RESOLUTION 1-03
Report R1.2 (CW, pp. 18–21); Overtures 1-03–1-05, 1-08–09, 1-11, 1-13, 1-15 (CW, pp. 310–314)
WHEREAS, A mission priority of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) is the revitalization of Lutheran congregations; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 78 percent of LCMS congregations have peaked or are declining in membership and worship attendance; and
WHEREAS, Congregation revitalization is centered in the new life that is found in God’s Word being proclaimed in purity and His Sacraments being rightly administered; and
WHEREAS, The Office of National Mission (ONM) was charged by the 2013 LCMS convention (Res. 3-08A) to increase its ongoing focus on revitalization while offering continued evaluation of available resources; and
WHEREAS, ONM has met with the staffs of ten LCMS districts to determine how ONM can best support revitalization efforts in the Synod, and the consensus from these meetings was that the districts need ONM to produce effective, low cost, and doctrinally sound resources to aid congregations and to provide training for district personnel to deliver those resources to congregations; and
WHEREAS, In order to attend to the needs highlighted by these ten districts, ONM has undertaken the development of the re:Vitality program to provide resources for congregations through their districts that address revitalization needs from a distinctively Lutheran perspective; and
WHEREAS, re:Vitality is designed to meet a large-scale need for revitalization at little to no cost to congregations; and
WHEREAS, re:Vitality resources are designed so that they can be used in conjunction with other revitalization efforts currently in use in the LCMS (e.g., LCEF’s “Vision Path,” TCN’s “1910 Project,” district-developed visitation-based assessment programs); therefore be it
Resolved, That the current revitalization efforts in our districts and the local congregations be commended; and be it further
Resolved, That the ONM continue to develop the re:Vitality program and accompanying resources; and be it further
Resolved, That congregations be encouraged to make use of the re:Vitality program and its resources as these are made available; and be it further
Resolved, That districts identify personnel to ONM who may be equipped to serve as coordinators, facilitators, coaches, and trainers in support of the re:Vitality program within their districts; and be it further
Resolved, That ONM assess and report on the re:Vitality over the triennium to the 2019 LCMS convention; and be it finally
Resolved, That this convention authorize Synod-wide offerings for the purpose of creating and distributing print, digital, and other resources for the re:Vitality revitalization program and making those resources available to congregations through their districts at little to no cost to the congregations.
[The estimated cost to implement this proposed resolution appears in the Report of the Finance Floor Committee – found in Sunday’s issue of Today’s Business.]