LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 19

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SYNODICAL REPORTS 19

R1-03
Lutheran Hour Ministries

Early on a Sunday moming, a tired truck driver hears it on the
radio as he drives his 18-wheeler across Ohio. Thousands of miles
away, a single mother reads about it in a free booklet she ordered
from a television commercial. A busy salesman from Chicago
stumbles across it while using his laptop computer. And on the
other side of the world, a young man in Estonia is touched by it for
the first time while watching a television program.

Each of these people represents the thousands around the globe
each day, a core sampling of the world, who are being reached
through the media by the message of the Gospel. With the five-year
mission to “Go ... tell a NEW generation” of the saving message
of Christ, the International Lutheran Laymen’s League—through
its Lutheran Hour Ministries—is effectively using innovation and
the unfolding technology of the times to uncover new ways of shar-
ing the Good News with the world.

However, a changing world has not altered the original purpose
of the Int'] LLL. While the preferred moniker “Lutheran Hour Min-
istries” is growing in eminence worldwide, the organization re-
mains true to the mission first crafted in 1917 by the hard-working
churchmen of the LLL who rallied public support and with the
grace of God rescued the Synod from bankruptcy. “Bringing Christ
to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church” continues as the
theme for the ever-expanding Lutheran Hour Ministries, to the ends
of the earth.

As a pioneer in Christian radio, television, and now the Internet,
the 81-year-old media ministry organization has never feared using
media for outreach. This was first demonstrated in the 1930s with
the advent of radio and “The Lutheran Hour.” A visionary semi-
nary professor, Dr. Walter A. Maier, challenged the LLL and the
LCMS to seize the window of opportunity in radio. Not long after
the first broadcast on Oct. 2, 1930, radio networks carried “The
Lutheran Hour” around the world. Then, in the late 1940s, the In-
ternational Lutheran Layman’s League passionately supported
Christian outreach through Lutheran Television with programs
such as the Emmy-award winning “This Is the Life” and several
television specials.

Through the years, Lutheran Hour Ministries has continued its
relentless pursuit of the new generation through books, television,
radio, and the Internet. After a lengthy hiatus, in 1995, Lutheran
Hour Ministries aggressively reentered television with the animated
holiday special, “Red Boots for Christmas.” The program’s phe-
nomenal success and acceptance in the industry paved the way for
the ministry’s latest venture, The Puzzle Club. The worldwide mul-
timedia ministry program centers around four animated junior de-
tectives who solve mysteries while sharing Gospel-based messages
about God’s love and forgiveness.

Taking a new integrated approach to outreach, the program uses
a complementary blend of animated television broadcasts, a chil-
dren’s mystery book series, an interactive family activity center on
the Internet, and foreign language radio dramas to share the mes-
sage.

During the 1997 holiday season, “The Puzzle Club Christmas
Mystery” television program was ‘seen by millions, broadcasting
on 182 television stations in the United States and in 38 countries
worldwide. To date, combined with Lutheran Hour Ministries’
other 1997 holiday television offerings, “Red Boots for Christmas,”
and in select markets, “Christmas Is” and “City that Forgot about
Christmas,” nearly 50,000 people responded to the offer for a free
storybook—5,000 through the Internet alone. A significant num-
ber, 30 percent, indicated they had no church home. In the after-
math of the broadcasts, ministry staff focused efforts on connecting
that 30 percent to Lutheran churches.

The Puzzle Club ministry also reached thousands of Hispanic
families through “Club R,” a Spanish version of the television spe-
cial, children’s books, and Web site. Many Hispanic congregations
and mission churches leveraged the value of this program for local
evangelism efforts.

Evangelism also takes the form of advertising in Lutheran Hour
Ministries’ multimedia outreach program, “Living for Tomorrow.”
This program is fuel for local ministry. The program, which has
been successful in dozens of cities throughout the United States,
has activated thousands of Lutheran volunteers for hands-on min-
istry with people in their communities. To date, more than 75,000
people have responded to the radio, television, and print advertising
offering free materials to help with life and spiritual issues. At the
close of each “Living for Tomorrow” campaign, local congrega-
tions guided by the Spirit take up the job of assimilating the people
who were referred.

Presently, through a ministry on the Internet named “Wired
with the Word” (http://www.lhm.org), Lutheran. Hour Ministries is
advancing ministry further in a very new, exciting and undefined
arena. As one of the first Christian organizations to venture into
cyberspace, this interactive online ministry delivers tools and ser-
vices to Christians as well as unchurched people seeking answers to
life’s questions from the Good News of the Gospel.

Daily devotions, the most popular feature at the site, provides
thousands in this new generation the opportunity to receive God's
Word each day on their computer desktops through e-mail. Mean-
while, it’s not uncommon for more than 200 people a day to visit
the Web site and work with the graphically enhanced devotions.
Other features at the site, such as the weekly “Lutheran Hour” radio
program and special archived broadcasts dating back to the 1930s,
are available in RealAudio at the site as well, providing this cut-
ting-edge audience the opportunity to listen to the world’s oldest
and most respected Gospel radio program via their home comput-
ers.

Working in the “borderless” world of cyberspace has opened
new doors for ministry overseas, as well—even in areas where the
door has been closed for generations. With offices and project cen-
ters now in 38 countries, Lutheran Hour Ministries is effectively
using television, radio, and the Internet to reach those who may
never have the opportunity to hear the saving message of Jesus
Christ. Each month, leaders of Lutheran Hour Ministries’ interna-
tional offices enthusiastically share stories of how the creative use
of media is bringing the Gospel directly into the homes and hearts
of millions from Kenya to China, from Germany to India, and from
Moscow to Brazil. Responses by the thousands to our ministry are
cherished and qualified as referrals to local Lutheran churches
overseas.

In the past year alone, Lutheran Hour Ministries opened new
offices in Estonia and in Mexico, where full-time staff can help dis-
tribute programs and products through the media and respond to
requests for more information. Although it may not be considered
traditional evangelism, ministry in places such as Hong Kong con-
tinues to bear fruit, generating responses from a generation hungry
for the Gospel.

International professionals at Lutheran Hour Ministries are tar-
geting ethnic ministry, targeting intensified Hispanic, Black, and
Asian ministry programs for the future.

Building on the foundation of more than three-quarters of a cen-
tury in media ministry, Lutheran Hour Ministries continues its
march forward in the same pioneering spirit it has held for 81 years.
By embracing new technology as it becomes available, the mes-
sage of Jesus Christ is proclaimed boldly and effectively to the gen-
erations. As the next millennium approaches, the 150,000-member
volunteer organization supporting Lutheran Hour Ministries seeks
God's blessings as it explores new ways to carry out its mission to
“Go ... tell a NEW generation” about God’s love and forgiveness
through Christ.

Giving all glory to God, Lutheran Hour Ministries is a service
of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League (Int’] LLL), a vol-
unteer organization of 150,000 members. The Int’! LLL is an aux-
iliary of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and Lutheran
Church—Canada.

Eric Fiissel, President

Rodger Hebermehl, Executive Director