the lutheran layman

Your Partner in HIS Mission!LAYMANLUTHERANT

HE

July - August 2013

When I was completing my Master of Divinity work at Con-cordia Seminary in St. Louis, I was invited to stay for gradu-ate studies. I was keenly interested in Missions but unsure

where the Lord might call us to serve, so I chose to focus my studies on what seemed to be one of the biggest challenges in world mis-sions: Islam. I knew that a large percentage of the world’s population were Muslims, that Islam was one of the fastest growing world religions and that Muslims were notoriously hard to reach with the claims of Jesus as Savior and Messiah. Almost 20 years have passed

see page 3

Outreach to Muslims by Peter Kirby

and the challenges remain, but now Islam has been thrust into the forefront of Americans’ lives by the actions of militant Muslims on 9-11 and by the wars which we’ve fought in the Middle East.

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and Lutheran Church—Canada has been supportive of Muslim missions throughout their history. Dr. Ro-land Miller and other missionaries worked in outreach to Muslims in India, in the Philippines, and in Nigeria. Dr. Miller has shared many of his insights learned about outreach to Muslims through his book Muslim Friends: Their Faith and Feeling (St. Louis: CPH, 1996).

Dr. Miller shared that we will not make any headway with outreach to Muslims until we take their religion serious- ly. Our first commitment must be to love

Witness to the Ends of the Earth

pages 12-14

Partnering on an Arabic Catechism

page 8

Jesus in Islampage 5

2 The Lutheran Layman July-August 2013

Gerald Perschbacher (LL.D.), Editor • Denis Kloppenburg, Layout

Subscription: $5. Printed bi-monthly. Send color photos for use. Photos sent to the paper may not be returned. Lutheran Hour Ministries, The Lutheran Hour, Bringing Christ to the Nations, BCTN, By Kids...For Kids, JCPlayZone, Life...revised, Living for Tomorrow, This is the Life, On Main Street, Ayer, Hoy y Siempre, Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones, Esta Es La Vida, Para el Camino, Woman to Woman, Family Time, Teacher to Teacher, Reaching Out and The Hoffmann Society are registered marks, or SM service marks. The Puzzle Club is a service mark and trademark of Int’l LLL. Copyright 2013, Int’l LLL

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

LAYMANThe Lutheran

Vol. 84, No. 4 July-August 2013

®

by Rev. Gregory SeltzSpeaker of The Lutheran Hour

speakingup

One of the joys of the Christian life is to “love oth-

ers the way that Christ loves us.” It’s work worth doing, especially when trying to share the Gospel with peo-ple we care about. 1 Peter 3 reminds us to:

“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.”

Such a gentle and respectful spirit to-wards others is one way to reflect that love of Jesus so that our testimony about Him is actually heard and understood not as our testimony about Jesus, but Jesus’ invi-tation to them through us.

Creating that respectful, gentle envi-ronment often happens when we simply listen to others like we really mean it. Listening allows us to build our relation-ships with others. It is a gift we get to give to another to tell their story, to confess, to share, to allow them to be understood by someone who really cares for them!

Such listening does place some de-mands on us.

1. We are to seek to understand before we hope to be understood; really listen.

Listening and hearing are two very dif-ferent things. We may hear, and be able to repeat verbatim everything we’ve heard, but have we listened? Listening means there is a conscious decision to be pres-ent, to give attention in order to hear AND understand. This, too, is not always easy, for we all have our own lenses, paradigms, world views built upon our experiences,

values, and faith. But here faith in Christ can re-ally help us deal with our own biases, our own limitations, as we strive to see others the way that Jesus sees them, sees us.

2. We are to have an inquisitive, but not in-trusive spirit.

That means that we should tend to ask ques-tions first rather than be ready with lots of an-swers. It is true that sharing the Gospel has facts to be shared. There are answers to the big issues of life. But, the “how, when, where, and why” of such Gospel communication is an art. Do you know what keeps your friends up at night with worry? Do you know how they keep it all together? What do they hold onto as vital, as key? Is it family? Ca-reer? Leisure? Wealth? What is it? Keep asking “Why? How?” (with a respectful, inquisitive spir-it) and some day, with gentleness, respect, and understanding, you can share how knowing Jesus Christ as Savior is the only thing that holds when all else fails (and you’re living proof of that!).

Now, the Scriptures remind us that God’s Word is the power to create and sustain faith, so the pressure is not on us, that’s true. But, in our relationships, we can learn to be better ambassa-dors of that Word—and bridge-builders to it—to help others really hear and understand that the Good News of Jesus is FOR THEM!

To listen is part of loving others as Christ loves us. It’s one of the ways that Jesus Himself allows us in on the joy of being a part of someone com-ing to know Him as their Savior.

So, enjoy your friends, your neighbors, all those whom God sends into your life. People are just so interesting, aren’t they? And Jesus loves them dearly. He died on the cross for them as for you. Listen, and you’ll see.

Maybe they’ll see, too! n

Building Bridges, to Share the Gospel—Listen Like you mean it! Fishing Tournament

Nets More than 160 To date the Fifth Annual Men’s NetWork North

American Fishing Tournament has 294 anglers signed up. Of these, 164 are new to the tourney and 130 are repeat fishermen from one of the four previous seasons. This number represents an-glers from 38 states as well as seven from Canada. States with 10 or more fishermen include Mich-igan (38), Minnesota (35), Texas (23), Wisconsin (22), Kansas (16), Colorado (13), Indiana and Illi-nois (12 each), and Missouri (10).

Entering the tournament is as cheap and easy as ever: the fee is still only $10. This year’s regis-tration gifts are a specially designed Men’s Net-Work cap and first-aid kit. There are 11 fish and one non-fish category eligible for winners each week. First-time weekly winners receive a Men’s NetWork fishing tournament T-shirt and a $10 Bass Pro Shops gift card; repeat winners receive the $10 gift card. Everything you need to know about the tournament such as the rules, registra-tion details, how to submit catches, sign-up good-ies and, of course, prizes—including a Grand Prize of $500—is posted on the Men’s NetWork website at www.lhmmen.com.

To gain an idea how these men are tearing up the water, here are a few entries submitted since the tourney began: Jonathan Rockey pulled in a 4 lb. 5 oz. trout from Island Lake in Kenai, Ala. using a Panther Martin lure; Nolan Jones caught a 5 lb. largemouth at Liberty Park Pond in North Richland Hills, Texas, using a plastic worm; Jake Campaign hauled in a 15 lb. 11 oz. salmon from Lake Ontario using a Dreamweaver spoon; Mel-vin Mertens took a 12 lb. 2 oz. channel cat from some freshwater in or near Alma, Neb., using bait shrimp; Jonathan Hoppert landed a 22 lb. salmon on the Rogue River in Ore., using an anchovy; Ken Sankey hauled in a 6 lb. 13.6 oz. largemouth from an Iowa farm pond, using a plastic worm; and Chris Hansell wheeled in a grubby bicycle tire from the Saginaw River near Bay City, Mich.,

using a jig and minnow. (From the picture he sent, it looks like

it’s probably a 26-incher.) Each category win-ner gets a $10 gift

card from Bass Pro Shops. n

The Lutheran Layman July-August 2013 3

the Muslims around us as people worthy of being a friend. It is only as we engage them in serious dialogue and spend time with them that they will have the oppor-tunity to see our faith in action and ap-preciate the changes that Jesus Christ has wrought in our lives.

Those who have done missions among Muslims in foreign lands have found it to be difficult, as conversions may be few and far between. Often family and cultural pressures can be extreme, even deadly, for those who convert from Islam to Christianity. But in the midst of these challenges, those who reach out among Muslims cling to God’s Word from Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV), “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” The Word of God has power to break through and create and sustain faith among those in Islam, too.

Immigration of Muslims to North

America gives us opportunities to befriend them as new neighbors and to reach out from our churches to take care of their needs and provide opportuni-ties to talk about our Christian faith. Mission groups have formed to focus on outreach to new Americans from a Muslim background.

People of the Book Lutheran Outreach (POBLO) began in 1993 in Dearborn, Mich., as an outreach to new Americans. From several locations in Mich-igan, the ministry expanded to Texas, California, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, New York, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Internationally, ministry was begun in Pakistan, Bangla-desh, North India, and Can-ada. POBLO primarily focus-es on outreach to Muslims, but has also branched out to include ministry to other religions and cultures from South Asia, including Hindus and Sikhs.

POBLO has developed Bible studies on outreach to new Americans, an online video lecture series, and the “First Steps Scripture Re-source Stand.” POBLO missionaries have provided training for congregations in nearly every U.S. state and Canada in the form of preaching, workshops, and Bible studies. To date, POBLO has had a part in

training 70 missionary workers in North Ameri-ca, and hundreds in India, Pakistan, and Bangla-desh. Many thousands of new Americans have been brought to saving faith in Christ through these efforts.

Cynthia Khan has been working with her hus-band as a missionary for POBLO for the past 19 years. She says, “POBLO uses human care pro-grams to reach out across cultural barriers to new and established immigrants. We use En-glish as a Second Language classes, computer labs, sewing, cooking and exercise classes, and food and clothing distribution to connect with Muslim men and women at the level of their ba-sic needs. Through these human care ministries, we are able to show the love of Christ to new Americans and to build relationships that pro-vide opportunities for Gospel witness.”

