Plans are underway for The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod's next Great Commission Convocation (GCC) in 2002.

The Synod's Board for Congregational Services, which sponsors the event, has asked its staff and administrative committee to start that planning process.

Dr. Lyle Muller, executive director for the board, said that a date and location probably would be set by the end of this year.

At its Sept. 14 meeting in St. Louis, the congregational services board received a financial report on the 1997 GCC which indicates costs for the event were covered by registration fees from its 6,043 participants and by special gifts -- primarily from Aid Association for Lutherans, Lutheran Brotherhood, the LCMS Foundation and the Lutheran Church Extension Fund.

That four-day August event in St. Louis featured inspirational speakers, more than 100 workshops and mini-convocations, videos highlighting successful LCMS ministries, worship and Bible study -- all geared to helping Lutherans reach out with their faith.

Muller said that he expects plans for the 2002 convocation to also include those elements.

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This news release is published by the News and Information Division, Board for Communication Services, of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. Free subscriptions to this service are available by sending an electronic mail message to mailserv@crf.cuis.edu and include the words SUBSCRIBE LCMSNEWS in the body of your message. To unsubscribe, send the message UNSUBSCRIBE LCMSNEWS to the same mailserv address. For more information, contact Paula Ross at paula.ross@lcms.org or at (314) 965-9000.

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