Michigan District president Chuck Bennett (right) and secretary Randy Larson (left) are installed by Michigan District pastoral advisor.
“I had no idea Lutheran Hour Ministries did all of that!”
Tens of thousands of individuals throughout North America have been blessed by the Lord through The Lutheran Hour radio program since it first aired in 1930. Yet when you talk to many of them, they are surprised to hear that Lutheran Hour Ministries’ (LHM) work is much broader in scope — and that the Lord is using all aspects of that wider scope to bring people to faith. You might say the full span of LHM’s work has resembled a best-kept secret.
That secret ended two days ago on Saturday evening at a gathering in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with more than 300 supporters in attendance. Lutheran Hour Ministries unveiled SENT, a global initiative to proclaim the Gospel.
Among those in attendance were Michigan District president Chuck Bennett and secretary Randy Larson.
“We want people to have the eternal hope and peace that comes from knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and we will do whatever it takes to make that happen,” said LHM President & CEO Kurt Buchholz. “As our mission statement proclaims, LHM is committed to Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. That’s why the SENT Initiative was brought into existence. It was created as a movement to send forth the Gospel in new and dynamic ways.”
“LHM is a global ministry that shares the Gospel message here in North America and around the world in effective and efficient ways … through indigenous foreign mission fields in more than 50 countries, through cutting-edge digital media, Bible studies, animated and live productions, and so much more,” said Vickie Dankenbring, co-chair of LHM’s SENT National Leadership Council with her husband Jim. “Jim and I have been blessed to be part of several different ministries, but LHM represents the best talent we’ve experienced and is by far the most well run and impactful organization.”
With the unveiling of the SENT Initiative, the secret is out! However, billions of souls worldwide have not yet heard of the Savior. He remains a “secret” to them. LHM now reaches 100 million people each week with the Gospel … and we pray the Lord uses SENT to introduce Him to many more.
“The truth is, when it comes to the Gospel, there is no secret,” said Buchholz. “We are not about keeping the message of salvation a secret. More than three billion people have little to no opportunity to hear the life-saving message of the Gospel. As the priesthood of all believers, we are called, equipped, and SENT to make known that Gospel. There is no secret — we are SENT and as we publicly launch this initiative, you and I will celebrate with millions of people who stand with us proclaiming the love of Jesus Christ to all corners of the world.”
The funding aspect of SENT was quietly launched in 2015 with a goal to raise $242 million by the year 2020. “It is with gratitude to God, and deep appreciation to the multitude of people who have already supported this effort, to announce that the SENT Initiative has already raised $158 million in gifts towards its $242 million goal,” said Dankenbring. This includes more than $3.35 million raised during Saturday evening’s event in Milwaukee.
Please pray for God’s guidance during the SENT Initiative. Pray for His wisdom in decision-making. Most of all, please pray that His Spirit will bring many to faith in Him. This is a laity-driven ministry. You make this work possible. YOU are LHM.
You can read about the priorities included in this initiative and find out how you can be involved by clicking the links below.
Energize, Equip, and Engage Laity for Outreach
Grow God’s Kingdom through Expanded Media Outreach
Bring the Gospel to the Unreached Around the World
Engage Communities in the Digital Mission Field
You can also make a financial gift to support this initiative.
Thank you for being part of this Gospel mission. Together, we are SENT!
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