Lutherans Engage the World | January-February 2016 by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Lutherans ENGAGE the WORLD January – February 2016, Vol. 4, Issue 3

Lutherans

ENGAGE the WORLD January – February 2016

vol. 4, no. 3

inspire

7 12 15 16

An Out-of-the-Box Missionary

Puya: The Story of a Middle Eastern Refugee in Germany

Bread for Body and Soul

Convivencia: Multiethnic Ministry in Arkansas

12 Engaging the Church in the work of witness and mercy across the globe in our life together. LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORLD is published bi-monthly by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. © 2016 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Reproduction for parish use does not require permission. Such reproductions, however, should credit LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORLD as a source. Print editions are sent to LCMS donors, rostered workers and missionaries. An online version is available (lcms.org/lutheransengage). To receive the print edition, we invite you to make a financial gift for LCMS global witness and mercy work. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are property of the LCMS. 888-THE LCMS (843-5267) lcms.org

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

engage LIFE TOGETHER — AT HOME WITH GOD’S GIFTS

4 inform 2 3 10 19

Rejoice!

10 Questions

Mission Field: USA

Grants Support Gospel Proclamation at 45 Urban Lutheran Schools

involve 4 21

Christ’s Care for Children’s Bodies and Souls in Kenya

The stories gathered in this issue of Lutherans Engage the World are focused on mission work, and they are remarkable. Like an intricate weaving rich with colors and textures, each one is a unique account of lives changed by the Gospel now and eternally. Yet, there is a common thread running through the entire issue. At Cristo Para Todos in Arkansas, they call it “convivencia.” In Peru, the Rev. Joshua Gale speaks about it as people being “at home where God’s gifts are given.” I witnessed it in Philadelphia, where the Rev. Adam DeGroot walks the streets, visiting parishioners in their homes, sharing their food, listening to their joys and sorrows, and serving them with God’s gifts. In Berlin and Leipzig, it’s evident in the parishes of our German partner church, where God is sending hundreds of former Muslims. With joy and determination — and often with threat of persecution — these newborn children of God eagerly gather around His gifts and care for each other in body and soul. The same golden thread runs through the church in Peru, where a trained chef helps the church feed hungry children, and in an African boarding-school facility, where Matins and Vespers begin and end each day. The thread? It’s a unique three-ply fiber — Witness, Mercy, Life Together — and it glistens with God’s good gifts “in Christ, for the Church and the world.” God continues to creatively weave the golden thread of His Gospel across the globe, and as He does He weaves in your financial support and prayers with those of so many others to further His kingdom. It is truly a thing of beauty, a work of rare art. Thank you for your part in it. May God continue to bless you and grant you a rich life together filled with His good gifts! In Christ, Pamela J. Nielsen Associate Executive Director, LCMS Communications

Checking the Oil

S TA F F David L. Strand Pamela J. Nielsen Erica Schwan Megan K. Mertz Erik M. Lunsford Lisa Moeller Annie Monette Chrissy Thomas

executive director, communications executive editor director, design services managing editor/staff writer manager, photojournalism designer designer designer

EDITORIAL OFFICE 314-996-1215 1333 S. Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO 63122-7295 lutheransengage@lcms.org lcms.org/lutheransengage

Cover image: The Rev. Adam DeGroot, new national missionary and pastor of Shepherd of the City Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, waits for students to engage him at Temple University. PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Rejoice!

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Your Name Is Written in Heaven

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:19–20)

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January–February 2016

life” (At Home in the House of My Fathers, Pages 718–719). During our limited time on this earth, what could be better than that? Together, as the Body of Christ, we engage the world in His Word and work. The living and active Gospel makes wonderful things happen. The Spirit alone turns unbelief into saving faith. Human lives are changed — now and for eternity. Divine mercy and forgiveness are freely distributed. God’s truth sets people free from sin and death. Heaven and its unending treasures are opened up, intended for all to share. The rejoicing that emerges from these blessings is a symptom of the abiding presence of the Lord Jesus among us in Word and Sacraments. It represents a cheerful encouragement that drives away our fears and anxieties, even when we become distracted or dejected by an utterly fallen world that is openly hostile to Christ and His Gospel. Rejoice, dear reader, as you encounter much witness and labor under the Lord’s will — your work, your prayers and contributions, as well as those of your fellow redeemed — in the following pages. Here are just a few examples of the countless individuals who are experiencing the joy of knowing Jesus. In Christ, Rev. Kevin D. Robson Chief Mission Officer, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

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PHOTO: ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

HE SON OF GOD GAVE THESE GLORIOUS AFFIRMATIONS TO 72 SOULS WHO WERE RETURNING AFTER HAVING BEEN SENT OUT “AS LAMBS IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES” (Luke 10:3). They had been called to proclaim peace, heal the sick and declare that God’s kingdom had come near in the Word of God made flesh. What marvelous assurance for these faithful witnesses of Christ — a confident trust shared by all Christian missionaries and their fellow baptized who so generously provide crucial prayer and enabling resources — that such witnesses are continually sent into the harvest field even today! Reflecting on the experience of the 72 in an 1898 address to the Synod’s Minnesota and Dakota District — and ably projecting the biblical narrative into the “now” — Friedrich Pfotenhauer observed: The joy [Luke 10:20] will give us the right mind and the right inspiration for our mission work, the right tenacity of purpose and energy. For our person, then, we have obtained the good portion. We cannot be richer and happier and better situated on the earth than we already are. Happily and willingly, we will work where our dear God has put us, for wherever we go, we take heaven and the joy of eternal treasures with us. Pfotenhauer, who would later serve as the Synod’s president (1911–35), continued: “A true missionary, however, is not merely joyous in his work because his name is written in heaven, but also because through his ministry, his fellowmen shall be won for eternal

