Lutherans

ENGAGE the WORLD

January February 2016, Vol. 4, Issue 3

Lutherans

ENGAGE the WORLD

January February 2016

vol. 4, no. 3

inspire

7 
12 
15 
16 

An Out-of-the-Box Missionary

Puya: The Story of a Middle Eastern Refugee in Germany

Bread for Body and Soul

Convivencia: Multiethnic Ministry in Arkansas

12
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)
lcms.org

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
LIFE TOGETHER AT HOME WITH
GODS GIFTS

4
inform
2
3 
10 
19 

Rejoice!

10 Questions

Mission Field: USA

Grants Support Gospel Proclamation

at 45 Urban Lutheran Schools

involve
4 
21 

Christs Care for Childrens Bodies

and Souls in Kenya

The stories gathered in this issue of Lutherans Engage

the World are focused on mission work, and they are
remarkable. Like an intricate weaving rich with colors
and textures, each one is a unique account of lives
changed by the Gospel now and eternally.
Yet, there is a common thread running through the
entire issue. At Cristo Para Todos in Arkansas, they
call it convivencia. In Peru, the Rev. Joshua Gale
speaks about it as people being at home where Gods
gifts are given.
I witnessed it in Philadelphia, where the Rev. Adam
DeGroot walks the streets, visiting parishioners in
their homes, sharing their food, listening to their joys
and sorrows, and serving them with Gods gifts.
In Berlin and Leipzig, its evident in the parishes
of our German partner church, where God is
sending hundreds of former Muslims. With joy and
determination and often with threat of persecution
these newborn children of God eagerly gather around
His gifts and care for each other in body and soul.
The same golden thread runs through the church in
Peru, where a trained chef helps the church feed hungry
children, and in an African boarding-school facility,
where Matins and Vespers begin and end each day.
The thread? Its a unique three-ply fiber Witness,
Mercy, Life Together and it glistens with Gods good
gifts in Christ, for the Church and the world.
God continues to creatively weave the golden
thread of His Gospel across the globe, and as He does
He weaves in your financial support and prayers with
those of so many others to further His kingdom. It is
truly a thing of beauty, a work of rare art.
Thank you for your part in it. May God continue to
bless you and grant you a rich life together filled with
His good gifts!

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

Checking the Oil

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

Cover image: The Rev. Adam

DeGroot, new national missionary
and pastor of Shepherd of the City
Lutheran Church in Philadelphia,
waits for students to engage him
at Temple University.
PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Rejoice!

nform

Your Name Is Written in Heaven

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents

and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and
nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this,
that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your
names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:1920)

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

JanuaryFebruary 2016

life (At Home in the House of My Fathers, Pages 718719).

During our limited time on this earth, what could be better
than that? Together, as the Body of Christ, we engage the world in
His Word and work. The living and active Gospel makes wonderful
things happen. The Spirit alone turns unbelief into saving faith.
Human lives are changed now and for eternity. Divine mercy and
forgiveness are freely distributed. Gods truth sets people free from
sin and death. Heaven and its unending treasures are opened up,
intended for all to share.
The rejoicing that emerges from these blessings is a symptom
of the abiding presence of the Lord Jesus among us in Word and
Sacraments. It represents a cheerful encouragement that drives
away our fears and anxieties, even when we become distracted or
dejected by an utterly fallen world that is openly hostile to Christ
and His Gospel.
Rejoice, dear reader, as you encounter much witness and labor
under the Lords will your work, your prayers and contributions,
as well as those of your fellow redeemed in the following pages.
Here are just a few examples of the countless individuals who are
experiencing the joy of knowing Jesus.
In Christ,
Rev. Kevin D. Robson
Chief Mission Officer, The Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

PHOTO: ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

HE SON OF GOD GAVE THESE GLORIOUS AFFIRMATIONS

TO 72 SOULS WHO WERE RETURNING AFTER HAVING
BEEN SENT OUT AS LAMBS IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES
(Luke 10:3). They had been called to proclaim peace, heal the sick
and declare that Gods kingdom had come near in the Word of God
made flesh. What marvelous assurance for these faithful witnesses of
Christ a confident trust shared by all Christian missionaries and
their fellow baptized who so generously provide crucial prayer and
enabling resources that such witnesses are continually sent into
the harvest field even today!
Reflecting on the experience of the 72 in an 1898 address to the
Synods Minnesota and Dakota District and ably projecting the
biblical narrative into the now Friedrich Pfotenhauer observed:
The joy [Luke 10:20] will give us the right mind and the right
inspiration for our mission work, the right tenacity of purpose
and energy. For our person, then, we have obtained the good
portion. We cannot be richer and happier and better situated
on the earth than we already are. Happily and willingly, we
will work where our dear God has put us, for wherever we go,
we take heaven and the joy of eternal treasures with us.
Pfotenhauer, who would later serve as the Synods president
(191135), continued: A true missionary, however, is not merely
joyous in his work because his name is written in heaven, but also
because through his ministry, his fellowmen shall be won for eternal

