Tribune staff reports
The 26th biennial convention of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League’s Indiana District was June 24 to 26 at the Bloomington-Monroe County Convention Center.
The theme of the convention was “Who’s Your Lord?” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:15-16).
The convention mission statement was “To know Christ and make him known.“
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Gary Thies from Mission Central, a missionary training and conference center in Mapleton, Iowa, was the motivational speaker. Mission Central is a place where missionaries can stay when on furlough, offices where correspondences and meetings can take place, facilities for statewide mission events and worship space for more than 300.
Mission Central is the largest mission-supporting agency of the LCMS World Mission global Gospel outreach and has been the conduit in helping to raise millions of dollars every year to send and keep LCMS World Mission missionaries in the field. Since 2003, Mission Central has had hundreds of visits from LCMS missionaries and their families and has had tens of thousands of people from hundreds of congregations visit.
LWML members brought to the convention Ingathering donations for Orphan Grain Train, 1,160 coats and other clothing items and 171 blankets and quilts; Community Provisions of Jackson County, 344 food items and 485 paper goods and hygiene products; and the Pregnancy Care Center, 18 cans of formula, 76 packages of baby wipes and 28 packages of diapers.
Members at the convention also helped fill 100 welcome bags for Indiana University students visiting University Lutheran Church in Bloomington; bagged 100 school kits for Orphan Grain Train; put together 100 learning kits for Hands of Mercy in South Sudan; cut and sorted stamps for missions; assembled 600 cards for Phil’s Friends;
made several hundred soap sacks for Hands of Mercy; and stocked 30 scrub buckets with cleaning supplies for Orphan Grain Train. Thrivent Financial’s Action Team donated $1,500 to fund six of these servant events.
Offerings taken at the convention were given for the Indiana District 2016-18 mission grant goal; LWML Indiana District scholarships given to young men and women preparing for full-time church work, Mission Central and for the Chinese ministry in the Bloomington and Columbus areas.
Delegates approved a $5,000 grant for Immanuel Lutheran Child Care Ministry in Seymour. It will help add an additional room for eight infants in August. Chris Behmlander submitted the request for this grant.
Members from Aurora, Columbus and Seymour zones served as hostess for the convention.
Delegates from Immanuel Lutheran Church in Seymour were Janis Mundt and Sharon Scott. Alternates were Lois Byrkett and Jan Behrens.