Reports - Central Illinois District - Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

5. The warm and caring fellowship of smaller mission congregations can be attractive tothe unchurched, whereas much larger established churches may seem formidable to theoutsider.6. Your congregation or group of congregations is close to the local scene. You haveaccess to data and people that are invaluable in starting a new mission.7. Churches do not want to plant mission churches for fear of losing their members.Experience shows that when a congregation or group of congregations gets involved inplanting a mission God replaces the members it may “give up” to the mission. Moreimportantly, its level of spiritual awareness and enthusiasm for mission reaches newheights.Luke 6:3838 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together andrunning over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will bemeasured to you.8. In some cases, bigger may be better. Large congregations with excellent staff,programs, and facilities can offer much. In other cases, larger churches generally havea lower percentage of their members participating in worship and activities. They mayfind it difficult to create a close bond among members and find many who complain ofbeing unheard and left out. They may see their number of inactives growing.Many congregations are in a decline or plateau pattern. They need either to plan andstructure for growth or start a new church.9. In some cases, congregations consider relocation, leaving behind a community that stillneeds to be served. Who will serve them if you leave? Why not stay where you areand plant a new church in the proposed new area?10. To set out in a new direction we need people of vision. God blesses his people withvision and strength when they attempt great things for Him. Planting a new missionwill attract and develop new leaders in both churches. God does not put a challengebefore us without giving us the resources to meet it.Matthew 2819 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of theFather and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything Ihave commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.11. New missions attract people who may be hard for established churches to win.Planting new churches is an effective and cost efficient method of evangelism.12. New missions tend to be evangelism minded.2009 Convention Section B – Reports Page 24