Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2004 · 62nd Convention, St. Louis › Page 247
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2004, Page 247

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

HUMAN CARE 247

6-08

To Encourage Congregations to Support
Problem-Pregnancy Centers

WHEREAS, Pro-life organizations and congregations are often
charged with caring for babies but not caring about pregnant moth-
ers who are in difficult situations; and

WHEREAS, Many problem-pregnancy centers that offer physi-
cal, financial, emotional, and spiritual care for the mother already
exist across the nation; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod congre-
gations be encouraged to support local problem-pregnancy centers
as a means of caring for such mothers and their children.

Our Redeemer
Columbia Falls, MT

6-09

To Provide for Protection of Children,
Called and Contract Staff, and Volunteer Workers -

WHEREAS, God calls us to work with children in many ways,
and we are entrusted to provide them an atmosphere safe and free
of scandal to the best of our abilities; and

WHEREAS, The church’s children participating in the areas of
child and youth ministry are at risk of abuse by abusive adults, and
it is necessary to take deliberate steps to protect them; and

WHEREAS, It is also important to protect those who are provid-
ing the care from unwarranted allegations; and

WHEREAS, These church workers and volunteers are a valuable
resource that may be lacking in some cases a set of policies and
procedures to be used locally to provide a standard for conducting
needed checks for their child and youth ministries; and

WHEREAS, Our children and youth are more and more becoming
targets of prey by sexual predators, sometimes from without, some-
times from within; and

WHEREAS, The church, both locally and at the District and na-
tional levels, needs to take appropriate and reasonable steps to pro-
tect itself from loss of reputation, ministry and legal settlements,
to its own and the Kingdom’s grave hurt; and

WHEREAS, By not taking such appropriate and reasonable steps
to protect itself, a church and its hierarchy could, in fact, be held
negligent in the care and protection of those participating in our
ministries; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Northwest District adopt a STRONG rec-
ommendation that all churches and agencies in the District adopt
suitable policies and procedures, including interview and reference
checks, for local use; and be it further

Resolved, That the District post examples of model policies and
procedures on its Web site; and be it further

Resolved, That the District establish a network of qualified
agencies for referral to perform background checks; and be it fi-
nally

Resolved, That the Northwest District memorialize the Synod
in convention to provide for the protection of our children, called
and contract staff, and volunteer workers.

Northwest District

6-10

To Support Quilting Ministry
WHEREAS, There are 2,800 quilting groups in congregations of

the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod; and

WuereaS, Lutheran World Relief is a “working arm” for global
social compassion of both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; and

WHEREAS, This motion is being brought to both the Northwest
Washington Synod of the ELCA and the Northwest District of the
Missouri Synod at their conventions in 2003; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran World Relief gave out approximately
400,000 quilts made by these groups in the year 2001; and

WHEREAS, The value of the fabric to make one quilt is approxi-
mately $14 and to make 400,000 quilts is approximately $5.6 mil-
lion; and

WHEREAS, The volunteer time to make one quilt is approxi-
mately three to six hours and to make 400,000 quilts is about 1.2 to
2.4 million hours of labor; and

WHEREAS, $5.6 million is approximately 20 percent of the an-
nual budget of Lutheran World Relief; and

WHEREAS, These quilts were shipped to 26 nations in the year
2001; and

WHEREAS, These quilts represent the loving commitment of
Christians to compassionately care for poor and needy people
around the globe who experience wars, natural disasters, economic
injustices, and political turmoil; and

Whereas, Many of the members of the quilting groups are
growing older; and

WHEREAS, The Christian ministries that work specifically with
“the poorest of the poor” around the globe will continue to need
quilts in the future; and

WHEREAS, These Christian ministries of Christian global com-
passion will continue to need financial support in the future; there-
fore be it

Resolved, That pastors and/or congregation members
1. be encouraged to visit the quilting group of his/her congregation;

2. express deep gratitude and appreciation from the Lutheran
church for their quilting ministries throughout the decades;

3. encourage the quilting group to solicit new and younger mem-
bers, so that the quilting ministries may continue into the future;

4, encourage quilting members to consider designating a portion of
their estate to combat world hunger and its causes through
Lutheran World Relief, so that the financial resources of the
church for such ministries of global compassion will continue to
grow stronger in the future;

5. encourage members of the whole congregation to consider des-
ignating a portion of their estate to combat world hunger and its
causes through ministries of the church, e.g., LCMS World Re-
lief and Lutheran World Relief;

6. distribute a brochure from LWR that expresses appreciation, en-
courages a new generation of quilters, and motivates members
to designate Lutheran World Relief as part of their estate; and
be it further

Resolved, That the Northwest District memorialize the LCMS
in its 2004 convention with a similar resolution in support of the
quilting ministry.

Northwest District