Lutherans

ENGAGE the WORLD

March April 2016, Vol. 4, Issue 4

Lutherans

ENGAGE the WORLD

March April 2016

vol. 4, no. 4

inspire

8 
12 
16 
19 

Grafting Hispanic Roots on the Lutheran Tree

Home Is Where the (Learning By) Heart Is

Mercy Medical Teams: Balm for the Body,

Encouragement for the Soul
Help and Hope in Desperate Circumstances

12

8
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.
2016 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.
888-THE LCMS (843-5267)
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright
2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

engage
BEARING MERCIFUL FRUIT
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields
its fruit in its season. (Ps. 1:3)

4
inform
2 
3 
4 

Striving and Rejoicing Under God's

Abundant Grace

10 Questions

LCMS Disaster Response Partners with

Missouri Churches in Flood Relief

involve
10 
21 

The Family Altar

We're Good at What?

S TA F F
David L. Strand
Pamela J. Nielsen
Erica Schwan
Megan K. Mertz
Erik M. Lunsford
Lisa Moeller
Annie Monette
Chrissy Thomas

executive director, communications

executive editor
director, design services
managing editor/staff writer
manager, photojournalism
designer
designer
designer

EDITORIAL OFFICE
314-996-1215
1333 S. Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, MO 63122-7295
lutheransengage@lcms.org
lcms.org/lutheransengage

Trees bearing fruit planted in the waters of Holy

Baptism, fed by Gods life-giving and forgiving Word
are mercy-bearing trees. Where does one find such trees?
You, dear reader, have only to look in the mirror to see
such a magnificent tree!
Our Lord works through you in the many vocations
in which He has placed you, including your vocation as
a member of The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod.
Through your prayers, your service and your offerings
to your local congregation and to the Synod for our
collective witness and mercy work, you are bearing
marvelous fruit.
This issue of Lutherans Engage the World tells stories
of witness and mercy particularly the ongoing work
through the church and in the home where trees are
watered and then naturally bear merciful fruit.
Youll read about a congregation in Wisconsin where
the culture of catechesis and prayer flowing from parish
altar to family altar in members homes has produced a
forest of fruit-bearing trees in their life together.
When too much water flooded communities this past
Christmas, trees loaded with merciful fruit responded
with prayers, donations and volunteer service an
amazing effort that continues even as you read about it in
these pages.
Youll learn how a pastor and vicar are planting trees
of faith and watering them with Gods Word amongst a
Hispanic population in Sheboygan, Wis., even as they are
revitalizing an entire community.
Equipped with medical supplies, medicines and
hearts eager to care for others, Mercy Medical Teams
provide body-and-soul care in remote areas of the world.
Theres much more than these few pages can contain!
All of these stories, by Gods grace, are of your faithful
fruit-bearing as you stand alongside tall trees of faith in
this forest we call the Church. Thanks be to God!

In Christ,
Pamela J. Nielsen
Associate Executive Director,
LCMS Communications

Cover image: Elizabeth Vogt

sings with the choir during
worship at Peace Lutheran
Church in Sussex, Wis.
PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Our team is loaded with A-listers: men

and women, laity and clergy whose
expertise, strengths and skills, wisdom and
experiences are of the highest caliber in
both churchly and secular realms. Yet one
senses very little in the way of celebrity or
entitlement among this humble warrior
band. These brothers and sisters find their
mission motivation deeply rooted in Christs
Gospel, a treasure to be shared freely in
witness. Every one of them has sacrificed
significantly to fulfill their vocation. They
work hard. They are doggedly determined
stewards of Gods gifts, continually tending
to the responsibilities and resources that
they have been given to manage. They are
striving, [fighting] the good fight of the
faith (1 Tim. 6:12), but not to merit Gods
favor for that is already theirs, solely by
Gods doing.
In the pattern of Jesus, they are
delivering His mercy in heart-melting
compassion, kindness and love for their
neighbor. In response to disasters
such as tornadoes and floods, in
the care of persecuted Christian

and Muslim refugees, on Mercy Medical

Teams and in numerous other instances,
they are participating in the advance of Gods
kingdom and Christs crushing defeat of Satan.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers over this present
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12).
My co-workers are the lively embodiment
of that wonderful scriptural exhortation:
Let us consider how to stir up one another
to love and good works, not neglecting to
meet together, as is the habit of some, but
encouraging one another, and all the more as
you see the Day drawing near (Heb. 10:2425).
The time is now; we work the works of God
who has called us while it is day, for we
know the night is coming when no one can
work (John 9:4). I heartily invite you to keep
encouraging, striving and laboring with us
under His abounding grace!
In Christ,

Rev. Kevin D. Robson

Chief Mission Officer, The Lutheran Church
Missouri Synod

nform

Striving and Rejoicing

UNDER GODS ABUNDANT GRACE

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MarchApril 2016

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

PHOTO: ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

love the co-workers with whom I am

privileged to labor daily at the LCMS
International Center, as well as those
in every corner of our Synod and those we
partner with around the world. To be sure,
we are all flawed, poor, miserable sinners
yet nevertheless, we are declared holy and
righteous, perfectly forgiven for the sake of
Jesus atoning self-sacrifice upon His cross.
Our mightiest exertions might yield
utter triumph, abject failure or disinterested
yawns, depending on the situation. Thats
OK; Gods will is done. Never too distant
are sincere congratulations and mocking
ridicule in the courts of public opinion.
Some wins, some losses accumulate
and along the way, the surprises and
wonders, the flubs and setbacks occasionally
may cause elated high-fives, sleepless
exhaustion, tears of frustration or outbursts
of self-deprecating laughter. We constantly
retreat into Gods Word to regain our footing.
We pray, at work and back at home with our
families. Even in the midst of hardships,
there is an infectious spirit of rejoicing.
And let it be said again that God is
overwhelmingly good!

