The Lutheran Layman

THE

LUTHERAN L AYMAN Fall 2019

REACHING

THE MISSION FIELD IN NORTH AMERICA

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Advent Devotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Nurturing Your Faith . . . . . . . . 9-10 Gospel Adventures. . . . . . . . . . . 12 ‘Speaking of Jesus’ Podcast . . . 13 LHM Equip 2020. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Changing Lives Globally. . . . . 16-17 The LHM Foundation. . . . . . 20-22

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JESUS

Invite JESUS into your Everyday Conversations!

By Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour

“I

t sounds like they’re having fun,” my 11-yearold son Titus told me. We had just listened to an episode of a new podcast from LHM, “Speaking of Jesus.” I agreed with him. “You’re right, Titus.

It is a lot of fun.”

It was me and my two younger sons in the car. I had asked Titus and Jude if they’d be okay with listening to the podcast. We had a three-hour drive ahead of us. They agreed, so I linked my smartphone to the car speakers through the Bluetooth adapter and tapped play.

This is a benefit of a digital platform. You can listen to whatever you want, whenever and wherever you want, if you have a signal. Ease of access to free content is a feature of the digital age. One study reported that the average young adult listens to or watches about 3,000 hours of digital content each year. Compare that to the number of hours a regular church-goer invests in worship services or Bible studies each year ... 50 hours? Maybe 100?

Numbers like these are part of what drives LHM into the “digital mission field.”

We listened to the “Speaking of Jesus” episode titled “Speaking of Fear.” The question that started the

L AYMAN

conversation was “What was one of your childhood fears?”

After we listened to the podcast group discuss their answers, I pushed pause. “Hey guys,” I said to them, “how would you answer that?” Jude said, “cockroaches,” then shared a memory of a confrontation with one of these minimonsters in our basement.

I had never heard him talk about this before. Titus said, “Talking in front of people,” and relayed a memory of a school project. We conversed for about 20 minutes. I pushed play again. After a few more minutes, it was Titus who pushed pause. “Dad, can I tell you what stood out to me from that Bible passage?” “Sure!”

This went on. Listening.

Pausing. Talking. The drive was over in no time.

According to our research with Barna, the majority of people (non-Christians included) said they were glad they had their most recent spiritual conversation. Good feelings are NOT the reason

Numbers like these are part of what drives LHM into the “digital mission field.”

why we invite Jesus into our everyday conversations.

The Great Commission is. At the same time, the positive emotions can testify to God’s relational designs woven into our nature. Also, the research busted the myth that “God conversations” are usually offensive or embarrassing. On the contrary, they meet a deep need. Even the most secular society can’t escape spiritual hunger.

Since I became Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, my boys have listened to several of my sermons on the program.

After this drive, Titus told me, “Dad, I like the Speaking of Jesus podcast better than The Lutheran Hour.” I asked him, “What do you like about it?” He said, “Well, I like your sermons, too”—I think he realized he may have hurt my feelings—“but I really like hearing the different people on Speaking of Jesus. I like that you guys have new people so you can hear different points.

And they laugh a lot—like they really love talking to each other.” He’s right. We do. Have a listen at jesuspodcast.org, or wherever you find podcasts.

I hope it inspires you to invite Jesus into your everyday conversations, too. You might even be glad you did. =

The Lutheran

Chad Fix, Editor

•

Vol. 90, No. 5 Fall 2019

Andrea Thompson, Layout

Subscription: $5. Printed quarterly. 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, This is the Life, Ayer, Hoy y Siempre, Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones, Esta Es La Vida, Para el Camino, THRED, and The Hoffmann Society are ® registered marks, or SM service marks. The Puzzle Club is a service mark and trademark of Int’l LLL. All rights reserved, 2019 Int’l LLL.

LHM Response Center: 1-800-876-9880

2 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

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

Elena is 11 years old and struggles with her self-image.

Her classmates often tear her down with their words.

Through Project JOEL workshops at her school, Elena is gaining confidence.

She understands that she has value and is important to her family, friends, and especially God. Today, Elena has new hope in Christ.

Because of you, we can encourage people like Elena.

Thank You! LHM.ORG

REACHING

THE MISSION FIELD IN NORTH AMERICA

By Megan McDaniel

Have you ever thought of your neighbor, friend, or coworker as being part of the mission field? Well, they are! In fact, everyone in your sphere of influence is part of the mission field.

God has called all of us to be powerful witnesses for Christ, a belief that has undergirded the entire history of Lutheran Hour Ministries and continues to define our future work with the church. But more than half of all Christians today have not shared their faith with even one person in the past year.

With such great news to share, why do so many Christians feel inadequate when it comes to sharing their faith?

LHM is changing this dire statistic by providing relevant tools and training to help congregations and individuals throughout North America reach their community with the Gospel. LHM supports the outreach efforts of congregations and laypeople in three vital areas:

1. Providing research on how today’s culture is evolving and how Christians and congregations can respond to reach their communities with the Gospel.

2. Training individuals and groups of all ages to evangelize to others in their everyday lives.

3. Developing resources lay members can use to address situations in people’s lives or answer questions about Christianity and faith.

Over these three years, LHM and Barna hope to equip the church to share the Gospel, deepen faith at home, and impact communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

2018

SPIRITUAL CONVERSATIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

2019

HOUSEHOLDS OF FAITH

2020 COMMUNITIES OF ACTION

“This research allows LHM to provide timely and relevant resources that meet people where they are.”

LHM has partnered with Barna Group—an industry leader for researchbased insights about faith and culture, leadership and vocation, and generational groups—on a three-year study of faith in America. Year one of the research (2018) focused on spiritual conversations in the digital age, year two (2019) examines households of faith, and year three (2020) will explore the development of local communities of action. In addition to conducting and providing groundbreaking research, the Barna/LHM partnership creates a yearly monograph for church leaders containing data, analysis, and relevant insights.

LHM has created products and programs designed to take what was found in the studies directly to congregations and individuals to apply the new insights in their outreach efforts. Over these three years, LHM and Barna hope to equip the church to share the Gospel, deepen faith at home, and impact communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ.

“This research allows LHM to provide timely and relevant resources that meet people where they are,” says Rev. Dr. Tony Cook, LHM’s vice president of Global Ministries. “It enables us to gain a hearing for the Gospel in an inviting and contextual way—guiding those who seek toward faith.” see next page The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019 | 3

REACHING THE MISSION FIELD … continued from previous page

RELEVANT INFORMATION FOR CONGREGATIONAL USE Groups and Care Pastor Doug Mauss along with the rest of the staff at Pathfinder Church in Ellisville, Missouri, used the results from the LHM/Barna Group’s Households of Faith “It takes the monograph to “change the language we use at church and to guide our programming. I’ve pressure off always respected Barna’s work, so this study had a lot of credibility with me upfront.” believers The Households of Faith monograph also inspired Pathfinder’s summer sermon series, “The Great Summer Adventure.” Mauss shared that the research “helped me shift the and puts the focus on our discipleship/evangelism programs to simpler, achievable ‘behaviors,’ burden of rather than intimidating ‘outcomes.’ I loved the reframing of evangelism/discipleship conversion into ‘spiritual conversations.’ It takes the pressure off believers and puts the burden of conversion back where it belongs—with the Holy Spirit.” back where What inspired Pathfinder to integrate the material into their sermons was that “the it belongs— research was compelling, and the takeaways for a believer’s life were straightforward and with the appealing.” The resources “met us where we were. We were trying to demystify discipleship/ evangelism and make those practices understandable and attainable to our people. These Holy Spirit.” studies have done exactly that,” says Mauss. “I think by sidestepping the moralistic ‘shoulds’ of a faith life and witness, and pragmatically diagnosing the landscape of what currently is and what methods might work—these reports are going to help people break out of spiritual paralysis and into transformative faith and life patterns for themselves and others.

“I think both the Households of Faith and Spiritual Conversations reports sell themselves, and so I’d encourage any congregation to start there. The accompanying kits and the books serve as good follow-up materials,” says Mauss.

THE POWER OF THE SPIRITUAL CONVERSATION CURVE Rev. George Lippitt is a trained church planter and loves serving in his community. He loves learning about current strategies for starting and sustaining new ministries. His congregation is known for serving in the community and helping the people around them. He can often be found in coffee shops chatting with servers and praying for their needs.

During his 15-plus years of ministry, he found himself often going outside the Lutheran denomination to find materials and resources for his churches. A few months ago, Lippitt received a Spiritual Conversations in the Digital Age Starter Kit from the Southeastern District of LCMS. He had previously not paid much attention to LHM materials, so he did not open the kit right away. A friend of his mentioned something about the starter kit and encouraged him to check it out. He reluctantly agreed to open it because of his friend’s convincing. Once he opened the kit and started looking through the materials, he fell in love with the products. He started brainstorming ways that he could use the materials to do training courses in his congregation.

Recently, Lippitt received a call from a member of his church. The member shared that one of her friends was in the hospital and was told he had about a week left to live. This church member cared about her

“… I felt more equipped to guide the member who reached out for help.”

4 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

friend, who was not a Christian and could only communicate by text. So, she reached out to Pastor Lippitt for guidance on having a digital spiritual conversation with her friend. Lippitt thought of the kit he had received and wondered what he could use in that to help guide this member. He called LHM to get a crash course on the Spiritual Conversation Curve (lhm.org/curve) that he had uncovered in his kit.

Lippitt spoke on the phone to Don Everts, LHM’s content development manager, who had been involved with creating the Curve. Everts talked to Lippitt about how events like this often make people move to the “seeking” section quickly. Everts told him how to “graciously adapt” his tone and posture and discern if the recipient is asking deep questions. They also talked about how to have a clarifying conversation about the core of the Gospel.

