LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 99

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 99

* Domestic disaster response included assisting survivors of these
emergencies: Hurricane Isabel; fires in Colorado, Arizona, and
California; tornadoes in Wisconsin, Texas, and the central Mid-
west; flooding in Virginia, West Virginia, Minnesota, and Texas.

¢ Grants totaling $75,000 supported 35 Servant Events sponsored
by the Youth Ministry office of District and Congregational Ser-
vices.

* LCMS World Relief, in partnership with LCMS World Mission,
awarded $3.8 million for emergency and self-help projects to as-
sist the work of missionaries and national church partners in 44
countries.

* LCMS World Relief and LCMS World Mission partnered to open
three new countries—Georgia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan—as
mission fields by responding to human needs.

¢ In a precedent-setting partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Brazil (IELB) and LCMS World Mission, LCMS
World Relief awarded several small grants to Angola, a Por-
tuguese-speaking country in Africa and the focus of IELB out-
reach efforts.

In cooperation with the Board for Mission Services and Lutheran
World Relief (Baltimore), LCMS World Relief responded to nu-
merous disasters overseas: floods in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambo-
dia, Indonesia, and Mozambique; a monsoon in India; civil un-
rest in Palestine, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria; war
in Afghanistan and Iraq; a snowstorm in Bolivia; the Goma vol-
cano in the Congo; earthquakes in Taiwan, Peru, El Salvador,
India, and Mexico; famine and food crises in Ethiopia, Kenya,
Zimbabwe, and other African countries.

Districts and Congregations
Past Triennium Major Accomplishments:

Assisted 24 inner-city congregations in identifying human-care
needs in their communities and developing programs and re-
sources to meet those needs through “Planting Gospel Seeds
while Serving Human Needs” workshops with assistance from a
Thrivent grant initiative.

* Helped 35 ordained and lay Hispanic pastors apply church-plant-
ing skills in their communities through regional consultations and
mentoring experiences provided by the “Hispanic Pastor Contin-
uing Education” Thrivent grant.

¢ In partnership with the LCMS World Relief Domestic Grants pro-
gram, assisted the New England District (and supporting congre-
gations) and the Lutheran Church Extension Fund with assem-
bling a $1.5 million, no-interest loan to the Boston Nehemiah
Project to reach out with God’s love through this renowned hous-
ing emphasis.

¢ In partnership with Chaplaincy, Pastoral Counseling, and Clinical
Education Director Rev. John Fale, developed a congregation-
based disaster-response initiative that includes emergency disaster
matching funds, post-traumatic stress workshops, and, in consul-
tation with Lutheran Disaster Response, on-site assessment of
long-term needs.

* Co-sponsored the Southern Regional Human Care Conference at
Grace Lutheran Church, Arlington, Texas, with the Lutheran
Inner-City Coalition (LINC) of Dallas and Fort Worth for LCMS
urban congregations in the Oklahoma, Southern, and Texas Dis-
tricts to help them be “One Mission—Ablaze!” while serving crit-
ical, unmet, or under-served needs.

¢ Provided funds for a Spanish translation of resources for the

“Cuarto y Quinto Paso” (fourth and fifth steps) recovery program"

- of Cristo Rompio las Cadenas Lutheran Church, a LINC ministry.

* Assisted the Southern District in funding the “Enrich” summer
tutoring program for academically at-risk African American and
Latino children in Tupelo and Jackson, Miss.

¢ Assisted Hospital del Alma Lutheran Church, Leisure City, Fla.,
with establishment of an after-school music program for Hispanic
children, providing a $2,000 seed grant.

* Provided funds to Lutheran Disability Outreach, a ministry of
Lutheran Social Services of Indiana, to establish Friendship Bible
Classes in congregations.

* Older Adult Ministry staff Rev. Roy Brockopp and Duane Hingst
conducted Circuit-level workshops in 11] Districts to help congre-
gations engage Baby Boomers in embracing congregational and
community ministries that fully utilize Boomers’ gifts and expe-
riences.

Next Triennium Major Goals:

* Invite and engage eight Districts to participate with LCMS World
Relief and Human Care in matching grant partnerships to open
24 new ministries aimed at the unchurched and use human care to
build relationships, which prepares hearts for hearing the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.

¢ Develop training resources for urban congregations to reach out to
their communities through serving identified human-care needs.

* Develop resources to sensitize congregations to the needs of un-
documented immigrants in their communities and to opportuni-
ties to share the Gospel and caring actions with “the stranger in
our midst.”

* Assist congregations to develop “crisis-intervention teams” that
are prepared to respond with an organized strategy in times of dis-
aster.

* Assist Hispanic pastors in increasing their capacity to function in
multiethnic settings through continuing education events and ex-
periences that minimize their isolation and marginalization.

* Identity and showcase 12 older-adult ministries that represent the
“best practices” in working with aging, active Baby Boomers.

¢ Assemble and/or develop biblically based resources for the pre-
vention of and recovery from preteen and teen addictions, such
as drugs and alcohol.

¢ Provide resources for urban and “first ring” suburban congrega-

tions to address crisis community issues as organized, empow-
ered Christian citizens.

Chaplaincy, Pastoral Counseling, and Clinical Education

This LCMS World Relief and Human Care unit plays an inte-
gral role in “One Mission—Ablaze!” as it recruits, develops, and
supports qualified and clinically trained men and women in pro-
viding genuine spiritual care, in settings that may not otherwise be
served by the church, to persons who, because of circumstances in
their lives, are often receptive to hearing words of God’s love and
grace in Jesus Christ.

Past Triennium Major Accomplishments:

¢ Cooperated in the production of an inter-Lutheran prison/jail min-
istry manual and October 2003 workshop for congregations, Dis-
tricts, and Synods of the LCMS and ELCA, attended by 113 par-
ticipants and funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

* Offered “Spiritual and Emotional Care Following Traumatic
Loss” workshops for LCMS congregations and communities in
Missouri, Nebraska, and California in response to tornadoes,
floods, and fires.

¢ Through the Inter-Lutheran Coordination Committee of Special-
ized Ministries, initiated an inter-Lutheran professional journal
for chaplains, pastoral counselors, and educators.

¢ With the Southern Illinois District and a Lutheran Women’s Mis-
sionary League grant, planned a fall 2004 conference for the de-
velopment, support, and training of prison and jail ministries in
each District to reach with the Gospel those who are incarcerated.

¢ Responded to concerns regarding the divine call and enrollment
in Worker Benefit Plans for those who are involved in special-
ized ministry in non-Recognized Service Organization settings.

¢ Held a triennial, inter-Lutheran Zion Conference in San Antonio,
Texas, with record attendance.

2004 Convention Workbook