LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 17

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SYNOD REPORTS
that Funding Academy II and III have been set in motion. Funding
Academy III is a partnership with Concordia Plan Services, focusing on the care of workers.
“Sandals to Sneakers” was a successful children’s ministry conference held in Orange, California, and co-sponsored by the Pacific
Southwest District.
Rural and Small Town Mission (RSTM)

LCMS Rural and Small Town Mission (RSTM) understands that
many rural and small town congregations suffer from a lack of hope,
a lack of resources that are in tune with the unique culture of the rural
and small town setting, and a lack of training that addresses needs
of partnership ministry, revitalization, and leadership development.
RSTM is aware that these needs are widespread and felt across the
United States. Through extensive research RSTM has discovered that
more than 3,000 of the 6,000 congregations in the LCMS can be considered rural. Of those, more than 800 LCMS congregations are in
multipoint arrangements. The goal is to address these congregations’
needs by providing encouragement through training and resources.
Judging by attendee evaluations of events, the eleven 2012 Engaging
Rural Communities events and the 2012 RSTM National Conference
averaged an 80 percent approval rating. RSTM also provides training
through free monthly webinars on a variety of topics. Communication
is provided through monthly e-news and printed quarterly newsletters,
an active and growing Facebook page, and a Web site.
RSTM efforts moving forward are directed toward helping healthy
congregations find strategies and funding models for small town
church planting. When congregations are provided with multipoint
ministry and partnership models and guidance from subject matter
experts, they will find a multitude of new ways to serve God and their
communities together. RSTM will offer training on how to address
the unique needs of staffing, distance, use of properties, governance,
scheduling, ministry priorities, and the relationships of congregations
(based on size and budget) in rural and small town settings, allowing
congregations to reach out more effectively in mission.
Urban and Inner City Mission (UICM)

Urban and Inner City Mission (UICM) is a new ministry organized
in the spring of 2012 under the auspices of the Office of National
Mission, intentionally focused on Gospel work among LCMS ministries situated in the cities and urban areas. The urban sectors have
radically changed from as recently as 10 years ago, diversifying,
growing rapidly, and presenting challenges to safety, security, and
the delivery of needed human services for their inhabitants.
An overabundance of social problems, moral temptations, and the
assault on human dignity present the urban church with opportunities
to be creative and spontaneous in various and urgent ways for revealing the unseen Christ as the divine life source and hope for eternity
with God. UICM seeks to advance the revitalization of LCMS urban
and ethnic ministries, to understand the core issues, and to tackle them
without fear by relying upon the unyielding grasp of our loving Savior
Jesus Christ to preserve His message and His people as they shed His
light of grace upon people living in the darkness of sin and unbelief.
UICM models servant leadership and facilitates changing membership to discipleship through lifelong learning and individual active
engagement in outreach ministry. Discipleship can be catalyzed by
UICM-assisted urban mission learning (and serving) clusters, partnering with districts for conferences, seminars, and webinars that
build up Lutheran Christian faith, promote innovative best practices
nationally, and result in sustainable new missions.
Witness and Outreach

One of the goals of the Synod’s reorganization was to provide
support, services, and opportunities for God’s redeemed people to

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participate more closely with districts in providing witness/outreach
training to congregations.
The mission-critical work of “The 72” has been strengthened by
working more closely with the districts to do their domestic work of
witness/outreach. The underlying focus of all efforts has been to proclaim the Gospel while being good stewards of limited resources and
to contain the vital ministry of The 72. To accomplish this:
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51 volunteers, certified and available to partner with congregations
partnership agreements with 20 districts
11 field representatives for The 72 who cultivate district-recommended
congregations for witness/outreach training
34 congregations received training for witness/outreach
19 congregations are being cultivated for future witness/outreach training assignments
3,502 members of congregations were equipped for witness/outreach
2 team member training events for certification to serve congregations
for witness/outreach
203 congregations served, from all 35 districts of the Synod

An upcoming summit is being planned for 72 field representatives and district mission execs for cultivating new witness/outreach
opportunities.
Recognized Service Organizations (RSOs)

The granting of recognized service organization status by the
Synod signifies that a service organization, while independent of the
Synod, fosters the mission and ministry of the church, engages in program activity that is in harmony with the programs of the boards of
the Synod, and respects and does not act contrary to the doctrine and
practice of the Synod (Bylaw 6.2.1).
The restructuring of the Synod has provided clearer oversight
of RSOs under the Office of National Mission. This structure now
requires all RSOs to adhere to the same policies and requirements in
order to receive RSO status. Currently, 167 RSOs provide a diversity
of services from beginning to end of life. These organizations foster
the mission and ministry of the LCMS while providing acts of mercy,
witness, and life together.
RSOs have been blessed with the opportunity to diligently network and resource with the other ministry areas under ONM. They
are becoming more involved with our youth and school ministry;
rural/small town, inner city and ethnic ministry; and also the ministry of The 72. Resources are shared between congregations and RSOs
through these ONM ministry areas. Some RSOs have also benefitted
from consulting with other RSOs, which has enabled them to address
needs in their organizations and boards, including leadership skills.
Faith-based organizations are facing challenges imposed on them
by state and federal laws that infringe on their religious freedoms.
These challenges include the areas of same-sex-couple adoptions of
children, same-sex-couple habitation requirements for facilities for
the aging, and concerns associated with euthanasia.
Worship

The position Director, Worship under the Office of National
Mission was filled in May 2012 by Pastor William Weedon.
Throughout the past triennium, Worship has continued to provide
resources for the congregations and workers of the Synod, including
the highly popular LetUsPray and Lectionary Summaries. Beginning
in January 2013, Worship added a one-year lectionary version of
LetUsPray.
Worship also introduced Unwrapping the Gifts, a bi-monthly
e-zine that seeks to help pastors, musicians, and others charged with
worship leadership in their congregations “unwrap” the many gifts
and treasures of our rich and vibrant worship tradition by tapping
2013 Convention Workbook