| International Convention of the Int'l LLL Concludes with Determination to 'Share His Story'
Greensboro, NC, Jul. 19, 2009 — The final day of the 92nd International Convention of the Int'l LLL sent participants out in power and joy to bring Christ to others—to Share His Story.
 Lutheran Hour Ministries Executive Director Larry Lumpe celebrated the energy of ordinary people motivated by the power of the Holy Spirit to share the story of Jesus. For Lutheran Hour Ministries in the last year, this has meant expansion of The Lutheran Hour®, which is airing on more than 900 stations and is now available in a Spanish version called Para el Camino; launch of LHM Men's NetWork, which after only seven months is serving more than 2,000 Lutheran congregations in North America; production of new episodes of Woman to Woman and distribution of the program to a growing number of markets; and continuing support for LHM's International Ministry centers in more than 30 countries, which reach people with the Gospel through Bible courses and a variety of media. "How blessed we are," said Lumpe.
Int'l LLL President Mick Onnen noted that although many volunteer organizations today, including the Int'l LLL, are experiencing a steady decline in membership, he remains optimistic and enthused about the future. He assured attendees, "the Board of Governors is working toward needed changes while examining other options that will be of value to the League down the road." Onnen related what an exciting opportunity to witness he had as part of the choir that rode The Lutheran Hour float in the 2009 Tournament of Roses parade. "We had a unique chance to 'Share His Story' with approximately 40 million Americans watching the parade in person or at home on television, as well as international viewers in 150 territories around the world."
Bruce Wurdeman, selected in June to be Lutheran Hour Ministries' next Executive Director, shared a little of his vision for the coming days: "I know God has opened and will continue to open more doors for ministry than we can walk through—and He will expect us to choose wisely those that we can best handle and where we can have the most impact. I know that it is better to do a few things with excellence than a lot of things with mediocrity. We will focus on excellence."
The 92nd International Convention culminated in Saturday's Lutheran Hour Ministries Celebration event, which featured stirring worship music, dance, a multimedia walk through Lutheran Hour Ministries' heritage, and a message from God's Word delivered by the Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus under the theme, "A Word from Our Sponsor".
"To share a word from the Sponsor is why I am thankful to be in this wonderful community of Greensboro in North Carolina," said Pastor Klaus. "Today, The Lutheran Hour, as it has done for almost 80 years, is glad to share a true Word from our Divine Sponsor. Today the Lord of life is our Sponsor, and the Word from Him, the Word which we need to hear from Him, is this: Jesus Christ has redeemed us, not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death. The word from our Sponsor is Savior."
The 93rd International Convention of the Int'l LLL will be held July 22-25, 2010 in Omaha, Nebraska. For more information about the Int'l LLL and Lutheran Hour Ministries, visit www.lhm.org or call 1-800-876-9880.
Lutheran Hour Ministries is a Christian outreach ministry supporting churches worldwide in its mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. It is also a volunteer movement more than 100,000 people strong. LHM produces Christian radio and TV programming for broadcast, as well as Internet and print communications, dramas, music, and outreach materials, to reach unchurched people in the United States and more than 30 other countries.
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