The Lutheran Layman – Summer 2021 by Lutheran Hour Ministries

Summer 2021

SHARING CHRIST’S LOVE

in New and Expanded Ways

see page 3

Nurturing Your Faith. . . . . . . . . . . 9-10 Decorate Rose Parade Floats. . . 11 LWML Convention Presence. . 16-17 Advent Devotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Changing Lives Globally. . . . . 20-21 Gospel Adventures. . . . . . . . . 22-23 Board Election/Nominations . . . . 23

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Got You Covered by REV. DR. MICHAEL ZEIGLER, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour

Was there a way that I could get on base and retrieve my lost identification without the Has anyone ever said that to humiliation of being found out? you? Maybe when they said it, it No. Because the military takes bothered you a little. It sounded identification seriously. And like an insult. “What do you so, out of options, I called the mean, you’ve got me covered? sergeant who works with me, Thanks, but I can cover myself.” fessed up to my mistake, and he Or maybe you realized you said to me, “Don’t worry about were in a pinch, and so when it, sir. I’ve got you covered.” they said it, it sounded different. That was good news because It still implied the same thing, I was not able to solve the but because you realized you problem on my own. were out of options, it didn’t sound like an insult. It sounded like good news. It’s like the time I got stuck off base without my military ID. This story reminded me of If you served in the military or another sergeant, the centurion have been in a military family, who was in charge of Jesus’ you know how important your crucifixion. He saw something military identification is. I got my first military ID card when I similar in Jesus. We can’t be was 10 years old and they told me sure what he understood about what he said, but the fact is then, “Don’t lose it.” But I did. he was the first human being I’m not a kid anymore; I’m a recorded in the Gospel of Mark military officer with nearly 20 years’ experience. I should know to get Jesus’ identification right. This matters for us because better, especially since military IDs aren’t just badges to get you the source of our problems is lost identification. You and I in the gate anymore; they’re were created to be identified micro-chipped so you can plug them into your computer to log as sons and daughters of God. into the system. That is where I That’s what makes each of us had left mine—in the computer so wondrous, so mysterious, so promising. From the beginning, on base. God promised to be a Father I thought for a moment to us. He promised to always about how I might be able to have us covered. But early on cover this problem on my own.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.”

God put our guilt on Him.

humankind said, “No thank you. I can cover myself.” And that’s what we’ve been trying to do ever since. But there is no access to true peace outside of identification as the children of God. When we try to cover ourselves, we get eternal shame and pain and death. We get the cross. But Jesus took it from us. He kept His promise—not by inflicting the punishment but by taking it upon Himself. God put our guilt on Him. He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. Now I get it. You might have more than 20 years’ experience being an adult. You might feel like you can carry this cross, that you’ve got it covered, and I feel that way sometimes, too. Being in the military has taught me that I am not enough to cover for myself. I have learned this lesson in a thousand ways. I’m grateful for my sergeant because he not only solved my problem but pointed me back to an important sergeant from history—the centurion who saw Jesus for who He really is there on the cross. =

Vol. 92, No. 3 Summer 2021 Chad Fix, Editor

•

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, 2021 Int’l LLL.

LHM Response Center: 1-800-876-9880

2 | The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021

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

A local pastor who volunteers for LHM–Cambodia recently visited a prison to share messages of hope. One of the prison workers, Khean, listened to the message. He was so inspired that he started regularly attending worship services and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, he has since become a Christian.

Because of YOU, people like Khean are experiencing the hope of the Gospel. To continue supporting our mission, visit LHM.ORG/GIVE or use the enclosed envelope.

by CHAD FIX

SHARING CHRIST’S LOVE in New and Expanded Ways

“I am always amazed at how God continues to bless our ministry by providing opportunities to gain a hearing for the Gospel in new and exciting ways.”

od has called Lutheran Hour Ministries to proclaim the risen Savior around the world to reach people who have not yet experienced His love. Operating as a global ministry network, LHM identifies and equips local laypeople who have a passion for the Gospel to build their presence and impact using strategies and tactics contextual to the culture and language in which they serve. Through their work as staff and volunteers, LHM reaches more than 150 million people each week and develops personal relationships with individuals that lead to more trusting, spiritual conversations so the Holy Spirit can work in their hearts. For a ministry like LHM that is built on these relationships, the big question following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was, “How will this work when we have to be physically separate from each other?” Fortunately, through the grace of God and the dedicated work of talented staff and volunteers, LHM’s global ministry model and media expertise positioned us to expand efforts to reach even more people with the hope and comfort of the Gospel during these unprecedented times. And that has reaped rewards for God’s Kingdom. “I am always amazed at how God continues to bless our ministry by providing opportunities to gain a hearing for the Gospel in new and exciting ways,” says Rev. Dr. Tony Cook, LHM’s vice president of Global Ministries. “COVID has proven this to be especially true in our international and social media programs. It is my belief that God is beginning to utilize LHM as a resource for His ministry and mission in ways we have never experienced. Viewing our ministry with a scarcity mindset is to underestimate the power of God working in and through His people at LHM.” As LHM navigates a shifting world culture, we know the saving message of Christ does not change, but the way we share it does. Here are just some of the innovative ways that LHM has continued to provide hurting people with the opportunity to find answers and relief in the Gospel. see next page The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021 | 3

SHARING CHRIST’S LOVE … continued from previous page The Good News of Jesus Christ reaches hurting individuals …

EXPANDING Radio Ministry Radio has been a foundation of LHM’s ministry since its early days. In addition to The Lutheran Hour being broadcast in North America, locally produced radio programs have been developed by many ministry centers around the world. The recent limits on face-to-face interactions have opened doors to increase outreach through radio programming. The Good News of Jesus Christ reaches hurting individuals in Uganda through broadcasts in the cities of Kampala and Jinja. During each airing, free LHM brochures are offered, plus LHM staff encourages listeners to enroll in their Bible Correspondence Courses that allow listeners of all ages, faiths, and educational levels to explore the Bible’s teachings and the Christian faith from the security and comfort of their own homes. One feature of the broadcast is “Café Password”, a dramatic segment that addresses social issues affecting urban youth who are in high school, college, or who have recently entered the workforce. During a recent broadcast, topics such as idolizing money and wealth, the dangers of social media, and more were discussed. Rachel is a listener who has been in an abusive relationship for a while. When she married her husband, he was loving and caring. He turned to alcohol, which started many years of pain for Rachel. Her husband stopped attending church and praying became challenging for him. 4 | The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021

However, Rachel continued to grow in her faith and take her children to church. During the pandemic, when people could not gather for church in person, Rachel turned to the radio program from LHM– Uganda. Since her husband could not go anywhere because of the pandemic, he started listening to the broadcast with her. He listened to the lessons and realized that he had been causing suffering for his wife and family. He apologized for his behavior and is working on mending his relationship with Rachel. Rachel’s husband is thankful for LHM–Uganda and hopes to visit their office when government restrictions are lifted to meet the staff and pick up Christian materials. Radio ministry also continues to thrive in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. An estimated 1.5 million people hear LHM– Cambodia’s weekly program, “Answers for Life”, through airings in Phnom Penh and Battambang. Geared towards individuals ages 20 to 35, the broadcast addresses many obstacles they face in life and tells them about Jesus and salvation. Earlier this spring, LHM staff in Sri Lanka produced two 15-minute sample programs and submitted them to a local FM station and to Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation for approval. By God’s grace, the Sri Lanka ministry team was approved to broadcast the Sinhalese program during prime-time hours on the weekends beginning in May.

SHARING CHRIST Through Television Programming As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in India, television serves as a major vehicle for reaching people while they are in lockdown. LHM–India began airing a 15-minute television program on the Word to World TV channel during prime-time hours every Monday to share the Gospel with the more than 36 million people who speak the Malayalam language. The ministry center director worked with a group of local Lutheran pastors and laypeople who are skilled in counseling and prayer for responding to the more than 2,000 viewers who have already contacted them through two WhatsApp groups. In connection with this program, LHM– India also started a new YouTube channel and within one month had more than 100,000 views and 2,000 subscribers. Working in partnership together, SAT-7 and LHM debuted a new television program, New Light, in November 2020. The program is a 55-minute talk show that highlights a different topic or brings a different perspective to current affairs and matters affecting the target audience of Middle East and North Africa viewers ages 18 to 30. Using satellite television to reach these individuals whose lives are often filled with emptiness has paved the way for LHM to share the message that God loves them and gives them hope for the future. Ava is a 19-year-old student who lives in constant fear that her life will get off track. She comes from a non-Christian religious family and had never heard of Jesus. She saw a video about dealing with fear on a related social media page. She sent a message to the staff members who run the account and shared about her background. She mentioned that she felt an emptiness in her life and that she doesn’t have a purpose. Ava was thankful that the staff member took the time to listen to her story. The staff member shared the Gospel message with Ava, and she said she would like to know more about Jesus. Through the power of God’s Word, Ava became a Christian. She is no longer living in fear and is learning more about Jesus each day.

… share the message that God loves them and gives them hope for the future.

After experiencing success through these Arabic-language broadcasts and support of a Farsi children’s program, LHM expanded its partnership with SAT-7 PARS this past spring to help support a second program called Hashtag, another Farsi-language broadcast focused on an audience of older children and youth. Bijan is a viewer of Hashtag who recently messaged the SAT-7 PARS audience relations team. “‘I started to believe in Jesus about two years ago and I am now 13. My parents have been believers for six years and when I was younger, I found it interesting to listen to them pray and sometimes I prayed with them and said ‘Amen’. As I heard more about Christ, I was drawn by His personality. Then by chance, I found a picture book at my grandmother’s house about how Christ lived and what things He did, which I picked up and read. I found it interesting. I also watched the Jesus film several times and as I watched His miracles, my jaw was on the floor in surprise. No one in the world could do such huge miracles. “When I thought about it, Christ is the only Savior and He alone can forgive our sins—because all of us have sinned and continue to do so, but He went to the cross for our sins, He died, and came back to life so that we might be saved. So, I believed. But for a time, I stayed apart from Christ, and I used my mobile phone to look at things that I shouldn’t have seen. The Lord changed my heart and as I confessed all my sins to Christ, the Lord caused me to see each of my sins before my eyes and I confessed and repented of them. I gave thanks to the Lord that He has forgiven my sins and those of my family and the entire world. “I am now so happy that although I may not have many things, I have Christ. Please pray for my uncle who says he has no religion, and he doesn’t believe in God. He says that God is just people’s imagination, but I believe in Jesus, and I would like to see my uncle meet Christ, too. Thank you.” Bijan closed his message with a beautiful prayer that blessed the team, and they have arranged to stay in contact with him so that they may have fellowship and grow together in faith.

