In the midst of chaos, stress, and pain around the world from the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to share the Good News of Jesus Christ is greater than ever before. Before the pandemic, LHM-Brazil (Hora Luterana) hosted a weekly online Bible study on Facebook. The topics of the studies were relevant and focused on God’s grace and love. On average, 80 to 100 people would join and chat online during each live study. In the days following the live Bible study, around 5,000 people would watch the recorded version.
Brazil is the largest country in Latin America with a population surpassing 210 million people. When COVID-19 spread to Brazil, the Brazilian government issued a mandatory stay-at-home order for its citizens. Since in-person church services were cancelled, Hora Luterana decided that this was an opportunity to spread God’s love even further.
Hora Luterana turned their successful weekly online Bible study into a daily online Bible study in response to the stay-at-home orders. The daily Bible studies had an average of 500 live participants and more than 12,000 views after the live session ended. The live chat allowed people to interact with others and ask for prayers. Since everything is online, Bible studies reached people from outside Brazil including people in Germany, Paraguay, and Great Britain. A woman from Paraguay commented on Facebook saying, “Thank you for the spiritual nourishment during these difficult days.”
Beyond the Bible studies, Hora Luterana partners with 120 hospitals to provide biblical materials to the patients and produces a daily radio program that is aired on 130 radio stations throughout Brazil.
In addition to their ongoing efforts in response to this pandemic, please keep the staff of Hora Luterana in your prayers as they complete their transition to become a financially self-sustaining member of LHM’s global ministry family beginning June 1.