Questions

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WITH THE

REV. DR. ALLAN

BUCKMAN by Megan K. Mertz

Eleven years ago, the Rev. Dr. Allan Buckman got involved with Christian Friends of New Americans (CFNA), an LCMS Recognized Service Organization that seeks to serve and connect incoming refugees in the St. Louis area with local Lutheran churches. To his position as CFNA chairman, Buckman brings many years of experience working in international missions, including 12 years as an LCMS missionary to Nigeria. Here he discusses CFNA and how to start this type of ministry in other places.

ow did CFNA begin? H It started in a modest way with a computer class in the basement of Messiah Lutheran Church led by my wife, Carol, and a friend of hers, Karen Vaughn. It’s grown to where we are engaged in 10 to 12 ministry initiatives.

ow is this work done? H We have a very simple model: draw, bridge, home. We draw the refugees into the CFNA network through our ministries. Then we intensify those links and move them along to nearby LCMS congregations.

ow many people do you work with at H any given time? We have a goal of linking with 200 new refugees each year. We’ve been coming pretty close or even exceeding that. Last year, about 60 found their way into churches.

PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

ow do you connect with refugees? H We have three “quick link” ministries [to connect] with refugees within a week or two of their arrival: monthly health and wellness screenings, delivery of home furnishings and welcome packages. These are ways we can link quickly with new Americans and offer them our other ministries.

hich programs are most successful? W The highest volume is the after-school tutoring program on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. We get between 30 and 50 kids. Another one is the scholarship-assistance lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

Some were Christians or closet Christians in Nepal, where you have freedom of religion on the books, but every social norm and every aspect of government bureaucracy militates against it. When they come here, those constraints are gone. If they feel welcome, they will probably take the step, as we’ve seen. This speaks to the power of the Spirit.

program. Every year, we give scholarships to 25 to 30 refugee kids to attend LCMS schools.

hat are the refugees like? W The largest stream recently has been from Nepal. There were seven or eight large refugee camps over there with maybe 20,000 to 30,000 each. St. Louis is one of the primary destinations in the Midwest, although certainly it’s not the only one. These people have been uprooted from their country of origin and shifted from one, two or maybe even three countries before they get here. When they come here, they need everything. One of the things they need most is a friend.

hat are the opportunities to witness? W These people have been moved from one place to another. They get here and wonder, “Who am I anymore?” It’s precisely at that point that they are open to other possibilities. What greater chance do you have than to say, “How about an identity in Christ?” In our model, the “home” part is the congregation. This is where CFNA is different: We have a destination for these people, and it’s the church. We’re very open about that.

hat’s most rewarding? W In the last three to four years, there have been about 150 Baptisms and/or confirmations. Many of those are Nepali who have stepped out of Buddhism or Hinduism to become members of the LCMS.

ould you tell me about the recent C grant you received from the LCMS? Yes, it was for a little under $12,000 to help fund facilitators. We have three: one for West Africa, one for East Africa and one for Nepal. These facilitators are key because they are the ones who can reach into these ethnic communities. This is the cutting edge of world missions today, full stop. There are people from countries where Synod could never have sent mission teams. Now they are right at the doorstep of the church.

10.

hat advice do you have for a W congregation that wants to reach out to refugees? Start something really easy, like an Englishas-a-Second-Language class. The Missouri Synod has a large teacher base, so that’s something that certainly would suggest itself. If you want to take another step, get a couple of congregations together to sponsor a dinner event for new Americans. Have a registration table to get contact info and ask about their greatest needs. Inventory that, and see which of those you can start with. To really make this work, you’ve got to have the district involved and the [Synod’s Office of National Mission]. But all the pieces of the puzzle are there. They just need to be fitted together.

Megan K. Mertz is managing editor of Lutherans Engage the World and a staff writer for LCMS Communications. L earn more: cfna-stl.org

January–February 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

Young ladies listen to a lecture at the Tumaini girls’ boarding-school facility in Kisumu, Kenya.

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January–February 2016

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

by Erik M. Lunsford

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Under the shadow of a chiseled cross built in a church on a quiet compound near Kisumu, Kenya, boys in matching navy-blue tracksuits stand in line, bow their heads, clasp their hands and sing, their liturgical-sounding voices defying their lanky bodies. These are the boys of the Othoro boarding-school facility, one of four primary school boarding facilities in Kenya operated with assistance from The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod. Now the Synod’s new initiative “Christ’s Care for Children: Kenya” provides the opportunity to sponsor children like the boys from the Othoro school. “The project has as its primary focus the clear proclamation of the Gospel into the ears of our children such that they can become the ambassadors of the Gospel to their families, clans and communities,” said the Rev. Shauen Trump, LCMS area director for Eastern and Southern Africa. The boarding-school sites were built as part of Project 24, a partnership between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK), the LCMS Office of International Mission, and various LCMS individuals and organizations. The schools provide a Christcentered, loving, caring and safe environment for vulnerable children who might otherwise not be able to attend school or who might be at risk for dropping out of school. Children also receive free tuition, medical care and meals. Each day, children are immersed in Scripture through catechism study, Matins and Vespers. lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

It “steeps young people in the faith while providing a home away from home where they can access primary school education that would otherwise be out of reach,” Trump said. John Kissinger Nyang’au, an energetic and sharp man with a fiercely warm smile, serves as the project’s director. He’s the proverbial “right man for the job.” On a recent car ride to the Othoro site about an hour from Lake Victoria, he talked leadership, management, accountability, transparency, collaboration and teamwork. Kissinger said the project’s ultimate goals are to “bring children to Christ, promote healthy care and nurture talents” and to do these things in ways that are accountable to the donors of the project. Off a muddy road within the city of Kisumu and through a soccer field stands the Tumaini girls’ boarding-school facility. Young ladies cook chunked, moist cornmeal ugali — a Kenyan staple notoriously good at defeating hunger — in a large pot over a crackling wood fire. Others launder clothes in buckets, twirl their mosquito nets back into knots above their bunk beds and laugh together over a game of jump rope. They

nvolve

Kenya

In addition to receiving nourishment and an education, children living at these boarding-school facilities are immersed in Scripture every day.

