LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2007, Page 47

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SYNOD REPORTS 47

R1-03

Lutheran Hour Ministries
(International Lutheran Laymen’s League)

Introduction

Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) is a Christian outreach min-
istry supporting churches worldwide in its mission of Bringing
Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. It is also a
volunteer movement (known as the International Lutheran Lay-
men’s League) more than 100,000 people strong. LHM produces
Christian radio and TV programming for broadcast, as well as In-
ternet and print communications, dramas, music, and outreach ma-
terials to reach the unchurched in more than 40 countries. More
than one million people per year respond to LHM’s radio and TV
programming and congregational outreach efforts, and nearly
80,000 people are referred to churches where they can be warmly
welcomed into the family of God.

* LHM’s flagship program, The Lutheran Hour®, is the world’s
longest-running Christian outreach radio program, airing since
1930. It airs weekly on more than 800 stations in North America,
on XM Satellite Radio, and on the American Forces Network.

¢ As an auxiliary of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and
Lutheran Church—Canada, LHM provides media tools and out-
reach materials for LCMS and LCC congregations to help them
reach the unchurched.

Research Affecting LHM’s Work

Through pastor focus groups and surveys, LHM determined that
congregations need more resources to help them with their outreach
activities; this led LHM to the development of a five-year strate-
gic plan to assist LCMS congregations and international partner
churches in performing outreach.

Goals of LHM

LHM continues to look at new ways to reach the lost. During
the next five years, the ministry will strengthen outreach efforts
using new tools and strategies by focusing on the one thing that
sets us apart and contributes to our mission: Being a Christian out-
reach organization focused on helping congregations reach the
unchurched in their communities.

For example, Equipping to Share workshops will teach congre-
gation members how to share their faith with others. Equipping to
Share is primarily presented in individual congregations so that it
can be tailored to each congregation’s needs. The training is for ei-
ther those who are or those who will be involved in some sort of
outreach effort in the congregation. In addition, in follow-up seg-
ments, members are encouraged to report on their personal evan-
gelism efforts.

LHM also uses training modules such as our New Neighbor
Outreach and Practicing Hospitality programs to assist in a con-
gregation’s outreach efforts. The New Neighbor Outreach program
provides a weekly list of new people who have moved into an area,
contact tools, and an easy-to-use tracking plan to help congrega-
tions ensure that each new family is welcomed by and to a church.
Since about 18 percent of Americans move each year, doing new
neighbor outreach is an effective, yet often neglected, way to reach
out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Practicing Hospitality helps
congregations foster a culture of hospitality from the sanctuary to
the parking lot and throughout the community. Most congregations
would describe themselves as friendly, but the truth is we are ordi-
narily drawn more to those we already know and to our own com-
fortable pew. This module allows congregations to more effectively
open their doors to visitors.

As part of this strategic plan, LHM partners with local churches
in the development of their congregational outreach plans. LHM

supports these congregational partnerships nationally and region-
ally with media programming, advertising, and direct marketing to
generate interest and encourage referrals to local congregations.
This strategic direction also encourages the laity of the church to
become engaged in personal evangelism and local outreach min-
istry within their congregation.

LHM’s Performance during the Past Triennium

In addition to the ministry programs already mentioned, we
have expanded our available resources for congregations’ use to
include the following:

¢ Religious Research/Outreach Training, a way to provide a
church with demographic and spiritual belief overviews about the
community to help the church reach out more effectively;

* Project Connect, a booklet display ministry that provides
churches and businesses a way to display LHM-produced, Christ-
centered topical booklets so church members can share the hope of
Christ with others; :

¢ The Congregational Tool Kit, a Web portal featuring church out-
reach resources such as TV, radio, and print ads; topical booklets;
outreach planning tools; and more;

* Global Care Packages, a program that provides gift boxes of school
supplies, hygiene items, toys, and more to families around the
world...to share not only much needed items, but also God’s love;

¢ Global Work & Witness, short-term mission trips that offer vol-
unteer opportunities to churches, schools, and groups associated
with the LCMS, including activities such as minor construction,
children’s events, and medical clinics in partnership with LHM’s
international ministry centers; and

¢ MORE Cards, a witnessing tool that opens the door to a low-risk,
high-grace encounter with someone who doesn’t yet know Jesus or
someone who is looking to know more about Him.

We’ ve also enhanced LHM’s communications efforts to better
reach constituents. The Ministry Update monthly e-newsletter up-
dates interested parties about the latest ministry news and organi-
zational information. We also send volunteers and donors a
monthly e-newsletter from LHM Executive Director Greg Lewis
called Great Things Are Happening at LHM that highlights one
key ministry and how volunteers can get involved. Likewise, we
e-mail pastors, church workers, and Lutheran educators a monthly
e-newsletter called LHM Church and School Resources to let
them know about a useful LHM resource of benefit to their church
or school, such as the new Congregational Tool Kit that was men-
tioned earlier.

We also produced a DVD detailing our new strategic outreach
plan and offered it to all LCMS districts to show at their conventions.
More than half of the districts took us up on our offer. Great things
are happening at Lutheran Hour Ministries, and we want everyone to
know who we are, what we do, and how they can get involved in our
ministries through active volunteerism, giving, and prayers.

We are committed to strengthening our partnerships with The
Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Lutheran Church—Canada,
and other Lutheran organizations. These partnerships are tremen-
dous assets as we carry out our mission of Bringing Christ to the
Nations—and the Nations to the Church. We know that we can ac-
complish much more by working side by side with the church
rather than apart. In our meetings over the past few years, both
church bodies have recognized the tremendous assets that Lutheran
Hour Ministries brings to the work of the church.

Building relationships with other Lutheran organizations has al-
ready produced outstanding results:

* Our cooperation with American Forces Network and the LCMS
Ministry for Armed Forces has allowed The Lutheran Hour to once
again be broadcast to military personnel around the world.

2007 Convention Workbook