Questions

10

nform

WITH THE

REV. DR. ALLAN

BUCKMAN
by Megan K. Mertz

Eleven years ago, the Rev. Dr. Allan Buckman

got involved with Christian Friends of New
Americans (CFNA), an LCMS Recognized Service
Organization that seeks to serve and connect
incoming refugees in the St. Louis area with local
Lutheran churches. To his position as CFNA
chairman, Buckman brings many years of experience
working in international missions, including 12 years as an LCMS
missionary to Nigeria. Here he discusses CFNA and how to start
this type of ministry in other places.

1.

 ow did CFNA begin?

H
It started in a modest way with a
computer class in the basement of Messiah
Lutheran Church led by my wife, Carol, and
a friend of hers, Karen Vaughn. Its grown
to where we are engaged in 10 to 12
ministry initiatives.

2.

 ow is this work done?

H
We have a very simple model: draw,
bridge, home. We draw the refugees into
the CFNA network through our ministries.
Then we intensify those links and move them
along to nearby LCMS congregations.

3.

 ow many people do you work with at

H
any given time?
We have a goal of linking with 200 new
refugees each year. Weve been coming
pretty close or even exceeding that. Last
year, about 60 found their way into churches.

PHOTO: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

4.

 ow do you connect with refugees?

H
We have three quick link ministries [to
connect] with refugees within a week or two
of their arrival: monthly health and wellness
screenings, delivery of home furnishings and
welcome packages. These are ways we can
link quickly with new Americans and offer
them our other ministries.

5.

 hich programs are most successful?

W
The highest volume is the after-school
tutoring program on Tuesday and Thursday
evenings. We get between 30 and 50 kids.
Another one is the scholarship-assistance
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

Some were Christians or closet Christians in

Nepal, where you have freedom of religion
on the books, but every social norm and
every aspect of government bureaucracy
militates against it. When they come here,
those constraints are gone. If they feel
welcome, they will probably take the step,
as weve seen. This speaks to the power
of the Spirit.

9.

program. Every year, we give scholarships to

25 to 30 refugee kids to attend LCMS schools.

6.

 hat are the refugees like?

W
The largest stream recently has been
from Nepal. There were seven or eight
large refugee camps over there with maybe
20,000 to 30,000 each. St. Louis is one of
the primary destinations in the Midwest,
although certainly its not the only one.
These people have been uprooted from their
country of origin and shifted from one, two
or maybe even three countries before they
get here. When they come here, they need
everything. One of the things they need most
is a friend.

7.

 hat are the opportunities to witness?

W
These people have been moved from
one place to another. They get here and
wonder, Who am I anymore? Its precisely
at that point that they are open to other
possibilities. What greater chance do you
have than to say, How about an identity
in Christ? In our model, the home part
is the congregation. This is where CFNA is
different: We have a destination for these
people, and its the church. Were very open
about that.

8.

 hats most rewarding?

W
In the last three to four years, there
have been about 150 Baptisms and/or
confirmations. Many of those are Nepali
who have stepped out of Buddhism or
Hinduism to become members of the LCMS.

 ould you tell me about the recent

C
grant you received from the LCMS?
Yes, it was for a little under $12,000 to help
fund facilitators. We have three: one for
West Africa, one for East Africa and one for
Nepal. These facilitators are key because
they are the ones who can reach into these
ethnic communities. This is the cutting edge
of world missions today, full stop. There are
people from countries where Synod could
never have sent mission teams. Now they
are right at the doorstep of the church.

10.

 hat advice do you have for a

W
congregation that wants to reach out
to refugees?
Start something really easy, like an Englishas-a-Second-Language class. The Missouri
Synod has a large teacher base, so thats
something that certainly would suggest
itself. If you want to take another step, get a
couple of congregations together to sponsor
a dinner event for new Americans. Have a
registration table to get contact info and ask
about their greatest needs. Inventory that,
and see which of those you can start with.
To really make this work, youve got to have
the district involved and the [Synods Office
of National Mission]. But all the pieces of
the puzzle are there. They just need to be
fitted together.

Megan K. Mertz is managing editor of

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

L earn more: cfna-stl.org

JanuaryFebruary 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

 Young ladies listen to a lecture at the Tumaini girls

boarding-school facility in Kisumu, Kenya.

