Version History
Current published version
Today's Business, Issue 1. pp. 120-122. Original floor committee resolution.
No later published versions have been added.
Official Resolution Source Text
Resolution: 6-11
Canonical number: 6-11
Committee: Pastoral Ministry and Seminaries
Source: Today's Business, Issue 1
Printed pages: pp. 120-122
PDF pages: 120-122
Version: original, current-published-proposal
Source reference: Issue 1, pp. 120-122
Line numbers follow Today's Business, Issue 1, with numbering reset on each printed page, so delegates can compare this page with the official PDF.
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- To Embed Church Work Formation and Recruitment in the Culture of the LCMS
- RESOLUTION 6-11
- Report R1.2.3 (CW, 28–31); Overtures 6-76–78 (CW, 409–411)
- WHEREAS, St. Paul writes, “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he
- was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures … and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in
- vain and your faith is in vain” (1 Cor. 15:3–4, 14); and
- WHEREAS, God our Savior desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth through the one
- mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:3–6), and who sends
- pastors to preach the good news as He works saving faith in those who hear and believe the word of Christ (Rom. 10:13–
- 17); and
- WHEREAS, Jesus saw the crowds and had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
- without a shepherd, and said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly
- to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:36–38); and
- WHEREAS, In a world of sin and death, where the devil is relentless in seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8),
- and where millions of people are without Christ, therefore Christ’s command for laborers continues until He comes again
- (Matt. 9:35–38); and
- WHEREAS, The Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions testify that the Office of the Holy Ministry has been
- instituted by Christ Himself as a gift to His Church to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to administer the Sacraments
- publicly in the stead of Christ and by His command (John 20:19–23; Eph. 4:11–16; AC V); and
- WHEREAS, In love for Christ and His Church, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod established auxiliary offices
- (designated as ministers of religion—commissioned) to support the Office of the Holy Ministry and to assist the faithful
- in their God-given vocations (and in addition, for Lutheran school teachers, to assist and strengthen Christian fathers and
- mothers in their God-given responsibility to bring up their children in the nurture and instruction of the Lord [LSB Agenda,
- 203, 210]); and
- WHEREAS, Synod conventions since 1847 have repeatedly urged sustained, synodwide church work formation and
- recruitment in response to ongoing need (files.lcms.org/file/preview/building-a-culture-of-church-work-formation-and-
- recruitment); and
- WHEREAS, The 2019 Synod convention established a comprehensive, synodwide, collaborative, long-term initiative
- to form and recruit ordained and commissioned church workers, which became a culture of church work formation and
- recruitment known as Set Apart to Serve (Res. 6-01, “To Support and Participate in the Comprehensive Church Worker
- Recruitment Initiative”); and
- WHEREAS, Every major entity and sector in the Synod is fully partnering and collaborating with Set Apart to Serve on
- every level, including our two seminaries (and their Christ Academy and Vocatio recruitment programs), all of our
- Concordia universities, all 35 districts, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, Concordia Publishing House (CPH),
- Lutheran Church Extension Fund, Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry, KFUO Radio, LCMS Youth Ministry,
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- LCMS School Ministry, LCMS Family Ministry, LCMS Worker Wellness, LCMS Communications, LCMS Mission
- Advancement, Higher Things, the National Lutheran Outdoors Ministry Association, National Association of Directors of
- Christian Education, the Lutheran Education Association, and many more; and
- WHEREAS, Set Apart to Serve is becoming integral in the culture of the Synod when every congregation, family,
- school, circuit, district, and entity earnestly embeds and implements church work formation and recruitment in its mission,
- ministry, life, and work; and
- WHEREAS, Church work formation and recruitment are strengthened when every pastor, commissioned worker,
- parent, and layperson invests time in the intentional formation, encouragement, and recruitment of youth (from conception
