Veteran Ambassador Retires

Lou Marting, VP of the Int'l LLL, congratulates Pr. David Stohlmann, retiring Ambassador from Mount Olive Lutheran Church Sebastopol, CA. He states: "I have enjoyed my association with the LLL for the past 36 years, especially attending the conventions and working on the CNH District Board."

Pastor David will retire on July 31st and was one of the first to offer up ideas to restructure the League, including cooperation and collaboration with the LWML.

A recent donation of hundreds of t-shirts from the family of one of his members has resulted in blessings to LHM offices in Paraguay, Mexico and India.

May God continue to richly bless Pastor David in all he does!

Faith goes to Texas

I spent the weekend with about 200 DCEs.  What a rare breed!  I can say that because I am one of them.  If you’ve never met a DCE (Director of Christian Education), you are really missing out!  By in large, we are a loud (yet respectful), overly excited, highly-caffeinated, Spirit-fill crowd!  And yet, God still accomplishes great things through us… will wonders never cease!

It was my privilege to work the LHM booth as an exhibitor.  It was amazing to see how LHM can be a service to churches.  I heard many stories of how DCEs are using JCPlayZone with the children in their churches who love the games, devotions and music!  The

y were all excited about the idea of LHM’s Men’s NetWork a

nd how the men in their church could benefit from this ministry.

The best part of the whole exhibitor experience, however, was the prize give-away.  LHM donated a Parenting Families: From Me to We, a 6-session parenting workshop on DVD, fully equipped with Web support resources… the works!  When the emcee announced that LHM’s Parenting Families was the next prize to be given away, one lady in the audience started bouncing in her chair, saying, “Oh, oh, oh, oh!”

Everyone laughed and the emcee pointed out that this was the prize she had her heart set on.  They drew the winners name out of a hat and, sure enough, the “Oh, oh, oh” lady, better known as Pam Nummela of Bethany Lutheran Church in Overland Park, Kansas, won!  Pam was so excited that she screamed… not a “yeah, I won” scream… NO!  This was an “I just hit the jack pot, never paying bills again” scream!  The roar of laughter was heart warming.  Pam ran up to claim her prize like she had just been named the next contestant on the Price is Right!  Tables of on-looke

rs offered up a standing ovation!

I was never more thrilled to give something away than the day Pam won our Parenting Families kit!  I love DCEs!

-Faith has been LHM's Ambassador Manager for almost two years and live in St. Louis with her husband and two-year-old daughter.

What is a Catalyst Event?

I've gotten asked the question lately "what is a catalyst event?"  One person even said it sounded like a kind of chemistry experiment.  Although, I am more than willing to do any kind of experiment (within reason) you want me to do, the main purpose of a catalyst event is to inspire people in LHM's mission of "Bringing Christ to the Nations - and the Nations to the Church."  How do we expect people to respond, once inspired?  Well, they could either choose to support the ministries of LHM through prayer, donations, or volunteering, or they could be inspired to serve whatever other endeavor their congregation is involved in regarding LHM's widely encompassing mission.  If LHM can inspire a congregation to support their local community empowerment center, we would be excited that the Lord's work is being done.  If LHM can inspire people to support our ministries, we would be happy that the Lord's work is being done, and happy that we can keep doing the ministries that are close to our heart.  

Faith, LHM's Ambassador Manager, demonstrating the catalytic reaction the 

Holy Spirit makes when it inspires people to share the Gospel. It's uncontainable.

So what does a "Catalyst Event" look like?  Let's go back to the chemistry experiment, anything that will get people inspired to carry out LHM's mission.  We will do anything.  So far, most of our events have been presentations on why LHM does what it does, how God is using us to accomplish his will, and how the attendees can get involved.  However, we are always looking for new ways to inspire people and motivate them towards mission, even if we have to get some chemistry going to accomplish it.  What are motivators in your life?  Please comment and let us know what motivates you to ministry.  I am sure there are a million different answers; the important point is that you are in fact not only inspired, but also motivated to act on that inspiration.  

http://www.lhm.org/catalyst

Show Me the Money (Please God)

