11 minute read
Working with LBW
Sharing God’s Word with People Who Are Blind
or Visually Impaired by CHAD FIX
Working with individual Christians, congregations, and like-minded organizations are vital to expanding ministry. They allow Lutheran Hour Ministries to share the Gospel around the world with all who need to hear it by widening the networks through which we can share our programs and resources.
One of these ongoing relationships is with Lutheran Braille Workers (LBW), an organization founded in 1943 in response to a shortage of Braille Bibles for people who were blind in Germany. What initially was thought to be a one-off request for the development of a single German Braille Bible has turned into the world’s largest non-profit producer of Braille, specialized large print, and audio Christian materials.
When LBW founder Helene Loewe Koehler received a letter from someone who had benefitted from the initial German Braille Bible, she wrote in her journal, “I think about how much time and effort went into producing one Braille Bible. How in the world can we keep up with demand? But if people are asking for the Gospel, how can we ever say no?”
Through the creation of a modern Braille press and the support of family and friends, local Ladies Aid Societies, and volunteers from various Lutheran churches, Koehler began expanding production of materials into other languages and titles. As production grew, demand also grew. Several years later, through the encouragement of The Lutheran Hour Speaker at the time, Rev. Dr. Oswald Hoffmann, Koehler expanded into large print production.
LBW currently produces approximately 150,000 volumes a year through the dedication of 3,000 volunteers in 115 production centers throughout the United States. To date, LBW has shipped more than 15 million volumes and millions of other pamphlets, calendars, and other materials, in almost 40 languages, to 164 countries. Thanks to the generosity of their volunteers and donors, every single volume of material has been distributed free of charge—leading to millions of people being reached with the Gospel through their efforts.
“Our mission is to provide all people in the world who are blind or visually impaired with free access to the Good News of Jesus Christ,” says LBW Vice President of Ministry Advancement Daniel Jenkins. “More than 253 million people today are blind or visually impaired, of which 241 million of them are unchurched. This makes our materials a great resource for individuals who are often disconnected from God’s Word.
Jenkins adds, “Our longstanding association with Lutheran Hour Ministries is extremely valuable since there is a close alignment between our organizations in wanting to share the Word of God with people in ways they can understand without it being a financial burden.”
One of the popular LHM resources available through LBW are the weekly sermons from The Lutheran Hour. LBW began producing the sermons in Braille in 1951 and today produces and distributes almost 8,000 Braille sermons each month. One recipient from England wrote, “You have been supplying me with wonderful Braille materials for more than twenty years and I have used them to spread the story of God’s love. Now my wife has gone to be with Jesus, and I am eighty years old, but that’s not too old to work for the Lord. Moses started his work at eighty and Aaron at eighty-three, so I will keep working if you keep supplying. God bless you for making this possible.”
In 1959, LBW expanded into large print production due to the substantial number of requests that LHM was receiving from elderly listeners who had poor vision but did not read Braille. These efforts continue today with more than 12,000 specialized large print sermons of The Lutheran Hour being produced and shipped each month in 18 point on glare-reducing paper.
The Lutheran Hour sermons transcribed to Braille or offered in large print are available by calling LBW or visiting their website. These are not only requested by individuals of all ages, but are often used by orphanages, schools, and churches around the world as Bible studies or worship services for people who are blind or visually impaired.
“I know when I read Jesus’ name because I can feel His love travel up my arm and to my heart,” says Tim, a 13-year-old from India.
“I was born blind and have never seen a person’s face, not even my own parents’ faces. But now I know, when I get to heaven, Jesus is the first face I will see,” says Lucy, a 14-year-old from Mexico.
Other popular LHM resources offered by LBW are the library of Project Connect booklets in Braille, large print, and audio and The Journey Home Bible study lessons available in large print for prison inmates. LBW is also working with LHM to offer the seasonal devotions for Advent and Lent from the past five years.
“We are grateful for this ongoing relationship with LHM and look forward to exploring additional opportunities for working together to share the Gospel with even more people who are blind or visually impaired,” says Jenkins.
To learn more about Lutheran Braille Workers, visit lbwloveworks.org. =
Christmas Cheer and Christian Witness
Light up Central Florida by PAUL SCHREIBER
After more than a year of planning, St. John Lutheran Church and School in Ocala, Florida, presented “The Ocala Christmas Light Spectacular.” This month-long Christmas extravaganza was hosted at Ocala’s Florida Horse Park, in north-central Florida.
Pastor Jeff Shanks of St. John Lutheran wanted his church to share the joy of Christmas with others in their community. “What better way,” he said, “than with lights pointing to the ultimate Source of Christmas.” Dedicated men volunteered their time and talents to build stages, construct a Santa House, and set up the walk-through area for visitors. Financial sponsors backed the project, and numerous volunteers, mostly from St. John, handled everything from taking tickets and directing traffic to greeting visitors and cleaning up.
More than 40,000 guests visited the Spectacular with some 10,000 cars traveling the 1.8-mile drive-through, with its 350-plus light displays. After their car ride, visitors enjoyed an expansive walk-through area, which included a train ride, jump houses, live entertainment, and an enormous manger scene with a 25-foot-high star over the stable.
