2012 - lutherans engage the world — november-december

Going the Distance

LutheransENGAGE theWORLD

NovemberDecember 2012, Vol. 1, Issue 2

4 4 Going the Distance from Missouri to India

8 Mission Society Grows into Valued Strategic Partner

13 Going the Distance from Indiana to Papua New Guinea

18 LCMS Snapshots 21 Missouri Is on the Move! 9

1-888-THE-LCMS (843-5267)www.lcms.org

NovemberDecember 2012 vol. 1 no. 2

13

inspire

LutheransENGAGE theWORLD

Engaging the Church in the work of Witness and Mercy across the globe in our Life Together.

LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORLD is published bi-monthly by The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod.

2012 The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. Reproduction for parish use does not require permission. Such reproductions, however, should credit LUTHERANS ENGAGE THE WORLD as a source. Print editions are sent to LCMS donors, rostered workers and missionaries. An online version is available (lcms.org/lutheransengage). To receive the print edition, we invite you to make a financial gift for LCMS global Witness and Mercy work. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are property of the LCMS.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

involve

3

Cover image: Papua New Guinea (PNG) tribesman at a baptism, circa 1970s; Images T to B: Lambert & Holt Line Ship carried missionaries to Argentina, circa 1905; Cart and driver, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), circa 1930s; Hospital staff, India, circa 1940s; Worship service, PNG, circa 1970s; Taxi carts, Sri Lanka, circa 1930s.

Credit: Concordia Historical Institute

engageinform

S TA F FMark D. Hofman executive director, mission advancementDavid L. Strand executive director, communicationsJames H. Heine executive editorPamela J. Nielsen managing editorMark R. Bacon manager of design servicesMegan K. Mertz staff writerCarolyn A. Niehoff designerChrissy A. Thomas designer

2 Revitalizing Ministry in Rural America 3 10 Questions 7 LCMS Disaster Response

Walks the Long Road

9 Sharing Poster 10 Blessings by the Numbers 16 Network Enables Missionaries to Be Fishers of Men

20 + Pray + Serve + Participate + Listen + Learn + Invest

E D I T O R I A L O F F I C E314-996-1215 1333 S. Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO [email protected]/lutheransengage Going the Distance

Lutherans ENGAGE the WORLD

Thanks be to God! You are engaged!

In fact, the definition of those who receive the print version of this magazine is just that those who are active in international and national Witness, Mercy and Life Together work.

Change is difficult to navigate. Our move to a single publication was decided for two reasons. First, as an engaged Lutheran, you deserve to see the total picture of all the LCMS does to vigorously makes known the love of Jesus in word and deed to make disciples of all nations. Second, it is our deep desire to take steps that result in more of every charitable dollar going out of the International Center to do the Lords work. This single publication helps do both.

Lutherans Engage the World is more than a newsletter or magazine. It is intended to be an investor-relations publication, delivering awareness and accountability to our donors, rostered church workers and missionaries. You receive a print version because you choose to personally invest in the Lords mission. You generously give of your talent and treasure to carry out Witness, Mercy and Life Together work through the national and international efforts of The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod.

We pray this and future issues of Lutherans Engage the World will, by weaving together the many stories that tell of our walking together in Christ, help you see how your engagement impacts people all over the world. As engaged Lutherans working alongside others, you are accomplishing much more than any of us could do if we worked alone. Thanks be to God for you!

.

Mark D. HofmanExecutive Director, Mission Advancement

by Megan K. Mertz

2 lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage NovemberDecember 2012

Revitalizing Ministry in Rural America

Separated by more than 70 miles, the North Dakota congregations of St. John, McClusky; St. John, Underwood; and Trinity, Hazen, have formed a partnership called the Highway 200 Lutherans. Rev. Dean Hartley leads all three congregations, with the assistance of one lay minister and many dedicated members. These rural congregations are finding new ways to work together to survive, thanks, in part, to LCMS Rural and Small Town Mission (RSTM). Rural and Small Town Mission helped us to look at the cultures [in our midst] and find our strengths, said Hartley. Now members who thought their church was dying are excited again. This excitement produces real results.

Members at the three churches have stepped up to lead evangelism programs, and new families have been attracted. Trinity, Hazen, has a Sunday school for the first time in nine years. Were not growing by leaps and bounds, but each year we hold new membership classes and baptisms, Hartley said.

Rural and Small Town Mission, located in Concordia, Mo., is a ministry of the LCMS Office of National Mission. It started about 10 years ago to address the unique challenges facing rural and small-town congregations, which make up more than 50 percent of the churches in the Synod. Although each congregation is different, many face similar problems, such as shrinking populations, aging congregations and lack of hope for the future.

> Office of National Mission>Rural & Small

Town Mission

Annual Investment: $300,000

RSTM helps congregations become aware of the changing demographics around them, and it provides tools and ongoing leadership training for pastors and lay leaders. The ministry also emphasizes the importance of working in partnership and collaborating with districts and other congregations, said Rev. Dr. Lee Hagan, interim director of the program. In addition to its national conference earlier this month, RSTM organizes events

throughout the Midwest. In 2012, RSTM began offering webinars that address specific ministry topics, such as outreach to older adults and Hispanic outreach in rural settings. The webinars save pastors and lay leaders the time and expense of traveling to an event. RSTM is bringing the mission priorities of the Synod to rural and small-town congregations in a way that connects with their unique demographic, cultural and missiological needs, said Rev. Bart Day, executive director of the Office of National Mission. RSTM is helping us meet both the challenges and the tremendous opportunities for spreading the Gospel. To learn more about the ministry of Rural and Small Town Mission, visit www.lcms.org/rstm.