“I was very grateful for the one-on-one conversation with Don, and I felt more equipped to guide the member who reached out for help,” says Lippitt. “I’m glad I got additional insights about the Curve, and I know I can reach back out to LHM with other questions about how to incorporate the Spiritual Conversations training within my congregation.”

The timing of Lippitt receiving his starter kit and the member reaching out to him proved that God has a plan. The materials in the starter kit were helpful for Lippitt, who has pastored for 18 years, but they are also relevant to laypeople wherever they are in their faith journey.

To learn more about the resources developed around the research uncovered in partnership with Barna Group, visit lhm.org/barna.

ONLINE COURSES PROVIDE A SIMPLE WAY TO DIG DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD Andrew Noble, associate pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Kennewick, Washington, first became aware of LHM on social media. Upon looking for additional information about our ministry, he came across LHM Learn, an equipping resource offered by LHM that helps individuals reach out with the love and Good News of Jesus Christ in their everyday lives. The online courses and webinars cover five faithstrengthening categories and use an array of multimedia elements to help you gain a hearing for the Gospel message.

“At Bethlehem, we use a variety of LHM resources,” says Noble. “We have the Project Connect booklets displayed within our church and school, and our families LOVE the booklets for kids (they fit perfectly in little hands!). We also use the devotionals for both Advent and Lent and frequently use the video-based Bible studies.”

“Most recently, we’ve been using the online LHM Learn courses,” he continues. “We created and designed our weekly small groups around these courses for two reasons: to have the church grow together through studying together, and to connect and encourage one another on a personal level. We found these courses to be simple, clear, and easy to use, even if you’re not tech-savvy. These courses help you actually apply what you learn and discuss weekly, much like having an accountability partner (which is why it worked so well in a small group setting). They felt less like studies and more like guides to dig deeper into God’s Word and follow Christ in our everyday lives.”

As a congregational challenge, Bethlehem’s pastors suggested a year-long journey for members. About 70 members gathered in small groups to work their way through several LHM Learn courses together. Marilou DeWoody, a member at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, says, “LHM Learn is perfect because you are able to go as light or as deep as you want with the material.

Whether you are new to the faith or were born and raised in the church, you can apply these learnings to your personal life.”

Noble shared that every study was appealing.

There is a course for every interest and more courses are added frequently.

Bethlehem’s members have especially expressed their excitement for the Christian Foundations, Spiritual Reflections, and Outreach Essentials courses.

“We especially wanted to focus on how we can grow in living out our faith in today’s world as well as improve our ability to reach others with the Good News of Christ,” says Noble. “This helped create a healthy understanding of our calling to make disciples and what that looks like for us today. What I see as the greatest impact is the realization that sharing your faith with

live out their faith more intentionally and confidently.”

“A huge impact in our congregation has been a furthered unity in understanding God’s mission of making disciples of all nations. Because of these courses, we now share in similar definitions of mission, outreach, and spiritual conversations, which will be very helpful as we

somebody is easier than you think. All it takes is connecting with a person, knowing why you believe what you believe, and sharing that information when the opportunity arises.”

Bethlehem’s members liked that the courses help you become comfortable with spiritual conversations and, even when you aren’t comfortable with evangelism, there are many ways that God can use all of us to share the Gospel. The lessons learned are already having a significant impact.

“Several members have come up to me before worship on Sunday with excitement in their voices saying, ‘Pastor, guess what!? I actually had a spiritual conversation with someone,’” says Noble. “And then they’d tell me all about the experience. I feel like these courses have equipped and encouraged our members to

move forward as a congregation.”

Noble says he was immediately interested in learning more about the courses because of his knowledge of other LHM materials.

“LHM’s resources are trustworthy because they are based on God’s Truth! These courses do not shy away from the brokenness of this sinful world, but at the same time, they help bring our focus to the joyous message of Christ crucified and risen for the forgiveness and renewal of our lives.”

“LHM has had a wonderful track record of remaining faithful to God’s Word and, at the same time, creatively proclaiming that truth to the world” says Noble. “I see these materials as reliable because they are also backed up by facts.

By partnering with Barna Group, LHM has been able to give the church accurate information about where people are in today’s world and how we may best bring the Gospel to them. Thank you for your faithful service in equipping God’s people!”

To learn more about LHM Learn, or to sign up for the free courses, visit lhm.org/learn.

“LHM’s resources are trustworthy because they are based on God’s Truth!”

see next page

“I find these courses to be simple, clear, and easy to use, even if you’re not tech-savvy.

The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019 | 5

REACHING THE MISSION FIELD … continued from previous page

MEETING A PRESSING NEED IN CANADA—AND AROUND THE WORLD “I can’t begin to express how appreciative I am for the support and the outstanding resources LLL–Canada has provided.”

When the opportunity arose to exhibit at the French-language Evangelical Book Fair in Montreal, the first items that came to mind for Rev. Dr. David Somers to showcase were the topical Project Connect booklets translated into French through the Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada (LHM’s ministry center in Canada).

They are made available online (lll.ca/booklets/ This choice of materials may be surprising to french) to be accessed not only throughout English-speaking Lutherans who have access to Canada and France, but are regularly sent to thousands of Lutheran materials from multiple the growing number of francophone Lutheran publishers and would likely first choose from bodies in the world—mostly in Africa, but also in those other printed materials that represent Haiti and even a new LCMS mission in New York.

Lutheranism to a wider audience.

At the same time, translation of the yearly LHM Unfortunately, this is not the case for FrenchAdvent and Lenten devotionals began. Again, speaking Lutherans. Almost all the French while many Lutheran devotions for these seasons Lutheran materials in North America have been are readily available in English, that is not the produced by LHM, constituting much of what is case in French. “The French missions in Canada available for laity worldwide. This fact explains had been re-using three or four decades-old why the proportionate importance of LHM’s Advent and Lenten devotionals year after year,” French materials is so crucial for ministry to says Somers. “There was no other option until the French-speaking world. For virtually all the LLL–Canada stepped up to fill this need.” topics covered by the nearly 20 booklets, there is Ever supportive in changing circumstances, no other Lutheran resource available in French LLL–Canada recently made funds available to in a similar format, if at all. update and expand Lutheran Church–Canada’s One or two booklets are typically translated French ministry website as part of the celebration each year, with materials on forgiveness, suicide, of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. In the meaning of Christmas, and Martin Luther addition to the electronic library of theological being among the most popular. This year, several works offered at www.egliselutherienne.org, the of the materials created in response to the LHM/ website serves as a portal to the French Project Barna research on Spiritual Conversations in Connect booklets and LHM’s Advent and Lenten the Digital Age are being translated into French: Who is Jesus?, Why Did Jesus Die?, What is Faith in Jesus?, My Digital “There was Voice, How to Talk About Your Faith: An no other Introduction to the Spiritual Conversation option until Curve, and a booklet produced for kids titled, Do You Know Who Jesus Is? LLL–Canada “Each time a new booklet title stepped up to is translated, the amount of French Lutheran materials on a given topic fill this need.” jumps significantly,” says Somers, Missionary-at-Large for French Ministries within Lutheran Church–Canada.

LHM’s significant involvement in French ministry in Canada dates back to the 1970s when there was a Canadian-produced Lutheran Hour radio program in French.

When that program was discontinued in the 1980s, LHM continued assisting the French-language mission through radio spot campaigns offering various booklets and occasional special broadcasts for Above: Rev. Dr. David Somers at Christmas and Easter. As access to radio his booth at the French-language Evangelical Book Fair in Montreal. and television waves became increasingly limited, LLL–Canada turned to increasing At right: Some of the production of the Project Connect booklets.

Project Connect booklets available with French translation.

6 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

devotionals and has become a prime vehicle for most new contacts. Somers says this is not just a story of making materials available; they are being used and having an impact on many lives: • One man inquired about the Lutheranism he was reading about on the Reformation web page and was put in contact with a sister church in France. He is now enrolled in their colloquy program.

• Another man reached out after seeing a series of videos on the website explaining Lutheranism through a Quebec government project. After learning more, he became a member of a Lutheran Church–Canada congregation and is now considering going to seminary.

• The booklet about Martin Luther, A Treasure Revealed, played a key role during the REFO 500 celebrations, opening many doors within other denominations for Somers to make presentations about the Reformation and Lutheranism.

Several hundred new members have been added to Lutheran Church–Canada congregations over the years through the Quebec-based French ministry. They now constitute a significant presence in LCC churches in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick—as well as throughout Quebec.

Some, students or visitors, have even returned to their home countries with their new-found Lutheran faith.

“The backing of Lutheran Hour Ministries has been an essential cornerstone in Frenchlanguage outreach in Canada and internationally,” says Somers.

“I can’t begin to express how appreciative I am for the support and the outstanding resources they have provided. A special thanks to Lisa Jackson and Stephen Klinck, the present and former directors of LLL–Canada, who have driven the efforts for this French outreach.”

To learn more about the French resources, as well as other materials available through the Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada in English, Spanish, and Chinese, visit lll.ca. = Megan McDaniel reports on the impact of LHM’s ministry work around the world.

Brighten the Holidays

When Your Men’s Group

Gives Back!

By Paul Schreiber

What better way to impart a real lesson in assisting those in need …

W

ith Thanksgiving and Christmas coming fast, the Men’s NetWork GIVES BACK event is perfect for your men’s group to engage in some holiday spirit distribution. And as you plan your GIVES BACK opportunity, think about those you might get to help you—namely, teens and children.

What better way to impart a real lesson in assisting those in need than to give young people some hands-on practice helping out?

Doing a GIVES BACK event can happen a lot of ways. With a little brainstorming, you’ll probably find all kinds of untapped needs in your community. Are there local agencies that could use some manual help to do their holiday projects? Is there a Christmas parade nearby where you could set up a “booth” and pass out hot chocolate and Project Connect booklets on Jesus? There are plenty of things you can do. For more ideas, go to the Men’s NetWork website where you’ll find a dozen more to inspire you.

