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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 33

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
ity storytelling and photography, Engage stories often include video and audio components (engage.lcms.org). Currently, the LCMS
mails just under 72,000 copies of each issue to subscribers.
Since the last convention, Engage has told over 35 stories of
work in more than 30 countries, requiring over 20 international
trips for Communications staff. Within the U.S., Engage has shared
well over 40 stories showing how LCMS ministries have partnered
with LCMS districts, congregations, church workers, RSOs, and
others in the work of God’s Mission Here. Staff collected stories,
photos, and videos from disasters such as hurricanes Helene and
Milton and fire-ravaged Los Angeles County. Multiple stories were
told of church-planting efforts in Texas, Kansas, and Wisconsin.
Work with youth, whether in relation to the LCMS Youth Gathering, YouthLead, or Servant Events, also received significant attention, among many more stories.

A.4. Journal of Lutheran Mission
The last triennium also saw the relaunch of the Journal of Lutheran Mission (JLM) with the Office of International Mission
(OIM). The updated digital journal now includes a peer-review
process handled by the theological educators of the OIM. It stands
at the forefront of a Book of Concord Lutheran perspective on
mission. It includes articles submitted by OIM educators, LCMS
scholars, and global partner church leaders. This year, JLM plans
to publish four issues with topics ranging from justification to the
practice of church planting nationally and internationally. See more
at lcms.org/journal-of-lutheran-mission.

B. Production
Each year, the production team coordinates the work of several
hundreds of projects and pieces of content created, edited, and published by LCMS Communications on behalf of LCMS ministries,
districts, and congregations. This means coordinating the work of
all these various groups in the common goal of directing all material published by the LCMS to the glory of Christ and for the salvation of souls. Some key projects over the last triennium include:
•

The International Church Relations Conference: An extended conference booklet that included materials for theological
presentations, worship, and more, as well as a book of the
previous years’ conference papers and video coverage of
presentations and interviews.

C. Web
Our small, dedicated web team maintains the LCMS’ online
presence. The current website has been visited by over 4 million
users, garnering over 25 million views in the last triennium. The
website consists of many thousands of pages of content offering
resources to districts, congregations, and church workers to help
LCMS churches and schools remain faithful in proclaiming Christ
crucified. The team also manages and updates ministry pages, giving pages, missionary information, and more.
Over the last two years, the web team has begun evaluating the
LCMS’ current web technology stack to determine the best way
forward to provide a revitalized online presence for the LCMS. In
the near future, the web team plans a full overhaul of the current
website to better serve the mission of the Synod.

D. Design
The department’s design team provides “branding from the inside out.” This team works closely with production and all LCMS
ministries to provide resources that adhere to LCMS brand guidelines while also serving the proclamation of Christ in an engaging
manner. The team also designs the publications of the Synod, including The Lutheran Witness and Reporter on a monthly basis and
Lutherans Engage the World and the Journal of Lutheran Mission
on a quarterly basis. In all they do, they seek to point to Christ and
Him crucified for the sins of the world.

E. Video
Video remains a key channel for raising awareness of the
church’s work and teaching God’s people His Word. Over the last
triennium, the team has faithfully recorded the mission work of the
Synod, showing the extent of the LCMS’ care for those in need and
its proclamation of the Gospel.
Over the next three years, the video team seeks to increase both
the quality and quantity of doctrinally sound video content for
LCMS Lutherans and those beyond the Synod. New, engaging, and
easily digestible videos will educate and strengthen the faith of current and potential members of the Synod’s congregations. Offering
various types of content will support God’s people as they grow in
and learn more about God’s Word.

F. Social Media

•

2024 Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music: This
project included coordinating with LCMS Worship to produce and design a conference booklet, a devotional sheet for
every psalm, videos of keynote presentations, and more.

•

Digging Deeper resources: A refreshed and updated edition
of the Living Planted resources that provide Bible studies,
studies on vocation and Christian living, and more.

•

Office of International Mission (OIM) resources: Worked
with the OIM to create missionary training and recruitment
materials.

In addition to maintaining the LCMS social media presence,
LCMS Communications has spent time over the last triennium
evaluating and prioritizing social media activity. Over the last five
years, research has demonstrated the deleterious effects of social
media on users of all ages, but especially the long-term, harmful
effects of social media on children and teenagers. It is incumbent
upon the church to use social media in a way that mitigates potential harm, even if that means a temporary reduction in overall reach.
Additionally, changes in social media algorithms have increasingly made these platforms less than ideal for marketing and raising
awareness.

•

Conference booth at the 2025 Youth Gathering and 2025
LWML Convention: Coordinated and staffed the official
LCMS booths at these two major conferences, which required significant preparation months in advance as well as
organizing multiple staff from multiple departments at the
booths.

The LCMS social media strategy is adjusting to focus less on
quantity and more on higher quality content tailored to individual
platforms. This reduced cadence has already demonstrated higher
engagement on posts. The strategy also focuses more on providing
content that teaches rather than as a marketing tool, thus building
up and encouraging God’s people.
2026 Convention Workbook