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New 'LHM Men's NetWork' Bible Study to Probe the Netherworld

This month the Bible's concluding book, Revelation, will be explored in the latest LHM Men's NetWork Bible study: Explaining All The Scary Stuff in Revelation. In this, the eighth Bible study from the Men's NetWork, the Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour^®, illuminates the confusing and the obscure in Scripture's magnificent final opus.

Surveying the history and root causes behind ancient Rome's homicidal persecution of the early Church, Pastor Klaus details the points of collision between these two entities and how early Christians naturally despaired of their situation. Klaus then gives the viewer rules for understanding and interpreting this book's distinctive writing form.

He explains how Revelation's use of numbers and fantastic symbols, monstrous creatures, and spiritual images are all part of John's secret code—and God's divine plan—to portray the religious and world leaders Satan was using in his battle against Christ and His Church. The use of coded or apocalyptic language kept Revelation's message safe for believers—and hid it from those who would undermine and attack the Church. The coded messages also pointed to Christ's victorious resurrection—comforting the victimized Christians and assuring them of present hope and future triumph in the face of what must have seemed insurmountable odds.

Explaining All The Scary Stuff In Revelation and all the other LHM Men's NetWork resources can be found at www.lhmmen.com.

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LHM—Argentina Welcomes New Manager

Gloria Tolisano is the new Manager of Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones, our LHM office in Argentina, replacing the Rev. Alberto Groh. Gloria was born in Argentina and came to the church when she attended Concordia High School in Buenos Aires. She worked for 12 years as the administrative secretary for the Colegio Luterano Concordia in the city of Córdoba, and in addition to this, she has worked on producing radio spots for The Lutheran Hour in Argentina.

Gloria is active in the Lutheran Church and a leader in her congregation. According to her pastor, "Gloria has a mission vision which she has shown in all she does that is related to our congregation's mission outreach."

Please join us in welcoming Gloria, and please pray for her in her new ministry role with Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones in Argentina!

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'I Am a Witness' to Be the Bold Theme for 'LHM Sunday' 2010

In His final words to His disciples, Jesus promised them, "When the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world." Today, Jesus' words still stir His disciples to action; by the power of the Holy Spirit, each of us is a witness, carrying the power and privilege to share the story of God's love in Jesus Christ to people who need to hear it.

Join Lutheran Hour Ministries in a special celebration of the Savior's call to every Christian! Sunday, Feb. 7, has been designated Lutheran Hour Ministries Sunday for 2010*; people in congregations across The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod will stand with LHM and declare "I am a witness."

Begin making your plans now to celebrate LHM's more than nine decades of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church! Your pastor or LHM Ambassador will receive a promotional video DVD and special materials by mid-December to help with the planning process. Resources will be available by mail and over the Internet. To learn more right now, contact Lorraine Triller at ambassador@lhm.org. Online materials will be available no later than Jan. 1 at www.lhm.org/LHMSunday.

* Although Feb. 7 has been designated the official date of LHM Sunday 2010, a congregation may choose an alternate date that is more suitable to its calendar for celebrating LHM Sunday.

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Find Financial Security and Support the Ministry through a Charitable Gift Annuity

Are you frustrated with economic instability? With a charitable gift annuity, you can have the added security of fixed payments with excellent rates. And, most importantly, your gift will help share the Gospel with future generations.

The charitable deduction and the payment rate are determined by the age(s) of the annuitant. If your gift annuity is funded with appreciated assets such as stocks or bonds, your capital gains tax will be reduced. You also qualify for a charitable tax deduction, and a portion of the income is tax-free.

Bob and Lillian Joseph, LHM donors from Billings, Montana, said, "When you meet the Lord, you hope that what you had here on earth will help others know about Christ. With our gift annuity, we have the joy of knowing that a future gift will be made to LHM, plus it ensures we will always have income coming in."

For more information about establishing a charitable gift annuity, please contact one of LHM's Ministry Advancement Officers at 1-877-333-1963, or visit www.lhmgift.org/giftplan.

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Int'l LLL Board of Governors Approves Several Key Proposals

The Board of Governors for the International Lutheran Laymen's League (Lutheran Hour Ministries) met in St. Louis the weekend of Oct. 15-17 and received positive updates concerning the ministry. A key item of business was a presentation by the Governance Committee on a proposed new structure of the Int'l LLL in the future. After a thorough explanation and discussion, the Board approved the proposal and charged the Policy Study Committee to begin work on bylaws changes to be presented at the 2010 international convention in Omaha.

