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.