In 2012, Rural & Small Town Mission Held: 15 webinars 11 Engaging Rural Communities Events 2 events for seminary graduates heading

to rural and small-town settings 1 national conference

Trinity Lutheran Church, Hazen, N.D.

DEAN

HAR

TLEY

coaching basketball to becoming an elder and president of a congregation. He put all the maturation experiences in place, so here I am.

4. What did you do before the seminary?I was a Unix administrator. I worked in information technology for Verizon for 10 years.

5. What type of ministry do you hope the Lord has in store for you?Parish ministry and anything that involves evangelizing and discipling while crossing ethnic/cultural boundaries. My business degree in leadership also allows me to use those skills in different parts of the church.

6. What advice would you give to fathers coming to the seminary?Pray, read your Bible and always keep your family first. Make sure they know what the ministry is all about. Your life and devotion to God should not only be transparent to your family, but to others who see you.

7. What are you reading these days?Im reading Pastoral Theology by Mueller, Church and Ministry by Walther and Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel. For the most part, I read seminary books because its all I have time for at this point.

8. What is your favorite Bible verse?Its a tossup between Is. 6:8, the send me verse, and Prov. 24:16. A man falls down seven times and gets back up. Its only by the grace of God that he can get back up and continue on. Its a reminder that God is always with us, empowering us, picking us up and guiding us down the right path.

9. What does your name mean?My middle name is Ini-obong, which means one with God. I am one of Gods children.

10. Any hobbies?Playing basketball, video games and card games, and just hanging out with the community and getting to know people.

Eric Ekong is currently a fourth-year student at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where he is preparing for the ministry and following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. But Ekongs family tree is different from most. His grandfather, Jonathan Udo Ekong, founded The Lutheran Church of Nigeria in the 1930s and spent the latter half of his 101 years planting churches and schools throughout the country. Today, this LCMS partner church has more than 80,000 baptized members.

Although he never met his famous grandfather, Eric Ekong knew that he also was called to the pastoral ministry. Ekong hails from Cleveland, Ohio, and he earned his undergraduate degree from Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich. He and his wife, Linda, have five children.

1. Can you tell me about your famous roots?My grandfather came over in 1928 to find the one true religion. He bounced around, but once he found the LCMS his search was over. He entered the seminary at Immanuel Lutheran College and Seminary in North Carolina. He was 47 at that time and had to

redo his whole education. In 1936, he traveled back to Nigeria with LCMS missionaries and planted numerous churches and schools. He would later become the first president of The Lutheran Church of Nigeria.

2. When did you know you wanted to be a Lutheran pastor?I knew in high school.

3. What brought you to the seminary?I dont have a fantastic story. I knew for some time that I would go. There were circumstances where God was preparing me for my true calling from being diagnosed with Lupus SLE to Seminarian Eric Ekong

10 Questionswith Seminarian Eric Ekong

by Megan K. Mertz

Erics grandfather, Jonathan Ekong

EKON

G FA

MILY

COL

LECT

ION

MAR

K R.

BAC

ON/L

CMS

3NovemberDecember 2012 lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage


by Edward Naumann

from its earliest days, the Missouri Synod has been a church of missions. The first missions were to the native Indians of North America and to the immigrants of the New World. The first overseas missionaries of the Missouri Synod, however, went much farther away. India was their destination. They and many after them in the first part of the 20th century were sent there to proclaim the Gospel to the Indian people. Thanks be to God, today, as a result of their efforts more than 100,000

souls in India believe in Jesus. The fruits of the missionaries labors may now be seen in the India Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELC), an LCMS partner church since 1971.

making a difference Earlier this year, I traveled with a group of classmates and professors from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne to visit the IELC. We saw over and over again the visible signs of the long partnership between the LCMS and the IELC in the many churches, schools, hospitals, and institutions of mercy. (Editors note:

GoingDistance the fromMissouritoIndia

T to B: Martin and Mrs. Wyneken following an elephant rage, circa 1950s; Missionary Lange with Indian vicar, circa 1950s; Rev. Theodore Naether and family, circa 1890s; Teacher Melm and High School Staff, circa 1900; Lutheran hospital staff, circa 1940s. HISTORIC PHOTOS: CONCORDIA HISTORIC INSTITUTE


see the International Grant Story on page 12.) Our LCMS contributions make a big difference in India, due in part to the fragile economy and because so many live in extreme poverty. The smallest gifts were most gratefully received, an incredibly moving experience for me when I remembered the luxuries of my own life. Particularly impressive is the Lutheran school system, with its large numbers of students and thus the massive potential it holds for bringing the Gospel to the people of India. The vast majority of students are Hindu, not Christian, and yet all of them get the opportunity to learn about Jesus and the Christian faith. Everywhere we went the Indian Lutherans honored and thanked us, not only for the work that the LCMS is involved in today, but also because of what was done in the past. The many missionaries sent to India over the years are well remembered.

intense loyaltyEach and every member of the IELC is thankful for the sacrifice of the missionaries, asserted Rev. J. Samuel, president of the IELC, as he recounted the story of Rev. Theodore Naether, the first LCMS missionary to India. Naether watched two of his children die before succumbing

himself to the plague, blessing and preaching to his flock until his last breath. I am here today

[a Lutheran pastor and church president] because of the sacrifices of the missionaries.