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

JanuaryFebruary 2016

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

by Erik M. Lunsford

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

Under the shadow of a chiseled cross

built in a church on a quiet compound
near Kisumu, Kenya, boys in matching
navy-blue tracksuits stand in line, bow
their heads, clasp their hands and sing,
their liturgical-sounding voices defying
their lanky bodies.
These are the boys of the Othoro
boarding-school facility, one of four primary
school boarding facilities in Kenya operated
with assistance from The Lutheran Church
Missouri Synod. Now the Synods new
initiative Christs Care for Children: Kenya
provides the opportunity to sponsor children
like the boys from the Othoro school.
The project has as its primary focus
the clear proclamation of the Gospel into
the ears of our children such that they can
become the ambassadors of the Gospel to
their families, clans and communities, said
the Rev. Shauen Trump, LCMS area director
for Eastern and Southern Africa.
The boarding-school sites were built as
part of Project 24, a partnership between
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya
(ELCK), the LCMS Office of International
Mission, and various LCMS individuals and
organizations. The schools provide a Christcentered, loving, caring and safe environment
for vulnerable children who might otherwise
not be able to attend school or who might be at
risk for dropping out of school. Children also
receive free tuition, medical care and meals.
Each day, children are immersed in
Scripture through catechism study, Matins
and Vespers.
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

It steeps young people

in the faith while providing
a home away from home where
they can access primary school
education that would otherwise be out
of reach, Trump said.
John Kissinger Nyangau, an energetic
and sharp man with a fiercely warm smile,
serves as the projects director. Hes the
proverbial right man for the job. On a
recent car ride to the Othoro site about
an hour from Lake Victoria, he talked
leadership, management, accountability,
transparency, collaboration and teamwork.
Kissinger said the projects ultimate goals are
to bring children to Christ, promote healthy
care and nurture talents and to do these
things in ways that are accountable to the
donors of the project.
Off a muddy road within the city of
Kisumu and through a soccer field stands
the Tumaini girls boarding-school facility.
Young ladies cook chunked, moist cornmeal
ugali a Kenyan staple notoriously good
at defeating hunger in a large pot over a
crackling wood fire. Others launder clothes
in buckets, twirl their mosquito nets back
into knots above their bunk beds and laugh
together over a game of jump rope. They

nvolve

Kenya

In addition to receiving nourishment and

an education, children living at these
boarding-school facilities are immersed in
Scripture every day.

JanuaryFebruary 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

memorize Scripture verses and join in

singing activities. There is a sense of familial
camaraderie among the girls, whether
eating together or studying Luthers Small
Catechism under the tutelage of a pastor
from a neighboring ELCK parish.
The thought of boarding schools may
conjure vivid thoughts of far-off facilities
where children leave home and return only
after graduation. Yet, this unique project
sends students home to their families or
clans during school holidays and organizes
friendly Catechism Club competitions
between sites. The students bring home
what they have learned, and many share it
with their families or communities.
In designing the Christs Care for
Children project, we modeled their daily
life at the school boarding facility on
that of a seminary campus with
constant immersion in the
Word, strong confessional
Lutheran mentors and

a daily schedule built around the rites of

Matins and Vespers, Trump said.
Back at the Othoro site, the boys
meander home past the resident cow
munching grass on the soccer field. Two
boys walk together with their arms over
each others shoulders, a sign of friendship.
By noon, they had been nourished in both
body and soul.
We want to ensure, Trump said,
that Gods littlest ones grow up with full
bellies, a dry roof over their head, every
chance at academic success and, most
importantly, Gods grace-filled Word
resounding in their ears.
Erik M. Lunsford is manager of Photojournalism
for LCMS Communications.
Learn more:

V
 iew the photo gallery:
lcms.org/photo/christs-care-kenya

S
 ponsor a child: Visit lcms.org/givenow/christs-

care-for-children-kenya, or contact LCMS Mission

Advancement at 888-930-4438 or by emailing
mission.advancement@lcms.org

Young men walk into their

dormitory at the Othoro
boarding-school facility
near Kisumu, Kenya.