And don’t forget that your church’s men’s group (or some other group of spirited, can-do people) can take home a nice prize of a $150 Amazon gift card, too. We’re offering one to the group that wins each of the following categories: 1) most creative service idea; 2) most community-oriented project; 3) best “holiday-themed” dressed group. It’s just a little thank you from us to you for taking the time to brighten someone’s holidays.

You can register for the Men’s NetWork GIVES BACK event by going to lhm.org/givesback and signing up. After the event, tell us what you did (this will put your group in the running for the gift cards) by sending a brief recap (three or four lines) and pictures of your group in action to mensnetwork@lhm.org. If you prefer, you can also go to LHM’s Facebook page to post your efforts: facebook.com/lutheranhourministries. = Paul Schreiber reports on the impact of LHM’s ministry work in the United States.

Advent Devotions for Your Family’s Christmas

Celebration By Paul Schreiber

G

ive your family a Christmas gift this year from Lutheran Hour Ministries: Call His Name Jesus, our 2019 Advent devotions.

The Christmas season is a mixed bag for many families. With its high expectations and frustrations, parents often lose focus on the true meaning of Christmas. This blurred vision then often gets imparted to the young ones in our homes, as we lead them to view the holidays the same way.

Christmas, however, is full of teaching moments for our kids. There’s God’s love in Jesus, the forgiveness of our sins, and the new life God offers, to name just a few. These timeless truths of Christmas can easily be shared by spending a few minutes each day reading Call His Name Jesus by Dr. Kari Vo, LHM’s theological writer and the author of many of our Daily Devotions.

You might spend a few minutes after

dinner or before bedtime reading one of this year’s Advent devotions with your family (they run this year from December 1 through January 6). Each message opens with a Bible verse and closes with reflection questions to aid with discussion.

We all know there’s more to the holidays than the warm fuzzies we get from even the best TV Christmas specials. With Call His Name Jesus, your family can bask in the glow of the light coming from the manger, God’s own Son sent to each of us.

During the Advent season, you can receive these devotions as a daily email beginning December 1. You can also download and print these devotions, with options including large-print text and bulletin inserts for your church. Call His Name Jesus is also available to hear as a podcast.

Audio begins on December 1 with

Mobile, audio, and Spanish also available!

Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, reading the devotions. Visit lhm.org/advent for all the details.

Llamarás su Nombre Jesús, the Spanish-language version, will be available to read online or to receive as a daily email through the Advent season beginning December 1. Audio will also begin on December 1 with Rev. Héctor Hoppe reading the text. There is a print version that is available for download, too.

Visit the freshly-updated website paraelcamino.com/adviento for all the details. = The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019 | 7

Bringing Hope to Flood Victims in Asia By Megan McDaniel

M

onsoon season has taken a toll on South Asia this year. The monsoon season typically lasts from June to September and this year, July and August proved to be the harshest months, especially in Myanmar, India, and into Laos. There were hundreds of reported deaths caused by the monsoons and its aftermath this year in Asia. Lutheran Hour Ministries’ ministry centers in these countries tried to use this devastation to share the Gospel with people who desperately need to hear it. They provided holistic support, like passing out food and supplies, as well as giving booklets to people in affected areas who lost everything they had in the monsoons.

LHM–Myanmar went to a local church and worshipped with the members during one of their Sunday services. They were able to pass out booklets to the people at the church and meet with the pastors. After the worship service, they traveled an hour and a half to an area affected by the flooding. Of the 150 families

who live there, only 30 of them are Christians.

Usually, they will not allow any Christian organization into the village, but this year they allowed LHM–Myanmar to come in because there was so much devastation from the floods and LHM staff brought food and supplies that they needed. LHM–Myanmar was able to donate foods like rice, cooking oil, canned fish, salt, beans, onions, instant noodles, and other items to around 300 people in the flooded areas.

In Laos, the flooding has ruined many farms and rice fields and killed the animals on the farms. With the roadways flooded, or ruined from landslides, it has been difficult for

“This type of holistic outreach has been an effective way of demonstrating and telling people of the love of Christ.”

LHM DI SC OV ER

LHM

by Celebrating LHM Sunday at Your Church

By John Heithaus

’s mission thrives on grassroots support from churches and individuals— including you. Together, we are Bringing Christ to the Nations— and the Nations to the Church.

LHM Sunday is a key component of that relationship.

LHM Sunday is Feb. 2, 2020.

This year, we will focus on the opportunities God gives each of us to engage in spiritual conversations with those around us. LHM offers a variety of resources to help equip you to meet people where they are in their faith journey, beginning conversations at natural points. LHM Sunday is also an opportunity to celebrate together the impact the Lord makes on those people’s lives, one heart at a time. We develop ministry resources based on our research partnership with Barna Group, a

LHM–Laos staff to travel to pass out booklets to people, or to host Bible Correspondence Courses in other areas. LHM was able to partner with local churches in southern provinces of the country to provide muchneeded supplies and Gospel materials to those affected by the devastation.

LHM–India provided holistic support to people who have lost their homes and belongings in the flood waters. Gunya Na Thalang, LHM’s regional director for Asia, shared, “Holistic outreach and proclamation programs have a comprehensive impact in reaching both the body and soul. It is ministry to the unchurched in word and deed where we can address physical as well as spiritual needs.”

Through your support, LHM staff in Myanmar, Laos, and India have been able to reach those who have been unreached for so long. Although the flooding has been devastating and caused many deaths, it has allowed LHM to go into villages that have previously not allowed them and provide holistic support. This time of turmoil has given LHM the chance to share the Gospel and encourage people that there is hope in God, even in difficult times. “This type of holistic outreach has been an effective way of demonstrating and telling people of the love of Christ,” says Gunya. =

leading voice on trends of faith in modern culture.

“We want to work with people in the pews to bring the Good News of the Gospel to everyone who hasn’t heard,” says Becky Pagel, LHM’s director of constituent advancement. “Hosting an LHM Sunday is a great way to share our resources that can help us become more comfortable having spiritual conversations with those around us.”

Multitudes need to know of the Savior’s love for them. None of us could reach out to all of them on our own. But as we come together in Jesus’ Name, the Lord multiplies the possibilities.

We were thrilled by last year’s response to LHM Sunday! To streamline the process for you and better accommodate your needs, we’ve gotten an even earlier start.

You can order FREE bulletin inserts and giving envelopes NOW

at lhm.org/lhmsunday or by calling 1-800-876-9880, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(CST). We will start shipping them in early January. LHM will also provide a sermon outline, bulletin blurbs, and much more to help you prepare for the big day. (These materials will be available for download on our website by Jan. 10.)

Ask your pastor if your congregation can host an LHM Sunday. While Feb. 2 is its official date, your congregation can host LHM Sunday any day of the year that is most convenient. To discuss the ways LHM can provide resources for your congregation, Suzie Sallee, our community facilitator, welcomes your pastor or staff member to contact her by email at suzie.sallee@lhm.org. = John Heithaus serves as associate director of ministry support for LHM.

“We want to work with people in the pews to bring the Good News of the Gospel to everyone who hasn’t heard.”

8 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

NURTURING YO U R FA I T H : PA R T T H R E E

Called to Others I Watch video introduction with Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler at lhm.org/studies

n Sessions 1 and 2 of Nurturing Your Faith: Called, we explored how God places His call on our lives.

It is He alone who saves, He alone who delivers us and makes a way for us through life’s wilderness (see Isaiah 43:11-21). And it is God Himself who grants us the gift of faith, who calls us from the world and makes us His own—through His Son Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:3b). As with all of God’s gifts, however, they await our use—in the service of others. As we continue studying Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the apostle applauds this church’s outward expression of faith: “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:15-16).

One for All When you realize our call to faith in Christ leads to a life of love and service, things can get a bit overwhelming. Realizing that it’s also about sharing the Gospel can be downright terrifying. After all, chances are we haven’t received a divine mandate like what Paul heard from God via Ananias: “But the Lord said to him (Ananias), ‘Go, for he (Paul) is a chosen instrument of Mine to carry My Name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of My Name’” (Acts 9:16). On the other hand, the truth is we too have been issued such a calling from God. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

The faithful at Ephesus knew their faith didn’t just mystically happen to them, with no reason as to its cause. In fact, at one time they were far from God—“separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12b). So what changed for them? What changed was somebody heeded God’s call. Somebody acted upon the divine instruction to live out their faith and share it with others. Somebody brought them the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus. Now—where formerly there was division and discord among themselves and before God—there was peace and a spirit of fellowship. Jesus “has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:14b).

Questions: 1. When having a spiritual conversation with someone, how do you feel (for the most part) during the discussion? Are there topics where you lock up? Why do you think this is?

2. Why is it important to articulate our faith to others? Does doing so bring benefits to the believer? What might they be?

3. Are there Christians you know who keep the sharing-Jesus-with-others thing front and center, as they go about their day-to-day lives? From your experience, what does that look like?

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Speaking the Truth The Christians at Ephesus had some peculiar challenges. Like many of the cities Paul visited during his missionary journeys in Asia Minor, Ephesus was a cosmopolitan mix of backgrounds and nationalities. Full of pagan practice and influence, Ephesians were weaned on the milk of rite and ritual for a host of Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. (The Temple of Artemis was there, larger than the Parthenon in Athens, and one of the ancient world’s “Seven Wonders”). In the midst of this, the teachings of a lowly Jewish Messiah with little to no “curb appeal” (see Isaiah 53) must have rung awkwardly in the ears of such sophisticates. But where the light of Christ shines, darkness is scattered, people are changed, and new lives begin (see John 8:12).

Paul knew the Ephesians’ story, what they were up against, and how God had worked among them.

