The Lutheran Layman

THE

LUTHERAN L AYMAN

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS

March - April 2017

1917 - 2017

, d e s s a P y l r a e N y r u t A Cen e m o C o t t e Y y r u t n e C a

see page 3

Men’s Network WORK DAY . . . . 9 Practice Reformation . . . . . . . 11 Candidate & Bylaw Changes . . . . . . . 12-15 LCMS Church Planting . . . . . . 17 Kids Make an Impact. . . . . . . 22 Martin Luther, Part Three . . . . 23

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

St. Louis, MO. Permit No. 619

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SPEAKINGUP

™

by Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz Speaker of The Lutheran Hour

The point was made—Christianity isn’t about principles or morals, per se.

It’s about Jesus, knowing Him by grace alone, through faith alone, through the Scriptures alone.

The ULTIMATE

FLOAT TRIP

“I urge you…in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God….” (Romans 12:1).

M

y wife Yvette wants us to go on a whitewater rafting trip. I’m sure she will get one scheduled for us eventually. Get into a rubber raft, put on a life preserver, then cascade down a river risking your life. Once you’ve “presented your bodies” to the boat, the danger and the excitement begins.

This reminded me of a different “float trip” filled with excitement and potential “dangers.” It wasn’t physical danger but just as potentially challenging.

It was the reality of being publicly “all in” for Jesus Christ in our present culture. What “float trip,” you ask? It was riding again on the float, your float, the LHM float, in the New Year’s Parade in Pasadena, California. What made it especially challenging was that we were riding with “Jesus” (represented by Pastor Matt Nolte dressed for the part). The point was made—Christianity isn’t about principles or morals, per se. It’s about Jesus, knowing Him by grace alone, through faith alone, through the Scriptures alone. Down Colorado Boulevard we went. What a joyful trip it was, not just with our fellow float riders, but with thousands of people lining the road, rejoicing with us!

But here’s the rub. The day after the parade I received a phone call that a radio station in Toledo, Ohio, which airs The Lutheran Hour, had taken a call saying “there was a YouTube video making fun of our float” (actually, “making fun of Jesus” on our float). The host wanted to interview me on how it went that day. Did we experience disrespect? What was it like to be “all in for Jesus,” not only on the float, but on TV for all to see? I told him Jesus is a real person in history as well as in the world today.

People either are drawn to Him or are repelled.

There is no “in between.” Riding on the float that day confirmed as much. If you are going to be His people, you need to realize that sometimes people are your biggest critics before they become your biggest fans, or should I say, “His” biggest fans!

Here is even greater news. Like with the whitewater rafting trips, there’s a joyful exhilaration to being “all in for Jesus.” So, I encourage all of you to willingly “present your bodies” in faithful service to others in His name.

Riding on this year’s float, I was overwhelmed with the gracious reception by thousands of people along the route. The exhilaration of the ride overwhelmed any bumps along the way!

Owners of whitewater rafting businesses wouldn’t be around if they lost people regularly.

So, maybe, just maybe, you’ll hear about a trip of Yvette and I down the Colorado River. Meanwhile, I encourage you to “present your bodies the Colorado Boulevard way.” Be “all in” as Christ’s representative of grace and love to someone God has sent into your life. Like the “float trip” down Colorado Boulevard, your trip will be full of anxiousness, excitement, and ultimate joy! You never know—someone might come to know Jesus because they got to know you. Present your bodies, in full view of His mercy, in service to others. You’ll be glad you did. n

Messages from

GOD’S

WORD for

YOUR

LIFE every day

More about the float on page 16!

Hear Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz on The Lutheran Hour and online at www.lhm.org!

L AYMAN The Lutheran

Vol. 88, No. 2 March - April 2017

Dr. Gerald Perschbacher (LL.D.), Editor • Denis Kloppenburg & Andrea Thompson, Layout Subscription: $5. Printed bi-monthly. Send color photos for use. Photos sent to the paper may not be returned. Lutheran Hour Ministries, The Lutheran Hour®, Bringing Christ to the Nations, BCTN, This is the Life, Ayer, Hoy y Siempre, Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones, Esta Es La Vida, Para el Camino, 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, 2017 Int’l LLL. LHM Response Center: 1-800-876-9880

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

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lhm.org/dailydevotions

d, e s s a P y l r a e N y r e m A Centu o C o t t e Y y r u t a Cen

The LLL’s first convention was in Detroit in June 1920. Several LLL founders are seated in the first row. The number of members was to grow to tens of thousands by the 1970s.

by Gerald Perschbacher

to launch ministry efforts farther than anticipated, thanks to the hand of God. hat would you do if the Included in the expanding membership were church closest to your heart successful businessmen and business women who and your very existence stood generously gave great sums. There also were farmers, knitters, single parents, large families, city dwellers, on the edge of a potentially catastrophic men and women with hourly wages, relatives who financial shortfall? Such was the circumstance inherited and passed their blessings forward, even for the Missouri Synod* church body as it faced a children who scraped and saved from their allowance tough reality in 1917. The church or a pittance here and there that was running a $100,000 deficit. That they earned in odd jobs or obtained “One should give meant cutbacks in domestic ministry by returning glass soft drink bottles and in advancements for missions, to stores and supermarkets for willingly, moved by plus severe adjustments that could pennies per bottle. There were a love that is very have been detrimental to progress. people whose advanced ages ready to give,” said A dozen men met the challenge placed them near the door of head on and, in the process, formed eternity but who remembered the Dr. Martin Luther a new organization: The Lutheran for Christian outreach centuries ago. That’s necessity Laymen’s League. beyond their lifetimes. There were exactly what the men poor people who hardly knew “One should give willingly, moved by a love that is very ready to give,” did, and they widened the source of tomorrow’s lunch said Dr. Martin Luther centuries ago. (1) (let alone breakfast) but gave the the circle of givers.

That’s exactly what the men did, and widow’s mite. There were highly they widened the circle of givers. The educated people who wished to ranks of LLL members swelled to more than 150,000 make a spiritually impactful mark on others around members in succeeding decades. Networks of districts them. There were people who longed for the spread and zones were established as motivational platforms of Christ-centered faith to the far reaches of the

W

* Officially known today as The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

world, places they never would visit but places where they knew the Good News of salvation in Christ was absolutely necessary.

They gave. They all gave. They all gave to make a difference. That difference was Christ!

Banded together in Bringing Christ to the Nations— and the Nations to the Church, the march of thousands in the LLL has continued to the present day. Realizing God’s grace in the success of The Lutheran Hour, the outreach has taken fresh and creative avenues as Lutheran Hour Ministries expands the delivery of messages via digital media, networking, and social media atop the age-proven methods of radio, television, and the printed word. From the beginning, the work of the LLL has had a two-fold thrust: (A) the Spirit-driven recruiting and involvement of people from all walks of life and (B) the true proclamation of salvation in Christ, the Author and Perfecter of the see next page

Then, as now, the LLL is a motivated laity in action.

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People from all walks of life desperately needed to hear the Gospel. Shown: Subway workers dressed in street clothing, prepare for construction of the New York City Subway (c. 1910).

faith, giving honor and glory to the Creator.

It should never be said that the Lutheran Laymen’s League “saved” the Synod. Such a thought would be presumptuous. But it is true that the 1917 shortfall was met in that 400th anniversary year of the Reformation, and a subsequent project launched in 1919 accumulated financial blessings that were turned over to church officials. That financial benefit was showered by the Synod upon needy families of professional church workers. Thus, it lightened the financial burden on the church.

Rev. Friedrich Pfotenhauer, Missouri Synod president at that time, proudly reported that “because of the fact that this wholesome laymen’s movement springs from a spirit of consecrated love to God …we wish it Godspeed, abundant success, and a long life. May many of our members identify themselves with this movement, and may it stimulate us all to greater efforts in our God-privileged labors in church and school! … May our adorable Lord prosper the work of the LLL and crown it with abundant success!” (2) By the way, that hope for “a long life” for the LLL has been honored—the LLL this October will reach its 100th “birthday.”

It was evident that the LLL had struck success in countless hearts and lives—and the Synod benefitted from it. Perhaps the most significant 4

The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

early blessing was not the income but the manner in which the laity was motivated by the Lord in a concerted movement never before seen by the Synod.

A veritable army of believers had been at work from district lay leaders to circuit laymen leaders, congregational campaign managers, and pastors. If not THE first organizational efforts of its type in the Synod, it had to have been the best organized to that date. Seldom had such a plan been so well publicized and promoted in the church body. Scripted talks at congregational gatherings were prepared, printed, and distributed to key volunteers across North America, just so they could address teachers or pastors or laymen from select perspectives. Even seven-minute talks were written for use, based on certain topics and directed to the widest range of lay members in a community. The talks referenced the hard work and long hours spent by church workers in the furtherance of God’s Word.

In the case of a parish pastor, one paragraph noted, “Consider his sermons: one hundred and four on Sundays, fifty-two on Wednesday nights, one hundred and fifty-six in all, averaging half an hour each. Seventyeight hours—nearly ten solid days of eight hours each—in the actual work of preaching!

From the beginning, the work of the LLL has had a two-fold thrust: (A) the Spirit-driven recruiting and involvement of people from all walks of life and (B) the true proclamation of salvation in Christ, the Author and Perfecter of the faith, giving honor and glory to the Creator.

They gave. They all gave.

They all gave to make a difference.

That difference was Christ!

“ … Because of the fact that this wholesome laymen’s movement springs from a spirit of consecrated love to God … we wish it Godspeed, abundant success, and a long life.”

The needy, the hungry, the hopeless, and the helpless have been reached by LHM.

