The Lutheran Layman

THE

LUTHERAN L AYMAN January - February 2014

Your Partner in HIS Mission!

What About

Mormons?

by Alvin J. Schmidt

M

ormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), contend that they are Christians.

Even non-Mormons have published articles and books making the same argument. Thus, it is also stated or implied that the Mormon church is really just another Christian denomination. The Pew Research Center in 2012 reported that 97% of Mormons said their religion was Christian; 51% of non-Mormons voiced the same opinion; 32% of the non-Mormons said no; and 17% were not sure.

How do YOU see it? see page 3

How to Interact With Mormons

OGT Shipment Reaches Latvia

2013 Ministry Report

Changing Lives Where You Live

page 5

page 8

pages 11-14

page 15

speakingup Speak HIS Truth Lovingly

by Rev. Gregory Seltz Speaker of The Lutheran Hour

W

e’ve have been talking the last few months about “bridge-building” for effective witnessing. There is work to do for “paving a way” into someone’s life as a Christian friend. But, remember, what’s the goal of all bridge-building? To share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone so that they understand His unique love for them personally. That’s the goal. That’s why you “pray for people specifically that God would open doors and hearts.” That’s why you “listen like you mean it,” because you do. That’s why you try to understand their worldview, because you want them to see Christ’s kingdom as their only lasting hope. And, that’s why you ready yourself to speak “the truth in love,” always with gentleness and respect” when the opportunity presents itself, and it will!

St. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:15 to “speak the truth, so as to grow up into Christ.” He’s talking about how the church is to be built up by Christ through His people, learning, loving, and serving one another in Christ. But, later in the chapter he also says in verse 25, “Put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor” as well. Christian witness is to be witness of the truth of Jesus Christ, the truth of God’s Word to church members, to neighbors, even to one’s enemies. That means we are going to continue to need to “grow in Christ” by growing in His Word. You can’t witness about what you don’t understand.

Christians need to “let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly.” It’s not just informa-

L AYMAN

tion, it is the power of God for our salvation, it is the wisdom of God for our daily lives.

So, know the truth to speak the truth, but speak it as the opportunity arises. If you are a bridge builder for witness, there will come a time when your friends and acquaintances will see that there is something different about you.

They will want to know “what makes you tick” just like you want to know them more deeply as friends. When that time comes, there are plenty of ways to share the truth of the Gospel already written for you in the Word. You can talk about “forgiveness by Grace, adoption by Grace, Reconciliation by Grace, redemption by Grace.” You can talk about Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, the Life; the Vine; the Good Shepherd; the Water of Life, the Bread of Life, and on and on.” There are many ways to “illustrate what is unique in Christ, with Christ for all.” Be ready to “speak His Truth,” because the things of Jesus Christ give life and salvation to all who believe.

But speaking truth means that witnessing will also involve times of speaking difficult truths.

There is brokenness and sin in people’s lives, in our own lives. The key for speaking the truth here is as Paul says, “with love.” Say what needs to be said for them, not for yourself. Realize that others spoke the truths of Christ to you with gentleness and respect, not arrogance and condescension. Speaking the truth in love is hard work especially in a world that seems to enjoy lies, half-truths, character assassinations, and sometimes their own sins. Christian people are to be different than that because we are His people, speaking His truth with His love so that others might get to know HIM! God bless your witness! n

The Lutheran

Vol. 85, No. 1 January - February 2014

Gerald Perschbacher (LL.D.), Editor • Denis Kloppenburg, Layout Subscription: $5. Printed bi-monthly. Send color photos for use. Photos sent to the paper may not be returned. Lutheran Hour Ministries, The Lutheran Hour, Bringing Christ to the Nations, BCTN, By Kids...For Kids, JCPlayZone, Life...revised, Living for Tomorrow, This is the Life, On Main Street, Ayer, Hoy y Siempre, Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones, Esta Es La Vida, Para el Camino, Woman to Woman, Family Time, Teacher to Teacher, Reaching Out and The Hoffmann Society are registered marks, or SM service marks. The Puzzle Club is a service mark and trademark of Int’l LLL. Copyright 2014, Int’l LLL

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

2 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

The Habits We Keep

by Brad Neathery

For most people, if you do something enough times it becomes a habit. Nobody tells you to turn a light on in a dark room; you’ve been doing it since you were big enough to reach the switch. Likewise, nobody has to tell you to eat when you’re hungry or look at the road when you’re driving; you’ve developed habits for these things.

New York Times business writer Charles Duhigg wrote a book about this (“The Power of Habit”).

Duhigg says that the first part of a habit is the cue, or trigger, to which you’re responding. Over time, your brain learns to respond to that trigger the same way every time by turning on the light when it’s dark or by eating a meal when you’re hungry.

These are physical habits, but as Christians we have other habits which exist in us spiritually. When we see people in desperate circumstances, our habit is to search for ways that we can help.

When we see someone who does not know Christ, our habit is to yearn for them to come to know our Savior.

Lutheran Hour Ministries wants to help you start a new habit in 2014. You can set up an automatic gift that allows you to make affordable gifts to the ministries on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual schedule. This habit can give you peace of mind and confidence that you will be there as we share the truth of Christ.

Lutheran Hour Ministries knows that you want to see the Gospel shared with every person who is lost or unreached. Only Christ can save, but He calls those who believe in Him to share His love and forgiveness with their brothers and sisters here on earth. Through automatic giving, you join in that mission around the world every day. n For more information: Online: www.lhm.org/automaticgiving Email: lhm-gift@lhm.org Phone: 1-800-944-3450 .

What About Mormons? (from page 1) Mormon Religious Sources Look at the basics. Mormon religious beliefs and teachings are not mainstream Biblical but are derived from four religious documents: “The Book of Mormon,” “Doctrine and Covenants,” the “Pearl of Great Price” (containing the Book of Moses, the Book of Abraham, Writings of Joseph Smith, and the Articles of Faith), and the King James Bible. The Bible is only accepted in so far as it is “correctly translated,” according to Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of Mormonism. In addition, Mormons believe in ongoing (progressive) revelation: a group of 15 apostles, known as “prophets, seers, and revelators,” may occasionally receive new revelations from God to impart to the people.

If true believers in Christ are to witness to Mormons, it’s wise to understand that religion’s perspective.

“We Are Christians,” A Recent Claim Mormons became bold in saying they are Christians about 30 years ago. But now it is commonplace. Some say, “Of course, we are Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of Mormonism.

Christians. The name ‘Jesus Christ’ Jesus. This choice so angered his is even part of our church’s official In all of Smith’s spirit brother that he rebelled name, the Church of Jesus Christ writings he never with many following him (Book of Latter-Day Saints.” To the uninof Abraham 3:28). “And he beformed—Christians and non-Chris- identified himself came Satan [Lucifer], yea even tians—this may sound like a good as a “Christian,” the devil, the father of all lies to answer. But is it? No, for having the nor did he ever deceive and to blind men . . .” name Jesus Christ as part of the offi(Book of Moses 4:4). cial name of this church body does refer to his The Book of Mormon that not necessarily mean its teachings followers Smith said he translated from the and practices are compatible with golden plates of the angel Moroni what Jesus taught. Here it is import- as Christians consists of 15 books. In one, the ant to remember what Jesus said when he warned that in his name “false prophets Book of Mosiah, Jesus is misrepresented in a reference to him as “the very Eternal Father” (16:15). And will rise and lead many astray” (Matthew 24:11). in still another book, Jesus is misrepresented as saying, “I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son” Mormonism Falsely Portrays Jesus Christ Jesus’ words about false prophets leading (Ether 3:14).

The false portrayals of Jesus Christ are and remain many astray are a fitting description of the Mormon church from its very beginning: founder an integral part of Mormon doctrine, not only beJoseph Smith taught that Jesus was God’s first- cause they have never been repudiated by the leadborn spirit child, and that he had a spirit brother. ers of the LDS, but also because Smith, who enunciIn the Book of Abraham and the Book of Moses ated them, is still honored as “the great Prophet,” as (two official Mormon sources), God the Father Gordon B. Hinckley (15th LDS president) called him asks his son Jesus and his spirit brother whom in the periodical Ensign (May 2002, 90).

When the Book of Mormon came off the press in he should send to save the sinful world. Jesus responded first. “Here I am, send me” (Book of 1830, it had no subtitle. But in 1982, the LDS added Abraham 3:27). But his spirit brother also want- the following subtitle, “Another Testament of Jesus ed to be chosen. So he said, “Behold, here I am, Christ.” It was another misrepresentation of Jesus, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all this time by Mormonism’s 15 apostles, its modern mankind, that not one soul shall be lost, and I prophets and revelators. This addition was one of the surely will do it; wherefore give me thine honor” early attempts by the LDS to put a “Christian face” (Book of Moses 4:1). But God the Father chose on its made-in-America religion.

Truly Biblical?

Officially, LDS Mormons confess 13 “Articles of Faith.” The first article states, “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” Many Mormons cite this article to tell the public, including Christians, that they accept the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity, as further evidence that they are Christians.