Glad tidings of great joy were provided by both church and school. Spreading the Good News was the church puppet team, the adult choir, St. John’s fourth/fifth grade choir, the adult and school handbells groups, and the praise team. In all, some 3,500 children visited Santa; each one went home with a treat courtesy of St. John and a copy of Lutheran Hour Ministries’ children’s booklet, The Christmas Journey. Pastor Shanks, his wife Anette, and other volunteers visited with dozens of people in the walk-through area, answering questions about St. John and why the church was doing this. “We were able to share who we were and what it meant to us to ‘Welcome everyone, as we follow Christ, grow in faith, and serve with love.’” Shanks shared another story about a woman in her eighties who was in hospice care and wanted to see Santa one last time. After speaking with some volunteers, they gave her a copy of The Christmas Journey before she left. To give kids and parents at a local interfaith homeless and transitional shelter a chance to see the Christmas Spectacular, the local LLL group stepped in. Using St. John’s school bus, they picked the residents up, cruised through “We were able to share the light show, and who we were and what it brought them back meant to us to ‘Welcome everyone, as we follow to the church. There they purchased some gifts for the children
Christ, grow in faith, and wished them a and serve with love.’” blessed Christmas. = Show your kids how God works in the lives of people in another part of the world. This interactive experience brings Africa right to your home or classroom through videos filmed in Zambia and a full curriculum!
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GOSPELADVENTURES.ORG
There is tremendous opportunity to share God’s love and reach out with the Gospel in Guatemala. LHM–Guatemala responds to the spiritual hunger across this Central American country through a variety of strategies, including its highly successful Project JOEL program that tackles tough topics for youth struggling with conflicting moral and social choices—from relationships to gangs to drugs— in an honest, relevant manner, rooted in God’s love for them. Through its official recognition by the Guatemalan’s government’s Ministry of Education, LHM is allowed to bring the Gospel message into public and private schools through Project JOEL events.
While the pandemic has restricted the onsite presence of our ministry staff in schools, LHM–Guatemala has found new ways to reach out through digital means. As a result, more than 2,500 students have benefitted during this time through the Google classroom tool.
The ministry center’s director and her team of a psychologist and digital design expert also created new topical digital materials for sharing, conducted seminars over Zoom, and led presentations on Facebook that reached audiences from children to the elderly, with specific themes for each presentation or resource.
One example was on the topic of suicide, which has increased rapidly among young people during the pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, 77 percent of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries like Guatemala, where many people suffer in silence and are in great need of hearing the message of the Gospel that we share in Christ Jesus. A Facebook Live presentation, “Facing the Idea of Suicide,” was well attended by youth and parents and included lively interaction with the presenters. Participants also received a special booklet on the topic.
Emilia was 13 years old when she participated in Project JOEL at her school several years ago. Last year she graduated from high school. During the pandemic she became depressed and found our online ad for the virtual seminar on suicide, which reconnected her to our ministry and to God and His love and mercy.
An important part of LHM–Guatemala’s ministry to children and youth is including parents in the activities. LHM staff developed a series of six online workshops under the theme of “Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting.” In addition to the content presented by Christian educators and psychologists to strengthen parenting skills, the message of the Gospel permeated the entire program, showing how God wants parents to educate their children according to His Word, in discipline, care, and love.
Christmas is always a special time for our ministry in Guatemala to touch people’s lives with the unique message of the love of God in Christ. Two television stations aired at no cost the LHM specials dubbed in Spanish, El Pastorcito (“The Little Shepherd”) and Botas Rojas Para Navidad (“Red Boots for Christmas”). These broadcasts provided a tremendous opportunity to reach millions with the message and meaning of Christmas, sharing Christ with Guatemalans and bringing them to the church by the power of the Holy Spirit. =
Start Your Holy Week with a Special Virtual Event by CHAD FIX
The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation hosted a virtual event last November for members of The Hoffmann Society to learn about “The State of the Global Economy.” The Hoffmann Society is a group of around 3,000 dedicated Christians who have a vision for future generations hearing the Gospel message and have provided for LHM beyond their lifetime through a planned gift to help accomplish this goal.
Participants logged into Zoom for a one-hour presentation to hear a report from the leadership of The LHM Foundation as well as a market executive from its investment advisor, Central Trust Company. Attendees also heard how their gifts are being used through LHM’s robust global ministry efforts and learned about planned giving options and recent updates to tax and estate planning laws.
Due to the success of the fall event, The LHM Foundation is hosting another virtual event this spring and inviting all LHM donors to attend. Join us on Monday, April 11 at 4 p.m. CST for a one-hour presentation that will include: • LHM President & CEO Kurt Buchholz sharing a short ministry update on how you being a valued part of the LHM family is sharing the Gospel with millions of people around the world; • LHM Chief Development Officer, Major and Planned Gifts Terry Biesboer offering details about how giving through endowment helps sustain your ministry impact into the future while allowing you the freedom to determine how your contributions are used; and • Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, providing hope and encouragement through a short devotional message.
This event is free, but registration is required. Visit lhm.org/spring2022 and sign up today. All registrants will receive a link to access this live presentation via Zoom the day before the event. =
We Are Called to Be Providers
You can provide the power of the Gospel around the world, and you can provide for your family at the same time. With a charitable gift annuity to LHM, a gift is made to our organization that can provide you with a secure source of fixed payments for life.