Darin Storkson, LCMS director for Southern Asia and Oceania, explains that the people of the IELC are everywhere intensely aware of their heritage. The result is what he calls an intense loyalty towards the LCMS. The School for the Blind in Barugur is but one example. There is a prominent display of signs for Rev. Naumann Stage and Rev. Naumann Park, in memory of my own great-grandfathers cousin, Johannes Naumann, a missionary in the region from 1929-64. His daughter, Helen, now a resident of Fairibault, Minn., has fond memories of growing up in India. I miss the people there, she told me, They were always so good to us.

future opportunitiesThe Missouri Synod does not send missionaries to India any more, at least not to serve as pastors and evangelists, but Indian Lutherans very much want the relationship to continue. President Samuel expressed two hopes in particular. The first thing that we expect: prayer. The second thing is guidance. Guidance is very important. We believe that today the LCMS is our parent and we look to our parents for guidance. That guidance is exactly what the LCMS is most happy to supply. Storkson explains that

I am here today [a Lutheran pastor and church president] because of the sacrifices of the missionaries.

India Missionaries Group circa 1940s (above); Rev. Dr. J. Samuel, President IELC (below left); Blind Student with Braille book (below right); IELC School for the Blind (below center).

EDW

ARD

NAUM

ANN


plans are underway to foster a closer partnership specifically with Concordia Theological Seminary in Nagercoil, India, the sole training center for IELC pastors and the backbone of their mission efforts. The partnership includes scholarships for Indian seminarians to study at LCMS seminaries, and in the near future, the sending of LCMS theologians to teach in India as part of the Synods Global Seminary Initiative. All of this and more will help secure the close relationship that we

enjoyed in the past and lay the foundation for a long future of cooperation toward our common goal of preaching the Gospel to all nations. Finally, let us respond gladly to President Samuels request for prayer by asking our heavenly Father to remember His children in India.

Edward Naumann is a fourth-year student at Concordia Theological Seminary (CTS) in Fort Wayne. He and his wife, Monica, have three young children.

We believe that today the LCMS is our parent, and we look to our parents for guidance.

The IELC TodayMembers 114,600Congregations: 764Active Pastors: 210Deaconesses: 18Seminary: 1

Hospitals: 3School of Nursing: 1

Schools: 85

India FactsReligious PopulationHindu 80.5% Muslim 13.4%Christian 2.3% Sikh 1.9%Other 1.8% Unspecified 0.1%

Population: 1,205,073,612

Our Work in INDIA

ISTO

CK

Budget Amount for Our Work in India: $187,000

L to R: worship service at St Paul Lutheran Church, Ponvila, Kerala; Rev. Theodore Naether; Thali is a meal with many small dishes; children receive health care and educational assistance through an LCMS mercy program in Chennai.

CO

NC

OR

DIA

HIS

TOR

IC IN

STIT

UTE

by Edward Grimenstein


LCMS Disaster Response Walks the Long Road

P astor, how long do we need to keep meeting with people in our neighborhood? Pastor, how much longer will the volunteers be coming? Pastor, havent we already done enough? These words, often spoken in the aftermath of a disaster, echo Peters: Lord, how often should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Peter asked. Up to seven times? (Matt. 18:21). Peter wanted to know when forgiveness could end, when he could stop. Our response echoes Jesus: Just as My compassion and My Fathers compassion for you never ceases, neither should your love and mercy for others ever cease (paraphrase). LCMS Disaster Response takes the words of Jesus seriously. We believe that the Churchs work of providing mercy in this world should not cease until this earth itself does. Thats why the LCMS has been purposeful in coming alongside districts, congregations and partner

churches as they reach out to those who are suffering, those who know and remember the painful, deep wounds of a disaster. Thats also why, in the past 10 years, we have awarded 758 domestic and international disaster grants totaling $33,262,018. This assistance created opportunities for relief and recovery work following hurricanes, earthquakes tornados, floods and wildfires. And this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our work together as Synod! LCMS Disaster Response also trains districts and congregations on how to respond to disasters. Weve even constructed a new program called Mercy in Action in which interested people in districts and congregations attend local training events that encourage them while caring for those in need. With this training in hand, members are able to provide lasting care to people who need it, for as long as they need it. When people know what to do

in a disaster and how to provide Christs mercy to their community, they are willing, just as Christ was, to walk along with those who are suffering and to show them mercy, no matter how long it takes. Following a disaster, care for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for those who still need to hear Christs life-giving Gospel may last weeks, months, even years. But one thing is certain: The Church doesnt leave people when times are tough. And we dont

abandon them when the road is long. Christ came to us, took on our flesh, bore our sin and still does to this day. Thanks to Him, we in the Church can continue to share with Him in showing mercy to this world from now until the day He returns.

2002-2012 LCMS Disaster Response: 508 domestic disaster grants in 32 LCMS districts

$20,758,288 250 international disaster grants in 59 countries

$12,503,730 3,000 Disaster Kits distributed

The Rev. Dr. Edward Grimenstein ([email protected]) was recently called to be the director of personnel for the LCMS Office of International Mission. He and his wife, Tevia, have six children. They are members of Hope Lutheran Church in St. Louis.

Rev. Glenn F. Merritt, director of LCMS Disaster Response, on scene following the severe storms that hit Henryville, Ind., in March 2012.