A cursory reading of this article may lead some to conclude that Mormonism does indeed confess the Triune God (three persons in one divine essence). Unfortunately, it does not. For Smith’s teachings clearly deny the Trinity. In a sermon on June 16, 1844, 11 days before he was assassinated, he declared, “I will preach on the plurality of Gods.” Then he proceeded to assert, “Many men say there is one God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one God. I say that is a strange God anyhow—three in one, and one in three. It is a curious organization.” And he continued, “All are crammed into one God . . . It would make for the biggest God in the world. He would be a wonderfully big God—he would be a giant or a monster” (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 6:474, 476). This account of the Triune God is far removed from the historic formulation of Christianity’s Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed of the fourth century. In spite of Smith’s facetious remarks regarding the Trinity, Mormons continue to tell Christians that they too believe and accept the Biblical doctrine of the Trinity.

Mormonism Teaches God Was Once a Man In addition to Mormonism’s unorthodox understanding of the Trinity, it has still another erroneous concept of God. It teaches that God was once a man. According to Smith, “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 345). Briefly stated, some exalted man progressed to become God and, according to Smith, has a material body.

“The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22).

This contradicts the Bible’s pronouncement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). It further rejects the Biblical teaching that “God is Spirit” (John 4:24).

Mormonism Teaches Man Can Become God On July 12, 1843, Smith told his followers, “Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them” (Doctrine and Covenants 132:20). An editorial footnote in this Mormon document says man has the “potential to become like the heavenly Father.” The Mormon conviction that man can become God see next page The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014 3

What About Mormons? (from page 3) prompted Lorenzo Snow (5th LDS president) to pen the following couplet: “As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become.”

Mormons Believe in Many Gods Theology of the LDS is polytheistic. Smith taught, “In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods, and they came together and concocted a plan to create the world and people it” (Teachings, op. cit.). In Smith’s Book of Abraham the plural “Gods” appears 45 times. The following are two examples. “And the Gods took man and put him in the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (5:11). “And of the rib, which the Gods had taken from man, formed they a woman, and brought her unto the man” (5:16).

Christian Church is “Abominable” Given that 97% of today’s Mormons say they are Christians, together with their seeing the LDS as a Christian church, they apparently have never read or accepted the Book of Mormon’s unmitigated condemnation of the Christian church. In I Nephi 14:9 the Christian church is castigated as “that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the devil.” This book further states that “the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of all harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth . . .” (I Nephi 14: 17). Smith also said, “All its creeds were an abomination in His [God’s] sight” (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1:6). Thus, Smith did not hesitate to proselytize members from any church body to make his newly formed church grow in numbers.

To escape this accusation, Mormons say that Smith singled out the Roman Catholic church. But this argument is specious, given that the word Roman or Catholic does not appear in the entire Book of Mormon, nor does it appear in Smith’s other writings.

Interestingly, in all of Smith’s writings he never identified himself as a “Christian,” nor did he ever refer to his followers as Christians. This is all the more noteworthy given that he initially (in 1830) named his man-made religion the “Church of Christ” and later changed the name to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Smith’s condemnation of the Christian church also is not confined to the Book of Mormon. It is also evident in the architecture of Mormon temples. All LDS 4 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

temples, aside from usually having a statue-like figure or a picture of Jesus in their interior, never display any Christian symbols, such as the communion chalice, baptismal shell, the Alpha and Omega, Ichthus (fish), a triangle (symbolizing the Trinity), or the cross. Instead, one often finds mostly pagan symbols, such as sunstones, crescent-shaped moonstones, all-seeing eyes, and inverted pentagrams, all reminiscent of Masonic occult symbols.

Joseph Smith and Muhammad of Islam As documented in my book The American Muhammad: Joseph Smith, Founder of Mormonism (2013), and as noted above, every Mormon temple is devoid of the Christian cross. This reflects Smith’s pronounced anti-Christian theology, a conviction he shared with Muhammad, the founder of Islam. Muhammad, whom Smith took as his role model, also had an intensely anti-Christian disposition, and along with that animosity he, too, despised the Christian cross. Evidence indicates he even broke crosses and any item that resembled a cross. His despising the cross is still seen today in most Islamic countries that follow Muhammad’s theology.

Thus, for instance, it is illegal in Saudi Arabia for Christians to wear a cross, and it is equally against the law to display a cross on private or public property.

Most readers have likely seen the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s annually televised Christmas concert from Salt Lake City. In keeping with Mormonism’s rejection of the Christian cross, this concert’s setting is also devoid of any Christian symbols.

Why Do Mormons Want to be Recognized as Christians?

Given that Smith called the Christian church “abominable,” the LDS, during his tenure, and for more than a century after him, never had any desire to mitigate that condemnation by trying to present itself as being a Christian denomination. But beginning in the 1980s, the Mormon leadership opted to put forth a notably different public relations posture. (1) It now cooperates with other denominations in promoting humanitarian efforts;

(2) it downplays—but does not deny— its doctrines that drastically differ from those of traditional Christian denominations; (3) in February 2012, it apologized to Jews regarding Mormons who included some Holocaust victims among its baptisms for the dead; (4) in 1995, it adopted a new logo with JESUS CHRIST in large bold letters below the line THE CHURCH OF and above the line OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS; (5) it asked members to no longer use the word “Mormonism”;and (6) Gordon B. Hinckley (LDS president from 1995- 2008) in a PBS interview, April 30, 2007, stated, “Our whole message is centered around Christ.”

In Summary New promotional efforts intend to give Mormons an enhanced public image, along with attaining an acceptable Christian identity. But current LDS leadership has not made these reasons public. However, given the history of Mormonism, it is reasonable to conclude that its leaders think the LDS will benefit from these efforts without having to repeal its numerous aberrant, heretical teachings and replace them with historic Christianity’s Biblical doctrines and creeds in order to become a true Christian church.

Instead, by not revealing any reasons, the leaders seem to remember Joseph Smith’s words, “It is not always wise to

relate all the truth” (Teachings, op. cit., 392). Or, perhaps the words of Brigham Young, Smith’s successor, help explain the leadership’s efforts to make the LDS appear Christian. While in Utah, Brigham boasted, “We [Mormons] have the greatest and smoothest liars in the world . . .” (Journal of Discourses, 1857, 4:77).

The Rev. Dr. Alvin J. Schmidt (Ph.D.) is emeritus professor of sociology at Illinois College, Jacksonville, Ill., and previously taught at Concordia University—Seward, Neb., Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., the University of Nebraska, and the University of Manitoba in Canada.

A nine-time author, his book “How Christianity Changed the World” (Zondervan, 2004) has been translated into five languages. Concordia Publishing House published his newest book, “The American Muhammad: Joseph Smith, Founder of Mormonism” (check www.cph.org or call 1-800-325-3040). n

Reaching Mormons with a Clear Message

by Gerald Perschbacher

As The Holy Spirit fills your heart and mind with the words and the desire to witness, consider the following.

Stand firmly in the Christian Faith: “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

“This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3). “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Hold fast to these Biblical truths!

Realize that many non-Christians are “seekers”: “All the world goes on in its blindness and darkness and does not find the Way, no matter what and how much it undertakes and does to pace individual and private ways and to construct separate bridges to reach to heaven. And precisely because they look for so many different ways and try one after another, they indicate sufficiently that they do not know the real Way. And after they have tried all, they still can never be certain of their case. No matter how long they labor and search for ways, they always remain in doubt. ‘Who knows’ (they ask) ‘whether God will be pleased by this, or whether I have done enough?’ They never can come to the point of building on their efforts as on a secure foundation”—Dr. Martin Luther (“What Luther Says,” Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, page 1259) Know your place in God’s Kingdom: “We are ambassadors for Christ….That means that we do not work under our own authority. …We preach because we are called and sent by Christ; it is Christ who gives us the mission of delivering His message. And all our words serve but to keep our eyes on one goal, and to point toward it: toward Christ, toward the Lord, toward the Word of God….Not our word, but God’s Word, yet even so, God’s Word speaking through ours.” (Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “The Collected Sermons of Dietrich Bonhoeffer,” Fortress Press, Minneapolis, page 90)

Be humbly realistic: “I am under no illusions about myself—I need to be saved.

I am under no illusions about you—you need to be saved….I know that you will be saved, too—if you are going to be saved at all—through the same grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn’t make any difference who you are. No sin is so black that it cannot be erased by His grace. Grace is there for sinners. ‘Christ died to save sinners.’

That means you. And that is what the Gospel is all about.” Dr. Oswald Hoffmann on The Lutheran Hour, Sept. 25, 1955. n

How to Interact with Mormons

by Alvin J. Schmidt

Someday you may have the opportunity to speak with a Mormon. If so, what would you, as a committed Christian, say to him or her?

There are a few things to keep in mind.

(1) Inform yourself about some basic Mormon beliefs; (2) Know that Mormons often use Christian words but with different meanings; (3) Silently ask God to help you speak the right words; (4) Listen carefully to what he or she is saying; (5) Speak calmly with love; (6) Ask polite questions; (7) Don’t monopolize the conversation; (8) Accent the role of God’s grace as expressed in Eph. 2:8-9, and memorize these two verses. Your citing of these verses increases your effectiveness, because most lay people are impressed when other lay people know Bible passages by memory.

When you accent God’s grace, remember Mormons are taught that they must do good things, again and again, in order to please God, and hopefully He will finally accept them. But Mormons are never really sure that He will. n

The Men’s NetWork’s two-part Bible study, The Challenge of Islam (Part One: What is Islam? and Part Two: Defending the Christian Faith) are must-see videos for understanding this monotheistic faith held by more than 1.5 billion people throughout the world.