The other day some of our staff attended a teleconference seminar titled "Fundraising When Money Is Tight".  It had a lot of good ideas and a lot of suggestions that we are already doing.  However, it got me thinking.  Lutheran Hour Ministries started pretty much as a fundraising organization.  It was started by 12 men as the Lutheran Laymen's League to raise money to save the LCMS from financial ruin.  However, we of course see our mission as so much more that an organization that raises money for ministry.  Our mission is "Bringing Christ to the Nations - and the Nations to the Church."  We are an organization that tries to be on the cutting edge of ministry as we engage people with the Gospel.  BUT, we still have to raise money to be able to carry out the ministry that God is calling us to do and the ministry that God is calling us to help other people to do.  

In general it seems like a lot of Christian ministries need to spend a lot of their time "fundraising."  I know at the Christian college I attended, people saw the president of the University as primarily a fundraiser.  My sister-in-law, the director of a mission organization finds herself doing more fundraising than she would necessarily like to do, and less time overseeing the ministry of her organization.  I often wonder why this is.   An organization that fundraises, if it really is an effective ministry, is doing the funders a service by allowing them to share the gifts God has given them for soul saving ministry.  Americans generally have way too much discretionary funds.  However, sometimes it seems like congregations and Christian organizations didn't really have to ask for funding, it just came from people who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to give.  I wasn't alive then, maybe that wasn't the way it was, although in hearing about the early days of "The Lutheran Hour," people sent money towards that radio show without any real requests.  It also seems like we shouldn't have to ask for money, that Christians should be inspired to give on their own personal motivation.  The point is: it is interesting to think about people's motivation for giving.  Are people more or less motivated to support ministry today than in earlier times?  Why do people give to one organization and not another?  How much do people's values play into their giving, and is it the Church's job to help people re-shift their values?  Thanks be to God for people with a generous heart who love the Gospel!  Any thoughts?  I'd like to hear them. 

Survey Post

Quick post:

What are people's thoughts domestic vs. international missions? Of course both are important, but which is close to your heart?

Please comment.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:1-3

We spend a lot of time praising God with our words.  Think about the other ways we can praise our God Almighty.

Lenten Devotion

Isn't it interesting how during Lent, the devoted go to church an extra day during the week.  Formerly when I worked in a church, I dreaded Lent, because all the time I spent in worship and at functions became monotonous and strained on my soul.  However, yesterday I finally enjoyed the experience for what it was.  I experienced God. It wasn't some huge event, and its not that I haven't experienced Him in worship during other times, but yesterday was just especially enjoyable.  

It is important that we remember to experience God wherever we may be.  One thing that is really cool about Lutheran Hour Ministries, is that it focuses a lot of its time on how you can spend time with God outside of a worship service.  Either through the meditations of daily devotions, the interaction between men fostered through our Men's NetWork, or the feeling of relief to know that I can help people all around the world know about Jesus without having to leave my current vocation. Lent is supposed to be a time of pondering and thanksgiving.  Yesterday, as I sat with my wife and daughter in a church sanctuary, exemplified both of those aspect of Lent in my mind and soul. 

Pancakes or Waffles?

A fellow LHM staffer showed me a website the other day, because we share an appreciation for the television show "The Office."  This website titled "Soul Pancake" was created by the actor who plays Dwight on "The Office," Rainn Wilson.  If you are at all interested in taking a look, watch the introduction video by Rainn titled, "What is Soul Pancake?"  located here.  The video features Rainn telling us that he wants to have serious discussions about religion and spirituality. 

Finally, someone is suggesting we talk openly about spiriuality and faith.  This opens up a lot of opportunities for the Gospel, if people are willing to talk about spiritual matters.  It used to be in American culture that spiritual topics were taboo and talking about them was a bit of a social stigma.  In the next era, post-modern times, the 21st century, or whatever you want to call it, for the Gospel to advance, Christians need to be well versed in the Bible and know about other people's religions so we can engage others in discussions on faith and religion.  It really goes back to the words of Peter who said "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" 1 Peter 3:15NIV. This is the way to be if you expect the Christian faith to look attractively to any one outside of the Church.  

