LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 45

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 45

most appropriate ways and to continue to work with them to build
capacity for the mission endeavor, so that all the peoples of the
earth might believe on the name of Jesus and be saved.

Proclamation

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a
hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (Matt. 13:8)
Sharing the Good News of Jesus is at the heart of the Great
Commission (Matt. 28:18-20a). These were among the last words
Jesus spoke before He ascended to heaven. As Lutherans, God has
given us a great doctrine and understanding of His Word as related
to the means of grace. We believe that conversion takes place
through the power of the Holy Spirit, using God’s Word and the
Sacraments. God has called each of us to mission involvement
through our own conversion as His redeemed, forgiven people. We
now have the privilege of sharing the Good News of Jesus with
others.
LCMS World Mission places strong emphasis on witnessing to
“unreached” or “uncommitted” people—those who are not already
believers in Jesus Christ.
¢ “Unreached” people are those who have never heard a clear
message in the name of Jesus. The Middle East, Asia, Africa,
India, China, and the former Soviet nations are still home to many
unreached people who have never had access to the Good News
of Jesus.

¢ “Uncommitted” is a term used for people who have been ex-
posed to the Word, who have had an opportunity to hear the Good
News of Jesus, but who no longer have faith in Jesus as their Lord
and Savior. “Uncommitted” people live mainly in such areas as
Europe, Australia, North America, and South America.

The figure of 100 million was chosen intentionally after much
research, prayer, and deliberation with our missionaries and mis-
sion partners. In our Lutheran understanding of conversion, God
does the work of converting the unbelieving heart through His Holy
Spirit. By setting this goal we are not limiting the Holy Spirit. Ul-
timately, the Holy Spirit will determine how many people will be
touched by the Gospel through our efforts, but we will be faithful
sowers of the seed and will hold ourselves accountable to sowing
the seed of the Gospel in the hearts of 100 million people in North
America and around the world.

Reformation

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Rom. 12:2a)

If the purpose of the Reformation was to clearly identify the
Word and Sacraments as the means of grace, then what other rea-
son is needed than to boldly share this with others! If we truly be-

lieve, teach, and confess what we are as Lutherans, then there is no ©

greater reason for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with 100
million unreached or uncommitted people.

In the past, Lutherans have frequently celebrated significant
church anniversaries by publishing a new book on the Reformation
or the Confessions. As a church body that grew out of the Refor-
mation, what better way is there to mark a historic anniversary in
our Lutheran heritage than to bring together Lutheran churches
around the world to celebrate God’s blessings through sharing the
Good News of Jesus Christ with people who do not yet know Him?

Ablaze!

“They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within
us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to
us?’ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they
Jound the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and say-
ing, ‘It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’”
(Luke 24:32-34)

The vision of igniting a worldwide Lutheran mission movement
to share the Gospel with 100 million people is expressed by the

word Ablaze! Our goal is to ignite a movement that will change
the culture of our Lutheran church bodies to be one in which every
member is fully engaged in personal mission involvement through
the Seven Mission Responses: Go, Pray, Learn, Give, Tell, Send,
and Celebrate. While this is the expressed vision of LCMS World
Mission, it is our intention to give this vision away, because it is
God’s desire that all people be saved and He has called all His chil-
dren to participate in the task! This is a “Quantum Leap” forward in
how we approach doing the work of the Lord’s mission.

Ablaze! is not a program or a campaign. It began as a mission
vision with the hope of starting a mission movement. Each partici-
pating congregation, group, mission society, partner church, indi-
vidual, etc. is challenged to pray about its own particular situation
and the part of the mission endeavor it can impact and to design its
own strategy to contribute to reaching 100 million people. LCMS
World Mission is asking the church to develop mission models that
work and can be shared with others. Ablaze! is not an answer...it’s
an invitation!

Lyniting the World{ with Christ's Lovr

New Strategy—“Balanced Focus Plan”

LCMS World Mission uses the term “Balanced Focus Plan” to
express its mission strategy, which is built on its purpose statement.
(See “New Purpose Statement” above). The goals of the Ablaze!
initiative will be achieved by the grace and blessing of God,
through focusing energy, activities, and resources in the six areas
specified in the Balanced Focus Plan: mission focus, partner focus,
mission-responders focus, people focus, leadership focus, and
board focus.

Balanced Focus Plan—Mission Focus
Ignite a global Lutheran mission movement.

We pray that a mission movement will quickly take root not
only in the LCMS, but that also will spread among Lutherans ©
throughout the world. It is our desire to work in collaboration with
our national and international Lutheran partners to build the capac-
ity of one another so that the Good News will be shared with 100
million unreached or uncommitted people worldwide by 2017.

During 2003 and 2004, LCMS World Mission staff met with
several focus groups representing various circles of LCMS laity
and leadership to dialogue about how the Ablaze! vision could be-
come a mission movement. As of Feb. 2004, 18 LCMS Districts
had committed to participate in Ablaze!

In August 2003, LCMS World Mission executive leadership
met with partner church Presidents at an International Lutheran
Council meeting in Brazil where they discussed what is now being
called “Ablaze! International.” Our international partners have ea-
gerly embraced Ablaze! Just one example is the India Evangelical
Lutheran Church, which has pledged to share the Gospel with 25
million people by 2017. An Ablaze! International Steering Com-
mittee made up of four partner church Presidents met in Jan. 2004
to plan the Ablaze! International Conference set for July 7-9 in
conjunction with the 2004 convention of the LCMS.

2004 Convention Workbook