The Lutheran Layman

L AYMAN THE LUTHERAN

November-December 2012

Your Partner in HIS Mission!

Diaspora:

A New Paradigm for Mission ‘Intersection’ Special Screening Page 7

Future Scare... or Future Promise?

Pages 9-11

No Time to Delay Your Mission Page 16

speakingup

‘Partners’ to Benefit Children

by Rev. Gregory Seltz Speaker of The Lutheran Hour

Faith’s Courage to Face the Future, Whatever it Holds Maybe by now you have heard some people say that the “end of the world is coming” THIS YEAR! They argue that the ancient Mayans many years ago predicted just that. And, there’s more than curiosity out there, there are people who are really afraid that this is true.

In an article in National Geographic News, NASA’s “Ask an Astrobiologist Web site” was cited, saying that “it has received thousands of questions regarding the 2012 doomsday predictions—some of them disturbing.” They quote David Morrison, senior scientist with the NASA Astrobiology Institute, who says: “A lot of [the submitters] are people who are genuinely frightened.

I’ve had two teenagers who were considering killing themselves, because they didn’t want to be around when the world ends. Two women in the last two weeks said they were contemplating killing their children and themselves so they wouldn’t have to suffer through the end of the world.”

Wow! That’s fear of the future, causing real terror right now, isn’t it?

So, how should we as Christians respond? Well, the article’s response was kind of disappointing. In essence, “Don’t worry, science alone debunks all this nonsense and because of that, don’t be afraid.” Now, I’m not saying this particular debunking was bad (God does give us common sense to allay our fears, too), but to put our faith “in

L AYMAN

science alone (?)” seems a bit naïve. After all, science has given us the very doomsday machines and bombs that really can rain down an “end of the world” holocaust on planet earth. So, there has to be a better answer to face the future than mankind’s best efforts, even from a “scientific” point of view. As Albert Einstein was quoted as saying, “The real problem is in the hearts and minds of men. It is not a problem of physics but of ethics. It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil from the spirit of man.”

So, how should we Christians respond to the fears of the future, real or imagined? Well, it is precisely at this point we have something incredible to say. We will not fear the future, not because we know what the future holds, but because we know who holds the future: Jesus Christ.

By faith, we are secure in His hands.

Faith in Him overcomes fear because the Creator of the universe is also its Redeemer.

And, it is He who has made a way possible for eternal life for all, no matter the troubles of the day. By the power of His cross and resurrection, we will not be afraid.

But, that’s only half of the story, isn’t it. God doesn’t merely want us to “not be afraid.” He calls us TO LIVE LIVES OF FEARLESS FAITH no matter what we face so that others can see faith’s power for their lives, too.

As someone has said, “ALL THAT COURAGE IS…IS FEAR THAT HAS SAID ITS PRAYERS IN FAITH!!!”

The Lutheran

Vol. 83, No. 6

November-December 2012

Gerald Perschbacher, 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, Woman to Woman, Family Time, Teacher to Teacher, Reaching Out and The Hoffmann Society are registered marks, or SM service marks.

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

2 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

FAITH CALLS US TO STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE, NO MATTER WHAT WE FACE, TO GIVE GLORY TO THE GOD AND TO SERVE OTHERS IN THE NAME OF THE ONE WHO SERVES US and who also GIFTS US WITH THE PROMISE OF ABUNDANT, ETERNAL LIFE!!

That’s our answer to fear. It’s an eternal life with Christ, now and forever.

That’s who we are, that’s why we’re still here — WE’RE NOT JUST PEOPLE LIVING FOR THE DAY. WE’RE CHRIST’S PEOPLE — LIVING AN ETERNAL LIFE, EVERY DAY UNTIL WE SEE HIM FACE TO FACE. When you hear people talking about the fears of tomorrow, whether they be doomsday predictions like Y2K, or the Mayan calendar, or even the possibility of war and rumors of wars, Jesus tells us not to be afraid even then, but “stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).

And in that “fearless faith IN HIM” remember that YOU AND I ARE NOT JUST TO MAKE THIS A BETTER PLACE, WE’RE CALLED TO PROCLAIM A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH COMING SOON FOR ALL WHO TRUST IN CHRIST. That’s faith’s answer to the fears of the world in which we live, today, tomorrow and even this December, 2012.

As the Bible says, “IF GOD IS FOR US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US…. AND WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST… SHALL TROUBLE OR HARDSHIP OR PERSECUTION OR FAMINE OR NAKEDNESS OR DANGER OR SWORD?... NO, IN ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM WHO LOVED US” (ROMANS 8:31-37).

HERE’S TO THE FUTURE, IN HIM! Hear Pastor Seltz on The Lutheran Hour!

Check stations and times at www.lhm.org.

KENYA—Thousands of impoverished families in the Nairobi area slums of Kibera and Kawangware struggle to send their children to school. Kenya’s government provides free education, often even the costs of clothing and school supplies are too much for families.

When the LHM—Kenya ministry center appealed for help, LHM’s U.S.-based staff made this the focus of its August service project and raised more than $1,300 to help provide the much-needed supplies.

Three events were held to distribute supplies to children aged 6 through 10 in the slums. The first was part of a mini VBS in early September. Ministry center staff expected 75-100 children—but nearly 200 showed up! The staff reacted quickly to share the materials on hand; in the end, 120 students received backpacks and some supplies, while the rest received supplies only.

The second event in late September targeted children of a sect known as “Legio Maria.” The parents of these children believe that Jesus has already returned and lives on the shores of Lake Victoria in eastern Kenya. They do not allow their children to receive medical treatment—but have allowed some of the children to participate in activities at the Lutheran Church in Kibera, including singing in a choir. These children have unique educational needs and received a full set of school supplies and required textbooks for math, science, English and Swahili.

At the third distribution event, held September 29, 75 children who live in the Kawangware slum received full backpacks of the supplies they need.

“We’re grateful to all LHM staff who were inspired to donate,” said Eric Gates, regional director for Africa and the Middle East. “It may be impossible for us ever to know how, but this act of compassion is helping change lives.” n

Lutheran Hour Ministries Sunday 2013: FEBRUARY 3

in your community

in our nation

in our world

Reaching The Unreached WWW.LHM.ORG/LHMSUNDAY

Your Partner in HIS Mission The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 3

Diaspora:

A New Paradigm for Mission

by Jeff Thormodson

For the past 2,000 years, the traditional model for missions has been to send missionaries to “the ends of the earth.” Individuals travel to distant lands and learn a new language and culture in order to share the Good News about Jesus Christ, raise up leaders, train pastors and establish new congregations.

Rev. Jeff Thormodson is director of MissionShift Institute at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.

A

s a traditional missionary for eight

years in Siberia where the Mission

helped establish 17 Lutheran

congregations, I fully support

the traditional model of missions. But today another model of missions is emerging called Diaspora Missions, and predictions are that these will become the primary vehicle of missions in the 21st century.

So, what is Diaspora Missions? The term diaspora historically refers to the dispersion of the Jews in history, when the nation fell and the people scattered. Today, diaspora is currently being used to describe the mass migration of immigrants and refugees that started during the last half of the 20th century. People are crossing international borders and migrating to new countries at an unprecedented scale. It is estimated that 214 million individuals, or 3.1% of the world’s population, are migrants (that’s one out of every 33 persons). The reasons for migrating are varied, some by choice and others forced, but every migrant is included in the term diaspora, as they have taken up residence away from their place of origin. Using this definition of diaspora, Diaspora Missions is then defined as ministering to the diaspora through evangelism and Christian charity, but also in-

4 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

cludes ministering through/beyond the diaspora to their kinsman located in their immediate region, in their host country, their homeland and abroad.

Good Example in Boston

One of the best examples of Diaspora Missions is Boston’s Quiet Revival. It began with the 1965 Immigration Act that opened the door for new immigration from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Many immigrants were Christian — and when they settled in Boston, they planted new congregations. What is unique is that the appearance of these new congregations went unnoticed, most likely because they were worshiping in different languages. It wasn’t until the Emmanuel Gospel Center decided to produce a church directory that an amazing discovery was made – that from 1965 until 1989 the number of churches in Boston had doubled to 570 worshiping in over 30 languages. Further research revealed that these diaspora populations did not stop with planting a local congregation, but continued through relational networks to establish an additional 200 churches in the region, and 600 more worldwide! This tremendous growth of new congregations hasn’t slowed down over time, but has continued steadily for the past 40 years.

Diaspora growth is not limited to Boston, but is beginning to reveal itself in many ministries across the United States. Over the last nine years, my responsibilities at Concordia Seminary have given me the opportunity to visit over 90 congregations reaching out to immigrants through the Seminary’s EIIT Program. EIIT stands for the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology, and each con-

gregation was serving as a vicarage congregation for a pastoral student, or an internship congregation for a deaconess internship. During each visit, I conducted interviews with both the student and the supervisor to learn about their history, their ministry and their goals for the future. Overall, there are many exciting things happening throughout the LCMS in the area of Diaspora Mission—but there are also a few struggles.

About Half of the Immigrants are Christian

During these nine years, I’ve learned about half of all immigrants resettling in the United States identify themselves as Christian. Christianity remains the fastest growing religion worldwide and for migrants, the United States remains the number one destination for Christian migrants. The Pew Research Center estimates about 32 million (74%) of the 43 million immigrants living in the United States are Christian. This does not mean they necessarily have a deep understanding of the faith, or are connected with a specific denomination; but it does reveal how God is already at work among immigrants bringing them into our neighborhoods, and in many cases to our church doors!

When interviewing EIIT students, I often discover it was the immigrant who first showed up at the church and introduced themselves to the pastor! A significant number were raised in the church overseas and have Christian parents. A few were pastors overseas and had served several congregations before immigrating to the

People are Talking!

U.S. Others had learned of the Gospel while in refugee camps from missionaries and came to faith. When the Lord brought them to this country, they naturally began to look for Christians and for a place to worship.