That being said, the beginning of the previous verse also has some important words to live by.  A place like "Soul Pancake," which promotes the Baha'i Faith, will not tell you that Jesus Christ is Lord.  They will say you can believe what you want, lets just all be friends and help humanity.  Being friends and helping humanity is a good and noble thing and is a very good things for Christians to do in the public marketplace.  However, when I am expected to say that all religions are pretty much the same, that is when a website like "Soul Pancake" can be dangerous to young and weak Christians. They might see all the similarities between faiths, but miss the fact that when all is said and done, the only thing that is important for ones eternal destiny. Doing good, loving God, serving fellow man, and even confessing Jesus was a good person or close to God will not get you eternal life.  Only through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior can anyone be saved.  

So as Peter suggests, lets talk and discuss all things spiritual, but always keep Christ in our hearts and be proactive about explaining what motivates our words and actions.  In a world that is less and less Christian, we must be that much more prepared to share our faith with others.

Losing our Religion

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29585222/?GT1=43001

According to a AP article published on the MSNBC website, the number of Americans who claim a religion is on the decline.  What does this mean?  As Christians, an article like this can send us into a deep depression.  I start to ask myself what we, the Church, are doing wrong.  Or are we doing anything wrong at all?  America's slide into a post-Christian status makes many of us uncomfortable, but we are quick to forget that it is God who is in charge.  What we get out of this information is that we can't depend on the status quo to keep the Church alive.  Religion has never been the point of everything we do a church though, the point is to spread the Gospel.  So if we are to take this bitter news and turn it around to see the new found opportunities, I guess we can hope for progress.  However, it isn't going to be an easy transition for the current generation or next generations to switch to a new approach to presenting the Christian faith to others.  Those growing pains will be met with even more distrust and animosity than there is right now in our Church.  My pray, however, is to prepare ourselves for battle and develop new strategies so that we can always have a reason for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, and so we can express those reasons in gentleness and respect.  Be a witness to what Christ has done for you.

Men's NetWork Gets Noticed

The New Lutheran Laymen’s League?

Posted by Scott on February 24, 2009

In June of 1994 I attended my first Promise Keepers event at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.  I attended with a group of other LC-MS men from my church; the next year basically the same group attended again.  It is pretty amazing to be part of such a large group of men, who are not there cheering for their team to score a touchdown, but who are intent on being the men God wants them to be.

At the time there were lots of criticisms of Promise Keepers from within the LC-MS.  Mainly those critisms were theological in nature:  PK was filled with “decision theology“, emotionalism, “least-common-denominator” Christianity.  And those same criticisms were directed at Missouri Synod men who attended those events.  I was aware of, and agreed with, most of the theological issues around PK, but there wasn’t a real alternative for those of us who attended.  We tried to follow the PK model and form a men’s ministry, but it soon ran out of steam as many of us had other commitments that took the majority of our time.

Well, 15 years later, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, or at least an arm of the LC-MS, is getting into men’s ministry.  Lutheran Hour Ministries, the evangelistic radio ministry of the LC-MS, has launched the Men’s NetWork.  (I should back up and provide a little LC-MS history.  Men have had a “ministry” in the LC-MS through the Lutheran Laymen’s League, but the primary focus of LLL wasn’t the men in the organization per se, rather it was a support organization for the Lutheran Hour.  The congregation I grew up in had an LLL chapter, but by the time I became an adult, LLL was looked at, for better or for worse, by my generation as the group for one’s grandpa.  It was a service organization, not a ministry to and for men.  End of side trip.)  I friend at church who leads our men’s Bible study — the current extent of our congregation’s men’s ministry — brought this new ministry to my attention a couple of weeks ago, and Jay Winters brought it up in his blog a couple of days ago.

I’m trying to repent of my cyncism, especially entering Lent, so I want to give this new thing the benefit of the doubt.  There are a couple of great features, one being “The Baloney Shop,” where Pastor Ken Klaus, speaker of the Lutheran Hour, does his best impression, though without the evilness, of one of Word Girl’s nemeses — yes, I occasionally watch with my kids (I’m sure WG would love that I used the plural for “nemesis”) — the Butcher, and goes after the foolishess and falicies that Christians have to face.  It is also a place for churches, and individuals, to learn how to get a men’s ministry going, and putting together activities that appeal to men, like fantasy football (runners up in the league, baby!, after a 6-7 regular season).  It has great potential, so I’d check it out.  Seriously.  And that’s no baloney.