Questions

10

nform

WITH PROFESSOR

BEN FREUDENBURG
by Megan K. Mertz

My mother instilled in me I can do all things

through him who strengthens me and I am with
you always, to the end of the age.
Since Professor Ben Freudenburg came
to Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich.,
(CUAA) 10 years ago to start the Family
Life Education program, more than 130
future workers have been trained to go
into churches and communities to provide
preventive education to help families
weather the storms of life. Freudenburg
a husband, father of two and a certified
director of Christian education also is
the director of the Concordia Center for the
Family and the founder of Family Friendly
Partners Network, a ministry that helps
raise the capacity of churches to have
strong family ministries.

1.

 hy is teaching the faith at home

W
so important?
The church has an hour or two on Sunday,
maybe another hour during the week.
But thats not nearly enough to shape
[childrens] values and hearts and grow
the faith given them at Baptism.

PHOTO: LIGHTSTOCK

2.

What is the familys role in

faith formation?
The family is one of the institutions God
created to produce faithful generations. God
gave parents a biblical mandate to teach
the faith to their children. If the family is not
thriving, it is less likely to produce another
generation of godly men and women.

3.

And the churchs role?

The task God has given to the church is
to help parents have all they need in order
to fulfill the biblical mandate as the primary
teachers of faith to their children.
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

4.

What do you see happening in

society today?
Research indicates that in every generation
there are fewer Christians. It is predicted
that only about 4 percent of millennials
will be Christ-followers as they enter the
adult world.

8.

How does CUAAs Family Life

Education program prepare future
workers to serve families?
Just like a teacher is prepared to teach math
or science to students, family life educators
are prepared to do preventive education
to help build into families the strengths
needed to survive the storms of family
life. Every family meets many challenges;
[the difference] is whether they have the
resources necessary to be an even stronger
family when the storm is over.

5.

9.

6.

How can the church support families?

A lot of people believe that when they
get married, they have what they need to
be good husbands, wives and parents. But
its really a learned skill. We need to put
into place programs that are meeting needs
in teaching the faith, home discipleship,
marriage enrichment, good parenting skills
and an understanding of human sexuality
from a biblical view.

10.

7.

Megan K. Mertz is managing editor of

Lutherans Engage the World and a staff
writer for LCMS Communications.

What pressures are families facing

as they try to pass on the faith?
The real pressure is to conform to the
cultures view of marriage and family
instead of to Christ. How do we help
individuals walk with Christ as they watch
TV and use digital tools? How do we help
families resist the pressure to conform to
a nonbiblical standard like living together
before marriage?

What are some ways parents can

reinforce faith?
Make faith a natural part of conversation.
Do simple things like family faith talk
at the dinner table and saying prayers
together. We seldom sit down as a family
anymore, so its really hard to implement.
We must make time for spiritual formation
and conversation.

Why is this so important?

God gave us a Savior, Jesus, to take
the punishment for our sin so we could
be in a relationship with Him. But theres
more: He gave us faith at our Baptism to
believe it. And He didnt stop there; He gave
us the possibility to be in godly families
and churches to nurture that faith. As the
stability of our Christian families continues
to be threatened, the church needs to help
the family be all that God wants it to be.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?

I have many. My mother instilled in
me I can do all things through him who
strengthens me [Phil. 4:13] and I am
with you always, to the end of the age
[Matt. 28:20]. Thats the one I grab onto when
things get really tough. Every day in my own
devotions, God brings new passages to life
that give me hope.

Learn more:
cuaa.edu/programs/familylife
concordiacenterforthefamily.org
familyfriendlypn.com
MarchApril 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

nform

LCMS DISASTER RESPONSE

PARTNERS WITH MISSOURI CHURCHES IN

flood relief

by Roger Drinnon

As district and local disaster responders continue recovery efforts following

flooding across the Midwest in late December, two St. Louis-area congregations
have partnered with LCMS Disaster Response to help nearby communities rebuild.

looding from swelling waterways

like the Missouri, Mississippi and
Meramec Rivers impacted communities
surrounding St. Louis and throughout
Missouri. Prior to the storms, some
insurance companies purportedly had
identified certain residents as being
ineligible for or not requiring home
flood insurance.
It is hard to witness the effects of
flooding on families and communities,
said the Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan, Missouri
District president. However, we always
stand ready to serve our neighbors in
need and to speak about the hope that is
ours in Christ Jesus.
Hagan said hundreds of Missouri
families have severely damaged homes,
and at least 100 homes were totally
destroyed by the flooding.

Generosity Reaches Flood Victims

As disaster responders from the affected
districts and LCMS Disaster Response
assessed the flood-stricken regions to
help where needed most, the Synod
approved disbursement of more than
$120,000 in grants and other aid for

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MarchApril 2016

immediate relief in the hardestsuffering communities and

congregations. Affected LCMS
congregations across the Midwest
received grants not only for helping
those within their congregations but
also for ongoing relief work in their
surrounding communities. LCMS
Disaster Response also distributed
$6,000 in $100 gift cards to affected
congregations across the Midwest to
help people in their communities with
basicnecessities.
Thanks to all the people who are
being so generous in the wake of these
events, the LCMS Disaster Response
team is able to come alongside districts
and congregations as they minister to the
communities hurt by these storms, said
the Rev. Bart Day, executive director of the
Synods Office of National Mission. Grants
like these cant happen apart from the
generosity of people living out our Lords
command to love your neighbor.