‘Action Plan’ for Diaspora Missions

Diaspora Missions begins by first welcoming the stranger into our midst. This may include some of the more basic needs such as helping immigrants learn English, helping them find medical care or assisting with transportation and legal needs. Indeed, this is more acute among refugees who are arriving from refugee camps whose transition is much more difficult. Nevertheless, it is an opportunity to practice Christian charity and hospitality to the neighbors God has placed in our backyard.

This is a wonderful opportunity for the laity to reach out to the immigrants and make them feel welcome at church, at social gatherings and in our homes. The most successful diaspora ministries I’ve visited enjoy strong support from within the Anglo congregation. Where Anglos reach out to immigrants, motivated by Christ’s mission for the lost, marvelous things usually happen.

As diaspora people make the transition into American society, what began as ministry to the diaspora often transitions to ministry through the diaspora. So when immigrants are welcomed into Lutheran churches, and culturally appropriate ways are found to minister to them, it is a message they desire to share with their kinsman throughout the world.

Each year, I receive emails from students I’ve visited who are doing ministry all over the world. For example, Sudanese students often travel back to Sudan to visit family and to help start up churches; the Hmong students travel back to Thailand to support the training of Thai pastors; Haitian students travel home to help establish schools and churches; and Congolese students are traveling back to the Congo in support of their seminary. This short list is illustrative of the potential Diaspora Missions holds for LCMS missions in the 21st century. Many immigrants are not uprooted from their native culture. They effectively become bi-cultural and operate trans-nationally making them vehicles for carrying the Gospel back to their native lands.

Diaspora missions can open new doors where Christian missionaries are not tolerated. About 5% of immigrants are Muslim, and many settle in urban areas, where they quickly come into contact with Western ideas. Because the cultural and family pressures endured in their country of origin are lacking, many Muslims become receptive to hearing the Gospel. Instead of living under the threat of execution for departing from the Islamic faith, they take advantage of the freedom America offers to dialogue with believers, and explore questions of faith.

Because Muslims are often treated with suspicion due to 9/11, many appreciate Christians who befriend them in their new culture, assist them in learning English and share differences in what we believe without imposing Christianity upon them.

Some Muslims will become attracted to Christianity through these ambassadors of the faith and convert. One scholar estimates that “since 1990 more Muslims have become followers of Jesus than in the previous 14 centuries.”1 Much of this is because immigration has brought Muslims into our context, enabling them to hear the Gospel in a new way. Their cell phones and emails carry the Gospel to their Muslim families and friends across the boarders see next page

Eight Tulsa-area LCMS congregations hosted a VBS event at an apartment complex, with children of Burmese, Hispanic, Hmong and African immigrants attending.

Photo courtesy of Amy Boewe.

America is a Mission Field

Over the last 50 years, a foreign mission field has emerged in the middle of America. Time has proven that the Immigration Act will go down as one of the most significant pieces of legislation in the last century. America is on track to becoming a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic nation.

Consider these statistics based on the 2010 Census: • 1 out of 8 Americans today is a legal immigrant (about 13% of the population).

• 92% of U.S. population growth from 2000 to 2010 was non-white, primarily Hispanic and Asian.

• For the first time, the majority of children born in 2010 were minorities, or of more than one race (50.4%).

• It is projected that the ethnic majority among children (0-18) currently held by whites will disappear by 2023; nationwide, that majority will disappear by 2042, thereby eliminating any ethnic majority.

Attention given to more culture-crossing activities, outreaches, fellowships and friendships will help. Local efforts to cross cultures are the first step towards reaching the immigrant next door, and internationally through the tremendous power of Diaspora Missions.

More Ideas for Action:

What can YOU do? How can this outreach be fostered through prayer and action? Check online outreach options and helps at www.lhm.org and from other LCMS sources, talk with officials in your district and investigate the subject with your pastor. Consider more on the topic by checking: • Diaspora Missiology: Theory, Methodology and Practice. Enoch Wan, Ed. Published by the Institute of Diaspora Studies, Portland, Oregon, 2011.

• Beyond Christendom: Globalization, African Migration and the Transformation of the West. Jehu J. Hanciles, Orbis: Maryknoll, 2008.

• “Faith on the Move: The Religious Affiliation of International Migrants, by Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life. March 2012. http://features.pewforum.org/religious-migration/Faithonthemove.pdf • The New England’s Book of Acts, published by the Emmanuel Gospel Center, Boston, MA, 2007. http://neba.egc.org/ • Global Missiology, www.globalmissiology.org/ n The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 5

Diaspora

from page 5 normally closed to the Gospel.

Diaspora Missions holds a tremendous potential for LCMS congregations to engage in local, national and international ministry all through the diaspora neighbor living next door. W.J. Subash of Crossroad church in Irving, Texas, puts it this way: “Wherever I go, I tell people, ‘Indians in America must be reached by Americans or other Indians who live here. Indians come for money and success, but in God’s plan, they are here so that you can reach them more easily without learning another language, crossing an ocean or spending three years learning a culture.’”2 Through immigration, God has removed the geographical barriers normally associated with missions and raised up a mission field in our midst. Of those 90 visits mentioned earlier, with students studying to be pastors and deaconesses, there are over 20 ethnicities represented including Ethiopian, Eritrean, Hmong, Indian, Laotian, Pakistani, S. Korean, Nigerian, Tanzanian, Sudanese, Congolese, Liberian and Haitian. Sixty of those students have graduated and are currently in ministry today, with others still in the program.

The LCMS is a denominational leader in many ways, having engaged the task of training first generation ethnic immigrants for ministry nine years ago, and in a country where one out of eight Americans is an immigrant, there is great promise to help grow the LCMS family. We have only begun to scratch the surface of cross-cultural ministry domestically, and Diaspora Missions is a powerful resource for building up the kingdom globally.

The fields truly are ripe for harvest (John 4:35); and the harvest is right here...now. n Moussa Bonyoyok, Case Study 3: Missions among the Urban Muslim Diaspora in the East, in Diaspora Missiology: Theory, Methodology, Practice, Enoch Wan ed., Institute of Diaspora Studies: Portland, 2011, pg. 204.

1

LifeWay Research, North American Mission Board Research, Nashville Tennessee, 2009, pg. 2.

2

Start 2013 with an educational

Online MtoissiThonailanTrid!p LHM invites Lutheran Schools across North America to join the second online mission trip to Thailand.

January 28-31, 2013

To learn more and to register for this online trip, visit

www.lhm.org/onlinemissiontrips 6 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

onthemove

by Bruce Wurdeman Executive Director Lutheran Hour Ministries

“

Hounded?

T

hat is one amazingly persistent dog!” We were all thinking the same thing, but my brother-in-law vocalized our thoughts. It was probably 20 years ago—maybe even more. We were trolling for walleye on a northern Minnesota lake on a typical northern Minnesota beautiful summer morning. He came swimming toward us from the near shore— this beautiful, big, black Labrador. As he got closer, we realized he was trying to make friends with three people in a boat. Our lines were out and the trolling motor was running and this lab began swimming around and around our boat.

Fearing the mess that would ensue if that dog got tangled in fishing lines and hooks, we took the lines out of the water and tried to get him to leave. He wouldn’t. Instead, he began playfully snapping at the baited hooks that hung over the sides of the boat, leaving us imagining what it would be like to try to get a barbed hook out of a swimming lab’s mouth. He wouldn’t give up.

At one point we came close to a swimming area, and he became entangled in the floats and rope marking the area. We couldn’t let him drown, so we worked to free him from the ropes.

Still he wouldn’t give up. Once free, the friendly hound went back to swimming around the boat. It was us, not the dog, that finally gave up. We motored across the lake—about a mile away—and began fishing again. Can you see it coming?

Looking back across the lake, we saw

‘He has had to hound some of us more than others, but hound He does.’

a black dot moving slowly but steadily toward us and, eventually, our new friend was back. He had probably been swimming for at least an hour now, but he was going to make friends no matter what it took! That was one persistent hound!

In 1893, English poet Francis Thompson published a poem titled, “The Hound of Heaven.” The poem is not easy reading, but it describes how the poet saw his God—surely, steadily, persistently pursuing the sinner to bring him into the family of God. I have always liked that imagery, and every time I see the phrase describing my God—“The Hound of Heaven”—I see that black lab on the Minnesota lake.

It is our privilege—yours and mine— to have been pursued by that Hound of Heaven. He sacrificed His Son and then sent His Holy Spirit to bring us back into His forever family. He has had to hound some of us more than others, but hound He does. And, as we work together through the outreach efforts of Lutheran Hour Ministries, it is our joy and privilege to see that Hound of Heaven pursue and retrieve his rebellious sons and daughters and make them part of His Family.

As you read the rest of this edition of The Lutheran Layman, notice how that Hound of Heaven is at work. It’s not about what we are doing. It is all about what He is doing and the persistence with which He goes about calling people back to Himself. What a joy and privilege it is to be used by the Hound of Heaven! n

‘Intersection’

LCMS district presidents, guests and dignitaries filed into the movie theater and awaited the screening with anticipation.

s

MISSOURI—District presidents of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod, dignitaries, LHM staff and guests attended the special red-carpet preview of The Intersection of Church & State, Sept. 17. The special is a new program launched on September 30 on FOX Business Channel at 5 p.m., Eastern Time.

The one-hour program aired as paid programming on the cable network.

Promoted as a television special with fresh insights into the historic boundaries between religion and government in the United States, its release was well-timed as the final weeks of campaign rhetoric filled the minds of citizens in this Presidential election year.

Site for the preview was B&B Theatre 10 in Wildwood, Mo., a suburb of the greater St. Louis area. Included among attendees was Rev. Gregory Seltz, Speaker for The Lutheran Hour, who was host for the television special. Also attending were constitutional expert, attorney and author Tad Armstrong, plus Linda Hartke, president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, an organization advocating for migrants and refugees. Comments

by Armstrong and Hartke were featured in the production.

It was announced at the screening that the LHM Men’s NetWork would complement the special with a companion Bible study released on Oct. 1, in an effort in Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church.