To find out how to order this study and to check out the other Men’s NetWork Bible studies, go to www.lhmmen.com.

The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014 5

MISSION U Workshops:

Energizing Congregations This Winter and Spring

by Paul Schreiber

MISSION U is a witnessing-training program that offers expert-led workshops, with interactive resources online at www.whatsmissionu.com. Its goals are straightforward: give MISSION U participants greater confidence in sharing the Gospel. To do this, MISSION U courses offer training in different styles of faith-sharing; reaching out to others in rural and urban contexts; communicating the Gospel in a digital age; conveying the truth of “Christ alone” in a co-exist world—and more.

Because of this important work, MISSION U is heading “on the road” early in 2014. Course selections and convenient scheduling times are available throughout the winter and spring for churches that want to amp up and ramp up their congregation to be more effective witnesses.

To accomplish this, MISSION U offers • six innovative courses targeted to outreach • five14 blog; whatsfive14.tumbler.com • more than 30 professional presenters with vast experience in evangelism and witnessing in diverse situations; • an informative monthly e-newsletter and expert-led webinars on topical concerns; • flexible course schedules and easy-toarrange times for workshop presentations; • reasonable tuition and creative ways to offset costs; • Christ-like encouragement and Spirit-guided support from presenters to uplift and encourage attendees.

Lutheran Hour Ministries has received numerous endorsements from individuals attending the workshops, telling what they found to be the most valuable features. Here’s what they liked: • “The interaction among other participants and sharing our stories”; • “Listening to how others have changed and grown in their beliefs and how to be ready with my own story”; • “A reminder to love unconditionally and not focus on the success of my presentation”; • Knowing “I’m not alone in my search to be 6 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

ready when the opportunity comes”; • “Understanding the importance of really listening and hearing another person’s story, comment or views”; • “Gaining confidence in how to approach people to talk about God and faith”; • “Learning how to get to the root of a question and turn it around”; • “The practical approach to dealing with unbelievers’ objections in a loving way”; • “The organized, well-structured and logical presentation with plenty of specific examples”; and • Learning “it’s not about me.”

One MISSION U course that handles hot topics is MU-201-“Dealing with Tough Questions.”

This course focuses directly on “prevalent questions concerning Christianity in today’s society,” says Sarah Guldalian, manager and producer for Evangelism Training at Lutheran Hour Ministries.

“You’ll learn to discover the root issue behind the tough question and then how to respond appropriately.” Grappling in a sensitive manner with tough questions is no easy matter. It involves patience in listening, empathy for another’s viewpoint, the willingness to establish meaningful dialogue, and the spiritual savvy to know it is God who brings about a person’s transformation—not our clever words or a slick presentation.

To this point, one attendee said this about her presenter, “We live in a diverse university community and perhaps must deal with those ‘tough questions’ more regularly than those in more homogeneous communities. Our presenter gave us actual scenarios as to how we might deal with the real questions that arise, and charged us to do our ‘homework’ to develop our own answers. I espe-

cially appreciated the fact he taught us to deal respectfully with those who disagree with our point of view, rather than slamming them with the Law.” To sum it up, here’s what a MISSION U attendee said: “WOW! Thank you for an energizing and captivating presentation! I came with a real burden for a lost friend, and I gained so much from this teaching. It was refreshing to hear someone share personal stories and talk so passionately about sharing the truth in love. Keep it up!”

Also, when thinking congregational outreach, be sure to add five14 to the mix. This youth-oriented LHM program complements MISSION U and is designed expressly for high school and college students. Featuring “live” events, videos, devotions, merchandise and more, five14 at www.whatsfive14.com is ideal for use by directors of Christian education, youth ministry leaders, and involved laypeople as a way to get young people fired up to reach out to others and share their faith.

You can connect with five14 via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo. To find out more, go to the website and click on the blue “LEARN MORE” button. For complete details on either MISSION U or five14, please contact C.C. Brown by e-mail at missionu@lhm.org or by phone at 1-800944-3450, ext. 4217. n

In Step With the Lord

by Brad Neathery

It’s not unusual to hear people say, “I have been listening to The Lutheran Hour since I was a child.”

So many people’s stories about Lutheran Hour Ministries begin that way that we could never count them all.

Dale Stoner’s story starts in a different way.

As a child, Dale knew nothing about the Lutheran Church, the International Lutheran Laymen’s League, or Lutheran Hour Ministries. He had seen This is the Life on TV and even attended an Int’l LLL Rally in Sterling, Colorado, with his wife Karen and her parents. He eventually became a Lutheran after attending church with his family in Holyoke.

In 1987, Dale was living in Yuma, Colorado. One Sunday, a friend of Dale in his congregation asked if he would like to attend a Lutheran Laymen’s League (Lutheran Hour Ministries) zone event with him. Dale was familiar with LLL, but wanted to know more about what they were doing—so he agreed to come along.

Dale Stoner is a man who never just dips a toe in the water. He surveys the scene and, if everything looks right, he dives all the way in. He was excited about what he saw happening with the LLL Northeast Zone of Colorado. This district meeting began his remaining lifetime of service to God’s work through LHM. Through the years, Dale has served in all district positions, including governor. He and his family became active attendees of ministry events such as rallies, district and national conventions, Regional Outreach Conferences (ROCs) and more. All these events continued to drive one point home: LHM is a ministry that cares about evangelism. “I believe evangelism is the most important thing that we are instructed by the Bible to do,” Dale shares. “Working with Lutheran Hour Ministries allows me to be a

part of the LCMS and stay true to my beliefs in the utmost importance of sharing the Gospel with all who would hear.”

The MISSION U ministry at LHM has reached the point where thousands of Christians every year are strengthened how to live out their faith and reach their community. However, this ministry began much smaller under the name “Equipping to Share.” Dale should know. When that program was just getting off the ground, he was on the volunteer team that led workshops with churches in his region. In Dale’s opinion, the tools available to churches to help them do evangelism work have kept growing since that time.

Dale was asked to share one memory that defines why the work he does with LHM is so important to him. In 2007, Dale and Karen journeyed with Lutheran Hour Ministries to China.

Part of the trip involved a stop at the Ai Ji printing press which Lutheran Hour Ministries partners with in China. This ministry produces Bibles as well as Christian books and other literature in Chinese languages for that country’s people. He saw the production of these materials in factories and then witnessed the person-to-person distribution to kids in schools and people in communities. He also saw the radio station that LHM mentored and helped build so that others would hear God’s Word.

Dale was just blown away to see the Gospel message being shared in a nation that presents many challenges for Christian evangelism.

During his time in China, Dale addressed the Chinese Christian Council about his views on sharing God’s Word. “That was a real honor,” he relates.

Today, Dale serves as a trustee on the Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation Board. The board

V. Dale Stoner, who found a worthy way of supporting the Lord’s outreach.

oversees endowments and funds held by the LHM Foundation to ensure that it will always be able to support ministries that the world dearly needs. Dale is proud of the legacy of this foundation and can boast that the work he does, at the end of the day, is really about sharing God’s Word with more people.

All of the time, service and gifts that Dale has given to LHM over the years are inspired by one central concern: that he has friends and family who will not join him and their Father in heaven.

What’s so hard for Dale and all believers is that they know there is an answer to that problem, but few nonbelievers are going to find it on their own.

Christ is the only one who can save souls — and He often calls on Christians to be His messengers.

That means Christians are urged to hear Christ’s call and do something about it. This can be hard, but through Dale’s support of LHM, multiplied by that of others and especially blessed by the Lord, this life-changing mission moves forward. Dale is humbled by how the Lord has chosen to use his life. It is marvelous to say that the rolls of Heaven are increasing daily by Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church.

If the Lord is moving you to support this effort, please call 1-877-333-1963 or send an email to lhm-gift@lhm.org. You may also visit online at www.lhm.org/give. n

Christian material offered in China.

The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014 7

Left: To Latvia with Love! OGT volunteers celebrated a job well done before the shipping container rolled out.

Center: Latvia Director Artis Purins (shown) was assisted

by Audience Relations Manager Ilze Stilve and Regional Director Rev. Peter Kirby when the shipment was unloaded.

Bottom: It took just two and a half hours for dedicated workers to unload an entire container of supplies. Where did the gifts go from there?

To families in need.

Regional Director Does Double Duty for Latvia Project

by Greg Koenig

On Saturday, Sept, 28, as Lutheran Hour Ministries’ regional director for Europe, Rev. Peter Kirby “was part of a team that loaded an assortment of donated goods into a shipping container. At the end of October, I had the privilege to unload everything that had been loaded into the container a month earlier.”

The reason? In September Kirby and volunteers from Lutheran Hour Ministries and Orphan Grain Train (OGT) were preparing to ship supplies that would help a ministry center assist people in need. In October, Kirby happened to be visiting the container’s destination 4,800 miles away: LHM’s ministry center in Riga, Latvia.

According to Kirby, LHM’s Latvia Director Artis Purins had requested holistic ministry supplies last spring in order to extend their ministry throughout the country. Orphan Grain Train readied a variety of goods, including men’s, women’s, and children’s winter clothing—just in time for the coldest part of the year in Latvia. Included also were sports equipment, more than 500 quilts from Lutheran World Relief, and supplies collected by Lutheran Hour Ministries staff members during a donation drive in June. OGT and LHM volunteers came together on September 28 to fill the container.

