God is accomplishing remarkable things through Lutheran Hour Ministries because He has blessed us with the gift of partners in the harvest fields. In addition to nearly 300 enthusiastic, dedicated, and talented staff members who are reaching into more than 60 countries, around 365,000 individuals, like you, are currently connected to LHM through our resources or the sharing of their time, talent, or treasure in support of the organizational mission.
“Praise be to God that He has chosen to enlist you in His endeavor to bring salvation to ALL,” says LHM CEO Kurt Buchholz. “Faithful supporters like you never fail to encourage us to remain focused on our critical mission because there is so much more to do today and into the future. Thank you for allowing us to support and encourage you in your daily life, and for playing a vital role alongside tens of thousands of other passion-filled individuals who have the courage to put their faith into action for the sake of the Gospel.”
From the time this ministry was formed in 1917, countless people have provided prayers, volunteer work, and financial support which, under the blessings of God, have accomplished great things for the Kingdom. Today, God continues to call all of us to boldly share His love with those around us.
Below are some of the ways you can take an active role in sharing the Gospel. As you join hands with thousands of other believers, God accomplishes what none could undertake alone. To learn more about opportunities to partner in this ministry, go to lhm.org.
LLL Districts
The Lutheran Laymen’s League (LLL) supports the work of Lutheran Hour Ministries through volunteer service and financial gifts. Members of the LLL serve as important representatives for LHM products and programs and are leaders in outreach within their congregations. They also provide regional leadership by hosting events, meeting with congregation leaders to encourage outreach, and representing LHM at LCMS District conferences and conventions. The Lutheran Laymen’s League throughout the United States and Canada is divided into regional districts, all with the purpose of supporting LHM’s mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church.
Richard Schmidt, President of the Missouri LLL District, has been involved with the LLL for as long as he can remember. A few years ago, the Missouri District set up a Project Connect booklet rack at the Jackson Medical Center in Jackson, Missouri. The rack got misplaced during a renovation, and the doctor wanted to make sure they got another one to replace it. About every quarter, someone from the district restocks the rack with more booklets. The district also maintains a booklet rack at Saxony Lutheran High School where students, teachers, and families can access the topical booklets.
Another way the district shares LHM resources is during the local fair each year. The Missouri District hosts a booth with Project Connect booklets and other LHM materials. People come in and browse booklets and pick up the ones that they want to take with them. In addition, the local Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) fills boxes for kids every year around Christmas, and the Missouri District supplies children’s Project Connect booklets to go into the boxes.
Michael Willmsen is a member at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Arlington, Minnesota. In addition to being an LHM Ambassador, Willmsen is a member of the Glencoe LLL zone. “Our county church was established in 1859,” says Willmsen. “Each year, we hand out around 2,000 bags containing a couple of pieces of candy and an LHM children’s Christmas booklet at our local Arli-drizzle lighted parade in early December. We’ve never received anything but thanks from the members of this small farming community. The parade draws several thousand people to our town.”
There are many simple ways to connect with your local LLL District:
- Partner with your LLL District on an LHM Sunday celebration at your church
- Partner with your LLL District to host an outreach workshop at your congregation for people in the surrounding area
- Promote and participate in LLL District events in your congregation—conventions, conferences, retreats, and rallies
- Host a breakfast or dinner at your congregation to financially support the LLL District’s special projects—LLL Districts can share a display and information on the special projects
To find your local LLL District, get in contact with your local district, or to learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact Polly Gregali at polly.gregali@lhm.org or 314-317-4164.
LHM Ambassador Program
Lutheran Hour Ministries aims to energize, equip, and engage laity for outreach. For more than 100 years, LHM has equipped churches and laypeople with the resources needed to share the love of Jesus Christ with their communities.
Through partnerships with churches, we can help equip their members. To effectively facilitate those partnerships, we recruit members from congregations to serve as LHM Ambassadors. An LHM Ambassador is a congregation member who nurtures a relationship with LHM for the purpose of sharing resources and helping their congregation use them. Having an LHM Ambassador in every LCMS congregation and beyond leads to a greater number of people impacted by the Good News of the Gospel.
LHM Ambassador Julia Sinclair shared how All Saints Lutheran Church in Bellevue, Washington, shares the Gospel message with children during their Easter event. This year, 86 kids participated in their annual Easter Egg Trunk Hop. Sinclair set up a table with LHM resources, including children’s Project Connect booklets, Gospel Adventures™ stickers and tattoos, and other materials. They also put the children’s booklet about Easter in the giveaway bags that were handed out to all the children at the event.
Also in the bag was a flyer for the Gospel Adventures Show. “We included that flyer this year, to encourage families to stay in God’s Word in a way that would be fun on a road trip this summer, or while winding down in the evening,” says Sinclair. “One of my friends is a retired teacher, and she listens to it with her grandkids when they come to visit for the weekend.
“The Trunk Hop is something where each of the trunks of the cars is decorated to tell a piece of Jesus’ story,” says Sinclair. “The volunteers then tell the kids about what they are seeing, and then they get to pick out two to three eggs. We have been hosting this event for five years now, and each year we seem to get more kids from the community in addition to our preschool families. The older siblings who are in elementary school also participate.”