The Board also approved proposed bylaws changes necessary to implement the biennial international conventions that were approved at last summer's convention in Greensboro, North Carolina. LHM Executive Director Bruce Wurdeman has appointed a task force to begin putting together the regional conferences for 2011 and he presented some early ideas on what the events might offer. They will be short on business and long on worship, Bible study, outreach, training, motivation, service, recreation, and fun. More details will be shared in the coming months.

Board members participated in a chapel service at the LHM headquarters where Wurdeman was officially installed as the new executive director for the ministry. Committee meetings were shortened so that ministry presentations could be made in front of the entire Board in order to reduce duplication of presentations and use time more effectively. Among the presentations were the annual audit for 2008-2009, which was approved, and a report that income is running above budgeted projections and expenses are running behind. "For those wonderful blessings, and for all our faithful supporters, we say Praise God," says Int'l LLL President Mick Onnen.

The Board's next meeting will be held in St. Louis in mid January.

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Impacting Lives

Behind Bars but Not Hopeless: God's Grace Sets the Prisoner Free

Nationwide, more than two million people are held in federal, state, or local prisons. Now, without a doubt, prison can be a desperate and hopeless place. That despair, however, doesn't have to be the final word on the matter. When God's grace through Jesus is made known, things change.

A case in point is what happened in a west Texas jail. After watching a television commercial for Lubbock-based Hope Lutheran Church and School, an area inmate—Danny—wrote a letter to the church expressing his need for hope. He addressed it simply "Attention: Pastor." Tim Radkey, lead pastor at Hope, responded by providing him two Bible studies from the LHM Men's NetWork: Home Run King and He Who Dies With The Most Toys Still Dies.

That was six months ago.

Since then, Danny has been leading other inmates in prayer and Bible studies using LHM Men's NetWork resources. "The material spawned a group of about five men to get together regularly for prayer, reading Scripture, and talking about applying God's Word to their lives and future," Radkey said.

This transformation—while evidence of God's grace at work in the life of this prisoner and the men he's mentored behind bars—has impacted Radkey's ministry as well. According to Radkey, "I have been extremely blessed to see the power of God's Word work in Danny's life, and with each letter, I see new wisdom that God has given him. His devotion to the Word has inspired my devotional life to reach new levels. I can't wait for his release so that our entire church can celebrate the forgiveness that is his and how he has inspired so many at Hope Lutheran. Members of Hope continue to be amazed by the progress God has given Danny. He remains an inspiration to many!"

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Ugandan Woman Discovers the One Sacrifice that Counts

"Areny" grew up in the Teso region of Eastern Uganda, in a traditional family that did not believe in the God of the Bible; for them, ancestral spirits held power over life and death. She knew nothing of God's eternal Word or of His plan for salvation for her.

"I did not believe in God at all," she said. "I had no use for Him since my hands could give me whatever I wanted. Whenever I became ill, I believed the traditional healers could help me."

Areny encountered many hardships in her life. Her mother died when she was 10 years old, and her father died soon afterward, leaving her and her five siblings without much hope for the future. Later in her life, her two children died young—a tragedy she thought was caused by angry ancestors punishing her for the mistakes of her late parents.

"I visited traditional shrines countless times," Areny says, adding that she would offer sacrifices to appease the spirits so that they would give her another child. The more she did this, the harder it became for her to accept her life. Still, she continued until her age made it impossible for her to bear children.

To try to escape the misery the spirits of her ancestors were inflicting on her, Areny even moved away from her ancestral region, but it was no use. By November of 2008, Areny had lost all hope.

Her hopelessness, however, would prove to be God's pathway to her heart.

One evening, a Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) team that shares the Good News of Christ's salvation door-to-door visited Areny at her home. Areny listened as the volunteers shared the Word of God with her and introduced her to the gift of salvation offered through Jesus Christ. She prayed with the visitors, who then referred her to Kateete Lutheran Church for nurturing and fellowship.

Since then, Christ has been working in Areny, and she is undergoing confirmation lessons and wants to be baptized and confirmed at the Lutheran church in Kateete. She has agreed to allow LHM—Uganda to share her testimony to encourage those who are lost and seeking Christ.

To support this international ministry or one of LHM's many other programs with a financial gift, visit www.lhmgift.org.

