Official Notice: 2016 LCMS convention (June 2016)

GENERAL INFORMATION: Voting and advisory delegates and representatives are reminded that the 66th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) will be held at the Wisconsin Center in downtown Milwaukee, July 9-14, 2016. The Opening Divine Service with Holy Communion will begin at 7:30 p.m. (with pre-service music at 7:00 p.m.) on Saturday, July 9, in Halls A and B, located on the 3rd floor of the Wisconsin Center. Following Matins on Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m., the first official business session of the convention will begin at 8:45 a.m. in Halls A and B.

HOUSING: All registered delegates and representatives should have received housing and travel information by this time. If this is not the case, delegates or representatives should notify the district office or entity they are representing at the convention. If a delegate is unable to serve, the District Secretary should be informed immediately so that he can properly register the alternate delegate with the Secretary of Synod.

ON-SITE REGISTRATION: Delegates and representatives should register on-site for the convention as soon as possible after checking into their hotels. Registration will take place in the Foyer — 4th Street, located on the 2nd floor of the Wisconsin Center and will be open at the following times:

Friday, July 8, 1-4 p.m.

Saturday, July 9, 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 10, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Monday-Wednesday, July 11-13, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Thursday, July 14, 8 a.m.-noon

Visitors to the convention are welcome and not required to register. Members of the working press are asked to register with the Communications Office, Room 203C.

DELEGATE ORIENTATION: An orientation session is scheduled for 1:30-3 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, in Halls A and B, located on the 3rd floor of the Wisconsin Center.

FLOOR COMMITTEE OPEN HEARINGS: Floor Committees #1-18 have open hearings the morning of Saturday, July 9, that will be held at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee located at 333 West Kilbourn

Avenue near the Wisconsin Center. The Hyatt Regency Milwaukee is connected to the Wisconsin Center by a skywalk.

The schedule of floor committee open hearings is as follows:

Floor Committee 1 – National Witness, 8:30-10 a.m.

Floor Committee 2 – International Witness, 8:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 3 – Mercy, 10:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 4 – Life Together, 8:30-10 a.m.

Floor Committee 5 – Theology and Church Relations, 8:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 6 – Seminaries, 8:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 7 – University Education, 8:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 8 – Parochial Schools, 10:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 9 – Finance, 8:30-10 a.m.

Floor Committee 10 – Stewardship: Funding the Mission, 10:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 11 – Structure and Administration, 8:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 12 – Ecclesiastical Supervision and Dispute Resolution, 8:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 13 – Routes to Ministry, 8:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 14 – Church and Culture, 10:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 15 – Reformation, 8:30-10 a.m.

Floor Committee 16 – Family, Youth and Young Adults, 8:30-10 a.m.

Floor Committee 17 – Preaching and Church Worker Cont. Education, 10:30 a.m.-noon

Floor Committee 18 – Worker Wellness, 8:30-10 a.m.

TODAY’S BUSINESS OFFICE AND ON-SITE SUBMISSIONS FOR PUBLICATION: Any materials for publication in a daily edition of Today’s Business (Room 202C) should be submitted by 3:30 p.m. on the day before the item could appear in print. All submitters must return by 6:30 p.m. to approve what they have submitted before it can be printed for the next edition. The Today’s Business office will be open Saturday, July 9, 9 a.m.-6:45 p.m.; Sunday, July 10 through Wednesday, July 13, 7:30 a.m.-6:45 p.m.; and Thursday, July 14, 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (NOTE: Personal notices are not published in Today’s Business.)

PRAYER AT THE CONVENTION: A prayer chapel, located in Room 101A on the 1st floor of the Wisconsin Center, will be open beginning the afternoon of Saturday, July 9. A box will be located in the chapel to receive any prayer requests. Additionally, prayer requests can be sent to Chaplain William Weedon via email at chaplain@lcms.org. Please indicate on your prayer request whether it is a private or public concern. We will lift the private concerns to the throne of grace privately in the prayer chapel. Due to the volume of prayer requests received we cannot promise that each public prayer will be offered during public worship, but the chaplains will lift each concern in private prayer. Chaplain Weedon and Assistant Chaplain Peter Bender will be present throughout the convention and will personally offer prayer with anyone who desires it. Note that the prayer chapel is closed during the lunch break each day when it will be used for private confession and absolution.

PRIVATE CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION: Anyone desiring to receive private absolution may do so during the convention. The prayer chapel, located in Room 101A on the 1st floor of the Wisconsin Center, will be closed to public use during the lunch break each day (from Sunday through Wednesday) and used for private confession and absolution. When the door is open, you may simply enter and the pastor will guide you through the service; when the door is closed, please wait outside the chapel until it is opened again. A closed door during the lunch hour indicates that the room is occupied and being used for private absolution.

CONVENTION NATIONAL OFFERING: The National Offering will be received during the opening service, Saturday, July 9. Delegates who are carrying congregational or individual National Offering gifts with them to the convention are encouraged to submit them during this service. National Offering gifts can also be delivered to the Synod’s display in the exhibit hall; however, the opening service is the preferred option.

INTERNET ACCESS: The Wisconsin Center has FREE Wi-Fi everywhere throughout the building. The complimentary service is best suited for light use with a speed of about 256 Kbps (upload and download). This service is upgradable at prevailing rates and can be configured throughout the Wisconsin Center campus.

For more information, visit the convention website at lcms.org/convention.

Raymond L. Hartwig, Secretary, LCMS

Posted June 1, 2016