2023 Ministry Report - Abbreviated 4-page Layman Version

A GROWING GOSPEL IMPACT

Through You

by CHAD FIX

BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST,

For decades, Lutheran Hour Ministries has proclaimed the Gospel to the world through a unique ministry model. It is one that identifies and equips local laypeople to build their presence and impact using strategies and tactics contextual to the culture and language in which they serve. But with billions of people today still not having heard the saving message of Jesus Christ, our mission is more urgent than ever.

As we go into the future, it is exciting to see how God is blessing us. Individuals worldwide currently experience the Gospel more than 195 million times each week through LHM’s efforts. But we know that God wants that to grow much further.

This is why we are embarking on a bold globalization initiative over the next five years that will allow us to exponentially expand our ministry work into places that we have not yet had an opportunity to explore. Building upon our successful model of hiring local staff, we launched an innovative approach to global expansion this year called the International Internship Program. This program uplifts the next generation of Christian leaders to do ministry in their local context, in their native language, in a contextualized way. This will lead to us hiring and equipping intern teams for ministry in 12 new areas over a three-year period.

Earlier this year, we identified four hub locations from among existing ministry centers to serve as

training centers. We provided them with a toolbox of philosophical and educational support that will help them equip an initial four intern teams of three individuals each to be as successful as possible when they begin ministry in their home countries of Peru, Nepal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kyrgyzstan.

Our globalization efforts also allow us to increase our focus on North America as a mission field, reaching the next generation here at home with the hopeful message of the Gospel.

Your ongoing prayers and generous support have put us in a position to embark on this ambitious plan that exponentially increases our Gospel impact. As you explore this ministry impact report, you will find that the International Internship Program is just one way God has worked through LHM this year. I hope you are humbled knowing that your involvement in this life-changing ministry offers people the opportunity to find answers and relief through the Gospel.

YOUR PARTNER IN HIS MISSION,

Kurt Buchholz CEO, Lutheran Hour Ministries

2023 Annual Ministry Impact Report

A Year in Review

HOW THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL IMPACTED LIVES THROUGH LHM IN 2023

The following are some ways in which Lutheran Hour Ministries was abundantly blessed by God during the last year thanks to your generous support!

Impacting People AROUND THE WORLD

LHM’s culturally relevant programs share the Gospel with people worldwide more than 195 million times each week. The new International Internship Program will expand global ministry more exponentially by uplifting the next generation of Christian leaders to do ministry in their local context, in their native language, in a very contextualized and specific way. Working through four existing ministry centers, intern teams with three individuals each are being trained to start ministry in Peru, Nepal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Kyrgyzstan.

To help people rebuild their lives following earthquakes in southern Turkey and northern Syria, LHM partnered with Lutheran Church Charities to bring emergency assistance to those in the region along with messages of comfort and hope found in Jesus Christ. Through the generous donations from supporters of both organizations, around 4,000 people per month have received basic necessities like drinking water, food, hygiene products, clothes, blankets, and more.

LHM continues to partner with SAT-7 and PAK7 to produce satellite television programming that shines the light of Christ into dozens of countries throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. Many viewers watching these broadcasts hear about Christ for the first time or have incorrect knowledge about Christianity.

During the 2023 LWML Convention, LHM received two $100,000 mission grants for the 2023-2025 biennium. The funds will help LHM share Christ with women and children in Central Asia and expand Gospel outreach to Hispanics in the United States.

In Paraguay, a staff member who is a trained psychologist and educator leads our Project JOEL youth program across 14 schools, ensuring students in both public and private settings can express their faith. Alongside her team, she integrates various field programs into the Paraguayan cultural calendar, leveraging national celebrations and special occasions to resonate the Gospel’s message with the youth.

Impacting People Through DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT

More than 35,000 elementary and middle school students participated in this year’s Gospel Adventures: Celebrate India program. This free resource is available to Christian schools, homeschools, churches, and individuals for use throughout the year. The five days of curriculum are filled with fun activities, videos, and an interactive website for students to learn about the featured country’s foods, animals, people, and places, while also being introduced to kids just like them living in India who carry their faith with them through day-to-day life.