And, now, how long does it take the average minister to prepare his sermon…the average sermon requiring thirty minutes to deliver has approximately five thousand words. Three sermons a week require fifteen thousand words. The average minister’s ideal is to write each sermon out on paper before delivering it. Now listen. Merely to transcribe fifteen thousand words … requires at least twenty words to the minute.”

The calculations lingered on tabulating the other work done by a parish pastor, a total of 448 normal work days per year. Conclusion: “The average minister … must work eighty-three days overtime … if he is to indulge any hope of performing those duties acceptably and well” all squeezed into 365 days! (3) Looking to the future, the motivated laity was asked to support another endeavor in the early 1920s: the drive for a suitably spacious facility for Concordia Seminary and the same for other sites of higher learning in the Synod.

In October of 1923 LLL President T. H. Lamprecht reported: “The overcrowded, unhealthy conditions at some of our institutions must be improved. It will be a shame for every ‘Missouri’ Lutheran if this is not done without delay… .” He added, “You, as a loyal member of the Lutheran Laymen’s League are pledged to help Synod ‘by word and deed in business and financial matters.’” Lamprecht asked members to make sure the matter was carried to their congregations. “See your pastor and tell him that you want to help him in having favorable action taken by the congregation.

Bring the matter to the attention of every one of its members as far as you can do so. Help distribute the reading-matter and It is safe to say that the awakening to pictures showing the great need of relief, serve on committees, the duties of Christian stewardship, as and do not grow weary. When the time comes for contributions and pledges, give liberally yourself, according to your means, well as the use of successful collection and push your friends and fellow-members to do likewise … By methods—the combination of which such cheerful, consecrated service you will prove yourself a true member of the LLL and will deserve the testimonial: ‘Well done, two factors has, with the help of thou good and faithful servant!’ God bless your efforts and mine God, made possible the beginning in thus doing what we believe to be our duty!” (4) of building operations—are both to The seminary in suburban St. Louis was in a critical state. It was “filled far beyond its capacity. The present buildings can be traced to the beginning which comfortably house only 200 students, but the enrollment has

was made by the organization of the Lutheran Laymen’s League in 1917.

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The LLL office in 1935, with T.G. Eggers, head of staff, seated by left corner of room.

gone up to 376 … an additional old building in the neighborhood is even now being used.” By 1923 there were 120 students crammed into the space meant for 100, and even more students were squeezed into special classes! The library at that location Age is no barrier to proclamation. was deemed “almost unusable.” There was no space for additional books. “There is not sufficient office-room, there are no suitable rooms where the professors can hear League has desired no more than to be sermons and meet the individual student, there are no music-rooms (pianos are in a servant of Synod, acting in line with classrooms and in the halls) … there is not a sufficient number of washrooms, there is resolutions of Synod and employing the not sufficient space for storage purposes.” (5) existing Synodical machinery (national, LLL President Lamprecht addressed Synod via The Lutheran Witness on December district, and circuit) in its work….

19, 1923. “Every LLL member was … earnestly admonished loyalty to support his Furthermore, rich men were for the first pastor in this year’s great Building Fund collection, so that his congregation would time made to realize what their Church cheerfully contribute its full share… . Now for 1924 we shall try quietly to accomplish expects of them, and what opportunity our purpose by increasing our membership to 50,000 … if we get these 50,000 for larger work they have within our members [at $5 annually] and hold them for three years, 1924-26, we shall have our body. The way was thus paved for the $600,000 ready to turn over to Synod … in 1926. A eminently successful publicity and of the Ways and Means committee of Synod organization campaign of our Ways What our laymen member expressed appreciation for the idea and offered words and Means Committee. And towards then saw…was of support. A pastor followed soon after with his own the success of this campaign the LLL pledge to ‘bring this matter home to individuals of officers have again, to the best of their an ideal which, whom I believe that they should be members … .’” (6) ability, marshaled their resources and founded on Ground breaking for the new Seminary location their influence. They have modestly Christian faith, is was conducted on January 18, 1924. Henry W. kept themselves in the background…but In the 1940s, The Lutheran Hour was being heard Horst, a co-founder of the LLL, spoke on behalf of their personal gifts have been large and from coast to coast and overseas in Spanish. more and more the Building Committee and the Synodical Board their labors unstinted … . In the turning being realized. of Directors. His comments were followed by of these three shovelfuls of dirt, at this time and for such a purpose, the members of Lamprecht’s encouragement on behalf of the laymen the League may see a fruit of consecration, loyal cooperation of laymen with their of Synod and announced “the continued allegiance of pastors … . What our laymen then saw … was an ideal which, founded on Christian the Lutheran Laymen’s League to the furthering of Synod’s financial undertakings. faith, is more and more being realized.” (8) Mr. Horst and Mr. Lamprecht each turned three shovelfuls of earth” while students There was more foreshadowing at that time. Seminary Dean John H.C. Fritz alerted sang A Mighty Fortress during the ceremony. Shortly after the ceremony, Synod readers to this fact: “People who contribute towards the broadcasting station which President Pfotenhauer reported that “almost the entire sum of $3,850,000 has been was to be erected in the St. Louis Seminary are now inquiring why this has not yet been assured” with only about $200,000 yet to be received. The excavating and grading of done. A word of explanation is necessary. When about a year ago the Seminary Board the site earnestly moved forward. (7) decided to ask for funds for a broadcasting station, it thought that such a station could When Lamprecht “turned the virgin sod on the De Mun tract, Mr. Lamprecht be erected at an expense of about $12,000.” But if the reach of the station’s broadcast gave all honor to God for the success which so far attended the work of the Building power was to span the country, the cost would boost to $20,000. “It was therefore Committee … . It is safe to say that the awakening to the duties of Christian thought advisable to wait until enough money has been procured for the larger stewardship, as well as the use of successful collection methods—the combination station. The Board was also told that it could be even to our advantage to delay the of which two factors has, with the help of God, made possible erection of the the beginning of building operations—are both to be traced station for some “The average minister … must work eighty-three days to the beginning which was made by the organization of time.” (9) the Lutheran Laymen’s League in 1917. From the outset the overtime … if he is to indulge any hope of performing those

duties acceptably and well” all squeezed into 365 days!

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Rev. Oswald Hoffmann stayed in touch with LLL officials in the 1940s as Synod launched its communications arm. Hoffmann had assisted Dr. Maier while attending Concordia Seminary. Hoffmann would become speaker of The Lutheran Hour in 1955.

Dean Fritz and Rev. Herman H. Hohenstein (who later was made the full-time director of KFUO) were among the radio visionaries. So was Rev. Richard Kretzschmar, who chaired the Seminary Board of Control. Among trendsetters was Concordia Seminary Professor Walter A. Maier, a young prof with progressive ideas in step with and a bit in advance of his times.

He promoted the idea in The Walther League Messenger of using the radio for Gospel delivery as early as 1923, less than three years since the world was awakened to the benefits of mass communication by wireless sets.

Seminary officials and a growing awareness among the Seminary public clearly conveyed the message that wherever the Seminary would move, the station should go with it. Logic dictated that a ready source of theological speakers could man the microphone in line with Lutheran theology and practice. The Seminary was the perfect spot from which to tap that resource. Fritz reported that $5,000 “has been safely invested and will in the course of time, be used for the purpose for which it was given.” He urged that more funds be collected to augment that total “for there is no doubt that our Lutheran Church, as other churches are already doing, ought to make use of the radio to spread the Gospel-

Countless young adults and students have been reached by LHM.

truth. Our Lutheran church would be missing an excellent opportunity if it would not do so.”

Radio station KFUO was launched in rudimentary form in a windowless exercise room atop the Seminary location on South Jefferson in St. Louis. The date of the first broadcast was October 20, 1924. As for a building and future location, those choices hung in the balance.

“Man, who only yesterday, as it were, built the first rude electro-magnet, today has harnessed Niagara to drive his street-cars and now, almost overnight, has filled the ether surrounding the globe with intelligent impulses. We stand amazed at this latest achievement of human genius. But contemplating what man can do, we are still more amazed at a skepticism which would deny the omnipotence of man’s Creator.” (10)

As grand as KFUO was hoped to be, the grander idea of a Gospel program that could wing its messages around the globe was manifested in The Lutheran Hour.

Professor Walter A. Maier, future voice of milestone Lutheran efforts on radio, was reaching his stride as theologian and professor while radio took its first feeble broadcasts to the airwaves. No one could predict that in 1930 The Lutheran Hour would be launched and soon would make headlines in religious history with its continent-wide reach over invisible airwaves in an era when crystal sets were very popular and the idea of radio broadcasting was less than 10 years old as a commercially viable form of communication.

In future years the LLL and its Lutheran Hour Ministries would reach unbelievable heights of success in broadcasting and outreach. This writer can strongly vouch for the response. By 1980 the department he supervised at the LLL main office sent the names of as many as 20,000 prospective “evangelism prospects” to local congregations for calls by evangelism teams and pastors, some of whom personally delivered items offered on the air. Those 20,000 letters were processed according to Synodical standards as the LLL continued its close walk with Synod.

As grand as KFUO was hoped to be, the grander idea of a Gospel program that could wing its messages around the globe was manifested in The Lutheran Hour.

Synodical visionaries shared their idea of a weekly broadcast with far-reaching audiences. To augment that dream, a major reorganization of the LLL was achieved.

Although that strength was highly notable, even more wondrous was the strength of the messages guided by the Holy Spirit to the hearts and homes of millions.

On the first broadcast of Oct. 2, 1930, Dr. Maier noted, “We are to dedicate the message of our first broadcast to the fundamental conviction that there is a God, that [He] in many and remarkable ways is no fantastic formation of superstition, no creature of childish tradition, no will-o’-the-wisp of religious delusion, but that atheism, materialism, agnosticism, and all the many other similar theories which deny or question the existence of God are not only irrational and disappointing, but also antiScriptural and therefore thoroughly destructive from every point of consideration … .