“I was at the Latvia center when the container showed up,” says Kirby. “We unloaded it into the center on Reformation Day, October 31: what a great way to celebrate the grace, mercy, and providence of God!” By distributing donated items through local churches, Lutheran Hour Ministries—Latvia ensures that the message of God’s grace, mercy, and providence is shared as people’s human needs are met.

“Miracles come in packages of all sizes,” says Kirby, “and this was a miracle in a very large package!” n For details about Orphan Grain Train, go to www.ogt.org or call (402) 371-7393.

8 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

An Added Plus!

Dr. Kurt Krueger, president of Concordia University—Irvine, chose the location of one of seven LHM Project Connect displays on the campus for this photograph, which accompanied his lead article in the Fall 2013 CUI Magazine. The university is a prominent part of the Concordia University System of the LCMS. The Project Connect display racks were funded at the university by the LLL’s Southern California District Endowment Fund. Each year thousands of booklets are distributed on the campus. Locations include the library, university center, the union, chaplain’s office and a newly opened outlying facility.

For more on racks, be sure to check: www.lhm.org/projectconnect or send an e-mail to projectconnect@lhm.org.

Living the Six Now In a new Project Connect booklet, author and pastor Dion Garrett shares practical strategies for taking the Gospel to our neighbors, friends, maybe even somebody at our church.

Live the Six: Learning to Live as an Everyday Missionary is a booklet that can change our outlook. Garrett asks, “Don’t you wonder if there’s more to being a Christian than enjoying (sometimes enduring) one sacred hour each Sunday?” Yet even that small feat is considered a huge display of faith by some.

Garrett’s approach to living a life of faith goes “beyond one day.” In other words, keep serving others and make their lives better by the good you do—right here, right now. No massive selloff of material goods is required. The mission field is right outside our door. Garrett writes that to Live the Six means “not just noticing needs, but owning them—taking responsibility for them.”

Distilled down, “to Live the Six is not about dramatic changes in your life. It’s about inviting God into the life you’re already living and finding ways to serve Him by meeting the needs of people around you.” Garrett writes that it’s about finding common ground with others, establishing a rapport and building from there. He reminds us that this is “a ‘get to’ kind of thing”—our special privilege from God. To find out more about how to Live the Six (the six days of the week beyond Sunday) and about other Project Connect booklets, please go to www.lhm.org/projectconnect. There you will find the titles available (many in Spanish), and check the handy display rack options, too. n

Parables Recipes

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Have you visited JCPlayZone lately?

Go to www.jcplayzone.com/specialoffer to receive a JCPlayZone grab bag of goodies!

Simply use the reply code LMZONE13 to receive FREE copies of three children’s books of rhymes: The Bully Book, The Christmas Journey, and The Easter Story. We’ll even toss in a JCPlayZone prayer book, a frisbee, a coloring book, and a playground ball!

While supplies last. U.S. only.

The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014 9

Bracket Challenge Tips off March 18

Celebrate LHM Sunday on Feb. 2!

by Chad Fix

Finalize your congregation’s plans now to learn about Lutheran Hour Ministries’ bold proclamation of God’s Word and its available resources for outreach during your church’s celebration of Lutheran Hour Ministries Sunday on Feb. 2. While Feb. 2 is the designated date of LHM Sunday, every congregation is encouraged to choose whichever Sunday is most appropriate for celebrating the blessings of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

This year’s theme for Lutheran Hour Ministries Sunday is SENT, which will illustrate how God is using Lutheran Hour Ministries to provide resources and support for individuals and congregations as we all respond to His call to reach the billions of people in our communities and around the world who haven’t yet had the chance to hear about Him. You can support the ongoing global Gospel outreach of Lutheran Hour Ministries through prayer, personal involvement, and your financial gifts. When you get involved with Lutheran Hour Ministries, you can experience firsthand the challenges and joys of being SENT to share the love of God—down the street or around the world!

Pastors and LHM Ambassadors should have received a packet of promotional materials in late November that can be used to prepare for this special Sunday. The packet included a DVD with an LHM Sunday promotional video and a video sermon from Rev. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour; a poster; a sample bulletin insert, and an offering envelope; a congregational treasurer’s envelope; and a tip sheet offering ideas for hosting LHM Sunday, talking points, etc. All of these promotional materials are also available online at www.lhm.org/lhmsunday, along with additional worship resources such as Rev. Seltz’s printable sermon script and a children’s sermon.

In order to be the best stewards of our resources, Lutheran Hour Ministries will only be sending bulk quantities of bulletin inserts and offering envelopes this year to churches that order these items online. Visit www.lhm.org/lhmsunday to order your congregation’s FREE copies of the bulletin inserts and offering envelopes so that your members will have these available on the day of your LHM Sunday event.

For more information about Lutheran Hour Ministries Sunday, including information about a $50,000 matching grant and special incentives your congregation can receive by participating in LHM Sunday, call 1-800-876-9880, send an e-mail to ambassador@lhm.org or visit www.lhm.org/lhmsunday.

Join us! Lutheran Hour Ministries wants to be your congregation’s valued partner in ministry! n

10 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

For basketball fans everywhere, the Men’s NetWork once again will hold a Bracket Challenge for this year’s NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, aka “March Madness.”

Tournament dates are scheduled for March 18 through April 7. The place to sign up and chart the action is at www.lhmmen.com. Registration opens Monday, February 3. Once your registration is complete, the website will send an e-mail with the bracket sign-in info to join the group.

Last year we gave away a basketball each week emblazoned with none other than the Men’s NetWork logo. This year we’ll do the same. There will be a Grand Prize winner too. That lucky contestant will walk away with a $250 Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card.

Plan on joining us this March for the Men’s NetWork 2014 NCAA Bracket Challenge. It’s easy. It’s fun. And if you’re “lucky,” you might just take home enough cash to outfit yourself with some new hardwood kicks, and a college polo or two. n

Join other men from the Men’s NetWork for a weekend golf tournament in sunny Florida!

FebRuaRy 21-23, 2014 Mission Inn Resort & Club

Howey-in-the-Hills,

Registration includes 18 holes of golf each day, breakfast and lunch, with dinners included on Friday and Saturday. Packages begin at $700 for double occupancy.

FLORIDA

For more information, and to register, visit www.lhmmen.com/golf2014.

a program of

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.’”

John 20:21

We are

2013 Ministry Report

G

od is calling us—and sending us—still today to share the Good News of Jesus Christ among our families, our neighbors and all people everywhere.

Around the world, you can see many examples of how Lutheran Hour Ministries has been SENT to proclaim the Gospel through The Lutheran Hour radio program and the diverse, culturally relevant outreach efforts of ministry centers in more than 30 countries. But Lutheran Hour Ministries has also been SENT to help you respond to God’s call. Our programs and resources can equip your congregation to witness effectively in your community—and equip you to reach the unreached in your family, your neighborhood and beyond.

Thank you for your generous ongoing support that allows Lutheran Hour Ministries to be Your Partner in HIS Mission…wherever you are SENT!

The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014 11

to Share Hope amidst the Desperation of War Syria’s civil war has deep roots in the suffering of its people under a longstanding authoritarian regime—but it was the so-called Arab Spring of 2011 that ignited the conflict raging there today. After nearly three years of violence, an estimated 115,000 Syrians have lost their lives and more than 6 million have fled their homes—including 2.2 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries such as Jordan and Lebanon. Lutheran Hour Ministries—Lebanon, known locally as Middle East Lutheran Ministries (MELM), has responded—not just through its powerful Arabiclanguage radio outreach but also through compassionate care, both for Syrians who have left their homeland and for those who have stayed behind.

In Syria

We first heard of MELM volunteer Zahra* in August 2012. Zahra, a Syrian Christian who lives in the northeastern part of the country, traveled west with another volunteer to the city of Aleppo. Despite the heightened violence in the area, Zahra and her co-worker were determined to share the Gospel’s message of comfort and hope with children there. During one of their visits, however, the women were attacked and severely beaten; Zahra survived, but her friend did not.

While she was back home recovering, Zahra did not let the pain she felt daily in her back and arm keep her from volunteering for MELM. Now after months of rehab, Zahra has healed completely—and she continues to share the message of hope in Jesus Christ with the children whose families remain in Syria. * We use the name “Zahra” in place of our volunteer’s real name to protect her identity.

12 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

In Lebanon

Last spring MELM began stepping up efforts to reach out to Syrians seeking refuge in Lebanon. Here are some of the ways the center has been touching lives with the love of Jesus: May 2013. MELM presented a one-day program for displaced Syrians in the Theopolis refugee community.

MELM staff showed the movie The Crossing and encouraged participants to get involved in the center’s Bible Correspondence Course “The Life of Christ.”

July 2013. MELM staff launched an intensive eight-week program to train Syrian Christians to share the Gospel with fellow refugees, most of whom have a Muslim background.

MELM staff also participated in an evangelism event for Syrian refugee children that included a clown performance, games, Christian songs, and a Scripture message. MELM provided Bible story materials for the children who attended.

September 2013. MELM staff members visited a refugee community in Nabaa-Beirut at night to present a program for Syrian refugee women. They shared a message of comfort from the Bible and presented participants with a booklet titled Why Bad Things Happen.

