LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 97

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 97

health and wellness, readiness to change, and spiritual health data
on seven groups of our workers: early childhood educators, high
school educators, elementary school educators, pastors, directors
of Christian education, deaconesses, and Concordia University Sys-
tem educators. A comprehensive report is currently in preparation.

Here are some specific findings:

—_

. The overwhelming majority of all workers of the church in all cate-
gories of vocation report significant satisfaction with their present
vocational situation. While not without concerns and stresses (sug-
gesting that the report of the workers was not just a “pie in the sky”
response), only 7.5 percent of all of our responders reported signif-
icant levels of dissatisfaction with their present vocational situation.

2. Where there were areas of life dissatisfaction, almost 22 percent
of our sample reflect concern about their personal devotional life.
This points to a reported reality that has been confirmed over the
10-year research conducted by the CMGS that has tracked con-
tinuing education opportunities and challenges—a hazard to
being in church work is ongoing personal attention to one’s own
spiritual and devotional life. Opportunities for our workers to en-
gage the Gospel in relationship to their own heart and mind be-
come very important and critical opportunities.

3. We constructed a health index from several items in our research
instrument. Then we asked the statistical question “What factors
in our research are the best predictors of a high health index?”
Seven factors emerged: (1) Disagreeing with the question “stress
has affected my health in the last year”; (2) Having a lower Body
Mass Index (i.e., being neither obese nor overweight); (3) Listing
a low number of stress events experienced in the last year; (4)
Reporting a lower blood pressure range; (5) Eating a larger num-
ber of fruits and vegetables per day on a regular basis; (6) Par-
ticipating in at least three sets of aerobic exercises per week; and
(7) Eating fewer servings of high fat foods in a day. Of the fac-
tors described, almost all are items that can be influenced and/or
even controlled by the worker. For instance, learning stress man-
agement can influence the effect of stressors on a worker, par-
ticipating in vigorous exercise can be planned for regular activ-
ity, and choosing more healthy eating habits (likely helpful to
deal with blood pressure and weight) are all activities that can
be targeted by the worker and implemented.

4. The stress index correlates negatively with job, life, devotional
life, and vocational situation satisfaction.

5. The health index correlates positively with life, job, devotional
life, and vocational situation satisfaction.

6. In general, workers who are already doing “well” things behav-
iorally are more willing to change to do even more than workers
who are caught up in more disease-oriented behaviors.

7. Stress management is the least important area about which to
learn and do something in the attitudes of our workers. Thus, one
of the top health issues is not yet connected in the minds and
hearts of our workers to actual health and wellness experiences.

This research suggests that there is much that the CMGS, as
well as our own Worker Benefit Plans, can do to be proactive
around health and wellness opportunities for our workers. The re-

search gives clear evidence that worker health is related to a

wholistic number of factors, and attention to them would be in the

best interest of everyone.

Paths to Growth

Crucial to the development of the values of continuous learn-
ing is the opportunity for workers and congregational members to
speak together concerning continuing education needs, aspirations,
and goals. In order to assist this conversational process, Paths to
Growth, a video and workbook now in its second edition, continues
to be available for use. This process format gives congregational
leadership and church workers an opportunity to discuss continuing
education plans and strategies.

The development of an Annual Growth Plan aids in the process.

Annual Growth Plan

Preamble

We believe that growth is essential to Christian life. Having been given life which lasts eternally through
God's grace In Christ, and having been empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve and obey Him, Christians
daily drown their old nature and seck to grow up to mature Christian personhood.

Such personal spiritual growth is a model for the church worker's professional life as well. Striving to
be workers who serve the Lord faithfully, competently, and joyfully, they study to meet the varying needs

of those whom they serve.

Through on-going personal study, workers in the church will leam those truths and skills which nurture

Agreement

Having discussed our needs together, we agree that appropriate study areas for the coming year for

(Name of Worker)

will be

(Name of study areas)

We believe that through this study.

(Name of Worker)

will be equipped (o—_______ $$$

(Describe goals 10 be met through growth plan)

To evaluate the effectiveness of this Annual Growth Plan, we have agreed on the following:

(Time Frame) {Estimated Cost)

Congregation Agency: ©&—______ Individuat—_$__ Other__&__
(Officer) {worker
; . (Date)
Into the Future

The CMGS expects to develop comprehensive strategies di-
rected toward the retention of the church’s workers by focusing on
vocational development and personal well-being of the workers and
the workers’ families. It expects to do this in partnership with other
synodical groups that have as part of their mission the support and
development of our workers.

Like much of the LCMS, however, the CMGS is under severe
budgetary constraints. Our hope continues to be that support of our
some 31,000 workers remains a critical and central value for the
LCMS.

Roger Gallup, Chairman
Bruce M. Hartung, Executive Director

R6-01

Board for Human Care Ministries:
LCMS World Relief/Human Care

News in the church is not all bad news! Not by a Jong shot! It
is the devil’s own trick to make us think that the “bad news” in the
church outweighs the good news! The greatest good news is, of
course, the Gospel of Christ. This Gospel continues as never be-
fore to produce amazing things in and through the LCMS, despite
our many and evident weaknesses. Luther preached on a Christmas
Day about what the Gospel produces in the life of every Christian:

The smart aleck who hears that word and finds no joy in it may in
truth regard himself to be a lost individual. What after all will cause a
heart to be joyful, if it cannot rejoice over the angel’s message, “Unto
you a Savior is born”? Who ever is not changed for the better by this
word and made more godly... to become kinder and gentler to his
neighbor, him will the judge and hangman make more pious, for he’s
beyond reprieve. The fact that he’s not set ablaze by this fire nor drawn

2004 Convention Workbook