He commended their love toward the saints, but there were others who needed to hear the Good News, too. Even as the Ephesians had been “strangers and aliens” to the household of God, now they were “fellow citizens,” with full access to the Father through His Spirit (see Eph. 2:18-19). With this newfound citizenship came responsibilities. As “fellow heirs” by God’s grace, these Gentiles were to speak the truth “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:6a, 10). The time to declare God’s love to the world had come.

Finding Our Voice Paul knew well that believers had to guard their hearts against the world and its many entanglements. His hope for the Ephesian church and others in Asia Minor was to attain unity through a mature faith and a growing knowledge of God’s Son. To do this was a safeguard against wayward doctrines and the lure of devious and misleading arguments. Competition for hearts and minds was stiff at Ephesus and elsewhere in the region (see Colossians 2:8). Paul’s hope for Ephesian believers was nothing less than a complete break with their former lives, so they may speak the truth in love, as they grow up into Christ so that “each part is working properly,” building itself up in love (see Eph. 4:13-16). Only then will they have something to say to those in darkness around them.

Our age is not much different, is it? The marketplace of drivel and confusion is always open, and we too must be on guard. As Paul told Timothy, we should do our best to present ourselves “to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This takes time and application. As we navigate life’s public and social spaces, either face-to-face or online, we want a faith that’s authentic, solid in understanding, and “created”—as Paul said—“after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24b). While the temptation might be to have a Jesus-and-what-can-I-bring-to-the-table faith persona, this will only end badly. Rather than buck against worshiping marble idols, today we elevate self to those same pedestals. Like the Ephesians, as we’re called to others, as we represent Jesus in the world, may our faith “not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5b).

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he spiritual wellbeing of the Ephesian church necessitated that it paid close attention to its new life in Christ. With this city’s visible impress of gods, goddesses, temples, and monuments appearing at every turn, the pull of the familiar was a real issue for Ephesian Christians. To combat this, the church needed to shun these corrupt trappings and hold tight to Christ. As Paul said when referring to their idolatrous past, “But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:20-24).

As Christians we’re called to others in many different ways. Sometimes we bring relief through physical labor or running an errand. At other times, our quiet companionship with one who is ill or dying might be our greatest contribution. In all these things, our aim is to serve others “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:2-3).

10 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

Questions: 1. Do you have a time of it when trying to talk to others about God? List some brothers or sisters in the faith who can help empower your conversation.

Challenge yourself this month to ask one for help.

2. “They will know we are Christians by our love,” as the song goes. How important is our spoken outreach in that identification?

3. As parents and grandparents, how can we train younger generations to be better conversationalists about Jesus and their faith?

Questions: 1. Do potential conversations about God or faith ever spontaneously occur in your life? If/when they do, do you seek to expand the dialogue or steer clear of them altogether? Why? 2. In what areas of your life can you be more receptive to intentionally engaging others in conversations about God and faith?

3. How do you think you are received by others as a Christian? Consider how you represent Christ, is there anything you can do to make yourself more appealing to others (see 2 Corinthians 2:14-16a)?

Pray Heavenly Father, as we speak about Jesus and the love of God, may the Holy Spirit bless our words and direct our conversations. May love rule our hearts so that our desire is for Your Son to be lifted up everywhere. As ambassadors for Christ in this world, let it ever be more of Jesus and less of us. In His Name we pray.

Amen.

Advent and Beyond

By Phil Johnson, Chairman, Int’l LLL Board of Directors

Ask the Spirit to grant you the blessing of vision that goes beyond, the grace to recognize His “kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven”.

L

iving in Minnesota I am blessed to see change coming: leaves that were so beautiful just a month ago have disappeared; daylight is in short supply; small clouds of steam appear as people stand outside talking together.

I know winter is coming by just reading the signs all around me.

In the Gospel of Luke (chapter 19), Jesus is engaged in a conversation with His disciples. The discussion is prompted by the comments of the disciples regarding the beautiful temple Herod had built for the Jews. It really was a magnificent structure—one built for the ages. Massive stone blocks, some weighing over 20 tons, were set with such precision that no mortar was necessary. Surely, they thought, THIS temple would endure for ages to come as a testament of God’s presence among His people.

But Jesus saw things differently.

He saw a time in the not-so-distant future when that gigantic, solid, beautiful building would be torn down stone by stone. He saw clearly that the temple they were so proud of would not last another 50 years.

More importantly, He wanted to open their eyes to the coming of the end. Not only the end of the temple, but the end of so many things the disciples leaned on as solid and permanent. The disciples were looking to an earthly structure as a source of security and strength, and Jesus wanted them to see Himself as the only thing necessary, the only hope that will last.

While the disciples were distracted

by the glory of the temple, Jesus wanted them to see things differently. It wasn’t the building and its adornments that caught the attention of Jesus, it was the people.

C.S Lewis once wrote “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit.” All around, Jesus saw precious, dearly loved beings that would endure far beyond the seemingly mighty temple. Jesus had not come to preserve a building or a lifestyle, but “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). It was all about the people.

Like the disciples we can become confused by what we see. We place our trust in structures that seem so permanent. We look to things of this earth to assure us of God’s enduring presence. We trust that what we have built will somehow last. They won’t. Churches fail and pass away—but the church of Jesus Christ will last forever (see Matthew 16:18). Accumulated possessions and wealth will rust and rot, but investments placed in the kingdom of heaven will endure (see Matthew 6:19-20).

As we celebrate the season of Advent and look to the coming of the King, I invite you to join me in asking for God’s gift of sight. Ask the Spirit to grant you the blessing of vision that goes beyond, the grace to recognize His “kingdom

come, on earth as it is in heaven”.

Jesus has given us a glimpse of the future, and His Word has gifted us with the power to impact for eternity the only thing on this earth that will last—people. Implore His guidance as you invest your time, talents, and treasures. Encouraged

by His promises, seek to encourage others by sharing with them the love of God found only in His Son Jesus.

I also invite you to consider ways you might invest in the work of Lutheran Hour Ministries. Every day at LHM we are looking for new ways of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church with the hope that every nation will have the opportunity to hear the Gospel proclaimed in our lifetime. I think that would be a beautiful thing to see! =

D IS C OV E R

LHM

Many Americans today aren’t comfortable talking about their faith. Discover how Lutheran Hour Ministries has set out to change this trend and host an LHM Sunday at your church in 2020. Learn about practical resources that will help you be prepared to respond in spiritual conversations.

Learn more at

LHM.ORG/SUNDAY The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019 | 11

or 2020, Gospel Adventures is heading to the other side of the globe. Gospel Adventures: Go Mongolia! promises to be an exercise in exotic intrigue. This landlocked Asian country, sandwiched between Russia and China, is vast in size and few in people.

(It’s the world’s least densely populated country!) But that doesn’t mean it’s without a rich history and a fascinating future.

F

“… how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.”

With Go Mongolia! students and teachers get five days of online exploration that touches on numerous aspects of this captivating region.

The student adventure of Mongolia takes place through short articles, videos, maps, colorful graphs, hands-on activities, eye-catching charts, identification boxes, questions for discussion, and more. All these pieces work together to highlight the country’s ethnic groups, ways of living, religion, economy, culture and customs, government, language, arts, history, and other features that make Mongolia so vast and diverse.

By Paul Schreiber Drawing inspiration from Ephesians 3:1719 and letting the immensity of Mongolia illustrate it, students will learn about God and “how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.” For instance, day one of Go Mongolia! opens with a video that captures the breadth of this country. Then there’s a look at the population, ethnic groups, languages spoken, and examples of Mongolian script. The country’s huge, open spaces are noted in its geography, climate, and topography. Students will love learning about the Gobi Desert, Bactrian camels, and fossilized dinosaur eggs!

The day is then capped with a look at how God’s love goes beyond even the extremes of Mongolia’s unique qualities, with discussion questions directed to the many points learned from the day.

In a country that has a 500,000 square-mile desert (Gobi), the warrior Genghis Khan, the Golden Eagle Festival, and temperatures that can range from 40 degrees below zero to more than 110 degrees above, you know it has a lot to offer! Student takeaways will be a new appreciation for Mongolian culture and its citizens. By the end of their journey, students will possess a deeper understanding of the work of the Gospel in their own lives and how God is at work in people’s lives in this exciting—and remote—part of the world.

This is just a glimpse of what this FREE five-day online experience holds for students.

If you are a teacher, you can access our grade school curriculum sample now at gospeladventures.org. The full curriculum will be available in January 2020. =

GO MONGOLIA! HOW VAST IS GOD’S LOVE!

The End of the Year is Coming Quickly By Chad Fix

T

he Christmas season can often seem like it’s 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! His life, and His sacrifice on the cross, is a free gift that can transform every soul through the Savior’s love.

Every day, God works through LHM to share this gift and change lives around the world with the Gospel. This year, God increased LHM’s ministry impact to reach more than 135 million souls every week! As 2019 comes to an end, you can support this mission to 12 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

proclaim the Good News to all who would hear. To make your giving easier, here are some potential endof-year giving opportunities:

1 You can make a direct gift through 9 p.m. CST on Dec. 31! You can make a gift online at lhm.org/give or by calling 1-877-333-1963. 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 Dec. 31 or earlier!

2 Support a matching gift campaign. LHM is blessed to have

generous donors who match every dollar given by donors like you at special times throughout the year.

You can respond to these limitedtime opportunities online and through the mail.

3 Consider making a Christmas gift to LHM in honor of a special friend or family member. What a wonderful way to keep Christ in your gift-giving this year!

4 Support ministry through a charitable rollover from your IRA. Or consider other popular giving options such as the establishment of

a charitable gift annuity or a donor advised fund to receive potential tax savings. Find out more at lhm.org/giftplan or by calling our gift planning staff at 1-877-333-1963.

Our prayer is that you would partner with LHM, your church, and other Christian organizations to help the Gospel be shared this Christmas and throughout the year.