Eureka
Among those grants, St. Marks Lutheran
Church in Eureka, Mo., received $20,000

from the Synod to continue flood-relief

work in Eureka and its neighboring communities. The congregation also received a
$5,000 grant for its own disaster-response
trailer, plus an additional $4,000 to
purchase much-needed equipment and
supplies for the trailer.
The need is great and goes far
beyond restoring homes. People are
emotionally devastated, which is an
enormous opportunity for us to reach
their hearts, said the Rev. Robert
Liebmann, associate pastor at St. Marks.
The work of restoring peoples homes
puts us into their lives at a time when
they are very open to the Gospel. We
have the opportunity to listen to them,
pray with them and share the love of the
God who not only wants to restore their
homes, but restore their hearts, lives and
relationships with Himself.
Liebmann, who goes by Pastor
Bob, said his congregation already has
assessed and prioritized the needs in
local communities and has negotiated
a significant discount at a local home
improvement store to make the grant
money go even further. He said as he

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Volunteers from the LCMS International Center, LCMS Disaster Response and New Beginnings Lutheran Church in Pacific, Mo., came together
Jan. 14 to clean up a flooded home in Fenton, Mo.

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Parishioner Barb Neels of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Fenton, Mo., walks through the basement of her flood-ravaged home. Water in Neels home
reached to the basement ceiling.

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MarchApril 2016

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It is hard to witness the effects of

flooding
on families and communities.
However, we always stand ready to
serve our neighbors in need and to

speak about the hope that is ours

in Christ Jesus.

Rev. Dr. R. Lee Hagan, Missouri District president

gets to know more neighbors in the area,

he is inspired by their resiliency in the
aftermath of tragedy.
The impact of losing your home, your
property and mementos of the past cannot
be overstated. When faced with these
losses, the reaction can be to shut down
and grieve, but many did not, he said.
They returned to their homes and went
to work They tore out ruined carpet,
flooring, drywall and insulation; repaired
the electrical systems and furnaces;
cleaned out ductwork; and within a couple
weeks of regaining access to their home,
some were ready to rebuild.

Pacific
New Beginnings Lutheran Church in
Pacific, Mo., was given a $10,000 grant
to continue flood-relief work in Pacific
and its surrounding communities. Like
St. Marks, New Beginnings also received
a $5,000 grant for its own disasterresponse trailer, plus an additional
$4,000 to equip and supply the trailer.
Around 300 homes and businesses
were flooded within our city, so we
organized some disaster-response teams
and went into our community and
started mucking out homes and preparing homes for rebuilding, said Travis
Torblaa, mission and ministry director at
New Beginnings. Now, weve branched
out to Fenton, Missouri, to help the flood

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

victims in this area as well. We are going

into these homes every day, taking out
all the [moldy, flood-damaged] debris
carpeting, flooring and walls right down
to the studs.

Synod Works Alongside

Local Responders
About 30 volunteers came together from
the Synods International Center (IC)
in St. Louis and from New Beginnings
Jan. 14 to muck out a house in a
low-lying area of Fenton that suffered
significant flooding.
LCMS Disaster Response Director
Rev. Ross Johnson and I had been meeting
with the local churches in Eureka and
Pacific, said the Rev. Michael Meyer,
LCMS Disaster Response manager.
They were sending out small teams to
help flood victims in the area, so we met
with [Day] to see if we could organize
a workday for the LCMS and get some
volunteers from the IC, because some of
these places are in our backyard, within
five to 10 miles of the IC.
LCMS Disaster Response has been a
tremendous blessing for us both with
resources and educating us how we can
help others in the recovery process and
also financially we now have the funds
for the recovery process, Torblaa said.
Liebmann echoed Torblaas
sentiments.

Early on, Pastor Ross Johnson

showed up with a pickup truck full of
supplies we really needed to effectively
serve our community. He brought a
generator, power-washers, [industrial
vacuums], crowbars, hammers, shovels
and other equipment, Liebmann said.
They have also been wonderful with
advice and encouragement as we work.
LCMS Disaster Response has been a
wonderful support in our efforts to love
our neighbors.
LCMS districts and congregations
are the leaders in responding to these
crises, Johnson said. Thanks to the
kind, caring support across the Synod,
LCMS Disaster Response is able to train
and support districts and congregations
while also building on their capacity not
only in responding to a congregations
needs but also in extending Christs
mercy by providing body-and-soul care
to entire communities.
Roger Drinnon is manager of Editorial
Services for LCMS Communications.
Learn more:
LCMS Disaster Response: lcms.org/
disaster
View the photo gallery: lcms.org/
photo/december-2015-floods

MarchApril 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

Grafting

Hispanic Roots
by Erik M. Lunsford

ATAN TRIED TO STOP THE GOSPEL

from spreading among the Hispanic
population of rural Sheboygan, Wis.,
but thanks be to God, he failed.
Instead, God sent Vicar David Blas, missionary at-large at LCMS Sheboygan County
Hispanic Outreach and St. Johns Lutheran
Church in nearby Plymouth, Wis., to expand
Hispanic ministry in the area. Blas, 36, is
Puerto Rican by birth, married with two
sons and a role model for his classmates at
Concordia Seminary, St.Louis.
Although he was raised in a Pentecostal
environment, his faith came through
hearing the Lutheran doctrine from a friend,
continued through catechism study and
finally led to his admittance in the seminarys Center for Hispanic Studies program.
Along the way, Blas said evil has tried to
sideline his ministry. At one point, his roof
caved in at his familys apartment, destroying the majority of their possessions. Then
one month into his seminary education, his
wife was diagnosed with a brain tumor and
needed surgery. She has since had a second
tumor and a second surgery, but despite all,

Blas still believes you only give your best to

God for His gifts graciously given.
Now, his presence as vicar in Plymouth
is evidence of the continuation of Gods
invisible hand at work and the beginning
of the end result of five local congregations
coming together to ask, Why are wehere?
The Rev. Nathan Meador, senior pastor
of St. Johns and Blas supervisor, said the
answer to their question came back very

estimates that there are about 115,000

residents in the county as of 2014, which
includes bucolic Plymouth. St. Johns hired
a consultant in December 2014, and from
that renewal work they became a catalyst
among the local congregations to engage
the growing Hispanic population. The
project went from idea to execution in 13
months. During that time, the congregations together lifted up Hispanic outreach,

We dont have to come up with

something new. What we have is
the gold standard, the Gospel.
Rev. Nathan Meador
Lutheran and very biblical. We are here for
the sake of others.
There are 21 congregations in
Sheboygan County, most dating back to
German immigrants. The U.S. Census

paving the way through congregational,

district and Synod support for the
placement of a vicar in the community.
The Rev. Dr. Carlos Hernandez,
director of LCMS Church and Community

Vicar David Blas (left) witnesses to Hispanic community members in Plymouth, Wis.

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MarchApril 2016

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WITNESS MOMENT

on the

nspire

Lutheran Tree
just have to translate it into a culture of the
world in the communities were already
living in.
Those questions will be answered in
Godstime.
Erik M. Lunsford is manager of
Photojournalism for LCMS Communications.
V
 iew the photo gallery: lcms.org/photo/
hispanic-outreach-wisconsin

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Engagement, said the work in Wisconsin is

a perfect model of collaboration. To support
the work, the Synod gave a small grant
of $7,500.
This is a real example of the churches in
the [Sheboygan] area, the two circuits, realizing the challenges of Hispanic ministry,
and not only talking about it, but pulling the
resources together, Hernandezsaid.
Blas love for the vocation is evident
in his pastoral zeal. He witnesses in the
community, striking up relationships in
barbershops, Hispanic grocery stores, dairy
farms and Mexican restaurants.
I preach the word, Blas said, but Hes
the one who does the work. He touches the
heart, touches the people, and He brought
the people who need to be saved, not me.
Im just His voice, His hands and feet, and
God has all the credit.
Still, Meador wrestles with challenges
and questions of how the ministry will grow.
Its akin to grafting Hispanic roots on the
Lutheran tree, he said. We dont have to
come up with something new. What we
have is the gold standard, the Gospel we

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

MarchApril 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

RAISING CHILDREN
TO KEEP THEM IN
THE FAMILY OF FAITH
God comes to us through His Word and Sacraments during
worship at church, and then the familys devotional life at
home keeps its members connected to those gifts all week
long. This routine creates a lifelong rhythm that helps keep
kids in the faith throughout all stages of their lives.

HOLD FAMI LY DEVOTIONS

Use a simple order of worship to guide your family devotions.
See Pages 294-298 in the Lutheran Service Book (LSB) for
brief services for different times of the day.

10

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MarchApril 2016

E
H
T

m
a
F
a
t
l
A
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

Parents w

Repeat the hymns from Sunday throughout the week

to make a connection between your daily prayer
life and the Sunday Divine Service.

of children raised by parents who talked about

faith at home, attached great importance to their
beliefs and were active in their congregations were
themselves religiously active as young adults,
according to data from the latest wave of the
National Study of Youth and Religion.
P arents No. 1 influence helping teens remain religiously active
as young adults (Association of Religion Data Archives, 2014)

T H E E SS E N T IAL
LU T H E RA N L I B RARY
F O R T H E FA MI LY

nvolve

The Story Bible

Faith Alive Student Bible
The Lutheran Study Bible
My First Catechism
Luthers Small Catechism
with Explanation
My First Hymnal
Lutheran Service Book

READ
THE BIBLE
Take turns reading Bible passages out loud.
Use the Daily Lectionary (LSB, Pages 299-304)
for suggested Bible readings for each day.

TI

sp

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(20
13 )

are
rem
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likely to create young
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THE T

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OF

TH

TALK ABOUT
LIVING IN FAITH

Use spare moments throughout the day

while in the car, while waiting in line and so
on to discuss faith issues. As children are
able, start applying the Small Catechism to
real-world events and conversations.

EAST ER

LY

OF

ME

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TI

NT

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HAN

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he

STM

who provid
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adults who remain s
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Focus
on
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RI

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All of these resources

are available at cph.org

EPIP

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lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

Teach your child that

the liturgy and hymns
are part of their prayer life.
God first speaks to us
through His Word,
and then we speak back
with praise.

tl
fe c

am

Pray before meals

and at bedtime.

y
l
i
m
r
a

PRAY
TOGETHER

TIPS

F O R FAMI LY
D E VOTI ONS
Set aside a specific
time each day

Use a ribbon to
indicate the color
of the Church Year
Consider lighting a candle
Sing a hymn together
MarchApril 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

11

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Elizabeth Vogt responds to a question during an

evening devotion with her family. The Vogts are
members of Peace Lutheran Church in Sussex, Wis.

nspire

Home Is Where the

Heart Is
(LEARNING BY)

Imagine: A church where everyone,

ages 2 to 102, is studying the same Bible

verse. Or a school where the first-graders and
eighth-graders have learned the same hymn
by heart. And in the home? Siblings squabble
over who gets to recite from Luthers Small
Catechism during evening family devotions.
It sounds impossible, but its very much
the reality for the people of Peace Lutheran
Church in Sussex, Wis. There, Peaces pastor,
the Rev. Peter Bender, pours hours upon hours
into preparing some rigorous catechesis

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

by Jeni Miller

(that is, teaching) for those entrusted to

his care. This catechesis seamlessly ties
together the life of faith at church, at home
and at the churchs classical school, Peace
Lutheran Academy.
We simply endeavor to create a culture
of catechesis and prayer, Bender said,
where were doing the things in catechesis
that we want Christians to do for the rest of
their lives to receive Gods Word, confess
their faith orally, sing hymnody, live out their
vocations in service to neighbor and anchor

their lives around Sunday services.