Many Muslims in North America have false stereotypes of Christians. They often associate Christianity with the culture, which may be vast-ly different from their home culture. They may be suffering culture shock and are afraid of bad influences upon their children. As a result, they are isolated and want to meet only with their own people. The lack of English skills also alien-ates them and prevents them from integrating with the culture. POBLO works to break down these cultural and language barriers. Many of the volunteers at their Ethnic Community Cen-ters are members of Lutheran churches. Mus-lim women befriend American women through these human care activities. They develop good relationships and dispel misconceptions.

POBLO has also had a strategy of identifying see page 4

Muslims are dedicated and hard working—and in need of Good News.

Just as Christians may stereotype Muslims, they, in return, have a false conception of Christians.

Outreach to Musl im sfrom page 1


and training leaders from within a peo-ple group to reach their people group. For example, POBLO is working to find a Somali leader who can be trained in the faith to reach a large population of So-mali people in Minnesota. POBLO works to plant churches in ethnic languages where there are pockets of immigrants throughout the United States. There are Tamil and Urdu/Hindi congregations at Troy, Michigan, a Persian congregation in Sherman Oaks, Calif., and a Pakistani congregation in Dallas, Texas. The cur-rent strategy is to encourage integration of ethnic Muslims into the English lan-guage worship service, but to allow for Bible studies in the ethnic languages rep-resented.

Lutheran Hour Ministries has also worked in outreach to Muslims, especial-ly through its ministry centers around the world. In 2011, through grants and donations, Lutheran Hour restarted a radio ministry to Muslims. Eric Gates, LHM’s regional direc-tor for Africa and the Mid-dle East, states, “In the Middle East, radio is an important part of virtu-ally everyone’s everyday life. In countries with sub-stantial portions of the cit-izens being illiterate, radio serves as the most effective means for many people to learn about news and events. In the region, ap-proximately 73 percent of the young adult age group (18-35 years) regularly listens to radio programs. Radio is the most effec-tive medium that can reach into the privacy of people’s homes, touch their hearts and change their lives.”

Our radio programs are written and pro-duced in Beirut in Arabic by the LHM— Lebanon, office. The broadcasts are trans-mitted from Cyprus, reaching Muslims in more than 11 coun-

tries, including Egypt, northern Sudan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, and eastern Libya. We have even reached Arabic-speaking immigrants in Europe through the broadcasts.

It is estimated that several hundred thousand people listen to the Cyprus radio station daily because of its quality programming and a strong signal that is widely received. In a year, millions of people tune in to the station. Of those lis-teners, we expect our specific programs are listened to by several hundred thousand people a year.

Gates adds, “Responses to the programs are re-ceived from young people and university students who express their desire to learn more about Christ

and the Christian faith. We find that more than 80 percent of the responses are from non-Christian listeners. We receive approximately 300 requests per month for more dialogue or Christian mate-

rials. And these are only the listeners who re-spond. We know that God’s Word, through its

authentic proclamation and the power of the Holy Spirit, will touch and work

within the hearts of thousands more Muslims throughout the region.”

Lutheran Hour Ministries also has an impact with Muslims

in countries where we have min-istry centers where there are large

Muslim populations, like Russia and Kazakhstan. The government of Kazakhstan has passed legisla-tion to restrict public evangelism between religions, but the Word of God continues to be proclaimed and to bear fruit among all peo-ple. Radio, television, and inter-net programming, along with Bible Correspondence Courses and children’s camps, are reach-ing not only ethnic Russians but also many nominal Muslims among the population. As peo-ple hear of the love of Christ for them and experience that love in action through our ministry center personnel, Lutheran missionaries, and pastors, Muslims respond to the word of the Gospel and are welcomed into Christian churches.

Since immigration has

brought many Mus-lims to our neigh-

borhoods, how do you go about witnessing to Muslim neigh-bors? First, move beyond fear.

The threat of ter-rorism has caused

us to fear people from Muslim countries. But most

all Muslims are peace-loving with the same concerns we have for family and society. 1 John 4:18 says “There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear.” Our love for our neighbor compels us to see the Muslim as our neighbor, too, in need of our friendship, care and concern.

Second, educate yourself about Islam. To as-sist in befriending Muslims, learn all that you can about their faith and practice. As you show inter-est and respect for their religion, you open up op-portunities for them to investigate and respect the Christian faith. Becoming more knowledgeable about Islam will not make you a weaker Chris-tian but a better witness for Christ. Third, look for opportunities to show love and concern for your Muslim neighbor. Befriend them not because you want to convert them to Christianity but because they are fellow human beings worthy of your love and concern. As you get to know them and care for their needs, the love of Christ that you have experienced will shine through your words and actions. Lastly, pray for your Muslim neighbors, that God will open their eyes to see Jesus as He truly is: the Son of God and Savior of the world who died and rose again for us.

Cynthia Khan says, “It is not easy to convert Muslims. We have to pray for them, keep trying to serve them, and share the message through different ways, but it is a long process.” We are re-minded that it is not our efforts that bring Mus-lims to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, but only the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God. The task humbles us, and yet it keeps us dependent upon God and not upon our own efforts. Even though it is a challenging task, we do not give up. The stories of those who have come out of the reli-gion of Islam and embraced the love and freedom that they find in Jesus Christ gives us hope to con-tinue to reach out in love to Muslims. Here, too, the fields are white for harvest—and Jesus en-courages us to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” n

Note: The Rev. Peter Kirby is LHM’s regional director for Europe and is involved with minis-try in Jamaica.

Outreach to Musl im sfrom page 3

Minarets are Arabic “light houses,” but what type of “light”

do they beam?

The world today


There are common points between Islam and Christianity: monotheism, respect for prophets and prophecy, creation, final judgment, and prayer. Islam has a great regard for Jesus as prophet, but Islam sees Muhammad as the greatest of the prophets.

Jews and Christians are called Peo-ple of the Book in the Quran and are esteemed, although seen as misled by their corrupted Scriptures. Two of the most basic and important teachings of the Christian faith about Jesus are seen as anathema: that Jesus was the Son of God and that Jesus was cruci-fied and resurrected.

Quran 4:171 states: “O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messen-ger of Allah and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit pro-ceeding from Him; so believe in Allah

and His Messengers. Say not “Trin-ity”: desist: It will be better for you: For Allah is One God: Glory be to Him: Far Exalted is He above having a son…” And earlier in Quran 4:157: “That they [the Jews] said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’—but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, …, for of a surety they killed him not—Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise….”

Muslims believe that Allah pro-tects his prophets and would not allow one of them to be abused or to be killed by men. This belief about prophets prevents Muslims from being able to accept any talk of tor-ture or crucifixion of Jesus, a proph-et. The Quran teaches that Jesus was caught up to heaven, to Allah, before He could be crucified by the Jews. n

Join hundreds of other mission-minded individuals

in learning how to more effectively share the Gospel

at a Regional Outreach Conference (ROC) hosted by

Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Visit www.lhm.org/rocto learn more and register!

Read more about ROC on page 11!

Be inspired, energized, and equipped to share God’s love, nurture your family,

and witness to the community!

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Jesus in Islam

Read More about ROC on page 11!


Alas, all good things must come to an end; so too the 184-ep-isode run of “Stuff They Didn’t Teach Me in Sunday School” reaches its conclusion, featuring Lutheran Hour Ministries’

Executive Director Bruce Wurdeman as host. Topping off this proj-ect, two DVDs—“Stuff They Didn’t Teach Me in Sunday School About this New Thing Called ‘Church’” and “Stuff … About Letters to this New ‘Church’”—fea-ture videos covering the texts of the New Testa-ment. “The ‘Stuff ...’ series is one of those projects that took on a life of its own,” Wurdeman said. “When we began, I never dreamed it would last long enough to put 184 videos ‘in the can’ and take the viewer all the way through the Bible.”

In “Stuff … About this New Thing Called ‘Church,’” the book of Acts is the focus. Beginning with Jesus’ ascen-sion and concluding with the apostle Paul under house ar-rest in Rome, Acts is a tour de force presenting the formation, development, and spread of the Christ-centered movement of believers that became the earliest Christian church. Wurdeman covers events like Peter’s sermon in Jerusalem; the martyrdom of Stephen; Saul’s/Paul’s original intentions and his adoption of the Christian faith; the Gospel’s movement among the Gen-tiles and its increase through Palestine, Asia Minor, and the Mediterranean world via Paul’s and his companions’ tire-less journeys proclaiming the Christ; Paul’s return to Jerusalem plus his eventual imprisonment and transfer to Rome. Brimming with fascinating detail, intriguing narrative, and swift action, the book of Acts highlights the unfolding drama of the church as it comes to life amidst hardship, contentions, and persecution.

In “Stuff … About Letters to this New ‘Church’” the New Testa-

ment—minus the Gospels—is covered. Here Wurdeman’s focus is the assem-blies of believers, those scattered “churches,” that received letters of instruc-tion from the apostle Paul as well as from Peter, James, John, Jude, and the author of Hebrews. Also included is the book of Revelation. Taken together these 22 texts gave the early believers critical teachings on Christ’s divine na-

ture and His redemptive mission; the eternal hope all sinners share through Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection; numerous examples of Christian con-duct and how to live out one’s faith in this world; nitty-gritty info from Paul’s missionary treks and his interaction with churches and individuals under his guidance; and, last but not least, a glimpse of end times as given in the apocalyptic book of Revelation.