A new audio program, the Gospel Adventures Show, provides fun, engaging, and meaningful content for parents and their young children by focusing on a Gospel theme and Bible verse and using stories, songs, games, and activities to share the love of Jesus. Initially released as a podcast, which averages nearly 700 downloads per week, the program now airs on more than 50 radio stations across the United States.

LHM’s successful prison ministry programs have restarted following the pandemic in many countries throughout Africa to bring hope to inmates who often do not receive speedy trials and encounter harsh conditions. These efforts have been recognized and appreciated by governments and prison officials alike, and LHM staff in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, and Madagascar have permits that allow entry to national prisons.

LHM–Myanmar staff and volunteers joined the Christian Music Fellowship group in a holistic spiritual support program for Internally Displaced People (IDP) who have been affected by war. The program shared God’s love through personal testimonies, Gospel songs, puppet shows, psychological support, games, and gifts of basic necessities. Attendees said this was the first time they have experienced generosity of this kind in an IDP camp, and they felt refreshed in their minds and spirits.

Pioneered and developed in 2017 by LHM staff throughout the Latin America region, Vivenciar. net is a bilingual platform that reaches Spanishand Portuguese-speaking individuals. More than 1.7 million visitors to the website from 85 countries have explored a diverse range of content covering 28 topics. The platform has also facilitated meaningful interactions with 8,300 individuals who started an ongoing conversation with ministry volunteers in Latin America and the United States.

In Arabic-speaking regions of the world, LHM’s social media pages continue to reach millions and engage thousands of people monthly. One of our main pages recently surpassed one million unique followers.

The rebranded website and social media channels for our digital platform, Thred, are now live. Thred’s upgraded content consists of blogs, courses, short videos, reels, stories, and other posts to fulfill its mission of inspiring and equipping every Christian to share their faith through winsome digital interactions that lead to meaningful spiritual conversations.

The Lutheran Hour entered its 91st broadcast season proclaiming the Gospel on more than 1,800 traditional radio stations throughout North America. The weekly broadcast is also available online, through an app, as a podcast, and on platforms such as Amazon Alexa, iHeartRadio, Spotify, and Sirius XM satellite radio. Special programming was also produced this year for Easter and Christmas. For Holy Thursday and Good Friday, two half-hour specials featured multi-voice character portrayals, re-enacting the tragic events of Jesus’ betrayal, death, and resurrection as recorded in Matthew 26-28. For Christmas, Empty Boxes presented an original story inviting listeners on a chilly car-ride home after a candlelight Christmas Eve service that became a turning point for a teenage boy—an enlightening moment he will return to for years to come. The programs were available online and aired on select radio stations.

Impacting People RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE

In 2018, LHM embarked in a partnership with Barna Group—an industry leader for research-based insights about faith and culture, leadership and vocation, and generational groups—for a critical study of faith in America. The latest research topic led to this year’s rollout of the Gifted for More Church Campaign. This fully digital kit includes a small group Bible study, sermon series outlines and slides, Path to Purpose curriculum, research materials (monograph, presentation, and slide deck), promotional assets (email headers, product and social media images, social and email copy, and slides), access to the EveryGift™ Inventory, and more.

As a complement to the Gifted for More resources, three new online mini courses through LHM Learn were unveiled in connection with this research topic. Each mini course looks at key areas in the research, digs into Scripture connected to that area, and highlights an interview with experts to further the learning.

Various aspects of the research findings and their application served as the foundation for presentations given by LHM staff at events across the United States in 2023. The annual Best Practices for Ministry Conference has been a terrific opportunity for church workers to come together and share conversation, learn best practices in ministry, and return home with innovative ideas. In addition to sharing ministry resources through our booth, LHM staff hosted three sessions:

“Leading Your Church to Love Where They Live (Empowering Your Congregation to Impact their Neighborhoods)”; “No Comprendo! – You Can Reach Your Hispanic Neighbors”; and “Your Church and the Digital World: Equipping People to Live Out Their Faith Online.”