Rev. Dr. Mark Larson spoke to the audience before and after the screening. He made several introductions and explained the nuances of the program. Larson directs the U.S. Ministries Division of LHM. Executive Director Bruce Wurdeman was on hand and offered a toast at the reception before the screening.

t

was Welcomed at Special Screening

Numerous points are brought out in the production. Attendees discovered that there is a stanza of the National Anthem that is seldom sung. The stanza appeared on screen and highlighted man’s trust in God.

For details about the special, go to www.intersectionofchurchandstate.com.

s Rev. Gregory Seltz hosts the program.

Here he spoke from Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

s As attendees viewed the huge s In the production, Attorney Tad Armstrong offers several observations as Christian advocate for the proper understanding of church and state.

screen, LCMS President Matt Harrison shared thoughts on the subject of church and state relations.

The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 7

International Students and

Diaspora

Missions

by Chris Culley, Executive Director of International Student Ministry St. Louis.

The washing of new birth.

International student outreach bears fruit as the Holy Spirit leads this student to faith and the waters of baptism.

Photos courtesy of International Student Ministry St. Louis

Mom and baby class. At International Student Ministry St. Louis, U.S. moms and kids + international student moms and kids = great opportunities for fun, learning and relationshipbuilding.

8 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

L

ast year more than 720,000 students from other countries attended colleges and universities in the United States. According to the Institute of International Education, this number has been growing in each of the the past five years.

This is a diaspora that is constantly changing, constantly in motion. International students spend anywhere from a month up to six or more years at our universities and then take the knowledge, wisdom and experience they have acquired back to their homelands. In the mean time, more students from all over the world arrive on our campuses.

While they are in America, we have an opportunity to welcome them and invest in their lives.

International Student Ministry (ISM, Inc.) is a Lutheran ministry organization that reaches out to these students on many campuses across the United States. ISM staff and volunteers typically welcome students to their host city by trying to make their adjustment a little easier — picking them up at the airport, driving them to the grocery store, helping them find furniture, and so on. They invite the students to social events and programs; and they take the time to converse with them, to teach them about American culture and to give them opportunities to build relationships and discover Christian community.

This is often how the transformation happens. As the student encounters the Gospel in both word and action, the Spirit moves; faith is born; and a new follower of Jesus is born again in the waters of baptism. And then he or she returns home carrying Good News to share with people who desperately need to hear it. What a wonderful way to reach the world through people whom God has sent to our cities for just a season in life!

Want to find an International Student Ministry near you? Visit isminc.org and click “Ministries.� n

. . . ? e e r s i a c m S o r e P r u e t r Fu r Futu o H

This message was on billboards in Florida, Ohio and New Jersey.

by Kirk M. Clayton

Membership Losses

2010 Membership in Millions

Membership Loss Since 1990

Percentage Loss

American Baptist Church

1.6

-313,000

-16.7%

Episcopal Church

1.9

-493,000

-20.2%

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

4.1

-1.0 Million

-20.0%

Presbyterian Church in the USA

1.9

-1.1 Million

-31.0%

United Church of Christ

1.2

-709,000

-35.6%

United Methodist Church

9.7

-1.2 Million

-11.1%

Membership Losses in Mainline Churches

ave you seen signs of Christmas in the stores yet? Have you seen decorations, trees, tinsel and stockings filling the aisles? Have you heard Christmas music on the loudspeakers? If not, then give it another week or two, and you will.

Between now and Christmas, notice something else: outright attacks on Christianity. It seems every year a new location with a Christian nativity scene on public property is challenged in court. Billboards have appeared during the season with slogans like “You Know it (the Christmas Story) is a Myth,” “This Season, Celebrate Reason,” “Don’t Believe in God? You Are Not Alone” or “All Religions Are Fairy Tales.”

Every year the attacks on Christianity seem to increase in frequency and ferocity.

Is the future for the church one that is filled with threats, doom and despair, or is the future of the church filled with bright hope and eager expectation? Does the church face a future promise — or a future scare? Atheist attacks on Christianity and the “signs against the season” certainly don’t seem to paint a rosy picture.

The effects are being felt in congregational membership. The previous issue of The Lutheran Layman featured an article (“The State of Outreach….By the Numbers,” p. 3-7) that outlined dramatic declines in membership for churches in the United States. Membership in mainline Protestant churches is in devastating free-fall, with some church bodies losing as much as 35 percent of their membership in the last decade! While numerical decline may not be quite so pronounced in the LCMS or the LCC, it is still prevalent, and we know it. In many ways the future of the church does not look promising, and a pall of unease and uncertainty covers many Christian hearts.

Militant atheist attacks have an effect. Members like Josh Peterson, choir director at my congregation, sense it: “Attacks seem to drive Christians into silence.

Anyone who is in favor of Biblical values is shunned, fired, blackballed, picketed, boycotted and labeled as hateful, so I find that the temptation to do nothing in see next page The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 9

e r u t u F e? r a c S from page 9 the face of these attacks is in every one of us to a degree. We’re all hesitant to share our faith or say what we believe for fear of offending someone.”

Jim Roeckeman, president of the Southern Illinois District LLL, says attacks put him on the defensive. “I’ve never really been challenged about my faith before. I’m scared that I will botch my response and make matters worse, which is partly lack of confidence and knowledge about a good way to state my faith in a responsible and loving way.”

Too often the church is tongue-tied and silent in its response to criticism.

But God and the church do not function from a human standpoint.

Ultimately, the fate of the church is not in any mere human hands, but in the hands of Jesus Christ, our Eternal Hope.

Recognizing this, and recognizing that we are guided by God’s divine, infallible wisdom, how do we in the church respond to attacks in the coming weeks?

First, recognize that what we do is dependent on God. The church is at its best through His grace alone.

Rev. Tim Scharr, president of the SID-LCMS and LCMS liaison to the 10 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

Christianity in these videos allows faithful Christians to see that despite the ferocity of attacks, they often are not terribly well supported by fact and logic.

Without a doubt, receiving God’s generous gifts in worship and growing in God’s Word must constitute the church’s response to any attacks on our faith.

David Abuya, a member at Zion Lutheran Church in Mascoutah, Ill., points out: “The church’s sustained effort to respond to atheistic attacks should be primarily undertaken from a kneeling position. Perhaps the Lord God will then give the opportunities to witness and the words to speak to His people in this lost world. When facing attacks, I find myself praying, and my mind often defaults to liturgy—especially the prayer at the end of the Te Deum in Matins, ‘O Lord, in You have I trusted, let me never be confounded.’

The church needs to respond to atheistic attacks with prayer — then by proclaiming the truth of the Law and sharing the freedom of the Gospel. We cannot just ‘counter attack’ with billboards and commercials.”

Pray for strength to face the days ahead with hope instead of anxiety. Also pray for opportunities. In an odd way, outright attacks on the church might be a blessing to the church’s witness. People are certainly talking about the attacks leveled against Christianity, and when our friends and neighbors talk about Int’l LLL Board of Directors, maintains his focus by faith issues, we don’t even have to bring the subject pointing to Paul’s instructions in 2 Timothy 4:1-5: “I up. We continue the conversation and respond to charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus… the attacks with gentle and hopeful assurance. We preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; read in 1 Peter 3:15 “Always be prepared to make reprove, rebuke and exhort, with complete patience a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for and teaching. For the time is coming when people will the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears respect, having a good conscience, so they will accumulate for themselves teachthat, when you are slandered, those who ers to suit their own passions, and will turn Examine your revile your good behavior in Christ may away from listening to the truth and wander options at be put to shame.” President Roeckeman off into myths. As for you, always be soberwww.lhm.org points out that MISSION U from Luminded, endure suffering, do the work of an for activities theran Hour Ministries is a great way to evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” President gain experience in doing exactly that.

Scharr adds, “The church needs to fulfill its and products In this Bible verse from 1 Peter, we hear ministry, distributing the Means of Grace that can that we should consider not only what we and trusting the Holy Spirit to do His work.” enhance your say, but also how we say it. Josh PeterLutheran Hour Ministries is producing life as son echoes this: “Christians must not be Bible-based resources to help us respond to a Christian! silent—we must speak to give answer to challenges. Roeckeman points to The atheistic attacks on our faith—but along Lutheran Hour as a wonderful way to receive with that, Christians must not be rude, judgmental, another helping of God’s Word each week to build us vindictive or harsh. We must be patient and loving, up in certainty and faith. President Scharr has found for it may be that the method of our defense of the that the LHM Men’s NetWork video series on the Bible faith is just as important as the actual defense itself.”

(Paul Maier’s “How We Got the Bible” and Craig ParAs the church faces the future with hope, our ton’s “The Bible On Trial”) are well done and timely. deeds may speak louder than our words. Love is not There’s more. I know of Bible classes that spark discussion by using the series “The Baloney Shop” featuring an abstraction. St. Francis of Assisi reportedly said, “Always preach the Gospel—use words if you have to.”

Pastor Ken Klaus. This prepares people to face attacks.

While the words of God’s grace in Christ are imporOften animated discussion rooted in pertinent Scriptant, the world sees the hope that we have through our ture passages follows the viewing of the short video. The actions of love much more than through our words humorous way Rev. Klaus is able to present attacks on

The Church at its Best While the world may mock and scorn, make no mistake about it—the church is at its very best when we are gathered in worship.

As the Holy Spirit gathers His people to receive the Word and Sacraments, God’s central work of salvation is being accomplished. The importance of any attacks pales in comparison to this tremendous event.

When an infant, youth, or adult is baptized andmade a part of the body of Christ, atheism receivesits most stunning rebuke from none other than God Himself. God’s goodness continues to be outpoured in His Word. Through the reading of Scripture and through the Word as it is preached, Christian faith is fostered and Christian minds are molded to think and act according to God’s plan and pattern as God Himself shapes us and strengthens us for the struggles we will face. And then, the blessings from God continue to flow.

Without food and nourishment anyone would grow weak and weary as atheist attacks continue, so God gives us heavenly food to eat so we do not become frail and fail under the frequent attacks. Jesus comes to us in His true body and blood—in, with and under the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper—and gives us strength and sustenance in this blessed meal.