… connect more and more souls to the saving message of Christ.

ENGAGING Through Digital Media As the digital mission field continues to grow, existing and emerging technologies offer unique opportunities to communicate with audiences in a broad variety of ways, with content that is specific to the individual platforms on which people are engaging. Our continued focus on digital engagement worldwide rapidly increases the capacity for the priesthood of all believers to connect more and more souls to the saving message of Christ. LHM–Guatemala unveiled a “Facebook Talks” online project to help students learn about improving self-esteem, dangers on the internet, dating, school stress, and more. In a recent month, the ministry center organized three workshops that discussed improving adolescents’ relationships with their parents. The three youth workshops were called,

“Communicating with My Parents”, “Fulfilling My Parents’ Expectations”, and “Autopsy of My Parents’ Brains”. During these online sessions, students learned why God commands them to honor their fathers and mothers, and why their parents expect them to be good examples as servants of the Lord. The last seminar discussed how parents and children have different outlooks on life and parenting skills have changed in society from generation to generation. Other expanded digital outreach methods range from Project JOEL and VBS programs going online, to online workshops, to expanded social media presence, and much more, all to ensure the hopeful Gospel message reaches individuals wherever they are. Also, read about a new regional digital platform in Latin America on page 8. see next page The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021 | 5

SHARING CHRIST’S LOVE … continued from previous page

ADAPTING Holistic Programs Holistic outreach has long proven to be an effective way of demonstrating and telling people of the love of Christ. These programs have a comprehensive impact by offering ministry to the unchurched in word and deed where staff and volunteers address physical as well as spiritual needs. Due to the traditional in-person nature of these activities, LHM staff have instituted new approaches to serve their local communities. LHM’s director in Mongolia came up with an innovative holistic project in the city of Nalaix. The summer growing season is very short in Mongolia because of the extreme cold temperatures and long winter. Therefore, it is difficult to grow normal garden vegetables and many of the vegetables available in Mongolia are root crops which can tolerate the colder seasons: potatoes, onions, beets, and carrots. Our director used some holistic funds during the pandemic to build a small greenhouse.

This has multiple benefits as a holistic project: it produces additional garden vegetables cheaper than Chinese imports that make up the bulk of the country’s garden vegetables; it is a renewable project, as the greenhouse can be used year after year to produce healthy food; and it employs volunteers from the community in the production of the garden vegetables, which encourages them to have a healthy self-image and trains in the value of producing healthy food. The vegetables produced are allowing LHM– Mongolia staff to have a positive witness for Christ and to be a good neighbor as they distribute them to those in need. COVID-19 cases have drastically increased in Paraguay. To provide holistic outreach to the community, LHM–Paraguay started a program called Mercy in Action. LHM staff and volunteers drop off snacks and Bibles for the local hospitals’ medical teams and relatives of ill

… have a positive witness for Christ and to be a good neighbor …

patients. Other LHM resources, like the LHM brochure titled Strength for Difficult Times, were also distributed. Care package recipients were grateful for the LHM team’s kind gesture, so the staff plans to continue the program for as long as necessary during these unprecedented times.

The doors God has opened to us throughout the pandemic will remain open. Because of YOU, LHM is reaching millions more around the world through innovative and life-changing work. Thank you for your ongoing support that helps share the message that #HOPEABOUNDS through Jesus. =

Chad Fix oversees the corporate communications of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Sharing Comfort and Hope Through ‘The Lutheran Hour’ by CHAD FIX

LHM Daily Devotions Start every day by reading or listening to our inspirational Scripture-based messages: • Download our free app from your app store— “Daily Devotions by LHM” or • Sign up at LHM.ORG/NEWSROOM to have our devotions emailed to you.

6 | The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021

ometimes we hear messages that are just what we need to hear at that moment—messages that touch our hearts and remind us that God is with us at all times. These comforting messages of hope and encouragement have been a hallmark of The Lutheran Hour broadcast since the program first aired in 1930. Lana reached out to LHM to share the timely impact of some recent sermons she heard on The Lutheran Hour. Living in rural America, Lana has access to only a few radio stations. Many years ago, she was searching for a Bible-based, inspiring, and encouraging radio program and came across The Lutheran Hour. She was immediately drawn to Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus’s soothing tone, and although she missed him after he retired, she continued to listen to the program over the years whenever she could. In the weeks leading up to and following her husband’s death this past spring, Lana leaned on Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler’s sermons to give her strength and comfort during such a difficult time. When she heard his sermons on Ephesians, they touched her heart, and she knew she had to send a message to LHM staff. Ephesians has been one of her favorite books of the Bible since she was in high school. She has spent months studying the book and said The Lutheran Hour messages painted a beautiful picture of what her husband believed and what she knows he is experiencing now in the presence of Jesus. She wrote, “I am thanking God for the Gospel and your clear presentation of it each week.” You can hear The Lutheran Hour on more than 1,800 stations throughout North America; visit lhm.org/guide to find a local airing. The broadcast is also available online at lutheranhour.org, through a mobile app, and on new media platforms like Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Sirius XM satellite radio. =

A Firsthand View of

Global Ministry by DR. KURT SENSKE, Chairman, Int’l LLL Board of Directors

am a firm believer that experience is the best teacher. Learning about something by doing, by seeing how things work in practice, or by talking to the people who are doing the work, you understand things better than if you had read about it or heard the details from someone else. Providing a firsthand experience of our international ministry work is why Lutheran Hour Ministries conducts an annual Board Monitoring Trip where a few of your elected Board of Directors visit selected LHM ministry centers. These trips go far beyond helping us fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities to ensure that LHM’s resources are used effectively and efficiently to spread the Gospel across the globe. The experience also allows our Board participants to learn more about LHM’s efforts within a specific country, interact with ministry leaders, become better equipped to serve as advocates for the organization, and have a direct opportunity to witness and participate in LHM’s mission. This year’s “trip” offered an exciting, first-time opportunity. Leveraging LHM’s digital expertise to host a virtual trip to ministry centers in Jamaica and Kazakhstan allowed us to invite the entire Board of Directors as well as trustees from The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation to participate. Given the fact that it would normally be a two-to-

three-day journey to travel just to Kazakhstan from the United States, this was not only a costeffective trip but an effective use of the Board’s time. Plus, this technology afforded us an opportunity to include two ministry centers that we normally couldn’t visit during a single trip. The information shared by the two directors was truly eyeopening! While it is comforting, from a donor and Board perspective, to know that LHM utilizes metrics to track its impact in each country, what moved me the most are the individual stories that we heard. For example, one of our local team members in Jamaica established a trusting relationship with a young girl who had contemplated suicide. LHM was there in her time of need to share that the Gospel provides a hope and peace that is bigger than her current struggles. It is so gratifying to know the work that God is accomplishing through LHM is saving lives for eternity. In addition to seeing and hearing examples of ministry in action, we also learned about each’s country’s history, religion, and culture to help us understand the context for the unique ministries that are offered in each country. I was extremely impressed by the talent and dedication of our local leaders. By overcoming daily obstacles like COVID, government regulations, and a distrust of the Christian

Ministry staff in Jamaica and Kazakhstan shared how their culturally relevant work is introducing many individuals to Christ’s love.

I cannot think of a better investment as we fulfill our calling “to make disciples of all nations.” message from those who don’t know Christ or who practice other religions, these staff members and volunteers, filled with the fruits of the Spirit, effectively share the Gospel in ways that are most appropriate for their particular setting. From holistic care programs that address both the physical and spiritual needs of individuals to using technology through Facebook, messaging apps, radio, television, and other digital platforms, countless individuals in Jamaica and Kazakhstan are being exposed to the powerful message of the Gospel. This leads

to new opportunities for our staff and volunteers to follow up with one-on-one conversations so that, through the Holy Spirit, the seed of the message takes root. One tangible impact from this virtual tour is that it reaffirms the commitment that my wife, Laurie, and I have for continuing to increase our support of LHM via our time, talents, and treasures. I cannot think of a better investment as we fulfill our calling “to make disciples of all nations.” Thank you for joining us in Bringing Christ to the Nations— and the Nations to the Church. =

You can make a difference! Did you know that if you are 70½ or older, you can roll over up to $100,000 from your IRA to charity without paying any federal income tax on your gift? This is a simple, yet powerful way to make an impact on future ministry for LHM. To learn all the ways an IRA rollover gift can benefit you, contact our gift planning staff today. We are on a mission together, Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church.

lhm.org/ira | 1-877-333-1963 | lhm-gift@lhm.org The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021 | 7

New Digital Platform Shares Hope with Hurting Individuals in Latin America by MEGAN MCDANIEL