Over the last four years of filming “Stuff” episodes, Wurdeman’s dis-arming style marked his fireside chats as friendly and sin-

cere. While keeping the episodes en-gaging, it was his hope to dispel some of the notions people have about the Bible. “It has long been my contention that many Christians live with a pretty rudimentary understanding of the Bi-ble,” he said. “For many their Biblical education stopped at Sunday school or confirmation class.”

Wurdeman explains, “For instance, what Joseph’s dad gave him probably wasn’t a coat of many colors but a coat with sleeves. Adam was not only nam-ing the animals as they went by him, he was also looking for a life partner in the animal kingdom. Abraham was an idol worshipper when God called him. David’s death bed memo to his son, Solomon, is really a ‘hit list.’ There is much we need to learn and some we need to unlearn to real-ly understand what God is telling us in His Word. Above and beyond all of the details, is the fact that Scripture only knows one

Hero—and that is the God who inspired it and the God who directs the history it records. And that is the same God who acts out of love and grace in the Old Testament and the New. It is my prayer those who use this series encounter the real salvation story from Genesis to Revelation, and that they come face to face with the God who loves them, even to the death of His Son.” n

Gasts were HonoredDick Gast, Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Float

Committee Chairman, and Lynn Gast, who chairs the volunteer Petal Pushers, received The Great Commission Award from Concordia Uni-versity in Irvine, Calif. The award was present-ed May 4 during the 2013 commencement. The Great Commission Award honors recipients for

their demonstration of commitment to furthering Christ’s Great Commis-sion by noteworthy service through involvement and support of mission-ary activity and evangelism. The float and Petal Pushers are projects led by the Int’l LLL Southern California Dis-trict. (Photo courtesy of CUI)

Two DVD Collections Close out ‘Stuff’ Series


by Kurt BuchholzChairman, Int’l LLLBoard of Directors

onthemove

We have all heard it before: life can be messy; relation-ships can be messy; lives

can be messy; but I don’t think I would get a lot of push back when I say that ministry can be messy, too.

We live in a world that is wrought with sin and the chaos that it brings. Even though we bear witness to a Gospel that is trium-phant over that sin and transcends that chaos, we do so in a decidedly messy world.

Paul teaches us about the mess-iness of his ministry in 1 Corinthians 9. In this chapter, Paul accepts where people are as the status quo and, clothed in Christ, en-ters that messiness so that they might hear of a God who came into this messy world for them. Paul puts second his needs, likes, comfort zones, traditions, and even his own wellbeing for the sake of his witness to the Gospel.

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself un-der the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the

gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings”(1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

I pause and wonder just how difficult ministering in messiness really is. Order, tradition, predictability, stability—these are things that we strive to create and then cling to in order to survive in our world. Does clinging to these things interfere with God’s desire that we cling to Him? Do we put so much effort into maintaining that which we believe we can control that we have no time or energy left for our witness? As a church body are we so distracted by the hopeless effort of trying to organize

the messiness and control the chaos of this sinful world that we fail to “be Christ” in our own communities? Do we forget to abide daily in the purity of Christ’s peace and forgiveness so that, like Paul, we can be all things to all people for the

sake of the Gospel?I am not suggesting that

organization, structure, firm foundations, and tradition should not play an important role in the lives of our Chris-tian communities. I am, how-ever, suggesting we are wast-ing our time if these things consume the majority of our focus, time, and resources to the detriment of the engage-ment of our communities and the world with the wit-ness that Paul lived out so selflessly.

Do we build homes and structures with no intention of using, living in, or working in them? Do we print news-papers, magazines, tracts, and Bibles with no intention

Embrace theMessiness

of distributing them or reading them? No, we know that would be foolish. I believe that sometimes we are so consumed by maintaining, organizing, and tweak-ing the structures of the church that we fail miserably at being the church that this fallen world so desperately needs.

God so loved us that he gave His only begotten Son that our blunders and missteps would be erased, and we would be white as freshly fallen snow. In a similar way, Paul turned from being a great persecutor of Christians to giving up all for the sake of the Gospel. Both God and Paul did not just put up with messiness but embraced it with unrestrained love.

As Paul so deftly begins, “I am free from all” because it is through the freedom that only Christ brings that he can embrace the messiness of the world around him instead of building up walls to keep the impurities and messiness of the world away. This is not a message of admonition but a message of opportunity and hope for the future.

Together let us take that necessary step away from the comfort and control that we strive to create, and embrace the true foundation that is only in Christ as we step out with faith into a very messy world.

I pray that God continues to build in your hearts a longing to shine His light in this messy world that longs for a message of hope! n

“I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save

some.”

Election Results Announced

Nearly 11,000 contributing members of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League (Int’l LLL)/Lutheran Hour Ministries voted in the recent election to fill the open positions on the Int’l LLL Board of Directors. The elected members will be installed during the upcoming Board of Directors meeting in July.

Philip Krauss II of Westland, Michigan, was re-elected to a two-year term as Vice Chair. The following individuals were elected to three-year terms as Directors: Londa Borer-Skov (incumbent) of Sacramento, California; Paul Pettit of Lincoln, Nebraska; Richard Sindlinger (incumbent) of York, Pennsylvania; and William Snow (incumbent) of Watertown, South Dakota.

“With God’s continued blessings, these individuals will provide the strong visionary leadership necessary to move the Gospel outreach ministries of this organization forward,” says Kurt Buch-holz, Int’l LLL board chairman.

This is the second year that all contributing members have had an opportunity to participate in the election through mail-in and internet voting. Board members had previously been elected by attendees of the Int’l LLL’s international convention. n


This message from Kateb, a young Muslim, is typical of many letters that Lutheran Hour Ministries—Lebanon receives from lis-teners to their Gospel radio programs. In partnership with Michi-gan-based Lutheran Heritage Foundation, Lutheran Hour Minis-tries will soon increase the availability of an important resource for reaching out to people who, like Kateb, are struggling with the fundamentals of Christianity: an Arabic-language catechism.

In 1982, Director Moris Jahshan of Lutheran Hour Minis-tries—Lebanon translated the 1943 Concordia Publishing House edition of Luther’s Small Catechism into Arabic to help listeners understand the most basic Christian teachings. Since the rise of radical Islam and the violence of the recent Arab Spring, the Leb-anon ministry center—known locally as Middle East Lutheran Ministry (MELM)—has noticed an increase in letters like Kateb’s. At the same time, more and more pastors and ministry leaders in the United States have begun contacting Christian organizations for Arabic-language resources. The need is greater than ever for a clear and simple Arabic-language exposition of Christian teaching.

Rev. Hicham Chehab ministers to Arabic speakers through Salam Christian Fellowship (LCMS) in Lombard, Ill. When he learned of the growing need for Arabic-language Christian re-sources in the United States, he was quick to tell people about the

MELM catechism, which he had discovered during the time he was living in Beirut.

“Since I began ministry to Muslims in Chicagoland,” he says, “I have learned from people of nine Arab nationalities that all of them understand this translation 100 percent! ”

Eric Gates sees the need. He serves as Lutheran Hour Ministries’ regional director for Africa and the Middle East. “About 3,000 copies of this catechism are planned for the first print run from this shared, joint project,” said Gates. “The Lutheran Heritage Foundation will coordinate the majority of the distribution in the United States, pri-

marily through congregations, laypersons and pastors who are actively engaged in witnessing to Arabic-speaking Muslims.

“It’s our prayer that the Holy Spirit will use this Arabic-language catechism as a tool in bringing the Gospel to people who desperately need to know God’s love,” Gates added. “And if demand is as strong as we anticipate, we are prepared to ex-plore an updated version that incorpo-rates the 1991 CPH edition—and presents the English and Arabic texts side by side!”

Contact Lutheran Heritage Foundation by e-mail; [email protected] or call 586-781-4286 to learn how to order this resource. n

Partnering to Meet the Demand for an Arabic Catechism

“I had a poor understanding of Christian teaching; any knowledge I had of Christianity I had obtained only through Islamic books because I could not find

good books to guide me through Christian doctrines. But when I heard your program, my hunger for truth was satisfied at last.”

An Arabic translation of Luther’s catechism is now available in the United States thanks to LHM and the outreach support of people like you!

Rev. Hicham Chehab shares an Arabic translation of the Bible with individuals longing to hear the freeing Gospel of Christ.


This isn’t the world in which I grew up! I’m 64 so that probably isn’t a very profound statement.

I grew up in a close suburb of Kan-sas City, in a small house just like the house next door, and the house across the street, and the house behind us. I grew up in one of those “subdivisions” (we didn’t call them that at that time) where every house is pretty much the same, built for families like mine where dad hasn’t been back from World War II for all that long—and he and his bride are starting a family.

I grew up in a neighborhood where everyone was pretty much like us—all the kids had two parents, and all the families went to church except for two. Before long my two younger sisters did their mission work on those fam-ilies, and they joined our church. It seemed that most everyone was either in church or looking for a good church. That’s the world in which I grew up.