We emerge from worship far more ready to face the wickedness of the world than when we entered.

In worship God gathers us as His own, molds us in His ways, forgives and feeds us—making us ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead. n

of defense. Christians respond in mercy and love, all the more so when faced with attacks on our faith. President Scharr says we may “make the greatest impact on the world through our works of mercy.”

We as Christians can and should be actively involved in living out God’s love for us by loving and serving those around us. One way to do this could include participating in International Volunteer Trips offered through Lutheran Hour Ministries. Such trips offer opportunities for members of congregations, youth groups, school groups and friends to serve others as Christ has served us by participating in projects like construction work, healthcare services and the like.

President Scharr points to a time when persecution against the church was much more violent and frequent than today. Borrowing words from Tertullian, an early Church leader in the 3rd century, President Scharr says, “I hope it is said of the church in our time as it was said of the early church, ‘See how they love one another.’”

So, what does the future hold for the church? The answer comes down to faithfulness. God is faithful to us, and He will not break His promises—but will we remain faithful to Him? Or will we water down God’s Word and succumb to the pressures of the world?

Conforming to the ways of the world has resulted in the downfall of churches that try it. Perhaps this is a major contributing factor why many mainline Protestant churches are in a tailspin. The ways of the world are death to the church, but the counter-cultural guidance of God leads to life for His people. Roeckeman points this out: “The future of various churches depends on each church and how they respond to the challenges they face. Those who are lax will lose; and those who are faithful to God’s ways and God’s Word — and are willing to prepare and work at being in the Word—will do better. Some denominations are so close to today’s society and our culture’s beliefs that I don’t see much hope for them. But those churches willing to be in the Word, to learn and to act on their beliefs in total

faithfulness to God, will do better.”

Focusing on God’s grace, Jeannette Schorfheide, a member at Zion, puts it this way: “I have no doubt that Christianity will weather the attacks…. God and His people have been under attack since the beginning, and God and Christianity are still present. We Christians must stand firm in our faith, profess our beliefs and fight for what is right.

As long as we continue to practice our faith, bond together and raise Christian children, we will continue to be God’s people. His church will continue.”

President Scharr reminds us that “the Lord Jesus will see that His church perseveres. He identifies with those who are suffering and persecuted since any attack on God’s people is really an attack on Christ Himself….The church is not really what is under attack, God Himself is, and that means that we have no reason to fear.

God doesn’t panic. Neither should we.”

When we face attacks, when the future appears bleak, we remember another dark day when Christ was suffering physical attack—under arrest, subjected to scourging, mocked, condemned by

Reasons To Believe

the world and crucified. God has a way of turning attacks into greater blessings than we could ever imagine. From the standpoint of the world, the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ looked like complete defeat for Christ and his church, but it led to ultimate victory in God’s plan of salvation. The cross proved to be the fulfillment of God’s work on our behalf, and it led to the glorious victory in Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning.

God can bring victory to His Church today, too. n Rev. Clayton is pastor at Zion Lutheran Church, Mascoutah, Ill., in the Southern Illinois District (SID) of The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod, and chairs the district’s Board of Missions. He also is pastoral advisor for the SID-LLL, a position he has held for the last seven years. He is working on a Ph.D. in Theology and Culture from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo.

This Project Connect booklet is ideal as a quick go-to guide on how Christianity makes sense on many levels. In an easy-to-read style, the author shows how believing in God, creation, prophecy, man’s inner morality, Jesus and salvation is not something far-fetched and out there.

On the contrary, based on historical and archaeological evidence, faith in the truthfulness of God’s Word is a logical response to the material at our disposal.

utheran Hour Ministries! ct Booklet from L e n n o C t jec ew Pro N r e h * ORDER NOW TO RECEIVE 5 FREE!!

Anot Go to our special Reasons To Believe ordering page at www.lhm.org/reasons and enter the coupon code, PCREA2012.

HURRY, OFFER ENDS NOV. 15, 2012!

The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 11

’ n o i t u l o v ‘Re St. Louis d e k Roc “God came through in a major way,” said Sarah Guldalian, manager and producer for evangelism training for Lutheran Hour Ministries. What she’s referring to is the five14 Revolution on August 11, held at the Chesterfield Amphitheater in Chesterfield, Mo. Some 1,000 people took in the music of Taylor Perry, Of Time and Tide and Christian rap artist, MYNISTA, during this back-to-school, open-air concert. For those in attendance there was free food and drink, an area for people to receive prayer, a milk project to benefit schoolchildren in Vietnam and a boatload of giveaway goodies.

The event was produced with teens and young adults in mind. Attendees had the chance to hear about the revolutionary message of Christ’s unchanging love as expressed through music and dramatic routines. Throughout the evening, God’s offer of salvation through His Son’s life, death and resurrection was shared. It’s a message that resonated with many of those in attendance. Texts, tweets, posts and comments have had good things to say about this first five14 Revolution: “I had fun and you rocked it! All my peeps that came really enjoyed it! Let’s do it again! I’m ready!”

“The workers of LHM ignited the festivities with their enthusiasm for Jesus! Change can only happen when we serve Him! Thank you for opening your hearts and time slots and pocketbooks for just that one (or more) person(s) who needed to hear the true message of hope. I guarantee someone was touched powerfully by everyone’s dedication and uncomplicated desire to make Jesus number one!”

“What an accomplishment and impressive organization! … You went for the gold and crossed the line with style! Praying this is just the beginning!”

“Tanner Olson’s (LHM’s evangelism training specialist) delivery of the message blew people away!

Big kudos to him!”

“I had a blast! I’m excited to see where God leads us from here!”

“Hey, the event was awesome. I was stopped by more than one person who just stumbled in and wanted to know what was going on, saying, ‘What’s up? This is amazing!’ The lady sitting right behind the camera was calling her kids on the phone telling them they

12 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

should come down to the park ASAP.” Invitations had been sent to area churches, community organizations, schools, youth groups and others. Those attending ranged across the board in ages, backgrounds and religious affiliations. A few arrived from some unlikely quarters—as in the more than 40 individuals who came from one of the Salvation Army’s local drug rehab programs.

Guldalian was thrilled with the turnout and is already considering plans for future, similar events. She said she was especially pleased to see the reaction of people who were pleasantly surprised by what they took away from the evening: “A couple of LCMS pastors came up to me at the end and said it was incredible—good, solid messages,” she added.

Five14 offers cutting-edge evangelism training tools and resources and conducts outreach events designed to connect with teens of all backgrounds. It takes its name from Jesus’ words to His followers as given in Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world.” You can check it out at www.whatsfive14.com. n

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“I had a blas see I’m excited to ads where God le !” us from here

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The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 13

A

LHM Takes the Challenge to Reach Youth

by Douglas Rutt

Rev. Dr. Rutt is director of International Ministries for LHM.

“Their questions are the kind that don’t have easy answers...

For me it has been a learning experience as I wrestle with some of life’s knottier issues from the perspective of the unbeliever.”

round the world, one of the fastest-growing demographic groups is young people aged 15 to 25. The majority of people in this segment are unchurched—but most are seeking answers to life’s questions, and for this reason, Lutheran Hour Ministries has made it a priority to reach them.

This creates unique challenges. The allure of mass-media popular culture, postmodernism and materialism is especially influential in the lives of many young people throughout the world, largely because they are connected in ways their parents never dreamed of through things such as the Internet, Twitter and other social media sites, text messaging and so on. Two Lutheran Hour Ministries centers—one in Russia and one in Kazakhstan—have launched new initiatives specifically focusing on ministry to youth and young adults.

The staff at the Lutheran Hour Ministries center in Russia discovered that some strategies which had been successful in reaching young people in the past were no longer effective. They responded first by

reworking the center’s Bible Correspondence Courses, adding supplementary video segments and making them web-accessible. Next, the center developed a new Russian-language website that allows participants both to work on the courses online and to interact in a discussion-board environment, asking questions, encouraging one another and developing community; the site went live on September 1.

In Kazakhstan, the staff, local Lutheran pastor Alexei Schastlivii and Pavel Stepanov, a young man from Alexei’s congregation, realized that they, too, would need to take another approach to sharing the Gospel among teens and young adults.

“For young people in today’s Kazakhstan, the experience of life as a Christian is what helps to convey the depth of the Christian message,” says Pavel. “It needs to be more than simply words.”

They worked to organize “Pure Line,” a youth movement that includes three aspects: outdoor activities; acts of service

toward the less fortunate and the community; and a study of God’s Word. A Facebook-style social media site is the main vehicle through which the youth— the majority of whom are not Christians—keep connected during the week.

But they also meet face-to-face at least weekly to plan events and activities and to ask questions of Pastor Alexei.

“Their questions are the kind that don’t have easy answers,” Alexei remarks. “For me it has been a learning experience as I wrestle with some of life’s knottier issues from the perspective of the unbeliever.”

These are just a couple of the ways Lutheran Hour Ministries is reaching out to younger people around the world—not only in Europe, but in places like India, Kenya, Panama and Nicaragua as well.

You can support international youth outreach through an International Ministries Partnership!

Visit www.lhm.org/partner to learn how. n

Mountaintop experience.

Five Kazak youth on a Pure Line outdoor adventure.

Pavel Stepanov, center, is one of the youthful leaders of this movement.

Bible Study Complements New TV Program Released to coincide with Lutheran Hour Ministries’ recently aired television program of the same name, The Intersection of Church & State will also be a Men’s NetWork Bible study. The four-part video to this study focuses on the lively giveand-take connection church and state share in this country, highlighting the historical development of this relationship and how it plays out today.

Hosted by Rev. Gregory Seltz, Speaker for The Lutheran Hour, the video features news clips covering government decisions that have impacted church-state relations; on-the-street responses to various questions asked; and expert commentary from lawyers, church and government officials, politicians, educators and clergy, who give context to the historical antecedents behind the energetic and ongoing church-state liaison.