Get the full ministry report at

www.lhm.org/report • • • •

Interactive giving calculator International ministry impact by the numbers Real-life stories and pictures from our ministry centers Reports from each of our programs

Our Ministry By the Numbers

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“The man walked slowly into the light, lowered his head, and began. ‘I was raised not knowing Jesus.

No one spoke the name of Jesus to me until a few years ago. Last year I came to this get-together and heard more about Jesus as my Savior. This weekend I knew I wanted what you have, so...’

“He hesitated, unsure of what to say next,” Rich recalls; “then he found the words: ‘I want to be baptized.’

“There was a swell of enthusiasm!” Rich says.

“We had just seen the Holy Spirit at work in this brother’s life. Each one of us—me included—left that campsite knowing it’s possible not only to share a Gospel message but truly to witness the Holy Spirit’s power as He transforms men’s lives!”

Men’s NetWork. The Lutheran Hour. Mission U. Regional Outreach Conferences. Five14. Project Connect. Lutheran Hour Ministries has been SENT to help stir up new zeal across the North American church for learning and sharing God’s Word. These are the ways we go about the task. As a supporter of Lutheran Hour Ministries, you help make it happen.

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When men gather around God’s Word, good things happen. Sometimes the Men’s NetWork gets to help.

Several Lutheran churches in northern California hold an annual men’s retreat at Redwood Christian Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Last year the event hosted 75 men—many Christ-followers, some not.

As the point person for Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Men’s NetWork program, Rich Cohrs was invited to serve as the retreat’s main speaker and demonstrate Men’s NetWork resources under the theme “Power Tools for Men to Share the Gospel.” Rich remembers that the campfire worship time on the final evening of the retreat began quietly.

“The leader stepped into the light from the fire and asked each man to reflect on how he had grown over the past two days,” he says. “A few spoke to the impact of the worship songs—how their words of peace could comfort a troubled mind.” One had praise for the Men’s NetWork resources Rich had presented: “I have attended many events that get me enthused about sharing my faith, but you gave us the tools to actually do it,” he said.

Rich relates, “When the men were silent once more, the leader asked one man to step forward and tell the group what he had shared privately earlier in the evening.

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The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014 13

We are International Lutheran Laymen’s League and Subsidiaries Consolidating Statement of Activities (in Thousands)

Board of Directors As of fiscal year ending May 31, 2013

Year ended May 31, 2013 with comparative totals for 2012 Int’l Lutheran Laymen’s League

The LHM Foundation

2013 Consolidated Totals

2012 Consolidated Totals

Chairman Kurt Buchholz Glen Arm, Maryland Vice Chairman Philip Krauss II Westland, Michigan

Operating Support and Revenue Donor support $32,725 $ 735 $33,460 $27,558 Secretary Other income, net 1,106 2,168 3,274 (541) Janice Wendorf Operating Income 33,831 2,903 36,734 27,017 Grafton, Wisconsin

Treasurer Operating Expenses Mike Brown Ministries 21,124 0 21,124 20,767 Westminster, Colorado Administration and fund raising 6,359 145 6,504 5,938 Operating Expenses 27,483 145 27,628 26,705

Operating Income in Excess of Expenses 6,348 2,758 9,106 312 Non-operating income Non-operating expenses Non-operating Net Income

1,229 1,034 195

Net endowment earnings distributed

593

0 521 (521)

1,229 1,555 (326)

(593)

0

1,103 1,361 (258) -

7,136 1,644 8,780 54 Change in Net Assets

Net Assets, Beginning of Year $21,624 $12,979 $34,603 $34,549 $28,760 $14,623 $43,383 $34,603 Net Assets, End of Year

Change in Net Assets includes one-time GAAP-required recognition of beneficial interests in trusts of $7.3 million.

Lutheran Hour Ministries is the registered d/b/a name for the International Lutheran Laymen’s League. A copy of the audit report ­­­is available upon written request from the LHM headquarters at 660 Mason Ridge Center Drive, St. Louis, MO 63141-8557.­

Consolidated Operating Expenses Fund Development

Ministry (76%)

Contributions (47%) Estate Gifts (44%)

14 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

Richard Gast Mission Viejo, California Phillip Gnadt Hickory, North Carolina Phillip Johnson Maplewood, Minnesota Kay Meyer St. Louis, Missouri Andreas Schwabe Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Weldon Schwiebert Westland, Michigan Richard Sindlinger York, Pennsylvania William Snow Watertown, South Dakota

The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation As of fiscal year ending May 31, 2013

Officers Dr. Marvin Swan Chairman and Trustee Grant, Nebraska

Betty Duda Cocoa Beach, Florida

Harold Melser President Columbia, Illinois

Rev. Barry Keurulainen Cabot, Pennsylvania

Adam Eggemeyer Executive Vice President Waterloo, Illinois

Curtiss Wittbracht Treasurer and Trustee Waterloo, Illinois

Consolidated Operating Income

Other Income (9%)

Jack Ficken Fairview, Tennessee

V. Dale Stoner Secretary and Trustee Lady Lake, Florida

Administration (7%)

www.lhm.org/report

Directors Londa Borer-Skov Sacramento, California

Larry Pritchett Vice President St. Louis, Missouri

Publications and Print (3%) Other Fundraising (14%)

sen

Lois M. Engfehr Assistant Secretary Collinsville, Illinois David Lanius Assistant Treasurer St. Louis, Missouri Trustees Kurt Buchholz Chairman, Int’l LLL Glen Arm, Maryland

Ronald Fischer Stratford, Ontario, Canada

John W. Kidwell Bay City, Michigan Larry Lumpe St. Louis, Missouri Calvin Neeman Waterloo, Illinois Loren Podoll Riverton, Wyoming Roy Schmidt Bay City, Michigan Weldon Schwiebert Board of Directors Representative Westland, Michigan Karen Soeken Ellicott City, Maryland Bruce Wurdeman Executive Director, LHM St. Louis, Missouri Pastoral Advisor Rev. Gregory Seltz St. Louis, Missouri

LHM Staff and volunteers share God’s love with children. The Onnens are at the right.

Lay Activation Fosters Overseas Outreach

Changing Lives With the Gospel Where You Live

I

n the Book of Acts, Jesus’ final words of commissioning to His disciples were these: “You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

For many of us, it is easy to view our calling for outreach and witnessing as one of supporting those who have been specifically trained and sent for such work, such as our missionaries and pastors. We are eager to support these servants of the Lord with our finances and prayers.

It gets a little harder when we realize that Jesus’ words recorded in Acts urge us to be personally engaged as well. We, too, have been called by the Gospel, enlightened with His gifts, sanctified and kept for the purpose of being personal witnesses of Jesus’ love, grace and mercy. And we have opportunity to do that with all whose paths we cross during our daily walk.

The “Jerusalem” in our lives is that area where we associate with family, co-workers, business associates, and neighbors. It is there that we can demonstrate Christ’s love to others and share a solid wit-

by Mick Onnen

ness for the Lord Jesus. Finding those witnessing moments is as easy as always being alert for the signs and opportunities around you, and asking the good Lutheran question, “What does this mean?”

So, why do you suppose God placed you in the community, town, or city where you live? What opportunities exist for you to personally become more active in witness for the Lord Jesus and urging support of His work? How can local Lutheran Laymen’s Leaguers, groups, and zones best serve their congregations, their communities, the region and the whole world? What resources and opportunities are yours through Lutheran Hour Ministries?

Being “Engaged” is Important

Over the years, I have gleaned ideas from folks across the continent who have interesting and effective ideas on how to engage their local LLL groups or congregational members in outreach and ministry support. Let’s take a look at some of those outreach opportunities that might engage you in your own “Jerusalem” and foster prayer and financial support

for God’s work throughout the world.

People whose lives are changed for service and outreach can have a powerful impact on many others around them.

Changing lives sometimes starts with simple group hands-on servant events.

Such events can be a great ice-breaker for people who are timid about witnessing while providing them opportunity to engage in productive and satisfying service. As a matter of fact, most people view hands-on witnessing opportunities as the least threatening—and can fulfill their desire to make a difference.

It may mean collecting and/or sorting clothing or humanitarian aid products for distribution through Orphan Grain Train, LCMS World Relief and Human Care, or a local mission house. Whatever the outlet, one should pray that those gifts shared may prompt the recipient to recognize see next page The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014 15

Changing Lives

with families or those facing the many challenges and stresses of getting started on their own.

from page 15 the generosity of the giver and the Hand of God, and give thanks.

It may be as simple as distributing cards similar to business cards with a key Bible verse and an invitation to worship at your local church.

It may be personal visitation of church or community members in the hospital, nursing home, or shut-ins in their home. A person “out to witness” could leave a copy of an appropriate Project Connect booklet or prayer card for their reading and sharing Top: 120 graduates with others. of Equipping the

Linger on that Thought

Saints training

Right: Bible Speaking of Project Connect, Correspondence these LHM booklets are some of students celebrate the most versatile resources for completion of personal and group outreach. This another study unit. ministry program offers more than Bottom: Presentation 50 topical booklets on real-life of Bible Corresponissues and helps readers connect dence certificates their needs or problems with relis a joyful occasion. evant helpful Scriptures. Large Project Connect displays offer many topical booklets for a church setting, while small tract displays can be placed throughout the community in key locations. Possible sites include the beautician’s location, barber shop, doctor’s office, or any business, especially where people must wait for services. Project Connect is effective, affordable, and easy to get in order to start a local outreach effort in your congregation or community.