January–February 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

memorize Scripture verses and join in singing activities. There is a sense of familial camaraderie among the girls, whether eating together or studying Luther’s Small Catechism under the tutelage of a pastor from a neighboring ELCK parish. The thought of boarding schools may conjure vivid thoughts of far-off facilities where children leave home and return only after graduation. Yet, this unique project sends students home to their families or clans during school holidays and organizes friendly “Catechism Club” competitions between sites. The students bring home what they have learned, and many share it with their families or communities. “In designing the Christ’s Care for Children project, we modeled their daily life at the school boarding facility on that of a seminary campus with constant immersion in the Word, strong confessional Lutheran mentors and

a daily schedule built around the rites of Matins and Vespers,” Trump said. Back at the Othoro site, the boys meander home past the resident cow munching grass on the soccer field. Two boys walk together with their arms over each other’s shoulders, a sign of friendship. By noon, they had been nourished in both body and soul. “We want to ensure,” Trump said, “that God’s littlest ones grow up with full bellies, a dry roof over their head, every chance at academic success and, most importantly, God’s grace-filled Word resounding in their ears.” Erik M. Lunsford is manager of Photojournalism for LCMS Communications. Learn more: V iew the photo gallery: lcms.org/photo/christs-care-kenya S ponsor a child: Visit lcms.org/givenow/christs-

care-for-children-kenya, or contact LCMS Mission Advancement at 888-930-4438 or by emailing mission.advancement@lcms.org

Young men walk into their dormitory at the Othoro boarding-school facility near Kisumu, Kenya.

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

January–February 2016

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

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Out-of-the-Box PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

MISSIONARY

by Pamela J. Nielsen

Off the train, the Rev. Adam DeGroot, national missionary to Philadelphia, grabs a hearty brisket and provolone sandwich and wanders out into the bustling center of the nation’s sixth-largest metro area. He declares, “I love this city.” lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

January–February 2016

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The Rev. Adam DeGroot, new national missionary and pastor of Shepherd of the City Lutheran Church, talks with Kayla “Keke” Hiemenz (left) and Mildred Williams during a home visitation. Since the visit, the Lord has called Williams to her eternal home.

he young pastor from South Dakota hops a bus to Temple University, one of eight universities nestled among the historic buildings and towering office structures. On the campus, he hunts for the perfect bench. Settling in, he pulls a flattened, stained and well-worn cardboard box from his backpack. Its four sides display the words “Religion is for the weak.” As an evangelism technique, it’s rather outof-the-box. He opens his Pastoral Care Companion, sips coffee and waits. It’s the perfect lure for this fisher of men. Soon, schools of students stream past with sideways glances and double takes as they spot the box and step around it. A student stops to ask about the box. An hour later, about a dozen have come and gone. The first student is still there, talking to the missionary. DeGroot’s warm smile and genuine interest in the students put them at ease. They eagerly challenge him, and he asks them to defend their beliefs. The exchanges are lively and honest. And then the sidewalk is suddenly empty. It’s time to head home. 8

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The missionary will be back another day with his box and the Gospel.

Philadelphia’s Sole LCMS Pastor Urban ministry in Philadelphia began about 15 years ago, when area Lutherans and suburban congregations formed Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries (PLM) to “enliven the city through proclamation of liberty in Christ.” At the time, not a single LCMS parish existed within the city limits. Today, DeGroot is the sole full-time LCMS pastor serving the city of Philadelphia. The magnitude of his call weighs heavily on him. Assisting DeGroot is the Rev. Rob Kieslowsky, part-time executive director of PLM, whose parish is located just outside the city limits. The two, who together with their wives carry out the core work of PLM, are optimistic about the opportunities in this urban mission field, sober about its challenges and realistic about the sparse resources at their disposal. What does the city need? DeGroot confidently answers: “The need is for

January–February 2016

the Gospel and the pronunciation of the forgiveness of sins.” At breakfast, DeGroot plans his day and downs his coffee before packing the supplies he’ll need. He hopes to make two home visitations before heading downtown. As he zips up his coat, there’s a knock at the door from a weary Iraqi woman. She’s heard about the pastor and is desperate for his help in finding her son, who’s been imprisoned in Baghdad for nine years. DeGroot listens to her and tells her about a God who loves her and her son so much that He sent His Son to save them. He speaks of Christ who knows her suffering because He suffered on the cross for her. He comforts her with God’s Word and offers a prayer for her and her son, promising to help in whatever way he can. When DeGroot has to leave, his wife, Melissa, a trained deaconess, collects more information about the woman’s missing son. DeGroot walks briskly to the home of parishioners suffering from family strife. The two women are delighted to see their pastor, who comes to listen, pray, share lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

The Rev. Adam DeGroot comforts a woman in his family’s parsonage in Philadelphia. The woman was asking for information regarding her missing son.

