Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 2026 · 69th Convention, Phoenix › Page 97

LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 97

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
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our partnerships in advancing Book of Concord Lutheranism
outside of North America continue to expand.

At the same time, we remain mindful that these resources are
not ends in themselves. In a world increasingly indifferent to the
faithful preservation of history, the Church’s historical treasures
must be actively placed in service of Christ’s work in our history
and ongoing promises. Our prayer and purpose: that more within
the Missouri Synod would come to treasure and trumpet Christ’s
redeeming work as it has been lived out in the life of the Lutheran
Church.
Every document preserved, every church record safeguarded,
every photograph digitized, every exhibit opened, and every student whose Lutheran identity is clarified and strengthened through
archival research bears witness to the faithfulness of our crucified
and risen Lord—who has sustained His Church in the age of Luther
and the age of Walther, Wyneken, and Pieper.
These responsibilities call for sustained focus as we press on to
increase value while reducing risk. With the continued support of
the Synod and CHI’s membership, CHI is committed to
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continuing the organization and cataloging of materials to
improve discoverability;

•

further ensuring the long-term preservation and safekeeping
of irreplaceable treasures;

•

expanding accessibility—both digitally and in person—for
those engaged in historical research;

•

fostering deeper gratitude for our distinctive Lutheran heritage among the saints today—for the sake of the saints who
will follow us; and

•

increasing long-term financial sustainability.

We meet these opportunities and challenges confident in the
steadfast promises of our crucified and risen Lord. As we treasure
and trumpet His work in the faith and life of the Missouri Synod, we
honor the saints who have gone before us, that we may inspire the
saints now and into the future.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which
clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that
is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of
our faith. (Heb. 12:1–2a)
In thanksgiving for the blessings over the last three years, CHI
asks for your continued prayers and financial support as we press on
to further the redeemed history of our merciful Redeemer among us.
Daniel N. Harmelink, Executive Director
R16

Concordia Publishing House
The world we live in today is constantly changing, often in directions contrary to our faith. But we know that the Word of the
Lord endures forever (1 Peter 1:25). Concordia Publishing House
(CPH) is proud to serve as the official publishing arm of the Synod.
It is our privilege to provide resources that equip congregations,
schools, and families to effectively share and teach God’s enduring
Word in a changing world.
From the days of CPH’s founding, equipping schools with resources to teach our children has been a priority. Our pre-K through

eighth grade religion curriculum, Enduring Faith, is now used by
a vast majority of Synod schools. We continue to supplement this
curriculum with online resources that provide additional value and
meet unique needs.
Our support of Lutheran schools is not limited to classroom
curriculum. In this “golden era” of Lutheran education, a significant challenge to the growth of our schools is the lack of rostered
teachers to fill the classrooms. We are excited for the April 2026
launch of Lutheran Educator Academy, a video-based resource for
use by Lutheran school administrators as they navigate the reality of nonrostered and often non-LCMS faculty and staff. We have
designed this tool especially with those teachers in mind. It complements other efforts to serve those teachers who choose not to or
have not yet completed colloquy by equipping them to understand
the Lutheran setting in which they are teaching and introducing
them to its opportunities, ways of thinking, expectations, and common language. An experienced mix of pastors and Lutheran educators have contributed to this.
During the COVID-19 era, our churches and schools recognized rapidly rising rates of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and
other mental health issues among our youth. In response, CPH
introduced Resilient Minds, a mental health curriculum for grades
5 through high school for use in our schools, and with additional
support materials for the home.
CPH is further serving families and children in an exciting way
through the launch of Words of Worship, a new program funded
through a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., within
their Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative. In
partnership with the Missouri and Northern Illinois Districts, CPH
has formed three cohorts of congregations to advise on and test out
a suite of resources related to Lutheran Service Book (LSB). As LSB
has been adopted by more than 90 percent of LCMS congregations,
we are optimistic about providing the full set of resources to the
whole Synod. The Words of Worship resources will be geared for
passing along the faith to children ages 0–8 and will release in multiple waves, beginning in 2027.
Providing faithful and accessible resources for children, parents, and other caregivers is also otherwise a high priority at CPH.
We are giving attention to the special needs of our time and the
particular challenges that families face. Children’s picture books on
the Nicene Creed and Baptism are recent releases, and an innovative new series called Bedtime Bible Journeys aims to help families
dig deeply into the Scriptures and recognize both Law and Gospel
as they do.
Another major initiative launched this triennium has been the
Arch® Book food bank program. CPH sends the books to LCMS
congregations and other organizations that sponsor food banks/pantries so that the families they serve can be fed both physically and
spiritually. Currently, over 10,000 books are distributed each week
through this initiative.
Academic publishing is a further ongoing focus for CPH. We
have published 50 volumes of the Concordia Commentary series.
We have increased the frequency with which these are released
and have also begun supplementing them for congregational usage with the Concordia Commentary Bible Study Series. Luther’s
Works volumes continue to release as well. In the spirit of offering
resources by academics but not only for academics, contributions
in our new Apropos series by the best scholars in the Synod address
important but carefully defined topics with clarity and depth. Initial
2026 Convention Workbook