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

JanuaryFebruary 2016

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

nspire

AN

Out-of-the-Box
PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

MISSIONARY

by Pamela J. Nielsen

Off the train, the Rev. Adam DeGroot, national missionary to

Philadelphia, grabs a hearty brisket and provolone sandwich and
wanders out into the bustling center of the nations sixth-largest
metro area. He declares, I love this city.
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

JanuaryFebruary 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

The Rev. Adam DeGroot,

new national missionary
and pastor of Shepherd
of the City Lutheran
Church, talks with Kayla
Keke Hiemenz (left)
and Mildred Williams
during a home visitation.
Since the visit, the Lord
has called Williams to
her eternal home.

he young pastor from South Dakota

hops a bus to Temple University, one
of eight universities nestled among
the historic buildings and towering office
structures. On the campus, he hunts for
the perfect bench. Settling in, he pulls a
flattened, stained and well-worn cardboard
box from his backpack. Its four sides display
the words Religion is for the weak. As
an evangelism technique, its rather outof-the-box. He opens his Pastoral Care
Companion, sips coffee and waits. Its the
perfect lure for this fisher of men.
Soon, schools of students stream past
with sideways glances and double takes
as they spot the box and step around it. A
student stops to ask about the box. An hour
later, about a dozen have come and gone.
The first student is still there, talking to
the missionary.
DeGroots warm smile and genuine
interest in the students put them at ease.
They eagerly challenge him, and he asks
them to defend their beliefs. The exchanges
are lively and honest. And then the sidewalk
is suddenly empty. Its time to head home.
8

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

The missionary will be back another day

with his box and the Gospel.

Philadelphias Sole LCMS Pastor

Urban ministry in Philadelphia began
about 15 years ago, when area Lutherans
and suburban congregations formed
Philadelphia Lutheran Ministries (PLM)
to enliven the city through proclamation
of liberty in Christ. At the time, not a
single LCMS parish existed within the
city limits. Today, DeGroot is the sole
full-time LCMS pastor serving the city of
Philadelphia. The magnitude of his call
weighs heavily on him. Assisting DeGroot
is the Rev. Rob Kieslowsky, part-time
executive director of PLM, whose parish
is located just outside the city limits. The
two, who together with their wives carry
out the core work of PLM, are optimistic
about the opportunities in this urban
mission field, sober about its challenges
and realistic about the sparse resources at
their disposal.
What does the city need? DeGroot
confidently answers: The need is for

JanuaryFebruary 2016

the Gospel and the pronunciation of the

forgiveness of sins.
At breakfast, DeGroot plans his day
and downs his coffee before packing the
supplies hell need. He hopes to make two
home visitations before heading downtown.
As he zips up his coat, theres a knock
at the door from a weary Iraqi woman.
Shes heard about the pastor and is
desperate for his help in finding her son,
whos been imprisoned in Baghdad for
nine years. DeGroot listens to her and
tells her about a God who loves her and
her son so much that He sent His Son to
save them. He speaks of Christ who knows
her suffering because He suffered on the
cross for her. He comforts her with Gods
Word and offers a prayer for her and her
son, promising to help in whatever way he
can. When DeGroot has to leave, his wife,
Melissa, a trained deaconess, collects more
information about the womans missing son.
DeGroot walks briskly to the home of
parishioners suffering from family strife.
The two women are delighted to see their
pastor, who comes to listen, pray, share
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

The Rev. Adam DeGroot

comforts a woman in
his familys parsonage
in Philadelphia. The
woman was asking for
information regarding
her missing son.

DeGroot talks to students at

Temple University in Philadelphia.

hat does the city need? DeGroot

confidently answers: The need is
for the Gospel and the pronunciation of
the forgiveness of sins.

Gods Word and sing a hymn of comfort.

With the sign of the cross, he blesses them
and heads to the bus stop to make his
way downtown.
DeGroot and his family live in the
parsonage of Shepherd of the City Lutheran
Church on the citys northeast side. The
ethnically diverse neighborhood has seen
better days; it is rife with crime, drug abuse,
prostitution and gang activity all within
walking distance.
The fledgling parish struggles to exist.
The church building, badly in need of repair,
houses a slowly growing congregation
that will likely never be able to financially
support its pastor. Yet inside her walls, the
Good News of Jesus Christ is preached
and His Sacraments provide a weekly feast
for souls impoverished by sin. Bible class,
a meal and food distribution to the poor
follow the Sunday service.

Mission Field: USA

Philadelphia is like so many urban
centers across the country that have been
long abandoned by the church. But as
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

immigrants and professional workers have

come to the city looking for a new life, it
has become a ripe mission field ready for
the harvest.
The LCMS, through the Office of
National Missions (ONM) Mission Field:
USA initiative, is actively partnering with
districts, congregations and Recognized
Service Organizations to place missionaries
like DeGroot.
We are responding because there
is a need, says the Rev. Bart Day, ONM
executive director. Districts want to remain
engaged in ministry on the fringe, in hard
places, where the reward is great but where
the funding models are a challenge. We
believe that through partnerships that
support the worker (salary and benefits), we
can keep ministry happening in the most
needful places.
DeGroot joins a growing number of
LCMS missionaries. He is one of the first
national missionaries whose salary and
benefits are covered by a network of support
from across the Synod.
We are sending network-supported

missionaries, just like we do internationally.