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Equipping

Power Tools for Working in the Mission Field: 'Equipping to Share'

Everything you need to schedule an Equipping to Share workshop in your area and get it up and running is available at www.lhm.org/equipping/ets.htm. From this link, you can book a workshop; learn what to do before one begins (fact sheet, host guidelines, video promo, press release) or what to do after one's completed (follow-up training, downloadable documents); or find out how and where to attend an already-scheduled workshop. Fifteen events are currently slated at locations around the United States between now and early March.

The Equipping to Share newsletter is a great place to check out EtS and get a look at what it's all about. In the October issue you'll find "Christmas 2009 Outreach Resources," "Tips for Sharing," "Web Resources," a thought-provoking witnessing article by EtS coordinator Sarah Guldalian titled "Overcoming Fear: Being Viewed as a Hypocrite by Someone Close," and more. You can find the newsletter at www.lhm.org/equipping/newsletter.asp.

As an incentive to schedule a one-day EtS workshop between now and May 2010, Lutheran Hour Ministries will include a FREE $75 Practicing Hospitality kit. Complete with a planning guide, a facilitator script, a DVD to use during worship, and PowerPoint materials, Practicing Hospitality teaches church members how to make their first impression one that counts. For more information, go to www.lhm.org/ph.

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Overcoming the Fear of Causing Confrontation

Although we want to consider the most effective means for communicating our message so others listen rather than constructing a wall, we cannot allow the concern of confrontation—for social "correctness"—to keep us from sharing altogether. God is not concerned with social correctness. He is concerned with the eternity of His children. And, He calls us to be concerned with their eternity as well—not with being polite.

If we are to follow in Christ's footsteps, we should consider His actions during His ministry. Did He avoid confrontation? No. Was His personal mission to avoid stirring the pot, as many of us have adopted? No. His mission was to spread the Gospel: "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel" (Mark 1:15). His mission was to see people repent and be reunited with God. This ministry of reconciliation should also be our mission. The wonderful thing, however, is that God would not send us into a battlefield alone. He does not send us out there to be attacked or to engage in fruitless communication.

In fact, He says, "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sewer and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11). God would not send us out to share His word only to do so in vain. He is equally concerned with the lost receiving and understanding His message. This is why He tells us to always be prepared to share the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15). And He tells us to do so with gentleness and respect.

We should not avoid sharing our faith for fear of confrontation ensuing. Instead we should pray for and consider ways to communicate the message of salvation effectively to avoid confrontation. There are both spiritual and practical ways to do so.

For some tips on minimizing confrontation as you witness, read the companion article in the Nov. 4, 2009 issue of Equipping

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Coming up on The Lutheran Hour

Nov 8
A Hotter Hell
Speaker: Pastor Ken Klaus
Justice demands that God give sinners exactly what they deserve. Where does that leave us? Thankfully, God's justice is only half of the story.

Nov 15
Christ Is Coming
Speaker: Pastor Ken Klaus
War, disaster, and persecution are signs that the world is coming to an end, but no one knows exactly when.

Nov 22
Thankful for What You Don't Have
Speaker: Pastor Ken Klaus
We can also thank God for the pains and illnesses we don't have, the disasters that were averted, the punishment for sin that Christ took upon Himself.

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Pastor Ken Klaus Will Be Speaking ...

Nov 15
Bible Study & Worship Service
St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Altamont, Illinois
9 a.m. & 10 a.m.

Nov 18
40th Anniversary Celebration Service
Faith Lutheran Church
Sullivan, Illinois
7 p.m.

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Coming Up on Woman to Woman

Nov 7
My Father's Vineyard
They say "bloom where you're planted," but sometimes you have to leave and come back to really appreciate home. Cindy Steinbeck Newkirk of Steinbeck Vineyards & Winery discusses her journey from the city back to her family's ranch and what she's learned about life and her faith from working the land.

Nov 14
Victory in Adversity
Losing a child is terribly difficult, and everyone deals with their loss in different ways. Hear from Pattie Petty how she and her race car driving husband, Kyle, faced the death of their son by realizing his vision of founding a camp for children with severe disabilities and terminal illnesses.

Nov 21
Thankful to Be Free
Addiction is powerful, and people can find themselves in over their heads quickly. Suzanne Johnson, whose addictive personality and gambling addiction led her to steal from her employers and face prison time, shares her story of Thanksgiving as she explains how her relationship with Christ helped to free her.

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