Billions need to hear the message of a Savior who is more valuable than all the wealth of this world.

Please help share that life-changing message with a world in need. =

YOU Can Make a Difference on Giving Tuesday By Chad Fix

G

iving Tuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (Dec. 3 in 2019) and the widely recognized shopping events of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many people begin to focus on holiday and end-ofyear giving. In fact, the Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University estimates that nearly one quarter of all donations received by nonprofit organizations annually are given during the roughly five-week period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. Founded in 2012, Giving Tuesday has inspired millions of people to give back and support the causes they believe in. More than $400 million was raised online just last year to benefit a tremendously broad range of organizations, and much more was given in volunteer hours,

donations of food and clothing, and acts of kindness.

There is another insight that also drives this still-evolving day of philanthropy. According to studies, the most common reason people often donate money to a charity is because a friend solicited them to do so. Giving Tuesday takes that idea and updates it for the age of social media. Participating organizations solicit

When you give, you grow— closer to God and closer to humankind.

bids with the hashtag #GivingTuesday and, in turn, those who donate are urged to share, too.

This becomes a powerful form of peer-to-peer fundraising.

Most importantly, you should know that this day is not about budgets or campaigns; it’s about remembering that giving is a joyful practice. When you give, you grow—closer to God and closer to humankind.

Please consider a gift to Lutheran Hour Ministries on Dec. 3, 2019. This year’s campaign will focus on how LHM uses programs and resources around the world so people can HEAR the Gospel. Watch your email inbox or check out LHM’s home page or Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts in the coming weeks for information about how LHM is celebrating Giving Tuesday this year and how gifts that you give during this campaign can go further. Learn more at lhm.org/givingtuesday. =

Listeners React to The Lutheran Hour in New Podcast By Paul Schreiber

f o g n i k a e Sp

JESUS

Lutheran Hour Ministries’ latest podcast, “Speaking of Jesus,” takes you behind the scenes.

How many times have you listened to The Lutheran Hour sermon and mulled over its message? Perhaps you enjoyed seeing a biblical story from a different angle or appreciated how Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler tied in some life experience with the day’s message. Maybe you asked, “What did he mean exactly when he said …?” Now, each week in “Speaking of Jesus,” Rev. Zeigler leads a roundtable discussion where real conversations take place and connect to everyday life.

“Speaking of Jesus” provides a big picture perspective. It’s hosted by Lutheran Hour Speaker Rev. Zeigler and his co-host, Jessica Bordeleau, author and media producer. Together with a group of three or four others, they have an informal discussion where they exchange ideas and questions about the sermon message, what it means to them, and how the message is relevant to their everyday lives.

The conversations are brisk and wide-ranging. In the podcast, “Speaking of Conversion,” the question is broached of how conversion occurs. Is it instantaneous?

Does it happen over time? Can

it be both ways? Don Everts, content development manager for LHM, mentioned that when helping someone along in their questions about God, you shouldn’t worry if you don’t have all the answers.

Rather, remember that God is the One in charge.

“If you’re shepherding someone … I’ve been willing to say to people, ‘What do you need from Him? What would it take? Be honest with Him.’ And to really have them ask God for things.”

In a recent podcast from September 16 entitled “Speaking of Interventions,” the exchange moves from the Genesis account of Cain’s murder to street violence and how, even in these terrible circumstances, God is there, merciful and waiting for us. As Rev. Zeigler put it: “People too quickly write the Bible off as irrelevant … but you listen to these narratives and … this is not unchartered territory for the Lord. He’s been down this path before, and He knows the way through.”

At the website lhm.org/speakingofjesus, you’ll find the podcast audio, a link to click the message that sparked the conversation (full sermon text is included which can be printed), and some questions to help you reflect further on the message or to spark your own discussion.

As with all LHM podcasts, the best way to get the word out is to share it with others. Ultimately, this is a dialogue; we want to hear from you. So, please subscribe, leave us a review, and rate the podcast. =

How many times have you listened to The Lutheran Hour sermon and mulled over its message?

The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019 | 13

A Unique Way to Share Christ’s Love with the Community By Chad Fix

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ecent studies by Pew Research Center show that a declining number of Canadians identify as Christian, an increasing number say they have no religion, and relatively few engage frequently in traditional religious practices such as daily prayer or weekly worship. The Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada (LHM’s ministry center in Canada) is partnering with mission-minded pastors and church workers to find new ways to turn these trends around.

One unique effort has taken place in the remote oil and gas city of Fort McMurray, Alberta, where about

25 percent of the population has no religious affiliation. When Trinity Lutheran Church sold its building a few years ago, the congregation moved into a local hockey rink for Sunday morning worship. Pastor Keith Haberstock began using the Jumbo Tron outside the arena to post messages during the Advent and Lenten seasons about Christ’s birth and then His death and resurrection that were seen by motorists passing by the arena.

Shortly thereafter, he approached LLL–Canada about the possibility of expanding this ministry to offer a monthly message of hope from on high for a full year, and they decided to move the messaging to a large billboard along a main highway so it could be seen by countless thousands more people every day. As a way to grab people’s

GE T ENERGIZED FOR OUTRE ACH W

attention, they added the question of “So what?” to their digital messages in an effort to spark interaction with people from the local community.

Pastor Haberstock provided the text for each billboard message to LLL–Canada and together they worked with a designer to find the right image to accompany his intended message. The finished product was then projected on a 10-foot by 20-foot digital billboard for two weeks each month. The billboard always includes the congregation’s website and an invitation for passersby to log on and ask questions.

The website offered a greeting specifically for the people who landed there after seeing the billboard. There was an invitation to meet with Pastor Haberstock

face-to-face for coffee, a message about the monthly theme, and links to resources such as LHM’s Project Connect booklets Who is Jesus? and Why Did Jesus Die? Pastor Haberstock recently became the new pastoral advisor for LLL–Canada and has stepped back from taking the lead on this Jumbo Tron ministry within his congregation. “However, when one of our members says, ‘Where did the Jumbo Tron messages go?’, I will invite them to contact LLL–Canada and begin discussions about doing such again,” he says. “I have also recently been approached by a congregation in Eastern Canada that is planning to use a Jumbo Tron screen in their community to share the love of Jesus. I am glad that others are planning to be bold in sharing the love of Jesus from on high.” =

LHM Equip 2020

here will you be the third weekend in October 2020? We hope you will consider joining the LHM family in St. Louis, Missouri, for a weekend of learning, equipping, celebrating, and fellowship at LHM Equip 2020!

Over the years we’ve held fun and engaging events to provide opportunities to convene our members, learn about LHM’s work around the globe, and encourage and support each other as we work together to fulfill our mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. This event will be all this and more, and you won’t want to miss it!

The LHM Equip 2020 event will take place October 16-18, 2020, at historic Union Station in downtown St. Louis. If you haven’t been to St. Louis recently, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Not only has Union Station been beautifully updated and refurbished, but the addition of a world-class aquarium and festive Ferris wheel make this a true tourist destination.

Friday evening will provide the chance to connect and visit with LHM staff, LLL members, and other attendees, including all of LHM’s international ministry directors. The aquarium and Ferris wheel will be open for guests to enjoy, and dinner will be provided at Union Station. A fun and relaxing evening will set the stage for a full day of engagement and learning to follow.

Events on Saturday will center around the results of our threeyear research series with Barna Group on faith in America that has led to the creation of resources and online courses that address the needs of both the churched and non-churched. LHM’s

By Becky Pagel

Global Ministries team will provide training and application to equip attendees for outreach through better spiritual conversations and deeper connections with our families and neighbors.

Most exciting will be the official rollout of the results of our third and final year of Barna research that focuses on community as we—the Body of Christ—seek to live out the grace and hope we find in Jesus by using our common gifts from God for the common good of our communities. It is our hope that you leave this weekend invigorated and armed with a solid foundation and action plan to impact your community and be an active witness to the Good News of Jesus.

There also will be a celebration of the conclusion of our SENT Initiative that has made it possible for us to move forward with effective, research-based tools and resources and a unique global ministry model. We have so much to celebrate and are thankful for your support and God’s blessings.

Although we’re thrilled with the progress we’ve made, we won’t rest until every person has the opportunity to hear the Gospel in an understandable way, new believers are connected to a faithful Christian community, and all Christians reach out in love to those who don’t know the Savior. We want you to be a part of this ambitious vision. Join us for LHM Equip 2020 next October. More details, including registration, will be available in early 2020.

Watch for more information in upcoming issues of The Lutheran Layman and online at LHM.org. = Becky Pagel is director of constituent advancement for LHM.

Watch for more info at LHM .ORG 14 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

Building Relationships in Puerto Rico By Megan McDaniel

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t has been about a year since LHM opened a ministry center in Puerto Rico and began reaching out in partnership with the local Lutheran congregations. The ministry center began through a partnership with LCMS Disaster Relief which had missionaries and other leaders on the island seeking care for the people affected

by Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico in the fall of 2017. Since then, the teams of missionaries and the staff at our ministry center have focused heavily on local outreach efforts, with the goal of building relationships and developing a positive reputation in the community.

LHM’s Regional Director for North America, Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies, and Coordinator for Hispanic Outreach, Beatriz Hoppe, traveled to visit our Puerto Rico ministry center in September 2019. They met with the LHM– Puerto Rico ministry center director and LCMS missionaries for planning, site visits, encouragement, and mentoring.

During their visit, Lakies and Hoppe were able to “assess the progress of the ministry and get in-person updates on the outreach efforts from all involved—the LCMS missionaries and our ministry center director,” says Lakies. “For me, getting my eyes on the ministry locations and meeting those involved was perhaps the most

“… getting my eyes on the ministry locations and meeting those involved was perhaps the most fruitful part of the experience.”

Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies and the LHM–Puerto Rico ministry center director. fruitful part of the experience. We spent a lot of time talking about the unique elements of Puerto Rico as a ministry context and set a plan for how to proceed for the next six months. I’m looking forward to our next visit in March 2020.”

The partnership LHM has created with the

local Lutheran churches allows us to fill the need of spreading the Gospel in a hurting society.

Among many challenges, Puerto Ricans are enduring significant levels of depression and anxiety. For college-aged students, anxiety and suicide rates are among the highest in North America. The LHM–Puerto Rico team is trying to bring the hope of Jesus Christ into the midst of these situations in addition to ongoing recovery efforts more than two years after Hurricane Maria, and therefore, asks for your prayers.

Furthermore, Puerto Rico has recently experienced significant political unrest, causing many to want to leave the island for the mainland. Lakies reports, “This creates an obstacle for establishing a stable ministry base due to the transient nature of the population. So those doing ministry on the ground are trying to think creatively about how to engage a broader segment of the population so that those who hear the Gospel can receive the hope that comes with it as well as extending that same hope to others through a variety of relationships and connections in their community.”

With your support and prayers, LHM–Puerto Rico is reaching the lives of those who need the stability of faith and the hope Jesus brings. =

This year’s Advent devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries, Call His Name Jesus, tell the cherished story of God entering our lives. The birth of Jesus is a story worth sharing. Sign up today to read and listen to these messages of hope and joy!

Mobile, audio, and Spanish also available!

LHM.ORG/ADVENT The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019 | 15

Changing Lives

Around the World with the Gospel

By Megan McDaniel

Lutheran Hour Ministries develops culturally-relevant programs and resources to reach people in more than 60 nations who may not be familiar with the Gospel.

Below are just a few examples to show how God has been using LHM recently to change lives around the world with His Good News.

Middle East & North Africa

Mahmut is a 37-yearold father of four who reached out to LHM staff through their regional Facebook page after seeing an ad. He signed up for the Bible Correspondence Course and finished all the lessons in a week. He was eager to join a local church, so an LHM staff member went to church with him and referred him to a local missionary.

After starting to go to church, he reached back out to LHM staff to share that he had been confused about religion and had questions about the purpose of our existence. Mahmut didn’t have answers to any of his questions and became anxious about his final destiny.

That is when he came across the LHM Facebook page and was drawn to the story of Jesus because he could see reflections of his personal sorrows in Jesus’ life. He was given several LHM booklets to help grow his faith, and he knows they will cause positive impacts in his life. He wants to share the love of God to the people around him so everyone can have the happiness he has.

Madagascar 16 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

Lumduan is a 19-year-old college student. She comes from a non-Christian household and was very shy, not confident in herself, and discouraged with her life.

One day, she attended a film show hosted

by LHM–Laos and it immediately changed her life. She watched a movie about Jesus and afterward LHM staff talked to her and shared more about Jesus and how He came to earth. Lumduan began to understand God’s love and was brought to faith in Christ by the power of God’s Spirit. She started Bible Correspondence Courses and joined a local church. She is now very happy and has joy in her life because of God. She continues to grow her faith through volunteering for LHM– Laos and sharing the Gospel with her friends.

Laos

Daniel is 17 years old and is in tenth grade. He is an orphan and currently lives with his grandparents. He is worried about not having enough money to go to college and his grandparents are getting older. Daniel first met LHM– Cambodia staff during an English class at the local church. The church hosts English classes to reach out to students, and the pastor of the church often invites LHM staff in to share a message. One of the LHM speakers shared a story about his personal life as an orphan. It touched Daniel so much that he decided that day to learn more about Jesus. Daniel is now a believer, and LHM–Cambodia staff continues to work with him to grow his faith.

Cambodia

Bakoly is a 54-year-old photographer who is married with three children. She grew up in the church and has served as a deacon for her local congregation since 2012. Two years ago, she became seriously ill, and her doctors told her they would do their best to help her, but there was no medicine or surgery to heal her. She was waiting for her death and was very anxious about it, even though she is a Christian.

Many members of her church have taken part in LHM–Madagascar’s Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), and one of her friends brought her two LHM booklets while she was in the hospital. She read the booklets and they strengthened her faith. While she was content with her life even if she never healed, she received a clean bill of health from doctors after one month in the hospital. She knows God has given her the strength to face whatever trials come her way, and she has since registered for LHM’s BCC lessons and earned her first certificate.

Russia

Antonina enrolled herself in a Bible Correspondence Course through LHM–Russia. As a class, they studied the basics of the Christian faith. She thought the lessons were great and the atmosphere of the class was helpful. They were given booklets that corresponded to the content taught in the class, and Antonina said she liked being able to use the booklets to help her study for the tests. She continues to grow in her faith with Jesus and is thankful for LHM–Russia and the materials she was given.

Saul was once an acclaimed Mariachi performer who played songs for weddings, birthdays, and entertainment at local bars and restaurants. Saul had a complicated life that included an addiction to playing slot machines and gambling. He once received a booklet from LHM–Nicaragua and since then he has been a faithful reader of LHM booklets focused on many different subjects.

He shared with LHM staff that after reading through a bunch of the topical booklets and comparing his life to the content in them, he reflected on how bad his behavior had gotten. He decided to seek out the Lord and soon became a Christian after learning that Jesus is his Savior. Saul continues to use his musical gifts by singing in the local church and is still a dedicated reader of LHM’s booklets.

Nicaragua

Paraguay

Ignacia was previously enrolled in LHM– Paraguay’s baking and confectionery course called “Jesus the bread of life.”

She does not have a job, so she does not have a lot of money to provide for herself and her five children. Since being enrolled in the course, she started using her skills to make baked goods that she sells. Ignacia sent a message to LHM staff thanking them for the course because the Gospel lessons provided her with hope, and the vocational training now allows her to happily make baked goods from her house and sell to provide for her family.

She is thankful that she learned to bake because baking at home allows her to spend time with her kids and take care of them without having a full-time job away from the home.

North America

Many Lutheran Laymen’s League districts still sponsor state fair booth ministry activities in their districts. Throughout August and September, more than 10,000 ministry resources were shared with fairgoers across North America. These included Project Connect booklets, children’s ministry booklets, crosses, Bibles, and other faith-based materials. At these fair events, there are numerous volunteers who shared Jesus through conversations and prayer requests, and there are even worship services led on the fair grounds at some locales. We are grateful to the LLL districts that continue to lift up volunteers to serve through this unique outreach activity.

Thailand

Dao heard a message from the Encouragement for You radio program produced

by LHM–Thailand.

While listening to the program, Dao learned some practical ideas for life and heard about Jesus and how God created the world and all of us. She was interested in learning more, so she contacted LHM–Thailand staff. She enrolled in Bible Correspondence Courses and has now completed her second one. LHM staff contacted the pastor at a local church to connect them to Dao so she can attend church weekly. When talking about Dao, the pastor said she had already visited their church for a program during the tsunami in 2005. She has now been reconnected to the church and is teaching her children about Jesus. She prays that she will continue to grow her faith and that her family will come to know Jesus and receive His love. = The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019 | 17

EVANGELISM IN ACTION Among LHM Staff

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

By Robin Forsythe

D

o you ever wonder about the true meaning of a word? You think you know what that word means, but it could have different meanings in various settings. For example, take the word evangelism. When I recently looked up the word evangelism, it was defined as the “spreading of the Christian Gospel by ways of public hearing or personal witness.” Personally, I think Lutheran Hour Ministries’ mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church defines evangelism perfectly.

I am privileged to see evangelism occur daily in the office, especially when my fellow coworkers generously give their time, talents, and treasures to help the community. This is clearly displayed when LHM headquarters staff comes together to participate in community service projects several times throughout the year, year after year.

One of the charities that LHM has supported the last few years is The Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis. When a child is hospitalized for a long time, this charity offers housing options for their families. In March 2019, LHM sponsored a pancake dinner at the St. Louis location. Several employees cooked and served pancakes for the families that were staying there, and the whole LHM staff raised more than $500 that was donated to the charity.

LHM employees also support the James S. McDonnell United Service Organization (USO) at Lambert International Airport. The USO is a non-profit organization that serves members of the United States military and their families.

Over the last 10 years, LHM staff has collected

significant amounts of food and personal hygiene items, diapers, and paper products. In May 2019, LHM also set up a nacho bar for employees to enjoy with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the USO service project.

Beginning in 2017, LHM has provided a huge amount of support for Jefferson County Grace Day, which is held just south of St Louis. Grace Day is an event where anyone with schoolage children can receive a multitude of goods and services to get their students ready for the first day of school. These items include backpacks full of school supplies, haircuts, family photography, new shoes and socks, new undergarments, personal hygiene items, dental and health exams, free Bibles, and even an automotive express service to ensure reliable and safe transportation. Each July, LHM staff members compete (men versus women) to see which group can collect the most girls’ or boys’ underwear. Over the last three years, the teams have collected almost 2,000 pairs of underwear for this event.

For the last seven years, LHM has conducted an annual Family Campaign where employees can make a one-time monetary gift or pledge to have recurring gifts deducted from their paychecks.

LHM realizes we take a bold step when we ask individuals like you to support the mission of the ministry financially, but we believe we ask for your support with integrity because our staff is also financially committed to supporting this critical ministry work.

Each year staff members come together during a special gathering to celebrate the work of this

ministry and the opportunities to be involved every day. In 2019 the Family Campaign offered a special gift intention designation through the SENT Initiative to support sharing the Gospel with children in the Middle East. This year, nearly 80 percent of LHM staff contributed to the Family Campaign and pledged more than $110,000 to support ministry, an amount that well exceeded the goal!

Evangelism is a fundamental way of life at LHM. The employees share your passion for spreading the love of Christ with people who do not know Him. These staff members also lead by example in showing donors that they don’t ask others to support something that they’re not already supporting themselves.