These missionaries will tell their stories,
visiting congregations and schools. And
as they do, they will build a network of
people who love them, pray for them
and financially support them, Day says.
We believe that the Synod will respond
to domestic missionaries. People see the
tremendous opportunities we have in our
own backyard for mission work. The United
States is the third-largest mission field in
the world.
Deaconess Pamela J. Nielsen is
associate executive director for
LCMS Communications.
Learn more:

V
 iew the photo gallery:
lcms.org/photo/degroot

R
 ead more about DeGroot and other

national and international missionaries:

lcms.org/missionaries

C
 ontact the Rev. Steven Schave at

Steven.Schave@lcms.org to learn more

about the Mission Field: USA initiative

JanuaryFebruary 2016

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

Lk, I tel y, lift up yr eyes, and s

at e fields are white for harvest. (John 4:35)

nform

MISSION: IMMIGRANTS

ASIAN outpace

immigrants

WHOS IN YOUR BACKYARD?

WHERE FOREIGN-BORN RESIDENTS LIVE.

MEXICAN

IMMIGRANTS TO U.S.

ORIGINS OF THE
U.S. IMMIGRANT
POPULATION

.I

GR
MI

A N TS

KOREAN 2%
FRENCH 3%
VIETNAMESE 3%
FILIPINO/
TAGALOG 4%

ALL OTHER 19%

DI

HIN

5%

SE 6%
CHINE

SPANISH 44%

U
NG
2016 LCMS

LA
Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding.

10

POPULATION

REACHED A HIGH OF
55.4 MILLION IN 2014

FOREIGN

ES
AG

ENGLISH 16%

THE HISPANIC

U.S. BORN

SPOKEN AMO
NG

U.

5.0 or more
2.0 to 4.9
1.0 to 1.9
0.5 to 0.9
Less than 0.5

lcms.org/LUTHERANSengage

JanuaryFebruary 2016

64
36

52

ASIAN

Percent

%8

HISPANIC

OTHER

Statistical portrait of the

foreign-born population in
the United States,
19602013

EUROPEAN & CANADIAN

14.2%

25.8

BLACK MINISTRY: lcms.org/blackministry

HISPANIC MINISTRY:
lcms.org/hispanicministry
RURAL & SMALL TOWN MISSION: lcms.org/rstm
URBAN & INNER-CITY MISSION:
lcms.org/citymission
WITNESS & OUTREACH MINISTRY:
lcms.org/witness-outreach

YOUTH MINISTRY: lcms.org/youth

CAMPUS MINISTRY:
lcms.org/lcmsu
GOSPEL SEEDS: lcms.org/gospelseeds
lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

 MISSION: CAMPUS
OUT
OF

1 3

MILLENNIALS (COLLEGE AND YOUNG ADULTS)

INTERNATIONAL

50%

52%

STUDENTS STUDIES IN

BELIEVE SCRIPTURE

BELIEVE IN GOD WITH

ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY

FO
LI
CA

IS WORD OF GOD
TEXAS

20,300,000 TOTAL UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

974,926

IA
RN

K
YOR
NEW

INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS

MISSION: GENERAL POPULATION

15

.7%

SPREAD ACROSS 72%

OF U.S. LAND AREA

MUSLIMS

Muslims are the

only major religious
group projected to
increase faster
than the worlds
population as a
whole by 2050.

RELIGIOUS
COMPOSITION
OF THE U.S.
2010-2050

73%

CHRISTIANS

35

HINDUS

34%

JEWS

< 35% growth in overall

global population

16%

ESTIMATED
CHANGE IN

RAPID GROWTH IN NUMBER OF

RELIGIOUS NONES
2007
227.2M

2014
244.8M

36.6M

55.8M

Religiously unaffiliated
21.0M
adults saying religion is
not important in their lives

36.1M

Adults in U.S.
Adults who are
religiously unaffiliated

MILLENNIALS ADULTS THAT ARE

UNAFFILIATED RELIGIOUSLY
RELIGIOUSLY

JEWS 1.8%

HINDUS 0.6%

UNAFFILIATED

2050

SAY RELIGION
IS NOT

IMPORTANT

IN THEIR LIVES

ADULTS WHO
BELIEVE
IN GOD

JEWS 1.4%

BUDDHISTS 1.2%
OTHER 0.6%

IS AFRICAN-AMERICAN

SIZE

78.3% | 66.4%

2010

OF U.S.
POPULATION

POPULATION

CHRISTIANS

2010-2050
MUSLIMS 0.9%

.6%

2,534 PEOPLE PER SQUARE MILE

ISLAM
GROWING
FASTEST

13

LIVE IN
RURAL
AREAS

Data Sources: Pew Research Center (pewresearch.org) and United States Census Bureau (census.gov)