Copied from http://delightunderstanding.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/new-lutheran-laymens-league/#comment-60

Vocation

There aren't many opportunities to be a hero, just by doing your job, but that is exactly what happened in New York City (or should I say over NYC) this past January.  On my way home from Arkansas this past weekend, I got stuck in a snow storm  and had a chance to listen to every podcast on my phone.  The television show 60 minutes makes the audio from their show available for podcast download and a few weeks back they had a feature on US Airways Flight 1549 which made an emergency landing into the Hudson River on January 15, 2oo9.

I had a emotional response upon hearing the stories of the pilots and crew of that potentially disastrous experience.  Not only could 155 passengers been killed in the powerless airplanes decent towards America's largest metropolis, but so could have 

many other people in the surrounding buildings.  So how did the crew of that flight transition from people doing their job they have done a million times before into heroes?  By doing their jobs.  They became saviors to the passengers by following the training they had received and hoped never to use.  Some jobs people choose become used to saving lives, for example police officers, fire fighters, and medical professionals.  As Christians, however, we have also been called to be life savers.  Not through any extraordinary means, but by the simple call of living out our vocations and reflecting Christ in our lives.  In this analogy, we don't save anyone's lives, but we do become a source of salvation.  Through Christ's dedication of his calling, all humanity is saved from eternal damnation, however, through our dedication to our calling, we are able to share that salvation with others.

Just as Capt. Chesley Sullenberger and his crew became instant heroes by following the calling God gave them, you may find yourself becoming an instant hero when a co-worker asks you what keeps you going, or why you act with integrity even amongst so much corruption.  Our Lord has called you to your vocation, whether it is in teaching, managing, pastoring, practicing law, parenting, or retailing, but through that vocation your true calling is always be ready to share the reason for the hope that you have in Jesus Christ.  

Photo Source = originally posted to '''Flickr''' as [http://flickr.com/photos/22608787@N00/3200086900 Plane crash into Hudson River

Spent this afternoon with a group of Lutheran Laymen's League members.  They are people who really care about the Gospel.  It was so exciting hearing their stories and seeing the fellowship between them.  Tomorrow, I am presenting to them the ideas behind the Catalyst concept.  If anyone can get excited about what LHM is doing it is these people.  The question is, how are they supposed to inspire other peopel and who is their audience?

Pray that my words tomorrow, would excite and inspire the LLL members of Arkansas and turn them into catalysts for creating a future for Lutheran Hour Ministries.  We know God has a plan for the Church and that LHM can help God make that plan come true.  Pray to seek God's will in how to share the crucified Christ with those who need to hear it.

LHM helps Chilean Lutheran Church Plant New Mission in Santiago

LHM helps Chilean Lutheran Church Plant New Mission in Santiago
Release No: 09-15
By Noel Hwande

Feb. 20— SANTIAGO, Chile: For years, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Chile (IELCHI) has dreamt about starting a mission in the mega-city of Santiago as the base for expansion of the church in that area. The IELCHI's congregations are currently concentrated in the northern cities of Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, about two hours from Santiago.

That dream has finally come true thanks to an effective partnership between the IELCHI and LHM (known as Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones -CPTLN - in Latin America). Two years ago, Latin American Area Counselor Ken Peterson was contacted by IELCHI President Rev. Carlos Schumann to see if he could participate in a planning meeting to start the new mission. "I was very happy to hear from President Schumann, and he told me that the church was now truly ready to launch this mission project in that huge city that has over seven million people," commented Peterson. "I was really excited to meet with them and start the planning together from the beginning."

