Ethiopia cont. from page 1 systems in a foreign land.” When Rev. Dr. Dinku Bato (a native Ethiopian himself) accepted the call to LHF three years ago, one of his goals was to unite the scattered Ethiopian Lutheran church - the “diaspora,” Rev. Dinku calls them - using LHF’s translations of foundational Lutheran books like the Small Catechism and A Summary of Christian Doctrine. It’s been an effective and welcome approach. The first step is sharing LHF translations in the Amharic, Oromo, Hadiyya and Tigre languages with the 35+ Ethiopian Lutheran ethnic congregations that are already part of the LCMS system. “These congregations typically conduct their services in their native languages, as most of their adult members depend on their mother tongues for worship,” said Rev. Bato. “This very fact makes LHF books indispensable for their ministry, ranging from children’s Sunday school to adult confirmation classes. These congregations have been receiving literally hundreds of books such as A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories, Luther’s Small Catechism, and ‘Jesus Never Fails’ from LHF,” Rev. Bato reflected. The books are then also shared with other immigrant churches interested in Biblical teachings. “Even for many pastors, this is the first time they have ever seen a Small Catechism in their own language,” Rev. Bato said. “In America, it’s sometimes very surprising for them to see something in their language. They’re not expecting it, but we find them and send them His Word!”
SHARING THE FAITH WITH YOUR MUSLIM FRIEND What if you meet your African neighbor, and you find out he or she is Muslim? LHF has a resource that can help: Guidelines for Sharing the Faith with Your Muslim Friend: The Do’s and Don’ts. This 80-page booklet (written in English) provides a summary of the Islamic faith, outlines Christian beliefs that are difficult for Muslims, and offers winsome ways to introduce your Muslim friend to the Savior, Jesus Christ. To order your copy, send an email to info@LHFmissions.org, or call the LHF office at (800)554-0723. 2
TEACHING THE AUG TO 7TH Way back in 1530, Philipp Melanchthon presented the Augsburg Confession, an exposition on 30 points of the Lutheran faith, to Charles V, who had been crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clement VII. Would Melanchthon ever have guessed that nearly 500 years later, junior high students in Ghana would study his words, now translated into their Kusaal language? On the plains of northern Ghana sits Concordia Preparatory School (CPS), a Lutheran elementary school established a decade ago by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Salifu. While studying at St. Louis’ Concordia Seminary in 2006, Rev. Salifu had been impressed by seeing Lutheran day schools in action. In 2011, he established the first Lutheran school in his area of Ghana and immediately began introducing even the youngest students to Luther’s Small Catechism, translated by LHF into their Kusaal language. “The children, they can learn!” exclaimed Rev. Salifu. “In our school, children in nursery school and kindergarten memorize the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed and the Ten Commandments. In grades 1-3, they study the Small Catechism enchiridion and read A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories. “In grades 4-6, teachers lead their students in a deeper study of the Small Catechism and the accompanying workbook, and they memorize the Bible verses. So students in the junior
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