“As a victorious climax to the revelation of God in His Word comes the revelation of God in the Person of Jesus Christ. Here is this Immanuel, this ‘God with us,’ ‘in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily,’ who … fulfilled His mission of unfathomable see next page The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

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The time has come to be ready for those opportunities.

Will you be part of the venture?

The kickoff of the 100th celebration was held in St. Louis in October 2016.

Will you prayerfully support it?

love and immeasurable mercy, giving His own holy be according to body, shedding His own precious blood, raising up the measure of the down-trodden masses of sin-sick humanity, and man, since the ushering in the happy existence of the new age that Lord delights dawned upon the earth when He came—in Him the when even one sinner comes to world saw God ….” grace.

Even the passing of Dr. Maier Truth be told, there never can be an end to the in January of 1950 did not halt Truth be told, need for Gospel proclamation until the moment the program’s progress. So there never can the Lord returns. That means the time grows short goes the work of God with a as that day nears, and the necessity to spread the message that is timelessly lifebe an end to the Good News in Christ becomes all the more urgent. changing. An abundant string need for Gospel Go online at lhm.org to discover and trace the of messages kept the Message proclamation until current means by which the Word is shared with going evwe forward, through the broken hearted, the dejected, the fearful, the successive fulltime speakers the moment the confused, and even with those who think they Dr. Lawrence Acker and Rev. Lord returns.

Armin Oldsen, Dr. Andrew have all the man-fabricated answers to life but Melendez in Spanish, then are merely fooling themselves. Hug the concept Dr. Oswald Hoffmann, Associate Speaker, Dr. Wallace of THRED which promises to launch the ministries Schulz, also Dr. Dale Meyer, Pastor Ken Klaus, and into a new era in outreach adapted to the yearning currently the Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz. many “searchers” have in their quest for meaningful It could be said that the LLL and its Lutheran Hour perspectives (see THRED.org). Listen to The Lutheran Ministries came of age in the 1930s, matured in the Hour each week or online at your convenience for the 1940s, and advanced internationally in the 1950s and counsel of God’s Word. Enjoy past broadcasts, too, and 1960s with expansion to offices overseas. But that would share those with others in need who are nearby. Share NOTES: 1. See page 534, What Luther Says, A Practical In-Home Anthology for the Active Christian, compiled by Ewald M. Plass, Concordia Publishing House 1994 (10th printing).

2. Pfotenhauer’s letter of January 28, 1919, is preserved in the Research Center Archives of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League at its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri.

3. The quote is taken from a scripted talk that is preserved in the LLL’s Research Center Archives located at the LLL headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri.

4. The Lutheran Witness dated October 23, 1923, page 348. Synod resolved in June of 1923 to get the work done regarding the improvements and renovations at Synodical institutions of higher learning. The St. Louis Seminary was one of those sites.

5. Taken from the two-page report in The Lutheran Witness for November 6, 1923, written by John H.C. Fritz, first Dean of Students at the St. Louis Seminary.

6. Ibid., issue dated January 15, 1924, page 30.

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DVDs of special intent, brimming with the Good News only God can provide. Glory in past episodes of This is the Life, the power-packed television program that marked a milestone in religious broadcasting. Examine the exciting new features of outreach as reported on the pages of the very paper you read right now!

A full century of these successes soon will be realized.

And then comes—the NEXT century with all the promise it holds and all the opportunities it may offer.

The time has come to be ready for those opportunities. Will you be part of the venture? Will you prayerfully support it? n The Int’l LLL and its Lutheran Hour Ministries are online at lhm.org. For ideas how you or your congregation can celebrate the 100th anniversary, see back cover.

Dr. Gerald Perschbacher serves as editor of The Lutheran Layman and is founder and manager of the LHM Research Center Archives.

7. Ibid., issue dated January 29, 1924, pages 37-39.

8. Ibid., page 49.

9. The prophetic words of Dean Fritz are conveyed on page 59 of The Lutheran Witness, dated February 12, 1924. Under the bold title Broadcasting Station at St. Louis, he prompted readers to wait, anticipate, and increase the funding to make a station successful.

With the increasing interest in radio and with a fund already in reserve, the idea had energy behind it—and supporters to match.

10. The Lutheran Witness, issue dated December 19, 1922, page 407. With a mind of a true theologian, Dr. Theodore Graebner (who later became the first editor of The Lutheran Layman) took a very human invention and applied theological implications. The article shows how events and inventions gave preachers and teachers the opportunity to apply a Bible-rooted heavenly perspective.

,

Projects for Men s NetWork WORK DAY, April 29

by Paul Schreiber

The fifth annual Men’s NetWork WORK DAY is only a few weeks away.

After open registration was announced in a recent Men’s NetWork e-newsletter, we received notification from our first group for the April 29 event. Luke Lindsay signed up a 12-person team from Zion Lutheran Church, an LCMS congregation in Hillsboro, Kansas. At present, the group is brainstorming ideas on ways to increase the community impact—and outreach—of its project.

As you likely know already, the Men’s NetWork WORK DAY is a great opportunity for men’s groups, Bible study groups, or just a group of buddies to get together and lend a hand in their neighborhoods and communities around the country. As always, we strongly encourage groups to do projects away from the default choices of in-house church jobs. We emphasize doing work beyond church and school campuses for a couple of reasons: 1) there may be groups within your church that can take care of whatever the church or school might need (or, if not, that project can be done by your group at another time) and 2) we want this annual day of work to be specifically—as much as possible—a day where people outside the church reap the benefits of your Christ-centered service.

The reasons for this off-campus preference are simple: your efforts build a trust between your group (your church) and those receiving

your work, and your finished project is a lasting reminder of why you did it in the first place: your love for your Savior.

As you seek project inspiration for your group this year, consider hw it will both benefit and inspire others.

What your group does through its faith and outreach will motivate and encourage everyone involved in ways you may find surprising.

So as we head into Spring 2017, what are the WORK DAY possibilities for your group? Any neighborhood storm damage your group can help tidy up? What about local community beautification efforts like graffiti clean-up or some gig for the Parks Department? Anybody in your group know the friend of a friend of a friend (i.e. someone far removed from church, with limited means, and little hope of receiving help), who can use a hand? He or she or they might have just the right task for the skills sets of your group. There’s little doubt that work abounds, and sometimes looking at things from a different angle can reveal some pressing needs.

Visit lhm.org/men/workday to find out more and sign up today!

There you will find a customizable flyer to post your project; a link to our Facebook page dedicated to WORK DAY; bulletin inserts to rally the troops at church; and even project suggestions, if your group is stumped on what to do.

Did we mention that every group

Pictures on this page show the activity of volunteers at a recent work day.

registering for this year’s WORK DAY will receive FREE Men’s NetWork caps for their entire team?

Remember, too, that after your WORK DAY event is complete to be sure to send us some photos of what

your group did, including a shot or two of those who did the work. This is valuable in many ways. It allows us to brag on your group through our publications, and it inspires others by your service. n

Paul Schreiber reports on the impact of LHM’s ministry work in the United States.

5TH ANNUAL

On April 29, 2017, the fifth annual Men’s NetWork WORK DAY will take place! Join men from around the country as they serve their communities and neighborhoods, targeting needs with outreach.

Visit lhm.org/men/workday to find out more and sign up today!

SATURDAY, APRIL 29 The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

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Q &

A

an age of social media and remote communication how do we achieve a corresponding level of familiarity with those we’re in conversation with? Can we?

“For those who were raised with the internet and social media, utilizing these technologies to build relationships and participate in meaningful conversations is natural. The distinction between face-toface communication and online communication is less distinct among the internet generation. In the same way that many adults use the telephone as a way to maintain and deepen relationships at a distance, the internet generation uses texting and social media.”

with REV. DR. ANTHONY (TONY) COOK

T

he director of United States Ministries (USM) provides leadership and operational management in the direction, strategies, and initiatives for LHM’s efforts in North America. In 2016 Rev. Dr. Anthony (Tony) Cook accepted this position.

As such, he oversees programs like The Lutheran Hour and future television programs, as well as resources like Project Connect topical booklets, the Men’s NetWork, Daily Devotions, MISSION U, GodConnects, video-based Bible studies, and more.

Recently, we visited with Cook to get some feedback on his career, his hopes for USM, the challenges of ministry in the 21st century, and why LHM is a good fit for him.

Can you give us a little background on your career path before your arrival at Lutheran Hour Ministries?

“Before coming to LHM, I was an associate professor of practical theology at Concordia Seminary, in St. Louis, specializing in education, pastoral theology, leadership, and postmodern studies. This included teaching courses on preaching to postmoderns, post-liberal theology, and emerging Christianity. I also served as the Seminary’s director of curriculum design and development.

“All totaled I have 22 years of ministry experience.

In addition to being a parish pastor, I’ve spent 17 years in curriculum design and development, synchronous distance learning, internet technologies, distance curricula, educational technology, leadership, and sharing the Gospel through various forms of multimedia. I completed a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Saint Louis University and took an M.Div. from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.”

What prompted you to consider LHM as an employer and specifically the position as director of USM? “Lutheran Hour Ministries’ unwavering focus on Gospel proclamation was a huge draw. While I focused on outreach as a pastor and taught about outreach as a seminary professor, LHM presented me with the occasion to focus my efforts on outreach full time.”

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The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

What do you see is the largest challenge facing LHM?

Gospel Outreach Tops His Priority List Per your background and expertise, what skills and experiences do you hope to utilize in your work as USM director?