Another simple activity with satisfying results is marking key passages of New Testaments for distribution at a local prison, youth reform center, community mission, nursing home, or county fair. The distribution can also lead to building positive ongoing relationships with people who have a deep need for friendship, stability, and training.

Be alert for the community celebrations or county fairs that occur throughout the year. These events provide numerous opportunities for outreach, whether it is the construction of a float for a parade, small street-side stand for a cool drink and appropriate Biblical reference, or a small booth with outreach resources.

Nothing makes more of an impression on a community than a group of volunteers who donate their time to help a low-income elderly person with a needed home refurbishment project such as shingling a roof, painting the house, or raking a lawn. A sign indicating that the volunteers are serving the Lord Jesus through their work helps passersby connect the dots with your church or organization.

LHM Men’s NetWork video Bible studies provide an outstanding tool for developing a congregational or community outreach program. A program built around a vocational or commitment theme is appropriate for young men

16 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

Radio Sponsorships are Active and Growing

Some churches or groups of churches sponsor The Lutheran Hour on their local radio station.

Such airings may provide an opportunity to share a word of invitation to listeners to attend the churches in their area and support the work of LHM. Road signs can be an effective tool to welcome passersby to church or invite folks to tune in The Lutheran Hour. Many churches post a sign at the exit of the church parking lot which states: “You Are Now Entering the Mission Field.”

Your church or circuit may consider hosting a MISSION U witnessing training program.

These events are designed to provide the tools and training which sharpen and enhance your witnessing skills to confidently share the news of Jesus Christ with people of all ages and backgrounds.

Technology has enabled people from nearly anywhere to do things that just a few years ago were impossible to do. For example, our men’s group is planning a special evening program and inviting our wives to participate. The event will feature an ethnic pot-luck banquet where each couple will bring a unique main dish from one of the countries where LHM hosts a ministry center. Following the meal, copies of a Ministry Fact Sheet can be circulated and reviewed. Then, using Skype, a direct computer connection will be made with one of the ministry centers, allowing participants to see first-hand how that country serves the Lord by witnessing to their people. This event could be a very positive venture to enlist participants in LHM work or the International Ministries Partnership program.

Getting “Close” to Ministry Centers

To develop a flavor of ministry outreach around the world, individuals, groups, congregations, and zones have opportunities to connect with one of more than 30 LHM Ministry Centers through the International Ministries Partnership program. These special relationships allow participants to be actively involved, communicate directly, offer encouragement to ministry center workers, and financially support their work. Whether it is building relationships with a ministry center staff, financially supporting outreach programs for children and youth, evangelism workshops for training lay leaders, or developing public outreach events, the International Ministries Partnership program is easy to engage in and draws widespread support from energized participants.

Outreach comes naturally for those who are excited about what God has done for them. They want to share their story. It is that excitement that translates into Gospel changing moments—not only in our Jerusalem or Judea, but also throughout the world.

So, after reading about all of the ideas, what are the outcomes that make all of this local outreach and ministry support worthwhile and effective?

ticipated with a group of 120 enthusiastic Ethiopian Lutherans who had just completed their training through the Equipping the Saints outreach program.

We witnessed over 1,500 rural Ethiopians gathering in a remote pasture to view a showing of the “Jesus Film” by a generator-operated machine projecting onto a blanket hung from bamboo poles.

We saw Muslim men discreetly standing at the edge of the dark field, also watching and listening. The next day, we experienced one of the great memories of our trip as over 3,000 Ethiopian Lutherans gathered for six hours of response to God’s Word.

So, are the outreach activities in which you engage at “your own Jerusalem” making a difference to the ends of the earth?

You bet they are!

I Saw it for Myself

During my tenure as president for the International Lutheran Laymen’s League, I had an opportunity to see the results of your many efforts, large and small, in the eyes, hearts, and hands of people in Latin America and Eastern Africa. The impacts of those impressions are forever embedded in my mind. I thank God for each of you who selflessly give of your time, talents, and treasures to reach out locally, praying fervently and supporting these No Doubt About it!

outreach efforts financially. This side of heaven, How can I say that with so much certainty? God declares: you will not know all the ways your support has “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not Nicaraguan girl celebrates impacted the lives of thousands and thousands of return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and completion of a Bible study. souls for the kingdom. flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eatI have witnessed the impact of donated humanitarian aid and supplies in er, so is My Word that goes out from My Mouth. It will not return to Me empty, Nicaragua. I have seen people wearing clothing donated to local collections— but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” even band uniforms and computers donated for those less fortunate than we (Isaiah 55:10-11). are—so they might enjoy some of the bounty of our culture. We impact their When we foster outreach and share God’s Word while at work in our “Jerulives for good. With those supplies came a word of hope and encouragement salem,” the impact is felt beyond our “Samarias,” even “to the ends of the earth.” that made a lasting impact. Many who were touched by the distribution of What can you take away from all of this? supplies have themselves volunteered to assist the LHM ministry center in folGod uses people just like you and me, where and when He chooses, to lowing-up on contacts. touch people with the Gospel of Jesus, share our hope in eternal life, and I have seen the fruits of your labors in a mountain village of Nicaragua, where encourage them also to engage, to share their story, and to support outreach the posting of street-side signs and the distribution of simple pamphlets to peo- to others throughout the world. It is a marvelous circle of Christian service ple on the street introduce many to God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness. I wit- and Christian growth. God bless you in your service to Him. n nessed testimonials from young and old whose lives were changed, who have Mick Onnen, a Nebraska citizen, was president of the Int’l LLL and held given their lives to Christ because your ministry center staff and volunteers ofvarious other positions from local level on up. fered simple Christ-centered pamphlets at their time of need. Clearly, children’s faces glow with pride when small certificates are distributed for achievement in “Club R,” a Gospel training program similar to vacation Bible school.

I have seen the eyes of terminally ill children in Nicaragua light up when ministry center staff approached them with a puppet, gave a brief show, and offered a coloring book featuring Jesus and His saving work on Calvary—for them. I also saw these same LHM staffers bow in heartfelt praise, side by side with the distraught parents of these ill children.

I have visited with public school administrators in Panama City who ins a Lutheran Hour Ministries partner in vited Lutheran Hour Ministries’ staff to make Project JOEL presentations International outreach, you decide your on honesty, respect, faith, and good will. Because of the success of the LHM programs in curbing teen theft, violence, drug use, and sexual promiscuity, level of commitment to a ministry center, whether the number of schools requesting LHM’s services was far beyond the ministry it is through a one-time gift, ongoing support, or center’s physical capabilities to fill all requests. volunteering for a short-term mission trip. At any There is a unique five-minute radio message used in Brazil which reaches International Ministries nearly 10,000 people monthly. Did you know that follow-up is accomplished level, your commitment is essential to sharing Christ’s through cutting-edge technology including text messaging, podcasts, e-mails, salvation with those who do not yet know Him. smart phone messages, and Bible correspondence courses which point peoContact Polly Gregali ple to their Savior and maintain regular spiritual communications? It’s true!

Contact Polly Gregali to become a partner today!

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Two Witnesses Will1-800-944-3450 Tell You ext. 4164 or

In the small rural community of Kiisi, Kenya, my wife and I experienced polly.gregali@lhm.org a church with standing room only, and viewed a drama presented by LHM volunteers exposing the evils of witch doctors (awww.lhm.org/partner serious spiritual problem in the area). We also joined in the singing with a worship team, whose music and speakers were powered by two 12-volt batteries. But God was praised in earnest, and the children were excited to share what they had learned. We par-

1-800-944-3450 ext. 4164 or polly.gregali@lhm.org www.lhm.org/partner

Volunteer

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International Ministries

www.lhm.org/international

The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014 17

Letters like this were sent to the LHM office in Russia in 1996, thanks to the Rev. Bode who organized the office. The outreach was blessed.

Save the Date:

LHM’s Outreach Conference Comes to Detroit in July!

Make plans now to join Lutheran Hour Ministries in Detroit, Michigan, July 24-27 for the national SENT Outreach Conference. Reflecting Lutheran Hour Ministries’ emphasis on outreach programs and training, this conference takes the place of the International Convention of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League in 2014.

This conference will serve as a gathering of Christians who desire to see the Gospel shared in communities and around the world. Through the conference’s exciting variety of opportunities for learning, networking, and worship, church workers and lay leaders will be equipped, energized, and SENT out into the world to live the lives of dynamic witness in the name of Jesus Christ.

Held at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, the SENT conference will allow you to experience the amazing renaissance that is today’s Detroit with music on the city’s riverfront and an evening activity at the Henry Ford Museum while challenging your perspective on mission during the day. You will learn valuable insights from expert guides on topics such as vocation and witness, developing missional leaders, guilt-free evangelism, releasing an outreach-focused congregation, cross-cultural witness, attraction versus mission, and more.

Full details about the conference (including confirmed nationally recognized speakers, schedule, registration details, hotel accommodations, and more) will be available in the March-April issue of The Lutheran Layman, or you can visit www.lhm.org/conference. n

Former Russia Director Bode Now in Glory The Rev. Dr. Richard Bode, who served as director of Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Moscow ministry center from July 1993 through May 1997, passed away in Emporia, Kan., Nov. 13, 2013, after a lengthy illness. Before joining Lutheran Hour Ministries, Bode served as a missionary in the Philippines and as a pastor in Oklahoma and Kansas. Bode was 79.

