Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2013 · 65th Convention, St. Louis › Page 34

LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 34

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

SYNOD REPORTS
All of our staffers, in all of our divisions, serve the common purpose of the LCMS.
Witness, Mercy, Life Together

The figures reported in these charts reflect only the support provided for the benefit of the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Inc.
Office of the President
Office of International Mission (new structure)
LCMS World Mission (old structure)
LCMS World Relief and Human Care
Office of National Mission (new structure)
Various old structure departments (Youth, Stewardship, The 72, etc.)
Pastoral Education (excluding Joint Seminary Fund)
LCMS Communications
LCMS Mission Advancement

Excluded from these figures are gifts in support of the LCMS
Foundation, KFUO Radio, Concordia University System, Lutheran
Housing Support Corporation, and the Joint Seminary Fund (managed by the LCMS Foundation).
Communications
The LCMS Communications Department develops and executes
the synodwide strategic communications plan to include news, public relations, and other forms of information in order to engage the
Synod’s members in local, regional, national, and global mission
and ministry.
Introduction

One of the fruits of restructuring at the LCMS International Center
was the consolidation of the building’s various communication staffs
into one. Communication personnel from the former LCMS World
Mission and LCMS World Relief and Human Care joined their peers
in the former Board for Communication Services to become, simply,
“LCMS Communications.”
Today, our combined staff constitutes four divisions:
•

•

•
•

News and Information, comprising the Synod’s official periodicals
(The Lutheran Witness and Reporter); the online counterparts of those
publications; our news bureau and e-news delivery systems; graphic
design and layout; an array of other print material; and our newest
publication, produced in concert with LCMS Mission Advancement,
Lutherans Engage the World.
Integrated Communications, comprising public and media relations,
social media, advertising and marketing, business plans and rollouts,
ministry promotion, special events, and the Church Information
Center.
Internet, comprising the look, feel, content, and functionality of the
LCMS Web site and many other sites and blogs within the Synod.
Digital Media, comprising video and photography.

2013 Convention Workbook

At the dawn of this now-closing triennium, the newly elected
President Harrison pondered his new role and the task of restructuring the national office—the latter in response to the adoption of Res.
8-08A at the July 2010 convention. In doing so, he focused on the
foundational principles that define and direct the work of the church.
Along with members of his leadership team, he conceived of a new
expression and visual representation of the concept of Witness, Mercy,
Life Together, which would guide the work of the ministries of the
LCMS corporate entity headquartered at the International Center.
This phrase—Witness, Mercy, Life Together—illustrates how the
church lives and works together to proclaim the Gospel and provide
for our brothers and sisters in Christ in our congregations, communities, and throughout the world. In all we do, Christ is at the center,
leading us, sustaining us, keeping us focused on our mission. This
will never change. However, the manner in which this message is
expressed has changed.
It has become simpler, clearer. In marketing terminology, The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has refreshed its brand. Much of
our brand image—the shape of the LCMS cross, our church body’s
name—has stayed the same. But today we are using new communication strategies to help draw members closer to—give them a clearer
picture of—our mission.
We have changed the official color of the Synod’s tripartite logo
cross from burgundy to blue (though burgundy still is entirely appropriate). We have given our major groupings of ministries, under the
headings Witness, Mercy, Life Together, their own identifying “palettes,” complementary cross logos, and options for applying the
church body’s signature in association with their ministries. We have
cut down on the forest of logos, taglines, and trademarks that proved
so confusing over the years. In a word, thanks to the work of many—
not least the President’s Office, the restructuring-related committees
appointed by that office, and the collegial spirit of all concerned—
we have greater unification today than three years ago. And yet, amid
this closer integration, we have not sacrificed the distinctiveness or
potential for creativity of our various ministries. To the contrary, we
think those qualities have been sharpened.
For its part, LCMS Communications is considered a “green”
department (as opposed to a “red” one associated with Witness or a
“purple” one under Mercy). We are part of the family of ministries at
the International Center under the collective heading of Life Together.
But we serve everyone—this being more in the nature of a service
unit than a programmatic one. We even serve among ourselves. While
every member of the staff has his niche, his specialty, occasions are
common—particularly in times of natural disasters and other major
events—when it’s “all hands on deck,” when everyone must work
together on the interwoven facets of a common goal, and when versatility and “cross-training” of staff come in most handy.
This dynamic of a staff working in sync—not just among themselves but with other offices at the International Center and indeed
with people all across America and the world—came into play, to one
degree or another, in a number of the highlights following.
Highlights of the Past Triennium
News and Information
•

•

Launched a redesigned Lutheran Witness (January 2011)—unabashedly Lutheran, genuinely helpful and informative for readers, and
visually appealing.
Improved on the rate of annual “falloff” of Witness circulation, thanks
mainly to increases in individual subscriptions. Current circulation (as