Did you know when you support LHM, you often help meet similar holistic needs around the world? For example, your generous support helps LHM provide supplies to refugees in the Middle East and host HIV clinics in Kenya and eyeglass clinics in Jamaica. Not only do these activities serve the physical needs of those reached, but they provide spiritual support by showing the love of Christ in action and sharing Gospel materials.

By coming together, we can touch communities outside our local hometowns. Without your faithful partnership, evangelism and His mission would not be possible. Thank you to all our supporters, volunteers, and colleagues for truly living out the meaning of “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35b). = Robin Forsythe works in the Constituent Services division for Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Evangelism is a fundamental way of life at LHM!

18 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

Acts 20:35b

You Are an Answer to Prayer!

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By Kurt Buchholz, President & CEO, Lutheran Hour Ministries

e live in a fallen and broken world. This is not a new revelation. Centuries of history have witnessed war, violence, corruption, greed, lust, hate—these are not new experiences. What is different today is the pace of change the world is experiencing. The need to go out into the world and grow, nurture, and expand the Body of Christ has never been greater.

Thankfully, you’re an answer to prayer.

Not certain about that? Recall with me a brief passage from the gospel of Matthew: Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

See? There you are, right there in the final sentence where Jesus directs His disciples to pray for workers to be sent into the vast harvest fields of people who need to hear the Good News of the

Kingdom. While Jesus made this statement more than 2,000 years ago, it is still a reality to this day—and the urgency is greater than ever before.

Jesus told His disciples to pray for you—you are called to be the workers because you have been sent by the Lord of the harvest to spread that Good News, in your families, your dayto-day relationships, your communities, and wherever people still need to hear it.

Each of us is a unique part of God’s creation.

When it comes to harvest work, there is no substitute for you—your gifts, talents, personality, and interests. While you may sometimes feel ill-prepared or anxious, remember that God has formed you as you are to reach people better than anyone else. God has made you perfect to share the Gospel with those He has put in your life’s path. It’s why He has called you to work in His harvest field.

Here’s some more great news: you aren’t asked to do this alone. Building upon the 102year history of this organization, we, as the priesthood of all believers, will empower and equip laypeople like you to share their faith with others to grow the community of Christ.

As your partner in God’s mission to proclaim forgiveness and freedom through Jesus Christ, LHM is here to walk alongside you, encourage you, support you, and equip you with ministry options to reach people in your own lives who desperately need to hear about the love of Christ.

On behalf of all of us at Lutheran Hour Ministries, thank you so much for allowing us to support and encourage you in your daily life and for your prayers and financial support, which enable us to continue Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. =

The need to go out into the world and grow, nurture, and expand the Body of Christ has never been greater.

The 131st Rose Parade presented by Honda, themed “The Power of Hope,” will take place at 8 a.m. Pacific Time on Jan. 1, 2020 in Pasadena, California, and features spirited marching bands from throughout the nation, high-stepping equestrian units, and majestic floral floats.

LHM will once again have a float entry in the parade, this year under the theme of “Anchored in Jesus.” This year’s LHM float will feature its first-ever underwater scene with several fish depicted, an anchor made into a cross, and Jesus in the standing at the wheel guiding and directing the course of life. At the helm, He provides hope and

By Chad Fix stability as the solid cornerstone in the unstable, shifting sands and troubled waters of daily life.

The hosts of LHM’s Sentido Latino podcast, Deaconess Noemi Guerra and her father, Rev. Luciano Vega-Ayala, will be among the riders on the float.

Thanks to the International Lutheran Laymen’s League’s Southern California District, the LHM float is a 70-year tradition in the longstanding New Year’s Day event. As the only Christian float in the parade, it carries on a mission to provide a Gospel witness to viewers everywhere, from the parade route along Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard to televisions all over the world. The Tournament of Roses Parade is watched live on television by approximately 40 million Americans and by millions more people in 150 countries.

For the best viewing of the parade, HGTV shows the parade in its entirety on cable TV. Check your local listings for time and channel.

Hundreds of individuals are still needed to help decorate the LHM float as well as eight others completed by the Petal Pushers’ decorating team of 5,000 volunteers. Petal Pushers volunteers must be at least 13 years old and commit to at least one eight-hour shift during the month of December.

Visit petalpushers.org for more information. =

ENDOWING OUR FUTURE

LHM Float Celebrates

Rose Parade

It’s Easier than You Might Think!

The purpose of our endowment is to financially sustain the mission and work of Lutheran Hour Ministries for perpetuity after you leave this earth.

You can make a significant contribution to endow our future … and it’s easier than you might think.

Several giving strategies can benefit you while building our endowment: • • • • •

Direct Gifts Charitable Gift Annuity Securities Bequest through Your Will IRA or Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation

You can also create a named endowment when you make a gift of $10,000 or more.

Learn how you can help sustain our ministry for the future.

Contact 1-877-333-1963, lhm-gift@lhm.org, or visit lhm.org/give.

The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019 | 19

The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation Ensuring a Lasting Legacy for Ministry

T

he United States economy has 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 had a significant impact. Nonprofit organizations, including faithbased institutions, continually focus on funding their mission daily.

“The strength and sustaining force of The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation is you …”

As an organization committed to proclaiming the Gospel to the billions of people who still need to hear Christ’s message of hope in this increasingly dark world, Lutheran Hour Ministries is no different. While the ministry today stands on solid financial footing thanks to the longstanding 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 in the year 2000 to collect, invest, and distribute endowment funds to help further LHM’s mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. The LHM Foundation exists to work with individuals to facilitate transformational gifts that will provide financial vitality and confidence for LHM to dynamically proclaim the Gospel today and into the future.

“The strength and sustaining force of The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation is you— you and many other Christians like you who believe in providing for the continued sharing of the Gospel long after you are sainted in heaven,” says Jeff Craig-Meyer, LHM’s vice president of constituencies who also serves as president of The LHM Foundation. “This guiding principle has allowed the Foundation to remain steadfast in our commitment to serving donors and their families in meeting their personal goals while Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church.”

Our Mission

Our Vision

Our Promise

The LHM Foundation builds positive relationships with mission-aligned constituents, encourages generosity, and manages resources that advance the Gospel mission of LHM. (Matthew 28:19-20)

The LHM Foundation is the trusted source for donors to create a transformational legacy and a strong financial foundation for perpetual Gospel proclamation.

Planning your estate and how you want to impact Gospel ministry after you’ve gone to your heavenly reward is an intensely personal process with many considerations involved. To best serve individuals in this process, The LHM Foundation’s values are to remain:

20 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

By Chad Fix

The early years of The LHM Foundation were dedicated to building internal capacity and putting a structure in place that guarantees a sound and sustainable investment policy, financial structure, and governance system. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees that consists entirely of supporting members of LHM’s ministry as well as LHM staff members.

This ensures that the Board remains focused on advancing the Gospel mission of LHM. The investment policy of The LHM Foundation is focused on minimizing short-term risk while still planning for stable long-term growth. To achieve this goal, assets in the Foundation are distributed conservatively between equities and bonds.

Enduring Gifts that Are Intensely Personal Through The LHM Foundation, families and individuals can establish an endowment to continue making a difference for LHM’s ministry programs year after year. This type of giving is incredibly powerful and enduring, but at the same time it’s intensely personal.

Gospel-focused Singularly dedicated to advancing the Great Commission focus of LHM in innovative and impact-oriented ways.

Donor-centered In a spirit of gratitude and service, committed to helping donors find joy in their generosity as they seek to fulfill their transformational legacy.

Accountable & transparent Managing the donor relationship with trust, exhibiting accountability, transparency, and high impact.

Brian and Karen Mitchell of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, learned about The LHM Foundation when they were working through Brian’s father’s estate several years ago. “One of the things that I found interesting was that the endowment program offered an opportunity to select what part of Lutheran Hour Ministries we wanted to support,” says Brian, who currently serves as vice chair on The LHM Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

“I remembered my dad and mom for years and years had listened to The Lutheran Hour at 6:00 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.”

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

Supporting Ministry Initiatives Today While most people only consider the long-range benefits of establishing an endowment through The LHM Foundation, the funds are also extremely important for current ministry since the Foundation’s annual distribution from these funds provide 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 Craig-Meyer. “More recently, The LHM Foundation made the commitment to increase its level of support for Gospel ministry. This shift led to the annual distribution to Lutheran Hour Ministries growing in one year from approximately $200,000 to more than $700,000, an increase of more than 300 percent. This ministry-focused proactivity culminated in the establishment of a strategic plan to better direct how The LHM Foundation works to impact Gospel proclamation.”

In addition to its annual distributions to LHM, The LHM Foundation has recently engaged in providing one-time grants that help fund ministry

“… 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.” initiatives that its Trustees believe could result in a significant return on investment. One example was a $750,000 grant in 2014 that provided initial funding for the launch of the SENT Initiative the next year. Through SENT, LHM acknowledged our calling to go out into the world and grow, nurture, and expand the Body of Christ, and the initiative helped clarify and communicate the ministry’s vision and strategic plan to advance our mission to share the Gospel around the world. As the five-year initiative begins to wind down, LHM has been able to nearly triple the number of people reached with the Gospel around the world each week, now reaching more than 135 million on a weekly basis.

Today’s Gifts that Can Carry on with Future Generations Many LHM donors have been regularly supporting the ministry for the past 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, or in many cases even longer. Some of these same donors have discovered that a gift to The Lutheran Hour Ministries Endowment Fund through The LHM Foundation will provide at least the same gift for ministry even after they are called home to our Lord in heaven.

For example, Henry first listened to The Lutheran Hour radio broadcast while he was stationed overseas with the military. After returning home, he became an annual supporter of LHM. Now in his 80s, Henry makes four annual contributions to LHM totaling $200 each year.