He is survived by his wife Kathy, daughter Terry, and granddaughter Amber. n

early-bird

“Jesus said to them again,‘Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’” John 20:21

registration Only

$119

Hear from prominent experts on evangelism, including The Lutheran Hour® Speaker, Rev. Gregory Seltz!

GM Renaissance Center Be challenged in how you think about evangelism by attending labs and workshops!

Featuring music from Our Savior Lutheran Church Nashville Worship Band, Erin Bode and the Detroit-based The Selected of God Choir!

www.lhm.org/conference 18 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

onthemove

by Phil Krauss ll Chairman, Int’l LLL Board of Directors

Phil Krauss ll Chairman, Int’l LLL Board of Directors

‘Recalculating’ Before I got my first iPhone, I had a GPS device for my car. I used to travel a lot for my job, and although I was phenomenal with maps and had a great sense of direction (I always seemed to know which direction was north), my dad thought I should have some modern technology guiding me around the Midwest. One Christmas he gave me a GPS. I found the device helpful most of the time; it eased my mind to know where I was and where I was going at all times.

However, whenever I deviated from its recommended route, even for a block or two, it would announce in that feminine, yet mechanical voice: “Recalculating….”

At times it was annoying, but it was necessary for keeping me on track toward my destination. In short order the device would present a new route and I was on my way again.

I had the opportunity to attend my first LHM Regional Outreach Conference (ROC) held in Omaha, Nebraska, on October 18 and 19.

The Int’l LLL’s Board of Directors (BOD) held its annual fall meeting immediately following the ROC, and this meeting was my first as the new chairman. As addressed in my last article, I have had to adjust to change and move in a different direction because of this new role.

other words, I want us to able to “recalculate” as we move forward in Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church.

“Recalculating….”

I have gotten used to GPS devices and hardly even notice the dog-eared, browning maps that are still in my car. I don’t think the GPS in my phone has a recalculating voice notification. Even my technology leery wife approves: she now says I have an excuse to never stop and ask for directions.

“Recalculating….”

Yours in Christ. n

Lutheran Hour Ministries is now on

“Recalculating….”

The Omaha ROC was the best attended so far and included many interesting sessions on reaching out to the unchurched. The keynote speaker for the ROC and a guest speaker for our BOD meeting was the Rev. Dr. Robert Newton, president of the CNH District of the LCMS. With his extensive background in mission work, Dr. Newton addressed the ROC about the need to Recalculate for Mission. He used the GPS analogy to tell the ROC participants that the Church universal needs to reorganize and approach mission differently in a pre-and post-churched world.

www.pinterest.com/lutheranhourmin

There it was again: “Recalculating….”

As the new BOD chairman, I informed the board at the meeting that I wanted to make strategic planning my top priority for the board this league year. Each year the Lutheran Hour Ministries staff puts together a strategic plan that guides budgeting and ministry for the next league year and beyond. I am not having the BOD work on a strategic plan because the staff at LHM doesn’t already have one, nor is the strategic plan they have in any way inadequate. I am asking the board to focus on strategic planning because the policies say we should, and I want the organization to be able to quickly adjust direction in response to internal and external changes we may face. In

g Start pinnin h ac e tr your ou ! ay d to ideas facebook.com/LutheranHourMinistries

twitter.com/LHMglobalmin

youtube.com/user/LutheranHourMin

The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014 19

Enjoy Lutheran Heritage on a 2014 LHM Tour of Germany Make plans now to join Lutheran Hour Ministries and the Rev. Gregory Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, for a unique trip to Germany Sept. 7-19 of this year. The trip is part of the celebration of the Luther Decade that includes many festivities leading up to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

Rev. Seltz will be joined by Kurt Buchholz, executive director of Lutheran Hour Ministries, and Rev. Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour, as hosts for this tour.

If you have never been to Germany, you will find this trip incredibly complete. The tour will visit places which are most important to those who love Luther’s Theology and Bach’s music. But it will also provide an opportunity to see the Bavarian Alps, Oberammergau, Hitler’s Mountain retreat, and mad King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein Castle (top photo). You will also be impressed by the ancient city of Augsburg and the modern metropolis of Berlin before stepping off the beaten path to take part in cultural activities that are most special.

But this trip remains unique even

for those who have been to Germany previously.

For 83 years The Lutheran Hour has preached a changeless Christ to a changing world. For use in future broadcasts, Lutheran Hour Ministries will record sermons at the Castle Church of Luther and the home church of the martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

“What an awesome honor and privilege it is going to be for Pastor Klaus and me to preach at these historical locations in front of our fellow travelers,” said Rev. Seltz.

Double-occupancy accommodations for the tour begin at $4,498 per person when flying out of Newark (flights originating from Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Minneapolis, and St. Louis are also available at a higher fare). In addition to round-trip air from the listed cities, the cost for this tour includes accommodations at three and four-star hotels, comprehensive sightseeing and admissions, most meals, a professional tour manager, deluxe motor coach transportation and all tips for luggage handling included. Single-occupancy lodging is offered for an additional $598 (as available). All costs are based on the time the brochure for this tour was printed and are subject to change.

For more information, including a tour brochure, itinerary, payment schedule and registration forms, visit www.lhm.org/germanytour or call 1-877-3331963 (toll free). n

Photo, bottom: Wartburg Castle, where Luther translated the Bible.

Get Your Work Gloves On:

Men’s NetWork WORK DAY Slated for April 26

20 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

Though winter is upon us, spring will soon be here, and with it, the Men’s NetWork WORK DAY. Saturday, April 26, marks this year’s call to men everywhere—across all state lines, party affiliations, religious preferences, and denominational ties—to join in and give their communities, neighborhoods, and churches a helping hand. The goal is simple: take an afternoon out of our busy schedules and render some much-needed service to another—all on the same day.

It’s a great opportunity for men’s fellowships, weekly Bible study groups, and other guys to get out and do something that can make an enormous difference in the lives and well-being of others. Every gent who lends a hand will

receive a Men’s NetWork hat to wear the day of the event. Registration opens February 3 at www.lhmmen.com/workday, where there will be more information available. There will also be a Facebook page dedicated to the Men’s NetWork WORK DAY, where you can post your photos, stories and more during and after the event: www.facebook.com/lhmmen.

Last year the Men’s NetWork WORK DAY was a huge success with more than 900 guys participating as they did work in 50-plus groups around the country. They built shelves and trimmed bushes; they moved furniture and cleaned up yards; they raked, hauled, removed, washed, fixed, planted, painted, tweaked and tackled jobs far and wide—bettering the lives of hundreds of individuals who witnessed the practical hands and feet of Christ’s body at work. Come join us! Set aside a little time on Saturday, April 26, and make a big difference in someone’s life. n

Men’s Group Makes a Difference in Virginia Sweat equity, hard work, and spent muscles contributed greatly to the finished project of a room add-on, interior finish, and new deck for one family at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Besides the family’s pressing need, it was Paul’s letter to the Galatians that motivated St. John’s men’s group SJLC (Serving Jesus, Living in Community), along with other members of the congregation to participate in their “Lend a Hand Servant Event.”

“God’s Word tells us, ‘So then, as we have opportunity; let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith’ (Galatians 6:10),” said Senior Pastor John Meehan. “The Lord calls us to take special care of fellow believers, and so we saw this as an opportunity for St. John’s Men’s Ministry to do this.”

Meehan explains that the family has been through rough times and experienced job and income loss. “The family had started a home renovation project, but it stalled and was never completed due to problems with the contractor.

They really needed help, and God used our Men’s Ministry to step in.” The congregation agreed to loan the funds for materials, and the SJLC Men provided the project expertise and labor.

A job this size is a challenge. Nearly 30 men, along with Meehan and Associate Pastor Braun Campbell, contributed their abilities to this seven-month-long project. “We have been following the “No Man Left Behind” model from Man in the Mirror for the past two years in establishing a men’s ministry here at St. John’s,” said Rodney Smith, SJLC team leader and one of the coordinators for the effort. “In conjunction with equipping our men for discipleship through Bible study and Christian fellowship events, service projects have been a part of our plan since starting establishment of a men’s ministry two years ago; however, this is by far the most extensive project to date.

“Our participation in the Men’s NetWork WORK DAY (April 27, 2013) was very helpful in identifying particular skills in our group and generating enthusiasm for this project. I personally believe this project has helped build our SJLC men’s team esprit de corps and allowed more men to meaningfully participate in our ministry and see its relationship to the whole church.”

A quick review of the SJLC event reveals the scope of completed work. A deck was installed and the original rear wall was restored with insulation and siding.

Completion of a small addition was determined. The group removed 18 inches of dirt from the space beneath the floor—a bucket load at a time—to meet building code for crawl space. Duct work, dry wall, a floating floor, and insulation were

Volunteers accomplished progress physically—and through their witnessing, spiritually, too.

installed. Interior walls and ceiling were painted.

Exterior walls received vinyl siding.

Assisting were St. John’s Minister of Outreach Kent Schescke, who provided funds for crew meals as well as construction expertise, and Larry Nelson, a retired general contractor from the congregation, who led the planning, ordered materials, and directed complex operations. Hearty lunches were provided by ladies from the church. Almost 800 hours of volunteer labor calculated to roughly $20,000!

