February 2022
We’re all called to serve God, and to share our faith in Jesus, no matter how we earn our living. We’re bakers, homemakers, physicians, transportation experts. Some desire to serve God through full-time, professional ministry in our Lutheran churches and schools.
The body of Christ is made of many parts, with different gifts. The apostle Paul tells us the reason for this when he writes, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Together as the body of Christ, through the district convention offering we can help to raise up workers in the Church. The goal of this offering is simple: to serve God and proclaim Jesus’ death and resurrection for the salvation of our children, our grandchildren, and
generations to come.
We have both an opportunity and a challenge ahead of us.
Here are some brutal facts. In the last 14 years, the LCMS has experienced a 59% decrease in our pre-seminary Concordia University enrollment, a 61% decrease in Lutheran teaching programs, and an average decrease of 52% in other Commissioned workers.
This means that in the past 5 years, throughout the LCMS, 51% of requests (1,212) for Commissioned Ministers were unfilled and 22% of requests (168) for pastoral seminary graduates were not filled.
Ten of our Northern Illinois District congregations, that’s 5% of them, have requested a seminary candidate for their next pastor.
We can take steps to clear away obstacles that stand in the way of someone becoming a church worker:
- We can “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matt. 9:38).
- We can encourage people who have ministry gifts to consider professional church work.
- We can provide greater financial assistance to those who feel the Lord calling them to ministry. Your congregation’s offering will provide tuition assistance to our professional church work students from the Northern Illinois District. We currently support 19 students.
You are encouraged to think about the future of all of our congregations and schools. Our LCMS church workers are knit into the fabric of our life together in the Synod.
We have both opportunities and challenges ahead. We care about the Church. Our communities need strong, Bible-based, Christ-confessing Lutheran congregations, schools, and ministries. We can embrace the opportunities and tackle the challenges together and make an impact with this convention offering!