> Office of National Mission>Mercy Corps

Annual Investment: $1,960,673

Disaster Ministry

LCM

S

by Kim Plummer Krull


Mission Society Grows into Valued Strategic Partner

It was 17 years ago when Tim Heiney began serving as the first Lutheran missionary in Guinea, West Africa. He questioned if he could provide proper theological training while dealing with all the other problems, frustrations and opportunities that go along with mission work. But thanks be to God who, through the Jesus Is Lord Mission (JILM) society, ensured that Heiney didnt have long to fret. The LCMS soon opened the Lutheran Center for Theological Education (which uses the French acronym CLET) in Togo to train pastors for Lutheran church bodies in French-speaking West African countries, including Guinea. Heiney calls JILMs crucial support of CLET a ministry lynchpin. For years, JILM has been supporting the CLET and its work in West Africa, said Heiney, now an area facilitator in that region with the LCMS Office of International Mission (OIM). Today, Guinea is one of 27 countries where JILM has helped share Christs love since the mission society began in 2002.Ten years later, the group has provided more than $1.6 million to support the work of its only partner

the LCMS. Four Texas couples started JILM at a time when the Synod was in a financial crisis, says Dalton Noack, JILM volunteer coordinator. Missionaries were being brought home and national ministry work in St. Louis was being cut, Noack said. Today, JILM has grown to more than 1,000 members in 40 states and Austria. Each year, the LCMS spotlights mission projects in need of funds. JILM members vote on the projects they will support. This year, along with the groups current $191,194 mission projects commitment, members plan to make a $40,000 thank offering honoring God for JILMs 10th anniversary. That gift will help the LCMS support a missionary with the China Evangelical Lutheran Church in Taiwan and the development of Lutheran theological training materials in Chinese. A valued strategic partner is how Mark Hofman, executive director of LCMS Mission Advancement, describes JILM. JILM has built an

incredible network of volunteers and supporters who strengthen our LCMS church body for church planting, theological education and missionary service worldwide, Hofman said. We are so

thankful for their faithful partnership which allows us all to work together to support the Great Commission. To learn more about JILM, visit www.jilmission.org or call 512-240-4121

JESUS IS LORD MISSION PROJECTSJuly 1, 2012-June 30, 2013Total project commitment: $191,194

Ministry JILM Commitment

Eurasia, mission work in Georgia $ 10,500

Togo, Lutheran Center for Theological Studies $ 100,579

India, church planting by trained leaders $ 42,000

Sri Lanka, church planting by trained leaders $ 11,340

Philippines, theological education $ 7,875

Papua New Guinea, theological education $ 10,500

Bible schools $ 8,400

Founders of the Jesus Is Lord Mission society gather for the groups 10th anniversary worship service and celebration in June at Zion Lutheran Church, Walburg, Texas. They are, from left, Dr. Larry Meissner, Sandra OShoney, Dr. Glenn OShoney, Ellen Harms, the Rev. Walt Harms, Lyn Sohns and Dr. Will Sohns. (Another founder, Yvonne Meissner, is not pictured.)

JILM

by Megan K. Mertz


M ore than 4,100 families from the Minot, N.D., area lost their homes and possessions when the Souris River rose during the spring of 2011. Heavy rains caused flooding there and in many parts of the Midwest, forcing thousands of people to evacuate. Since then, the LCMS, through its Disaster Ministry, has given several grants to help sustain long-term recovery efforts. Initially, grant money helped congregations in Minot provide meals, gift cards and other financial assistance to help cover unmet needs of families affected by the flooding. In addition, almost $400,000 has been given to establish Hope Village, a volunteer-services center that coordinates the relief efforts of faith-based organizations. Before Hope Village opened, volunteer

teams were driving 25 to 65 miles to their job site each day because of a lack of nearby housing. Hope Village opened on the grounds of Our Savior Lutheran Church April 1, 2012, with the capacity to provide housing and meals for up to 250 volunteers a day. Staff estimate that over the summer, the center helped to facilitate approximately $1.1 million worth of volunteer labor. But Hope Village provides more than just a place for volunteer

teams to sleep. The program also includes a spiritual care component for flood survivors and volunteers. As the people of God respond with the acts of mercy that restore a physical home, God Himself is at work with acts of grace, opening the doors that bring Gospel healing and restoration of the spiritual soul, said Rev. Paul

Krueger, pastor of Our Savior. For the city of Minot, recovery is a slow process that is estimated to take three to four years. But even as other sources of disaster funding run out, the LCMS will still be there, providing physical and spiritual care to the people who need it.

National Mercy Grant Enables Sustained Rebuilding Efforts in Flooded Areas

RECIPIENT: Hope Village, Minot, N.D.AMOUNT: $400,000TOTAL SINCE APRIL 2012:

198 Volunteer Groups 1,743 Volunteers 62,766 Volunteer Hours

Scenes from Minot, N.D., following the spring 2011 floods.

SHARING

Megan K. Mertz is a staff writer for LCMS Communications. She and her husband, Jonathan, are members of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Brentwood, Mo.

ALL P

HOTO

S: L

CMS


Latin America Eurasia Asia Pacific Southern Asia and OceaniaAfricaNorth America

$4,334,696Asia Pacific Budget

$3,648,328Eurasia Budget

$2,253,111Africa Budget

$1,532,702 Latin America and Caribbean Budget

$1,556,339Southern Asia and Oceania Budget

How is budget money used?Depending on the country, budget dollars are used for witness and/or mercy projects, programs and people in keeping with the Six Mission Priorities of the Synod.

Blessings by the Numbers

Our Work in the World Past and Present

$10,200,000 National Mission Budget

Partner ChurchesFor a complete listing of the partner churches of The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod, visit

lcms.org/partnerchurches

1840-18491847 United States

1880-18891882 Denmark

1890-18991895 India 1896 England

1900-19091900 Brazil 1905 Argentina

1910-19191911 Cuba 1913 China

1920-19291927 Belgium1927 Sri Lanka 1928 Finland 192? Czechoslovakia

1930-19391936 Nigeria1937 Paraguay

1940-19491940 Mexico 1941 Panama 1943 Poland 1946 Philippines 1947 Guatemala1948 Australia1948 Japan 1948 Papua New Guinea

1950-19591950 Hong Kong 1950 Lebanon1951 Taiwan 1952 Venezuela 1956 Portugal1958 El Salvador 1958 South Korea

1960-19691960 Chile 1960 Ghana1960 Uruguay 1961 Honduras

1970-19791972 Germany 1975 Eritrea 1978 Guam 1978 Liberia

1980-19891980 Togo 1982 Botswana1982 South Africa 1983 Sierra Leone1984 Congo (DRC) 1986 Thailand 1988 Macau 1989 Canada

1990-19991990 Czech Republic1991 Hungary 1991 Ivory Coast 1991 Slovakia 1992 Russia 1993 Haiti 1993 Jamaica 1993 Kazakhstan 1993 Puerto Rico1995 Indonesia 1995 Uganda1995 Vietnam 1996 Benin

1996 Estonia 1996 Ethiopia 1996 Guinea 1996 Latvia 1996 Lithuania 1997 Angola 1998 Bolivia1998 Kenya 1998 Kyrgyzstan 1999 Laos 1999 Myanmar1999 Spain 1998 Sudan

2000-20092000 Burkina Faso2001 Belarus 2001 Cambodia2001 The Gambia2002 Afghanistan2002 Cayman Islands 2002 France2002 Pakistan2002 Tanzania 2004 Dominican Republic2004 Georgia

2004 Mongolia2005 Congo (ROC) 2005 Madagascar2006 North Korea2007 Mozambique2007 Senegal2008 Burundi2008 Peru 2008 Turkey2009 Zambia

2010-Present2010 Cameroon2010 Malawi2010 Mali

*

MaP indicates countries where the LCMS is currently working.TiMeline indicates countries where the LCMS has worked.( )

Six Mission Priorities 1. Revitalize and Plant Churches 2. Expand Theological Education 3. Enhance Education 4. Enhance Mission Effectiveness 5. Nurture Church Workers 6. Human Care alongside* Word and Sacrament2012 LCMS


International Mercy Grant Still Bringing Mercy to 2004 Tsunami Survivorsby Megan K. Mertz

Nearly eight years after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami claimed some 283,000 lives and countless livelihoods, LCMS Disaster Response is still bearing mercy, providing aid and changing lives, all the while pointing people to the One who can save lives for eternity. The Synods disaster arm has provided $659,212 for a five-year grant that will wrap up in 2017, nearly 13 years after the 2004 tsunami. The grant allows the India Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELC), a partner church of the LCMS, to operate two programs to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of the children and families in the most devastated areas. This grant is one of many made possible by the generous donations of members of the LCMS, who gave $5,776,942 to the Indian Ocean Tsunami Relief.

The grant will fund the development of a child-care center in a village in southern India, where the tsunami destroyed the cultivated land. The program, with the help of the newly planted Lutheran church and the community, will reach 100 families by providing education, food and health care. The program will also train mothers in hygiene and job skills, such as pickle making, tailoring and embroidery. The grant will also continue to provide the operating costs for a child-care project among the Irula people that began in 2008.

The Irula live in a poor fishing community, where they can fish only eight months of the year. The program provides nutritious food, school uniforms, shoes, books and medical care to 75 children. The center is served spiritually by the pastor of a local IELC congregation.

Many families are moving toward the Christian faith by the Gospel work undertaken by the manager and staff of this center, said Rev. Dr. J. Samuel, president of the IELC. Its important to communicate that we are still working eight years after the tsunami and will be working another five years, said Darin Storkson, LCMS regional director for Southern Asia and Oceania. We are in it for the long haul, to build relationships and build the capacity of our partners.

RECIPIENT: India Evangelical Lutheran ChurchAMOUNT: $659,212RESULT: Child and family development center and projects

Women in tsunami-affected areas receive skills training and sewing machines so that they can help support their families.

INDI

A EV

ANGE

LICA

L LUT

HERA

N CH

URCH


GoingDistance the fromIndiana

toPapua New Guinea

by Kim Plummer Krull

before rev. jeffrey Horn accepted the call to serve as an LCMS career missionary in Papua New Guinea, he considered the challenges: z leaving the parish ministry and a beloved flock after 15 years. z ensuring that his wife, Lora, also wanted to make the dramatic leap from their Garrett, Ind., parish Zion Lutheran to a remote mission field with a new culture and more than 900 spoken languages.z asking the couples children to say goodbye to friends, grandparents, pets and snow. But even as Horn, 42, weighed the hurdles, he says a pressing need weighed on his heart. The need in Papua New Guinea is strong, he said. Their system for training pastors has broken down in many ways, and if . . . they dont find a way to get that going again, they wont have pastors to help the

churches; the churches then will struggle, and lots of the people who came to faith in the last 20 to 40 years might not have that faith preached to them.

longtime desire Since his childhood in Los Angeles, Horn has longed to serve as a pastor and a missionary. He remembers hearing a sermon when he was around age 6 about the need to reach all people with the Gospel. He felt the pastor was speaking directly to him. Growing up with an international mix of friends fueled his desire to be a missionary, Horn says, making him a person who enjoys other cultures and people from all over the world. But when he graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary

ISTO

CK; L

CMS

The LCMS began work in Papua New Guinea in 1948, at the invitation of a Wauni tribal leader in Yaramanda, Enga Province


(CTS) in Fort Wayne, he and Lora decided the parish provided a better fit. He loved serving in the parish, Horn says, but conversations about Papua New Guinea with Rev. Dr. Timothy C.J. Quill, director of LCMS Theological Education, and Rev. Dr. John L. Mehl, LCMS regional director, Asia Pacific, reignited a long-simmering aspiration. Lora was not surprised when

her husband expressed interest in Papua New Guinea. Even when the couple was dating, she knew Horn wanted to serve as a missionary. Likewise, she felt a pull toward the mission field. Its the ability to meet my brothers and sisters in Christ across the world, Lora said. Its giving that experience to my children, too, that I think is important.