“I hope to use my background in theology, curriculum design, and online education to its fullest at LHM. I believe God is giving me the chance to utilize my various skills and experiences to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

With the launch of THRED in 2017, how effective do you think this effort will be in interfacing with people peripheral to the church and, better still, in connecting them with a community of believers?

“I believe THRED will be an effective online media resource to help people gain a hearing for the Gospel in a new social space. With vast numbers of people turning to the internet to find answers to life’s questions, there’s a tremendous opportunity for Christians to provide a Gospel-based message and, ultimately, a personal connection to a Christian community for those who might be apprehensive to enter a church building.”

While traditional paradigms of personal evangelism might conceive of face-to-face encounters as the primary way the Gospel is shared, in

“Like all Christian organizations, I believe the biggest challenge is gaining a hearing for the Gospel in a growing post-church age. The church has lost its central position in society, and we need to learn how to minister from and in the margins of society.”

Where do you see USM in terms of mission and programs in two years? Five years?

“I believe LHM is entering a golden age of outreach. While it might seem overwhelming to some, I believe the time is ripe to gain a hearing for the Gospel. As a lay organization, LHM reaches down into the daily lives of people across the world. We are committed over the next five years to engage, encourage, and equip the people of the church to share the Gospel in a powerful way in their daily lives.”

What areas of your work in USM do you find most rewarding?

“One of the most rewarding things about working for LHM is hearing from people who have been impacted by our Gospel outreach. The stories we receive of God’s Word deeply resonating in people’s lives as a result of our work—both in North America and overseas—always inspire me to find new and innovative ways of reaching out.”

What is the most demanding thing about your work at LHM? “The most demanding thing at LHM is deciding which good thing to do next. There are so many projects and opportunities with potential that it’s a continuous challenge to determine which one best meets our strategic priorities.”

How does your work at LHM fit with your personal drive to engage in outreach?

“Lutheran Hour Ministries allows me to be involved in outreach each and every day. I feel that working at LHM helps me keep the first thing first.” n

ON THE MOVE

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

Practice Reformation

T

wice in a recent two-month “reverence, awe, and wonder” meanperiod I had the opportunity ing of the word. No, these people were to visit a very special display afraid of God—so much so that much of at the Minneapolis Institute of Art their lives were devoted to acts meant focused on Martin Luther and the to gain God’s favor. Pilgrimages, venReformation. The first time I was erating relics, purchasing indulgences, able to attend with some of “doing penance,” even my adult children. My secBecause of times of worship and ond visit was with the memprayer were offered in bers of my small group from what Christ has an attempt to “balance church. scales of righteousdone for us we the During both visits I was ness” and so shorten treated to room after room can live the their time in purgatory. filled with artifacts from the During part of his early Reformation life Luther gave himself life and times of Luther: the table and kneeler he used whole-heartily to such every day during his time at Wartan effort. His approach burg Castle, the pulpit from to life as an Augustinian which he preached his final sermon, monk was most rigorous, and still he books containing his hand-written was afraid that he had not done enough notes, and even a chest used by the to appease an angry God. church in Rome to collect money Why the history lesson? Because in from the sale of indulgences. I could my trip to the exhibit of Reformation have visited many more times and artifacts I realized that what was missstill not seen all there was to see. ing for many people was the message of It really was inspiring, so much so the Reformation. All these “good works,” that the members of my small group done out of fear, were really self-serving chose to dig deeper into the Refor- acts meant to mitigate punishment or mation using the DVD study series secure a place in heaven. Self-service produced by Lutheran Hour Minis- is the very opposite of the Good News tries. I commend this tremendous that we have been saved by God’s grace resource for your church or Bible alone through faith in the sacrificial life, study group! death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As our group studied the time Remember how the Apostle Paul stated period we were struck by the pre- this in 2 Corinthians 5:15—“He died for vailing sense of fear that thoughts all people so that those who live should of God inspired in people. Not the no longer live for themselves but for the

One who died and was brought back to life for them.” That is the message of the Reformation—God has served us, freeing us from guilt and fear, and has called and gifted us to live this message by serving others in His Name.

What a powerful promise! What a hope we have! Each day we rise in the promise of our Baptism and respond to opportunities to live this hope without fear of an angry God. Our words and actions no longer reflect a self-centered attempt to

balance the scales of God’s justice— Christ has done that on our behalf.

The decisions and choices we make as individuals and as congregations can focus beyond our narrow self-interests and instead seek to serve people who still live in fear. Because of what Christ has done for us we can live the Reformation every day, dedicating all that we have been given to the task of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. n

Read page 23 for more about the third installnent in the DVD set of Martin (A Man Named Martin—Part Three).

The Journey home This 12-part Bible study draws inspiration from Luke’s “Parable of the Prodigal Son.” Written for those in prison, or who have done time in the past, this study has a universal application for everyone: it reminds us that no one is beyond the saving power of God’s grace.

Purchase The Journey Home today!

Visit shoplhm.org to purchase a single copy of the study for $5.00.

Or save HALF-OFF by buying a bundle of 10 for only $25.00!

For inspiration on how to use this resource, please visit lhm.org/journeyhome today!

Price does not include shipping and handling. Offer valid in the U.S. only.

The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

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2017 Election:

Candidates

Int’l LLL Board of Directors for the

The following individuals are this year’s candidates for open positions on the Int’l LLL Board of Directors in compliance with Article III of the current Bylaws. Contributing members of the ministry who registered with Lutheran Hour Ministries’ headquarters by March 15 will be able to vote in the 2017 election (as long as they are also members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod or Lutheran Church—Canada). The election runs from April 15 through May 15. To be counted, online votes must be received or paper ballots must be postmarked by May 15. Results will be reported this summer in The Lutheran Layman.

n i e c i o V a e v a H y r t s i n i M l e p s o G

For Vice Chairman: (listed in alphabetical order; vote for one) Jack Ficken of Fairview, Tennessee Ficken (married, father of two) has been a financial associate with Thrivent since 1995. He earned his degree from the University of Missouri and was executive vice president of a non-profit association, where he concentrated on strategic planning, fundraising/budgeting, membership growth, and convention planning. Currently on the Int’l LLL Board of Directors and an Ambassador, Ficken’s previous church-related involvement includes serving as LLL district president, on the Mid-South LCMS district board, and as past president and elder for his congregation. He has received numerous industry and Thrivent awards for sales and service and was inducted into Thrivent’s Hall of Fame.

Gene Partlow of Williamsburg, Virginia Partlow is management consultant, has been expert witness in court, and was previously VP of Boeing, Lucent Technologies, and AT&T. He is vice chair for the Int’l LLL Board and a member of LHM’s National Leadership Council, serves his church and LCMS district, and was president of two previous congregations. He served on boards for Transforming Churches Network and Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey and was honored as Volunteer of the Year by Thrivent and New Jersey Citizens for Life. Married (father of six), Partlow earned a B.S. degree from the University of Illinois and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University.

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For Director: (listed in alphabetical order; vote for three) Richard “Dick” Gast of Mission Viejo, California Gast is president/executive recruiter of Richard Gast & Associates LTD, and is married (father of three). His degree is in business administration (attended the University of Wisconsin and Madison Business College). For 27 years Gast has co-chaired the Petal Pushers volunteers associated with the LHM Float Committee of which he is general chair. Currently on the Int’l LLL Board, he previously was a member-at-large for the Int’l LLL Board of Governors. Among honors for him and his wife are the 1997 Aquila Award from CPH as volunteers of the year and the Great Commission Award presented by Concordia University Irvine.

Jonathan Laabs of Roselle, Illinois Laabs has been executive director of Lutheran Education Association for 20 years, overseeing all functions of the organization, working with its board of directors, and acting as key liaison with church and secular organizations. He previously was an associate professor of education and director of teacher education at Concordia University Ann Arbor after serving as a Lutheran school administrator. Named Educator of the Year in 2002 by the New York Lutheran School Association, his extensive service includes dozens of leadership positions at the congregational, district, and national levels, as well as consulting, speaking, and travel experience globally on six continents.

Leonard Pranschke of St. Louis, Missouri Pranschke has 40 years of law practice and specializes in legal counsel to various tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. Currently serving on the Int’l LLL Board, he was honored among the “Best Lawyers in America, nonprofit/charities” the past five years, including “Lawyer of the Year, nonprofit/charities, 2014—St. Louis”. He holds a B.A. in German from Valparaiso University and a J.D. in Law from Valparaiso’s School of Law. Pranschke is a member of the St. Louis, Mo. and American Bar Associations, as well as several other civic organizations. He has five sons and served on the board of education for his congregation.

Karen Soeken of Ellicott City, Maryland Soeken retired from the University of Maryland’s School of Nursing after nearly 30 years teaching graduate-level courses in research methods and statistics. She earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mathematics, psychology, and theological studies from Valparaiso University, the University of Maryland, and Wesley Seminary. Currently a trustee for the LHM Foundation, Soeken served on The Lutheran Hour Speaker search committee in 2001. Married (mother of two), she serves on the board for the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia following numerous leadership roles at the zone, district, and national levels of LWML and within her congregation and LCMS district.

Janice Wendorf of Grafton, Wisconsin Wendorf serves the Int’l LLL Board as secretary and was previously on the board of regents for Concordia University Wisconsin and Concordia University Ann Arbor. In addition to being LWML’s national president (2007-2011), she served at all levels of LWML as well as an advisory member to LCMS Board for Mission Services. She received the Christus in Mundo Award from Concordia University Wisconsin for exemplary Christian outreach/service. She graduated from Concordia Teacher’s College (now Concordia University Chicago) and taught at Lutheran high schools in St. Louis and Ft. Wayne. Wendorf is married and the mother of three (grandmother of 10).