Dawn LaMee first got involved with the Lutheran Laymen’s League many years ago when the South Dakota District hosted the LLL’s international convention. She volunteered to help that first year in Rapid City, and then the next year, she went to Topeka, Kansas. When she was driving home, she prayed, asking God if this was something she should get involved with.
A few months later, Bill Snow, a member of the LLL Board of Directors, asked Dawn if she would be interested in being the secretary/treasurer for the LLL’s local circuit. She agreed and started getting more involved with the district. Over the years, she made friends with other people in the district and formed relationships that she cherishes. More than 10 years ago, when the district president at the time asked her to become an LHM Ambassador for her congregation, Mount Olive Lutheran Church, she willingly accepted.
With her experience of going to conventions, she was happy to set up a booth at the South Dakota LCMS District convention this February. “It was interesting to meet all the people who came through,” says LaMee. “Some people are very interested in seeing the resources and learning more. Of course, people always love the giveaways! Everything fell together very well, and I was happy to be there to answer questions that anyone had about LHM.”
Serving as an Ambassador is simple!
- Simply open the monthly Ambassador email! The emails contain new product and program information, and all you need to do is read them and share the information that fits your congregation.
- Ambassadors are encouraged to attend a local LLL District Convention as a way to learn more about LHM resources and to connect and network with other Ambassadors in the area.
- LHM Ambassadors are encouraged to lead activities in your congregation, such as book clubs, listening clubs, Bible studies, hosting LHM Sunday at your congregation, and more!
LHM Ambassadors receive 20 percent off their purchase made at shoplhm.org for you and your congregation. We want resources in your hands to be used to equip you to share Jesus in your community. All Ambassadors will be connected to a dedicated LHM staff member to support you and help with any questions.
Does your congregation need an LHM Ambassador? Consider joining LHM in the mission of Gospel outreach by equipping the laity through the local congregation. Visit lhm.org/ambassador for more information and to fill out the LHM Ambassador application.
Hosting LHM Sunday
One of the main projects that Ambassadors and other LHM supporters participate in each year is hosting an LHM Sunday event at their home congregation. LHM Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate the critical partnership between churches, individuals, and LHM in Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. Church members have an opportunity to see how God is changing lives with the Gospel at home and abroad, and for church members to discover new resources that can help them grow in their faith.
This past February, The Lutheran Church of Our Risen Savior in Green Valley, Arizona, hosted Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler for LHM Sunday. LHM Ambassador Blythe Stenmark-Tovrea coordinated the event and hosted a display table to highlight many LHM resources. She was extremely encouraged by how many people stopped by to learn more about LHM.
Although many churches this year chose the official date of February 2, 2025, we welcome you to host LHM Sunday on any date that best fits your church’s schedule. LHM supplies everything you need; physical materials needed to host LHM Sunday were sent to every church within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, as well as all LHM Ambassadors. Additional materials are available as a free download at lhm.org/lhmsunday.
Petal Pushers®
Do you want to get involved with a hands-on project that is watched by millions of people each year? Volunteering for the Rose Parade’s float-decorating process through the Petal Pushers is a fantastic way to observe the magic of this event firsthand, make new friends, network, and share expressions of the faith that gives true meaning to this experience. This dedicated group of around 4,000 volunteers spends the week between Christmas and New Year’s each year attaching a variety of flowers and natural materials to create the majestic elegance of the LHM float and seven others.
“While the majority of Petal Pushers decorate floats other than the LHM float, this work helps lower the cost of the LHM float being part of the annual parade,” says Dick Gast, chair of the LHM Float Committee.
“I look forward to seeing the worldwide witness of the LHM float every year,” says Joyce Kelly of Chula Vista, California. “I’ve been volunteering as a Petal Pusher for the last thirty years and enjoy it so much. Everyone should try this once!”
“My grandmother is on the LHM Float Committee and brought me along one time … and I loved it!” says Kelsey Heinemann of Glendora, California. “I worked alongside my best friend, Madison, this year, and we enjoyed all the detailed work that is involved with decorating the floats. It is great seeing everything come to fruition at the end of the week.”
As a self-funded project of the Southern California District of the Lutheran Laymen’s League, the LHM float is the only Christian float in the annual parade. The float carries on a mission to provide a Gospel witness to viewers everywhere, from the 5.5-mile parade route in Pasadena to televisions and computers around the world. The Jan. 1, 2026, parade will mark the 75th anniversary of a float with LHM’s name appearing in the event.
In addition to sharing Christ along the parade route, volunteers are stationed in booths around the parade and float decorating sites to engage in hundreds of individual conversations with visitors regarding the spiritual meaning of the LHM float. These English and bilingual volunteers also distribute thousands of souvenir postcards emblazoned with the LHM float theme as well as a variety of LHM’s topical booklets for both adults and children.
Individuals aged 13 and older can work as little as one shift or as many as they want on a variety of tasks necessary to complete the floats. Volunteers of all skill levels are needed; whether this will be your first time, or you are a seasoned veteran, there are dozens of jobs to do.
Interested in participating in the 2026 parade? Online volunteer registration is now open. In addition to individuals registering themselves to volunteer, two tour options are available through Luther Tours. The tours run from Dec. 28, 2025, until Jan. 2, 2026. Learn more at petalpushers.org or contact Gast at chairman@petalpushers.org or 949-230-2501.