Henry also has made The Lutheran Hour Ministries Endowment Fund through The LHM Foundation the beneficiary of a $5,000 life insurance policy that he has owned for many years. Henry knows that the $5,000 policy will provide the ministries with an annual gift of approximately $250 per year after he dies, and furthermore, he is assured that the annual gift will continue each year until the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Impact on Ministry of Foundation Assets under Management

$30,000,000 – Cash: 1%

Other Investments: 4%

$25,000,000 –

Assets Under Management with LHM Foundation 2012: $20,039,511 2013: $22,222,059 2014: $23,764,779 2015: $24,838,023 2016: $23,548,978 2017: $26,095,748 2018: $27,243,546 2019: $26,724,296

$15,000,000 – Equities: 55%

d Income: 40% Fixe

$20,000,000 –

Allocation of LHM Foundation Assets

see next page

$10,000,000 – $5,000,000 –

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Assets Distributed to Lutheran Hour Ministries 2012: $608,150 2013: $688,766 2014: $745,098 2015: $1,099,652 2016: $998,033 2017: $932,441 2018: $1,062,002 2019: $1,018,828

The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019 | 21

continued from previous page

LHM’s Voter Registration Begins in February

How You Can Set Up an Endowment through The LHM Foundation Making The Lutheran Hour Ministries Endowment Fund through The LHM Foundation a primary beneficiary of a life insurance policy is just one of many ways you can endow your annual support even after your death. 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: »» Direct Gifts: Make checks, IRA Rollovers, or

Donor Advised Fund gifts payable to The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation with a designation of The Lutheran Hour Ministries Endowment Fund.

“Supporters will want to remember Lutheran Hour Ministries through The LHM Foundation to encourage Bringing Christ to the Nations— and the Nations to the Church. It is our legacy for the future for our sons and daughters.”

»» Charitable Gift Annuity: This is an irrevocable

gift of cash or securities that provides fixed 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.

“Gift annuities through LHM help support the continuation of The Lutheran Hour and other vital ministry efforts. If our gift helps bring salvation to just one soul, it is well worth it.”

»» Securities: Stock gifts for the endowment

through the LHM Foundation can be accepted either by certificate or electronic transfer through your broker or financial advisor.

“Everything we have is a gift from God, and we want to be good managers of those gifts.

Through LHM, we have the opportunity to bring God’s Word to so many more people.”

»» 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.

“We see all the accomplishments that are being done by LHM each day and think ‘WOW!,’ we are really doing something here.

Christ tells us to go and tell the nations.

Supporting LHM through our estate plan is one way we can guarantee that the ministry keeps doing this for generations to come.”

»» 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.

“The death benefit (for LHM) is 100 times the quarterly premiums I pay on the policy. The gift will be exponentially more than I can provide annually to LHM.”

“… the endowment program offered an opportunity to select what part of Lutheran Hour Ministries we wanted to support.”

For more details about how you can honor the Gospel legacy of your family while achieving your financial goals through a gift to The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation, please contact our staff at 1-877-333-1963 or lhmfoundation@lhm.org. You can also visit lhm.org/foundation or lhm.org/giftplan to learn more about various giving options. = 22 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

By Chad Fix As part of LHM’s annual election process, anyone who has given a gift to the ministry between July 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019 (and is also a member of a congregation of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod or Lutheran Church–Canada) will receive a postcard in early February with details on how to become part of the voting membership in the spring of 2020. Members will have the option of registering online to receive an electronic ballot (the preferred method since it saves substantial ministry dollars) or mailing back the postcard to receive a paper ballot.

Since a new voting membership is established for each election cycle, you must sign up to participate in the 2020 election regardless of whether you registered (or voted) in previous years.

All members who register by March 15 will constitute the voting membership that will receive materials to participate in the annual election running from April 15 through May 15 for open positions on the Board of Directors.

Election results will be announced by the end of May so that the new Board will be in place at the beginning of the ministry’s new fiscal year on June 1.

If you have questions about the election process, please call 1-800-876-9880 or send an email to lh_min@lhm.org. =

Chad Fix oversees the corporate communications of LHM.

AV AL New LHM Learn Courses Speak to Issues AI L T

of Communication, End of Life By Paul Schreiber LABLEHREE NO

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Caring Conversations Across Cultures Reaching Out in Rural America

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hree new courses are now available at LHM Learn.

Caring Conversations Across Cultures looks at how we understand and engage in authentic communication with others from different cultures.

Reaching out in Rural America examines the particular character of life shared by those living in rural areas and how to share Jesus with them. Living with Dying is an insightful, Scripture-based look at death, dying, and how we carry on in the face of it.

Caring Conversations Across Cultures, a Cultural Concepts course, is hosted by Dr. Amy Narishkin, a specialist who works with enhancing cultural intelligence and understanding others in a diverse world. In four sessions, learners address their hidden assumptions about others and gain knowledge and concepts to communicate through empathy and proactive listening. Throughout the course, true engagement is the goal, especially as we practice openness to others with compassion for their situation.

Reaching out in Rural America is another Cultural Concepts course. In four sessions learners will see how to build relationships with people in rural areas, sharing their faith with them as God opens doors. The course was authored by Dr. Kari Vo, theological writer for LHM. Contributions were made by

Rev. Monte Meyer, a parish life facilitator for the Minnesota North District. One of this course’s aims is for learners to be mindful of the quality of rural life so that Christ’s love may be shared in a way that’s appropriate in this cultural context.

Both Caring and Reaching were funded by the Siebert Lutheran Foundation, a private independent foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which focuses on advancing the Lutheran faith. For more information about whom Siebert serves and what it funds, visit its website at siebertfoundation.org.

Both Caring and Reaching include a printable journal to jot down personal notes. A discussion guide with targeted questions and concept review helps reinforce the material. Additionally, there are tips for using this course as part of a small group study; a video transcript is available to review content and expand the discussion in a group setting.

Living with Dying is a five-day Spiritual Reflections course which utilizes the S.O.A.P. (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) Bible study format developed by Pastor Wayne Cordeiro. Audio and text Scripture passages speak to the topic, and questions prompt thought on the text and what its message means to us as individuals.

This course includes a journal with images that can be colored. It

… supplying teaching and insights to empower their faith now.

!

Living with Dying

was created by Minneapolis-based artist Hannah Carlos.

LHM Learn offers courses in five different categories. Each course gives users biblically based knowledge to enhance their Christian walk by supplying teaching and insights to empower their faith now. The categories are Christian Foundations (basics of Christianity from biblical, theological, and historical perspectives); Cultural Concepts (understanding the different

demographics, cultures, and religions in our world today); Everyday Insights (thoughts about the good and bad that life throws our way); Outreach Essentials (personal evangelism and tools to reach others with the Gospel); and Spiritual Reflections (devotional thoughts meant to strengthen and encourage).

For more information on the five categories of FREE courses available through LHM Learn, please visit lhm.org/learn. =

WANT AN EASY WAY TO LISTEN TO LHM’S PROGRAMS? Look no further than our podcast network!

AVAILABLE ON:

LHM.ORG/PODCASTS

Download to your computer or mobile device ABSOLUTELY FREE!

The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019 | 23

TV Programming Impacts Children in the Middle East and North Africa

By Megan McDaniel

T

hrough a strategic partnership between Lutheran Hour Ministries and SAT-7, the first and largest Middle East and North African Christian TV network, millions of Persian-speaking children, youth, and women are hearing the Gospel daily on television programs. Many of the people in this region have faced trials and hardships in their lives. The SAT-7 PARS programming shares that there is hope that comes from a relationship with Jesus.

One of the children’s series offered through this partnership is Golpand, which means “beautiful” or “golden advice”. LHM has initiated a support partnership for this program and provides funding for staff and production as well as the design and implementation of a new web page for the SAT-7 PARS channel.

In this program, a fox, canary, and other animal friends live in “The Jungle of Golpand.” In each episode, the animals share a lesson based on a biblical perspective, which helps them change their behavior. Children call in to the show to help the animals learn the lessons of that day’s episode and encourage the animals to change their bad behavior. Topics on Golpand range from creativity to eating healthy, with many others in between.

Viewers are encouraged to call in to the live show to participate in prayer together. Some children also make their own videos at home which are sometimes featured on the shows. For example, a brother and sister who regularly watch the show make short video skits that correspond to the show’s theme. Another girl sends in videos of herself playing her guitar and singing worship songs.

Below are several testimonials from children who regularly watch the Golpand program.

Pareesa, a ten-year-old girl, shares, “I have learned so many things from your program. With your help I have learned more about the Bible. You have taught me the right way to live and I learned from your program that I should give thanks for the blessings of the Lord, and I have learned about things I didn’t know before.”

Ten-year-old Laaleh contacted SAT-7 PARS to share this prayer: “Oh Loving God, I know you hear my voice. Help me to appreciate my mum and dad more and have more respect for them. God, help me to be kind to my little sister so we can be good friends for one another.

My dearest God help me in my studies so I can make my mum and dad happy by getting good marks, amen.” She went on to say: “The Lord is the best listener, you don’t need to shout or cry, for the Lord hears even the quietest prayer from a sincere heart.”

Taraneh is a young Afghan girl who lives in Tajikistan and regularly calls in. Her inspiring enthusiasm and faith, despite her family’s difficult circumstances, shine through in her messages to the channel. “We have to travel three hours to go to my uncle’s house to watch this program. I go to play with my cousin because I like it, and I go there to watch your program, too.”

During one episode exploring what it means to be thankful, she called to say: “I give thanks for having a mom and dad, a family who are Christians, and that I have been freed from sin.”

We are thankful for this partnership and opportunity to spread the love of God to children in the Middle East and North Africa. =

… there is hope that comes from a relationship with Jesus.

24 | The Lutheran Layman Fall 2019

COMING IN JANUARY 2020!

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH