LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1975, Page 384

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384 PARISH SERVICES

7-09

Report of Board for
Lutheran Television

The Great Commission, “Go ye therefore and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost,” is directed to all Christians. In
essence this is also the purpose for which we gather into a
Synod — to join our individual talents and gifts to become more
effective witnesses to Jesus Christ, by whom the Holy Spirit
brings men to faith. We call our outreach evangelism. Evan-
gelism is our most important mission as a church.

TV-—Our Best Evangelism Outreach

Television continues to pave the way to a rich evangelism
lode to be mined by the people of the Synod.

In use only 35 years out of all the history of civilization, tele-
vision is even now acknowledged as the most powerful, effec-
tive, efficient, and economical means of reaching and motivating
people. And our Synod has been in television for almost 24 of
those years! Praise God!

The massive growth and impact of television, typified in
our country, is startling. An overwhelming 97% of all American
homes have television; 45% are equipped with two or more
television sets. The time spent with television per home per
day has grown from 4 hours and 35 minutes in 1951, when
Synod’s TV ministry began, to 6 hours and 15 minutes today.
National advertisers think so much of television as a means to
reach and motivate people that they place the majority of their
money — some 3.5 billion dollars a year —into TV!

As television continues to saturate our society, our Synod
is there with the Gospel! The Lord led us to a television ministry
back in 1951 when the medium was an infant. At that point the
Synod committed $750,000 to television and ‘This Is the Life”
was born. The Lord has been using us to bring people into His
kingdom from all over the world ever since; the pattern has
been one of steady development and rich blessing.

This Is the Life—An Effective Evangelism Ministry

“This Is the Life” is more than a prestige dramatic TV series
(in fact, now the longest running dramatic series in TV history! )
building a name and creating an impression or behalf of The
Lutheran Church ~ Missouri Synod:

Our First Emmy

Congratulations on the Academy’s prestigious Emmy for excellence
in “This Is the Life!’ To have the Gospel presented in such a mean-
ingful way on TV is a great blessing, but to have it presented with
outstanding technical and artistic excellence is a special boon for
which we praise God.

The “This Is the Life” Emmy was the first ever presented
to a nonnetwork religious program!

“This Is the Life’ is more than a priceless continuing entree
to the broadcast community (over 400 television stations around
the world week after week offer $5,000,000 — five million dollars
— worth of free public service time for the series):

We are most pleased to have ‘This Is the Life." This series enhances

the image of our station through great production value and dramatic

integrity. I have known this program for 20 years, and I know there
isn’t a better religious program. Keep up the good work.

“This Is the Life” is more than a skilled utilization of the

magic of this popular medium to attract and hold a big audience:
You and your directors, actors. and writers are very special people,
as they make me “feel” the Joy and sorrow of each program. Every-
one admires the Lutheran Church for this really modern way to
present religion. Even though I’m not of your faith, I would like to
read the book Hope for Modern Man.

Might the Holy Spirit motivate this party toward our church
at a later time?

“This Is the Life’ is hope and a stimulant toward the church
to countless people that our church doesn't reach in any other
way—and spiritual food for many more:

I live alone with my two dogs: they are my only family. I don't like

church. I am alone, scared, confused about life and why people are

so cruel. It seems I have not found myself yet. I just walked in my
room, put on the TV at 7:15 a. m., and saw your program. I am sure

God had something to do with that. Please help me find Jesus and
understand Him more. Please help me find myself.

Perhaps this is best communicated in the words of one of
our laymen:

In closing I would ask you to join me in remembering the following
special people in our prayers as deliberation about the future of the
Lutheran television ministry hangs in a balance. They are: shut-ins:
the aged; the handicapped: the blind: the physically disabled and
the disabled men in our veterans hospitals; all patients in hospitals
and mental centers; the men and women incarcerated in correction
homes, reformatories, and penitentiaries: men and women residing
in high-rise apartments where missionaries are not welcome; and
all those at home who do not attend a church. When you include the
above in all the states of our land, I couldn’t even hazard a guess
as to the number of souls with limited availability to hear the Gospel
even occasionally.

Most of all. “This Is the Life’ continues to be a dynamic
evangelism and mission witness. God's Holy Spirit uses “Life™
to win people.

I'm not a Christian yet but I hope by your program I will be able
to see the light. That story you told really hit me hard and I began
to think that a lot of my problems could be answered by Jesus Christ.

Last night at 2:30 a.m. I learned about your offer for Hope for
Modern Man. I am 15, a freshman trying to discover what Christ is
all about. Please send me one as a gift.

I am happy to send along a gift for the support of your fine pro-
gram. The quality is just great, and my husband (an agnostic at
present but a Christian by God’s promise) will watch it regularly by
his own volition, while other evangelistic programs really “turn
him off.”

I praise God for His life in the staff of those who create "This Is
the Life” —truly, He is the life!

Our Lord has richly blessed “This Is the Life” during this
biennium. We continue to air the program in almost every
American TV city and in 39 countries overseas. The series has
the strong support and goodwill of television executives every-
where, as evidenced by the Emmy given not by popular vote
but by vote of members within the profession.

Spiritual Counsel

“This Is the Life” continues to draw thousands of letters
each month, which are sent to our local parishes for evangelism
follow up when they contain no personal or confidential material.
It is our plan during the coming biennium to upgrade this fol-
low-up via the computer which will speed delivery of mail
considerably.

In addition, ‘This Is the Life’ serves uniquely as pastor to
hundreds of spiritually troubled people who write for counsel.
Most of these people are unchurched and not willing initially
to relate to any congregation. Dr. Herman W. Gockel, retired
Program director, sends a personal pastoral letter with appro-
priate literature to each person who writes, and in addition
urges the correspondent to make an appointment with the local
Lutheran pastor closest to his home. (Our closest clergyman’s
name and address is enclosed.)

I received your letter and the booklets. After reading them IJ had

a real good feeling I couldn’t put into words. It was like the sun

shining through the clouds. I’ve had a real bad week. emotionally.

The booklets you sent helped give me a brighter insight. I called

Rev. (LCMS pastor) for an appointment. I want to thank all of you

for your guidance and encouragement. It’s good to know someone

cares.

Script Committee

A volunteer “This Is the Life” Script Committee, currently
made up of six pastors and five lay people, continues to sacrifice
many hours in careful scrutiny of all ‘This Is the Life” script
material so as to provide the most interesting and relevant
material within which to frame the Gospel witness. During this
biennium the following people deserve the thanks of the church
for their service to the TV board: Rev. Victor Constien, chair-
man, Mr. Alfred Armstead, Mr. Robert Garmatz, Rev. Warren
Gritzke, Rev. Elmer Knoernschild, Miss Barbara Kraemer,
Rev. Arden Mead, Mrs. Edith Pankow, Mrs. Emita Smith, Rev.
Gene Thiemann, Rev. Robert Werberig.

AAL Grant

Your Television Board wishes also to thank publicly the
members of Aid Association for Lutherans for a $250,000 grant
which made experimental production on videotape possible