New LHM Podcast Speaks to Race, Culture, and Diversity by PAUL SCHREIBER

erard Bolling and Janine Bolling, a brother–sister pair, host LHM’s new podcast, The (Im)Partial Church. Growing up as African Americans in New York, the Bollings share how life and relationships have shaped them as they live out their Christian faith in a diverse world. Rev. Dr. Gerard Bolling serves as pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Louis, and as an assistant professor at Concordia University in Texas. Deaconess Janine Bolling is executive director of Our Saviour Lutheran School in New York. “I view each The Bollings give listeners powerful episode as an insights on cross-cultural friendships, individual story prejudice, the power of language, forgiveness, being an outsider, what a good arc that informs neighbor is, and how we’re all members the greater idea of a multi-ethnic family. Their spirited of unity in the conversations are full of colorful details kingdom drawn from family life—both past and of God.” present. Assisting the Bollings behind the scenes in telling this story is LHM’s Creative Producer Jonathan Christopher: “Producing this podcast has been extremely rewarding. I view each episode as an individual story arc that informs the greater idea of unity in the kingdom of God.” In episode two, “Why Diverse Friends Matter,” Janine Bolling looks at the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi and how this lessthan-likely friendship led to wonderful things. “So Ruth and Naomi …. One’s a Moabite, one’s an Israelite. One’s a polytheist, one’s a monotheist … What they learn from each other is how to be emotionally open, and it strengthens them, and it allows them to continue on in this journey that eventually leads to the line of Christ. If this friendship didn’t happen, what else wouldn’t have happened? And so by having this diverse friendship, it brings a huge value to their lives, in that they get deeper with one another. They’re open to sharing themselves, and it opens up the world to where God’s plan is going.” In episode six, “Heart Your ‘Hood,” Gerard Bolling shares how we are transformed by Jesus’ victory over death: “It’s a resurrection that can never be taken away from us because we lean on the fact that Christ has done it. And then He promises to live in us. And this is work that He constantly has to do. He’s constantly drowning the old Adam and bringing the new one to life, constantly reminding us of who we were not meant to be— but we are being in that moment—and who He calls us to be.” The (Im)Partial Church and other LHM podcasts can be found at lhm.org/podcasts. = Paul Schreiber reports on the impact of LHM’s ministry work in the United States.

8 | The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021

mid seemingly hopeless situations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the world, God has called Lutheran Hour Ministries to proclaim the message of hope to those impacted in their health, financial, emotional, and spiritual life. In Latin America, we launched a digital content platform in Spanish this spring, called Lugar De Fe, with materials focused and directed specifically to help suffering people at this time of the pandemic. As a dynamic platform, Lugar De Fe is focusing on pandemic issues first, and soon it will offer all LHM Spanish materials according to thematic seasons, as well as digital materials and programs from the ministry centers in the region. This is being coordinated by the director of Vivenciar.net, which is another LHM platform in Latin America focused on digital interactions. The difference between the two platforms is related to the spiritual posture of the intended audience. Vivenciar.net focuses on the first part of the Spiritual Conversation Curve (Gaining a Hearing for the Gospel) and Lugar De Fe is meant to focus on individuals covered in the second and third parts of the Curve (Giving Good News and Guiding Toward Faith). For more information about the Spiritual Conversation Curve, visit lhm.org/curve. The Lugar De Fe platform is filled with a variety of materials and content that are offered for download, like e-books, videos, webinar content, podcasts, and more. When launching the platform, we used local digital promotion on social media in Guatemala and Chile and mass media

The Lugar De Fe platform is filled with a variety of materials and content that are offered for download, like e-books, videos, webinar content, podcasts, and more.

radio spots in Uruguay to generate traffic to the platform, but now it reaches all Latin American countries, and Spanish speaking people in the world. Lugar De Fe is intended for a wide audience and is promoted on Google and social media. With a mobile app being developed, we will be able to offer more content and reach more people. To access and download some of the contents, the visitors are asked to provide basic information, such as their name and email or cell phone number, which opens the door for engagement toward a referral to a Christian church. In just the first few months following its launch, Lugar De Fe generated around 65,000 new users and close to 100,000 page visualizations from most countries throughout Latin America. Mario from Guatemala lost his job during the COVID-19 pandemic. His anxiety caused him to have many sleepless nights. He saw a Facebook post about the e-book, The Anxiety Doesn’t Let You Enjoy the Present, and sent a message to the LHM–Guatemala staff. His message said he thanked God for the book and knew it was exactly what he needed at that time. He shared that it has been a light during a dark time in his life and he prayed with the staff member. “Praying with them brought me peace, understanding that God is always in control of my life, and knowledge that I can trust Him. Thank you for helping me overcome my anxiety and feel better,” says Mario. We are thankful for the opportunities to encourage individuals like Mario and reach more individuals with the hopeful Gospel message. = Megan McDaniel reports on the impact of LHM’s ministry work around the world.

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

Gotta Love People and Problems

elcome to this Nurturing Your Faith study on the Christian life together. With your Bible and journal at the ready, begin reading below. After reading the commentary and studying the Word, you’ll be prompted to watch a video online. May God bless your study!

INTRODUCTION Gotta love people and problems! Huh? You kidding? When life together gets tough, the Bible can give us a new outlook about people and problems. The Russian writer Leo Tolstoy described how Jesus Christ changed him: It happened to me as it happens to a man who goes out on some business and on the way suddenly decided that the business is unnecessary and returns home. All that was on his right is now on his left, and all that was on his left is now on his right; his former wish to get as far as possible from home has changed into a wish to be as near as possible to it. The direction of my life and my desires became different, and good and evil changed places … . (“For All the Saints,” IV, 55). Our natural desire to get as far away as possible from some people and problems is understandable, but it’s not the Christian way. God can and will transform us so that we run toward people and their problems with the love of Christ living through us. That transformation is what this Bible study is about.

LEARNING FROM THE WORD Read 1 Peter 1:3-9. These verses are familiar, often read during Easter and at funerals. These verses can be broken down into two parts. In verses 3 through 5, Peter praises God for giving us new birth to a lively hope now and to an inheritance that awaits us in heaven. Let’s be sure we understand what those biblical words mean. Our Heavenly Father has begotten us to a great future, a future better than anything we have now. One day soon we children will “come of age,” fully receiving the inheritance God has for us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The inheritance our Father has for us is not like anything we’ve experienced in this world; it is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (v. 4). “Within the kingdom of His might, all things are just and good and right” is how an old hymn puts it (LSB 819:2). Right now, though, just like a parent, our Heavenly Father says, “No, kids, we’re not quite there yet.”

REFLECTION

What more can you learn about our future inheritance? Read Isaiah 25:5–9, Revelation 7:13–17; 21:1–4, and 1 Corinthians 2:9–10.

“… though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials” (v. 6) What are those “various trials”? They are more than relationship problems, financial insecurity, health issues, and the like, problems all people have. Peter had something more in mind when he wrote to the first-century Christians living in Asia Minor, what we today call Turkey. Peter was writing to congregations that could easily lose their Christian identity. While many people today grieve the decline of membership and participation in the institutional church, back then the essential Christian character of their congregations was being threatened. True, “the church shall never perish,” as one hymn rightly says (see TLH 473:3), but in some places congregations do go away. How many Christians are in Turkey today, compared to the past? And the threat that took them out wasn’t the obvious one you might think of first—violence and persecution. While we do have accounts of isolated local persecution of believers, there was no empire-wide persecution, at least not in the early 60s of the first century when Peter wrote. No, the real threat was something much sneakier, more insidious. The temptation was that followers of Jesus would start accommodating their opinions and conduct to the dominant culture all around them. Roman religion was syncretistic, meaning everything was thrown together in a potpourri of religious ideas and practices. The common idea people had was, “You have your opinion; I have mine, so let’s believe everything.” But that won’t work for Christians. God calls us to trust in Jesus—one very definite and specific Person. And He calls us to believe quite a few things He has taught us—and to reject other things. That doesn’t fit with the idea that we should all accept everything as true and believe whatever we want! So, you see how the Roman syncretistic idea is a huge problem for Christians. And this idea was creeping into the church, too. Christians were getting misled by it. It was like the old story of the frog in the pot that doesn’t notice the heat increasing until it’s too late. Christians who accepted this idea gradually stopped being Christians. Twenty centuries later, it’s the same in Western nations. The temptation we face is to do the same thing—to accommodate ourselves to the religious opinions of the culture around us.

REFLECTION

In what ways do you feel culture trying to pull you away from Christ? The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021 | 9

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That isn’t what God wants. Then and now, God intends for us to recommit our lives and life together to the faith and hope to which He has begotten us through the resurrection of His Son, our Lord Jesus. But if we do what God wants, we will pay a price. Living as God’s children in a culture that doesn’t know Christ can bring strange looks and snide remarks. Put-downs, shunning, even shaming for practicing our faith can happen today just as it did in the first century. And that hurts. What to do? Withdraw from the world around us, cocoon ourselves within the church? Is that the confidence we have been given by the Spirit in the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus? No. Our prayer is just the opposite. “Save us from weak resignation to the evils we deplore; Let the gift of Your salvation be our glory evermore” (LSB 850:4). Instead of retreating, we can move forward. That’s because engaging people and problems can result in faith growing stronger. “…that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes through it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (v. 7). And how do we do that? We take our lives in Christ into the community. When you take good deeds and words of faith and hope into your neighborhood and community, several things happen. One is that you see anew the pervasiveness of sin in our world and gain a fresh appreciation for our Savior. When you engage people who live without Jesus, people who are despairing of life or vainly trusting some new thing to turn them around, you really see how our world needs Jesus. Second, engaging people and problems gives us plenty of reasons to pray as never before. “Pray without ceasing” becomes a reality in our lives (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Third, when we’re out and about in our community, we find opportunities to do good works.

REFLECTION

Read Ephesians 2:8–9, which focuses on God’s work. Then read verse 10. How do you think these two things—God’s work and ours—fit together?

Fourth, engaging people and problems creates opportunities to witness. “Be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15b). People respond when you love them and get involved. As the old saying goes, “Don’t tell me what a friend I have in Jesus until I see what a friend I have in you.” Most important of all, if we engage people and their problems in our community, we ourselves will be driven back to our Father and Savior— back to the Word of God by which the Spirit nurtures our faith—back every Sunday to the fellowship of our church, to worship and learning and mutual conversation. And what happens then? We’ll see the result promised by the Word—that our faith in the grace and mercy of God will grow stronger. This kind of love I’m describing is not natural to human beings. It is God’s love that He lives out through us. Martin Luther contrasted human love to God’s love. “The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it. The love of man comes into being through that which is pleasing to it” (Heidelberg Disputation, 28). Loving difficult people and addressing tough problems is not the way the world loves, but it’s Christ’s way—and following in His way, yes, Gotta love people and problems!

