LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 93

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SYNOD REPORTS 93

¢ Helped facilitate the work of thousands of LCMS members who
responded after Hurricane Katrina with spiritual support, a help-
ing hand and material goods to assist in the recovery processes.

¢ Developed and administered the Partnerships in Renewal pro-
gram, pairing LCMS districts with congregations and professional
church workers affected by the 2005 hurricanes and providing
nearly $2 million in direct aid plus spiritual and physical support.

¢ Vastly strengthened the capacity of our Synod to respond to dis-
asters by beginning a comprehensive LCMS Disaster Response
Plan. The plan includes the development of disaster preparedness
and disaster response resources and building a stronger coopera-
tive and collaborative network of disaster relief partners.

Next Triennium Major Goals:

¢ Develop a new disaster resource, Recovery through Outreach, to
help congregations reach their communities with Christ’s mercy
after a disaster.

* Work with districts’ and congregations’ departments to develop a
recovery-tracking program as a tool for districts to better monitor
disaster-affected congregations and professional church workers.

¢ With Lutheran Disaster Response, prepare a district disaster pre-
paredness training program to equip district leaders and church
workers to prepare for and respond to disasters.

¢ Prepare a pandemic flu protocol for districts and congregations
to help continue Word and Sacrament ministry during a regional
or nationwide pandemic.

¢ Refine the Partnerships in Renewal program to directly involve
districts and congregations in an ongoing ministry of mercy to as-
sist the homeless, persecuted, sick, and the needy.

Deaconess Ministry

Through this department, LCMS World Relief and Human Care
encourages and supports the deaconess ministry—women who are
called and commissioned by the church to provide diakonal care.
Deaconesses serve through works of mercy, spiritual care, and
teaching the faith. Echoing “One Message: Christ,” deaconesses
serve as a channel for the love and compassion within our church
body and with LCMS partner churches.

Past Triennium Major Accomplishments:

* Created new position of district mercy coordinator to oversee the
deaconess ministry and serve as catalyst in identifying and meet-
ing diakonal needs worldwide.

¢ Initiated international outreach, including in India and Indonesia
(evaluating deaconess training programs based on confessional
Lutheran theology); Latvia (provided practical experience to dea-
coness students through Mercy Mission Expedition); Latin Amer-
ica and the Caribbean (support for diaconal projects with LCMS
World Mission).

¢ Worked with the Synod’s three deaconess-training programs
(Concordia University Chicago and two seminaries). Efforts in-
cluded. assisting deaconess students from Russia and Kenya and
placing deaconess interns, including three interns with LCMS
World Relief and Human Care.

* Developed two major diakonic resources: the magazine Mercy
Works and the DVD In Service to Our Lord.

Next Triennium Major Goals:

¢ Continue to engage and inform districts and congregations by
promoting, identifying, and advocating diaconal needs with spe-
cial relevance to deaconess ministry.

«Establish contacts to promote deaconesses as commissioned
workers in institutional and parish settings, including promoting
deaconess internships.

¢ Develop a Web site to provide resources for church professionals
on diakonal service.

¢ Continue to build relationships with overseas churches to assist
with deaconess training programs.

Districts and Congregations

This department’s main focus is to work with the Synod’s dis-
tricts and congregations to identify critical, unmet needs in their
communities and reach out with Christ’s love to meet those needs.
The director shows congregations how to connect with neighbor-
hoods by offering needed services (such as child-care programs,
food pantries, affordable housing) and building relationships that
are fertile ground for sharing the Gospel. Serving a community’s
most critical body and soul neéds demonstrates the “One Message”
of eternal salvation through the mercy and merits of Jesus Christ.

Past Triennium Major Accomplishments:

¢ Provided immediate, on-site response to the relief and recovery
needs of congregations and districts affected by natural disasters,
including: hurricanes (Florida and Gulf Coast); floods (East
Coast); tornadoes (Midwest).

¢ Provided on-site training and follow-up mentoring for 20 congre-
gations and 300 participants to assess the human care needs of
neighborhoods and communities near LCMS congregations.

¢ Provided consultations and resources to districts to develop mul-
ticultural ministries (particularly Latino outreach) through con-
gregation-based human care initiatives.

*¢ In conjunction with the director of specialized pastoral care and
chaplaincy and respective districts, provided pastoral care and
Soldiers of the Cross resources to pastors in medical and finan-
cial crises.

¢ In partnership with the LCMS National Housing Support Corpo-
ration, provided assessment of community needs in conjunction
with housing initiatives and continued to provide support and
technical assistance to the East Brooklyn Congregations and the
Nehemiah Housing Ministry.

Next Triennium Major Goals:

¢ Develop online training for congregations to “re-root” into their
neighborhoods by assessing community needs and connecting
with neighbors to serve body and soul.

* In partnership with Disaster Response, develop training materi-
als for congregational disaster preparedness teams.

¢ Provide support and resources for congregations ministering to
undocumented immigrants and prepare “One Message: Christ”
responses in preparation for potential comprehensive immigra-
tion reform legislation.

¢ In consultation with Specialized Pastoral Care, Commission on
Ministerial Growth, and districts to provide pastoral care and fi-
nancial resources from Soldiers of the Cross and other initiatives
to pastors in transitional crises, especially ethnic pastors who are
isolated and marginalized by culture and language.

¢ In partnership with district human care committees, develop re-
gional human care teams to assist districts and congregations in
assessing and addressing critical human care needs in their areas.

Division of Social Ministry Organizations

The Division of Social Ministry Organizations is responsible
for the administration and management of granting of “Recognized
Service Organization” (RSO) status to organizations that provide
services in harmony with Board for Human Care Ministries
(BHCM) programs. To date, 120 organizations have been granted
LCMS RSO status. Social Ministry Organizations assures that all
RSOs are in compliance with Synod bylaws and policy, conducts
regular reviews of these organizations, and develops RSO partner-
ships. RSOs serve people in need, including those who are home-
less, persecuted, and sick. These organizations demonstrate
diakonic love through services that also allow opportunities to
share the “One Message: Christ” with the hurting world.

2007 Convention Workbook