DeGroot talks to students at Temple University in Philadelphia.

hat does the city need? DeGroot confidently answers: “The need is for the Gospel and the pronunciation of the forgiveness of sins.”

God’s Word and sing a hymn of comfort. With the sign of the cross, he blesses them and heads to the bus stop to make his way downtown. DeGroot and his family live in the parsonage of Shepherd of the City Lutheran Church on the city’s northeast side. The ethnically diverse neighborhood has seen better days; it is rife with crime, drug abuse, prostitution and gang activity — all within walking distance. The fledgling parish struggles to exist. The church building, badly in need of repair, houses a slowly growing congregation that will likely never be able to financially support its pastor. Yet inside her walls, the Good News of Jesus Christ is preached and His Sacraments provide a weekly feast for souls impoverished by sin. Bible class, a meal and food distribution to the poor follow the Sunday service.

Mission Field: USA Philadelphia is like so many urban centers across the country that have been long abandoned by the church. But as lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

immigrants and professional workers have come to the city looking for a new life, it has become a ripe mission field ready for the harvest. The LCMS, through the Office of National Mission’s (ONM) “Mission Field: USA” initiative, is actively partnering with districts, congregations and Recognized Service Organizations to place missionaries like DeGroot. “We are responding because there is a need,” says the Rev. Bart Day, ONM executive director. “Districts want to remain engaged in ministry on the fringe, in hard places, where the reward is great but where the funding models are a challenge. We believe that through partnerships that support the worker (salary and benefits), we can keep ministry happening in the most needful places.” DeGroot joins a growing number of LCMS missionaries. He is one of the first national missionaries whose salary and benefits are covered by a network of support from across the Synod. “We are sending network-supported

missionaries, just like we do internationally. These missionaries will tell their stories, visiting congregations and schools. And as they do, they will build a network of people who love them, pray for them and financially support them,” Day says. “We believe that the Synod will respond to domestic missionaries. People see the tremendous opportunities we have in our own backyard for mission work. The United States is the third-largest mission field in the world.” Deaconess Pamela J. Nielsen is associate executive director for LCMS Communications. Learn more: V iew the photo gallery: lcms.org/photo/degroot R ead more about DeGroot and other

national and international missionaries: lcms.org/missionaries C ontact the Rev. Steven Schave at

Steven.Schave@lcms.org to learn more about the “Mission Field: USA” initiative

January–February 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

“L k, I tel y , lift up y r eyes, and s at e fields are white for harvest.” (John 4:35)

nform

– MISSION: IMMIGRANTS –

ASIAN outpace

immigrants

WHO’S IN YOUR BACKYARD? WHERE FOREIGN-BORN RESIDENTS LIVE.

MEXICAN

IMMIGRANTS TO U.S.

ORIGINS OF THE U.S. IMMIGRANT POPULATION

GR MI

A N TS

KOREAN 2% FRENCH 3% VIETNAMESE 3% FILIPINO/ TAGALOG 4%

ALL OTHER 19%

HIN

SE 6% CHINE

SPANISH 44%

LA Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding.

POPULATION

REACHED A HIGH OF 55.4 MILLION IN 2014

FOREIGN

ES AG

ENGLISH 16%

THE HISPANIC

U.S. BORN

SPOKEN AMO NG

■ 5.0 or more ■ 2.0 to 4.9 ■ 1.0 to 1.9 ■ 0.5 to 0.9 ■ Less than 0.5

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January–February 2016

64 36

ASIAN

Percent

HISPANIC

OTHER

Statistical portrait of the foreign-born population in the United States, 1960–2013

EUROPEAN & CANADIAN

14.2%

25.8

BLACK MINISTRY: lcms.org/blackministry HISPANIC MINISTRY: lcms.org/hispanicministry RURAL & SMALL TOWN MISSION: lcms.org/rstm URBAN & INNER-CITY MISSION: lcms.org/citymission WITNESS & OUTREACH MINISTRY: lcms.org/witness-outreach

YOUTH MINISTRY: lcms.org/youth CAMPUS MINISTRY: lcms.org/lcmsu GOSPEL SEEDS: lcms.org/gospelseeds lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

– MISSION: CAMPUS – OUT OF

1 3

MILLENNIALS (COLLEGE AND YOUNG ADULTS)

INTERNATIONAL

50%

52%

STUDENTS STUDIES IN

BELIEVE SCRIPTURE

BELIEVE IN GOD WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY

FO LI CA

IS WORD OF GOD TEXAS

20,300,000 TOTAL UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

974,926

IA RN

K YOR NEW

INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS

– MISSION: GENERAL POPULATION –

.7%

SPREAD ACROSS 72% OF U.S. LAND AREA

MUSLIMS

Muslims are the only major religious group projected to increase faster than the world’s population as a whole by 2050.