Watch the video at lhm.org/studies from Rev. Dr. Dale Meyer, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour, and then come back here to finish the study below.

CONCLUSION Dietrich Bonhoeffer was an insightful theologian who died resisting the Nazis. He makes the point of our study with a personal story: I remember a conversation that I had in America thirteen years ago with a young French pastor. We were asking ourselves quite simply what we wanted to do with our lives. He said he would like to become a saint (and I think it’s quite likely that he did become one). At the time, I was very impressed, but I disagreed with him, and said, in effect, that I should like to learn to have faith …. I discovered later, and I’m still discovering right up to this moment, that it is only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith. … I mean living unreservedly in life’s duties, problems, successes and failures, experiences and perplexities. In so doing we throw ourselves completely into the arms of God, taking seriously, not our own sufferings, but those of God in the world—watching with Christ in Gethsemane. That, I think, is faith; that is metanoia (repentance); and that is how one becomes a man and a Christian. (Letters and Papers from Prison, Collier; pp. 369-370) Tolstoy said that left becomes right and right becomes left when we know Christ. Repentance turns us around toward Christ and our true home, the inheritance awaiting us in heaven because of His resurrection. So, full of faith and hope, we love God and love our neighbors (see Matthew 22:36-40). =

P R AY E R

To close with Bonhoeffer: “May God in His mercy lead us through these times; but above all, may He lead us to Himself.” Amen.

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Volunteers Needed for Decorating Rose Parade Floats

or millions of people around the world, watching the iconic Rose Parade on television is an annual New Year’s Day tradition. Is seeing the parade in person one of the items on your “bucket list”? You can create lifelong memories by traveling to Pasadena, California, later this year to not only watch the 2022 parade, but to serve as a volunteer helping decorate a float. Registration is now open to serve as a Petal Pushers volunteer for the 2022 parade. The Petal Pushers, a group of thousands of volunteers who decorate the Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) float and several others each year, will begin decorating floats on the three Saturdays prior to Christmas (Dec. 4, 11 and 18) and will then be working two shifts a day Dec. 26-31 until the floats are completed. Individuals ages 13 and older are eligible to participate, making this a great opportunity for individuals, families, seniors, youth groups, fellowship groups, school classes, and Boy/ Girl Scout troops. Volunteers spend the week between Christmas and New Year’s attaching thousands of roses, carnations, lilies, mums, and other flowers, as well as natural materials such as seeds, coffee beans, and leaves, to create the majestic beauty and splendor of the floral floats

traveling down Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard. “Crew chiefs direct the volunteers who arrive daily and are ultimately responsible for making sure that their float is decorated correctly and completed on time,” says Lynn Gast, Petal Pushers Chairman. “It takes around 5,000 eight-hour shifts to do the dry and floral work necessary to complete the floats, so people of all skill levels are needed. Crew chiefs assign the jobs and teach people what to do and how to do it.”

“It’s an opportunity for many to make new friends, network, and share expressions of the faith that for them gives true meaning to this experience.” Volunteers may work as little as one shift or as many as they want. Only about 40 individuals are needed for the LHM float, so the majority of Petal Pushers decorate other floats for the parade, which brings in funds to lower the cost of the LHM float. “Working on a variety of floats allows our volunteers to work side-by-side with people from many different backgrounds, believers and nonbelievers alike, turning the week into one of the largest servant events in the country,” says Dick Gast, Chairman of the LHM Float Committee.

by CHAD FIX

“It’s an opportunity for many to make new friends, network, and share expressions of the faith that for them gives true meaning to this experience. Lynn and I are honored to be able to lead this multi-prong witnessing opportunity each year.” As a result of last year’s postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 parade will feature all elements planned for 2021 under the theme of “Dream, Believe. Achieve.”, including the LHM float entry, “Jesus Teaches.” The LHM float is the only Christian float in each year’s parade and carries on a mission of providing a Gospel witness to viewers everywhere, from along the parade route to televisions worldwide. The LHM float is a self-funded project of the Lutheran Hour Ministries Float Committee and the Southern California District of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League. The committee’s ongoing work is funded primarily by generous donations from Christian friends and multiple fundraising activities and is not included in LHM’s operating budget. Visit petalpushers.org for more information about the Petal Pushers, or to register to decorate. Information can also be found on the site about the two tour options that the LHM Float Committee is sponsoring through Luther Tours. =

SHOPLHM.ORG We recently redesigned our online store to make it easier for you to get the LHM products and resources you need to accomplish His mission. Experience it for yourself at shoplhm.org! You will need to set up a new account, even if you have recently made a purchase on the previous online store.

The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021 | 11

Concordia Lutheran Ministries’ Grant Provides Booklets to Senior Care Centers

“Getting Project Connect booklets into retirement communities and skilled nursing centers is an excellent use of this valuable LHM resource.”

by PAUL SCHREIBER

utheran senior care centers in a number of states are benefitting from a grant from Concordia Lutheran Ministries (CLM). The grant, which has been provided to Lutheran Hour Ministries, will place Project Connect display stands filled with topical booklets in locations where people are already struggling with life issues, which have been compounded by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Project Connect booklets cover a wide variety of subjects in both English and Spanish. They offer Christ-centered words of spiritual comfort and hope on topics such as faith, relationships, anxiety, marriage, priorities, outreach, emotional issues, parenting, caregiving, and more. Booklets can be downloaded and printed for free, and many are available as MP3 files for easy listening. As pandemic constraints gradually ease up, Project Connect resources are making their way to locations, but it’s taken time. “It has been challenging since January 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions to distribute Project Connect displays and booklets to Lutheran senior care centers,” said Lois Engfehr, LHM’s grants manager. “We are extremely thankful for the grant and the opportunity to share our resources in these facilities,” she added. Because of this grant, LHM has so far distributed Project Connect display stands and booklets to 28 Lutheran senior care centers on the eastern seaboard, Ohio, and Florida, including various locations where Concordia Lutheran Ministries has facilities. Additionally, a number of

Lutheran churches also helped distribute display stands and booklets to Lutheran senior care centers in their area. “Getting Project Connect booklets into retirement communities and skilled nursing centers is an excellent use of this valuable LHM resource. Placed in these locations, they not only reach residents and staff, but they’re also handy to visiting family and friends, who often have a lot of time on their hands,” said Jennifer Prophete, director of community programming for LHM. Concordia Lutheran Ministries of Cabot, Pennsylvania, is a ministry of service and caring with a 140-year history. Its Vision Statement, “Serving the Triune God by providing for the needs of His people,” informs its day-to-day operations and motivates its employees in the care they provide. You can learn more about CLM by visiting its website at www.concordialm.org. To learn more about Project Connect booklets and the ways you can use them in your community, go to our website at lhm.org/projectconnect. There you will find the complete list of booklets, our illustrated kids’ booklets, information on display stand options, our mobile app to access booklets anywhere, a helpful Q&A section, MP3 files, and more. =

LHM Staff Present at LCMS Youth Workers Conference

utheran Hour Ministries staff attended and presented at the LCMS National Youth Workers Conference held July 11-14 in Houston, Texas. The National Lutheran Youth Workers Conference (#NATIONAL21) is a standalone Youth Ministry practitioner conference, but also provides a wonderful opportunity to prepare for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering. With around 400 people in attendance, this conference offered a great opportunity to reach individuals with new resources and training. LHM hosted an exhibit booth and four presentations at this conference. “LHM staff enjoyed chatting about Spiritual Conversations in the Digital Age, Households of Faith, and other relevant life topics, especially as they relate to Gen Z, at the booth and within the presentations,” says Nicole Heerlein, associate director of strategic engagement for LHM. Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies, LHM’s regional director for North America, hosted sessions titled “How NOT to Let Issues Prevent Relationships” and “How to ‘Find Yourself’ in a Secular Age.” Both of these sessions were presented in front of standing-room-only audiences. “At LHM, we teach people how to discern the posture of their audience so that they can better share Jesus with them,” says Dr. Lakies. “Understanding our cultural context

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by MEGAN MCDANIEL

“The great thing about presenting ‘spiritual coaching’ from our Households of Faith material is sharing that anyone—no matter what age or season of life—can be in a coaching role,” says Lovstad-Jones. “From time to time each of us finds ourselves in a spiritual conversation dilemma (being in a conversation with someone who is not Christian having to figure out what to say). These kinds of dilemmas can become even more intense, troublesome, or obscure when we respond to someone in digital spaces. Understanding that each young person can model behavior, respond in the moment, and plan for how, when, and what to say online empowers them to live out their Christian calling as friends, role models, and examples of what it means to follow Jesus.” In addition to having a presence at national events like the LCMS National Youth “… we teach people Workers Conference, for congregational, district, and regional events LHM staff how to discern the offer live and virtual workshops on posture of their relevant, research-based topics that help audience so to equip Christians within their ministry that they outreach settings and households. To request an LHM speaker for your event, can better visit lhm.org/requestaspeaker. Requests share Jesus should be submitted at least six months with them.” prior to your event. =

is critical for how we present the Gospel. In our exceedingly polarized culture where many people are immersed in constant encouragement to live in a way that’s true to themselves, talking about religion—much less sharing the Gospel—is really challenging. I was glad for God to use me to help people find a few ‘cracks in the secular’ through which to shine the light of Jesus, especially in the lives of young people.” Dionne Lovstad-Jones, LHM’s regional ministry facilitator, hosted sessions titled “Spiritual Coaching: Everyone Can Embrace a Vibrant Household” and “The Digital Voice of Youth Matters.”