That’s not today’s world. I nev-

er know what statistics to believe, but one I think must be about right is that, on any given weekend, only about 17% of the U.S. population at-tends religious services of any kind. In that other 83% you’ll find a variety of people who are not actively connect-ed to churches. Some are angry at or

burned out on church. A few are atheists. Some are indifferent. But the vast majority of those people not sitting in your pews on Sun-day morning believe in God or, at least, “a god,” and actually think about spiritual things. In fact, as much as 80% of the U.S. popula-tion claims to be Christian. But an ever increasing number shun involvement in churches and re-ligious institutions. Most are still “spiritual but not religious”—not engaged in a church.

One recent trip serves as an example of this “spir-itual but not religious” phenomenon. On this trip, I interacted with three strangers. My seatmate on one flight was a man who left the LCMS for very per-sonal reasons and became an Episcopalian. On an-other leg of that journey, I sat next to a woman who had dedicated her life to helping people in Nicara-gua—she had been there more than 40 times. She had tried some non-denominational churches but hadn’t settled anywhere. My third conversation was with a bus driver. He began by asking me if I was a

Christian. I said, “I am a follower of Jesus—a Christian.” Then I asked if he was a Christian. His answer: “No. I don’t think so. I think I’m a Baptist.” Before I could go further, he asked if God talks to me. I told him God talks to me through His Word in the Bible. Then He said that God told him to buy a lottery ticket with a certain set of numbers.

It isn’t the world I grew up in—but people still hunger for fulfillment, for spiritual things, but many are not involved in a church and few are ac-tually looking for a good church. The people I most often encounter are “spiritual but not religious.”

This means that most people get up on a Sun-day morning and worship isn’t even on their radar. It means that, if you want to see the mission field in your area on a Sunday morning, check McDon-ald’s or Starbucks or your local golf club. It probably means that the ways we used to engage our com-munities aren’t working that well anymore. And it means that when we do things that are attempting

by Bruce WurdemanExecutive Director

Lutheran Hour Ministriesonthemove

to engage those who are seeking a church home, we are talking to a shrinking per-centage of our population. Most people aren’t seeking a good church, and yet they still identi-fy themselves as “spiritual.”

Jesus met people where they were. He didn’t hang up a shingle in downtown Je-rusalem, set up office hours, and wait for the throngs to show up. He went where the people were. He traveled from village to village. He hung out with the dregs of so-ciety. He interacted with lepers. He went to non-Jewish places. He even struck up a conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well. It appears to me that Jesus did much more engaging than inviting—or at least that His invitations were preceded by His engagements. In other words, Jesus got involved in the lives of people—including our lives, in our world—and then laid down His life for us.

Take a good look at the world around us—at our communities and our neigh-borhoods. We need to realize that the way we did outreach in the 1950s and 1960s isn’t so effective anymore. We need to recognize that trying to reach those who are actively seeking a good church home means that we are concentrating on a rap-idly dwindling population. Maybe we need to take a page out of Jesus’ book and get in-volved in the everyday lives of people who don’t know Him. Maybe we need to spend less time in meetings and more time in our communities, rubbing shoulders with and getting to know those who aren’t looking for a good church—but are still searching for something. And just maybe you and I will get to see the Holy Spirit work through us and our churches to touch the hearts and lives of the many “spiritual but not re-ligious” we meet each day. n

It’s a Different World

Bruce Wurdeman

It isn’t the world I grew up in


by Nilo Figur

Today Lutheran Hour Ministries is proclaiming the Gospel in 10 Latin American countries: Ar-gentina, Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Nic-

aragua, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela. We are called to go to more still, and as we respond to LHM’s threefold international strategy—to reach young people, unreached peoples, and people in large urban centers—we are constantly alert to opportunities to ex-pand our Gospel outreach.

One of the most cost-effective strategies for planting new international ministries is the “satellite center.” A satellite center is designed to extend the evangelistic activity of an established ministry center into another country or region—and to enhance the outreach of a missionary or indigenous church. The responsibility of administering the satellite center remains with the es-tablished center, but programs are developed in con-junction with local mission or ministry partners.

Lutheran Hour Ministries has opened three new sat-ellite outreach centers in Latin America. One center is in Peru and has been established as a satellite of Luther-an Hour Ministries—Panama. It will support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s mission team led by Rev. Mark Eisold. The center’s work will include an intensive urban strategy to reach out in Peru’s capital, Lima, which is home to some 9 million people.

Lutheran Hour Ministries—Nicaragua will support and admin-ister another satellite that will reach out with the Gospel in the Dominican Republic. Nicaragua Director Ricardo Arguello will administer this center; local coordinator Yban Navarro and a team

of volunteers will carry out programs in support of Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod mission work throughout the country.

Bolivia is the location of the third center, which will be a satellite of Lutheran Hour Ministries—Paraguay and administered by Paraguay Director Victor Verruck. LHM’s evangelism partner will be

the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church of Bolivia (ICEL), which is based in Cochabamba. Outreach to youth will be a major strategic focus of this center.

Lutheran Hour Ministries’ experience, media programs, and printed materials will help ministry workers in these countries reach out effectively and touch people’s lives with the Gospel in their own language and culture. It is an exciting time for our work in Latin America—and we are looking for-ward eagerly to supporting our Synod and our sister churches in their mission efforts.

For more information about Lutheran Hour Ministries’ outreach efforts in Latin America, visit www.lhmint.org. nRev. Nilo Figur is LHM’s regional director for Latin America.

Satellite Centers E.X.P.A.N.D in Latin America

LHM’s director in Nicaragua is Ricardo Arguello (right), who is seen advising Yban Navarro of the satellite center in the Dominican Republic.

Victor Verruck (front right) directs LHM in Bolivia and is operating the new satellite center with the help of the Bolivian leaders shown here.

A satellite center is designed to extend the evangelistic activity

of an established ministry center into another country or region—

and to enhance the outreach of a missionary or indigenous church.


Mission U, Lutheran Hour Ministries’ witnessing training program, is becoming

even stronger! each series will soon feature new videos full of tips to change

a culture that disregards god.

read more about it in the next issue of The Lutheran Layman, or

www.whatsmissionu.com!

hell?What do you say

to people Who don’t believe in

God has called us as Christians to join Him in His mission and has challenged us to make His message of hope known in today’s increasingly post-Christian culture. But where can we learn to be empowered to share His message with others without fear?

Providing individuals with the necessary tools to witness effec-tively is why Lutheran Hour Ministries unveiled its Regional Out-reach Conferences (ROC) to more than 2,000 attendees in 2011 and is hosting eight more events throughout 2013. This year’s slate kicked off in late February/early March with back-to-back con-ferences in California, where attendees learned how to use their God-given gifts to share the Gospel with hurting people in ways that are culturally relevant and effective.

Many California ROC attendees shared in their post-confer-ence surveys how the Regional Outreach Conference was a blessing to them, helping them grow in their ability to “Make HIM Known” and connecting them to resources, organizations, and other Christians who can walk beside them in their everyday wit-ness! Here are just a few of the comments offering reasons why you should attend a conference this summer/fall:

“I enjoyed meeting members of other congregations who realize the need to share the Gospel authentically with the 21st century cul-ture. I share their frustration with those who don’t see the need.”

“I loved the networking between people! There was a great spirit. Everyone was really excited to learn and discuss things they had heard.”

“What I learned at the ROC has helped me in my new role as elder for our congregation. I pray that elders can become an example for our congregation to become more caring and missional minded.”

“This provided a great reminder about the opportunities for wit-ness around us all the time. I loved the role playing and discussion videos!”

“God encouraged me through the speakers’ messages, through my fellow believers’ obvious love for sharing their faith and their outreach ideas, and through moving and solid worship of our Lord!”

“The speakers during the main sessions were help-ful, inspiring, and encouraging. The topics offered during the breakout sessions were pertinent to the challenges we face on a daily basis.”

“My favorite part of the ROC was discussing Gos-pel-sharing scenarios as presented via short, high quality videos. The scenarios were practical and ap-plicable to everyday life. Also, the videos were top-notch and the acting was very good (not superficial or corny). As a result, the videos promoted valuable discussion in both small and large groups.”

“The conference topics, actionable teachings, and breeding ground for motivation are irreplaceable, and worth so much more than the mere cost of attending.”

Visit www.lhm.org to find everything you need to know about Regional Outreach Conferences coming soon in Richmond, Virginia (Aug. 2-4); Cleveland, Ohio (Aug. 9-10); Nashville, Tennessee (Sept. 6-7); Omaha, Nebraska (Oct. 18-19); and Houston, Texas (Nov. 15-16). Each conference will feature multi-media, prominent outreach speakers, hands-on witnessing opportunities, small- and large-group discussions, and in-formation-packed breakout sessions covering a variety of outreach topics to help attendees reach today’s culture. There will also be fun and engaging activities for adults and kids, live worship music, and powerful ministry tools to enrich and inspire attendees to share the love of Jesus, our spiritual ROCK, with people in their world.

Don’t miss this chance for you, your family and friends, and your congre-gation members to sharpen your witnessing skills by attending a Regional Outreach Conference! n

Survey Says:

Register NOW for a ROC!


by Kristopher WhitbyJust before His ascension, Jesus said

to His disciples; “You will be my wit-nesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Our Lord brings sal-vation through His life, death on the cross, and His glorious resurrection, He now sends His Church throughout the world to share the Gospel so that all might believe in Him and receive that gift of salvation.

