In carrying out its mission statement of Bringing Christ to the Nations- and the Nations to the Church, Lutheran Hour Ministries employs a variety of methods and programs through its locally established ministry centers to share the Gospel with people around the world. Since the staff members are from that culture and understand the local needs, LHM can customize our outreach to the particular issues that people are facing and begin establishing a more personal relationship.
By identifying, developing, and using resources in local languages that are culturally relevant and attractive, LHM staff seeks to proclaim the hop and salvation found in the Word of God by reaching out to people of all nations and building trust with those individuals to connect them in fellowship to a local Christian community.
During His ministry on earth, Jesus not only taught and preached but also healed the sick and fed the hungry. LHM ministry centers follow His example, often incorporating “holistic” approaches to sharing the Gospel by attending to people’s physical and emotional needs as well as their spiritual needs.
In some communities where people may be struggling against the effects of poverty, our ministry centers often assist families by providing vocational training, educational materials, nutritional supplements, or hygiene supplies. When disaster strikes, ministry center staff and volunteers frequently work with partner organizations to distribute emergency supplies of food and clothing and share booklets like Why Do Bad Things Happen? to try to help people process their feelings following the disaster. By working with smaller groups of individuals and families, we can build a relationship over time to share the Gospel with
them.
Often the recipients of these holistic efforts desire to learn more about the God who motivates these Christians to reach out in love. This opens doors for staff and volunteers to share LHM resources and invite people to participate in our Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) and other programs.
Impact of Holistic Ministry
Ana participated in a financial training course hosted by LHM staff in Mongolia. The purpose of this training is to provide financial education to families, youth, and single parents to teach them how to manage their finances wisely and sustainably. It encourages them to apply what they learn during the training into their daily lives to result in stronger families, in-depth financial knowledge, and a stable financial outlook where they can overcome debt and avoid a budgetary crisis. The weekly training sessions take place over two months and are focused on Christian perspectives regarding specific topics each time. After she
completed the financial training, Ana continued to meet with LHM staff and enrolled in the ministry’s BCCs to learn more about Jesus. Ana shared that she had a difficult childhood and struggled with anxiety.
LHM staff talked with her and shared that she can find her worth in Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Ana became a Christian. She and her husband were connected to a local church where she can continue learning about Jesus and she is growing in her faith. LCMS Michigan District Lutherans are invited to support this ministry through prayers and other ways and can do so at lhm.org.
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