W hen their parents first told Chris, 15, and Maggie, 10, about the call, the siblings understandably needed time to adjust. Im excited about it, but Ive been in Indiana all my life, so its a bit hard to leave, said Maggie, who accompanied her parents at the missionary orientation this summer at the LCMS International Center in St. Louis. Maggie said she knows Papua New Guinea is a tropical country near the equator. Thats so-so, she said, because I like

playing in the snow. Her greatest uncertainty is leaving behind the familys dog and two cats. (Papua New Guinea has restrictions about pets entering the country, Horn said.) Jeff Horn understands that the familys move, scheduled for May, poses a huge transition for the children. Maggie and Chris have shown a lot of courage, he said. It hasnt necessarily been easy for them, but they have adjusted very well and have taken up saying, If this is what our family is going to do, then lets do the best we can.

new opportunities A resurgence of a false teaching called the spirit movement looms in the Enga province, the home of many congregations of the Gutnius (Good News) Lutheran Church (GLC), an LCMS partner church. The Gutnius Lutheran Church leaders understand that if they do not raise the theological

Film-reel photos (T-B) circa 1970s people gather for a worship service; 1978 patients waiting to enter a Lutheran hospital; 1978 native workers with nurse-missionaries Denman and Kremeyer and Dr. Klomhaus. Rev. Ron Rall, pastor, Timothy Lutheran Church, St. Louis, Mo. and former missionary to Papua New Guinea. HISTORIC PHOTOS: CONCORDIA HISTORICAL INSTITUTE ALL OTHER PHOTOS: LCMS

Above (R to L) Rev. Dr. Timothy C.J. Quill, LCMS director seminary education, and Rev. John Mehl, LCMS regional director for Asia Pacific, with a leader in the Gutnius Lutheran Church. Above right: two members of the Gutnius Lutheran Church.


level of their clergy, the church is in danger of losing her Lutheran identity and will cease to exist that is, it will be Lutheran in name only, Quill said. Horns combination of extensive experience as a parish pastor along with ongoing theological studies have prepared him well for this missionary position, Quill added, noting that Horn completed a masters in sacred theology at CTS. The new missionarys call is to train and support GLC pastors, teaching at Timothy Seminary and traveling to villages to provide continuing education. Rev. Horn will have the opportunity as a seminary professor to teach what he has done. He will be able to bring real examples into the classroom, Mehl said. As Horn learned more about LCMS work that began in 1948 in Papua New Guinea, he was amazed by the courage and persistence of pioneering missionaries who went into the

Even longtime LCMS members may be surprised to learn that part of an LCMS missionarys work involves fundraising. Before Rev. Jeffrey Horn heads to Papua New Guinea this spring, he must raise $164,000 a sizable chunk of the ever-growing cost to support a missionary family in the field. While Horn calls the figure somewhat intimidating, he also views it as a very effective investment in the life of the church. Hes spending a lot of time these days visiting

congregations and individual members throughout the country, talking about ministry needs and opportunities in

mountains and jungle to be among the tribes and bring the Gospel at the invitation of the Enga people. The missionaries worked and worked for nine years to prepare the Enga for the first group baptism, Horn said of the Rev. Otto Hintze and the Rev. Willard Burce, the first LCMS missionaries to reach out to the Enga,

a primitive people who still used stone axes and whose only religion was a cult of the dead. On a single day in 1957, the missionaries baptized 79 men, women and children; a second group baptism followed, of 298 people, both milestones in the life of the GLC. The church now operates health centers and schools and has grown to a baptized membership of more than 54,000 in some 550 congregations. Horn bid farewell to Zion Lutheran Church in July in order to prepare for the mission field. Zion congregants were sorry to lose their pastor but supported his desire to serve in the mission field. I think they really have helped train me to go, Horn said of the Zion congregation.

Rev. Jeffrey and Lora Horn with their two children, Maggie and Chris

god will provide Along with learning the Pidgin language, Horn is working to raise financial gifts to help support the family while they serve in Papua New Guinea. (See story below.) Horn says he and Lora feel comfortable knowing God will provide. At the same time, they understand that a lot of hard work is needed from a missionary couple even before they leave home. If it comes down to a choice between saying theres no money [to support a missionary family in Papua New Guinea] and staying home, wed rather be out raising the funds, Horn said.

Kim Plummer Krull is a freelance writer and member of St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Des Peres, Mo.

ISTO

CK

Papua New Guinea. Theres really a lot of joy in it, getting to know people, visiting them in their homes and at potlucks, building relationships and, hopefully, encouraging them to join us in the good work that needs to be done to train pastors to preach the Word, Horn said. To learn more about the Horns and mission work in Papua New Guinea, visit www.lcms.org/horn, email [email protected] or follow Horn on Facebook.