The Power of a Spiritually Vibrant Home “Sometimes God puts us where He needs us to do little things.” Reverend Jim Witt from Lititz, Pennsylvania, shared how he has used this core message from LHM’s Households of Faith resources in his own household for many years. Witt shares, “As my wife and I listened to the sermon reflections on The Lutheran Hour last September, we had some reflections of our own messy prayers, loud tables, and open doors from 1981. We remembered our family of eight sitting around our table in our small kitchen in Wyoming. “One year, an itinerant worker came to our church around Christmas time. He was from Germany and having learned that he was alone, we invited this man to share Christmas with our family. He spent an enjoyable time with our kids and even brought them a few small gifts. Our open-door hospitality resulted in a memorable Christmas that year. “A few years later, our older daughter who worked at a fast-food restaurant met someone who had no place to go for Christmas. She asked us, ‘can he come to our home for Christmas’ and our response was, ‘yes.’ Another Christmas season and another stranger in our home. It was the beginning of a friendship that continues today. We live too far apart to visit, but we do keep in touch. Not long ago he told us, ‘The times I spent in your home showed me what it was to be a family.’ * Photos provided by the Witt family.

“Earlier in our marriage we opened our doors to Native American families while we lived on the reservation, and they reciprocated. Many hours were spent with coffee cups and conversation. Later in our marriage it was open doors with Laotian families who worked at the meat packing plant, and they

by MEGAN MCDANIEL

15 decks of cards to share with his core family that is scattered across the United States. The households in this family range from a singleperson to multi-generational households and even dorm rooms! Witt plans to send a deck of cards

“I really like the materials and invitation for the family.” reciprocated. Most recently we were involved with a small Hispanic church in Nebraska where we were informed, “Now you are in our family.” Reflecting on open doors resulted in many ministry memories during our marriage.” Following the teaching in The Spiritually Vibrant Home book (page 132), Witt realized the best way to start spiritual conversations in his household is to start with “light fare.” Light fare to the Witt family comes in the form of LHM’s Vibrant Conversation Decks. Witt ordered

to his family members with a letter from him explaining the goal of this activity. The family will be invited to join a group text that will help them all communicate with each other in one place. Every two weeks or so, a card will be selected from the deck to start a conversation in the text. Family members are encouraged to join, but there is no pressure if someone chooses to not respond to a particular card. Witt emphasized the “purpose for this activity is prominent in the

reflections from that September sermon. The many miles that separate our homes does not mean we can’t ‘stop by’ for a visit. Using God’s gift of ‘techno doors’ and with His blessing, we pray this will be a means for the Holy Spirit to nurture a more vibrant faith in the members of our extended household.” Before sharing the materials with his entire family, Witt gave a deck of cards to his oldest son and younger daughter while they were together for a visit. His daughter says, “I really like the materials and invitation for the family. It would be great if some of the nieces and nephews would join in as well.” When Witt was reading through The Spiritually Vibrant Home, he had the idea to use a 3x5 notecard as a bookmark. When he came across something he wanted to revisit later, he made a note of it on his “bookmark” so he could go back and dig deeper. He recognized that the book supported what his family was already doing, and they could identify with so many of the different types of households described in the book. From lodging 17 people and hosting 25 or so in their house for Christmas, to playing card games at the table after dinner, they were encouraged by the Households of Faith materials and the September 2020 broadcasts of The Lutheran Hour. Visit lhm.org/households to find timely resources that will help you nurture a spiritually vibrant home. =

“The times I spent in your home showed me what it was to be a family.” The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021 | 13

Planting Gospel Seeds for Generations to Come by KATE HUMMEL

Spring “Devo Challenge” Encourages Use of Project Connect Booklet by PAUL SCHREIBER

ecently, some 40-plus LHM Ambassadors signed up for our “30 Days of Devotions Challenge.” The goal was a modest one: to encourage Ambassadors to gather a small group, members of their congregation or their family, and to meet virtually or in person for a time of daily devotions, each day in May. Group leaders received an LHM mug as well as FREE devotion booklets for each member of their group. In all, more than 400 participants took the challenge. The booklet used was 30 Days of Household Devotions by Dr. Kari Vo, theological writer for LHM. It’s a Project Connect booklet in the Spiritual Reflections category. Each message is anchored with a Bible verse and concludes with a prayer and three reflection questions. For those new to doing devotions, the booklet begins with some handy pointers on using them to get into God’s Word on a daily basis. The 30-day challenge was met in different ways, depending on circumstances and the restraints imposed by the pandemic. “We distributed the devotions to our men’s group that meets monthly and asked members to individually complete them. The devotions were good, and the few extra copies

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were placed in our church’s Project Connect rack,” said one responder. One pastor from Michigan who is a frequent user of LHM resources and serves as LHM Ambassador to other churches in his area said he used the booklet on weekends, as part of a devotional service. “The 30day devotional booklet was good,” he said. “I hope LHM continues to provide many products at no cost.” After posting a flyer and an announcement about the 30-day challenge, a pastor in Pittsburgh passed the booklets out during church services. He saw to it that every week in May the Tuesday prayer warriors, the Wednesday Bible study class, and the Thursday bell choir group took time to talk about the messages. This was done at three churches: Zion Lutheran Church, Bethel Lutheran Church, and St. John’s Lutheran Church in the Pittsburgh area. He also distributed some booklets to a long-term care facility, assisting a woman there to lead a group in the challenge. If you’re interested in doing devotions, or you would like to see your Bible study group do them, LHM’s 30 Days of Household Devotions is a great place to begin. These inspirational messages will inspire your faith and help you establish a regular habit of reading God’s Word. You can find out more by going to lhm.org/projectconnect. =

ecently I had the opportunity to speak with Gary Gross. He is a 76-year-old father who retired to eastern Tennessee with his late wife, Michelle, and is a proud member of The Hoffmann Society, a group of around 3,000 dedicated Christians who have provided for Lutheran Hour Ministries beyond their own lifetime through a planned gift. I wanted to talk to him about his motivation to leave LHM in his will and his involvement with our mission and ministry. After spending the first 60-plus years of his life in Florida, Gary moved to a small town in eastern Tennessee, just an hour from Knoxville, where he enjoys harvesting his fresh tomatoes and enjoying the beautiful scenery Tennessee has to offer. After retirement, he knew it was nearing the time in his life where he would need to start thinking about where he would want to leave his legacy. Like other members of The Hoffmann Society, Gary has a desire to share Christ with people in neighborhoods and around the world, a passion for ministry programs that reach out to people in new and different ways than ever before, and a vision of the next generation hearing the Gospel message. When Gary made the important decision to leave LHM in his will, he knew he would be contributing to an organization that has impacted so much throughout his years. “I look forward to reading the Daily Devotions from LHM every single day, they are one of the ways I start my mornings with the Lord,” Gary explained. Each Sunday, Gary also listens to The Lutheran Hour before he heads to worship at his home church. It was clear that his ChristGary will centered life had supported and utilized the continue to resources from our organization for many years. pour into Like many, Gary doesn’t want there to be a our Gospel burden surrounding the details of his legacy outreach for when he goes home to the Lord. “I don’t want to years to come have to worry about my children having to deal with any of these things, and plus it is a great and honor tax benefit,” he says. the mission His decision to leave LHM in his will comes we serve. alongside his involvement with his own church and other charities he supports. By leaving his legacy with Lutheran Hour Ministries, Gary will continue to pour into our Gospel outreach for years to come and honor the mission we serve. If you find yourself wondering how you can leave this same legacy as Gary, LHM would be honored to help you work through any questions you may have. To learn more about leaving LHM in your will, or how you can support LHM’s mission through other planned giving options, contact our team of ministry advancement counselors at 1-877-333-1963 or lhm-gift@lhm.org. = Kate Hummel manages gift planning communications for LHM.

* Photos provided by the Gross family.

Two Small Words with a Big Impact by KURT BUCHHOLZ, President & CEO, Lutheran Hour Ministries

hile the last year and a half has challenged all of us in our personal, family, congregational, and professional realms, Lutheran Hour Ministries has been able to quickly adapt to this changing world. Through the grace of God and the dedicated work of our talented staff and volunteers, what a blessing it has been to be able to put our efforts towards expanding our global impact and reaching ever more people with the hope and comfort of the Gospel! Let’s not forget that, while many other organizations are having trouble surviving and are being forced to shrink their ministry, we are growing. Why is that? I believe it is because

we are focused on the ministry before us rather than that of the past, that we are seeking a true assessment of what we are accomplishing and changing when necessary, and that we are connecting in meaningful ways with the hearts and minds of our constituency. This may sound simple, but it is not. If it was simple, everyone else would be doing the same thing. We could not accomplish half of this without a staff of gifted people keeping their eye on the goal and the ongoing generous support from people like you. Our Senior Vice President/ Chief Strategy Officer Jeff Craig-Meyer often reminds us that people need to hear “Thank You” seven times before the message gets through. In that spirit …

♥ THANK YOU for being a member of the LHM family. ♥ THANK YOU for the prayers and encouragement you provide for our LHM staff and volunteers around the world. ♥ THANK YOU for your continuous financial support as we respond to a changing world with a changeless message. ♥ THANK YOU for remembering LHM in your estate plans to ensure that future generations continue to hear God’s Word.

♥ THANK YOU for your unwavering passion to share the hope of Jesus with a hurting world. ♥ THANK YOU for being an advocate in your church and community, ensuring that LHM resources share the message of salvation with as many people as possible. ♥ THANK YOU for using your personal gifts with the people God has put in your path and for acting with the courage He gives you to share His words and acts of love. =

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – PHILIPPIANS 1:3-6

COMING IN 2021

It’s not too late to go to Thailand. Start your journey now! Hear what teachers “My kiddos LOVE to sing! They also loved and parents learning more about the loved about school/home life of each Thailand Trek … child in the videos.”

“All of it! They enjoyed the music video and the connections with the children in the videos throughout the week.”

COMING IN 2022!

“We home school our three children and found Gospel Adventures to be a wonderful mix of learning about the culture while tying in the beautiful truths about God.”