Two thousand years later, a Luther-an congregation in suburban Chicago may seem like an unlikely place from which our Lord would send His fol-lowers “to the ends of the earth,” but, through our partnership with Luther-

an Hour Ministries, our Lord has given the members of Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Mt. Prospect, IL won-derful chances to reach out with the touch of His message of grace through their Interna-tional Volunteer Trips program. This program offers unique, short-

term volunteer team opportunities to work alongside Lutheran Hour Min-istries staff and volunteers in projects such as outreach events, care for chil-dren, healthcare training, and con-struction.

Come get your passport stamped and journey with our Saint Paul team as we take a quick look at how our Lord Jesus has blessed us to reach out with His Gospel, going “to the ends of the earth.”

Destination-Cairo, EgyptIn the spring of 2008 our team jour-

neyed to Cairo to serve as a construc-tion team, working on the Fagella Girls’ Orphanage. Like any trip to a far-away place, our team experienced culture shock. Spending time in a land where English was not commonly spoken, eating foods that, for us, seemed exot-ic, and simply the experience of spend-

ing time in a place where so few people know Jesus as their Savior was certainly a new encounter for many of our team. However, we also had the chance to re-ceive the warmth and hospitality of our LHM and orphanage hosts.

Our goal over the two weeks we were there was to repair a portion of the roof in the school wing of the orphanage that had been damaged in the last rainy season. However, our deeper goal was to simply be used by our LHM hosts and the orphanage in whatever they felt would best bless their work. Many days were filled with repairing the roof, fixing broken cabinets in the school’s li-brary, and doing whatever other minor repairs were needed. One of our team members became an “orphanage hero” as he was able to fix several circular fans by salvaging parts from other fans. We learned well how air movement is a valuable thing in the Egyptian heat.

We also had the opportunity to work with our Lutheran Hour Ministries hosts for a day, helping to prepare and assemble Bible studies and outreach materials that deliver the good news of Jesus to many in Egypt. We learned that our LHM hosts would actually hand deliver the outreach materials to the homes of those who requested them, sometimes at very real risk to

themselves. Our LHM hosts shared with us that we were able to prepare in one day what it would have taken their small team two months to get ready. It was our prayer that our Lord would use the materi-als to bring many to know Christ as Savior.

Each evening was spent seeking ways to share Christ’s love with the children of the orphanage. This often translated into our tired team playing a rousing game of soccer with the children on the concrete inner courtyard of the orphanage. How-ever, sharing the love of Christ was not a one-way street. At the end of our visit, the orphans shared through their head mistress that they wanted to put on a play for their American friends. They said that while we would not understand the language, we would still get the point to the play. That evening, dressed in the best costumes they could pull togeth-er, the orphans gave us their dramatic version of the story of King Solomon ruling between two mothers’ dispute over a child in I Kings 4. As we watched the play, it dawned on us why this portion of Scripture would be so meaningful to a group of orphans, many of whom had no mother who would plead for their lives. With hearts touched, we gave thanks to our Lord for these faithful little sisters in Christ and for the opportunity to show them their Savior’s love in such a practical way.

Destination-Vinh Long, VietnamIt was not long before our Saint Paul short-term

mission team found another blessed opportunity to work with LHM. This time, it was in the jungles

“You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem,

and in all Judea, and Samaria,

and to the ends of the earth”

Pastor Whitby (front, kneeling) with team members and others during an overseas International Volunteer Trip.


of Southeast Asia along the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Vietnam is the most populous country among the na-tions of Southeast Asia, yet only about eight percent of the country’s population knows Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Yet, through the work of the Holy Spirit, there is a witnessing Christian church that is emerging from years of persecution.

In the late winter of 2011, with hearts poised to serve in whatever way the Lord might use us, our team made the nearly 29 hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Our mis-sion goal was to build four homes for some of the poorest families in province of Vihh Long in south Vietnam. While many on our team are experienced builders, this would be a unique experience as we would be constructing huts made out of coconut leaves and bamboo.

The homes, however, provided more than just housing for the families we served. They also afford LHM mission workers further inroads to bring the Gospel of Christ to the neighborhoods in which the homes were built. We learned from our LHM host that before our arrival to build the homes, the government would not allow LHM into those communities. However, now that LHM was able to provide teams that build the much-needed housing, local government officials would now allow LHM to return to those neighborhoods to provide follow-up care for those who received the homes. Along with these visits LHM would be able to share why we had come to build these homes with the friends and neighbors who may be curi-ous. LHM would be able to tell these communities that our team came in response to Jesus’ love in our lives that had given us salvation which is His gift to them as well.

For many on our team, the most exciting part of this trip was the way by which we reached the work sites.

When the LHM van that transported our team could go no further because the roads had become too narrow, representatives of the People’s Repub-lic of Vietnam would meet us on motor scooters. We’d hop on the back of their scooters, and they would drive us deeper into the jungle to our work sites. However, the highlight of this trip came for our team on the final day we were in Vinh Long. That day, we were invited to a house blessing for the homes we had built where the governor for the region invited me to offer a prayer of blessing for the homes with his own news cameras rolling. It was an honor to pray to our Savior and ask that the good news of His death and resurrection would come to be known in each of the homes we had been blessed to build.

In the end, more homes were built than expected and relation-ships that stretched across language and culture were built as well as open doors to share Christ’s love with those who do not know Him.

Destination-Beong Nimol, CambodiaAgain, in the late winter of 2013, our Saint Paul team made ready

to return with LHM to Southeast Asia. This time, our International Volunteer team would journey to Cambodia, seeking to construct two classrooms on a partner church’s property in the Prich village. While Cambodia had suffered much during the days of Pol Pot’s dictatorship [the effects of which are still greatly felt by the people], this country is currently not under the influence of Communism, so reaching out with the Gospel is an easier endeavor.

While there, our team learned that, as in Vietnam, LHM often reaches people with the Good News of Jesus through puppetry. Pup-petry is considered a form of art here, and children and adults alike

...our team came in response to Jesus’ love in our lives that had given us salvation, which is His gift to them as well.

see next page

One of the Saint Paul teams in Vietnam Effective means of transportation, even for Pastor Whitby (far left).


will come to enjoy the show LHM puts on where the puppets help to tell the stories of God’s Word. We were able to witness such outreach and even help in setting up the stage so that many children could hear the message of the Gospel during a birthday party for one of the village children.

As often happens, our Lord used our team to share His compassion in an unexpected way during our mis-

sion. While there, a woman, who had just recently come to know Jesus as her Savior, died. Her daughter was also a Christian and had been a faith-ful witness to her mother, which the Spirit used in bring-

ing this woman to faith. However, the rest of her family, not being believers, had shunned this woman and her mother and refused to come to the funeral. Our LHM host requested that our team come and share the comfort of our presence as fellow believers in Christ’s victory over sin and death. This woman may not have had bio-logical family there that day, but her family in Christ was there to celebrate

Christ’s gift of eternal life. Like so many of our journeys, our

Lord had accomplished far more than we could have hoped for in our mis-sion plans.

Destination-Saint Paul, Mt. Prospect, IL

For me, as Senior Pastor, one of the added blessings of serving with a congregation who rejoices when our Lord gives us the chance to go to “the ends of the earth” with His Gospel is that it has helped develop in our con-gregation a desire to see how we might reach out with His message of forgiv-ing grace in the shadow of our own steeple. Local community outreach projects and simply having “open eyes” for how a church event might draw someone new to our ministry has in part found inspiration from our distance mission trips.

How might our Lord use you? Or a team from your church? The oppor-tunities are numerous, to share His Good News locally, nationally, or “to the ends of the earth.” As you do, may you and those you serve be blessed with Christ’s grace. n

The Rev. Kristopher Whitby is senior pastor of Saint Paul Lutheran Church and School in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, and is supportive of LHM.

Witness from page 14

The opportunities are numerous,

to share His Good News locally,

nationally, or “to the ends

of the earth.”

Experience the Outreach!

Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) partners with individuals

and church congregations to share the Gospel in more than 30 countries. Working through local staff at ministry centers in each country, LHM’s International Ministries Partnership program enables you to be actively involved, communicate directly, give financial support, and encourage a ministry center of your choice. As a result, you will build relationships with our staff and volunteers, and support a variety of out-reach programs, such as helping children and youth learn about Christ through vacation Bible schools; training lay church leaders to share God’s Word through Equipping the Saints evangelism workshops; and organizing public events that not only entertain, but also promote a Christian witness.

Check the opportunities for international outreach at www.lhm.org (then click on International Ministries Partner-ships and discover the options). n

Attendees at an Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshop in Myanmar help themselves to Gospel materials.

Vacation Bible schools such as this one in Guatemala are a good way to communicate Good News in Christ.

“Many...could hear the Gospel...!”


@LHMglobalminFollow us on Twitter:facebook.com/

LutheranHourMinistries

www.LHM.org

Every Christian life is a witness

Build relationships that lead toopportunities for authentic witness

Reach out to the nations

Leading the Way in Gospel Support by Brad Neathery

Lutheran Hour Ministries realizes that we are taking a bold step when we ask individuals like you to support the mission of this ministry. We joyfully ask others to be involved financially because we believe God has called Lutheran Hour Ministries to share His Good News with a hungry world.