RELIGIOUS COMPOSITION OF THE U.S. 2010-2050

73%

CHRISTIANS

HINDUS

34%

JEWS

< 35% growth in overall global population

16%

ESTIMATED CHANGE IN

RAPID GROWTH IN NUMBER OF

RELIGIOUS “NONES” 2007 227.2M

2014 244.8M

36.6M

55.8M

Religiously unaffiliated 21.0M adults saying religion is not important in their lives

36.1M

Adults in U.S. Adults who are religiously unaffiliated

MILLENNIALS ADULTS THAT ARE UNAFFILIATED RELIGIOUSLY RELIGIOUSLY

JEWS 1.8%

HINDUS 0.6%

UNAFFILIATED

2050

SAY RELIGION IS NOT

IMPORTANT

IN THEIR LIVES

ADULTS WHO BELIEVE IN GOD

JEWS 1.4%

BUDDHISTS 1.2% OTHER 0.6%

IS AFRICAN-AMERICAN

SIZE

78.3% | 66.4%

2010

OF U.S. POPULATION

POPULATION

CHRISTIANS

2010-2050 MUSLIMS 0.9%

.6%

2,534 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE

ISLAM GROWING FASTEST

LIVE IN RURAL AREAS

Data Sources: Pew Research Center (pewresearch.org) and United States Census Bureau (census.gov)

LIVE IN URBAN AREAS

BUDDHISTS 1.4% UNAFFILIATED 16.4% | 25.6%

FOLK RELIGIONS 0.2%

MUSLIMS 2.1% OTHER 1.5% HINDUS 1.2% FOLK RELIGIONS 0.5%

35% 23% 65% 89%

Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding.

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

January–February 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

PUYA: THE STORY OF A MIDDLE EASTERN REFUGEE IN GERMANY by Roger Drinnon

As France and Mali have fallen victim to recent terror attacks launched by the Islamic State (also called ISIS) and Al Qaedalinked groups, these acts of terror further complicate an already difficult question regarding the church’s role of mercy toward Middle Eastern refugees. Many of these refugees also have suffered at the hands of Islamist extremists.

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January–February 2016

Yet, in the shadow of these events, the bright light of the Gospel shines in the darkness as the LCMS’ partner church body in Germany, the Selbständige EvangelischLutherische Kirche (SELK), cares for the stranger in its midst. Here is one story among many of how this ministry is making a difference.

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As his eyes well up with tears, a young man

who goes by the name Puya recalls how mujahedeen militants in Afghanistan murdered his parents when he was a child, forcing him to flee to Iraq where he was placed in an orphanage. He says while in the orphanage, he met someone who discreetly introduced him to Christianity. “I had all these questions about Islam that the Koran and the [local] imam could not answer,” Puya says. “I knew something was not right.” He says the more he learned about Christ, the more things made sense to him. The Gospel helped him cope with his parents’ deaths and the anxiety stemming from that trauma. “I saw the Bible as truth by learning about Jesus’ love and His death on the cross,” Puya says. However, when he began to share what he was learning about Jesus with others, Puya says one of his friends reported him to the local imam who instructed the orphanage to deny Puya any food. Some people had falsely accused him of being paid by outsiders to evangelize. When the imam and others observed Puya was no longer praying at the local mosque, Puya says he was driven from the Iraqi orphanage due to death threats originating from the imam.

Refugees gather for communion and blessings as the Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens leads worship at the Dreieinigkeits-Gemeinde, a SELK congregation in Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. Above inset, Puya (left) is a convert to Christianity. “I saw the Bible as truth by learning about Jesus’ love and His death on the cross,” he says.

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

So, he fled for his life to German y.

Today, Puya is a refugee in Berlin, where he attends Dreieinigkeits-Gemeinde (Trinity Lutheran Church) in Berlin-Steglitz, a congregation of the SELK. The Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens, pastor of Dreieinigkeits-Gemeinde, has been

receiving refugees and catechizing them for decades. In the early 1990s, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, he ministered to East Germans who previously lived under atheist communist rule with no pastoral care, while also caring for refugees coming to Germany from Russia. In 2011, he baptized his first former Muslim, a refugee from Iran. That same year, Martens would go on to baptize a second. Since then, he has baptized hundreds of refugees, the majority of whom come from Iran and some from Afghanistan. Now, as more than a million Middle Eastern asylumseekers are flooding into Europe, many are knocking on Martens’ door. He said so many are coming to his church that he averages only four hours of sleep a night. In a Nov. 15 service at the church, Martens baptized 10 more refugees who had completed rigorous catechesis and an examination of their faith and who also demonstrated consistent church attendance. As they renounced Satan in the baptismal rite, each catechumen also openly renounced Islam. More than 300 fellow refugees attended the service. With the pews and balcony so full, extra chairs were brought out into the aisles to seat more, while others stood in the stairwells. Puya, whom Martens had catechized and baptized sometime ago, was one of the communion assistants during the service.

Far left, refugees read through a translated copy of Luther’s Small Catechism. Center, an Iranian Christian refugee talks with the Rev. Markus Fischer, pastor of St. Trinitatisgemeinde, a SELK congregation in Leipzig, Germany, during a Bible study for Iranian and other refugees. Right, the Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens hugs a refugee following Bible study. January–February 2016

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In light of the already strained capacity and infrastructure of Germany to handle the influx of Middle Eastern refugees, the LCMS is coming alongside its German partner church and her congregations as they bear mercy to the refugees literally knocking at their doors. At the recommendation of LCMS missionaries in Eurasia, the Office of International Mission authorized a $100,000 grant from donated mercy funds to support SELK congregations in providing food, shelter, transportation, language instruction and the proclamation of the Gospel to people once considered impossible to

reach. The Synod also has established a new fund — “Christ’s Care for the Persecuted and Displaced: Mercy for Body and Soul” — to help provide assistance to refugees. For good reason, the Church continues to confess that “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Roger Drinnon is manager of Editorial Services for LCMS Communications. Learn more: R ead a related Reporter article: blogs.lcms. org/2015/synod-walks-with-german-partner V iew the photo gallery: lcms.org/photo/

refugee-care-germany M ake a gift: lcms.org/givenow/ccpd Far left, Baptism candles bear the Christian names of Muslim converts. Left, translated Bibles lie on the table next to photographs of refugees helped by the Rev. Thomas Seifert, pastor of Paul-Gerhardt Gemeinde, a SELK congregation in Braunschweig, Germany. Below, the Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens baptizes new Christians after they renounced Islam.