Using a weekly resource that Bender puts
together called The Congregation at Prayer,
everyone from church members to students
and families in the school engage in this life
and culture of catechesis and prayer. The
two-page tool is like a revved-up devotion
with an order of service; it includes relevant
notes for the week, a Bible verse, daily
psalms, a selection from the catechism with
age-appropriate responses, daily readings
and prayers, and a hymn.

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13

Family Altar:

A term used in the middle

of the 20th century not
a place as much as a way
of life, where the family
individually and together

gathers to hear the Word of

God and to pray and sing.
Sometimes it involves a
place, like in the dining
room with candles, but it
doesnt have to.
Rev. Peter Bender
Michael and Laurie Vogt use The
Congregation at Prayer during an
evening devotion with their three children.

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As a whole, our people are carried along

quite vigorously using the catechism,
Bender explained. These things are given
over to the congregation as a gift, language
is a gift, at the earliest ages possible. Its
not just for confirmation; its for the whole
parish. The Congregation at Prayer is used
everywhere at Peace: Its distributed to the
church in our Sunday bulletin and on our
website, it goes home with the day school
kids each Friday, we use it in daily chapel,
home-schoolers use it, public school
families and retired couples use it in their
homes, I hold it up and discuss it for the first
10 minutes of Bible class and encourage its
use. Its everywhere here.
The resource is the central way in which
this integration of church, home and school
takes place, all to support the family altar,
so that teaching the faith can primarily take
place in the home.
Of course, we in no way intend for
everyone to do everything every day, Bender
added, but to do what they can. Its meant
to be used at home, around the dinner table,
even if its just the lesson and meditation,
speaking the catechism and praying.
Michael and Laurie Vogt and their three
children, ages 3, 4 and 6, actually moved
near the Sussex area from another part of
Wisconsin just for their children to attend
Peace Lutheran Academy.
We moved here because of the school,
Laurie Vogt explained. We previously felt

MarchApril 2016

like there was a disconnect between church

and school. But now between church and
Bible class, Sunday school and daily chapel,
a weekly Didache class theres a lot of
learning taking place as a family.
Using The Congregation at Prayer as
a guide to their evening devotions, the Vogt
family feels that their family life has changed
just by learning the catechism by heart.
Were all learning and practicing the
same thing, she said, theres no kid or
adult version, its all the same. But I wont
say that its this quiet, peaceful after-dinner
devotion! Its actually kind of chaotic as the
girls fight over who gets to read the Bible
story, and when someone has learned parts
of the catechism by heart and wants to be
the one to recite it. What were doing at
Peace, it connects church, home and school
and makes you realize that the way the Bible
is, that its perfect for all ages.

No One Is Qualified
Preparing and supporting families to learn
and engage in the Lutheran faith in the
home is no small task. But it is worthwhile.
According to the Association of Religion
Data Archives National Study of Youth and
Religion, only 1 percent of teens ages 15
to 17 raised by parents who attached little
importance to religion were highly religious
in their mid-to-late 20s. However, the study
found that 82 percent of children raised by
parents who talked about faith at home,

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Catechesis is

Gods way of converting

the heart to faith in
Christ through the call
to repentance and in
the proclamation of the
forgiveness of sins in
Jesus name.

The Rev. Peter Bender

Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel

of the wicked, nor stands in
the way of sinners, nor sits
in the seat of scoffers; but
his delight is in the law of
the LORD, and on his law he
meditates day and night. He is
like a tree planted by streams
of water that yields its fruit
in its season, and its leaf does
not wither. In all that he does,
he prospers (Ps. 1:13).

attached great importance to their beliefs

and were active in their congregations
were themselves religiously active as
young adults.
Another study found that the average
youth spends 30 hours per week in front of
the television or other device and another
30 hours in school, where a non-Christian
worldview may be taught. These 60
combined hours are in sharp contrast to
the 45 minutes per week that the average
child and adult spends in the church
classroom. (See gotquestions.org/fallingaway.html.)
Add to that the eternal importance
of learning the faith, and the stakes are
even higher.
In catechesis, you discuss the most
important things you will discuss ever in

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your life its life or death, Bender said.

We spend hours on end doing all kinds
of other things, but we need rigorous
catechesis. The question is, how does
the head of the family do that, teach the
normal, ongoing life of prayer in the
home that is not narrowly defined by our
petitioning God but rather our devotional
life of Scripture and hymns? None of us are
qualified to do the work that God has called
us to do, myself included, as pastor, father
and husband. But the Word of God is what
makes us able.
Bender strives to support parents and
models teaching for them in Bible class,
vacation Bible school and in other contexts,
and he also works to tie them in with other
parents who have begun to do the same. He
feels that its the pastors job to shepherd
them and give them resources and show
them how to teach, yes, but more how to
receive Gods gifts, how to pray, how to
confess, how to live where God has called.
We learn to pray by doing, just as we learn
to swim by doing.