We also ask with integrity because our staff supports this or-ganization’s mission as well. The 2013-2014 Lutheran Hour Min-

istries Family Campaign recently kicked off at a special celebration ceremony in April. Staff members came together to celebrate the work of this ministry and the opportuni-ties they have to be involved every day.

Early results of the Family Campaign have shown that over 75 percent of Luther-an Hour Ministries’ staff is choosing to give back to this ministry in 2013. These staff members lead by example in showing do-

nors that they don’t ask others to support something they’re not supporting themselves.

Staff member Paul Schreiber says it well: “Lutheran Hour Min-istries relies on donor dollars to continue its Gospel outreach. I feel it’s important to support the organization I work for and be-lieve in.” This is a core principle of Christian life–to lead not only with your words, but with your heart and life as well.

The majority of staff giving to Lu-theran Hour Ministries takes place through automatic deductions. This mode of giving is convenient for indi-viduals and saves time and resources for the ministry.

Donors outside of Lutheran Hour Ministries can choose to make automatic gifts as well. By provid-ing information for your credit card or bank account, Lutheran Hour Ministries will be able to take care of fulfilling your gift. You can even request limited mail, since you’ll know you are already committed to partnering with Lutheran Hour Ministries throughout the year.

For more information on automatic giving or the Fami-ly Campaign, contact the Ministry Advancement Division at [email protected] or 1-800-944-3450.

The Family Campaign at Lutheran Hour Ministries sets a great example of supporting causes in which you invest your heart and your time. Please follow this example and partner in God’s mis-sion to reach a lost and hungry world. n

“Example is not the main

thing in influenc-ing others. It is the only thing.”

—Albert Schweitzer

Paul Schreiber



www.LHM.org






www.LHM.org





by Paul SchreiberComebacks. They’re the stuff of dreams, movies, novels, and

legends. For anybody who’s blown it and been left wondering if there was any way up from rock bottom, comebacks top the pri-ority list. No matter how far the long shot or how steep the odds, just knowing there’s a chance—a mere glimmer of hope—is often enough to keep us going. Beating the odds is what the latest book-let from Project Connect—Comebacks: How to Get Back up after Life Knocks You Down is all about.

Sadly, things that can derail us and topple our world are all around these days. Natural disasters, human crazies, financial perils, messed-up childhoods—any or all of these can put us down—and keep us there, if we let them. There’s good news, though. Get-ting knocked down isn’t getting knocked out. Whether it’s a sucker punch or a shot from your blind side that put you on the floor, you can make a comeback.

But there is one problem. It often takes more than good intentions and a positive mental attitude—though both are important—to pick up the piec-es and make the necessary changes. Sometimes what we face is a thing or a problem we can’t get past. It’s then we need to let go, surrendering it to Him who alone has our “back” and our best interests at heart. Under-standing this, we know at the center of our comeback is God, who alone can transform our lives from the in-side out. “It’s a decision to trust He

is good even when everything around you seems to be screaming the opposite, and then to sit back and watch as He shows you His goodness,” writes Pastor Dion Garrett, author of this booklet.

Unspinning the fairy tale of a trouble-free life, Garrett reminds readers that troubles abound in this life. Of the points he offers to those making a comeback, two stand out: 1) God isn’t the source or cause of our troubles, and 2) God uses our troubles to shape us into the people He wants us to be. Understanding this, however, is a matter of trusting “that God is good, no matter what,” Garrett writes. To the person making a comeback grounded in faith, he urges readers to remember that “Jesus is present. He cares. He’s good. He knows what it’s like to be knocked down, and He has shown the world that He has the power to rise.”

When you buy 20 booklets of Comebacks, you receive 5 FREE! (Order 40 get 10 free, 60 get 15 free, etc.) To order, go to our special Comebacks ordering page at www.lhm.org/comeback and enter the coupon code, LMBACK13. Hurry, offer ends Sept. 30, 2013!

To learn more about Project Connect booklets in general (many of which are also in Spanish), and to check out our handy display rack options, please go to www.lhm.org/projectconnect. n

Phyllis Wallace Received Award

Phyllis Wallace recently received the Christus Primus Award from Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Mich., for distinguished service to the Church and community.

She was the originator and host of “Woman to Woman” Radio-Talk, produced by LHM from 1993-2011. Recognized for her pioneering ef-forts in women’s broadcast ministry, Wallace based her acceptance on the CUAA verse of the year, Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

She said, “I didn’t set out to be a pioneer-anything. I did ask the Lord to use my gift, which happens to be to ‘encourage the weary with words,’ to serve Him. Looking back, that’s exactly what He did. He will do the same for your gifts, when you put Christ first! Thank you for this acknowledgement of His work in and through my life!” n

Phyllis Wallace was presented the recent award by Dr. Patrick Ferry, CUAA’s interim president.

6BE150

For those of us who have blown it or would like

a “re-do,” comebacks are high on the agenda.

There’s no shortage of things in this world that can

“rock our boat” or “upset our applecart.” Natural

disasters, human crazies, financial perils, messed-up

childhoods—any or all of these can put us down—

and keep us there, if we let them. There’s good news

though. Getting knocked down isn’t getting knocked

out. Whether it’s a sucker punch or a shot from your

blind side that dropped you to the ground, you can

make a personal comeback.

Here’s the dilemma however. Sometimes our best

intentions simply aren’t enough. Sometimes what

we face is a thing or issue or problem we can’t get

past. It’s then when we need to let go, surrendering

it to Him who alone has our “back” and our best

interest at heart. Understanding this, we then know

at the center of our comeback is our “trust in God’s

goodness, no matter what,” writes author and

Pastor Dion Garrett. “It’s a decision to trust He

is good even when everything around you seems

to be screaming the opposite, and then to sit back

and watch as He shows you His goodness.”

God’s goodness, our comeback—His grace at work

as it transforms our lives.

660 Mason Ridge Center Dr. • St. Louis, MO 63141-8557

1-800-876-9880 • www.lhm.org

ComebacksHOW TO GET BACK UP AFTER

LIFE KNOCKS YOU DOWN

ComebacksHOW TO GET BACK UP AFTER

LIFE KNOCKS YOU DOWN

Need a Comeback? Project Connect Can Help

Board Nominations Open for 2014

Nominations for candidates to serve on the Board of Directors of the In-ternational Lutheran Laymen’s League/Lutheran Hour Ministries are being requested now for next spring’s election. Lutheran Hour Ministries mem-bers (donors who have given a gift to the ministry between Oct. 1, 2012, and March 31, 2014) will vote in the Spring 2014 election via mail-in or Internet ballots for the roles of chair and four director positions.

You are urged to prayerfully consider the God-given talents, skill sets, passion for outreach ministry, and service to the Lord of potential nomi-nees who are members of a congregation in The Lutheran Church—Mis-souri Synod or Lutheran Church—Canada. To download a nominations form, or learn more about eligibility requirements for nominees, visit www.lhm.org/nominations. Nominations must be received by Oct. 1, 2013. n


a program brought to you by

www.jcplayzone.com

Children Have Devotions, too!

Children can enjoy specially written daily devotions at the website www.jcplayzone.com. When they reach that site, they simply click on the “devotion” option at the bottom of the screen. Even adults can join in by reading the devotion aloud. Here is a recent sample written by Jesse Liebmann, an eighth grader.

My Bible Verse:“Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not

be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord, your God, will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Tommy’s dad was teaching him how to ride his bike. Tommy was scared that he was going to crash. His dad was holding the back of the bike the whole time telling him that he was there and wasn’t going to leave him. Soon, Tommy calmed down and was able to ride by him-self. Tommy felt good when his dad was by his side, but he felt even better knowing that God was with him, also. When we are scared, we can remember that God is always with us and will never leave us. God is always watching out for us and He loves us very much.

My Prayer:Dear God, thank You for always being with me and protecting me.

Amen. n

Four Bible Studies Win Tellys

Four Men’s NetWork Bible stud-ies have recently received seven Telly Awards for their excellence in video production. Warriors of Faith—Mili-tary Men; The Intersection of Church & State; Death…Then What? and Win-ning the Race are the winners in the 34th Annual Telly Awards competi-tion. “The Telly Awards honors the very best film & video productions, groundbreaking online video content, and outstanding local, regional, & ca-ble TV commercials and programs,” according to the Telly Awards’ website.

Founded in 1978 by David E. Carter, an entrepreneur, writer, and expert on graphic design, logo design, and cor-porate branding, each year the Telly Awards receive some 11,000 submis-sions, from which judges dole out statues to winners in silver and bronze categories. To date there have been nine Men’s NetWork Bible studies that have received a total of 17 Telly Awards.

Respectively, the four Men’s NetWork studies listed above are hosted by Chaplain Steven Hoka-na (Military, topic: issues of anger, grief, guilt, forgiveness, and love as they impact military personnel); Rev. Gregory Seltz (Intersection, topic: relationship between church and state in America); Rev. Michael Newman (Death, topic: death and life beyond the grave); and Chris Schneider (Winning, topic: applying lessons from sports to our daily Chris-tian lives). Each of these multi-session Bible studies creatively explores a top-ic relevant to Christian life, and fea-tures engaging video and a discussion guide, which is ideal for either person-al or group use.