Celebrating Our Partnership in Mission with LWML

by CHAD FIX

he Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) welcomed nearly 3,000 people to its convention in Lexington, Kentucky, June 24-27. As a partner in mission, LHM sent staff to lead two lunchtime presentations, host a reception, and share ministry information through its exhibit booth. Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, brought greetings from the mainstage and hosted a special interest luncheon where he discussed LHM’s holistic outreach programming in Cameroon that was funded by a grant awarded by the LWML at their 2019 convention. Sharing the Gospel through vocational training programs like the Divine Sewing School allows LHM–Cameroon to educate young women in a practical skill that helps them earn money to provide for their families. In addition to the training, women are enrolled in LHM’s Bible Correspondence Courses to learn more about Jesus. Ashley Bayless, LHM’s curriculum development manager, led an information-gathering luncheon about the second part of our three-fold outreach philosophy, Households of Faith, that was developed in partnership with Barna Group. “Sharing with a room full of moms, grandmas, aunts, and sisters on how to nurture faith within their households was a huge honor,” says Bayless. “I gave tangible ideas about instituting prayer, devotions, hospitality, and spiritual conversations to help them grow spiritually

Supporting LHM’s Mission with Convenience by CHAD FIX

enerosity has positive effects in human relationships. When one person gives freely, the recipient often forwards the kindness to others. In the Christian life, the impetus is much greater. In Acts 20:35, Jesus taught us that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” Like most nonprofit organizations, LHM relies on generous donors like you who partner with us financially to fulfill our mission. When you support LHM, you are helping share the gift of Christ’s love and hope with hurting people around the world. This urgent mission is why LHM is always looking to make your gift-giving options as convenient as possible. Here are just a few ways you can show your support wherever and whenever is most convenient to you.

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“I gave tangible ideas about instituting prayer, devotions, hospitality, and spiritual conversations to help them grow spiritually vibrant homes.”

vibrant homes. Lots of women came to the booth afterwards to grab our 30 Days of Household Devotions booklet and joined our 30-day challenge!” The exhibit booth allowed attendees to learn more about the two lunch-time topics as well as other LHM ministry efforts around the world. The booth featured stories and photos of women impacted by the mission grant, displayed clothing items created by students from the Divine Sewing School, and offered a photo opportunity inside the “I’m Building a Household of Faith” display. Giveaway items included glowing globe pens, prayer wallets, Project Connect booklets for kids and adults, and informational materials. “Visitors to our booth loved seeing what our Households of Faith resources have to offer and picking up our kids’ booklets to encourage faith-sharing with their grandkids,” says Nicole Heerlein, associate director of strategic engagement for LHM. “Those who had their photo taken in the ‘household’ will also be able to relive the experience of building a spiritually vibrant home by being reminded to apply spiritual disciplines, extend hospitality, and engage in spiritual conversations.”

Mission Monthly

Thrivent Choice

Mission Monthly is a core group of ministry partners who commit to sharing Christ’s love with those who need to hear it by making a gift of their choice each month, either by check, online, or through automatic payments from their bank account or credit card. Many Mission Monthly members choose automatic payments because they are convenient, work for any type of budget, and can go to work immediately making an impact on people in places you may never go! To become a Mission Monthly donor, visit lhm.org/missionmonthly.

Eligible Thrivent members receive designated Choice Dollars at various times throughout the year, based on their qualifying insurance premiums or contract values. These funds can then be directed to thousands of nonprofit organizations nationwide. Choice Dollars designated during the calendar year can be directed until March 31 of the following year. Supporting LHM through Thrivent Choice is very simple. Go to thrivent.com/thriventchoice, click “Search for an Organization,” and then enter “Lutheran Hour Ministries” or “LHM”. Or call Thrivent at 1-800-847-4836. Please remember that you must now go through the gift direction process every time you receive notification that Choice Dollars are available.

“It is a true blessing to be able to come together in mission to share God’s Word with those who have not heard it.”

New Grant Supports Ministry in Mongolia During the convention, LHM was one of 28 recipients to receive a mission grant for the 2021-2023 biennium. The LWML accepted LHM’s mission grant titled “Gospel Outreach to Women and Children in Mongolia” in the amount of $100,000. Mongolia is a country that is less than one percent Christian, and the people traditionally come from very poor nomadic populations where they have little opportunity to hear the Gospel. The women face many challenges due to the economic situation, unemployment, alcoholism, and general religious apathy among the male population. These concerns are prevalent because of their historic roles within society, prejudice, education, language barriers, and other issues. Fortunately, Mongolia’s political climate today provides LHM with new opportunities to expand

ministry in the region. This grant will help LHM focus on three areas: • Sharing the Gospel with women and their children who participate in monthly Women’s Listener groups after hearing our Christian radio programs. The women study the Bible, pray, do handicrafts, and share their faith. LHM staff also help them to build their identities as women in the modern world, assisting with vocation, child-rearing, communication skills, and self-identity. The women receive Christian booklets, Bible studies, radios and MP3 players with the Bible and Gospel messages and the children receive a special Bible story and activity booklets about Jesus. • Reaching and engaging families and youth through youth activities and social media presence. Some of the youth activities include

a youth camp with Bible studies, games, and crafts. The Good News of Jesus is also shared at youth athletic camps where participants are encouraged in the faith. • Through religious radio broadcasts, family members and relatives are impacted by the Gospel in their homes. LHM has the media expertise to ensure the Gospel message is brought to a region where the population has not heard the Gospel. Family-oriented Christian programming is produced and broadcast by LHM and Christian resources are being distributed including Bible studies and booklets. “We are extremely grateful for the continued partnership of the LWML,” says LHM President & CEO Kurt Buchholz. “It is a true blessing to be able to come together in mission to share God’s Word with those who have not heard it.” =

AmazonSmile

Text to Give

Facebook Fundraisers

Employer Matching Gifts

Amazon offers a service called AmazonSmile that allows online shoppers to support a cause of their choice—at no cost to you or the nonprofit you want to support. When shopping through AmazonSmile, you can select a charity such as LHM, and Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of all your eligible purchases to that organization. You can change your charitable organization at any time. To get started, visit lhm.org/smile.

Two-thirds of the world’s population now have a mobile phone. Smartphones are also the world’s preferred choice for going online, accounting for a greater share of web traffic than all other devices combined. That’s why text-to-give is not only convenient for the donor—the secure process generally only takes a few simple steps—but it’s also become a much more painless process for nonprofit organizations to implement as part of their fundraising strategies. By texting the word “GIVE” to 417-815-8105, you will receive prompts to follow on how to donate to LHM through the convenience of your cell phone. Standard message/data rates may apply.

The social aspect of this type of donation encourages your Facebook friends to also donate since there is an option to share the fact that you donated through a Facebook fundraiser. In addition to donating through a specific giving campaign, individual Facebook users can solicit donations for the ministry as a birthday fundraiser, which encourages your friends to support a cause that is important to you in celebration of your birthday. To start a Facebook fundraiser, log into your Facebook account and navigate to the “Fundraisers” section.

An increasing number of companies offer matching gift programs, which means they may match the gifts employees and spouses make to a qualified non-profit organization such as Lutheran Hour Ministries. Visit lhm.org/employermatch to find out if your generous gifts to LHM may qualify for a match with your company!

Information about how you can support LHM through other direct and planned giving options can be found at lhm.org/give. = The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021 | 17

Men’s Network Transitions to Better Serve You by PAUL SCHREIBER

hank you for your support and interest in the Men’s NetWork since its launch in 2009. As of August 1, 2021, we have made some changes in the way we support Christian men’s groups. To be good stewards of our ministry time and funding, as well as being mindful of the changing needs of men’s groups, we have decided to refocus the resources to better serve you. The first changes you will notice are on our webpage at lhm.org/men. The layout and branding now match all other LHM programs, but it still houses all the resources you are used to seeing! Beyond the resources you are used to, we have added other ways to connect with LHM products and programs from this page. Direct links to your local Lutheran Laymen’s League (LLL) district and to The Hopeful Neighborhood Project are some of the additions being made to this page. We also encourage you to consider becoming an LHM Ambassador. You can find out about this exciting way to keep your congregation up to date on all the resources LHM has to share by visiting lhm.org/ambassador. One big change has occurred with the Men’s NetWork newsletter. We discovered that more than 99 percent of those receiving this twice-monthly email are also receiving other emails from LHM. Therefore, being mindful of staff time, the newsletter has been discontinued. To be sure you’re getting the LHM emails you want, go to lhm.org/newsroom. There you can make and manage your choices. As for service events like the Men’s NetWork WORK DAY and GIVES BACK, we’ve made the hard decision to discontinue these at this time. Recent participation has waned in the last few years, but hundreds of people were helped during the lifetime of these events. We sincerely thank all those who gave of their time and energy to help the individuals and communities that benefitted wonderfully from your hard work. We will continually evaluate and look for opportunities to invite you into service with us. If you currently host a WORK DAY event, please continue! If you need support in any way, feel free to contact Suzie Sallee, LHM’s congregational facilitator, at suzie.sallee@lhm.org. Our support for the work of men in the church has not wavered. We value men’s groups and their important contribution to the life of their congregations and their outreach to their neighbors. We look forward to their future participation, especially through The Hopeful Neighborhood Project. We hope you will continue to use LHM’s wide variety of resources and find fresh inspiration in your walk of faith in Jesus. =

18 | The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021

Equipping Others to Share the Gospel in Malaysia by MEGAN MCDANIEL

LHM–Malaysia staff praise the Lord for the success of this ETS and enthusiastic response.

udirman is a businessman in Malaysia and an active listener of LHM’s “From Despair to Hope” radio program, a 15-minute broadcast in collaboration with Trans World Radio Asia that debuted this spring to bring hope, encouragement, and practical help to individuals in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore who are affected by COVID-19 through severe stress due to job loss, ill-health, financial issues, and isolation from family and friends. He wrote a message to LHM–Malaysia staff describing that his business was just starting to do better after the initial spread of the COVID-19 pandemic when the new strain of the virus started spreading. He is searching for hope that his business will survive and that he will be able to cope during this difficult situation. As a way to encourage individuals like Sudirman to have hope in Jesus, LHM–Malaysia partnered with Christian Businessmen’s Fellowship and organized its first-ever Equipping the Saints (ETS) evangelism-training seminar called “Fulfilling the Great Commission.” This event was designed to equip Christians to share the Gospel with others. Almost 300 people attended the virtual event on Zoom since in-person meetings are not permitted during the country’s COVID-19 restrictions. The guest speaker was Dato’ Jui Meng Chua, the former Minister of Health of Malaysia. At the end of the message, LHM–Malaysia staff asked who wanted to volunteer to share the Gospel, and 58 people eagerly stepped forward. LHM–Malaysia staff praise the Lord for the success of this ETS and enthusiastic response. =

