LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 101

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Resolved, That congregations and their leaders continually ask
the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest fields,
especially asking that the Lord open their eyes to see the plentiful
harvest fields around them; and be it further
Resolved, That congregations and their leaders be encouraged
to work in cooperation with other congregations and their circuits
to determine the opportunity to multiply churches locally; and be
it further
Resolved, That congregations be encouraged to support church
multiplication efforts in their districts with their prayers, offerings, and other support for new church starts in the districts; and
be it finally
Resolved, That congregations explore and utilize the resources
available from the LCMS Board for National Mission in these multiplication efforts.
Action: Adopted (9)
(Res. 1-04A was one of three resolutions [also Res. 1-05A and
1-08] adopted as a group after brief discussion [Yes: 738; No: 31]. In
the case of Res. 1-04A, the committee accepted the deletion of the
words “who preach God’s Word and administer His sacraments”
after the reference to Matt. 9:37–38 as a friendly amendment.)

To Encourage the Congregations and People
of the LCMS in the Joy of Evangelization
and the Making of New Disciples
RESOLUTION 1-05A
Overture 1-02 (CW, p. 135)
Whereas, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has given to His
Church the Great Commission and actively calls His followers to
“[g]o therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold,
I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19–20); and
Whereas, Jesus, as Lord of the Church, has promised to build
His Church (Matt. 16:18), which promise He fulfills through the
evangelical activities of Baptism, teaching, and confession of the
Gospel that occur at the local level within the life and ministry
of each congregation and by persons in their Christian vocation
within the body of Christ and in the world; and
Whereas, The Pew Research Forum on Religion and Public Life
reports that “The number of Americans who do not identify with
any religion [and therefore do not confess Jesus Christ as Lord] continues to grow at a rapid pace…”; and
Whereas, God’s Spirit opens our eyes to look at the fields ripe
for harvest (John 4:35); and
Whereas, The Church’s proper response to the need for the
sharing of the Gospel of Christ for the salvation of souls is founded

R e s olu t i on s

on the pure teachings of Holy Scripture and the leading in faith by
the Holy Spirit; and
Whereas, The resources and assistance for mission initiatives,
church multiplication, and outreach are available from various
reliable sources for congregations, districts, and other agencies;
therefore be it
Resolved, That congregations be led in earnest prayer to ask the
Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into His harvest fields
(Luke 10:2); and be it further
Resolved, That all LCMS districts, circuits, congregations, and
their baptized members be encouraged to work collaboratively at
every level; to sponsor any of the following: a missionary, a church
plant, a specialized ministry, or a mission; and to give due time and
support to their chosen initiative(s); and be it further
Resolved, That this convention direct the Office of National Mission to work aggressively to increase awareness of its services and
resources for the Synod’s congregations, institutions, schools, and
professional church workers for training and equipping all God’s
people, members, and families for joyful evangelization, sharing
with confidence and courage their hope in Christ—namely, the
forgiveness of sins and eternal life in His name; and be it further
Resolved, That congregations and their pastors, circuits, and
other ministries be encouraged to seek opportunities for joint ventures to carry out the initiative(s) they choose; and be it finally
Resolved, That these joint ministry ventures be recognized, publicized, and joyfully celebrated with the blessing and prayers of all
God’s people in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
Action: Adopted (9)
(Res.1-05A was one of three resolutions [also Res. 1-04A and
1-08] adopted as a group after brief discussion [Yes: 738; No: 31].)

To Amend Bylaws 6.1.3 (h) and 6.2.1
(d), Auxiliaries and Recognized Service
Organizations to Respect Church Relations
Protocol Documents
RESOLUTION 1-06A
Overture 1-11 (CW, p. 138); President’s Report, Part 2 (TB, p. 17)
Whereas, The apostle Paul urges the Corinthians to do all
things decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40), and it is important that
the church, the body of Christ, in carrying out the mission the Lord
has given her to proclaim His precious Gospel of forgiveness and
life, work decently and in order; and
Whereas, Agreement on the mission together with uniform
practice will provide a context in which the church can be a good
steward of the gifts God has given; and
Whereas, “An auxiliary exists as an arm of the Synod and
has as its primary function aiding the Synod, specifically in programs that extend the ministry and mission of the Synod” (Bylaw
2 0 1 3 C o n v e n t io n P r o c e e d i n g s

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