Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 340

2026 Convention Workbook
305LIFE 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 
W
HEREAS, 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 
W
HEREAS, 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 wi thin 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/education-
youth/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, 
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 
W
HEREAS, 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 
W
HEREAS, The Church is beautifully diverse in language, 
ethnicity, and life experiences; and 
WHEREAS, The Pacific Southwest District houses both the Cross-
cultural Ministry Center and the Mission Training Center within its 
geographic confines; and