The work wound up on October 26. Participants were acknowledged at church services at St. John’s on November 20. They were given a certificate of appreciation and a Luther pin. As a small way of recognizing the significant work being done by the SJLC men’s group, the Men’s NetWork provided caps and T-shirts.

Considering your own men’s group service project? Check out the next Men’s NetWork WORK DAY slated for April 26. For more information, go to www.lhmmen.com/workday, where registration opens February 3. n

New Bible Study from the Men’s NetWork Unmasks Mankind’s Archenemy

Pastor and host Michael Newman of The Great Deceiver

In The Great Deceiver, pastor and host Michael Newman (Death … Then What?) takes a look at the most perverse character in Scripture: Satan. Featuring engaging interviews, creative filming, helpful theological insights, and the power of God’s Word, this brand new Bible study from the Men’s NetWork examines evil at its most vile and gives the devil his due in four sessions.

Though popular culture may portray the devil as a shady character in a red jumpsuit or write him off as a mere symbol or some long-dead holdover from ancient history, the Bible tells a different story. Labeled a “beast,” “accuser,” and “evil one,” this “roaring lion” as the apostle Peter calls him, is sinister by nature, diabolical in his deceit, and straightforward in his approach. His objective is final: separate every man, woman and child from God—forever—and then throw the switch on their complete damnation.

Into this sick and twisted plan, God threw the ultimate wrench against evil: Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. By the very cross that took Jesus’ life, God conquered Satan and sealed our redemption over sin, death and the devil by raising His Son from the dead, promising newness of life to all who believe in the saving work of Jesus.

Great for fellowship groups, Sunday morning or Wednesday night Bible classes, or as an individual study, this look at mankind’s most wily “adversary” is sure to open some eyes. The Great Deceiver from the Men’s NetWork— spend some time getting to know him … from the Bible’s point of view. It’s available now at www.lhmmen.com. n The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014 21

The Gospel in Indonesia: Now is the Time

Above: International Ministries Director Dr. Douglas Rutt helps launch Radio Suara Diakonia in the city of Siantar.

The new station will reach hundreds of thousands with the Gospel.

Right: Seminaries that prepare Lutheran church workers are strong partners for our ministry in Indonesia.

International Ministries Director Dr. Douglas Rutt was a guest lecturer for a packed house during his visit to the Abdi Sabda seminary and teachers’ college in Medan.

P

eople can usually list the three nations with the largest Lutheran populations—Germany, Sweden, and the United States—but most are stumped when asked to name the fourth. Norway, Ethiopia, Brazil, and Tanzania are all good guesses, but they are all incorrect. According to Lutheran World Federation statistics, it is Indonesia that is the world’s fourth-largest “Lutheran” nation, with well over 6 million Lutherans. Indonesia is also the fourth most populous nation with around 250 million inhabitants.

Christians (Lutherans included) are nevertheless a small minority in the country, which is home to the world’s largest population of Muslims—nearly 210 million. Indonesia is a country of contrasts: if you travel through the northern part of Indonesia’s island of Sumatra, you will see so many churches that you might almost conclude its culture is Christian. Yet, if you travel throughout the rest of its 17,000 islands, you will get a very different picture.

After suspending ministry in Indonesia in 2002, Lutheran Hour Ministries reopened its Indonesia ministry center in 2012. Why now? Several reasons.

First, with its large Muslim population, Indonesia is a place where we can reach many unreached people—one of

22 The Lutheran Layman January - February 2014

our international ministry priorities.

Second, Lutheran Hour Ministries can refer the people we reach to several strong church partners. Lutheran Christianity is as strong as it is—particularly among Indonesia’s Batak people—because of the innovative work of Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen, a German missionary sent to Sumatra in 1861. Nommensen was a pioneer in conducting culturally sensitive evangelism, and his work helped bring about the Hurien Kristen Batak Protestan church and other Lutheran groups.

Nommensen’s carefully tended grave in the Sumatran village of Sigumpar memorializes his work and the power of God to reach the lost in Indonesia.

Third, the religious tolerance mandated by Indonesia’s constitution offers opportunity to proclaim the Gos-

by Douglas Rutt

pel freely, even through mass media such as radio.

In August of this year, Asia Regional Director Gunya Na Thalang and I had an opportunity to visit our ministry center, which is known locally as Yayasan Jangkar Kehidupan (Anchor of Life). Gunya and I experienced firsthand the growing reach of our center, as well as the Indonesian church’s passion for the Gospel. In the city of Siantar we helped inaugurate a new Christian radio station called “Radio Suara Diakonia,” which is expected to reach hundreds of thousands with the Gospel message. We also attended the conventions of three major church bodies—one of which was the Huria Kristen Indonesia, which has just taken official steps to strengthen its relationship with our ministry center.

One experience was especially encouraging to me. Our itinerary included a visit to a seminary, where I was invited to lecture the entire day. I expected 15 to 20 students would attend—but there were nearly 200! Most of them stayed for the whole day. Many asked incredibly insightful questions.

Ministry in Indonesia is very challenging. Spread over so many islands and speaking more than 700 languages, Indonesians are not easy to reach. Also, there is some concern that the official religious tolerance might not last. From time to time, Christians have found themselves under attack.

After seeing the life and vitality of the Lutheran churches in Indonesia, however, I am optimistic about the future of Christianity there. Lutheran Hour Ministries—Indonesia will continue to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through radio, text messaging, print media, puppet drama and all the other resources at our disposal. We invite your prayers for this vital outreach.

To learn more about our work in more than 30 countries, visit: www.lhm.org/international. n

onthemove

by Kurt Buchholz Executive Director Lutheran Hour Ministries

Remember Our ‘Song’ My first weeks as executive director for Lutheran Hour Ministries have been a time of great joy and admiration. This team of evangelists is overflowing with talent, experience, and passion for telling others about the love of Jesus. And as a partner in our work, you’re a member of that team as well.

The results are outstanding! LHM’s work in the United States as well as in 33 ministry centers around the world makes Him known.

Through LHM, you are proclaiming the Gospel to over one million people each week. Last year, with your LHM team, you worked individually with over 46,000 of those people as they learned more of the faith that the Holy Spirit planted in their hearts through LHM programs.

Oh sing to the LORD That in and of itself is more than a new executive director could ask for, but there a new song; sing to the is even more for which I’m thankful.

LORD, all the earth!”

What impresses me most is that when we Sing to the LORD, bless vision a greater impact in the future, a fuHis name; tell of His ture that doesn’t just add to those numbers but multiplies them, the LHM team salvation from day to day. doesn’t flinch; they are ready to go.

I can assure you that your prayers Declare His glory and generous support are making a difamong the nations, ference in the lives of thousands of indiHis marvelous works viduals today, as well as developing the among all the peoples! foundation on which the future of greater impact is being built.

(Psalm 96:1-3) This great team is needed because we have a great challenge before us—a challenge that I know you see as well as I do. As I look to the harvest fields, I have to ask myself, when was it that sharing the Good News became a task on the todo list to be accomplished, a job description for professionals, or an imposition on the patience of the receiver? When did the gift of being able to tell others about Christ become a burden, just one more thing that we are obliged to do? Does the message of eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ exist only in church budgets, committee names, and fish-shaped car emblems? Are we more interested in maintaining our own comfort zones than in walking through the doors that the Holy Spirit opens for us?

This is a grim view of the church in North America and much of the world, supported by study after study showing that most churches have not celebrated an adult baptism in years, that most non-Christians do not even know a Christian personally, and that many who have grown up in the church no longer see the point.

Have we lost our song? The psalmist cries: “Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!” (Psalm 96:1, ESV). The song is the passion, the joy, the zeal, the enthusiasm.

It is that which fills us up, overflows and is poured out for all to hear and see. Our song is birthed in the Word of God written in our hearts, poured over our brows and shared in the bread and wine with others who are blessed with the same song.

I know for myself that there are times when I seek to make

things so organized, predictable, strategic, and controlled that I can shut out the melody, replace the words on my heart with those from a management guide, and overpower it through the cacophony and din of business—essentially silencing the song. In these times pray with me that we all remember our song, that we don’t get so busy that we forget to sing of His salvation from day to day.

“Sing to the LORD, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day.” (Psalm 96:2) As great as the work that you are doing through Lutheran Hour Ministries is, I can’t help but see the unharvested fields and ask, “What more is God calling us to do?” We are praying and talking about just that thing here, and I boldly ask that you join us in that prayer. We can simultaneously celebrate what God has done today while challenging ourselves as to how much greater our impact can be. Pray that all of us may feel a holy discomfort in the status quo, that a message of such importance should not be bounded but released. Our song is not a song of guilt or a burdensome task but an overflowing of the love that has been freely given to us in great abundance.

“Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!” (Psalm 96:3) n

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Lutheran Hour Ministries, 660 Mason Ridge Center Drive • St. Louis, Missouri 63141-8557 • (314) 317-4100 or 1-800-944-3450 Philip Krauss II, Chairman • Kurt Buchholz, Executive Director The Int’l Lutheran Laymen’s League, with its outreach through Lutheran Hour Ministries, is an auxiliary of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and Lutheran Church—Canada.

The Gospel in Indonesia page 22

Double Duty for Latvia Page 8