Men’s NetWork Bible studies cov-er a wide range of subjects. The four winners mentioned here—as well as numerous other productions—can all be found at www.lhmmen.com. There you will find brief summaries for each study, accompanying promo videos, downloading instructions, and pur-chasing opportunities. n


by Greg KoenigIn recent generations, England—formerly

a hub of religious activity during the era of the Reformation—has followed much of the rest of Europe in the continent’s general drift away from Christianity and the Gospel. Yet, The Lu-theran Hour is broadcast there as part of an Internet initiative of the Evangelical Lutheran

Church of England. In May, Rev. Jaime Kriger, manag-er of Lutheran Radio UK, home of The Lutheran Hour in England, visited Lutheran Hour Ministries’ St. Louis studio and spoke to announcer Mark Eischer about Lutheran radio min-istry.

Mark Eischer: Pastor, welcome to our studios

here at The Lutheran Hour. You’re based in London; it’s an Internet radio station—how did it get started?

Jaime Kriger: It started about a year ago as a project of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England. And we’ve been able to reach out, by the grace of God, to 136 countries.

Mark Eischer: Tell me a little bit about your background and how you came to be involved with Lutheran Radio UK.

Jaime Kriger: Well, I am a Brazilian…with German origins, and I came over to the UK—not to study for the ministry but to pursue a doctorate in marketing. But I ended up at West-field House in Cambridge, did my theological studies there, was ordained as a pastor in 2010, and then was called to do media ministry.

Mark Eischer: Some of the countries you mention you’ve reached are probably places where an outright expression of Christianity may not be permissible; is that correct?

Jaime Kriger: Yes; in 34 of the countries, the majority of people are Muslims. If you’re found to be listening to Christian “propaganda,” as they would say in these places, it’s possible you could be killed. It’s rewarding that we’re able to reach out to those places, to speak to peo-ple there—and these are tiny seeds that God is planting in those locations.

Mark Eischer: The area of Internet broad-casting really is “broadcasting without bor-ders.” You’re going directly to the listener through their computer; that’s a bold way to go.

Jaime Kriger: We’re learning as we grow in

this, but the opportunities we see ahead of us are amazing, because the technol-ogy is advancing in such a way that you can talk to people in a very personal way on their laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. It’s opening a whole new area of mission through media and technology that we’re only beginning to make use of.

Mark Eischer: What would you say is the spiritual climate in England right now, and how does the Lutheran mes-sage of the Gospel speak to that?

Jaime Kriger: I would say that the Christian climate in the UK is not very good. Just to give you an idea: around 8 percent of the population is said to come to church, but those are not “regulars.” If you want to speak about “regular church-goers,” I would put it at half that percent-age. You could say with certainty that the UK (as it is) is a post-Christian country. I think the Lutheran message of Law and Gospel and redemption and salvation in Christ Jesus alone has that “breath of fresh air” that is much-needed.

Mark Eischer: If a listener of The Lu-theran Hour wanted to log on and listen to Lutheran Radio UK, what would he or she need to do?

Jaime Kriger: They can go to this site: www.lutheranradio.co.uk. Click on “Lis-ten Live” to hear what’s currently on. We do have The Lutheran Hour on Luther-an Radio UK—or you can choose any of our other programs or podcasts. n

Rev. Jaime Kriger fields questions about Lutheran Radio UK in LHM’s studio.

Lutheran Programming in England: a Breath of Fresh Air

We’ve been able to reach

out, by the grace of

God, to 136 countries.


Relax…It’s taken care of.Have your gifts automatically debited from your checking

account or credit card! It’s EASY AND CONVENIENT!

Visit www.lhm.org/gme or call 1-800-944-3450, ext. 4130.

For those working in the agricultural industry, the middle of summer is an important time. You re-flect on the work you did in the spring and early summer and look towards the results you will

see in the fall and winter. Lutheran Hour Ministries prays that the work of your hands will flourish and you will see God’s blessings.

The First Fruits Giving program at Lutheran Hour Ministries allows people to respond to God’s bless-ings in a special way. Farmers, ranchers, cattlemen, and others working in agriculture can partner in God’s mission through gifts of crops, land, property, livestock, or other bounty with which you have been blessed by God.

Farmers selling crops can direct a portion of their payment to be sent directly to Lutheran Hour Minis-tries. Ranchers and cattlemen can follow a similar path by directing a portion of the livestock sale revenue to Lutheran Hour Ministries as well. Even better, by hav-ing your buyer send your gift directly to Lutheran Hour Ministries, your family will likely qualify for significant tax savings in return for your gift.

For those considering selling or downsizing prop-erty or land, Lutheran Hour Ministries can help you as well. You can donate property outright or look into a range of charitable gift vehicles that allow you to re-ceive income for your family for life and then have your property go to support God’s mission when you go on to glory.

These gift planning options can be tremendously beneficial for those in the agricultural industry consid-ering how to enter retirement while providing for their family. Whatever goals you have in mind, a Ministry Advancement Officer at Lutheran Hour Ministries can help you make the choice that is best for you.

If you would like to explore how you can make a difference in God’s mission at Lutheran Hour Ministries through the First Fruits Giving program, please contact the Lutheran Hour Ministries Gift Planning Department at 1-877-333-1963 or [email protected]. n

“First Fruits” Giving and You


Every day we set priorities. Sometimes we get derailed and find ourselves spending an inordi-nate amount of time on less significant things.

This can be called “majoring in the minors.”The apostle Paul was clear about his priority for

ministry—it was to take the Gospel to those who might otherwise have little or no opportunity to hear it. Not that he didn’t care for his fellow Chris-tians around the Roman world—his expressions of love and concern are everywhere in his letters to the Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, and so on. But his ambition was to proclaim the Gospel where people had not been told of Jesus, so that they could see Him and understand how God had reconciled the world to Himself.

Paul’s ambition is a ministry priority we share in Lutheran Hour Ministries’ International Division. While it is true that about one-third of the seven billion people alive today identify themselves as fol-lowers of Christ, it is equally true that about another third have little or no opportunity to hear of Him. We call them “unreached people”—because they live in places where either there is no local Christian com-

munity to spread the Word, or if some local Christian communities do exist, they are a small and oppressed segment of the pop-ulation and as such have little evangelistic impact. In general, these are places that are dominated by Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and even secularism.

There are many obstacles to reaching people in these areas. In some, Islam, Hin-duism, and even Buddhism have become radicalized, and Christians in these places have often been persecuted. In other places such as China, secularism has resulted in a population that is close to 45 percent atheis-tic. In some countries, there are government restrictions that severely curtail or even out-law Christian activity.

Further, in many unreached regions and cultures, people often see Christianity as a “western” religion, or a western import—although we know that in fact Christianity extended throughout the middle east, and even as far as China, long before it ever came to Northern Europe or the Americas.

There are theological obsta-cles as well. Muslims, for exam-ple, cannot accept the divinity of Christ, or that He died on the cross, or that He is literally the Son of God. Moreover, there is human sin, which does not want to hear that humans are powerless to earn their own salvation.

Finally, there is fear. Many people are afraid to get caught with a Bible or with a radio tuned to a Christian broad-cast. Some people fear isola-tion or violence, because too often people who profess faith in Christ have been shunned by their families and commu-nities—and even beaten or killed. Others fear retribution from all kinds of vengeful spir-its and supernatural forces. Still others live in fear of what will happen when they leave

Carrying on the Apostle Paul’s “Ambition”: Unreached People by Douglas Rutt

“I make it my ambition to preach the Gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand’” — (Romans 15:20-21).

this world: have they been good enough; have they done enough? And their own religious systems leave them no sure hope, but rather only doubt and uncer-tainty.

Yet these are people for whom Christ died. That is the beauty of the Biblical message: “He died for all” (2 Corinthians 5:15); or, as Jesus Himself said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Jesus gave His life for all people everywhere, of ev-ery nation, tribe, and language. Paul said of his own ministry, “The love of Christ compels us.” It is the love of Christ that compels us at Lutheran Hour Ministries to continue to go to those places where Jesus is not known and to assure people there that God loves them and has pro-vided for their salvation.

In Romans 10, Paul says that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ,” and he poses the question, “how shall they hear without

Most of India’s nearly 1 billion unreached people practice some variety of Hinduism.

Many of the world’s unreached people practice Islam. Muslims like these women often attend Lutheran Hour Ministries rallies and discover the peace of a loving God.


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Two Bible Studies Examine Islam

The Islamic religion is a mystery for many. In two Men’s NetWork Bible studies, The Challenge of Islam (Part One): What is Islam? and The Challenge of Islam (Part Two): Defending the Christian Faith, the host introduces view-ers to the basics of Islam—from the five pillars of faith to Muhammad to the Muslim view of paradise. Delivered in plain English, the productions reveal the tensions—and similarities—that abound in the Jewish-Christian-Muslim milieu. This series is ideal for informed group discussions on the nature and dynamics of Islam and the living hope Christians share through Jesus Christ. Learn more at www.lhmmen.com. n

a preacher?” This is why it was so important for him—and is so important for us—to look for ways to bring the Gospel to the un-reached.