80

LIVE IN
URBAN
AREAS

BUDDHISTS 1.4%
UNAFFILIATED
16.4% | 25.6%

FOLK
RELIGIONS 0.2%

MUSLIMS 2.1%
OTHER 1.5%
HINDUS 1.2%
FOLK
RELIGIONS 0.5%

35% 23% 65% 89%

Figures may not add to 100% due to rounding.

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PUYA: 
THE STORY OF A MIDDLE
EASTERN REFUGEE IN GERMANY
by Roger Drinnon

As France and Mali have fallen victim to recent terror attacks

launched by the Islamic State (also called ISIS) and Al Qaedalinked groups, these acts of terror further complicate an
already difficult question regarding the churchs role of mercy
toward Middle Eastern refugees. Many of these refugees also
have suffered at the hands of Islamist extremists.

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JanuaryFebruary 2016

Yet, in the shadow of these events, the bright light of the

Gospel shines in the darkness as the LCMS partner
church body in Germany, the Selbstndige EvangelischLutherische Kirche (SELK), cares for the stranger in its
midst. Here is one story among many of how this ministry
is making a difference.

nspire

As his eyes well up with tears, a young man

who goes by the name Puya recalls how mujahedeen

militants in Afghanistan murdered his parents when he was
a child, forcing him to flee to Iraq where he was placed in an
orphanage. He says while in the orphanage, he met someone
who discreetly introduced him to Christianity.
I had all these questions about Islam
that the Koran and the [local] imam could
not answer, Puya says. I knew something
was not right.
He says the more he learned about
Christ, the more things made sense to
him. The Gospel helped him cope with his
parents deaths and the anxiety stemming
from that trauma.
I saw the Bible as truth by learning
about Jesus love and His death on the
cross, Puya says.
However, when he began to share what
he was learning about Jesus with others,
Puya says one of his friends reported him
to the local imam who instructed the
orphanage to deny Puya any food. Some
people had falsely accused him of being
paid by outsiders to evangelize. When the
imam and others observed Puya was no
longer praying at the local mosque, Puya
says he was driven from the Iraqi orphanage
due to death threats originating from
the imam.


Refugees gather for communion and blessings as
the Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens leads worship at
the Dreieinigkeits-Gemeinde, a SELK congregation
in Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. Above inset, Puya
(left) is a convert to Christianity. I saw the Bible
as truth by learning about Jesus love and His
death on the cross, he says.

PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

So, he fled for his life

to German y.

Today, Puya is a refugee in Berlin,

where he attends Dreieinigkeits-Gemeinde
(Trinity Lutheran Church) in Berlin-Steglitz,
a congregation of the SELK.
The Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens, pastor
of Dreieinigkeits-Gemeinde, has been

receiving refugees and catechizing them for

decades. In the early 1990s, following the
fall of the Berlin Wall, he ministered to East
Germans who previously lived under atheist
communist rule with no pastoral care, while
also caring for refugees coming to Germany
from Russia.
In 2011, he baptized his first former
Muslim, a refugee from Iran. That same year,
Martens would go on to baptize a second.
Since then, he has baptized hundreds of
refugees, the majority of whom come from
Iran and some from Afghanistan. Now, as
more than a million Middle Eastern asylumseekers are flooding into Europe, many are
knocking on Martens door. He said so many
are coming to his church that he averages
only four hours of sleep a night.
In a Nov. 15 service at the church,
Martens baptized 10 more refugees who
had completed rigorous catechesis and
an examination of their faith and who
also demonstrated consistent church
attendance. As they renounced Satan in
the baptismal rite, each catechumen also
openly renounced Islam.
More than 300 fellow refugees attended
the service. With the pews and balcony
so full, extra chairs were brought out into
the aisles to seat more, while others stood
in the stairwells. Puya, whom Martens
had catechized and baptized sometime
ago, was one of the communion assistants
during the service.