Missouri Good Neighbor Week 2022 was recognized as the Best Neighborhood Program of the Year during this year’s Neighborhoods USA conference. Missouri Good Neighbor Week started as a project of the University of Missouri Extension Engaged Neighbor Program, and The Hopeful Neighborhood Project (HNP) from LHM joined as a partner last year to take the program from a county level to an award-winning state-wide program that resulted in 12,854 acts of neighboring in 63 Missouri counties. HNP was a sponsor of this year’s conference and had staff members present to the 625 attendees from 34 states during the opening session, as well as during three workshops and a project lab.

This year’s National Good Neighbor Day provided HNP with great opportunities to build organizational partnerships and expand its reach. This year’s celebration included 1,145 libraries downloading a free digital kit to promote this special day in their communities; more than 19,000 acts of neighboring logged during Missouri Good Neighbor Week; people from more than 1,150 unique ZIP codes participating in some way; and 10,000 Neighborhood Activity Books (including pages produced by HNP) being given to children in Springfield, Missouri, during a variety of community-focused events.

Bringing Christ to the Nations®— and the Nations to the Church through

195 million+

Times LHM Reaches

People with the Gospel Globally Each Week

1,661,840 Annual Responses to Outreach Efforts

358,452 Times Individuals Were Equipped Last Year to Share Their Faith More Effectively

40,516

Number of People Completing Their First BCC Last Year

240,000+

Engaged Constituents & 299 Staff Members

60+

Countries Reached by Ministry

254,595

Annual Referrals to Churches and Christian Communities

56,726

New Bible Correspondence Course Students Enrolled Around the World Last Year

1,800+

North American Stations Airing

The Lutheran Hour®

25,270 People Connected with Christian Communities Annually see next page

Consolidated Operating Income

15% - FUND DEVELOPMENT

10% - ADMINISTRATION

Consolidated Operating Expenses

International Lutheran Laymen’s League and Subsidiaries

Year ended May 31, 2023, with comparative totals for 2022

Lutheran Hour Ministries is the registered d/b/a name for the International Lutheran Laymen’s League. A copy of the full audit report is available online at lhm.org/report.

The LHM Board of Directors and The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation want to thank you for being part of the LHM family in 2023. The work that we are blessed to do is only possible because of God’s grace and the tens of thousands of passionate lay members and volunteers who partner with this ministry every day. Please continue to remember us in your prayers as we work to discern and follow the Lord’s guidance for LHM.

LHM Board of Directors (As of January 2024)

Chairman

Kurt Senske Austin, Texas

Vice Chairman

Kristi Matus Lakewood Ranch, Florida

Directors

Karl Abraham

Lochaber-Ouest, Quebec, Canada

Linda Arnold Oswego, Illinois

Ryan Bredow Gilbert, Arizona

Eric Brown Adel, Iowa

Jim Dankenbring St. Louis, Missouri

Kirk Farney Hinsdale, Illinois

Secretary

Donald Scifres Greenwood, Indiana

Treasurer

Melanie Braun Tempe, Arizona

Vincent W. James Boston, Massachusetts

Jonathan Laabs Roselle, Illinois

Virginia Miller Rochester, Minnesota

Rev. Tom Pfotenhauer Pastoral Advisor Woodbury, Minnesota

Gordon D. Tresch Williamsville, New York

The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation (As of January 2024)

Officers

Phil Daniels Chairman Tampa, Florida

David Leege Vice Chairman Alexandria, Virginia

Jeffrey Craig-Meyer President St. Louis, Missouri

Trustees

Matthew Brickler Warson Woods, Missouri

Kurt Buchholz

LHM CEO Grant, Minnesota

Thomas Dankenbring Kirkwood, Missouri

Sue Elsholz Birmingham, Michigan

Mercedes Hendricks Laguna Hills, California

Scott Homan St. Louis, Missouri

Heidi Hove Stillwater, Minnesota

David Lanius Treasurer St. Louis, Missouri

Lois Engfehr Assistant Secretary Collinsville, Illinois

Vincent W. James Board of Directors Representative Boston, Massachusetts

Jack Kidwell Bay City, Michigan

Aaron Pawlitz St. Louis, Missouri

Lloyd Probasco Grand Island, Nebraska

Kurt Senske Int’l LLL Chairman of the Board Austin, Texas