and other suggestions. “O Lord, Open Our Lips” is a
resource provided for Circuit convocations. It was sent to all of our
Circuit Counselors and District Presidents and each of our colleges
and seminaries. It is available on the Web site and remains a help-
ful collection of resources for both Circuits and congregations.

A special bulletin insert series has been produced by Concor-
dia Publishing House and made available to the Synod at an ex-
tremely generous price—only one penny each! This series is enti-
tled “Touched by the Word” and offers stories of personal
evangelism designed to encourage and strengthen personal com-
mitment to witnessing among our people.

I have also been very appreciative of the manner in which our
Department of Evangelism, headed by Dr. David Mulder, has pro-
vided much-needed leadership and support for the “Tell the Good
News about Jesus” emphasis. It is only natural that our Synodwide
emphasis be closely linked with our Department of Evangelism and
in turn with all of our District executives responsible for the area of
evangelism. This partnership continues to grow and become
stronger.

Another key element of the “Tell the Good News about Jesus”
emphasis has been our District coordinators. An individual from
each of our 35 Districts, appointed by our District Presidents, has
served as a point of contact for the “Tell the Good News about
Jesus” emphasis in our Districts.

The Evangelism Outreach through Congregations grant pro-
gram is an initiative to help congregations in the Synod identify
very concrete ways they can move ahead with evangelism and out-
reach. It has been generously supported by the Schwan Charitable
Foundation, which remains a very good friend and supporter of our
Synod. In this program’s first year, grants totaling over $1.1 million
dollars were distributed to congregations across our Synod. In its
second year, the EOC grant process wil] be making another one
million dollars available to congregations. This is a first for our
Synod, providing a way for congregations to directly apply and re-
ceive support for their evangelism emphases.

The EOC grants are targeted primarily toward smaller congre-
gations that have a vision and desire for outreach but need re-
sources. Congregations that had few new adult members in the past
several years were especially encouraged to consider innovative