The Church That Prays Together

But what are the effects especially over
time of this kind of integrated study and
learning of the faith?
Long term, it serves to bind the
congregation together in a community
around the same diet of the Word of
God, confessing the same thing, praying
the same thing it filters into our
conversations, Bender said. Now the life of
our congregation is so alive and warm and
gracious and generous, just by being well
catechized. The catechism helps us learn how
to listen to Gods Word, how to pray, how to

receive Gods gifts in the Divine Service, how

to live in our vocations. In our school, the
teachers are 110 percent behind it. Theres a
wonderful harmony here as the Word of God
in the catechism shapes the way people think
and their understanding of His Word.
Thats definitely been true for the Vogts.
For our children the focus is on
learning it by heart and now its really
in their hearts, Laurie Vogt said. Talking
about and applying our faith has become
much more natural to all of us. Because we
are learning the meanings of the chief parts
of the catechism, those are often in our head
as we go about our daily life. When the kids
misbehave and Im talking to them about
the specific sin, they are able to quickly tell
me which commandment they broke. Or
Im able to tell them which commandment
I broke when I need to apologize for
something. Our children already have a
much deeper understanding of their faith
than I did when I was a young child.
Deaconess Jeni Miller is a freelance writer
and member of Lutheran Church of the
Ascension in Atlanta.
Learn more:

See a sample of The Congregation at Prayer:

peacesussex.org (under Weekly Downloads)

View the photo gallery: lcms.org/photo/

catechesis-peace-sussex

MarchApril 2016

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15

by Megan K. Mertz

Mercy Medical Team participants fill prescriptions during a clinic at a Lutheran church in Madagascar in October 2014.

16

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MarchApril 2016

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nspire
CAN YOU IMAGINE LIVING EACH DAY
AFFLICTED WITH INTESTINAL PARASITES
OR WITH A SEVERE BACTERIAL INFECTION
WITHOUT READY ACCESS TO ANTIBIOTICS?
WHAT IF YOU COULDNT EVEN GET EYEGLASSES
TO CORRECT A SIMPLE VISION PROBLEM?
corrected at the hospital for just $150 an
amount beyond the familys means.
Kuddes talked with the team, and they
pitched in to pay for the surgery out of their
own pockets.
Immediately, the grandmother said,
Thanks be to God, Kuddes recalled.
The family all came to the hospital. The
grandmother was continually expressing

her thanks to God for the help given to this

little boy, who surely would have struggled
if he had continued in that condition.
This story is not unique. MMTs often have
a budget for referrals of patients who need
surgery or treatment that is beyond the scope
of a field clinic, according to Tracy Quaethem,
manager of LCMS Life and Health Ministries,
which oversees the MMT program.

The Rev. Jeffrey

Kuddes (front
right), pastor of
Trinity Lutheran
Church, Cole
Camp, Mo., has
served on 10
Mercy Medical
Team trips to
Madagascar
since 2010.

Physical Care, Spiritual

Encouragement

Madison McKinney
of Statesville, N.C.,
greets patients at
a June 2014 Mercy
Medical Team clinic
in Kenya.

But the care provided is not only for the

body; it also is for the soul.
During an October trip to Madagascar, a
mother and grandmother brought a young
child to an MMT clinic. The young boy had
a cleft lip and was having trouble eating.
Although MMTs dont offer surgery, Dr.
Harrison, director of the Lutheran Hospital
in Antsirabe who often works alongside
the MMTs, said the birth defect could be

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17

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD, JEFFREY KUDDES, HOPE BOYLE-JACOBS

Although conditions are improving,

this is still the situation in many rural
communities in Africa.
Thats why The Lutheran Church
Missouri Synod sends Mercy Medical Teams
(MMT) comprised of medical personnel,
clergy and hardworking laypeople from the
United States to provide medical care to
people living in remote areas of the world. In
just five days, an MMT can provide medical
care for up to 3,000 people with a variety of
conditions, including injuries, infections,
parasites, malaria and malnutrition.
During the seven- to 10-day trips, teams
hold clinics at local Lutheran churches.
They often work alongside local doctors and
nurses, who are able to quickly diagnose
the medical conditions that are common
to those areas. Since 2006, MMTs have
provided desperately needed health care to
more than 30,000 patients in underserved
regions around the globe.
When word goes out that an MMT
clinic will be held in their area, people
walk for miles sometimes even all
night to be seen.
They are desperate for any kind of relief,
even if its short-term relief, said the Rev.
Jeffrey Kuddes, pastor of Trinity Lutheran
Church, Cole Camp, Mo., who has served on
10 MMTs to Madagascar since 2010.

SC H O L A R S HIPS
AVA I L A B L E F OR
C O L L E G E S T U DE N TS
College students can gain
valuable firsthand experience
on a Mercy Medical
Team, and the LCMS
is currently offering
scholarships to
students who are
studying a health-related field to
make the trip more affordable.
During an MMT, students
typically assist at primary-care
clinics by taking vitals or
helping out in the pharmacy.
If you have the opportunity,
go for it! said Hope BoyleJacobs, a senior nursing
student at Concordia University
Wisconsin, Mequon, Wis., who
received a scholarship to go on
an MMT to Uganda last August.
I know its totally frightening,
but the people you are on the
trip with are all there for the
same reason. The experience
gave me a unique way to talk
about nursing.
The scholarships are funded
in partnership with Angel
Tear Ministries, a program of
Concordia Lutheran Ministries,
Cabot, Pa., an LCMS Recognized
Service Organization that
operates a network of healthrelated services and retirement
homes for older adults.
To request an application
for a student scholarship,
email Tracy Quaethem at
tracy.quaethem@lcms.org.

