LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 51

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SYNOD REPORTS 51

¢ A total of 3,527 LCMS congregations are involved in operating
Lutheran schools (early childhood through grade 12).

Nurture Children, Youth, and Aduits
¢ School Ministry staff participated in 35 District Teacher’s Con-
ferences during the triennium.
¢ Encourage and assist congregations to begin Lutheran schools
(Genesis).
265 initial consultations
218 completed feasibility studies
64 new schools opened since 1987
35 high schools opened
¢ Strengthen and Support Congregations with Schools (SSAC) dur-
ing last triennium.
36 initial consultations
63 completed feasibility studies
25 congregations receiving ongoing services

Develop Leaders

¢ 142 trained in School Leadership and Development (358 total
since SLED J).

¢ 68 of the listed (142) serving as administrators in Lutheran
schools (as of Feb. 1, 2007).

¢ 623 Lutheran schools received National Lutheran School Ac-
creditation.

¢ 3 Lutheran elementary principals were identified as National Dis-
tinguished Principals

¢ 9 Lutheran schools received the National Blue Ribbon School
Award :

* 777 Lutheran schools are subscribed to the Lutheran School Portal

Cultivate Stewards

¢ School Ministry is working with the Center For Financial Lead-
ership in Mequon, Wisconsin, on a stewardship curriculum for
Lutheran schools.

S iship Mini

Res. 4-01 from the 2004 Synod convention asked that the Synod
promote a unified education initiative entitled “Stewardship Ablaze”
in 2006 to raise awareness of the biblical stewardship lifestyle in all of
the congregations, and that each district be encouraged to conduct
Stewardship Ablaze! education conferences or events that would in-
clude all church leaders (ordained, commissioned, and lay), and that
to ensure broad-based ownership, the Synod’s District and Congre-
gational Services unit (DCS) shall collaborate with the Council of
Presidents to implement this initiative. ,

In February of 2005, national and district stewardship leaders
met at their annual conference and discussed the content and as-
signments included in Res. 4-01. In September of 2005, the Coun-
cil of Presidents unanimously approved handing the responsibility
for implementing this resolution to the district stewardship execu-
tives. During the remainder of 2006, district and national steward-
ship leaders worked on developing sample formats and content for
the Stewardship Ablaze! education conferences or events. This
process was completed by the end of 2006, and the first training
session of district stewardship leaders took place Feb, 15-18, 2007
at the annual stewardship leaders’ conference. Other regional train-
ing events will be scheduled as needed. The formats and content
for the education conferences or events provide the option of doing
a three-year emphasis.

DCS-Stewardship Ministry has been working since mid-2005,
with a task force of seven national and district stewardship leaders
to develop additional personnel and resources for implementing
Res. 4-01. As many as twelve “stewardship advocates” will be re-

cruited, trained, and deployed to assist district stewardship execu-
tives with stewardship education in their districts.

Two generous grants from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
provided the necessary funding for developing these additional! per-
sonnel and resources.

During the past triennium, updates and improvements were
made to the DCS-Stewardship Ministry Web site to make it more
helpful for district and congregational stewardship leaders. During
this same triennium, the network of district and national steward-
ship leaders was strengthened through conferences, correspon-
dence, and surveys.

During 2007, a new director and associate director will be
called to provide the kind of stewardship leadership encouraged in
the Report of the Blue Ribbon Task Force for Funding the Mission.
These new leaders will work in full cooperation with the First Vice-
President of the LCMS.

Cultivate Stewards

* Monthly issues of StewardCAST were sent to nearly 5,000 sub-
scribers.

* Monthly newsletter articles and weekly bulletin sentences were
posted on the DCS-Stewardship Ministry Web site.

* Quarterly updates were provided for district stewardship leaders
to use in working with pastors and congregations.

Youth Mini

Youth Ministry is centered in faith in Jesus Christ given in Bap-
tism, nurtured through the proclamation and study of God’s Word,
and strengthened through participation in the Lord’s Supper. Youth
Ministry supports young people as the church of today as well as
the future; challenges young people to take a role in shaping the
church’s mission to the world; strives to equip youth to use their
God-given gifts as faithful disciples; and speaks to the full range
of life issues of youth in the congregation and community. Youth
Ministry faithfully leads, serves, resources, and networks with dis-
tricts and congregational settings with a vision of hope and cele-
bration in the name of Jesus Christ.

Proclaim the Saving Gospel of Jesus Christ

* National LCMS Youth Gathering maintains a multicultural plan-
ning/programming team for the purpose of providing diverse eth-
nic and cultural Gathering experiences to participants and raising
up leaders from ethnic communities represented in the LCMS.
Gathering “‘personalities,” all LCMS youth, represent four ethnic
communities.

“People of the Book: Considering Islam in America” was pub-
lished by “thESource” as a downloadable resource for use with
youth groups; “Why? Talking to Teens About Disaster, Relief
and Restoration” was published by “thESource” in response to
the hurricane disasters of 2005.

A total of 30,868 youth and adults registered and participated in
the 2004 National LCMS Youth Gathering, “Beyond Imagina-
tion” in Orlando, Florida, July 2004. Another 3,000 persons
served as program and volunteer staff with the purpose of “pro-
viding opportunities for youth and adults to boldly come together
in the name of Jesus Christ to proclaim, celebrate, and witness
their salvation through Him, rejoice in the fellowship of their
church, and be affirmed and nurtured in their lives as God’s peo-
ple through Word and Sacrament in the finest Lutheran tradition.”
The 2007 National LCMS Youth Gathering will take place July
28-Aug. 1, one week after the Synod convention. The Gathering
will take place again in Orlando, a decision necessitated by Hur-
ricanes Katrina and Rita and their impact on New Orleans, which
was to have hosted the Gathering. The theme is “Chosen” based
on | Peter 2:9.

The year 2007 will mark the first LCMS Adult Gathering, a par-
allel event for adults who want a Youth Gathering experience. It
will be held in conjunction with the Gathering in Orlando and fea-

2007 Convention Workbook