Neighborly Love and Forgiveness Featured in New LHM Learn Courses by PAUL SCHREIBER

ould you like to help improve the well-being of your neighborhood? If the answer is yes, then LHM Learn’s Love Thy Neighborhood: Mini-Course will be helpful. This short course, which can be completed in around 20 minutes at lhm.org/together, offers ideas on how to be an excellent neighbor in vital ways. Our neighborhoods are primed for action, and there are many things we can do to contribute to their well-being. First is to heed the instruction of Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves. Drawing from Jesus’ interaction with an inquisitive lawyer in Luke 10, the parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us that love is street level, where people’s needs are, where our neighbors live. Getting to know your neighbors doesn’t have to be complicated. Asking a neighbor for a cup of sugar or inviting them on a quick trash pickup can open doors. If you’re interested in service on a larger scale, watch the first

session video of what Jim and Doris did in their neighborhood. Of course, like the Good Samaritan, there are always things we can do—from walking someone’s dog to tutoring to babysitting. The short course is a sampling of the full Love Thy Neighborhood course. Five days’ of material combine biblical teachings, Barna research, and hands-on ideas for pursuing the common good where you live. We all have varied gifts we can use to bless our neighbors and enrich our neighborhoods. This core biblical truth is stressed in both Love Thy Neighborhood courses. When we love our neighbors as ourselves, things happen—and Christ is glorified by our actions. For more on being proactive in your neighborhood, visit The Hopeful Neighborhood Project at hopefulneighborhood.org. Of course, whenever we deal with each other, the need for forgiveness is not far behind. In LHM Learn’s four-session

Mobile, audio, and Spanish also available!

Rejoice This Christmas in the Child of Promise by PAUL SCHREIBER

esus Christ, born in Bethlehem: this is the Son of God who came down for you and me. This is God showing us He cares as He enters our world. “There are many ways to show love— even at a distance. God could have sent an angel. He could have showered His blessings on us from far away. He could have even stuck with the prophets we were already used to. But He came Himself.” So we read in day one of this year’s Advent devotions, Child of Promise. Written by Dr. Kari Vo, LHM’s theological writer, these messages remind us how the story of the Savior’s birth is a story for all of us. From the unlikely call of Abram to be a blessing to the nations to the even more unlikely birth of Jesus to the virgin Mary, God is intimately concerned with our lives. Vo writes, “God is

giving us the best gift ever, because Jesus is the One who will take away all our sin—and all the fear and guilt that it causes us. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He will set us free from all this bad stuff, and give us the joy of being children of God.” And what better joy to share than this at Christmas? “We can do that too, can’t we? When we’re talking to friends or family who aren’t Christians, we don’t need to overthink it. We can simply pray and trust the whole situation to God, and then just be in the moment—say what comes to mind—be quiet, or speak—without worrying that somehow, some way, we’re going to make a mistake that turns them away from Jesus. The Holy Spirit will take care of that stuff. He cares about these people even more than we do,” Vo added.

You can read or listen to Child of Promise, beginning Sunday, November 28, 2021. It can also be received as a daily email during Advent. As an outreach resource, churches can download, personalize, and print them for congregational use or for sharing with visitors. The audio version will also be available at lhm.org/advent beginning November 28. Hijo de la promesa will be available to read online or to receive as a daily email throughout Advent, beginning November 28. Rev. Hector Hoppe will be reading the texts. Spanish Advent devotions can be downloaded and printed for personal use or group sharing, too. Visit paraelcamino.com/adviento for all the details. =

Our neighborhoods are primed for action, and there are many things we can do to contribute to their well-being.

Nurturing Your Faith: Forgiveness Bible study, numerous examples of forgiveness needed and given are explored. In each we see how God has been forgiving toward us—and how we are to be this way toward others. From mankind’s original fall into sin, God did not cast us aside. Instead, His Old Testament promise of a Savior was fulfilled in Jesus, in whom we are shown mercy, so we

can show mercy. LHM Learn courses are FREE to use with a quick registration at lhm.org/learn. Courses include graphics, videos, reflection questions, and more. Downloadable resources like a personal journal, discussion guide with questions, a video transcript, and a tip sheet make these courses ideal for individual or group use. =

Ambassadors receive a 20% discount on all LHM products!

Do you enjoy telling others about LHM programs and ministries?

Become an Ambassador today! Learn more and sign up at

LHM.ORG/AMBASSADOR The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021 | 19

CHANGING LIVES Around the World with the

by MEGAN MCDANIEL

Gospel

They are now going to church together and working on growing in their faith.

MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA Sebastian is 35 years old and lives in constant fear. He was born in a Christian family, but for the last few years has been struggling with his relationship with God. He thinks God will not forgive him for some of his sins. He saw a Facebook page run by LHM staff in the Middle East and North Africa about being comforted during crisis, so he sent a private message asking for help to deal with his fears. After messaging back and forth with the staff, Sebastian realized that he was not finding peace with himself or with God. Living in constant fear from the instability around him caused him to be uncertain and lose control of his life. The staff members helped Sebastian turn his knowledge about Jesus into a true relationship where he can enjoy the forgiveness of sins. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Sebastian said he wanted to leave his sin behind and become a new person. He prayed and wanted a strong relationship with Jesus. He was connected to a local Christian community that he is attending virtually and is reading his Bible daily to strengthen his relationship with Jesus. Sebastian is thankful that he can find comfort in the Lord.

20 | The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021

Simone has volunteered for LHM–Argentina for several years. She always looks for opportunities to share the Gospel, especially with her family members. Her brother and sister-in-law are non-Christians but were receptive to hearing the Gospel message from Simone. She gave them LHM–Argentina booklets and materials and encouraged them to learn more about Jesus. Through the power of God’s Word, earlier this year Simone’s sister-in-law decided she wanted to become a member at the local church and wanted her son to be baptized. They are now going to church together and working on growing in their faith.

ARGENTINA

KENYA Samson is 62 years old. He was raised in the Lutheran church but was not very interested in faith and only attended church for holidays like Easter and Christmas. His family did not have a lot of money, so Samson dropped out of school and got a job to make a living. He eventually completed his education and started a job at the local church distributing literature. A few years after starting that job, he met staff and volunteers from LHM– Kenya. He was interested in their Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) and became the LHM contact person in his area. He became a diligent volunteer and helped hundreds of individuals register for the courses. Under the leadership of his local pastor, Samson helped open five Lutheran churches before becoming a politician for several years. Recently the LHM–Kenya team visited Samson’s church for an Equipping the Saints program. He shared with the staff members how thankful he is for the LHM– Kenya team equipping him for a life of evangelism.

Peter is a vegetable seller at the local market and has been an active user of his MP3 player from LHM–Malaysia for a while. When he received his first MP3 player, his son took it with him to a logging camp in the jungle. He saw an opportunity to share the hopeful messages so the loggers can listen to the Good News and songs as they work. Peter replaced his first MP3 player with a new one for himself and takes it to work with him at the market every day. The other sellers enjoy listening to the songs and messages and say they always feel uplifted after they listen. Peter is thankful for the opportunity to share the Gospel message through his audio Bible and enjoys strengthening his faith as he listens to the messages.

MALAYSIA

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. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Zoya became a Christian.

PANAMA Jennifer is a teacher at a school that participates in LHM–Panama’s Project JOEL program for youth. Jennifer shares Bible stories with her students and encourages them to participate and interact with the lessons. Jennifer shared that the Project JOEL lessons are so important for the children, and she is also motivated by the readings. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Project JOEL lessons have been adapted for virtual settings, and Jennifer feels that the new format has helped them reach not only the students, but the parents and families as well. The fun games and activities reinforce learning, and the students look forward to the songs and dramas. Jennifer is happy to be a part of Project JOEL and knows she is making a difference in the lives of her students.

Zoya completed the Bible Correspondence Courses hosted by LHM–Russia a few years ago. She learned about Christianity and was able to ask questions when things did not make sense to her. Zoya learned to pray in all situations, even when she did not want to. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Zoya became a Christian. Eager to spend more time in church, she found a part-time job at a local church and eventually became a full-time employee. She continues to learn more about Jesus and is now sending LHM–Russia booklets to her friends so they can learn about Jesus, too. She hopes that one day her friends will attend church services with her.

RUSSIA

SRI LANKA Grace learned about LHM– Sri Lanka through a local radio program. She reached out to the LHM team to share how the program and its hopeful messages had positively impacted her life. The program encouraged her and her family, and they eagerly wait for each new program, making sure they never miss one. Grace is thankful for the program and acknowledged that it has helped strengthen the faith of her entire household.