For Canadian Director: (listed in alphabetical order; vote for one)

Floyd Schneider of Calgary, Alberta

Schneider is a self-employed financial representative who educates clients on protecting their families through various life products and investment options. He previously was a financial representative for FaithLife Financial and administrative supervisor for The Co-operators following five years with Lutheran schools in Milwaukee and Northwest Chicago teaching grades three through six and serving as a minister of youth. An LLL member for nearly 40 years, he has served as his congregation’s LLL group president as well as its chair of the board of trustees. Married (four children), Schneider also chaired the boards of elders and stewardship at a previous congregation.

Andreas Schwabe of Edmonton, Alberta As a strategic communications consultant, Schwabe leads clients through communications policy, decisions, research, and development of processes and materials. Currently on the Int’l LLL Board, he previously was aide to the president of Concordia College of Alberta and director of digital media for the Edmonton Oilers hockey club. He has worked as a writer/editor, journalist, and producer in radio, television, and print.

Married to Caroline, Schwabe serves his congregation as vice president (previously was elder and study leader). He earned degrees in English and radio-television arts, has produced albums, and frequently discusses technology and communication theory on regional radio programs.

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Bylaws Changes

Proposed for 2017 Election

During the 2017 election that runs from April 15 through May 15, International Lutheran Laymen’s League/Lutheran Hour Ministries’ members who have registered to vote will weigh in on two proposed Bylaws changes in addition to voting for open positions on the Board of Directors. Below is a short explanation of the changes that the Board recommends for adoption and has approved to appear on the ballot.

BYLAWS CHANGE #1

BYLAWS CHANGE #2

Since the original governance changes were implemented in 2012, the membership has voted for either the office of Chairman or Vice Chairman each year in addition to open Director positions on the Board. Starting with the 2018 election, the Board proposes eliminating the separate election of Chairman and Vice Chairman and giving the Board the authority to appoint these Officer positions annually from among sitting Board members who have been elected by the voting membership (just as the Board already does for the Officer positions of Secretary and Treasurer). This change will:

In addition, a number of revisions of a stylistic nature are also included and indicated in red. These changes do not reflect changes to Int’l LLL policies or procedures. Instead, they serve to create internal consistency and linguistic clarity within the Bylaws.

• Simplify terms of service by placing all 14 Board positions (Officers and Directors) on staggered three-year cycles instead of having two-year terms interspersed for just the Chairman and Vice Chairman.

• Align with Board best practies for most nonprofit organizations today that already appoint all Officer positions from its pool of elected Board members.

• Remove the current system requiring two top candidates to run for the position of Chairman or Vice Chairman in each election, resulting in one of these candidates being eliminated entirely from serving on the Board at that time. This proposed change will allow both candidates to potentially be elected to the Board and then be considered for all four Officer positions by sitting Board members.

The sections of the Bylaws that are affected by this proposed change are listed below. Text to be deleted is indicated by a strikethrough, and text to be added is indicated by an underline. All changes related to this item are indicated in blue.

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A copy of the full Bylaws can be found online at www.lhm.org/about/board.asp.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO BYLAWS For Inclusion in 2017 Election

ARTICLE II – Structure Section B—The League is served by the International Board of Directors which oversees and guides the overall direction of the League and its Lutheran Hour Ministries. Board members must be members of the organizationLeague.

ARTICLE III – Board Composition and Functions Section B—Board Composition. The Board is made up of fourteen (14) elected individuals: a Chairman, Vice Chairman, and twelve (12) other Board Members. A Secretary and a Treasurer shall be chosen from the 12 other Board Members. A Pastoral Advisor who is an ordained clergyman in good standing with the LCMS or LCC and a member of the League shall be appointed by the Board to serve as the spiritual leader of the Board and as a non-voting member. The President & CEO is an ex-officio member with voice but no vote on the Board. At least one elected member of the Board will be a resident of Canada and a member of an LCC congregation. Liaisons from the LCMS and LCC, as approved by the Board, may attend and speak at meetings of the Board, but carry no vote.

Section C—Meetings. The Board will meet as often as specified by Policy, but no less than four times a year, including an annual meeting of the Board as required by Missouri law. Locations, dates, and agendas may be determined by Policy. Major actions of the Board shall be reported to the membership through a timely official communication. A majority of those individuals in office at the time shall be necessary to constitute a quorum and in every case an affirmative vote of a majority of these Board members present at a meeting shall be necessary for the taking of any action. Liaisons from the LCMS and LCC, as approved by the Board, may attend and speak at meetings of the Board, but carry no vote.

Section E— Committees. The Board shall form six standing committees: the Audit Committee; the Budget and Finance Committee; the Board Development Committee; the Fund Development Committee; the Compensation and Evaluation Committee (dealing with the President & CEO and potential employee matters); and the Nominations Committee. At least two members of each committee will be elected Board Members, and other members of the League may be appointed from outside the Board by a majority of the Directors. Other committees of short duration may be formed by the Board with specific functions. All committees report to the Board.

All committees shall adhere to the requirements of Sections 355.376 to 355.401 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, which govern meetings, action without meetings, notice and waiver of notice, and quorum and voting requirements of the Board, which apply to committees of the Board and committee members as well, pursuant to Section 355.406 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. The Board may designate one or more standing or special Committees to direct the business of the Corporation. Each such Committee may exercise the authority granted to it by the Board’s enabling resolution.

1. 1. The Audit Committee shall assist the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. The Audit Committee shall consist of no less than three members who possess a basic understanding of finance and accounting and be able to read and

understand fundamental financial statements, and at least one member of the Audit Committee shall have accounting or related financial management expertise. The Audit Committee shall meet no less than two times per year and have those authorities spelled out in policy.

2. 1. The Nominations Committee shall consist of five members: the chairman shall be selected by the Board; two Board Members shall be selected whose term of office extends to include the appointment period, who are nominated by the Chairman of the Board and approved by the Board; and two additional members of the League appointed from outside the current Board (these may be former Board members) who are nominated by the Chairman of the Board, with Board approval. The committee serves for a 12- month period from the time of appointment. The committee will follow Board Policy and specific criteria for selecting proposing nominees to run for positions the Board of Directors.

3. The Nominations Committee will establish procedures for nomination by petition of members for candidates for all elected positions election to the Board of Directors, such procedures to be approved by the Board. The Board also has final approval on the slate of Board candidates presented by the Nominations Committee.

Section F— Elections 1. Voting - Eligible members of the League shall have authority to vote for the election of Directors, and officers other than the Secretary and Treasurer, and to vote on any proposal submitted to the membership. In order to be eligible to vote, a member must register to vote with the League corporate office during the year of the election pursuant to the procedures set forth in Board Policy, and must comply with the balloting and voting procedures set forth in Board Policy. Official ballots shall be sent to members who are registered to vote and returned according to the procedures required by Section 355.266 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri.

Each member entitled to vote shall be entitled one (1) vote on all matters properly submitted to the membership. Except as otherwise provided by law, by the Articles of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, all action shall be decided by a majority vote of the members casting votes on a particular matter.

2. Procedures and Terms of Office i. Chairman and Vice Chairman - A multi-slate ballot of at least two male members will be prepared by the Nominations Committee under the guidance of the Board for qualified men for the positions of Chairman and Vice Chairman. These individuals will be elected for a two-year term of office and may be re-elected to a second consecutive term.ii.

Board Members - A multi-slate ballot will be prepared by the Nominations Committee under the guidance of the Board for capable men and women to serve as Board Members. The term of office for the 1214 positions of the Board shall be three years, and an individual may run for consecutive re-election only once. Terms are on a staggered basis, so that each year four in two out of three years five people (one-third of the Board Members) are elected or re-, and in one out of three years four people are elected. Because the League is an auxiliary of LCC, it is imperative that at least one Board seat always be filled by a nominee who is a Canadian resident and a communicant member of a congregation located in Canada. When the Canadian Board member’s seat is up for re-election, there shall be at least two Canadian nominees for the Canadian Board member seat. iii. Secretary and Treasurer - Candidates shall be selected from sitting members on the Board. The Nominations Committee shall present the candidates and shall prepare a ballot containing the names of the recommended candidates. The term of office shall be one year and there is no limit on number of re-elections. ivii. Additional Standards - After one or more intervening years off the Board, a candidate may be reconsidered for the same position eligible for election to the Board for an additional three-year term.

In the case of any person appointed by the Board to fill a vacancy, the partial term will not count towards the two-term limit. Each term of office is to coincide with the League’s fiscal year. To the extent an amendment to these Bylaws changes the length of time for any term of office, the Board shall, in Policy, decide at what point in time such change becomes effective, whether during an existing term of office or once the existing term of office expires or becomes vacant.

viii. Vacancies - Vacancies in any of on the offices Board occasioned by death, resignation, disqualification, incapacity, or any reason other than normal expiration of term of office,- shall be filled by election by the Board. A person elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term of office to which he has been elected and qualified.

The length of time served by any officer elected to fill a vacancy shall be disregarded in determining the number of terms to which an individual may be elected to such office of the League. In the event a vacancy shall occur in the office of Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall succeed to the office of Chairman and serve out the unexpired term.

Section G – Officers. The Board of Directors shall elect the officers of the League. Such election shall take place at a duly called and convened meeting of the Board of Directors. The officers of the League shall be a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, who are members of the Board of Directors, and whose duties and responsibilities shall be set forth in Board Policy. The positions of Chairman and Vice Chairman must be filled by male members of the Board. No person may simultaneously hold more than one office at a time. In case any office of the League becomes vacant for any reason, the majority of the Directors then in office may elect a member of the Board to fill such vacancy, and the officer so elected shall hold office and serve until the election of a successor. Each elected officer shall serve a term of one year or until his or her successor shall be elected and qualified.

ARTICLE V – Miscellaneous Section E - Removal from Office. The members may remove any officer at any time whenever in its judgment the best interests of the League will be served thereby. The members may remove one or more directors or officers elected by them by mailin ballot in accordance with Article III, Section F of these Bylaws and Section 355.266 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. A director elected by the Board may be removed whenever in its judgment the best interests of the League will be served thereby by the vote of two-thirds of the directors then in office, however, a director elected by the Board to fill the vacancy of a director elected by the members, may be removed without cause by the members, but not the Board.

The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

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The Gospel Took Center Stage on the Float

M o 0 >

< 36

illions of people around the world saw the Christ-centered message of “Faith alone, Grace alone, Scripture alone” as this year’s Lutheran Hour Ministries was featured by the news media on January 2 in the Pasadena, California, Tournament of Roses Parade. What was it like to ride on the Rose Parade float? Gain a 360 degree view (see photo left) of this year’s Lutheran Hour Ministries’ “Celebrate Jesus” float on LHM’s YouTube channel

Lutheran Women’s Missionary League President Patti Ross (left) was one of the volunteer Petal Pushers. Here she decorates the top of the float.

(youtu.be/xelOjiWj0w4). The float recognized LHM’s 100th anniversary as well as the 500th of the Reformation. Riders included the Speaker of The Lutheran Hour Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz and his wife Yvette, Concordia Seminary President Dr. Dale Meyer, and LWML President Patti Ross. For 67 years, LHM’s Southern California District has sponsored a float in the parade and volunteers from all over the country join the Petal Pushers® to decorate this and other floats.

The 2017 parade theme was Echoes of Success. n

Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz (standing at left), Speaker of The Lutheran Hour, delivered a special Sunday message to the crowd as the float neared the time of its grand 2017 debut in the parade.

Petal Pusher volunteers number more than 4,000 and include a significant number of youth from various parts of North America.

The magnificent float saluted the 100th anniversary of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League and its Lutheran Hour Ministries. It also made note of the approaching 500th anniversary of the Reformation with a simulated tower and dome of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

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The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

A multi-level media stand dominated a portion of the parade route as reporters and video journalists recorded the string of units that paraded past the viewing stands.

The LLL/LHM float has taken different form each time it was entered in the parade over seven decades. For more about Petal Pushers, go online to www.lhm.org.

Realities and Aspirations

by Brad Neathery

It may be said that our lives are a constant tug-of-war between what we aspire to do and the realities that often get in our way. Perhaps we aspire to travel the world, but fear of flying gets in the way. Or we might aspire to achieve great athletic feats, but the reality is that our physical bodies may not make that possible.

One of the most common examples of this earthly struggle comes in the reality of finances.

Many Christians aspire to use God’s blessings to give to others and proclaim the life-saving

Gospel. At the same time, they are aware of responsibilities to provide security for themselves and their own loved ones. Charitable gift annuities are one option to make this aspiration possible while also addressing the reality. A charitable gift annuity allows you to support Gospel ministry while providing a guaranteed income for your life and the life of one other person.

Here’s how a charitable gift annuity works: 1. You make a gift with assets such as cash, appreciated stock, or appreciated mutual funds.

2. Based on the terms of your charitable gift annuity, Lutheran Hour Ministries will guarantee a stream of income for the duration of up to two lives. You may also be eligible for a tax deduction for your gift today.

3. Once the terms of the charitable gift annuity come to an end, the remainder of the charitable gift annuity can go to support Gospel outreach through Lutheran Hour Ministries.

If this sounds simple, that’s the whole idea!

Charitable gift annuities are simpler than many other types of planned gifts and often require only a simple contract to execute the agreement between you and Lutheran Hour Ministries. You can set up a charitable gift annuity with Lutheran Hour Ministries with as little as $5,000.

If you aspire to support Gospel ministry into the future, but need to provide for loved ones today, Lutheran Hour Ministries would be glad to talk to you about whether a charitable gift annuity is the right option. We can even provide a personalized illustration at no cost or obligation to you.

To find out more, contact Lutheran Hour Ministries at lhm-gift@lhm.org or 1-877-333-1963 or go online at lhm.org/giftplan. n

Brad Neathery works with philanthropic supporters of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

RECEIVE GUARANTEED

LCMS Promotes Church Planting INCOME TODAY LHM is grateful to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod for generous support of last October’s 100th Anniversary Kickoff Celebration. For your information, here is a special article detailing how the LCMS is at work in special ways.

Ministry to immigrants and refugees, racial reconciliation in a nation divided, urban renewal and revitalization, outreach to the “none’s” in our cities and college campuses, affirming life through caring for the very least among us — it’s all happening right now in The

Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod through Mission Field: USA. New missions to new people in new places as the LCMS Office of National Mission is working with its districts to assist in their church planting efforts.

Mission Field: USA utilizes data from demographic studies and other sources to inform and equip districts and congregations in the endeavor of church planting. But the heart of the mission is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The mission of the Church is always focused and founded on the Word and the Sacraments. The Mission of God is incarnational and sacramental. The Father sent the Son to save the world. Jesus became sin for us, to reconcile us to the Father. The Father and the Son send the Spirit to gather the Church through the preaching of Christ. God works through means to see page 24

and

support

Gospel ministry in the

future!

If you want to support God’s mission, but need to ensure stable income, a charitable gift annuity is a great solution. You can make a gift to a charity and receive a lifetime of income for yourself or others!

To find out more, contact Lutheran Hour Ministries at lhm-gift@lhm.org or 1-877-333-1963.

The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

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Expands into Online Outreach Lessons

by Paul Schreiber

Coming this summer Lutheran Hour Ministries will be taking its popular MISSION U curriculum of courses to a new level. MISSION U’s workshop-based instruction, which has been used successfully for more than a decade, will transition its content into a Learning Management System (LMS)—otherwise known as an e-learning format.

According to Rev. Dr. Tony Cook, who directs United States Ministries for LHM, “In order to reach more people with the content of our workshops as well as new content designed to help you share the Gospel with family and friends in your daily life, we are launching an online learning community in which we’ll be offering five courses a year—three of which will be specifically targeted at sharing your faith in your daily life.”

Previously, MISSION U’s centerpiece was its instructor-led workshops, which were typically held onsite at churches, and most often with a Saturday morning or afternoon timeframe. During these informal seminars, one of LHM’s expert presenters would work through the material, conversing with attendees on course topics such as “Everyday Evangelism” or “Tough Questions.” Attendees would work through materials, break out into smaller groups, role play in some instances, and glean Biblical insights from the LHM presenter and others in attendance.

The evolution of MISSION U’s future course lineup will be significant, with fresh courses added each year. At present, MISSION U’s existing courses are under review and content is being consolidated to tighten the material, tweaking where necessary. Additionally, new courses are in the works for the summer rollout. “One is sharing faith stories, which is a course. Another is intergenerational mentoring, and a third will be a course on utilizing social media to share your faith. So those are three of the five for this year. Each course will feature three to six individual lessons that will include embedded videos, relevant Scripture texts, short-answer questions, and space for personal reflection and journaling,” says Cook.

The most noticeable change for those familiar with MISSION U as it now stands will be the way users access the content, but that won’t be too much of a stretch for most people. Rather than attend a MISSION U workshop, all course material will be online. Cook sees the new structure and format as posing no problems to users—regardless of their familiarity with the internet. “I don’t think that’s an issue. I think most people are familiar with turning

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The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

to the internet for information. And the technology while individuals and large groups can supplement we’re using is extremely user-friendly and has ease that, it’s the small group interaction that seems to of accessibility. So the bar is not much higher than be most effective,” Cook adds. using a normal website.”

Cook and other U.S. Ministries staff involved in The pluses of group learning familthis project are confident this deiar to those who have participated of MISSION U will prove I think most people velopment in MISSION U will still be available. highly beneficial to those using the “We’re including a facilitator discusare familiar with program to empower their individusion sheet, so if you want to study in al witness. turning to the a group the facilitator has questions Cook concludes, “This fits into the to ask. While the teaching’s done internet for way that adults learn, so I think it’s through the LMS to the individumore responsive to the parishioners information. And al, a group can decide to come tothat pastors have. We’re designing it gether with a person as a facilitator. the technology around adult learning principles so Then, using the discussion sheet as that it’s a safe environment where we’re using a guide, they can talk through what they can learn with confidence and they’ve learned and their responses is extremely not have the pressure of a classroom to the questions and interactions as environment. On the other hand, user-friendly a group. they can still use them in a group, “So you can have your own learnand has ease of or a pastor can have his people utiing community within your conlize the content for a Sunday Bible accessibility. gregation, a group of people, or you study, where he’s the facilitator of can simply do it as an individual. We discussion. So we’re actually providwant both levels of interaction since a lot of edu- ing pastors with resources in a timelier manner that cation in the congregation is done in small groups. are more relevant and definitely cover a wider topIn fact, the research we looked at from the Barna ic range. I mean, essentially, we taught one course Group and elsewhere demonstrated that disciple- for 11 years and now we’re going to try to offer five ship, education, spiritual formation—out of all the courses every year. I think with the expanded catadifferent venues it could be done—it appears to log of offerings pastors are going to find much that be most effective when done in small groups. And is helpful.” n

ON THE MOVE

by Kurt Buchholz, President & CEO, Lutheran Hour Ministries

Do Not Be Afraid—Be Intentional As we launch into a new calendar year, conversation often moves to resolutions and commitments to change. We believe we know our faults and recommit ourselves to start anew. Annual self-evaluation leads us to potential new insights and new opportunities.

This all sounds good to me, in theory, but in actual execution we know that our resolutions rarely lead to lasting change. I recently read a study (on the internet, which normally wouldn’t be the best indicator of truth, but it’s good enough for my purposes here) that said that more than 40% of North Americans make New Year’s resolutions, while only 9% feel that they actually achieve their goals.