Perfect for individual or group use, Intersection’s discussion guide combines probing questions and relevant Scriptures to maximize the value users will get from working through the material at their own pace. Four sessions—“Is That a Crack in the Wall of Separation?”; “What Did the Founders Have in Mind?”; “Is America a Christian Nation?” and “Collision and Cooperation” expand the video content 14 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

by engaging users directly in the issues under consideration. Internet links comprising the discussion guide’s “Digging Deeper” boxes allow users to tap into web content on everything from the Founding Fathers’ view on religion and Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists to links covering Europe’s bloody history of religious wars and Supreme Court decisions that have figured prominently in the public debate.

Central to the video and discussion guide is an emphasis on the good that can be done when church and state work together. Bible study users will come away with a heightened awareness of what’s going on in society at large, concerning federal and state legislation and the institution of the church. Though roadblocks are frequent where government and church meet, there is still tremendous potential for a healthy collaboration in caring for the needy, settling refugees, child adoption, chaplain services and more. In the end, it will suggest a far superior metaphor in describing the church-state relationship is not one incorporating a “wall of separation” or barrier but, instead, an intersection, which benefits us all.

For this and all Men’s NetWork Bible studies and ministry resources, go to www.lhmmen.com. n

Get Energized for Witnessing at a ROC in 2013 Today’s churches often find themselves wrestling with how to be relevant to their neighbors, yet their neighbors often find themselves wrestling with pain and “Do you purposelessness. So many people in today’s world are know how becoming spiritual wanderoften the ers—who often discover little purpose for their lives, little average hope for a future and no one Lutheran in to turn to for real comfort and North America strength in times of trouble.

In a world characterized invites some- by dizzying change, God has body to come called the Church to join Him in His mission and chalto church?” lenged it to make His message of hope known in today’s culture.

As Christians, each of us is then called to spread the word that Jesus has redeemed us—and freed us to serve and encourage each other. But how do we leave our comfort zones so that we can be empowered to share His message with others without fear?

“Do you know how often the average

Lutheran in North America invites somebody to come to church?” asked Rev. John Nunes, president and CEO of Lutheran World Relief, at a Regional Outreach Conference hosted by Lutheran Hour Ministries in Alexandria, Minnesota last year. “Once every 27 years; that’s a fact.

And that’s the average, which means that some are less!

How can you do it less? Every Christian life is a witness; you do not have the right to remain silent!”

Providing Christians with the necessary tools to witness effectively is why Lutheran Hour Ministries unveiled its Regional Outreach Conferences in 2011 and will be hosting eight more events throughout 2013. These dynamic events are all about getting the Word out—the Gospel, that is. Attendees will learn to use their God-given gifts to share the Gospel with hurting people in ways that are culturally relevant and effective.

“From beginning to end, these conferences will inspire people to share their faith and give them practical tools that will impact their witness!” says Faith Spelbring, who manages LHM’s Regional Outreach Conference efforts.

Each conference will feature multi-media, prominent outreach speakers, hands-on witnessing opportunities, small- and large-group discussions and informationpacked breakout sessions covering a variety of outreach topics that reach today’s culture. There will also be fun

and engaging activities for adults and kids, live worship music and powerful ministry tools to enrich and inspire attendees to share the love of Jesus, our spiritual ROCK, with people in their world.

“One of my favorite ROC elements is that outreach training is offered to everyone,” says Spelbring. “Children and teens are not simply kept busy with activities.

They are going to have a blast learning how they fit into God’s mission—not just as ‘the church of tomorrow’— but as a vital part of God’s church today!”

ROC venues in 2013 also make great destinations for recreation. Following the kickoff event in Sacramento, California (Feb. 22-23), other conference locations will include Long Beach, California (March 1-2); Nashville, Tennessee (Dates TBD); Winnipeg, Manitoba (July 5-7); Richmond, Virginia (Aug. 2-4); Cleveland, Ohio (Aug. 9-10); Omaha, Nebraska (Oct. 18-19); and Houston, Texas (November 2013).

Visit www.lhm.org/roc for cost, lodging details and additional program and registration information for each conference. n

SACRAMENTO, CA

LONG BEACH, CA

NASHVILLE, TN

February 22-23 Hilton Arden West

March 1-2 The Queen Mary

Dates TBD April 19-20 Millennium Maxwell House Hotel

Join hundreds of other mission-minded individuals in learning how to more effectively share the Gospel at a Regional Outreach Conference (ROC) hosted by Lutheran Hour Ministries.

www.lhm.org/roc WINNIPEG, MB

RICHMOND, VA

CLEVELAND, OH

OMAHA, NE

July 5-7 Venue TBD

August 2-4 Holiday Inn Koger Center

August 9-10 Holiday Inn Westlake

October 18-19 Venue TBD

HOUSTON, TX

November 2013 Venue TBD

The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 15

A New Day for the Ai Ji Press

T

Ai Ji Press Manager Mrs. Shu De Feng shows Lutheran Hour Ministries Asia Regional Director Gunya Na Thalang around the Ai Ji Press facility. Operations at this location will continue while construction of the new plant is underway.

he Ai Ji (Love of Jesus) Press in Shanghai is in the process of relocating because its land is being re-purposed for residential construction. In this need to move there is a blessing: when the new Ai Ji Press facility is built, it will house binding and shipping operations—which have had to be outsourced until now. This will reduce costs and allow the Ai Ji Press to operate more efficiently.

Visiting a church bookstore in Inner Mongolia, Asia Regional Director Gunya Na Thalang spotted some Ai Ji-produced materials. “I saw some of our own LHM materials displayed right up front, along with other Ai Ji resources, including even a booklet about Martin Luther. It’s exciting to know that people are seeing our resources displayed like this in outlets across the country—and using them! ” n

Enjoy Tax Savings Before the Year Ends To many people the Christmas season is all about gift-giving, but Christians know that the greatest gift in history has already been made. Jesus Christ is God’s Gift to You—and can transform every soul through the Savior’s love.

The gifts we give to family and friends are clearly of a different kind. They are instead meant to show our love. We give gifts to show what we truly care about throughout the year.

If you truly care about the life-changing work of Lutheran Hour Ministries, consider making an end-of-year gift to this ministry. To make your giving easier, here is some quick information on 2012 end-of-year giving opportunities:

2012

open late – you can make a gift through December 31! You can make a gift online, 1 orWe’re by calling 1-877-333-1963, until 9 p.m. CST on December 31. You can also mail a gift to Lutheran Hour Ministries, 660 Mason Ridge Center Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63141 – just make sure it’s postmarked for December 31 or earlier! making a Christmas gift to Lutheran Hour Ministries in honor of a special friend 2 Consider or family member. What a wonderful way to keep Christ in your gift-giving this year! a charitable gift annuity. A charitable gift annuity provides fixed payments for you for 3 Establish the rest of your life and gives you a considerable tax deduction. Visit www.lhm.org/giftplan or call our Ministry Advancement department at 1-877-333-1963 for more information. of life insurance, personal property, real estate, crop harvests, etc., also have tax benefits. You can 4 Gifts deduct the value of gifts from your 2012 taxes, and we’ll help you take care of every detail. Call 1-877333-1963 for more information and assistance. great tax-savings gift type is a transfer of appreciated securities, such as stocks, mutual funds, etc.

5 APlease remember these types of gifts must be transferred to Lutheran Hour Ministries by December 31 in order to be counted in 2012. you would like information about other ways to give, exciting areas to support or updates for popular 6 Ifprograms like the IRA Rollover, just let us know at lhm-gift@lhm.org. We’ll reach out to you whenever new information becomes available. n 16 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

No Time to Delay Your Mission With the rush of day-to-day life, it’s easy to forget to take care of the things that are truly important. A professor at the University of Calgary, Piers Steel, actually spent 10 years studying people’s tendency to put things off until later. He found that 95% of people procrastinate at some point! Even more, 20% of people are classified as “chronic procrastinators,” meaning they consistently find ways to delay life’s priorities.

As a ministry called by God, Lutheran Hour Ministries believes we can’t delay for one second in our mission to proclaim Christ’s name to the nations. This is the Great Commission, and it calls for daily commitment and faith from all Christians.

A great way for God’s people to be a part of His ministry throughout the year is by establishing an automatic gift with Lutheran Hour Ministries. Automatic giving saves time and resources for supporters of LHM. In setting up an automatic gift, donors elect to have a gift automatically debited from their credit card or bank account. This form of giving is all about convenience as donors pick the gift amount and schedule that works for them: monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, etc.

For a great example of automatic giving at work, one needs look no further than the staff of Lutheran Hour Ministries. In 2012, more than 65% of the U.S.-based staff of Lutheran Hour Ministries supported this ministry through automatic monthly gifts. Utilizing this convenient and affordable option added up to over $52,000 given in one year by only 75 people!

The beauty of automatic giving is that gifts add up over time. A gift of only $15 a month will multiply to $180 a year impacting God’s work at home and abroad!

If Lutheran Hour Ministries has helped you see God more clearly, and you want to see this ministry have the same impact on others, then consider setting up an automatic giving plan. Hasten to take care of something that’s truly important and make sure you’re a part of God’s Mission.

Signing up is easy, and Lutheran Hour Ministries is here to help you every step of the way!

Simply visit www.lhm.org/automaticgiving or call 1-800-944-3450 to learn more and get started. n

Baptism day for 261 new believers at Handan Church. The congregation uses Lutheran Hour Ministries workshops to train lay evangelists.

LHM Supports Chinese Christians in Outreach

H

andan Church in Hebei Province, China, is a partner congregation of Lutheran Hour Ministries—China and makes effective use of the ministry center’s Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops to train lay volunteers to share the Gospel at the grass roots. On August 18, Handan Church welcomed 261 new believers into the body of Christ through baptism—an important day in the life of the congregation and in the global spread of God’s Word.

While it’s uncertain just how many Christians there are in China today, it is no secret that the church of Jesus Christ is growing rapidly there— both in congregations officially registered with the Chinese government and in unregistered house churches all across the country. LHM’s work has been instrumental in responding to two of the challenges connected with this explosive growth—training lay evangelists and supplying reliable resources in sufficient quantities.

