RESOLUTION 16-02

Overture 16-01 (CW, p. 476); President’s Report, Part 2 (TB, pp. 21–31)

WHEREAS, The foundation of every human society is the family as created and sustained by God (Gen. 1:26–28; 12:13; Matt. 19:1–9); and

WHEREAS, The family as created and sustained by God is under constant attack from the devil, the world, and the flesh; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Martin Luther’s emphasis and teaching on the household estate and the family vocations of husband and wife, father, mother, and child was a key insight of the Reformation; and

WHEREAS, The unmarried and widowed also constitute an essential and God-pleasing part of the family (1 Cor. 7:8); and

WHEREAS, Two demographic reports commissioned by the Stewardship Ministry of the Office of National Mission indicate that the biblical pattern of marriage, family, and child-rearing is negatively impacted by the secular culture of today; and

WHEREAS, These same reports indicate a decline of the Lutheran family over the past four decades in terms of accepting and nurturing God’s gift of life with joy and thanksgiving; and

WHEREAS, The family home is to be the place of forming Christian disciples; and

WHEREAS, Disciplining our children at home and in the church is key to reaching lost children and families; and

WHEREAS, Children are a blessing according to the Word of God, and serve as the future 1 of the Church; and

WHEREAS, The Office of National Mission has begun a Lutheran Family Initiative among its various programmatic ministries to begin looking at ways to strengthen the Lutheran family; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) currently has six mission priorities, to wit: 1. Plant, sustain, and revitalize distinctly Lutheran churches 2. Support and expand theological education 3. Perform human care in close proximity to Word and Sacrament ministry 4. Collaborate with the Synod’s members and partners to enhance mission effectiveness 5. Nurture pastors, missionaries, and professional church workers to promote spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being 6. Enhance early childhood, elementary, and secondary education and youth ministry

therefore be it

Resolved, That the convention commend the work of the Office of National Mission’s Lutheran Family Initiative; and be it further

Resolved, That the 2016 LCMS convention amend the mission priorities to include “Strengthen and support the Lutheran family in living out God’s design.”