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LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 305

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

LIFE TOGETHER
[him] to develop a rule-of-thumb measurement—a
healthy church has at least 20 percent of its average
worship attendance participating in adult Bible study”
(ibid., 58); and “The Bible asserts that our spiritual
growth and health depends on our connection to Christ
through His Word. Those who dwell richly in that Word
demonstrate spiritual maturity and health, individually
and corporately. The Bible is our final authority on what
makes a church healthy” (ibid., 71).
and
WHEREAS, Lack of a strong baptismal identity that is not
regularly fed with the Word and Sacrament of Christ, especially in
the context of an increasingly secular culture, is a serious obstacle
in our calling to proclaim, teach, and share the Gospel, leaving the
baptized immature in God’s Word (Eph. 4:13–14) and ill-equipped
to “make a defense” (1 Peter 3:15) and engage in mission and
ministry activities; and
WHEREAS, That as the members of the Kansas District faithfully
and consistently “Abide in the Word,” the idols of vice are
continually loosened on their hearts, and the new man is freed more
and more to embrace those virtues the Holy Spirit is laboring to
grow within God’s people, so that we are fit for service to our
neighbor, equipping us for the tasks God has prepared for us;
therefore be it
Resolved, That the district and its members prioritize
strengthening baptismal identity in the coming triennium, equipping
and encouraging the baptized to stand firm in the faith and resist
being conformed to the world (Rom. 12:2) and to move forward
boldly as the baptized people of God to expand the kingdom by
being regularly in the Word of God at church and at home (Deut.
6:4–9; Rom. 10:17; Heb. 10:25); and be it further
Resolved, That the district and its members commit themselves
to weekly worship and the study of God’s Word so that faith in
Christ is nurtured and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Parents, then,
take what the pastor taught, and teach their children at home, as
Luther states in his Small Catechism, “As the head of the family
should teach them in a simple way to his household”; and be it
further
Resolved, That the district congregations and schools promote
and use weekly The Congregation at Prayer resources developed
by the district parish education committee (kslcms.org/educationyouth/parish-education/cap/). The Congregation at Prayer, which
coordinates with the Church Year calendar, suggests daily readings,
learn-by-heart Scripture and catechism verses, a hymn to sing,
along with a psalm and prayer to pray; and be it further
Resolved, That the district congregations and schools implement
Lutheran-based curriculum in parish, school, and home settings that
foster faith and growth in God’s Word across the lifespan from early
learning through adult education; and be it further
Resolved, That the district congregations be encouraged to bring
their youth groups together (e.g., Kansas District Youth Gathering,
etc.) at least once a year to study the Word of God and that circuits
provide ways (e.g., Theology on Tap, etc.) for adults to come
together to study the Word of God; and be it further
Resolved, That the professional church workers of the district
make every effort to attend the required yearly conferences, and be
encouraged to attend other gatherings (i.e., circuit winkels, DCE
Clusters, pre-Lent, summer continuing education opportunities,

305

Lutheran teacher conferences, etc.) where they can receive and
grow in the Word of God with other church workers; and be it
further
Resolved, That the lay people of the district be encouraged to
immerse themselves in the Word of God through such things as
congregational Bible studies, podcasts (i.e., The Word of the Lord
Endures Forever, thewordendures.org/), and other continuing
education opportunities (i.e., The Lay Bible Institute,
csl.edu/resources/continuing-education/lay-bible-institute/) where
they can continue to spiritually grow (Eph. 4:13–15); and be it
finally
Resolved, That the district memorialize the 2026 Synod
convention, recommending adoption of a mission and ministry
emphasis consistent with helping Lutheran Christians hold fast to
their baptismal identity, based solely in the Word of God, as is the
case with the Synod’s current emphasis of Making Disciples for Life
(2023 Resolution 4-02, “To Affirm and Continue Making Disciples
for Life as Mission and Ministry Emphasis for 2023–26 Triennium,”
Proceedings, 135–36).
Kansas District
Ov. 4-06

To Adopt Triennial Mission and Ministry
Emphasis on Clear Gospel Proclamation,
Unity in Christ, and Multicultural Ministry
WHEREAS, “The district convention shall, through the delegate
vote, forward to the national convention a list of two or three
triennial mission and ministry emphases for consideration by the
national convention.” (Bylaw 4.2.1 [d]); and
WHEREAS, The Apology of the Augsburg Confession (Ap) IV on
justification confesses the central teaching of the Gospel, namely,
that we are justified by grace through faith in Christ alone; and
WHEREAS, Rom. 1:16 (NIV) proclaims, “For I am not ashamed
of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation
to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile,” and
Smalcald Articles (SA) II I states, “The first and chief article is this:
That Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was
raised again for our justification (Rom. 4:25)” (Triglotta); and
WHEREAS, The temptation of the flesh and the work of the enemy
continually seek to distort, add to, or replace the Gospel with a false
alternative, and we confess that members of the Synod are not
exempt from this temptation; and
WHEREAS, Eph. 4:15–16 (NIV) reminds us, “Instead, speaking
the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature
body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole
body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows
and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”; and
WHEREAS, We should celebrate the unity we have in Christ; and
WHEREAS, Jesus commands His people to “Love one another. As
I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone
will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John
13:34–35 [NIV]); and
WHEREAS, The Church is beautifully diverse in language,
ethnicity, and life experiences; and
WHEREAS, The Pacific Southwest District houses both the Crosscultural Ministry Center and the Mission Training Center within its
geographic confines; and
2026 Convention Workbook