Billions of people around the world today have still not heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. The good news, however, is that within a growing world population, the number of Christians is actually increasing, a testament to God’s plan in action!
Christianity is growing at an unprecedented rate in several regions around the world, particularly in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, known as the Global South. Christianity’s geographic center moving away from the West to the Global South presents expanded opportunities for sharing the Gospel. There is a great need to partner with Christians in the Global South to make Christ’s Name known among the billions of people worldwide who still live in spiritual darkness.
God has called Lutheran Hour Ministries to share the Gospel with these people. Since we employ local staff who have been brought up in the culture, speak the native language, and whose hearts have been transformed by the Gospel so that they might minister in the areas in which they live, LHM is well positioned for implementing a bold global expansion plan that responds to this shift. Given the movement of the geographical center, it is critical that LHM uplifts leadership, staff, volunteers, and constituents in these areas to become the catalyst for reaching more nations where people have yet to hear the Good News.
LHM can make inroads in places where other Christian organizations often cannot go. Our on-the-ground presence allows us to work directly with local church leaders and government officials to navigate around potential pitfalls. When you combine the cultural awareness and the insider’s perspective —people who look and act like local people because they are — you have many more possibilities to bring the Gospel into hard-to reach-places, such as the Middle East, Africa, and Central or Southeast Asia.
LHM stands ready to embrace the exciting future of global ministry as a strong, emergent, future-focused ministry that harnesses new opportunities, research, and resources to fulfill its mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. LHM continues to move forward under the following vision:
- Every person has the opportunity to hear the Gospel in an understandable way.
- Those seeking are connected to a healthy Christian community where they can grow in their faith.
- Every Christian is equipped to share the Gospel in word and deed.
- Engaged Christians advance this common mission as a global community.
Expansion Through New Ministries
LHM is radically increasing global Gospel impact by uplifting the next generation of Christian leaders to do ministry in their local context, in their native language, in a specific way. One example is specialized teams focused on children and youth ministry, digital outreach through social media, and multimedia content creation.
Bolivia
There is a tremendous opportunity to share God’s love and bring the Gospel to youth in Bolivia. One impactful way the LHM intern team in Bolivia fulfills this mission is through its youth workshops, which provide meaningful guidance, connections, and spiritual growth.
The ministry team organized a youth workshop for middle school-aged children (11–12 years old), focusing on the topic of self-esteem. During the session, the LHM team explored key concepts, such as what self-esteem is and how to strengthen it. To make the learning experience more meaningful, students took a self-esteem assessment, helping them identify their current level of confidence. The exercise allowed them to recognize areas where they felt secure and areas where they could grow. At the conclusion of the seminar, the LHM team shared a Bible verse that reaffirmed the workshop’s central message: we are a beautiful creation of God. This helped strengthen each child’s sense of identity and self-worth from a spiritual perspective.
Peru
The team in Peru finished their internship in April and now serves as a satellite ministry center for the hub in Paraguay. The team recently had an opportunity to begin discipleship work with the children in the pediatric ward of a hospital. During this activity, the staff spent time with 25 children, who were accompanied by their families. The children listened attentively to the first lesson which focused on the theme of creation. With the help of a volunteer dressed as a frog—representing one of God’s creatures—the team brought the message to life in a playful and engaging way to teach the children that each of them is a unique, valuable creation, worthy of love and respect. The lesson also gently introduced important topics, such as self-esteem and self-worth.
LHM staff shared joyful moments through songs and balloon giveaways, which lit up the children’s faces with smiles. At the end of the session, each child received a small snack, along with a copy of the book God, Our Father, plus crayons, a pencil, and an eraser—resources to help them continue learning at home.
Without a doubt, this was the beginning of a beautiful journey—one that promises to continue bringing joy and hope to the hearts of these children and to strengthen the faith and spirit of their families as they trust in God’s loving plan for their future.
LHM–Peru’s radio program, Growing in Family, shares spiritual messages and family guidance with listeners across Arequipa. Through this program, staff met a security guard, Mr. Greco, at a market near the studio where the program is broadcast. On several occasions, the LHM team gave him brochures, which helped him learn more about the ministry and its resources. Some time later, Mr. Greco reached out to LHM–Peru using one of the phone numbers printed on the brochures. During the call, he expressed a deep need for spiritual support. In response, the staff connected him with a church near his home.
Nepal
The team in Nepal officially completed their internship training in March and now serves as a satellite ministry center for the hub in India. One of its strongest outreach platforms is radio, which is an effective tool to reach out to farmers and laborers in Nepal. Many of them only listen to the radio during their workday and it is an excellent way of reaching them. Through its radio programs, LHM–Nepal is broadcasting topics like hope of life in Christ, motivational techniques, mental health programs, peace of life, accountability, and more. One of its programs, New Hope, airs weekly on two different radio stations. The staff selected the name because the program gives new hope in Jesus to those who feel hopeless. At the end of each program, the LHM team shares their contact information with the listeners to allow them to reach out to learn more.
Social media continues to be an instrumental outreach vehicle in Nepal. Each day, the team shares Bible verses and life-changing motivational posts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Threads, and Twitter. They have also been posting videos related to Bible stories, inspirational life stories, as well as singing and dancing videos created by their volunteers. Throughout the day, the team regularly shares posts on other pages and also sends them through personal messages. The posts are receiving a good response, with many reactions and messages. The team’s social media followers continue to increase daily across all platforms; TikTok recently surpassed 63,000 followers.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
The team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has started using WhatsApp to help people grow in their relationship with the Lord. Every morning, more than 2,000 people receive a daily meditation consisting of a Bible verse centered on a weekly theme (such as family, work, faith, etc.). This verse is accompanied by spiritual comments and practical reflections to help the audience live their faith on a daily basis. Individuals who want to learn more are then referred to local churches so they can continue their growth in faith surrounded by a community of believers.
The team is also experiencing tremendous success hosting film screenings for audiences of all ages. These events allow the ministry to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in an appealing way that the audience can best understand. At a recent activity, more than 50 people asked to participate in additional LHM programs to learn more about Jesus.
During a youth program at the Martin Luther School Complex, LHM organized a soccer match to show students how we can live in harmony despite our differences, exhibit patience, and discover each child’s individual talents.
Kyrgyzstan
The team in Kyrgyzstan continues to build relationships with churches from the region to share the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. Through a variety of children’s and youth programs, LHM makes God’s love visible among families and youth. Numerous events are held each month for up to 60 attendees at a time and included both children and their parents from the churches as well as others from the community, providing an opportunity for all to hear about God’s love for them.
Tanzania
LHM’s global expansion is developing through the efforts of existing ministry centers. LHM–Kenya has started airing evangelistic radio spots in a new area— in neighboring Tanzania. By working with local Lutherans from Tanzania, the inspiring Gospel messages will advertise LHM’s Bible Correspondence Courses in Swahili via radio. Christianity is the largest religion in Tanzania, so these courses will reinforce a biblical understanding for people who are growing in their faith. Others who do not know Jesus will be introduced to the hope of the Gospel. Please pray for this new media ministry in Tanzania.