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January–February 2016

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MERCY MOMENT

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Bread for Body & Soul PHOTOS: JEANCARLOS RAMIREZ ZEVALLOS AND ERIK M. LUNSFORD

by Daniel Fickenscher

t Castillo Fuerte, a mercy house operated by LCMS missionaries in Lima, Peru, dozens of kids are being fed through the addition of a soup kitchen, while the kitchen’s chef also is being fed with the bread of life. In May 2014, Jeancarlos Ramirez Zevallos attended Coffee and Conversation, an English outreach program organized by the Rev. Mark Eisold, LCMS career missionary to Peru. There, he learned about how Castillo Fuerte — which means “Mighty Fortress” in Spanish — was providing mentoring, tutoring, Lutheran instruction and a Christian refuge for children of the impoverished La Victoria district of Lima. Ramirez began volunteering at Castillo Fuerte, and he met with a representative of La Victoria to discuss the needs of the local children. With many parents working in the local market all day for low wages, he learned that many of the children went without lunch after school ended at 1 p.m. He saw an opportunity to use his culinary skills — honed during four years of culinary school and eight years of working in restaurants — to help Castillo Fuerte increase its service to the community.

Jeancarlos Ramirez Zevallos

Ramirez brought the idea of adding a soup kitchen to the Rev. Joshua Gale, LCMS missionary and pastor of the Lima congregation, and Deaconess Caitlin Worden, LCMS missionary and director of Castillo Fuerte. In March, the new afternoon meal was served for the first time. For a symbolic price of only 1 sol (about 30 cents), 25 to 30 kids now enjoy favorite Peruvian dishes before attending educational lessons and chapel services at Castillo Fuerte every weekday afternoon. As Ramirez’s involvement in the mercy house increased — transitioning from a volunteer to an employee — so did his involvement in the church, located just one floor below the mercy house. Ramirez asked Gale numerous questions about the faith. As Gale responded, Ramirez’s interest in the Lutheran church grew, until eventually he attended his first service at Castillo Fuerte’s church. Right away, Ramirez noticed a difference. He no longer felt judged or like he needed to work for his salvation. “I remember the first time that I attended a Divine Service here in La Victoria,” Ramirez said. “It had a big impact … it changed the way that I was thinking of the Divine Service.”

In August, he became the first confirmed member of the congregation. Thanks to the soup kitchen, Gale said attendance has increased and more families have become connected to the church. During a recent activity, children even referred to Castillo Fuerte as their “second home.” “The [soup kitchen] has allowed us to be involved with them and their families to where they feel at home here, a place built around our altar and pulpit, meaning they feel at home where God’s gifts are given,” Gale said. With two new Castillo Fuerte locations set to open in Lima in early 2016, even more children, volunteers and staff will be able to find this sense of Christian community and refuge in the Lutheran church. Daniel Fickenscher is the Synod’s communications specialist for Latin America and the Caribbean. L earn more: lcms.org/peru

“ It had a big impact … it changed the way that I was thinking of the Divine Service.” — Jeancarlos Ramirez Zevallos

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January–February 2016

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PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

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January–February 2016

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by Adriane Heins

The men, he discovered, were new in town, factory workers struggling to assimilate into Arkansas after leaving Puerto Rico. Orlando and Martin spent time in Bible study with the men, and “the very next day, Orlando picked them all up and brought them to church, where three found a home,” Martin explains. “Even as they wait to bring their own families here from Puerto Rico, these three men have been embraced by our family of faith and incorporated into our ministry.” Their need is not uncommon. “Many Hispanic families are hurting,” Martin says. “Some in ways that are evident: physical or relational needs. Others in ways that are hidden, so focused on the American dream that they don’t recognize their spiritual emptiness. They need guidance, they need

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real community, but above all they need the forgiveness and the freedom of the Gospel.” Enter Salem Lutheran Church in Springdale, Ark., where Martin serves as associate pastor and leads the church’s Hispanic congregation — Iglesia Luterana Cristo Para Todos, or Christ for All Lutheran Church. On any given Sunday at Salem, visitors and members will observe two languages, 10 nations and three Divine Services. Yet, it’s still one church. That, Martin says, is true convivencia (life together)! “In most other settings, and even in the church, these differences often cause division,” he says. “We have our challenges, yet there is a genuine love and warmth in this congregation that flows from our faith in Jesus Christ.”

Bridging Backgrounds Started in 2002, Cristo Para Todos grew under the pastoral care of Brazilian church planter Rev. Tardeli Voss. Later, the congregation “came to Salem Lutheran Church … seeking primarily a space to worship and reach out to the community.” Before long, the two were “joined together into one multiethnic church,” Martin explains. Since then, “our gracious God has developed a multiethnic Gospel partnership that bridges cultures, backgrounds and languages.”