After an initial planning meeting with the IELCHI leaders, the group drew up a strategic plan to seek funding and start the mission as soon as possible. The plan called for setting up a mission office in a strategic area of Santiago that would also serve as a CPTLN center, with the missionary and CPTLN coordinator working in a joint effort to establish the mission. CPTLN would serve as the outreach arm, and the missionary and volunteers from the IELCHI would do the follow-up on contacts and their natural "networks" (family, friends, co-workers).

Thanks to the support of an anonymous donor that wanted to see this new effort succeed in Santiago, the mission and CPTLN were able to start work in June 2007. Rev. Cristian Rautenberg of the IELCHI was commissioned and installed as the Santiago missionary, and Marianela Bravo was named as the CPTLN coordinator and mission administrator. They implemented the strategy, adjusting as they found out what worked best in the environment of Santiago.

Soon, Pastor Cristian was swamped with contacts and referrals of people to the mission, which began adding new Christians month by month. In November 2008, the congregation - that is called simply "Mission Santiago" - dedicated its first "church" in the renovated patio of the building rented by the mission in the La Florida district of Santiago. Peterson was on hand for the dedication service and had the honor to cut the ribbon, officially opening the facility that can seat some 50 people.

The group now has nearly 50 people involved regularly, and is developing all the activities of an established congregation, including five men in theological education classes. Pastor Cristian has emphasized leadership development and is training the people to take ownership of their church. They have also opened a new mission in an even more populous area of the city called Puente Alto, some 10 miles from La Florida.

"I feel proud and honored to have been part of this wonderful project to begin the mission and plant the seeds for an expanded IELCHI presence in Santiago," commented Peterson. "By planning together from the start, and with the great support of the IELCHI leaders and the churches members, we have been able to see how effective such joint efforts can be under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and blessing of the Lord."

Your continued prayers and support for LHM allow outreach programs to have an impact all around the world. We ask that you prayerfully consider a gift to our International Ministries today.

To support this ministry click here or call us at 1-877-333-1963.

Young Adults

I had an opportunity to interact with many young people as a representative of LHM this past weekend.  I am really trying to ponder what LHM can do for young Christians.  Their needs are the same as any other Christian, needing sustenance in God's Word, but what about the way they carry out their faith.  How can LHM help young adults grow in God's Word as well as carry out their faith in a world which opposes it quite vigorously.

Valentines Dreams

Last night, I attended the 49th annual LLL Valentine's Sweetheart dance, sponsored by St. Peter Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois near Chicago.  They were a great group of people and those who attended seemed committed to the mission of LHM.  They are a very supportive church of LHM.  However, it was apparent at the event that the average age of the group was not 24.  The older generations of our churches and communities have done a lot to advance the Gospel.  These are the people that allowed LLL and LHM to be successful over the years in brining Christ to the nations.  However, as I have heard many LLL members say, we need to get younger people more involved in the church.  We can celebrate past successes of the Gospel all we want, but it is also time to ask "God, what's next?"  What is next?  How can we share the Gospel with current and future generations.  There is an easy answer and a difficult answer to the question.  Of course we need to preach Christ Crucified to them (easy answer), but we must also do it in a mode and language to which the hearer will listen (the difficult answer). 

My prayer is that congregations like St. Peter in Arlington Heights as well as churches coming together in mission, like LHM can advance God's Kingdom into new places and the peoples.  Whether young or old, believers must overcome the challenge of genuinely speaking and living God's Word so that those who need to know Christ's message of hope can know and be saved.  Sharing Christ's message of hope isn't just a program or activity, it is a matter of life and death.  Blessed be the man or woman who remembers that when living their lives.  

Happy Valentine's Day.  Romance is a gift from the Lord Almighty.  It is a reminder of the relationship between Christ and the Church.  As the Father committed Himself to us by sending His Son to die for us, its honors God to commit ourselves to our spouses, as well as our commitment to his plan for our lives.  Dance, Love, live God's plan.

Sri-Lanka Anti-Conversion Law Appears Imminent

Release No: 09-11
By Noel Hwande

Feb. 6— SRI LANKA: The staff at Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM)-Sri Lanka are asking for prayers as a Buddhist political party is very close to getting a bill voted into law that would effectively outlaw religious conversions. The Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion bill is up for a vote this month.

