LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 135

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1. WITNESS
1-01

To Conduct Synod-Wide Study of A Theological
Statement of Mission
Whereas, 1979 Res. 1-21 “[Resolved,] That each school of the
Synod in cooperation with the Board for Missions … develop an allpervasive mission vision and outreach”; and
Whereas, 1989 Res. 1-01 “[Resolved,] That the message ‘that
God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself’ continue to be
powerfully and sweetly proclaimed so that all our members are united
in their conviction that telling everyone what He has done is our highest priority and deserving of our ongoing commitment and constant
prayers”; and
Whereas, 1989 Res. 3-01 “[Resolved,] That the Synod strongly
urge all of its members, at every level, to commit themselves to a
deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the mission which
God has entrusted to His church”; and
Whereas, 1992 Res. 1-01 “[Resolved,] That the Synod reaffirm
its commitment to missions in all nations and cultures and focus its
priorities, planning, and action in accord with the emphases, basic
assumptions and l5 goals as outlined in the mission blue print [for
the Nineties]”; and
Whereas, The 1992 convention adopted Res. 3-01:
Whereas, The Synod in convention asked the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) to “initiate, facilitate, and develop
a theological Statement of Mission” which will “reflect the urgency, vitality, and joy of our historic confession of Christ’s forgiveness by grace
alone through faith alone as taught in Scripture alone” (Res. 3-02, 1986
Proceedings); and
Whereas, The CTCR, in November 1991, completed and distributed A Theological Statement of Mission (1992, CW, pp. 322–30) in
response to this request; and
Whereas, The Synod has called on its members to give high priority to God’s mission in keeping with His will that His church seize every
opportunity to give an uncompromising, yet winsome, testimony to the
Gospel of Jesus Christ which declares that He alone is the Savior of the
world and the only way to heaven; therefore be it
Resolved, That A Theological Statement of Mission prepared by the
CTCR be commended to the Synod for study and use as a tool to aid the
various units of the Synod for the development and/or evaluation of their
own mission statements; and be it further
Resolved, That all members of the Synod be encouraged to develop
a clearer understanding of their involvement in God’s mission and be
moved to participate in it with greater joy, fervor, and enthusiasm.

and
Whereas, 2004 Res. l-0lA “[Resolved,] That fulfilling God’s mission today requires all entities of the church to prepare individuals to
learn the cultures and languages around us in order to equip all the
saints (Eph. 4: 12) for mission and discipleship in our current age, so
that all honor and glory is afforded our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
who grows His church (1 Cor. 3:6) as souls lost are won by knowing
that there is only one name under heaven by which one may be saved
and that is the name of Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:9–11)”; and
Whereas, 2010 Res. 1-02 “[Resolved,] That the Synod in convention encourage every baptized child of God to be a bold witness
and a faithful confessor of the faith in these challenging times”; therefore be it
Resolved, That in the next three to four years, under the leadership and coordination of the Council of Presidents, every district carry
out an in-depth study of the 1991 CTCR document A Theological
Statement of Mission through its convocations, conferences, and/or
135

conventions, and that every circuit convocation and forum, every congregation, and every school of the Synod be encouraged to study,
discuss, and use this document, which was commended by the 1992
convention of the Synod; and be it finally
Resolved, That all members of the Synod be encouraged to develop
a clearer understanding of their involvement in God’s mission and be
moved to participate in it with greater joy, fervor, and enthusiasm.
Texas District Board of Directors
1-02

To Encourage Mission Support among LCMS
Congregations
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, Baptism and teaching occur at the local level within
the life and ministry of each congregation; and
Whereas, We open our eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe
for harvest (John 4:35); therefore be it
Resolved, That all district presidents of The Lutheran Church—
Missouri Synod encourage all circuits to work together to sponsor
at least one of the following: a missionary, a church plant, a specialized ministry, or a mission, supporting the initiative for at least four
years; and be it further
Resolved, That all congregations work individually or partner
locally, nationally, or internationally with the purpose of at least doubling the number of collective Baptisms or adult confirmations by
October 31, 2017, over their 2011 levels.
Southeastern District
1-03

To Encourage Church Multiplication as Means
of Making New Disciples
Whereas, Church planting or church multiplication is part of
God’s strategy to make disciples (Matt. 28:18–20; Acts 1:8); and
Whereas, Jesus Himself, as Lord of the Church, has promised to
build His Church (Matt. 16:18); and
Whereas, The local church is God’s mission agency in its local
context (Eph. 3:10); and
Whereas, God has designed all healthy living things, including
His Bride, the Church, to multiply; and
Whereas, A plentiful harvest demands aggressive disciple-making and church multiplication in order to reach a diverse population
(Matt. 9:37; John 4:35); and
Whereas, Religious demographers note that in the U.S., nearly 70
congregations die each week, and a district needs to plant the equivalent of at least four percent of its congregations each year to thrive
(David Olson, The American Church in Crisis, 2008); and
Whereas, New churches re-energize and refocus existing congregations on the mission of God; and
Whereas, The LCMS at its 2004 convention determined to start
2,000 new churches in North America by 2017; and
Whereas, Resources and assistance for church multiplication
and outreach are available from the Center for U.S. Missions, the
2013 Convention Workbook