18

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Hope Boyle-Jacobs, a nursing student at Concordia University

Wisconsin, holds a baby during an MMT to Uganda.

We provide health care while the pastor

[of a local Lutheran church] preaches that
God loves us and will take care of us. They
see evidence of that as other Christians
come from 10,000 miles away to give them
Christs love, Kuddes continued.
Although the boys family already
belonged to the local Lutheran church,
thats not always the case. The work of
MMTs not only encourages those who
are already Christian but also serves as
a conversation starter with those who
wonder why people would travel from
another continent to care for them.
While were there, we heal peoples
bodies, but the main reason were there
is to share the Gospel of Christ with our
brothers and sisters, Quaethem said.
We dont always see the result of that,
but we trust that God works through His
Word, she said. The neat thing about
MMT is that we have a permanent partner
in the field, because we only work at the
invitation of our local church partners. The
local church partner is there in the field
following up with the patients that we see.

Benefit to Those Who Serve

Quaethem said those who participate on
an MMT are often impacted just as much
as those who receive medical care.
Joanna Reiman, a nurse practitioner
from New Palestine, Ind., decided to
pursue long-term mission work after

MarchApril 2016

joining teams to Kenya in July 2013 and

Madagascar in August 2014 and March
2015. Although she had felt drawn to
mission work since the seventh grade, she
found her fit after her team stayed at the
Lutheran Hospital in Antsirabe.
There was a Lutheran hospital I could
work at and a place for me to stay. It was
exactly what I had been looking for!
Reiman wrote by email from Madagascar,
where she will serve until next October.
If I had not attended the MMT to
Madagascar, I would never have known
this opportunity existed for me.
It really opens peoples eyes to what
life is like in parts of the world that do not
have access to basic hygiene, let alone
medications for their problems, she
continued. I would encourage anyone
interested in missions to start with an MMT
and see where God leads them from there.
Kuddes expressed similar sentiments
when asked why he continues to return to
Madagascar year after year.
Whats so impressive to me is to
see people in such poverty who, by
and large, are so very content and
that contentment is in Christ, he said.
We become jaded to everything thats
going on around us, but when I see that
contentment and faith, its good for me.
Learn more: lcms.org/mercyteams

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Helpand Hope

nspire

MERCY MOMENT

in Desperate Circumstances
Partnership Grants Help Lutheran Hour Ministries Alleviate Suffering in the Middle East
by Gregory Koenig and Roger Drinnon

s 2015 saw even more genocidal

violence brought by the Islamic State
(also called ISIS) against Christians
and other minorities in Iraq and Syria,
Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) has been
caring for the persecuted with the help of
grants provided by the LCMS.
We knew we were in a dangerous part
of the world, says Eric Gates, but we felt
compelled to visit these desperate people
and demonstrate in person the concern and
compassion that Christians in Lebanon and
North America have for them.
Gates is LHMs regional director for
Africa and the Middle East. The dangerous
part of the world he refers to is a region of
northern Iraq extending from Erbil in the
west just 25 miles from where Kurdish
forces have squared off against ISIS forces
to Koysinjaq in the east, less than 40 miles
from the Iranian border. Together with
LHMLebanon Director Fadi Khairallah,
Gates spent three days there in late October,
bringing assistance to communities of
people displaced by violence.

PHOTOS: LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES


LHMLebanon Director Fadi Khairallah
stands with refugee children who
received boxes of Bible stories and
candy for Christmas.

Through compassionate giving across

the Synod, the LCMS was able to provide
a $70,000 grant in September 2014 and
then another $150,000 grant in June 2015
to help LHM expand its Middle East mercy
ministry, as scores of Christians flee to
refugee camps.
For the past two years, our Lebanon
ministry center has undertaken an
emergency program to help provide food
and shelter materials, medicines and hygiene
supplies, and the message of the Gospel to
thousands of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in
the Bekaa Valley and Beirut, Gates says.
Additional partnership funding from The
Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod has
helped LHM increase the assistance we are
providing and also to extend this ministry
to families who have sought refuge in the
Kurdish region of northern Iraq. This includes
a large number of Christians who fled their
homes after their communities were taken by
ISIS fighters.
He says LHM not only cares for Christian
refugees but also other minorities fleeing
violence, persecution and even enslavement
by Islamic State militants in the region.

We visited several compounds and

camps where we distributed food and other
supplies to more than 1,300 people, many
of whom were Iraqi Christians, Gates says.
We also reached out to Yazidi and Kakai
minorities who had come to Erbil fleeing
violence. As a matter of fact, while we were
going door to door in an Erbil suburb, we
stopped at one encampment run by four
Yazidi women whose husbands had been
killed by ISIS. Dressed in brown mourning
clothes, they described how two of them
had been enslaved by ISIS. They were able
to escape only when their ISIS captors had
rushed off to fight in a clash at the front.
He says that amid the exasperation
brought about by such violence and
persecution, some refugees find hope as they
experience Gods Word in this time of crisis.
It was clear to us that the experiences
of these people have left many feeling
desperate and hopeless, but we heard
stories that just as clearly show how God is
using peoples experiences for His glory,
Gates says. On our last stop one evening,
we met a Syrian family of eight who had
sought refuge in Erbil. They had been
Muslims, but their contact with Christians
had led them to read the Bible, and the
power of Gods Word had led them to faith
in Jesus the father had been baptized
just three weeks earlier! Together with this
family of new Christians, we prayed for
Gods continued blessing and protection.
Thats something we can all do ask God
to bless and protect our fellow believers and
everyone in Syria and Iraq who have been
touched by this ongoing crisis.
Gregory Koenig is manager of Corporate
Communications for Lutheran Hour Ministries.

