# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2007_S48 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 48 SYNOD REPORTS In addition, we are now airing a new women’s radio program, Life...revised, on AFN as well. * The pilot of Life...revised was produced because of an $85,000 grant provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Thrivent has also agreed to match donors’ gifts to Lutheran Hour Ministries through its GivingPlus program. * LHM has combined efforts with the Lutheran Church Extension Fund to provide local religious research profiles to churches for their Christian outreach efforts. ¢ Orphan Grain Train continues to assist LHM in the distribution of Global Care Packages to our international ministry centers. * LCMS World Relief pledged more than $300,000 in matching funds for our tsunami relief efforts and has assisted in our mission trips to the U.S. Gulf Coast to help repair the region following Hur- ricanes Katrina and Rita. * In addition, our leadership team has had numerous conversations with the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League on how our two organizations can best work together. These are just a few of the great things that have happened the past few years with our Lutheran partners. We look forward to ex- panding these relationships and developing partnerships with other Recognized Service Organizations of the LCMS in the years to come. Conclusion LHM is working to be a valued leader in the training of the laity for leadership, mission outreach, and volunteerism. We plan to part- ner with 1,000 LCMS congregations by 2011 to assist them in their outreach efforts. As an active Ablaze! participant, we will engage in 25 million confirmed contacts with unreached or uncommitted peo- ple by 2017, train and activate 250,000 volunteers to reach out to the lost by 2010, and serve as the media arm of the LCMS to provide TV, radio, and print ads and Christian media programming to assist in the startup of 2,000 new churches by 2017. We have already reached nearly 1.85 million people through our Ablaze! efforts. Our greatest challenge is finding new donors and volunteers to help us carry out the work of the Great Commission. With the av- erage age of our donors and volunteers creeping beyond 70, we must reach out to younger generations to show them the impact LHM can make around the world. With God’s grace, LHM will use the latest communications technology for people worldwide to hear the Word of God and be connected to the church. LHM will continue to work toward being a leading resource for the church, providing support to pastors and their congregations in the U.S., Canada, and around the world. Lutheran Hour Ministries (International Lutheran Laymen’s League) 10 Significant Accomplishments in the Last Triennium (1) The Lutheran Hour is once again airing on the American Forces Network to reach a potential audience of 800,000 service personnel around the world. (2) LHM has a new radio program, Life...revised, to reach unchurched women ages 35-54. (3) The Lutheran Hour and Life...revised are now both airing on XM Satellite Radio. (4) LHM has reached nearly 1.85 million people as part of its Ablaze! commitment of reaching 25 million people by 2017, nearly 60 percent of the LCMS contacts thus far. (5) LHM has trained and activated nearly 50,000 people as part of its Ablaze! commitment of activating 250,000 volunteers by 2010. (6) Working with LCMS World Relief, LHM helped raise more than $300,000 to assist tsunami victims with physical and spiritual relief. 2007 Convention Workbook (7) LHM developed a five-year strategic outreach plan to assist LCMS congregations with their outreach efforts. (8) LHM added more than 40,000 new e-mail addresses to its database for e-newsletters. (9) LHM trained more than 5,500 people on how to witness through its Equipping to Share workshops. (10) LHM shipped more than 35,000 care packages to people in need in Vietnam, Uganda, and Uruguay through its Global Care Packages program. 10 Significant Goals (1) LHM will be the international leader in Christian outreach by producing creative new programming using the latest in communications technology so that people around the world can hear God’s Word and be connected to the Church through LHM. (2) LHM will lead in the training of laity for leadership, mission outreach, and volunteerism. (3) LHM will partner with 1,000 LCMS congregations in their outreach efforts by 2011. (4) As an active Ablaze! participant, LHM will engage in 25 million confirmed contacts with unreached or uncommitted people by 2017. (5) LHM will train and activate 250,000 volunteers to reach out to the lost by 2010. (6) LHM will serve as the media arm of the LCMS to provide TV, radio, and print ads and Christian media programming to assist in the start-up of 2,000 new churches by 2017. (7) LHM will equip 22,500 U.S. Lutherans in the next five years to share their faith with others and welcome them into their church. (8) LHM will increase the number of people who are connected with a local congregation internationally through LHM programs by 10 percent, resulting in at least 77,000 new church members by 2011. (9) LHM will be the model volunteer organization to do the work of the Great Commission. (10) LHM will find new donors to offer the financial means to increase its ministry efforts. 10 Significant Resources for the Synod (1) Equipping to Share is a Bible-based, interactive, one-day evangelism-training workshop to teach church members practical ways to recognize and engage the lost with the Gospel. (2) Practicing Hospitality’s experiential video-based training helps churches warmly welcome visitors through proven techniques and simple, fun exercises. (3) New Neighbor Outreach is an easy-to-follow method to welcome new arrivals to your community. (4) Religious Research/Outreach Training provides a congregation with demographic and spiritual belief overviews about its community to help the church reach out more effectively. (5) Congregational Partnerships help partner congregations plan, execute, and sustain outreach efforts to their community through resources such as media support, outreach tools, and more. (6) Project Connect booklet displays provide churches and businesses a way to display LHM-produced, Christ-centered topical booklets to help church members share the hope of Christ with others. (7) The Congregational Tool Kit Web portal features church outreach resources such as TV, radio, and print ads; topical booklets; outreach planning tools; and more.