LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 91

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

SYNODICAL REPORTS 91

Both of these ministries are growing, not only in dollars but also
in the number of people being reached through their ministries.

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

As we look to the future and the many challenges and opportu-
nities before us, we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and the mis-
sion to which He has called us. God gives us the privilege of shar-
ing the greatest treasure in history, the message of His love and
forgiveness in Jesus. It is His plan to offer all people a hope and
future forever with Him in heaven. May God empower us to boldly
move forward in faith, trusting our God who promises us: “Now
unto Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or
imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him
be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all genera-
tions, forever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20).

Eugene V. Gierke, President

R7-05-18
New England District

The theme of the 12th regular convention of the New England
District was “Partners in Telling the Good News.” Telling the
Good News about Jesus is the partnership that we share together
as The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The New England Dis-
trict is making every effort to encourage our congregations and
schools to stay focused on intentionally striving to make all of its
ministry serve the purpose of telling the Good News about Jesus.

Our convention’s first resolution increased our mission giving
to the Synod and its ministries by an additional 5 percent of our
congregational mission giving. This increase of 5 percent will go to
a designated synodical mission and increases our overall pledge
from 20 to 25 percent. This resolution was a priority in that our
congregational mission giving has been steadily growing in the past
few years. In His mission, we are blessed to be a blessing.

Other mission-minded resolutions of the convention centered
around encouraging our congregations to consider cross-cultural
ministries and to make available some District funding for these
outreach ministries. We are presently providing grant money to
several of our congregations for outreach ministries. The conven-
tion also encouraged our partnership with the Synodwide mission,
“Telling the Good News about Jesus.” We are presently enjoying
the fruit of having trained representatives in each of our Circuits to
lead “Share Life” workshops.

We are making an intentional effort to encourage our congre-
gations and schools to be involved in recruiting our young people
for church vocations. Our Concordia system is a wonderful oppor-
tunity for our young people to further their education. We presently
have in the school year just concluding 17 of our men at our two
seminaries.

Our convention made a forward step of faith by passing a reso-
lution to call a deployed staff person to facilitate mission and min-
istry in our District. This deployed staff person is to be an ordained
pastor who will help to encourage, support, and enable our congre-
gations, schools, and church professionals to be increasingly fruit-
ful in making disciples of all nations.

Our quarterly publication, NEDNEWS, has been a wonderful
blessing in getting the message of our partnership out to our con-
gregations and schools. The publication has grown to 12 and some-
times 16 pages in length. it is sent out to our congregations in the
amounts that enable it to be shared with all who worship. [t has

proven to be the best tool in getting the mission of our District out
to His people in the mission fields of our congregations.

We continue to be greatly blessed with our involvement with
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Foundation. Our Gift Plan-
ning Counselor continues to be a wonderful instrument of the Lord
in helping our people discover how they can be increasingly a
blessing to the Lord’s church with the many resources that our Lord
has given them.

During the last triennium, approximately 22 of our 70 congre-
gations have grown in their staffing, or have been involved in
building projects. Ministry is growing, and enthusiasm is conta-
gious.

We are making a conscious effort to create an atmosphere of
growing in trust and care for one another as church professionals
and congregations. We have had two pastoral retreats in the last
two years to allow us to talk to one another about the church prac-
tice issues of fellowship, Communion, and worship styles. We need
to talk “to” one another, and not be led down Satan’s path of sim-
ply talking “about” one another. Yes, we need to walk together
with each other in our synodical covenant with integrity. We also
need to grow in trusting each other, as we never lose sight of our
partnership in telling the Good News about Jesus.

We as a District have been particularly blessed with training
over [50 laity and more than 120 of our church professionals in the
reconciling ministry of peacemakers. It is only at the foot of the
cross that we can begin the reconciling process that glorifies God,
as it brings people together to confess to one another their sins and
offenses. Yes, we must get the log out of our own eye before we
can point out the faults of our brothers and sisters.

Praise God that we are increasingly a District that no longer
needs to just concentrate on survival and paying our expenses, but
we are vibrantly growing and looking forward with mission eyes.
We increasingly look forward to being an exemplary District of our
Synod, supporting and enabling our congregations and schools.
May our covenant together as the Synod be one of walking together
in integrity and love, as we rejoice in the harvest of souls through
the power of His death and resurrection.

James Keurulainen, President

R7-05-19
New Jersey District

The New Jersey District continues to minister to the most
densely populated state in the nation through 59 congregations, 5
Christian day schools, and 21 preschools. During the last triennium
the District observed the merger of two neighboring congregations
and the addition of a new African immigrant congregation in
Newark.

When the District last gathered in convention it was under the
theme “Speaking the Truth in Love” from Ephesians 4:15: “In-
stead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into
Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Our goal is to clearly see
where we are and how we are doing and how we may build up the
church. The Lord is bringing to the shores of New Jersey in ever in-
creasing numbers immigrants from around the world. Wide doors
of mission opportunities are open to plant the seed of faith in the
hearts of new residents.

The New Jersey District Board of Directors has adopted three
desired outcomes.

1, The New Jersey District will equip people in each congregation
for Christian leadership.

2. Professional church workers will be spiritually mature, profes-
sionally competent, and have healthy family lives.

3. The New Jersey District will enable congregations to bring the
unsaved people of New Jersey into saving faith.

2001 Convention Workbook