Far left, refugees read through a translated copy of Luthers Small Catechism. Center, an Iranian
Christian refugee talks with the Rev. Markus Fischer, pastor of St. Trinitatisgemeinde, a SELK
congregation in Leipzig, Germany, during a Bible study for Iranian and other refugees. Right, the
Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens hugs a refugee following Bible study.
JanuaryFebruary 2016

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13

In light of the already strained capacity

and infrastructure of Germany to handle the
influx of Middle Eastern refugees, the LCMS
is coming alongside its German partner
church and her congregations as they bear
mercy to the refugees literally knocking at
their doors.
At the recommendation of LCMS
missionaries in Eurasia, the Office of
International Mission authorized a $100,000
grant from donated mercy funds to support
SELK congregations in providing food,
shelter, transportation, language instruction
and the proclamation of the Gospel to
people once considered impossible to

reach. The Synod also has established a new

fund Christs Care for the Persecuted and
Displaced: Mercy for Body and Soul to
help provide assistance to refugees.
For good reason, the Church continues to
confess that nothing will be impossible with
God (Luke 1:37).
Roger Drinnon is manager of Editorial Services
for LCMS Communications.
Learn more:

R
 ead a related Reporter article: blogs.lcms.
org/2015/synod-walks-with-german-partner

V
 iew the photo gallery: lcms.org/photo/

refugee-care-germany

M
 ake a gift: lcms.org/givenow/ccpd
Far left, Baptism candles
bear the Christian names
of Muslim converts. Left,
translated Bibles lie on the
table next to photographs
of refugees helped by the
Rev. Thomas Seifert, pastor
of Paul-Gerhardt Gemeinde,
a SELK congregation in
Braunschweig, Germany.
Below, the Rev. Dr.
Gottfried Martens baptizes
new Christians after they
renounced Islam.

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MERCY MOMENT

nspire

Bread for Body & Soul

PHOTOS: JEANCARLOS RAMIREZ ZEVALLOS AND ERIK M. LUNSFORD

by Daniel Fickenscher

t Castillo Fuerte, a mercy house

operated by LCMS missionaries
in Lima, Peru, dozens of kids are
being fed through the addition of a soup
kitchen, while the kitchens chef also is
being fed with the bread of life.
In May 2014, Jeancarlos Ramirez Zevallos
attended Coffee and Conversation, an
English outreach program organized by the
Rev. Mark Eisold, LCMS career missionary to
Peru. There, he learned about how Castillo
Fuerte which means Mighty Fortress
in Spanish was providing mentoring,
tutoring, Lutheran instruction and a Christian
refuge for children of the impoverished La
Victoria district of Lima.
Ramirez began volunteering at Castillo
Fuerte, and he met with a representative of
La Victoria to discuss the needs of the local
children. With many parents working in the
local market all day for low wages, he learned
that many of the children went without lunch
after school ended at 1 p.m.
He saw an opportunity to use his
culinary skills honed during four years of
culinary school and eight years of working in
restaurants to help Castillo Fuerte increase
its service to the community.

Jeancarlos Ramirez Zevallos

Ramirez brought the idea of adding

a soup kitchen to the Rev. Joshua Gale,
LCMS missionary and pastor of the Lima
congregation, and Deaconess Caitlin
Worden, LCMS missionary and director of
Castillo Fuerte. In March, the new afternoon
meal was served for the first time. For a
symbolic price of only 1 sol (about 30 cents),
25 to 30 kids now enjoy favorite Peruvian
dishes before attending educational lessons
and chapel services at Castillo Fuerte every
weekday afternoon.
As Ramirezs involvement in the mercy
house increased transitioning from a
volunteer to an employee so did his
involvement in the church, located just one
floor below the mercy house.
Ramirez asked Gale numerous questions
about the faith. As Gale responded, Ramirezs
interest in the Lutheran church grew, until
eventually he attended his first service at
Castillo Fuertes church. Right away, Ramirez
noticed a difference. He no longer felt judged
or like he needed to work for his salvation.
I remember the first time that I attended
a Divine Service here in La Victoria, Ramirez
said. It had a big impact it changed the
way that I was thinking of the Divine Service.

In August, he became the first confirmed

member of the congregation.
Thanks to the soup kitchen, Gale
said attendance has increased and more
families have become connected to the
church. During a recent activity, children
even referred to Castillo Fuerte as their
second home.
The [soup kitchen] has allowed us to
be involved with them and their families to
where they feel at home here, a place built
around our altar and pulpit, meaning they
feel at home where Gods gifts are given,
Gale said.
With two new Castillo Fuerte locations
set to open in Lima in early 2016, even more
children, volunteers and staff will be able to
find this sense of Christian community and
refuge in the Lutheran church.
Daniel Fickenscher is the Synods
communications specialist for Latin America
and the Caribbean.

