|
 LCMS World Mission is the global Gospel outreach of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, a confessional Lutheran church with more than 6,000 congregations and 2.6 million members in North America. Our global mission focuses on church planting, mission revitalization, and outreach leadership development in the United States and around the world.
LCMS World Mission currently has active work or mission relationships in approximately 88 countries and maintains a total global missionary force of approximately 1,112. This includes 889 missionaries and personnel (career, long-term volunteer, international educators, spouses, contracted part-time, Ablaze! Alliance Missionaries and short-term missionaries in 2009) and an additional 223 military chaplains (Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Veteran's Administration, Civil Air Patrol, National Guard, and Reserve). A supporting staff of 58 at its headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., serves the missionaries, mission partners, and the members of the LCMS.
|
|
 |
|
Ablaze!® is a worldwide Lutheran mission movement to share the Gospel with 100 million unreached or uncommitted people by the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. It began as a vision of LCMS World Mission and has been adopted and affirmed by the 2004 Synod convention, 29 international partner churches and by individual districts, congregations, mission societies and other groups and individuals who have collectively pledged their commitment and personal involvement toward reaching the goals of the movement.
LCMS World Mission, in addition to developing the vision for Ablaze! and inviting others to join in the movement, will focus its efforts on providing leadership for the movement and in achieving the goals listed below in order that 100 million unreached and uncommitted people will hear the Good News of Jesus Christ by 2017.
|
|
Evangelizing unreached and uncommitted peoples worldwide
Unevangelized people and people who have been baptized but have fallen away from faith, are called and gathered into new or existing congregations to be discipled and equipped to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Outreach in the United States is targeted among ethnic minorities, new immigrants, international students, military personnel, blind, deaf and other groups with special needs.
- LCMS World Mission will plant 5,000 new communities of faith--2,000 in North America, and 3,000 with international partners in Africa, Asia, Eurasia and Latin America.
Developing leaders
New Christians in North American ethnic and special needs groups as well as in foreign lands are nurtured and involved in evangelistic outreach through the service of trained and called local leaders who have been selected by the people they serve.
- LCMS World Mission will train 4,000 new ethnic and indigenous leaders.
Working through strategic
alliances and partnerships
Relationships with national churches and other mission partners around the world are expanded and strengthened for the purpose of Gospel outreach. Currently we have official partner church relationships with 29 Lutheran church bodies throughout the world. We also work with mission societies and LCMS recognized service organizations.
- LCMS World Mission will send additional missionaries to build the capacity of LCMS partner churches and emerging national churches.
Providing guidance for mission strategy
Mission planning at all levels and in all activities is guided by a comprehensive strategy, which is shared with the entire Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, including its congregations, districts, mission societies and service organizations, so that mission efforts are collaborative and focused and work is enhanced rather than duplicated.
- LCMS World Mission will seize opportunities to begin new work among people who have no access to the Gospel.
Developing resources, recruiting personnel, training and equipping to involve the whole church in mission
Adequate material resources are gathered and allocated to support God's global mission. Mission communication, education and involvement materials and strategies are offered for LCMS congregational, district, group and individual use to inform and involve all LCMS members in God's mission. Talented, dedicated people are recruited and called or appointed to serve in God's global mission. Those serving or preparing to serve in God's global mission, both volunteer and career missionaries, are equipped and trained for effective, ongoing cross-cultural mission and ministry.
- LCMS World Mission will work in collaborative partnerships with LCMS members, congregations, districts, auxiliaries and mission societies to involve the whole church in mission through the Seven Mission Responses—Go, Pray, Learn, Give, Tell, Send and Celebrate—gathering and deploying the resources God has given to His people to use in His service.
|
