LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 135

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MISSIONS 135

WHEREAS, He also exhorted us to “open your eyes and look at
the fields. They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35); and

WHEREAS, During the nineteenth century, our Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod reached out to northern European immi-
grants and others, gathering God’s people around Word and Sacra-
ment ministries and leading people to know Jesus Christ as Savior
and Lord; and

WHEREAS, In the twentieth century, our LCMS reached out to
new people through Sunday School, Vacation Bible School,
Preaching-Teaching-Reaching, Each One Reach One, The
Lutheran Hour, The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, This
Is the Life television, and other evangelistic efforts; and

WHEREAS, God has placed before us in the LCMS many oppor-
tunities to “tell the Good News about Jesus”; therefore be it

Resolved, That the LCMS make evangelistic outreach the first
priority of our church body (Matt. 28:18-20) by challenging our
congregations to grow as the Lord intended (Eph. 4:14-16, Acts
2:42-47) while providing them with support that equips them (Eph.
4:11-13) to use the gifts God has given them (1 Cor. 12:1-31,
Rom. 12:4—8) to be the Holy Spirit’s tool for bringing Christ to the
nations, and the nations to Christ, winning souls for Christ and His
Kingdom (1 Cor. 9:18-23); and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS encourage our congregations to con-
tinually “look at the fields” around them and seize the opportunities
God provides to share the Gospel; and be it further

Resolved, That our congregations be encouraged to partner with
other LCMS congregations to carry out this mission close to home;
and be it finally

Resolved, That all actions of the 2004 LCMS convention be un-
dertaken with the priority of evangelistic outreach in mind.

Trinity, Roselle, IL; Circuit 6, Northern Illinois District

1-09

To Support Ethnic Ministries

WHEREAS, Our Lord commanded His disciples to bring the
Gospel to all nations in His Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-—20);
and

WHEREAS, The mission challenge our Lord has given The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod includes our nation, made up
as it is of diverse cultures, races, and generations; and

WHEREAS, Each congregation has the God-given responsibility
to use its spiritual gifts, talents, and resources to reach the commu-
nity it serves with the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and

WHEREAS, We as people in congregational, Circuit, and District
settings are often not familiar with the impact these differences
have on the sharing of the saving Gospel; therefore be it

Resolved, That all members of the LCMS pray that God will
open the hearts of our people to initiate ministries that will take the
Gospel out to all the people who live in our communities; and be it
further

Resolved, That congregations, Circuits, and mission partner-
ships be encouraged to identify their opportunities for mission
among people of other cultures, races, and generations; and to seek
strategies for appropriate missional approaches with these groups,
with support of the District staff; and be it further

Resolved, That congregations, Circuits, and mission partner-
ships be encouraged to present action plans to reach people within
their communities of other cultures, races, and generations; and for
sharing and celebration at the 2007 LCMS convention; and be it fi-
nally

Resolved, That District staff and boards be encouraged to pre-
pare resources that will guide and assist congregations, Circuits,
and mission partnerships in this work.

Board of Directors
Southeastern District

1-10

To Encourage Continued Multicultural Outreach

WuereaS, God has granted by His grace substantial results in
terms of mission outreach to the global communities residing in the
United States through Pentecost 2000; and

WHEREAS, The Board for Mission Services, Districts, and local
congregations have been privileged to receive new members and
new Christians from all races, tribes, classes, and clans as a result
of Pentecost 2000; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran churches in the United States remain
the denominations with the least non-white membership of all faith
groups in the country (two-to-three percent non-white membership
among Lutherans nationally)—including Mormons and other non-
Christians; and

WHEREAS, This racially monochrome direction has been coun-
tered by Pentecost 2000 and by other efforts at congregational out-
reach representative of community population in many areas of the
country among LCMS Lutherans; therefore be it

Resolved, That the 2004 LCMS convention thank God for His
grace as represented in the amazing outpouring of new mission and
ministry opportunities through Pentecost 2000; and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS resolve to redouble its efforts to reach
the world at our doorstep and to racially and ethnically diversify
our congregational and new mission outreach in the next triennium,
so that our denomination might reflect the abundance of peoples of
the world who live in our communities.

St. Peter
Brooklyn, NY

1-11

To Promote Outreach to Immigrant People

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—-Missouri Synod has set a
goal of reaching a total of 100 million people with the Gospel by
2017, with 50 million of those in North America; and

WHEREAS, The predominant population growth in the United
States consists of immigrant groups; and

Whereas, Many immigrant people are not Christian or are not
affiliated with a church; and

WHEREAS, Many immigrant people face physical, personal, so-
cial, and cultural challenges; and

WHEREAS, Following the command and example of Jesus in as-
sisting people in need frequently opens doors for leading these peo-
ple into a relationship with Jesus; and

WueEREAS, Long-term, effective ministry to immigrant groups
will ultimately depend upon developing an indigenous professional
ministry; therefore be it

Resolved, That congregations be encouraged to identify immi-
grant groups within their neighborhoods and determine their im-
mediate needs; and be it further

Resolved, That congregations be encouraged to express the love
of Christ by seeking ways to serve the needs of immigrant groups, in
cooperation with other community organizations; and be it further

Resolved, That congregations be urged to develop strategies for
bringing the Good News of Jesus to immigrant people in their com-
munities; and be it finally

Resolved, That congregations be urged to identify immigrant
people with talents for ministry and provide encouragement and as-
sistance for them to prepare for professional ministry.

Trinity
Portland, OR