Tackling Challenge Before Leaving Home


>NetworkEnablesMissionariestoBeFishersofMenby Pamela J. Nielsen

ISTO

CK


>Soon, 29 new LCMS missionaries will venture out onto mission fields across the globe. Standing behind them is a network of support designed to go the distance in meeting each missionarys needs so that nothing impedes the proclamation of the Gospel. Why does the LCMS rely on this network?

> FUNDING HISTORYFrom our earliest days, a portion of the offering dollars and donations to the Synod was budgeted to cover missionary expenses. Key groups like the Lutheran Womens Missionary League and the Lutheran Laymens League eagerly provided additional funds for mission work. Missionaries home on furlough visited congregations, made presentations and encouraged mission-focused gifts for the Synod. Individuals, congregations, church groups and various Lutheran organizations have always provided a network of support for LCMS mission efforts.

> NETWORK SUPPORTED MISSIONARIES Behind each missionary stands a team of prayer partners, financial sponsors and ministry partners from every corner of the Synod. The NSM model works like this: Each LCMS missionary works to build a personal network of financial supporters. They visit with

individuals, congregations and groups to share the story of their work and encourage people to engage in that work with their prayers and financial gifts. Their message is Help our Synod send me to share Christ with the world. Once deployed, our missionaries stay connected with their support network through regular communication. Then, every two years, a missionary comes home for an extended period

of time that includes vacation, reconnecting with family and touching base in person with their network supporters. By Gods grace, they also connect with new individuals and groups who join this important network of support. What is the result?

> $6.2 MILLIONThis year, $6.2 million in donations will directly support individual LCMS missionaries as a result of their personal fundraising. Offerings are

supplied by individuals, congregations, and strategic partners. These gifts are received by the Synod and credited to the individual missionarys account and are used only to cover the missionarys salary, benefits and living expenses.

> $13.3 MILLIONThe LCMS set aside $13.3 million in its 2013 annual budget for mission work, most of it funded by designated gifts. These

dollars fund the logistics, planning and resources for the recruitment, training and launching of missionaries onto the field. A dedicated team back home at the LCMS International Center supports our missionaries with strategic guidance, communication and fundraising assistance along with logistical aid including dealing with foreign governments and, at times, personal security issues. Synod budget dollars also cover senior directors and business

officers in each of five world regions along with funds for program and projects. This $13.3 million is provided to the LCMS by individuals, congregations, districts and other groups who desire to walk and work together as a Synod in our global witness and mercy efforts. I know from my own familys history and from seeing this work firsthand, it

takes a Synod, says Mark Hofman, executive director of Mission Advancement, as he describes the benefit and need for a broad, strong network of support for LCMS mission work. Reflecting on the reasons for forming the Synod in 1847, Hofman says, We came together to do what no single congregation or individual could accomplish alone. Together, we share Christ with the world.

+Individuals

[MissionSenders]

Congregrations[Together-in-

Mission)

StrategicPartners(Districts/

Foundations)

Synod Mission Budget

$13.3 Million

Missionary SupportB

>>Q Salaries, Benefits, Living Expenses B Projects, Program Logistics, Resources, Communications, Fundraising

= $19

.5 M

illio

n

$6.2 MillionDirect

Missionary Sponsorship Q[Mission Central, Iowa]


#LCMS|SNAPSHOTS

witness, mercy, life together

Rev. Peter Bender sings the National Anthem at Chicagos Wrigley Field before a Cubs-Astros game. Bender was given this opportunity after returning the ball from a players first home run earlier in the season. He has served as the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church, Sussex, Wis., for 21 years.

Vacation Bible School leaders at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Minot, N.D., got slimed after children raised more than $3,000 for North Dakota outreach projects, including Hope Village.

Students use American Sign Language to interpret portions of the liturgy during the Church Interpreter Training Institute (CITI). CITI is a two-week program held on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, that equips students to share the Gospel with the deaf.

The Rev. Nelson Rodriguez (center front) was ordained into the pastoral ministry on the same day his wife, Perla Gil de Rodriguez, was commissioned as a deaconess. The two serve Comunidad de Gracia Lutheran Church, an urban church plant in Houston, Texas.


A team member from Messiah Lutheran Church, Lakeville, Minn., helps a woman fit new glasses during a short-term mission trip to Guinea, West Africa. The team of eight held eyeglass clinics through Mission Opportunities Short Term (MOST Ministries) and gave out nearly 600 pairs of glasses during their trip.

Murell Sanders (center) describes Fuzzy Friends for Haiti, the mission project of the Vacation Bible School at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Memphis, Tenn. This organization, which was started in 2010 by Meredith Johnson (left), collects stuffed animals for children in Haiti. During the last three years, 3,235 toys have been collected.

Patti Anderson and Susan Hawthorne fill bowls with food for Haitian children with special needs. The two women were part of an 11-person team from Iowa District West that traveled to Haiti to share Gods love through Vacation Bible School and other activities.

Rev. Shauen Trump, LCMS missionary to Kenya and Tanzania, preaches at a worship service in Uganda. Shauen and his wife, Krista, have served in Africa since 2008. They have two sons.

Rev. Clarence Pannier, 90, of Davenport, Iowa a 1962 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield, Ill. has gone the distance, leading a breakfast Bible study each week for 30 years in a local restaurant.

#TELLUSYOURWMLTSTORY...

Please send your parish or district photos to:[email protected] Engage the World1333 S. Kirkwood RoadSt. Louis, MO 63122


Involve pray + learn + listen + participate + invest + serve PRAY:Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

Pray for Us monthly prayer calendar: www.lcms.org/prayforus z Missionary Prayer Cards: www.lcms.org/prayercards

SERVE:2013 MISSIONARY OPPORTUNITIES

Care and Compassion TeamsComplete human-care projects experience life in remote areas work side-by-side with locals. Average trip cost $2,500-$3,000 per person + project costs. Teams needed year-round more in the spring.