Beyond conducting training seminars that provide solid Christian theology and witnessing skills, LHM also produces and distributes MP3 players that contain Chinese-language Bibles and audio sermons, Bible studies, hymnals and music. And, in an ongoing partnership with the China Christian Council, Lutheran Hour Ministries provides major support for printing presses that produce millions of Christian resources, from iconic works such as The Book of Concord to daily devotions. n

20th Annual Float Party Happens on Dec. 30 Volunteer Petal Pushers will be heading to Pasadena, Calif., for the 20th annual “Behind the Scenes” Party, Dec. 30, from 4 to 8 p.m. at The Rose Palace, 835 S. Raymond, Pasadena (for map check: www.petalpushers.org/map.php).

Event promoters indicate that personal tours of the new floats will include a close-up look at the 2013 LHM

float, titled “Jesus…The Way to Heaven!”

Volunteers will also have the opportunity to meet Kurt Buchholz, newly elected LLL Chairman of the Board, who will also be one of the leading float riders.

There is a charge to attend the party.

For details on the event and the Tournament of Roses LHM entry, check: www.petalpushers.org/2013/float/ or call Dick Gast at (949) 458-0606. n

‘Equipping the Saints’ workshop participants who sign up to serve as Lutheran Hour Ministries evangelism volunteers receive MP3 Bible audio players as ministry tools.

Kirby is New Regional Director for Europe

Lutheran Hour Ministries recently welcomed Rev. Peter Kirby of Carlinville, Ill., as its regional director for Europe. Gospel opportunities continue to grow, and Kirby will oversee and support the expanding work of LHM centers in Russia, Kazakhstan and Latvia, and match the organization’s ministry strategy to the region.

“I want to be an encouragement to our LHM staff in St. Louis and to the country directors and staff in countries that we serve,” says Kirby. “God has given us great blessings in the Gospel and there is much Good News to share!”

Kirby earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, received pastoral training at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, then served as a missionary in Jamaica.

Kirby adds, “It is the Holy Spirit who works through God’s Word to create faith, but our LHM centers in Europe and around the world seek to proclaim that Word by means that are culturally relevant … in creative ways!”

Prior to joining Lutheran Hour Ministries, Kirby served as pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Carlinville. He and his wife Carla have two children. n The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 17

onthemove

76 Guys Were New to Fourth Annual Fishing Fray

by Kurt Buchholz

Face the Realities “I Am Who I Am.” This is the name God told Moses to tell the laymen (the sons of Israel) when they asked for God’s name. (Exodus 3:14) I hadn’t really given this verse much more thought than thinking that I Am Who I Am is quite a mouthful and really didn’t sound much like a name. That all changed recently when our pastor preached about this verse, making the point that “I Am” is present tense, not past tense.

God’s message to the laymen of Israel is a message that is very meaningful to us today. He is not the ‘I Was Who I Was’ or the ‘I Will Be Who I Will Be’ God. He is the God who is in this moment, all that ever was and is — and is to come. His fullness exists in this moment. What a promise to live by!

The International Lutheran Laymen’s League was founded by those who didn’t turn a blind eye to the calling God was putting before them. A group of 12 laymen successfully raised $100,000 to settle a church debt, and later raised $2.7 million to fund a pension plan for professional church workers. (For more on the story, see: http:// www.lhm.org/about/ourhistory.asp.)

They could have easily done what we find ourselves doing: griping about why someone else is not seeing the obvious solution and just fixing it, pointing a finger at those who may have been the cause or just turning a blind eye. Instead they opened their eyes to the reality that was in front of them and were faithful to God’s call.

I know this is a daily challenge for me whether the subject is politics, current events, decisions made by congregational leaders or challenges in my own family. I am tempted to point a finger, interject an over-simplified answer or just try to pretend I’m not involved.

And daily God loves and forgives me and continues to call me as His own.

How do you respond in the moment when U.S. soldiers and diplomats are

killed, when children bring guns to school or when there seems to be no chance of working together for the common good in our systems of government?

Like those first LLL laymen, we know that challenges are before us: challenges in the state of outreach in the LCMS as we read about in the last issue of The Lutheran Layman; challenges in our government as we learn about in the new LHM television special “The Intersection of Church and State”; and challenges in our own communities and families. Let us join together just as Moses and the sons of Israel and those first laymen did in 1917 to face the realities of the moment with conviction and hope assured that God is a God of all moments.

It is in the individual moments of the day that the God of all time (past, present, and future) calls us to be a witness to the wonderful work that He has done. Let us pray for each other that God would open our eyes to see Him in every moment of the day.

May God’s certain promises be our guide in this uncertain world as we join together to boldly respond to the moment. n

18 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

The Fourth Annual Men’s NetWork North American Fishing Tournament came to an end on Sunday, Sept. 2. Over the course of 18 weeks this spring and summer, everything from largemouth bass to freshwater stripers were caught, weighed, photographed and results e-mailed per contest rules to our dedicated tournament staff at Lutheran Hour Ministries.

There were 177 guys registered with 76 of those being new to this year’s contest. Of the winners, there were 50 different guys who pulled in a $10 gift card, with several men netting multiple wins. Among these were Tom Schramm (19 wins/$190 take home), John Nail (14 wins/$140 take home) and Jacob Oberheu (11 wins/ $110 take home). Not a bad haul for these gents, considering it only cost them the $10 entry fee, which got each one a nice Men’s NetWork cap and specially designed fishing lure too, by the way. All in all winners landed more than $1,800 in cash over the course of this year’s contest.

The Grand Prize this year went to Jonathan Hoppert; his name was drawn from all of the winners to win the $500 MasterCard/Visa gift card.

Enjoy it, Jonathan. We know you will! n

Thank You, Thrivent Members,…!

Kurt Buchholz, Int’l LLL Chairman of the Board

…for your participation in the Thrivent Choice program! You have directed more than $175,000 to Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) so far this year! There’s still time to use your 2012 Choice dollars to help share the Gospel through LHM! Visit www.lhmgift.org/choice.htm for instructions on how to direct your Choice dollars online. LHM is listed as International Lutheran Laymen’s League/Lutheran Hour Min. You can also call Thrivent (1-800-THRIVENT) and they will walk you through the process. n

Reasons To Believe

PC’s ‘Reasons to Believe’ Shows Sensibility

Written to show the reasonableness of the Christian faith, Reaso ns To Believe make case clearly and s its with conviction.

Penned by Stephen Hower, senior pastor at St. John Church in Ellisville, Miss ouri, this Project Connect booklet is ideal as a quick go-to guide Christianity make on how s sense on many levels. In an easy-to-read style, Hower shows how in God, creation, believing prophecy, man’s inner morality, Jesus and salvation is not something far-fetched and out there. On the contrary, based on historical and archaeological evidence, faith in the truthfulness of God’ s Word is a logic al response to the material at our “If the history, the disposal. As Hower writes, archaeolog y, the prophecies, and the claims of Scrip the message of salva ture prove true, perhaps tion by grace throu in Jesus should also gh be considered valid faith .”

The Christian faith is one that is grounded in the texts of Scripture and the historical backdrop of the people and places where the events of the Bible unfolded. In a new booklet entitled Reasons To Believe from Project Connect, Pastor Stephen Hower shows how “objective reasons” and “historical evidence” undergird the assertions of Scripture. Giving seven reasons “why it is logical to believe the claims Christians make about the Bible, about Jesus and the truth that Christians base their lives upon,” Hower makes a convincing argument concerning the sensibility of the Christian faith.

Throughout, Hower makes his case clearly, convincingly and in an easy-to-read style. He shows how believing in God, creation, prophecy, man’s inner morality, Jesus and salvation are not things that are far-fetched and impossible. On the contrary, based on historical and archaeological evidence, trusting in the truthfulness of God’s Word is a valid response to the material at our disposal. Asserting that Christianity is based in history, he shows how ancient source material corroborates the many and varied claims of Scripture.

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Hower shares how Old Testament prophecies pointing to the life of Christ are a powerful indicator of Jesus’ ultimate role as Messiah. He also relates how the physical world in which we live, mankind’s universal belief in right and wrong and the willingness of Jesus’ disciples to die for their faith—all speak eloquently to the reality of God and how faith in Him is reasonable.

Hower writes, “If the history, the archaeology, the prophecies and the claims of Scripture prove true, perhaps the message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus should also be considered valid.”

As an incentive to promote the circulation of this new volume, Project Connect is offering five free Reasons To Believe booklets to everyone ordering in increments of 20. To take advantage of this special offer, please visit www.LHM.org/ Reasons and enter the code LYSUK12 or call our Response Center at 1-800-8769880. This offer is good from September 1st, 2012, through November 15th, 2012.

To learn more about the life-affirming ministry of Project Connect topical booklets and the way you can use them as outreach tools, go to www.lhm.org/ projectconnect. There you will find downloadable PDFs, Project Connect display kit options, a quarterly newsletter and more. And due to popular demand, Project Connect is extending the offer to receive a special discount on our Start-Up Kit until November 15, 2012. Visit www.lhm.org/projectconnect/startupkit and enter the code LYSUK12 to receive the whole kit for just $180, which includes shipping. n

Reasons To Believe

Center Dr. • St. Louis, MO 63141 -8557 1-800-876-9880 • www.lhm.org

America. “Our center is moving to a new location that will be shared by our FORO partners—but the CPTLN center will retain its distinctive structure and function. This relocation will position CPTLN to do more effective ministry.

“Lutheran Hour Ministries—Uruguay’s director, Mariana Mastrantono, is very happy and engaged in this new project for mission and ministry in Uruguay,” Figur adds.

The partnership has identified as its first project the establishment of a new mission congregation in downtown Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital. More than half of the country’s population lives in Montevideo.

To learn more about Lutheran Hour Ministries—Uruguay, visit www.lhmint.org. n

New from LHM’s JCPlayZone: The Christmas Journey Children’s Christmas Booklet Representatives of Uruguay FORO’s founding partners look forward to new Gospel outreach opportunities in Montevideo and across the country.