So why do we even bother? While the above statistics seem to be working against us, that same study also points out that those of us who explicitly make resolutions are ten times more likely to attain our goals than people who don’t.

“Pray for LHM and your fellow Christians who

make up this vital ministry, that together we may run the race that God has placed before us.

”

What does this mean for a royal priesthood who follows an unchanging Christ as we live out His plan for salvation? Why do we bother when we know that Christ died and rose conquering death for all eternity, bestowing absolute forgiveness and a promise of eternal life with Him? What is left to do?

Our New Year’s resolutions tend to come from a fear of the consequences of inaction. If I don’t lose weight I may never get to hold my grandchild, if I don’t get that training I will be stuck in an unsatisfying job forever, or if I don’t invest in more “me-time” I will not be happy. But in our Christian walk, we are constantly reminded that when we look at how we are called to be and act in this new year, we should not act because we are afraid.

You can probably pull out some of the 100+ verses of the Bible where God or His messenger bids His people not to be afraid. Motivation from fear of anything—any hardship, or any consequences—apart from a healthy fear of God Himself, has no place in God’s plan for you in 2017.

I think a better way to look at our self-reflection and setting of goals might be to seek to be intentional. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul is intentional in declaring who God made and called him to be with all attached rights and privileges; intentional in claiming the freedom he has though Christ; and intentional in separating himself from being bound to the expectations, judgments, and social and religious “truths” of the day. That sounds like an empowering freeing of self to pursue happiness and self-definition, doesn’t it?

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 9 in its entirety. Paul rightfully declares his rights, but in verse 15 declares that for the sake of others who need the Gospel he has not used these rights: “But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this

boast.” In verse 19, he then claims his right to freedom yet declares his intentional servitude to others: “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.”

As we enter a new year as called and SENT people of God, let us be intentional about knowing who God has made us to be, knowing how He has saved us, and knowing what He has in store for our role in service and witness to others who do not yet know Him as their Savior.

At LHM, we are excited to be rolling out new training, resources, and programs that increase the engagement of Christians in building relationships with those who desperately need God’s message in their lives. Pray for LHM and your fellow Christians who make up this vital ministry, that together we may run the race that God has placed before us.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?

Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). n

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Iris de Vasquez, at left, is receptionist for the LHM ministry center in Venezuela.

Alexander Perez, at right, is director.

LHM Booklet Offers Hope in Time of Need

by Chad Fix

Venezuela is a South American country where the population consists of people from many different parts of the world. “Venezuela is a country very rich with natural resources and wonderful people.

It is unfortunate that in recent years the economy has spiraled completely out of control, and those who suffer the most are the common people,” says Dr. Douglas Rutt, who directs the International Ministries division of LHM. As a result, Lutheran Hour Ministries’ evangelistic activities there reach people by addressing everyday problems through outreach activities including short radio messages, Christian literature, and a Bible course aimed at connecting individuals with congregations.

Esteban is one individual in the city of Puerto La Cruz whose life was recently at a crossroads. His wife unexpectedly abandoned their home after four years of marriage and left him asking many questions about what had gone wrong.

His life was turning into a series of painful and difficult days, filled with negative feelings that produced great sorrow to the point of constant crying. One day he was feeling very depressed and spent several hours sitting on a bench in the

local square thinking about what was happening to him. Then, a young man approached and handed him a booklet titled How to Overcome Depression.

Esteban began to read the booklet with great interestand learned that it had been produced

by Lutheran HourMinistries. In that material he found out about the power of Christ’s love in the midst of the many conflicts and sadness that we all face at various times in our lives. As he finished reading the booklet he noticed an invitation from the ministry to visit their office to learn more about God’s Word.

When he got in direct contact with the ministry center staff, he quickly felt the support, fellowship, and love associated with Christ’s message of hope, which brought great relief to his many sorrows.

He began reading other booklets produced by the ministry and taking part in the center’s Bible Correspondence Courses that helped him learn about how Christ’s love could help him work through his sadness.

After several conversations, the LHM–Venezuela staff referred him to a local Christian church where the congregation members made him feel welcome. They offered him the support he was needing through one-on-one Bible studies and Christian messages filled with the power of God. Esteban soon became a member of the church and now regularly attends services. He says his life now has a different outlook when Christ is leading it with His great love. n Chad Fix oversees the corporate communications of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

‘Good News’ is Impacting Uganda’s Capital City It has been said that more than 90 percent of the world’s population has access to radio—and radio can cross borders and reach into the homes, workplaces, and cars of people almost anywhere in the world. This is one of the main reasons why radio continues to be an important strategy for LHM to be able to connect with the unreached around the world.

Locally-produced radio broadcasts have long been part of the outreach strategy for LHM–Uganda, known locally as Lutheran Media Ministry Uganda (LMMU). The ministry center airs community-based radio talk shows dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who do not believe, while also strengthening believers in their faith and preparing them to meet the challenges of the world today. More than 300,000 people have responded to the Gospel message through LMMU’s various forms of media over the past two decades.

The ministry center recently expanded the reach of its broadcasts into Kampala, Uganda’s capital city in a region with an estimated four million people.

Previous broadcast attempts on various stations in the city had been fruitless, and the new broadcasts did not lead to immediate success. Ministry staff were once again contemplating whether to suspend the broadcasts since they were not receiving any feedback, even after increased advertising. However, the staff has seen a remarkable turnaround over the last several weeks. Responses are coming in every day with people asking for booklets or information about the center’s Bible course or counseling.

“Your show has been a blessing in my life,” says Mukasa. “Today, after a long desire to visit your office, I finally made it. I heard you on the show offer some booklets about domestic violence that I would like to receive. My children and I are also interested in the Bible course booklets.”

“I’ve been having conflicts with my husband about some issues in our marriage,” says Birungi. “One Sunday morning, my husband turned on the radio and we heard you discussing something regarding dysfunctional families and you read a contact I stealthily wrote down. I reached out to your office to seek counseling. I will also convince my husband to come along the next time.”

“I recently converted to Christianity,” says Lubega. “One Sunday morning I came across your show when I switched on the radio. Since then I have not stopped listening to it. My heart was freed from fear. I gained courage and now I am ready to witness for Christ who saved.”

“What a joy it is to see people stop by our offices to appreciate the ministry center for the broadcasts, ask for booklets and counseling, while some even enroll for the Bible course as they seek the Living Hope who is Christ Jesus,” says the director of LMMU. “God is doing a new thing in our city, and it’s all thanks to our donors who faithfully give to support this mission work in our country. Thanks so much for your support and to God be the Glory!” n

“ My heart was freed from fear.

I gained courage and now I am ready to witness for Christ who saved.

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The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

by Chad Fix

”

Duda Left a Lasting Impression Dr. Elizabeth “Betty” Duda, a past international president of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (1987-1991), went to her Savior on Dec. 24 and was memorialized Dec. 27 in Oviedo, Florida.

The LWML reported Duda also had served as president of the Florida-Georgia LWML district. She was very mission-minded and upheld one main reason in her volunteer efforts: to glorify the Lord. She also wanted the LWML to become a stronger faith-and-service organization for the building up of God’s Kingdom by attracting and representing all Lutheran women.

“When we talk about serving the Lord with gladness—and I always add ‘and joy’—that’s how it is in the LWML. We are a mission organization. We’re dedicated to the Great Commission,” she said.

Duda also was an active supporter and leader in the Int’l LLL and its Lutheran Hour Ministries, serving in various capacities on high levels. Kurt Buchholz, president and CEO of LHM, says, “It has always been a joy to work in God’s harvest fields with Betty in many roles and relationships over the past two decades. Betty spoke and acted loudly and clearly on the centrality of telling the Good News and was outspoken in her encouragement to ministry leaders young and old in our church. She will be greatly missed until we are reunited in heaven. Lutheran Hour Ministries will miss her presence on our foun-

dation board and the tremendous impact her leadership provided.”

Kay Meyer, a current member of the Int’l LLL Board of Directors, recalls, “Betty Duda served the Lord and His people with gladness, grace, and thanksgiving for His many gifts, especially the gift of forgiveness and eternal life. The last time I visited with her was at the Lutheran Hour Ministries 100th anniversary celebration. Although I could see her health was failing, instead of talking about herself, she asked about me and about my family. Betty loved to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, serve the Lord, and was a wonderful example to me and to other friends and co-workers in God’s Kingdom. ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:11).”

Duda was a longtime benefactor of Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and had been on the Board of Regents.

Duda was born in Chicago and attended Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois. She taught at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church and School in Slavia, Florida. There she met her future husband, John.

Ministry Launches “We’ve entered an era of verbal warfare, thinking that words don’t really inflict injury—but they do. They have led to a greater divide in this country. An idea: what if we learned to use a posture and tone of dialogue online, instead of debate?”

This is the central idea of “What if I’m Wrong?”, a post written by Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Andrew Fitzgerald to inaugurate THRED, LHM’s new digital outreach project which went live February 1. “Dialogue is the idea,” says Fitzgerald. “It’s a place to go for open, honest conversation about life and faith—and Jesus. Our hope is that people who connect with THRED will engage with the content we’ve published on social media and the THRED.org website,” says Fitzgerald.

The short blog-style posts and in-depth articles cover an array of topics, from Relationships (including Marriage) to Society (including Community), to Personal Issues, to God, Faith and Christianity. Visitors will be encouraged to join conversations that begin in thought-pieces whose titles include “What’s My Convenience Worth?”, “Making Peace with a Violent World,” “Is Consumerism Really That Bad?”, “My First Trip to a Counselor,” and “The Day I Accidentally Rejected Christ.”