"If this bill comes to action there will be more problems for churches and Christian organizations," said LHM-Sri Lanka's director. 

The anti-conversion bill was first submitted five years ago by the Jathika Hela Urumaya political party - a party led by Buddhist monks. The bill proposes heavy fines and lengthy prison times (up to seven years) for anybody that tries to convert a Sri Lankan citizen from one religion to another using "force, fraud or allurement." The harshest penalties will be given to those who are convicted of converting women or children. 

While LHM-Sri Lanka and many other Christian organizations do not forcibly convert people, the anti-conversion bill is viewed by many as a means to suppress the growth of Christianity in Sri Lanka. The biggest concern is that such a law would put many Christian organizations and missionaries at risk of imprisonment or even persecution, almost overnight.

Sri Lanka is a predominantly Buddhist country with approximately 70% of the population said to practice Buddhism. Hindus, Christians, and Muslims make up a majority of the remaining populace. Over the years, figures have shown a decline in the number of people practicing Buddhism, and activists have increasingly pointed at Christianity as the reason for that decline.

"We don't know for sure what will happen, but we trust God. He is the one who called us to serve Him, and He will continue to help us share His News with the people in Sri Lanka," the director concluded.

Your continued prayers and support for LHM allow outreach programs to have an impact all around the world. We ask that you prayerfully consider a gift to our International Ministries today.

To support this ministry click here or call us at 1-800-944-3450 x 4275.

LHM aren't the only Lutherans trying Catalysts

This blog post is a reprint of an article from February 5, 2009 in the LCMSNews -- No. 12

'Catalyst' to advance rural, small-town LCMS ministry

By Roland Lovstad

LCMS ministry in rural areas and small towns can be summarized with a couple of 50 percent statistics:  Slightly more than half of the 6,000-plus LCMS congregations are in communities with fewer than 15,000 population, and about half of the residents in those areas have no ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Seeing the numbers as opportunities, a collaboration of LCMS entities is seeking a staff "catalyst" to identify and coordinate resources for existing congregations and for starting new ministries in rural areas and small towns. The national missionary catalyst for Rural and Small-Town Mission will serve under the LCMS World Mission--National Mission Team and also coordinate with a recently formed National Rural and Small-Town Task Force.

"This is an effort to focus resources on the heartland of the Missouri Synod," said Dr. Robert Scudieri, associate executive director of LCMS World Mission. "It will help existing congregations revitalize their ministries, and we believe it will open doors to start new missions where other doors have closed."

The staff position will be developed in conjunction with the task force.  Organized in November and chaired by Rev. Russell Sommerfeld, president of the LCMS Nebraska District, the task force includes professional church workers, lay leaders, and national and district staff.  The task force is identifying common mission challenges and unique attributes of rural areas and small towns, as well as exploring ways for congregations to build partnerships and serve as mission outposts. 

A gift from Ken Schroeder of Higginsville, Mo., will enable the hiring of a "catalyst." As the work continues, Scudieri said the staff person will be a "network-supported missionary" whose ongoing work will be underwritten by donations from individuals and congregations. He added, "It's what Paul and Barnabas did as they depended on the support of the churches in Antioch, and other churches became supportive as they were started."

Scudieri said the organizers are looking for "a teacher, organizer, go-getter, entrepreneur, and ordained -- someone with a history of starting new things."

The task force states that its primary mission is "to encourage and equip professional workers and lay leaders of rural small-town congregations to experience anew the joy and delight of missional vision." By working through LCMS districts, the task force said it will "strive to guide and direct God's people in rural and small-town communities with a 'can do' passion for people to discover fresh ways to engage their changing culture for Christ."

Also collaborating in the work will be the Saint Paul Institute for Education (SPIFE), located on the campus of Saint Paul Lutheran High School and Ministries in Concordia, Mo.  The center will serve as a training base, offering leadership training modules in Concordia as well as providing workshops in other districts.

"In the rural small-town culture, people can get discouraged in their outreach and ministry," remarked Dr. Ralph Geisler, who serves as the SPIFE interim director and leads rural and small-town ministry workshops.  "They need someone to come alongside them to help them see the potential."