Suwatee is 52 years old and practices a non-Christian religion. She heard an LHM–Thailand radio program on her local community radio station and was introduced to Jesus for the first time. She wondered who Jesus was, so she began listening to the program regularly. She had been feeling a lack of peace in her life and after listening to the program a few times, she realized that Jesus could give her peace. She contacted the LHM–Thailand team, and they encouraged her to enroll in their Bible Correspondence Courses and referred her to a church near her home. Several months later, she sent a message to the LHM–Thailand team thanking them for the program and sharing that she had been led to trust in Jesus by the power of God’s Word and had become a Christian. She continues to study the BCC lessons and has joined a Bible study at her church. She is happy to know Jesus and is preparing to be baptized soon. She has found hope in Jesus and continues to learn more about Christianity each day. =

THAILAND

She reached out to the LHM team to share how the program and its hopeful messages had positively impacted her life. The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021 | 21

THERE’S STILL TIME TO REGISTER for

GOSPEL ADVENTURES: THAILAND TREK!

by MEGAN MCDANIEL

Taste of Thailand

lmost 30,000 students have trekked through Thailand with this year’s Gospel Adventures program. In partnership with Group Publishing, Lutheran Hour Ministries takes grade school through middle school aged children, and even some adults, on a week-long adventure each year. Gospel Adventures: Thailand Trek, an informative and interactive virtual learning experience, is complete “Being able to with five days of FREE curriculum in see how God two formats and bonus materials. works in the Every year, kids are introduced to kids just like them living in another lives of students country who carry their faith with in Thailand is them through day-to-day life. Kids a great way learn about the foods, animals, to show God’s people, and places of Thailand with care for all His Gospel Adventures. Participants of creation …” Thailand Trek shared they appreciate how the materials are organized and that there is plenty of information to use every day. The students especially love the theme song and look forward to the various activities associated with the program. “It’s so great to learn how different schools, home school groups, and families are traveling with Gospel Adventures,” says Ashley Bayless, curriculum development manager for LHM. “Time and again, we hear how students love ‘meeting’ other kids and getting a glimpse of their life and culture. Being able to see how God works in the lives of students in Thailand is a great way to show God’s care for all His creation, including you, me, and kids all over the globe.” Although many parents and teachers choose to take part in Gospel Adventures during National Lutheran Schools Week in January, the curriculum is flexible and can be incorporated into your schedule whenever is best for you. There is still time to register and complete this year’s adventure as a group at school or at home. Even individuals can enjoy learning how God so loves the world with Gospel Adventures: Thailand Trek. Visit gospeladventures.org to sign up now!

Many markets in Thailand are floating markets where items are only sold by boat. Common foods in Thailand include rice, noodles, vegetables, seafood, and poultry. Check out the excerpts below from the online middle school experience to learn more about the foods of Thailand.

22 | The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021

Rice is the basis for Thai food. People eat so much rice that the word for food (khao) is the same as the word for rice (khao). People often greet each other with a phrase that translates literally as “Did you eat rice yet?” There are thousands of different kinds of rice. Jasmine rice is very popular, and it smells wonderful. You can eat it steamed with meat and vegetables on top, or in soup or fried. There are also some kinds of rice called sticky rice, or glutinous rice. These come in different colors and sometimes are used for desserts.

Thai people make noodles out of rice flour, wheat flour, or mung bean flour. Noodles can be thin or wide. One kind made from beans is see-through. People in Thailand have a huge variety of fruit to choose from. Mangos and lychees taste wonderful, and so do papaya, longans, and jackfruit. Durian has a strange smell that a lot of people don’t like, but they like to eat the inside of it. Would you like to try this “king of fruits”?

Bonus Materials Don’t forget to utilize the bonus materials included with your Gospel Adventures registration. Bonus materials include a middle school workbook to accompany the online experience, a printable coin bank template, and coloring pages of maps and more. To access the bonus materials, simply register for Thailand Trek and navigate to the online curriculum page.

Join the Facebook Group! Looking for examples of how other schools and homeschools incorporate Gospel Adventures into their programs? Join the Gospel Adventures Facebook group to connect with others and get inspiration for your next Gospel Adventure! Log into your Facebook account and search “Gospel Adventures” in the search field to find the group. =

Results Announced for LHM’s 2021 Election by CHAD FIX

early two-thirds of Lutheran Hour Ministries’ registered voting members cast ballots in the recent election to fill five seats on the Board of Directors for the International Lutheran Laymen’s League/ Lutheran Hour Ministries. Linda Arnold of Oswego, Illinois; Melanie Braun of Tempe, Arizona; Vincent W. James of Boston, Massachusetts; Jonathan Laabs of Roselle, Illinois; and Gordon D. Tresch of Williamsville, New York, were elected to three-year terms beginning with the Board’s recent meeting in July. As part of a change approved by the membership in 2017, the Board is responsible for appointing its four Officer positions for each year from among sitting Board members. The Board of Directors re-appointed Kurt Senske of Austin, Texas, as Chairman, and Douglas Werth of Arrington, Tennessee, as Vice Chairman. It also appointed Patricia Ross of Tulsa, Oklahoma, as Secretary, and Gene Partlow of Williamsburg, Virginia, as Treasurer. Visit lhm.org/about/board.asp to learn more about your elected Board members.

Bylaws Changes Approved

In addition, the membership also passed three proposed Bylaws changes that the Board had recommended for adoption: • Eliminating language that restricts ministry and/or Board efforts and allows more flexibility to meet current needs. • Simplifying language throughout the Bylaws and/or moving items to the Board Policy Manual for continual oversight by your elected Board of Directors. • Eliminating the gender-specific requirement for the officer positions of chairman and vice chairman and allowing the Board of Directors to appoint any of its current members into these positions in a given year.

Gospel Adventures is ZAMBIA BOUND for 2022! We are excited to share that Gospel Adventures is heading to Zambia in 2022! We look forward to spotting God’s goodness with you beginning in January. Registration will open later this fall, so look for more details soon.

ZAMBIA FACTS:

• Zambia is a big country. The size is comparable to the state of Texas

• Traditional Zambian • Rare animals in foods include Zambia include black nshima (maize-meal rhinos, wild dogs, porridge), chutney, and shoebill stork cassava pancakes, • The country’s motto • Termite hills can be the ifisashi (groundnut is: One Zambia, size of a small house stew with veggies One Nation • Zambia’s economy is or meat) • The closest ocean boosted by copper • Although 72 languages mining, agriculture, to the landlocked are spoken in Zambia, and tourism country of Zambia is English is the official 600 miles away • 75 percent of people language • Zambia has one of in Zambia identify as the fastest growing • Zambia is home to Protestant Christians the “Big Five” animals populations with • Popular sports in of lions, rhinos, 40 percent living in Zambia are rugby, leopards, elephants, urban areas boxing, and cricket and buffalos

Read a copy of the revised Bylaws at lhm.org/about/bylaws_2021.pdf. Thanks to everyone who participated this year in the election process! Want to vote in 2022? Anyone who gives a gift to LHM between July 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021, will be eligible to register for next year’s voting membership. Look for a postcard in the mail in early February 2022 with details about how you can register to vote before the March 15 deadline so you can participate in next spring’s election.

Board Nominations Now Open for 2022!

Do you know a mission-minded individual who is looking for a unique leadership opportunity? Nominations for candidates to serve on the Board of Directors for the Int’l LLL/LHM are being requested now for next spring’s election. The Board is seeking dynamic, visionary candidates who are committed to helping LHM share the Gospel around the world. You are urged to prayerfully consider the God-given talents, skill sets, passion for outreach ministry, and service to the Lord of potential nominees from your personal and professional networks. In addition to being an LHM/Int’l LLL member, all nominees must be members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church– Missouri Synod or Lutheran Church–Canada and cannot be ordained clergy. The Board’s Nominations Committee welcomes and encourages all applications but is especially interested in seeking individuals who have nonprofit, for-profit, or foundation board experience and/or corporate leadership and contacts, as well as backgrounds in information technology, social media, finance, marketing/public relations, and international missions. To download a nominations form, or learn about additional eligibility requirements for nominees, visit lhm.org/nominations. Nominations must be received by Nov. 1, 2021, to be considered. = The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021 | 23

Change the Way You

LLL Scheduled to Host In-Person Gatherings This Fall by MEGAN MCDANIEL

his fall brings a return to some beloved activities as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted in many locations throughout the United States. This means that many Lutheran Laymen’s League (LLL) districts will be hosting their annual district-wide events in person again. There are two options being offered for individuals to encourage and engage with other LLL members.

Share Your Faith! As times change, we need to explore new ways to talk about our faith. We are here to help you by providing a framework for Discover the delight sharing the Gospel that is backed by research of spiritual conversations with tools for yourin individual gathered partnership with Barna Group. and congregational outreach

Spiritual Conversations in the Digital Age

LLL Conventions with Guest Speaker Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler Under the theme of Households of Faith, Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler will attend five district conventions to serve as guest speaker. At these conventions, LLL districts will hold their elections, conduct general business, and enjoy fellowship and service together after missing in-person conventions in 2020. The following districts will be hosting a convention featuring Rev. Zeigler: Washington-Alaska LLL District in August; S. California LLL District in October; N. Wisconsin and S. Wisconsin LLL Districts in a joint convention in October; and Kansas LLL District in November. Look for promotional materials from your local LLL district for these conventions or contact your local LLL with any questions.

Fall 2021 LLL Virtual Event In 2019, LHM and the LLL districts throughout the United States made the decision to host live-streamed events two times a year with LHM staff offering training on pertinent topics and sharing information about ministry programs and resources with the LLL. This popular event will continue this fall. For many LLL districts, this live-stream event will become their annual convention program moving forward. Others will host viewing locations throughout their district to allow people to fellowship together while they learn how to equip and encourage their own households and households in their congregations through the Households of Faith theme. The event will feature exclusive videos on how we turn research into products, examples from churches on how they utilized Households of Faith, and a panel discussion to answer questions/offer ideas for use in different contexts. The Fall 2021 LLL Virtual Event will be live streamed at 11 a.m. Central on Saturday, September 25. For more information, or to register for a viewing location in your area, visit lhm.org/lll2021. *Note: Although we encourage everyone to get involved in these LLL events, if possible, those who do not have an in-person convention or gathering in your area can register separately for the virtual event in September. You can then either join online from your home or organize a gathering for your congregation. LHM will also continue to monitor state and local mandates related to COVID-19 and make any necessary updates to adapt to the ever-changing landscape concerning in-person events. We look forward to gathering and engaging with others during this fall’s LLL events. Please contact your local LLL district or Polly Gregali (polly.gregali@lhm.org) with any questions. = 24 | The Lutheran Layman Summer 2021

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The Lutheran Layman – Summer 2021

Articles inside

Changing Lives Globally

Advent Devotions

Decorate Rose Parade Floats

LWML Convention Presence