“There are many more,” adds Fitzgerald, “as well as an array of thought-provoking videos, including our THRED Dialogues series, which presents roundtable discussions—with both Christians and non-Christians—of actual things Jesus said.”

Visit THRED.org.

“I recall my first encounter with Betty in 1979,” says Dr. Gerald Perschbacher, editor of The Lutheran Layman. “Dr. Oswald Hoffmann was giving her a tour of the LLL headquarters then at 2185 Hampton Avenue, St. Louis. I had been on the LLL management staff only a few months, but our Speaker of The Lutheran Hour went out of his way to make the introduction. He briefly explained her work up to that date and how outstanding it must be in the Lord’s sight. Since then I saw Betty as a prime example of God’s grace and of her own special graciousness.”

Duda also served the LCMS and several of its various organizations.

Patti Ross, president of the LWML, remembers a quote from Betty: “I had no agenda, no political motivation at all. Everything I’ve done is to serve.” Ross adds, “We are sad to lose such a great sister in Christ, yet we are joyful as we think of Betty with Jesus celebrating His birth on Christmas Eve and Day” at the time of her passing. n

How do people join THRED’s open, honest conversations? Simply look on popular search engines or discover them by way of social media on THRED’s Facebook or YouTube page—or in a post, a “meme,” or a quote shared by someone else. THRED is much more than conversation. Participants will be able to join online interest groups to explore ideas at greater depth with THRED volunteers who can interact from a Christian viewpoint. “THRED can connect them with real-world faith communities,” adds Fitzgerald. “THRED is new, it’s different, it could even be messy—but at its heart is still the ideal of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church.” n

Like THRED at Facebook.com/ourTHRED.

Subscribe to THRED at YouTube.com/THRED. The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

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Pass Your Blessings Onward Teacher Jill Holland’s third grade class of St. John Lutheran in Arnold, Missouri, made an impact in a special way.

Teaching Kids How They Can Make an Impact

by Brad Neathery

Lutheran Schools Week (January 23-27) was an days at 50 cents each … 290 of them … and made ideal time for this year’s LHM Online Mission Trip $145 to help LHM” to expand ministry outreach.

The results are amazing, realizing that the thirdto Madagascar. As a result, more than 560 teachers, parents, and other educators registered for the “trip.” grade class that took on the project only has nine Tens of thousands of students saw firsthand how the students—such was their enthusiasm!

This single story illustrates the goal of the Gospel is shared in another part of the world. That Online Mission Trip: impact on their lives can showing students impact their families and how the Gospel is friends. shared globally and The Online Mission how they can be part Trip showed students of that mission. Many various methods and Christians worry opportunities that Chrisabout children not tians use to share the being involved in the Good News worldwide. church or being conMany students put this nected to the Chrislesson into practice by tian faith. An Online giving personally to supMission Trip shows port ministry work in the St. John friendship gram students that God’s profiled country.

Teacher Jill Holland told how her nine students church is global and we can all be involved in chose to give back: “Our class decided to ‘sell’ sharing the Good News.

Lutheran Hour Ministries thanks all of those friendship grams to support ministry in Madagascar. The idea came up when we were talking about who prayed for and took part in this Online Mishow we as third graders can help spread the Gospel sion Trip. All videos from the event are available … without being able to travel to other parts of the online at lhm.org/onlinemissiontrips when you world. We decided to ‘sell’ something to other kids visit the Resources page. Share those videos with in our school to raise money, and that is how the friends, family members, Sunday school teachers, friendship-grams started. The kids made flyers and and even other Lutheran school teachers. Each hung them up all over school letting people know trip is geared for a particular country as students … . We also put a message in our school newsletter. learn about the land, the people, and the opporThe kids ‘sold’ them before and after school for two tunities to share the Good News of Christ Jesus. n 22

The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

With Thrivent Choice Dr. Martin Luther said: “There are three conversions necessary in the Christian life: the conversion of the heart, the mind, and the purse.” King Solomon offered similar wisdom centuries beforehand: “The righteous gives and does not hold back” (Proverbs 21:26). The same theme runs throughout each man’s words since Christians should be known for their generosity.

Members of Thrivent Financial can vouch that believers should do good in this world through their generosity. That’s one of the reasons Thrivent offers Choice Dollars to eligible members. Eligible Thrivent members are designated “What’s the Choice Dollars at various times throughout the return on my year, based on their ininvestment surance premiums, conwhen I give my tract values and Thrivent Financial volunteer leadChoice Dollars ership, that can then be to Lutheran Hour directed to thousands of Ministries? ” nonprofit organizations nationwide.

As a savvy member of Thrivent Financial, you may ask “What’s the return on my investment when I give my Choice Dollars to Lutheran Hour Ministries?”

Since the inception of the Thrivent Choice program in 2010, members have directed more than one million dollars in charitable support to Lutheran Hour Ministries. Here’s one way to think of the impact of that support: one million dollars could fund the majority of LHM ministry centers in South America for an entire year!

If you still have Choice Dollars available from 2016, the deadline to designate those 2016 dollars is March 31st. Please consider using those blessings to take part in God’s mission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ worldwide through Lutheran Hour Ministries. Thank you for sharing the Gospel through Thrivent Choice!

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Please remember that recurring direction of Choice Dollars to organizations such as Lutheran Hour Ministries is no longer an option. You must now go through the gift direction process every time you receive notification that Choice Dollars are available. Thrivent officials made this change a few years ago to ensure that the program continues to be fully funded so that members can contribute as much as possible to the causes they support.

Supporting Lutheran Hour Ministries through Thrivent Choice is very simple. Go to www.thrivent. com/thriventchoice and search under “Lutheran Hour Ministries,” “LHM,” or “International Lutheran Laymen”. Or call Thrivent at 1-800-847-4836.

Eligibility requirements can also be found at the Thrivent web site. n

Coming this Summer:

Martin Luther—Part Three The 500th anniversary of the Reformation is fast approaching—and this summer’s release of A Man Named Martin – Part Three: The Movement is a great option for Bible study in the Martin Luther trilogy. Help your church celebrate the life, times, and impact of this remarkable man of God. Parts one, two, and three provide a probing look at the MAN Luther and the MOMENT, his posting of 95 Theses for debate with church leaders, and the maelstrom that followed (more details at www.lhm.org).

The historical figure of Luther is far from ordinary. The times in which he lived were extraordinary as well. Rev. Jim Likens, video director and writer for Lutheran Hour Ministries, has explored the intricate social, political, and religious milieu of Luther’s times.

While Part Three: The Movement examines competing doctrines, dogmas,

and theologies playing out during Luther’s life, Likens is struck by the internal spiritual conflicts that spurred Luther’s quest for truth.

“When Luther had arrived in Wittenberg to be the professor of the Bible, he probably had struggled more than any other man in history with his fear of being lost, condemned, and sent to hell by God. Luther’s continuous confessions, overwhelming fear, and self-induced acts of penance did irreparable damage to his body—and little to alleviate his fears. I can’t imagine what happened in his mind and heart when, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he discovered that ‘the just shall live by faith.’ It was a moment that would change the world,” Likens notes.

So it did, but not until all the players in this real-life drama said their lines and, like moving parts in a vast machine, contributed to the final result:

the Reformation. “Viewers will notice the remarkable interplay of personalities, social forces, theological disputes, and political jockeying in part three,” adds Likens. “Consider a line of 10,000 dominoes falling over in a chain reaction. If you take two out, you could stop the whole thing. The movement of the Reformation was like that.

The absence of two events could have brought it to a halt,” he added.

Yet, the momentum of the Reformation and its ensuing changes sparked

and defined Christianity in major ways—removing the yoke of the late Medieval Church’s onerous burden of legalism. By God’s grace, His mercy was revealed and made available to all without restriction.

Keep this A Man Named Martin – Part Three: The Movement in mind as a Bible study for your Reformation Day celebrations this fall and beyond, as successive 500th anniversaries of Reformation events stretch into the near future. It can be a real faith-builder! n

Enjoy your favorite episodes of the groundbreaking television series!

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Purchase today at lhm.org/classics or call 1-800-876-9880!

FREE VIDEO! Check out a special interview with Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, Director Ardon Albrecht and Producer Gary Hall from LHM’s 100th Anniversary Celebration at lhm.org/100years today!

The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

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memorabil h it w g n lo r a e y Anniversary all th 0 0 1 ’s M H L te d much more! n a , Commemora rs e k a e sp h ing outreac videos of engag

ia,

100th Anniversary T-shirts

Be inspired by 100 years of mission and ministry with this collection of highlights from Lutheran Hour Ministries’ rich history of Gospel proclamation. This full-color book features uplifting messages from The Lutheran Hour Speakers and others, rarely-seen historical photos, and a fold-out timeline. Learn more and purchase at lhm.org/calledequippedsent today!

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Watch video highlights at lhm.org/100years

Church Planting

(from page 17)

deliver His gracious favor to mankind. This is the mission of the Church, until Christ returns.

This mission happens everywhere, “for God so loved the world”—the entire world, including right here. The LCMS seeks, in addition to foreign missions, to plant churches in America. To this end, Mission Field: USA is working through domestic missionaries and existing congregations to plant new congregations where Word and Sacrament ministry can occur.

Church planting can be accomplished through mother congregations, sponsoring circuits, or planting networks that may simply need support to get things 24

The Lutheran Layman March - April 2017

started. Partnerships are also formed between struggling congregations in the inner city or rural areas and healthy congregations that wish to help them restart.

A church planting guidebook is available to download for free from the LCMS Office of National Mission. For details about the guidebook and how to support current missionaries and other resources, see lcms.org/churchplanting. n Printed copies of the guidebook are available at Amazon: thelc.ms/church-planting-resource.