While there may be declining population in rural areas, Geisler added, "I can show you congregations that are actively reaching into the community.  Often, 50 percent of the people in the rural small-town communities don't have an ongoing relationship with Christ."

Of the 6,000 congregations in the Synod, Geisler's research found 3,200 are located in communities with fewer than 15,000 people.

Scudieri added, "There is eagerness on the part of districts to embrace and work collegially with congregations and SPIFE.  This will expand a role of initiating new missions and churches in rural and small towns."  Also collaborating will be the Center for U.S. Missions on the campus of Concordia University, Irvine, Calif., and the Synod's new Transforming Churches Network that focuses on revitalizing congregations.

The initial focus of the task force will be Midwest agri-business communities, and future efforts will address communities with mining, forestry, fishing, and leisure industries.

Part of the effort is to identify local "indigenous" leaders to become involved in ministry, according to Scudieri.  Citing the new Specific Ministry Pastor program at both LCMS seminaries, he added, "We hope to discover leaders within the rural small-town contexts who will be raised up using distance education strategies."

Roland Lovstad is a freelance writer and a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Perryville, Mo.

Original Story: http://www.lcms.org/ca/www/enews/messagetext.asp?MsgId=7237

Broomfield, Colorado

Risen Savior in Brookfield, Colorado is a young church as far as Lutheran churches go.  It's only about 20 years old and has seen huge growth in it's short lifespan.  It has diverse collection of lifelong Lutherans as well as individuals who are new to the Christian faith.  The fact that Risen Savior is a congregation that doesn't have a history of supporting Lutheran Hour Ministry makes it a great setting to observe how people react to the ministries of LHM.  Overall, people were very excited and supportive of what LHM is doing.  Time will tell if my interactions with Risen Savior will become a partner in ministry with Lutheran Hour Ministries, but I can be sure that Risen Savior will boldly be sharing Christ's message of hope with Northern Denver Suburbs for many more years.

Tell the Good News

Every year the LCMS Wyoming district holds a mission convocation for pastors, lay leaders, and their families.  The title they use is "Tell the Good News about Jesus," a biblical and bold challenge to believers.  At the convocation, I met and participated with people from Wyoming, Nebraska, Montana, and St. Louis in a powerful and encouraging event.  The speakers reminded us that evangelism is more than a mere program of the Church.  They reminded us, as it is written in the Bible, that evangelism is about growing disciples.  Disciples live the Christian faith in their vocation, they participate in the faith with their children, they approach God with repentance, and disciples take care of one another.  

When we surround ourselves with God's Word, we are able to stand up to attacks on the faith.  The "Tell the Good News about Jesus" convocation surrounded disciples of Christ with His Word.  Saturday morning, we celebrated together in His Gospel by participating in Matins.  Through singing led by organ and wind and string instrument there were disciples of all ages hearing His Word and growing in faith.  It was a quite enjoyable experience.  It was a wonderful experience to have so many children present at the convocation as well.  It was truly a celebration of the priesthood of all believers.

This is a great example of LHM's description of "People of Christ, with the message of Hope."  Who are the people of Christ?  They are disciples of all ages.  They are people who don't live primarily by philosophies or wisdoms.  The people of Christ live by faith, a faith originated in God's holy scriptures and guided by the Holy Spirit.  In those scriptures we find the greatest hope we could ever hear.  We hear about a Savior who gave his life on a cross for you.  Not a popular concept, but true and a message of hope, none the less.  At the convocation we were reminded of this by the speakers, which LHM, LMCS, and the Wyoming District must always remember.  Telling people about Christ's message of Hope isn't an easy task, it can be a far cry from our enjoyable worship experiences when we are in the presence of Christ, but it is what we are called to do and why we exist as a collection of saints called "the Church." We are the people of Christ, so stand proudly and share the message of hope that comes through Christ alone.  

New congregation in Obama Country

As the World celebrated the inauguration of the new American president in Washington DC, we were in the LHM office in Kenya speaking with pastor Ngare giving us feedback and celebrating the planting of the newest Lutheran Congregation about 30 KM from where Barack Obama's Father was born. 