Teaching TeamsHost youth camps teach the faith to young people teach specific skills (English, music, etc.) Average trip cost: $2500 per person. Teams needed year-round more in the summer.

Contact Jennifer Prophete: 314-996-1311 or [email protected].

The LCMS is accepting applications for ALL missionary service! Opportunities exist for 1-2 weeks, 2 months, 1 year or career missionary service. For more information: www.lcms.org/service. Questions? Contact [email protected] or 800-THE LCMS (843-5267).

2013 Mercy Medical TeamsMedical professionals/students service abroad clinical and health-related settings.

Primary Care Clinical Teams (PCC): Clinical experience pharmacists, physical therapists, general volunteers and ordained LCMS pastors are needed.

Community Health Education Teams (CHE): Health or medical educators public health educators ordained LCMS pastors are needed.

Madagascar, March 1424 (PCC) Kyrgyzstan, April 1121 (CHE) Haiti, May 1019 (PCC) Kenya, July 1121 (PCC) Madagascar, Aug. 111 (PCC) Peru, Oct. (CHE) Kenya, Nov. 717 (PCC)

Learn more: www.lcms.org/mercyteams Contact: [email protected] or 800-248-1930 ext. 1278.

PARTICIPATE:Youth Ministry SymposiumJan. 78, 2013Irvine, Calif.www.lcms.org/youth/symposium

National NADCE Conference for Directors of Christian EducationJan. 810, 2013Irvine, Calif.www.nadce.com

LCMS Life Conference(with special youth track)Jan. 2526, 2013Washington, D.C.www.lcmslifeconference.org

National Association of Lutheran Mission Agencies ConferenceJan. 31Feb. 1, 2013St. Louis, Mo.www.almanetwork.org314-780-3553

ContemplateFor those college age or older considering church work; March 79, 2013

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis: [email protected]

LIVELOVE[D]2013 National LCMS Youth GatheringJuly 1-5, 2013San Antonio, Texaswww.lcmsgathering.com/registration

INVEST:

YOUR FINANCIAL GIFT is an investment in the global mission and mercy work of The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod. To make a gift, please use the enclosed envelope, contact [email protected] or call 800-248-1930.

LISTEN:

[email protected] 800-325-3040, ext. 1414 >

KFUO RadioWorldwide KFUO: We Are Where You AreKFUO-AM 850 Lutheran talk radio in St. Louis, Mo. KFUOam.org and Classic99.com streaming classical music online 24/7.


Such an assertion may seem excessively confident. I would agree if The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod were left to herself. Our congregations, pastors, teachers and missionaries are not isolated entities apart from the Triune God. Missouri is owned by Him, bought with the Sons own blood and empowered by the Spirit through the Word. Where is Missouri moving? Toward the lost. To be sure, we can rightly complain when evaluating the ineptness and frailty of the LCMS, both the past and the present. People did the same when viewing the Savior from beneath His cross. But God does His work through the most unlikely of means: His Son, the Gospel, His Church, His people.

Missouri moves toward the lost because she is connected baptismally to the One who is moving. Lets get this straight: Mission for Missouri is not done because she is commanded to do so, to follow the Great Commission. Look at the Great Commission. Youre not doing it. Jesus has forgiven you. Now you need to get out there and do it! Christs goal for the Church is not greater obedience to His commandments but faith in Him, an explicit trust in the One who gives Himself freely. Owned by such a Savior, Missouri from its beginning could not and cannot but give of herself to others, in witness, mercy and life together. That is how it is when owned and enslaved by this gracious God (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 12:12; Acts 8:4; 9:31)! Luther writes in his 1 Peter commentary (AE 30:11):

We have no other reason for living on earth than to be of help to others. If this were not the case, it would be best for God to kill us and let us die as soon as we are baptized and have begun to believe. But He permits us to live here in order that we may bring others to faith, just as He brought us. This issue of Lutherans Engage the World details Christs work through Missouri over the years, from America to Papua New Guinea to India and beyond. This movement by Missouri presents a cause to rejoice and give thanks, and it encourages the same aggressive work now and into the future. The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod has confidence because Christ owns her and the mission. He is the One planning, doing, working, fretting as a mother hen over wayward chicks (Matt. 23:37). What a distinct privilege and absolute joy to follow, to work alongside the Master!

Rev. Randall Golter is the newly installed Executive Director of the LCMS Office of International Mission. He is the former president of the Synods Rocky Mountain District and served as parish pastor for four LCMS congregations.

Mis

sour

iM

ove!

is on

the

by R

anda

ll L.

Gol

ter

Istoc

k


Register Today! www.lcmslifeconference.org

facebook.com/lcmslife#lcmslifeconf

Learn more: lcms.org/lifeGive now: www.lcms.org/givenow/life

Dont let another 40 years pass with another

54 million babies aborted.Join us for the

LCMS Life Conference, Jan. 25-26, 2013,

in Washington, D.C. Learn how to use your voice through specially designed adult and

youth tracks!You, your friends, your youth group get ready to take your

stand on this milestone 40-year anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

You have a voice. You can be theirs.Nows the

time to speakto pray

to support.

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE PAID

Burlington, WIPermit No. 12

2012 - lutherans engage the world — november-december

Documents

lcms donors

lcms snapshots

available lcms

lcms global witness

work of witness

mercy work

lcms disaster response

print version