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Concordia Publishing House

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St. Louis, Missouri 63118-3968
CONTACT: Gretchen M. Jameson, Corporate Communications
Phone: 314.268.1298
e-mail: gretchen.jameson@cph.org


For Immediate Release



Synod
President
Gives
Insightful
Perspective
on
the
LCMS


New
Book
by
President
Kieschnick
Describes
LCMS
as
a
“Sleeping
Giant”



Twitter
Pitch:


Is
the
LCMS
a
sleeping
giant?
Get
President
Kieschnick’s
perspective
on
why
it’s
time
to
wake
up

now
@ConcordiaPub





Summary:


New
book,
Waking
the
Sleeping
Giant,
by
LCMS
President
Dr.
Gerald
B.
Kieschnick
assesses
the

status
of
The
Lutheran
Church—Missouri
Synod
and
discusses
the
future
of
the
church.




Saint
Louis,
MO
(March
1,
2010) —“People
in
our
church
body
have
a
right
to
know
what’s
in
the

head
and
heart
of
the
president
of
their
church
body,”
says
The
Rev.
Dr.
Gerald
B.
Kieschnick,

President
of
The
Lutheran
Church—Missouri
Synod
(LCMS).
“And
with
this
book,
I
have
the

opportunity
to
share
some
of
who
I
am,
and
what
I’m
called
by
God
to
do
in
a
way
that
hopefully

provides
a
combination
of
history,
present
diagnosis,
and
a
prescription
for
the
[future
of
the]

LCMS.”




Kieschnick’s
new
book,
Waking
the
Sleeping
Giant,
is
available
from
Concordia
Publishing
House.
It

provides
an
assessment
of
the
LCMS’
birth,
growth,
decline,
and
rebirth.
With
care
and
conviction,

and
from
his
unique
perspective
as
the
president
of
the
LCMS,
Kieschnick
explains
his
insights
into

the
current
challenges
within
the
Church
and
his
hopes
for
its
bright
future.
Written
to
pastors,

church
leaders,
and
the
individual
members
of
its
congregations,
Waking
the
Sleeping
Giant
offers
a

careful
reflection
of
and
generous
appreciation
for
the
mission
and
ministry
of
The
Lutheran

Church—Missouri
Synod.




Kieschnick’s
evaluation
thoroughly
describes
a
church
body
that
has
grown
to
over
2.4
million

members
since
its
beginning
in
1847.
However,
like
all
other
churches
across
North
America,
the

LCMS
also
faces
changing
and
challenging
times
that
will
impact
its
future.
He
says,
“I
believe
that

we
need
to
continue
without
apology,
without
any
kind
of
equivocation,
without
any
kind
of
diluting

or
denial
to
confess,
to
preach,
to
teach,
to
speak,
and
communicate
in
every
way
possible
what
we

believe
the
scriptures
say—even
though
some
of
those
positions
would
be
unpopular.

We
have
to

do
that
in
a
winsome,
sensitive,
compassionate,
loving,
and
caring
way.”




In
the
book,
the
President
describes
a
“sleeping
giant”
as
someone
or
something
fully
capable
of

accomplishing
much,
but
only
when
awakened.
He
explains,
“As
I
thought
about
a
“sleeping
giant,”
I

discovered
.
.
.
I
don’t
believe
we’re
sleeping
anymore.
I
believe
the
giant
is
awakening,
and
in
many

cases,
has
already
been
awake
for
a
long
time.
The
LCMS
has
not
really
seen
itself
in
the
same
way

that
many
other
people
have
seen
it.
While
we
have
done
much
to
serve
the
Kingdom,
our
church

body
has
not
accomplished
all
it
can
by
the
grace
of
God
through
His
leading,
guiding,
and

directing.”
Kieschnick
continues.
“I
believe
that
this
giant
is
awakening,
taking
more
time
in
doing
so

than
many
of
us
would
like,
but
awakening
nonetheless.”




On
March
30,
2010,
President
Kieschnick
will
discuss
the
book
and
his
insights
as
part
of
a
special

author
event
at
the
LCMS
International
Center
(1333
South
Kirkwood
Rd.
St.
Louis,
MO
63122).
The

event
begins
at
6:00
p.m.
and
will
take
place
in
the
newly
opened
Concordia
Historical
Museum
at

the
LCMS.
There
is
no
cost
for
admission.




To
read
more
about
the
future
of
the
Lutheran
Church—Missouri
Synod,
order
Waking
the
Sleeping

Giant.
Call
1‐800‐325‐3040
or
visit
cph.org
<http://cph.org>.


Resource Links:

Social Media Release: http://pitch.pe/49417

Concordia Publishing House: www.cph.org

Media Resources:



View this or previous releases or download via Word or PDF on Scribd

<http://www.scribd.com/cphnews>
.

Kieschnick Photo: http://bit.ly/bByLgj

President’s Office: http://www.lcms.org/pages/default.asp?NavID=602

Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS): www.lcms.org

Concordia Publishing House is a not-for-profit publishing company and the publisher of The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod. The company offers more than 8,000 products for use in Christian
congregations, schools, and homes. Visit CPH on the Web at http://www.cph.org.

###
Tags:
CPH, Concordia Publishing House, Gerald B. Kieschnick, President of LCMS, LCMS, Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod, Waking the Sleeping Giant, Lutheran, theology