But we also face some challenging “internal realities.” Studies indicate that 87 percent of all mission funding across denomina-tions today goes toward work among those who are already Chris-tian. In fact, of the 70,000 North American missionaries serving around the world, only 5,000 are working among the unreached! Studies also report that 40 percent of the church’s global mission resources are deployed in just 10 countries, each of which already has a strong indigenous church and ministry. It is reported that 86 percent of the Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists do not even know a Christian. These things must change if people who are lost

in sin are to hear that the God who created them loves them and has sent His Son Jesus Christ to set them free.

Lutheran Hour Ministries is unique-ly poised to reach the unreached. Right now we are sharing the Gospel in sever-al countries that are largely unreached—in Indonesia, for exam-ple, which has more than 175 million un-reached people and the world’s largest Muslim population; in India, which has almost 1 billion un-reached people; and in China, which has close to 1.1 billion un-reached (that equates to more than 2 billion unreached people in three countries). And from just one minis-try center—our center in Lebanon—we are reaching the majority

of the Arabic-speaking world with radio programming that pro-claims the Good News of salvation in Jesus.

Part of the unique character of our outreach to unreached peo-ple is that we work through indigenous staff who are “cultural in-siders”—who know the local language and can communicate the Gospel in ways that are most meaningful and relevant to their own people. They can often carry out effective evangelistic ministry where expatriate North American missionaries cannot.

We are bold to claim Paul’s “ambition” as our ambition, too! The love of Christ compels us to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus where Christ has not been named, bringing Christ even to those nations—and those nations to the church. n

(Rev. Dr. Douglas Rutt directs the International Ministries Division of LHM.)

Atheism is the official “religion” of China, where an estimated 1.1 billion are yet to be reached with the Gospel.


F rom Florida to California, men’s groups and interested individ-uals participated in the inaugural Men’s NetWork WORK DAY, April 27. Signed up and ready to go were 50-plus groups total-

ing more than 900 people. A partial list of jobs tackled included trim-ming bushes and trees; removing excess furniture, desks, and trash; cleaning up yards; washing windows (these guys get the special mer-it award); building classroom shelves; fixing an irrigation pipe issue; raking leaves; hauling mulch; clearing plant beds, changing air filters, setting up patio furniture, mending fences — and the list goes on.

As we expected, those participating were more than happy to get in-volved and give up a few hours on an early spring Saturday. We were glad to hear so many enjoyed the hats that came in the registration package too.

“Thank you to the Men’s NetWork for organizing this day of service and for the great hats!” from the 20-plus crew at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Centennial, Colo.

“The LHM Men’s NetWork caps were appreciated and gave us a vis-ible reminder of our common bond in serving the Lord!” from the guys, ranging in age from 17 to 79, at Faith Lutheran Church in Topeka, Kan.

Coast-to-Coast First-Timers Made MNW WORK DAY a Success

“Thank you, LHM and the Men’s NetWork, for an awesome workday 2013!” from the guys at American Lutheran Church in Grand Junction, Colo.

“Thanks for the Men’s NetWork hats, we all looked better,” from the guys in Arcadia, Calif.

Now that this year’s Men’s NetWork WORK DAY is on the books, we’re thinking about next year. We’re looking for more groups to get on board and more projects to be undertaken. Does your local college campus Christian student center need some study carrels built? Would seven guys, a small load of lumber, and a plan be all that’s required to put together some cool playground features at your church? What about taking care of the paint job for that woman at church who lost her husband last year? Of course, the possibilities are endless—as is the need. We look forward to seeing what you come up with next year! Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2103 Men’s NetWork WORK DAY!

To see more pictures from the work that took place on April 27, go to www.facebook.com/lhmmen n

1) Men from American Lutheran Church, Grand Junction, Colo.; 2) Men from Mount Olive and St. John Lutheran Churches, Omaha, Neb.; 3) Men’s Bible study group, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, York, Neb.; 4) Men of Hope, Hope Lutheran Church, De Pere, Wis.; 5) Men’s ministry, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Palatine, Ill.; 6) Men on the move, St. John Lutheran Church, Ocala, Fla.

3

5

2

4 6

1


Ever try to witness to a Mormon? What about a Muslim? If you did, were they similar in their thinking? Consider the book, “The American Muhammad — Joseph Smith, Founder of

Mormonism” by Alvin J. Schmidt (softbound, 268 pag-es; Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis. Mo. (www.cph.org or call 1-800-325-3040). As Mormonism gains a stronger hold on select portions of North America, Dr. Schmidt’s expertise in sociology, religion, and fraternal organizations are put in play to analyze the matter. He proposes more than 70 parallels of “mindset” and “dis-position” between Muhammad and Smith and draws from original written sources. The lives and careers of Smith and Muhammad are closely studied in the book indicating that both felt “above the rule of law, and they acted accordingly” (page 164). For Christians associat-ing with believers of these two belief systems, the book

offers a revealing analysis and may be especially applicable for Christians involved in evangelizing.

If a person you visit starts talking about “those books be-tween the Old and New Testament,” what do you do? Four-teen Lutheran contributors share their knowledge and spiri-tual insights in “The Apocrypha — The Lutheran Edition with Notes,” Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis. Mo. (see www.cph.org or call 1-800-325-3040 for details). Dr. Paul Maier’s foreword puts a Lutheran spin on the inter-testamen-tal subject. As this 417 page, hardbound book educates with footnotes and supplemental comments, it can come in handy for Lutherans when preparing to converse with Roman Catho-lics or when making outreach visits with families that wonder about the non-canonical writings. The book provides infor-mation that can be used in conversation, should the subject of the Apocrypha arise. Thus, outreach need not be sidetracked if you are knowledgeable. Also included are comments on other ancient texts and their relevance to the Bible.

As a supporter of Lutheran Hour Ministries, author Carol Lynn Steficek puts practical ideas in print with “The Narrow Gate” (softbound, 80 pages; Morris Publishing, Kearney, NE;

write/call [email protected] or 1-623-933-1718). She notes that “the overriding theme is the necessity of sharing the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ with a world in desperate need of hearing it” (preface). She addresses the topics of Christianity today, evil in the world, the Bible, emerging churches, New Age, and more. There are lurking dangers. She uses Yoga as an ex-ample, where on occasion there will be pictures of “de-ities” on the wall alongside a picture of Christ. It is im-portant not to think of Christ as “just one of many gods.” She emphasizes that “He IS the way. Man just continues to refuse…and wants to do it his own way” (page 68). The book is an admirable discussion piece and pre-evange-lism visit resource.

If you need to handle tough questions about life, faith, God, and outreach, consider equipping yourself with

“The Collected Sermons of Dietrich Bonhoeffer” (Fortress Press, Minneapolis, Minn.; www.fortresspress.com or call 1-800-328-4648). Lutherans making visits to the homes of people who ques-tion the fortitude of Lutherans can well attest to the sermons of Bon-hoeffer, who became a martyr to the faith during the Second World War — and his words are highly applicable today in translated form

for the American audience. Hardbound with 214 pages, this scholarly work edited by Isabel Best relies on the expert trans-lations of five individuals and features 31 sermons with intro-ductory notes. Said Bonheoffer: “A real evangelical sermon must be like holding a pretty red apple in front of a child or a glass of cool water in front of a thirsty person and then asking: do you want this? We should be able to talk about matters of our faith in such a way that the hands reach out for it faster than we can fill them” (page 34).

Don’t know how to handle questions about the authority of the Christian Church and its pastors? “The Church & The Office of The Ministry” (Concordia Publishing House) is an update of the Dr. C.F. W. Walther work first published in German and later revised and translated. This new edition, edited by President Mathew C. Harrison of The Lutheran Church—Mis-souri Synod, offers 495 pages as a “study edition,” ample with highly informative notes. Nearly 150 pages have been included in the appendices. Among the extra material are quotes from ancient Church teachers, exchanges between historic leaders Walther, Grabau, and Loehe, and terminology clarifications. The book can be useful in Bible classes, theological discussions, and private visits, where the subject of the Church, its ministry, and ministers in general will often arise. A book of this magni-tude can equip serious students and “evangelism callers.”

If you like to hand out booklets with a Christ-centered message, consider three

booklets in high demand: “Reasons to Believe,” “PRAYER—When You Don’t Know What to Say,” and “FORGIVENESS is a Choice.” Each is available via LHM and may be ordered at the Project Connect website (www.lhm.org/projectconnect). Designed “to help church members share Christ with the lost,” the booklets have prov-en their impact in bringing the Word of God into the lives of people wrestling with serious concerns. Good for a church entryway, these and a whole series of other booklets nestle into a full-size display to gain the attention of the spiritually needy. Good for use at oth-er venues such as a doctor’s office, funeral home, even a barber shop or beauty salon. Your congregation can add its imprint on the back cover so that readers can seek more words of witness. n

Resources for Outreach by Gerald Perschbacher

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDSt. Louis, MO.Permit No. 619

660 Mason Ridge Center DriveSt. Louis, Missouri 63141-8557

Lutheran Hour Ministries, 660 Mason Ridge Center Drive • St. Louis, Missouri 63141-8557 • (314) 317-4100 or 1-800-944-3450 Kurt Buchholz, Chairman • Bruce Wurdeman, Executive Director

The Int’l Lutheran Laymen’s League, with its outreach through Lutheran Hour Ministries, is an auxiliary of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and Lutheran Church—Canada.

Outreach to Muslims— Cover Story

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MNW WORK DAY page 22

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