Uruguay FORO Brings New Mission Perspectives Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Cristo Para Todas las Naciones (CPTLN) ministry center in Uruguay has entered into an historic partnership with four other Lutheran organizations for enhanced Gospel outreach. The partnership group, called FORO, consists of the LHM ministry center, LCMS World Mission, San Pablo Lutheran Church and Colegio San Pablo in Montevideo and the Sao Paulo congregation from Brazil.

In this new approach to the mission in Uruguay, the Lutheran Hour Ministries center will play a key leadership role. The ministry center’s historic strengths have included Bible Correspondence Courses and other print resources, educational workshops, a vibrant equipping program for witnessing and spiritual growth and values-education programs for children and youth. The center promotes its programs through Internet and cell phone messaging, as well as newspaper ads and an attractive outdoor display.

“Our ministry center structure and personnel are being adapted for this new reality,” says Rev. Nilo Figur, Lutheran Hour Ministries Regional Director for Latin

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The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 19

Why

Setting Up an Endowment Through The Foundation

Have a

Foundation?

The sluggish United States economy has had a major impact on the way people live and how they spend their money. You need to look no further than the nonprofit world to see one of the places where the economy has hit home the hardest. Nonprofit organizations, including faith-based institutions, fight the battle of funding their mission on a daily basis. Many are in dire need of more money. However, even those that are flourishing can almost always find ways to put additional funds to immediate use.

As an organization committed to proclaiming the Gospel to hurting people in this increasingly dark world, Lutheran Hour Ministries is no different. While the ministry today stands on solid financial footing thanks to the generous support of its donors, it faces the question of how best to secure its future so that the Light of Christ can be shared with future generations.

Over the past couple decades, many nonprofits have established a foundation as a vehicle for building an endowment to better meet current challenges and provide long-term stability for the future of the organization. That’s why The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation was officially created on June 1, 2000, to collect, invest and distribute endowment funds to further Lutheran Hour Ministries’ mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. Through The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation, families and individuals can establish an endowment to continue making a difference for Lutheran Hour Ministries year after year. This type of giving is incredibly powerful and enduring — but at the same time it’s intensely personal.

Brian and Karen Mitchell of Kansas City, Mo., learned about the Foundation when they were dealing with Brian’s father’s estate a few years ago.

“One of the things that I found interesting was that the endowment program offered an opportunity to select what

Brian and Karen Mitchell discussed creating an endowment through the Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation in a video produced for the 2012 International Lutheran Laymen’s League Convention.

part of Lutheran Hour Ministries we wanted to support,” says Brian. “I remembered my dad and mom for years and years had listened to The Lutheran Hour at 6 every Sunday morning on WGN Radio in Chicago, so I decided that continued radio and Internet broadcasts of the program would be the most important ministry to support in my parents’ memory. It is comforting to know that long after my parents are gone, what they worked hard to earn during their lifetime will continue to support the Gospel.”

Many donors consider creating an endowment through the 20/20 Vision for Mission plan. “The plan allows a person to give 20 times his or her average annual gifts that are given year after year to Lutheran Hour Ministries through his or her estate,” says Harold Melser, LHM’s director of Ministry Advancement and president of the Foundation. “Once in place, the 20/20 Vision for Mission endowment provides five percent income every year.

Why is it called 20/20? Not only are you giving 20 times your annual gifts up front, but within 20 years after your endowment is created, it will provide total gifts to Lutheran Hour Ministries that are at least equal to the original value of your endowment fund.”

While most people only consider the

20 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

long-range benefits of establishing an endowment through the Foundation, the funds are also extremely important for current ministry since the Foundation’s annual five-percent distribution from these funds provides a perpetual base of support for spreading the Gospel through various means around the world.

“Through the financial support of our donors and the good stewardship of the LHM Foundation Board of Trustees, the Foundation has continued to grow thanks to God’s blessings,” says Dr, Marvin Swan, chairman of the LHM Foundation’s Board of trustees. “Last year, the board changed its distribution policy to significantly increase their annual support to God’s mission through Lutheran Hour Ministries. We were pleased to be able to present Lutheran Hour Ministries with a distribution of $584,369 to be put to immediate use by the ministry.”

Karen Mitchell says, “We set up wills and trusts for our families to make sure they are taken care of after we are gone.

We really need to be thinking about the most important thing in our life, which is our faith in God, and we need to consider setting up plans for that as well. Making a gift through The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation is a great way to guarantee that the Gospel will always continue to be shared with people around the world.” n

You can set up an endowment fund through The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation under the general fund, called The Lutheran Hour Ministries Endowment Fund, or as an individually named fund, which bears the title you give it. The minimum amount required to start an individually named fund is $10,000.

There are many ways to fund an endowment, from direct gifts of cash to a bequest through your will: • Cash: Make checks payable to The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation with a designation of The Lutheran Hour Ministries Endowment Fund.

• Charitable Gift Annuity: This is an irrevocable gift of cash or securities that provides payments for your lifetime (and the life of another if you choose). Enjoy significant tax advantages and The Lutheran Hour Ministries Endowment Fund can be named as the ultimate beneficiary.

• Bequest through Your Will: The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation can be named as a beneficiary through your will or living trust. Please indicate that the gift should be used for The Lutheran Hour Ministries Endowment Fund.

• IRA or Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation: A simple way to make a gift in the future is to name The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation, for The Lutheran Hour Ministries Endowment Fund, as a beneficiary of your retirement plan assets or a life insurance agreement.

For more details about giving to The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation, please contact Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Ministry Advancement staff at 1-877-333-1963 or lhm-gift@lhm.org.

Your regional Ministry Advancement Officer will be contacted to serve you in your plan to support God’s mission through Lutheran Hour Ministries. n

lhm— Guatemala T

he Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) center in Guatemala City uses radio, television and Internet media, as well as a variety of community-based programs, to spread the Gospel.

Volunteer team members work hard to spruce up Redentor del Mundo Lutheran Church with a new ceramic tile floor.

Who’s having more fun—the VBS kids or the volunteers helping them? Vacation Bible school on Day 3 featured the story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den.

International Volunteer Teams 2012

Michigan Group Builds Relationships in Guatemala

Lutheran Hour Ministries’ International Volunteer Teams have served all over the world—Vietnam, India, Latvia, Ethiopia, Panama and a number of other countries where LHM has ministry centers. Every Volunteer Trip experience is different—unique. Yet each contributes to the same mission: sharing the Good News that Jesus has died and risen to give everlasting life to every“What a one who believes.

On Sunday, June 24, a group of 11 wonderful group members of Faith Lutheran Church, of Christian Grand Blanc, Mich., headed for Guatedisciples in this mala to work in partnership with Cristo Todas Las Naciones, the LHM cenGuatemalan Para ter there. On the agenda were the tasks outpost!” of helping lead a vacation Bible school and installing a tile floor in the sanctuary of Iglesia Luterana Redentor del Mundo (Redeemer of the World Lutheran Church) in the town of Santiago Zamora.

The enthusiastic volunteers took turns blogging daily during their trip, and Lutheran Hour Ministries featured their posts on its International Blog.

“We have already received a loving welcome, full of hugs and smiles, from the staff!” wrote volunteer Gerry after the group arrived in Guatemala City on Day 1. “What a wonderful group of Christian disciples in this Guatemalan outpost!”

The next day, the team traveled to Santiago Zamora.

After a welcome celebration led by 1st through 5th grade students who sang and danced for them, they got down to business—the men on the flooring project, the women on

VBS activities.

On Day 3, there was some unanticipated excitement.

Volunteers Dick and Nan wrote: “Our third day began at 12:30 a.m. when we were awakened by earthquake tremors. We saw another one of God’s wonders on our drive to Santiago Zamora this morning—smoke from the Fire Volcano. What an amazing sight to see!”

But the projects continued on schedule: “Installation of the church ceramic floor is nearly completed. One more day to finish the floor and install the border tiles. The VBS children are touching our hearts with so much love and affection, and we are meeting so many wonderful people who are showing us the true meaning of Christian love.”

On Sunday morning, July 1, the group returned to worship with the people they had served. Volunteers Craig and Mia recount the scene: “We arrived at World’s Redeemer Lutheran Church this morning, excited to see the new floor ready for a service. The doors to the church were closed with a beautiful ribbon across them. When the time came, while everyone watched, the ribbon was cut, the fire crackers were shot and the doors were opened.

“Inside were balloons, flowers, palm branches and the most beautiful floor we had ever seen! Our hearts filled with awe and our eyes filled with tears.

The church was overflowing with love and people.

They had to set up extra chairs both inside and outside.”

What will your Lutheran Hour Ministries International Volunteer Trip be like? Start the adventure now. Visit www.lhm.org/teams to learn more. n

The Project JOEL program is based on solid Christian teachings and is used to reach thousands of youth in public elementary and high schools.

LHM staff and volunteers also reach children through visits to hospitals and orphanages, and offer seven adult and two children’s Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC). Other LHM— Guatemala activities include teaching God’s Word through music and drama events.

Equipping the Saints (ETS) training is given to lay people involved in evangelism. It provides them with LHM materials and other resources to help reach the lost. LHM—Guatemala often conducts outreach events in cooperation with local Lutheran churches and U.S. volunteer groups. Staff and volunteers, with the assistance of pastors, provide spiritual counseling for all participants.

The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 21

Christmas Shopping Made Easy:

Gifts from Lutheran Hour Ministries

D

on’t let this coming holiday season leave you high and dry, without the perfect presents for your friends and family. Lutheran Hour Ministries has several excellent gift opportunities available for the savvy shopper. You can begin your online window browsing at www.whatsfive14.com. There you will find original music by Of Time & Tide, MYNISTA and The Living Stones. If it’s hip clothes you’re after, the five14 T-shirt or hoodie may be just the ticket. Both are in jet black and feature the very hip five14 logo emblazoned across the front. You can also find five14’s video training series here, an absolute must-watch for teens and young adults to energize their motivation for sharing the very Good News of Jesus Christ.