The new congregation named KODULA LUTHERAN CHURCH is as unlikely a story as the story of Obama ascending the most powerful office in the World.

In October we had a Mission in Samanga area on the shores of Africa's largest fresh water lake, and the world's second largest after Lake Superior.

After the team left with a good report we received an appeal from a neighbouring area to also send a team there. The resources were not enough and so I sent two people only to conduct what we call a 'weekend challenge.' This involves open air Film Ministry and preaching.

The surprising thing is what God did in this unlikely event. In this small market centre called Kodula two very new events were coming to town for the first time. A music band had been invited to bring a disco dance. This was the very first time the small market had ever attracted such an event. there was excitement in the air. The second event was the open air film being presented by Lutheran Hour. To Isaac Ngala the team leader and Geoffrey Gunyali It looked like a case of bad timing from the start.

However as they say in show business, the show must go on.

Both events took off at the roughly the same time and the Gospel event was nearly drowned by the larger sound systems of the Dance. then as so often happens in the village dances fights started to erupt over , over girls, gate crashers and drunken guys. On the other side however there was a hushed silence first because of the awesomeness of cinema but mostly because Jesus was speaking dholuo. 

When Jesus said 'Kwe obed kodu' Peace be with you, 

The crowd was so mesmerized they all shouted back amen.

(By the way this is Obama's father's mother tongue. Maybe Americans should try greeting their new president  this way and see if he learned anything from his grandmother when he visited her here.)

The stark difference between the chaos across at the dance and the peace at the Gospel meeting was a very dramatic setting showing light and darkness. Hope and futility. 

One person who caught the difference and whose life was going to go through a very dramatic change was Thomas Okuthe. A former teacher in a Lutheran School, married to a Lutheran but from a stanch Seventh day Adventist family. Over time he had become disappointed with SDA legalism and had lost his faith altogether. The end result was that his wife also stopped going to church. There was no Lutheran Church close by and this also contributed.   

In a very dramatic twist of events which only the Holy Spirit knows how, Thomas approached his father the next day and told him openly that he had left the SDA church and wanted to be a Lutheran. His father seeing the seriousness of his son asked to see the Lutheran pastor. At the end of the discussion he said if his son has found his faith again he could only rejoice and support. 

He immedaitely took the pastor and offered land for the building of the Church. Only God can explain this. The SDA Church des not consider Sunday worshippers( as they call us) as Christians.  

Today the entire Okuthe family is going through confirmation and baptism class and the congregation has 20 people, ten dechurched members and ten completely new believers. 

To God be the Glory. 

(Next mission Kogelo, Obama's village.Support it. The muslims there must hear the gospel.)

 

 God less

John Maina

God Watches Over Us

Romans 3:5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Things seem very different than they did a year ago.  We have a new president in the United States and we still see a very uncertain economy in our future.  Because Lutheran Hour Ministries is funded fully by the dedicated contributions of others, we too see the uncertainty of the current economic situations.  Only God knows the future, and only God knows how our economy will be and what our new president will be doing in a year. 

We have chapel every Thursday at our office in St. Louis and today's speaker was Rev. Doug Nicely.  He spoke about the current optimism of our country regarding a new president.  His frankness towards how much a symbol of change and hope our new is for our nation.  The point is that even President Obama answers to a higher authority.  We can get caught up in politics or the stock market, but true hope comes from God alone.  God transcends the issues of the day and what seems like huge dilemmas to man don't give man even the slightest worry. 

Origins

This is my first post, so I might as well talk about the beginning of Lutheran Hour ministries.  I attended a International Lutheran Laymen's League Board of Governors meeting this past weekend.  The average age of the governors is not low, however, I was inspired by many of the leaders of the LLL, the founding organization of LHM .  Even though they are older gentlemen, they do care about the Gospel and are committed to it.  They care about the lost and want to tell them about Jesus.  It is often easy to forget about the true purpose of your organization when in the midst of business as usual.  The question of the weekend seemed to be: is there a younger generation who care enough to carry out LHM's mission.  I tend to think so and am glad there are leaders of LHM that can keep on the focus.