- through high school) and adults to prayerfully consider and pursue a church work vocation; and
- WHEREAS, Set Apart to Serve has developed excellent, tested church work formation and recruitment strategies and
- resources for pastors, commissioned workers, parents, laypersons, districts, and second-career audiences
- (resources.lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve); and
- WHEREAS, Set Apart to Serve and collaborating partners have worked to address obstacles that hinder church work
- formation and recruitment (e.g., education costs, worker wellness, information, resources); and
- WHEREAS, The Synod is experiencing rich fruit of our labors through our collective Set Apart to Serve focus and
- efforts (files.lcms.org/f/sas-annual-report-2025), such as:
- • Awareness of Set Apart to Serve and its purpose has increased from 54 percent in 2021 to 91 percent in 2025 among
- clergy, from 39 percent to 91 percent among commissioned workers, from 26 percent to 58 percent among laity;
- • Intentional conversations with youth about considering church work have increased from 74 percent in 2023 to 83
- percent in 2025 among clergy, from 59 percent to 74 percent among commissioned workers, and from 19 percent
- to 30 percent among laity;
- • 16 of the 35 districts adopted a specific Set Apart to Serve resolution in their 2025 conventions, while all 35 districts
- are participating in pilot projects, focus groups, and social media ad campaigns;
- • Church work enrollments at our Concordia universities increased from 699 students in 2024 to 768 students in 2025.
- Deaconess enrollment at Concordia University Chicago and our two seminaries increased from 93 to 101.
- Enrollment in all pastoral formation programs in our two seminaries increased from 566 to 586. This is an overall
- increase in church work students in our Concordia universities and seminaries of 97 students from 2024 to 2025;
- and
- WHEREAS, Set Apart to Serve is not an end in and of itself but serves to rally and unite the entire Synod around forming
- and recruiting church workers from conception through adulthood, so that even if Set Apart to Serve is no longer a known
- name or brand, forming and recruiting church workers would be deeply embedded in the culture of the Synod until the
- Lord returns; and
- WHEREAS, If congregations, schools, districts, and entities prayerfully desire that our Synod be richly supplied with
- faithful pastors and commissioned workers for future generations, then every pastor, commissioned worker, parent, and
- layperson must continue the blessed hard work of forming and recruiting church workers; therefore be it
- Resolved, That every congregation and school of the Synod (conception–high school) be encouraged to implement a
- church work formation and recruitment plan in their mission and ministry plan within the 2026–29 triennium (see
- files.lcms.org/file/preview/forming-congregation-sas-focus-team); and be it further
- Resolved, That every pastor, commissioned worker, parent, and layperson of the Synod be encouraged to intentionally
- encourage youth and adults in their ministry setting and families to prayerfully consider a full-time Synod church work
- vocation; and be it further
- Resolved, That all 35 district presidents, education executives, staff, and board of directors be encouraged to
- implement a church work formation and recruitment plan in their district mission and ministry plan within the 2026–2029
- triennium (files.lcms.org/file/preview/forming-district-sas-focus-team); and be it further
- Resolved, That all circuit visitors be encouraged to include church work formation and recruitment as a standing item
- in their winkel agendas and circuit responsibilities, utilizing the quarterly Set Apart to Serve circuit visitor newsletter
- lcms.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c5b5a2837db31893114eebbb8&id=2fc11ae9e6&e=e92e2543eb; and be it
- further
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- Resolved, That all Synod schools (early childhood–high school) be encouraged to implement the Set Apart to Serve
- church work vocation curriculum published by CPH each year to supplement their religion curriculum
- (resources.lcms.org/initiatives/set-apart-to-serve-curriculum); and be it further
- Resolved, That district and congregation leaders and committees be encouraged to enhance their financial support of
- individuals who are enrolled in church work programs at our Concordia universities and seminaries; and be it finally
- Resolved, That district and congregation leaders be encouraged to intentionally address the compensation and overall
- wellness, love, and appreciation of all ordained and commissioned church workers in district congregations, schools, and
- entities.