“We are blessed with an ever-increasing population of Hispanics in the United States,” agrees the Rev. Bart Day, executive director of the LCMS Office of National Mission. “The opportunities abound to connect these people to the Body of Christ. Key in making these connections will be reaching outside our usual boundaries and outside our typical boxes.” God’s service to His people through His gifts of Word and Sacrament is the first line of defense in breaking down those barriers. Three Divine Services are held each week at Salem: one in Spanish at Cristo Para Todos and two in English. “Our Spanish worship service is uniquely Lutheran and uniquely Hispanic,” Martin explains. “It is a Christ-centered celebration of Word and Sacrament where broken people gather to be made whole in the Gospel. There is both great reverence and deep emotion.” One such emotion is joy, observed weekly during the sharing of the peace. “Most Anglo congregations shake a few hands with the people around them and quickly move on,” he notes. But Cristo Para Todos members “take the time to greet every person — often with a hug. It takes a while, but it’s our way of saying, ‘Welcome home. You belong here.’” A regularly held bilingual service for both congregations also helps members “recognize and celebrate our common bond

January–February 2016

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in Christ,” Martin explains. “There are always moments of humor, tension and delight as we determine when to begin — American time or Latino time? — and how to share the peace — do I hug those people?” But as with any family, those situations give way to discussion and growth. “We are learning and growing,” he notices, “as a family of faith.” Convivencia!

Blessings and Challenges Like any LCMS congregation, Cristo Para Todos still has its own unique set of challenges. “How do we continue to actively develop cross-cultural understanding and appreciation so that we can serve together and share facilities without divisions?” Martin wonders. “How do we incorporate into the church second-generation Hispanics who live between two worlds and languages, often preferring English while identifying themselves as Latino?” Other challenges present more practical needs: “How do we equip parents to be spiritual leaders in their homes when they cannot read or write the same language as their children?” he questions. “How do we develop disciples among families in transition? And how do we use our family connections throughout Latin America to share God’s Word beyond our borders?” But fed by Christ’s Word and Sacraments, the members of Cristo Para Todos are strengthened not only to face those challenges but they also are emboldened for the work of caring for their own community with Christ-centered compassion. “Using the Spanish version of Gospel Seeds [a program of the LCMS that assists congregations in meeting their community’s underserved needs], we train congregations intent on reaching out to Hispanics to walk alongside them in their physical mercy needs, as Pastor Martin’s congregation is doing so well,” explains the Rev. Dr. Carlos Hernandez, director of both LCMS Hispanic Ministry and the Gospel Seeds program. “When we care for people’s human, physical needs, like Jesus did in healing the sick and

feeding the hungry, the Holy Spirit touches hearts and opens opportunities to share a verbal Gospel witness.” The congregation takes part in “Project Compassion, which serves the critical needs of our community,” Martin says, and also offers an English-as-a-Second-Language program and the use of its Family Life Center for youth sports and other activities. “Our English classes serve one of the greatest needs of our Hispanic neighbors while also providing a loving community that shares the Good News of Jesus.” The cherry on top? “Every fall we host the Festival of Nations, a celebration of the cultures within our church,” Martin explains. Thanksgiving celebrations recently included “a bilingual service and an international meal. In addition to turkey and the works, we also savored pupusas, pozole and arroz con pollo. … Lutheran potluck at its best. “I am convinced,” he says, “that convivencia is much richer when Hispanics are involved!”

God-Given Opportunities As cultures, languages and Lutherans continue to convene at Cristo Para Todos, Martin sees continual opportunities for prayer: “that the Lord of the harvest … will raise up bilingual laborers in Northwest Arkansas and throughout the United States” and that “God would open our eyes and hearts to the millions of immigrants and their children in our midst.” And as for convivencia? Martin gives thanks for it … and that “God has brought the nations here, including millions from Latin America, and given us the opportunity to show mercy, give witness and enjoy life together.” Adriane Heins is managing editor of The Lutheran Witness and editor of Catechetical Information for LCMS Communications. Learn more: A bout LCMS Hispanic Ministry: lcms.org/hispanicministry V iew the photo gallery:

lcms.org/photo/cristo-para-todos Top, church members and guests line up for a fellowship meal following a bilingual service at Salem Lutheran Church in Springdale, Ark. Center, children learn Spanish Christmas songs at Salem. Bottom, the Rev. Brandon Martin (right), Salem’s associate pastor, greets members before a bilingual service.

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January–February 2016

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| Grants Support Gospel Proclamation at 45 Urban Lutheran Schools WITNESS MOMENT

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PHOTO: CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE

by Megan K. Mertz

Forty-five LCMS schools in urban areas all over the country recently got some surprising news: They were nominated by their district education executive to receive a grant of approximately $2,200 from LCMS Urban & Inner-City Mission (UICM). The grants were made possible by children in 38 states who brought in their nickels, dimes and dollars for “Big City Mission: Tools for School” — the mission project included in Concordia Publishing House’s 2015 “Camp Discovery” vacation Bible school program. More than $92,000 was received from 260 churches and groups, and the LCMS added extra funding to bring the total up to $100,000. The grants will support Gospel proclamation efforts at urban Lutheran schools by helping them provide tangible care to students through things like lunches, school supplies, playground equipment and tuition assistance. One of the schools to receive a grant was Christ the King Lutheran School in downtown Chicago, which has 35 students in preschool through eighth grade. Geraldine Brazeal, Christ the King’s principal, said she was “elated” to hear the news. “We have a lot of children in the school who come at 6 a.m. and usually

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stay until 6 p.m., but not all the parents qualify for child-care initiatives. If they weren’t here with us, they would be home alone,” she said. “Rather than turn people away that need our after-school program, we plan to use part of the funding to assist those families that would not be able to attend.” She said the remainder of the grant will be used for the violin program, which prepares future church musicians to attend better high schools and qualify for college scholarships. “Our mission is to reach out to those who don’t know Jesus Christ,” she continued, noting how the school makes it a priority to accept unchurched students and then involves those families in worship at Christ the King Lutheran Church at least once a month. The school has a Baptism rate of about 25 percent, Brazeal said, because “the Lord provides … and God works through all that the staff are doing.”

