LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 114

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114 SYNODICAL REPORTS

tinue to bless us “‘so that with one heart and mouth [we] may glo-
rify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Encouraging One Another

God has provided our District with a President, Outreach Exec-
utive, Congregational Services Executive, and Financial Executive
who share the same desire to encourage all in our District to work
together in a spirit of love and trust. It is great to work with David
Dubbelde, David Ebeling, and Larry Jung as we encourage each
other to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus!

God has worked mightily in the hearts of our people and in the
congregations they serve. We are blessed to be the home District of
Concordia Theological Seminary, where students and professors
blend with our congregations in encouraging a biblical and God-
pleasing mission. By God’s grace the Indiana District has been a
leader in opening multicultural ministries. We thank God for the
more than 100 schools (preschools, elementary, secondary) that
minister every day to our children. The congregations of our Dis-
trict are committed to faithful and generous giving to the Lord’s
work on the local, District, and Synod levels.

Last year, more than $10 million was spent by our congrega-
tions to build or expand facilities for God’s use in mission! These
funds were graciously available through the Lutheran Church Ex-
tension Fund. These efforts, funds, and expansions are a wonderful
demonstration of the hope and promise we celebrate in God’s love!
Our District has grown and continues to grow in baptized and com-
municant membership. We are humbled as the Holy Spirit contin-
ues to bless our united efforts.

Assistance

We also assist our church workers and congregations by pro-
viding them with the help to carry out the mission of our Lord.

People are our greatest resources as we strive to assist and help
each other! It is great to see the efforts of our CSA’s as they move
among our congregations under the direction of Dr. Dave Ebeling.
These folks are spread throughout our District and are available to
help, teach, and support the multiple ministry efforts in our con-
gregations. Last September more than 400 pastors and laypeople
met at Indianapolis to learn and grow and celebrate the mission of
sharing God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ! We called it our “Car-
load Conference”—each congregation was encouraged to bring a
“carload” of participants to the conference. It was a very helpful
and happy event that rippled across our District.

All of this is effective as God combines and uses the gifts and
talents of our dedicated support staff in our District office, resource
center, and radio station. The blessing of our support staff is essen-
tial to all that we do. They are faithful people with strong profes-
sional skills dedicated to the mission of our District.

We know that the world is an imperfect place with a host of
challenges. We thank God for the professional staff in our District
who help our church workers and our congregations at times of
trouble or challenge. We have excellent Christian counselors and
reconcilers who are ready and willing to work towards reconcilia-
tion and unity when there is difficulty.

We are forging an even greater partnership with Concordia The-
ological Seminary. We have many willing and energetic profes-
sional seminary people with unique gifts to share in a wide variety
of settings. We look to expand those opportunities as we develop
new working relationships.

Finally, we thank God for the Vice-Presidents and Circuit
Counselors who work with the President to provide leadership
among our people. These men are tremendous gifts as they share
and sense the day-to-day ministry in our large and lively District.
What biessings God has showered upon us.

Daniel P. May, President

2004 Convention Workbook

R7-05-08
Iowa District East

Our 2003 District convention was dedicated to the memory of
Dr. A. L. Barry, former District President and President of the
Synod. The theme was “‘Keep the Message Straight—Get the Mes-
sage Out.” The main thrust of the convention was getting the Mes-
sage out (“Tell the Good News about Jesus”). Rev. Dr. Arthur
Scherer was the convention speaker.

We had three international guests attend our convention: Rev.
Joseph Omolo from Kisumer, Kenya; Rev. Darius Petkunas from
Palanga, Lithuania; and John Deng, CTS student from Sudan.

Rev. Petkunas addressed the convention regarding the ministry
in Lithuania and their hope to build a facility in Palanga that would
house a worship center, a diaconal center, and a retreat center. Rev.
Matthew Harrison, Executive Director of LCMS World Relief, ad-
dressed the convention regarding this project and committed
$100,000 in matching funds for the project. The convention then
passed a resolution setting a goal of raising $100,000 to match the
LCMS World Relief funds for the construction of this facility.

Iowa District East is made up of:

13 Circuits

119 Congregations

10 ~~ Elementary Schools

38 Preschools

2 High Schools

99 ‘Pastors
95 Teachers
7 DCEs

For the past three years, Iowa District East supported two full-
time pastors to the deaf, two full-time campus pastors, one full-time
chaplain, one part-titne deaconess at the University of Iowa Hospi-
tals, one part-time chaplain for the State Penitentiary in Fort Madi-
son, and one missionary-at-large in the Quad Cities area. Ap-
proximately 38 percent of the offerings received from IDE congre-
gations have been sent on to the Synod.

Rev. Dean Rothchild joined the staff as Assistant to the Presi-
dent in 2002. At the end of Jan. 2004, Rev. Norman Rehmer, As-
sistant to the President, retired.

The Board of Directors has streamlined the organizational struc-
ture of the District by reducing the number of committees and sub-
committees.

Gary M. Arp, President

R7-05-09
Iowa District West

In nearly every small town in Iowa there is a cafe with a big
round table. The “regulars” meet there daily for coffee and a whole
lot more. Important news and local issues are discussed. Eventu-
ally, many conversations turn to farming: crops and livestock, ma-
chinery and the markets. During hard times the table is a safe place
to share struggles and sorrows. People may not always agree, but
they listen, sympathize, and encourage one another. At planting
time, there are empty seats at the table because everyone in the
community senses the urgency and works passionately to get the
seed in the ground. Again at harvest time, it has to be gathered in,
lest any of the precious grain be lost! Then there is a celebration,
with thanksgiving and joy around the table.

We used this imagery at our District convention, calling our del-
egates to celebrate “A Harvest of Joy in Ministry!” Psalm 126 re-
calls the joy of God’s people when He set them free from captivity,
restored their fortunes, and returned them to the Promised Land. It
was like a dream! The Lord filled their mouths with laughter and