Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2001 · 61st Convention › Sheet 143
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Sheet 143

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

126 MISSIONS

WHEREAS, Our strength comes from the Word of God; therefore
be it

Resolved, That this convention focus mainly on uplifting our
leaders, celebrating our faith, and renewing our commitment to
reach out to our communities with the Gospel; and be it further

Resolved, That we resist the temptation to look for the sliver in
the eye of our brothers, while ignoring the logs in our own; and be
it further

Resolved, That we spend the majority of our time in convention
in finding new and innovative ways to encourage time in the study
of God’s Word and sharing of the Gospel; and be it further

Resolved, To prayerfully commit to being examples, especially
during this convention, of how God’s people function when they
are motivated by the Holy Spirit to build up the body of Christ; and
be it further

Resolved, That we encourage all our church leaders, local, Dis-
trict, and synodical, lay and professional alike, to renew their ef-
forts to train and equip our members to be the “salt of the earth”
and “ambassadors” of the love of Jesus Christ; and be it further

Resolved, That we resist the temptation to make minor issues
the major issue at our convention, and spend the majority of our
time in prayer, praise, and study of God’s Word; and be it finally

Resolved, That we in convention turn our energy and efforts to
making the Great Commission the main “trademark” of our Synod
and its members.

Trinity
Indianapolis, IN

1-05

To Reclaim Primary Operative Force

WuereaS, The church exists in a world where the population is
expected to expand by forty to sixty million people in the next fifty
years; and
WHEREAS, Eighty percent of the world’s population will live in
cities in ten years; and
WHEREAS, Secularism continues and grows in its appeal to peo-
ple of all nations and cultures; and
WHEREAS, The gap between rich and poor is accelerating faster
than ever; and
Whereas, A common indifference to Christ's Word and work
continues worldwide; therefore be it
Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod reclaim
the historical perspective of the Synod that the Good News of
Jesus, the Savior, is the center and primary operative force in our
church body; and be it further
Resolved, That the LCMS determine to share the Good News
of Jesus with all people wherever they may be and that our church
body
* search out new and innovative methods such as the new technologies;
* put aside anything that hinders the proclaiming of this Gospel mes-
sage;

* seek to cooperate and work with other Christians who share our per-
spective;

* pray daily that the power of the Word may work in the hearts and
lives of all people.

Concordia
Kirkwood, MO

1-06

To Overcome Disunity for Sake of Gospel

WHEREAS, God has established the church to be His family on
earth, and in this family God is the father and Christ the elder
brother (Rom. 8:29); and

2001 Convention Workbook

WHEREAS, It is God’s desire that all the members of the family
live in love with one another for the common goal of sharing the
Gospel; and

WHEREAS, Because of the human element in the members of our
church family, Satan, God’s enemy, works to create tensions and
dissension between the members of God’s family, such as those
troubling our Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, Such tensions and dissension impair our common
witness to the Gospel; therefore be it

Resolved, That we, the members of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod, gratefully thank God for His grace in bringing us
into His family; and be it further

Resolved, That we also recognize that the tensions and dissen-
sion we are undergoing in our life together are destructive of the
unity that should characterize us as God's people; and be it further

Resolved, That we implore all members of our Synod to con-
sider whether our own words and actions may have contributed to
the disharmony that has impaired our witness to the Gospel of
Christ; and be it further

Resolved, That when we become aware of the sinfulness of our
words and activities we humbly ask God, for Jesus’ sake, to for-
give us and by the help of God’s Spirit determine to avoid anything
that will result in harm to the cause of the Gospel; and be it finally

Resolved, That we lay it upon the hearts of all members of the
Synod to implore God’s help in overcoming disunity and to help
us to work together in harmony for the sake of the Gospel.

Lord of Life
Leawood, KS

1-07

To Reaffirm Strong Lutheran Interest
in Jewish Evangelism

Wuereas, The blessed Martin Luther preached and wrote many
sermons, articles, and treatises of inestimable worth to the church;
and

Whereas, Dr. Luther’s books grace the shelves of pastors and
laymen throughout our Synod and elsewhere; and

WHEREAS, The whole Christian church owes an unpayable debt
of gratitude to the bulk of his written and preached word; and

WHEREAS, The Synod in convention unanimously passed a dis-
avowing statement regarding Luther’s anti-Semitic writings; and

WHEREAS, Luther’s book On the Jews and Their Lies has caused
great difficulty in witnessing to Jewish people through the cen-
turies; and

WHEREAS, Many other statements, sermons, and writings by
Luther are extremely complimentary to Jewish people; and

WHEREAS, In his final sermon Luther made statements highly
praising Jewish people as the bearer of the messianic promise and
final fulfillment; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Synod in convention reaffirm its disavow-
ment of Luther’s anti-Semitic writings and direct its attention to
many positive writings on Jewish evangelism; and be it further

Resolved, That our efforts to bring the message of salvation to
our Jewish neighbors be intensified as directed by the Lord of His
church in Acts 1:8 (et al.); and be it finally

Resolved, That the Synod affirm the mission statement of the
Task Force in Jewish Mission, viz. “courageously declaring Y’shua
as Messiah: urgently equipping believers in Jesus to do the same.”

Mount Calvary
Beverly Hills, CA