“I cannot thank our donors enough for their overwhelming response in supporting urban missions through Big City Mission,” said the Rev. Steven Schave, director of UICM and LCMS Church Planting, who was responsible for distributing the funding. “Lutheran education through our urban schools is one of the greatest ways for us to reach out to the families in our inner-city neighborhoods and to show we care,” Schave continued. “People in these communities are very interested to see how you care for their children and elderly residents, and offering a good education speaks volumes. And of course, the ultimate goal is to bring these families into the life of the church and to teach the faith to the students. An education is lifechanging, and when it is centered in the Gospel, it is truly transformational.” L earn more: lcms.org/citymission

January–February 2016

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Straight from the

President

The latest news and highlights — delivered to your inbox. A new digital digest, packed with features selected from Synod publications and multimedia outlets, is available from the Office of the President. Pastors, church workers and laity will all find useful information to aid the whole church as we live and work together to proclaim the Gospel and bear Christ’s mercy to one another in our congregations, communities and the world.

Visit lcms.org/lifetogetherdigest to sign up.

WORLDWIDE

The Leader in Christ-Centered Programming

Find a special national or international mission project YOU can champion.

Have questions?

Contact LCMS Mission Advancement at 888-930-4438 or mission.advancement@lcms.org.

lcms.org/projectcatalog 20

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January–February 2016

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STEWARD'S CORNER nvolve

CHECKING THE OIL PHOTO: ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

The Case for the Unrestricted Gift

e are beginning to overtly encourage God’s people to consider giving an annual unrestricted (undesignated) donation to the LCMS. I’ve been told that I’m off my rocker for even thinking about doing this. So, why do it? It’s a stewardship issue! It’s not the most exciting one, but it is immensely important to the mission of the church. Yet, we don’t quite know how to articulate just why this kind of donation is so vital. Bear with me as I attempt to share some of what I’ve been thinking. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts as well.

Routine Maintenance A few years ago, I took our car to one of those quick oil-change places. As I was driving home, I checked the rearview mirror and saw a trail of fluid on the road behind me. The oil was draining out of the engine at an alarming rate. I quickly turned around and headed back to the service shop, where the mechanic found the culprit: The ring seal on the new oil filter had slipped out of place. He made the repair, and an expensive disaster was averted. The engine in your car, without enough oil flowing through it, will eventually fail. Without oil, parts can’t move together as quickly or smoothly as designed. They will get hot, bind or break, and the engine will seize up.

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by Mark Hofman

The same is true with a congregation, a parochial school and even our Synod’s national office.

Follow the Trail When people express frustration about what the Synod is or isn’t doing, we sometimes discover that the root of the frustration is found in a steady, decadeslong decline in unrestricted gifts, which come mostly from the offering plate. Like oil, unrestricted funds don’t restrict motion — they lubricate it. Our “oil” as a Synod is spilling out of the engine. Frustrated that the Synod doesn’t support seminaries at more significant levels? Look at what is happening to the unrestricted funds, because that’s where seminary subsidies come from. The Synod not paying the full freight of international mission work, including missionaries? Look at the unrestricted funds. Some pieces of the Synod, Inc., machine can only be funded using unrestricted dollars: paying down debt, like the historic loans of our treasured university system; elected officers and boards; various constitutionally mandated commissions; the independent audit of the Synod’s finances; legal services; compliance with state and federal laws; and the list goes on. These things are all parts of the engine, and many are rightly the responsibility

of the whole LCMS — all of us who claim affiliation. Most have an important role to play in our Synod’s mission; some we have no choice about. Take one or more of those parts out, and the machine begins to sputter, clank and grind. And we get frustrated, angry or anxious. For decades, our oil level has been falling. The joy of designating a donation for something specific has overwhelmed the simple act of taking care of what God has already provided. I, for one, don’t want to look in the rearview mirror and see signs that our capability to do important work in Jesus’ name is being compromised because I failed to lift up this vitally essential element — the value of the unrestricted gift. In the new year, how can we “walk together” so that we continue vigorously to make known the love of Jesus in word and deed at home and abroad? I believe there is value in checking the condition of our oil every so often — and topping it off with good oil — so that the various parts perform as we all want and expect. We’re beginning to encourage unrestricted gifts to ensure this can happen. Mark Hofman, CFRE, MBA, is the executive director of LCMS Mission Advancement.

January–February 2016

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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID Burlington, WI Permit No. 12

This magazine was developed for you, as one who has supported the Witness, Mercy, Life Together work of the LCMS with your time and/or financial gifts. Whether your efforts and gifts were for disaster relief, a specific ministry or an individual missionary, you are a vital part of the Synod’s work around the world. The stories found in these pages are about how YOU are making a difference and changing lives with the Gospel and Christ’s mercy. Lutherans Engage the World is our effort to keep you informed about the difference you are making in the world and to say THANK YOU for all you do.

OUR PRESENCE AS LUTHERANS IN WITTENBERG The dedication of the renovated Old Latin School as the International Lutheran Center in Wittenberg, Germany, opens new doors to proclaiming Christ’s salvation and deepening the understanding of the Reformation begun in 1517. You can be a part of it! By God’s grace, our Synod is close to completely funding this exciting renovation work through specially designated offerings. You can help make that dream a reality with a special Wittenberg Project gift, or by giving another gift!

Follow our progress at thewittenbergproject.org, or call LCMS Mission Advancement at 800-248-1930, Ext. 1661. Let us share ways you can stand with Luther to proclaim:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”

(Eph. 2:8–9).