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19

Mercy is at the heart

of everything we do.
ON THE MISSION FIELD

ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

AS WE WORSHIP

IN CARING FOR REFUGEES

AS WE REVITALIZE
IN URBAN CENTERS
CHURCHES
WHEN WE PLANT
AND RURAL SETTINGS

LIFE
CHURCHES

IN CARING FOR CHURCH WORKERS

IN OUR SCHOOLS
WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

360
WITH THE
ARMED FORCES

IN HOSPITALS AND
RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES

UPHOLDING LIFE

WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE

IN OUR WITNESS
AND OUTREACH

Life

Life

Witness Always. MERCY FOREVER. Life Together.

360

360

Life
FREEDOM
360

LIFE

TO LIVE

JAN . 2729, 2017 WASHINGTON , D.C .

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MarchApril 2016

360
lcms.org/life

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STEWARDS CORNER

Were Good atWhat?

Stewarding the Blessing of Young People
by Mark Hofman

nvolve

THE LUTHERAN CHURCHMISSOURI

SYNOD IS ON THE CUTTING EDGE!

know thats a bit hard to

believe, isnt it? You know
the LCMS and its storied
history, and you know
were typically not early adopters.
And yet, during a presentation a few
weeks back, one of the program directors in
the Office of National Mission reported that
other denominations consider the LCMS
to be on the forefront of intergenerational
ministry. As I heard it, intergenerational
ministry is a behavioral characteristic of
a congregation or denomination where
children and young people are in regular
contact with people more advanced in years
and vice versa and everyone grows in
discipleship together. It can be intentional
or a natural state that develops on its own.
Apparently, we are noticed by others for
above-average marks in this area.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/TONGRO IMAGE STOCK RF

So, What Does This Have to

Do with Stewardship?
Lets focus on one of Gods greatest blessings:
young people. How are we at caring for our
youngest? Intergenerational ministry is surely
part of our denominational DNA because
we invest time, talent, toil and treasure in the
next generation of Christian disciples.
Take, for example, the Synods official
archive: Concordia Historical Institute. Why
invest in a dedicated archive that stewards

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our history? Its for our young people, so

they can learn from our mistakes and joys
as they learn to lead and carry the Gospel
forward into the world! Thats one reason
among a multitude of others.
We also invest in Lutheran schools, from
day care to universities and seminaries, so
that our young people have a bright future.
We invest in ministry to young people, from
local youth groups to the Office of National
Missions Youth Ministry.
Above all, we invest in our young people
through catechesis, intentional instruction in
the chief parts of the Christian faith using a
treasure handed down from one generation
to the next over nearly 500 years: Luthers
Small and Large Catechisms. The LCMS
also equips pastors, directors of Christian
outreach, schoolteachers and others to
support the parents task of raising up a child
in the way God wants that child to go.
Apparently what we do, almost second
nature, has caught the attention of other
Christians who are beginning to seek us out.
Thats something to give thanks to God for!

Evidence of
Intergenerational Ministry
Recently, my congregation had a Sundaymorning brunch in the fellowship hall.
Looking around, I noticed a pattern. From
table to table, I saw children, their parents
and their grandparents. At one table, it was
nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles, and

parents. They were together, in Gods house,

after worshiping as complete families. Even at
my table, my 6-year-old son, my wife and my
in-laws sat across from another family.
As people finished eating, family units
broke up to spend time with other brothers
and sisters in Christ. Young children visited
with our oldest members. Older members
walked around and stopped to chat with a
teen or small child.
Observing this, I began to better
understand some of my sons developing
behaviors. Like most children, he pays
attention to what the adults around him do.
He sees them pray, and it emboldens him to
pray, even when he thinks Im not listening.
He sees others put their offerings into the
offering plate, and he is learning to return
some of what is Gods back to God. He sees
teenagers volunteering and asks if he can
volunteer next time. He observes people
listening to the Scripture readings and
sermons, and he learns to remain respectfully quiet. In our congregation, he has heard
from our missionaries and seminarians, and
he asks questions about church work. Some
may call it mimicking or modeling behaviors.
I call it the Holy Spirit at work in Christs Bride,
the Church.
I pray every child in the LCMS has
this kind of experience. Its about the
stewardship of Gods gifts in the form of
young people. I pray your congregation is
blessed with young people and that your
stewardship of them is something in which
you rejoice and participate!
Mark Hofman, CFRE, MBA, is the executive
director of LCMS Mission Advancement.

MarchApril 2016

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21

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Burlington, WI
Permit No. 12

This magazine was developed

for you, as one who has supported the Witness,
Mercy, Life Together work of the LCMS with your time
and/or financial gifts. Whether your efforts and gifts were
for disaster relief, a specific ministry or an individual
missionary, you are a vital part of the Synods work
around the world. The stories found in these pages are
about how YOU are making a difference and changing
lives with the Gospel and Christs mercy. Lutherans
Engage the World is our effort to keep you informed about
the difference you are making in the world and to say
THANK YOU for all you do.

2016 IS THE YEAR FOR THE TRIENNIAL

LCMS NATIONAL OFFERING, which will
be gathered at the 66th Regular Convention of
The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod July 9-14
in Milwaukee. Watch for more information on the
National Offering in the coming months to see
how you can joyfully participate!

VISIT | lcms.org/convention for news and updates!