Then again, maybe it’s something of a textual nature you’re after.

Though not to be confused with the classics of literature, Project Connect booklets nonetheless use words to a distinct advantage. These pocket-sized powerhouses of polished prose cover everything from stress, money management, breast cancer and PTSD to addictions, parenting, romance and dying. With nearly 60 titles available (19 in Spanish), these brief topical volumes get to the point in a hurry, always leaving the reader with the knowledge that where there’s hope, there’s a better life. You can read all about it at www.lhm.org/projectconnect.

And then there are Bible studies. The Men’s NetWork, if you haven’t heard it yet, has been cranking them out for four years now. At www. lhmmen.com you’ll find nearly 20 original, video-based Bible studies and discussion guides. There are studies on the Bible, peace, fatherhood, Christian citizenship, facing disasters, the book of Revelation, the real St. Nick and materialism. Here you’ll also find “Stuff They Didn’t Teach Me in Sunday School,” hosted by LHM’s Executive Director Bruce Wurdeman, and also The Baloney Shop, hosted by Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour, Rev. Ken Klaus. Another well-kept secret at the Men’s NetWork is Don Wharton’s CD Strong and Courageous. These 10 tunes will get you revved up for worship and mindful of the power of Christcentered lyrics to focus our hearts on the things that really matter.

If it’s Spanish stuff you’re after, then Para el Camino is the place for you. At www.paraelcamino.com you’ll find The Lutheran Hour sermons of Speaker Rev. Gregory Seltz rendered in Spanish by Rev. Hector Hoppe.

You can also order Spanish-language books on topics ranging from evangelism and missions to Islam and youth ministry through Concordia Publishing House. And while you’re at it, be sure to check out this year’s Advent devotions in Spanish. Entitled Santo es su Nombre (Holy is His Name), they can be downloaded and printed at www.paraelcamino. com/adviento, where they can be subscribed to as a daily e-mail as well.

And just in time for the holidays is El angel con pies grandes (The Angel With Big Feet), a children’s Christmas book that can be found on LHM’s home page at www.lhm.org. Just click on the shopping cart icon at the top of the page to get in, and then go to “Books/Booklets” on the left side of the page.

For the kid in you, be sure to check out the goodies available at JCPlayZone. There you will find a special offer, just in time for Christmas.

It’s called The Christmas Journey. It’s a fun little volume of poetic thoughts about the birth of Jesus that kids will dig. Creative illustrations that accompany the text make it a great giveaway for the coming holidays.

You can order a pack of 25 booklets for only $5 by going to www.jcplayzone.com/journey. n

Th

Chrisetmas Journey

El ángel con pies grandes Dottie Basye

Ilustrado por Linda Going Varnes www.paraelcamino.com 6BS22

GOD ALO NE IS MY ROC K • LET US LORD • REA GO TO THE DY, WILLING HOUSE OF & ENABLED THE • YOUR GRA • GOD IS OUR REFU CE • WHO • THE LOR GE IS LIKE THE D IS MY LIGH LORD OUR T • COUNT GOD AND COURA IT ALL JOY • BE STRO GEOUS • NG LET US GO INTO THE WORLD

22 The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012

Faye and Walter Bitter of Regina, Saskatchewan, in Canada, were two of more than 30 volunteers who served in the fair booth at the Regina Exhibition.

LHM Booth was Popular in Regina Who stops at a Christian booth at an exhibition? Active LLL volunteer Ed Tiefenbach offers this sampling from his summer experience: A woman whose boyfriend was murdered and an abused wife of an alcoholic — both searching for answers and comfort; a Hindu couple; a man from India and a woman from South Africa wanting to learn more about the Christian faith.

The fair booth has been a long-standing project of the local LLL zone. Tiefenbach has been instrumental in its operation. What makes him continue, year after year? It’s the people who need the Word of Grace that only Christ the Lord can bring.

Tiefenbach goes on to list others who stopped by the booth this summer: A young mother who loved Sunday school when young and now wants to start taking her children there, as well as a mother and her hearing-impaired son who stopped when he saw special cards displaying the picture of Christ (the boy immediately folded his hands in prayer and was ecstatic when he received the card and a Bible).

Tiefenbach adds, “A mother stopped by to thank us for giving her daughter a Bible a couple days earlier. People were stopping by and thanking us for our outreach and for being at the fair.

“Most people just walk by — but those stopping have pain, have issues and are searching. Other people just come by to thank us for being at the fair!”

Booklets dealing with depression, stress, angels and a variety of other pertinent topics were handed out freely. “’What Happens When I Die’ was new and popular this year,” he says.

Rene and Maryann Olson, members of Good Shepherd (Regina) and Fair Booth volunteers for many years add to the report. “Lives are touched by our witness and our outreach in ways we will never know. It is a ministry we must continue to carry on.”

Give-away material at the booth was made possible through the faithful support and activity of the Wascana Zone Lutheran Laymen’s League and the LWML-Canada Manitoba and Saskatchewan District. n

Jesus’ Life and Ministry are Featured in New Lenten Devotions Though Christmas will be fast upon us, pastors and teachers planning for next year’s Lenten season can get a head start by including Lutheran Hour Ministries’ season devotions in their 2013 schedules. Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer, theological editor and writer, the new LHM Lenten devotions From the Cradle to the Empty Grave continue where Mary’s remembrances of Jesus left off in Christmas Memories, LHM’s 2012 Advent devotions.

“I am picking up on Mary’s remembrances of Jesus’ birth from the Advent devotions and beginning Jesus’ story in the Gospel of Luke from that point,” Palmer said. “We will start with His visit to the temple at age 12, His baptism, the temptation in the wilderness, some miracles and preaching, and then go on through His predictions of His coming death, the growing opposition He faced and His suffering, death and resurrection.” n

‘LutherDecade’ and You

As the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 draws closer, travel experts in Germany say there are 10 good reasons to make a trip to LutherCountry during the LutherDecade rather than wait a few more years.

The two German states of Thuringia and SaxonyAnhalt—represented by Annika Jeschek and Alexandra Von Ramin—joined as Luther Country to promote points of interest in their region. Their professional interests cover many of the main sites connected with Dr. Martin Luther and the early years of the Reformation. Those sites hold a high degree of interest for North American Lutherans.

What do they say are the 10 reasons to visit that part of Germany?

1—Inside Wartburg Castle is the legendary room where Luther translated the New Testament into German.

2—Follow the Luther Trail to interesting sites such as Schmalkalden.

3—Go to Muehlhausen where leaders of a misdirected Peasant’s Revolt changed Europe forever.

4—Feel “the thunder” of God’s Word by tracing Luther’s professional steps in Erfurt where he lived as an Augustinian monk.

5—The Arts abound in Weimar and other cities through the works of Bach, Goethe, Listzt, Cranach and Luther himself. Experiencing their artistic endeavors in Germany increases the impact.

6—Luther’s life began and ended in Eisleben where significant sites relating to the Reformer still exist.

7—Stand in the Castle Church of Wittenberg and be awed by the place

where the 95 Theses were introduced.

8—Lucas Cranach the Elder was deeply moved by Luther and expressed

that spirit in his artwork that is displayed in places such as the

Anhalt Art Gallery.

9—Look at the peaceful death mask of Luther in Halle (Saale) and be moved

by Luther’s faithfulness to the end.

10—Gothicism is another reason to see the

Reformation sites in Germany. This is

exemplified in Magdeburg where Luther

preached mightily!

Von Ramin and Jeschek add that every year until 2017 there will be a special theme that focuses on music or art, making a visit even more memorable and unique. For individuals who want more information about the sites and their backgrounds plus much more, go to www.visit-luther.com. By reading the English text and clicking on pictures, you can make a “virtual trip” for schools, congregational groups and other individuals. n

Luther’s 95 Theses were tacked to the door in Wittenberg, Germany.

The Lutheran Layman November - December 2012 23

See five14 story and photos in this issue’s centerspread!

Vital Ministry Connection in Lebanon

Every legal religious organization in Lebanon operates under an umbrella agency established to represent affiliate groups to the government—which recognizes only churches or church workers that are approved by such an agency.

Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Middle East Lutheran Ministry (MELM) center is recognized by virtue of its affiliation with the Supreme Council of Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon (SCECSL).

This summer Eric Gates, regional director for Africa and the Middle East, had an opportunity along with MELM Director Fadi Khairallah to sit down with Rev. Dr. Salim Sahiouny, president of SCECSL, to discuss ministry in Arab countries— especially in light of recent civil unrest in several nations. Dr. Sahiouny expressed appreciation for the ministry center’s work—and even shared a personal memory.

“As a young man, listening to your radio programs was very inspiring,” he said. “It was one of the reasons I felt inspired to enroll in the seminary.”

Not only does Lutheran Hour Ministries’ broadcast affect people of other faiths when their hearts are touched by God’s Word, Sahiouny went on to say, it offers great strength to the faith of its Christian listeners. “Its role is vital in supporting the Christian presence from one side and in proclaiming the Gospel of peace and reconciliation in this challenging region from the other side.”

For more information about Lutheran Hour Ministries—Lebanon, visit www.lhmint.org. n

Diaspora: New Paradigm for Mission, cover story, pages 4-6 Intersection, page 7 Future Scare...or Future Promise?, pages 9-11 Gifts from LHM, page 22 Lutheran Hour Ministries, 660 Mason Ridge Center Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63141-8557 (314) 317-4100 or 1-800-944-3450 Kurt Buchholz, Chairman • Bruce Wurdeman, 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.

Diaspora—read more on page 4!

Rev. Matthew Both (EIIT graduate 2009) regularly travels to South Sudan to visit family, while encouraging the spread of the Lutheran faith among the Sudanese. From left: James Tut, evangelist; two Eguatria tribe pastors; Bishop Wilson Rule; Pastor Matthew Both.

Photo courtesy of James Gatluak Tut.

Lutheran Hour Ministries 660 Mason Ridge Center Drive St. Louis, Missouri 63141-8557

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