L earn more: lcms.org/peru

It had a big impact

it changed the way
that I was thinking of
the Divine Service.
Jeancarlos Ramirez Zevallos

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PHOTOS: LCMS COMMUNICATIONS/ERIK M. LUNSFORD

nspire

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by Adriane Heins

The men, he discovered, were new in

town, factory workers struggling to assimilate
into Arkansas after leaving Puerto Rico.
Orlando and Martin spent time in
Bible study with the men, and the very
next day, Orlando picked them all up
and brought them to church, where three
found a home, Martin explains. Even as
they wait to bring their own families here
from Puerto Rico, these three men have
been embraced by our family of faith and
incorporated into our ministry.
Their need is not uncommon.
Many Hispanic families are hurting,
Martin says. Some in ways that are evident:
physical or relational needs. Others in ways
that are hidden, so focused on the American
dream that they dont recognize their spiritual
emptiness. They need guidance, they need

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

real community, but above all they need the

forgiveness and the freedom of the Gospel.
Enter Salem Lutheran Church in
Springdale, Ark., where Martin serves as
associate pastor and leads the churchs
Hispanic congregation Iglesia Luterana
Cristo Para Todos, or Christ for All Lutheran
Church. On any given Sunday at Salem,
visitors and members will observe two
languages, 10 nations and three Divine
Services. Yet, its still one church. That,
Martin says, is true convivencia
(life together)!
In most other settings, and even in
the church, these differences often cause
division, he says. We have our challenges,
yet there is a genuine love and warmth in
this congregation that flows from our faith in
Jesus Christ.

Bridging Backgrounds
Started in 2002, Cristo Para Todos grew
under the pastoral care of Brazilian
church planter Rev. Tardeli Voss. Later,
the congregation came to Salem
Lutheran Church seeking primarily
a space to worship and reach out to the
community. Before long, the two were
joined together into one multiethnic
church, Martin explains. Since then, our
gracious God has developed a multiethnic
Gospel partnership that bridges cultures,
backgrounds and languages.

We are blessed with an ever-increasing

population of Hispanics in the United
States, agrees the Rev. Bart Day, executive
director of the LCMS Office of National
Mission. The opportunities abound to
connect these people to the Body of Christ.
Key in making these connections will be
reaching outside our usual boundaries and
outside our typical boxes.
Gods service to His people through
His gifts of Word and Sacrament is the first
line of defense in breaking down those
barriers. Three Divine Services are held
each week at Salem: one in Spanish at
Cristo Para Todos and two in English.
Our Spanish worship service is uniquely
Lutheran and uniquely Hispanic, Martin
explains. It is a Christ-centered celebration
of Word and Sacrament where broken people
gather to be made whole in the Gospel. There
is both great reverence and deep emotion.
One such emotion is joy, observed
weekly during the sharing of the peace.
Most Anglo congregations shake a few
hands with the people around them and
quickly move on, he notes. But Cristo Para
Todos members take the time to greet every
person often with a hug. It takes a while,
but its our way of saying, Welcome home.
You belong here.
A regularly held bilingual service for
both congregations also helps members
recognize and celebrate our common bond

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17

in Christ, Martin explains. There are always

moments of humor, tension and delight as we
determine when to begin American time
or Latino time? and how to share the peace
do I hug those people?
But as with any family, those situations
give way to discussion and growth. We
are learning and growing, he notices, as a
family of faith. Convivencia!

Blessings and Challenges

Like any LCMS congregation, Cristo
Para Todos still has its own unique set
of challenges.
How do we continue to actively
develop cross-cultural understanding and
appreciation so that we can serve together
and share facilities without divisions?
Martin wonders. How do we incorporate
into the church second-generation Hispanics
who live between two worlds and languages,
often preferring English while identifying
themselves as Latino?
Other challenges present more practical
needs: How do we equip parents to be
spiritual leaders in their homes when they
cannot read or write the same language
as their children? he questions. How do
we develop disciples among families in
transition? And how do we use our family
connections throughout Latin America to
share Gods Word beyond our borders?
But fed by Christs Word and Sacraments,
the members of Cristo Para Todos are
strengthened not only to face those
challenges but they also are emboldened for
the work of caring for their own community
with Christ-centered compassion.
Using the Spanish version of Gospel
Seeds [a program of the LCMS that assists
congregations in meeting their communitys
underserved needs], we train congregations
intent on reaching out to Hispanics to walk
alongside them in their physical mercy
needs, as Pastor Martins congregation is
doing so well, explains the Rev. Dr. Carlos
Hernandez, director of both LCMS Hispanic
Ministry and the Gospel Seeds program.
When we care for peoples human, physical
needs, like Jesus did in healing the sick and

feeding the hungry, the Holy Spirit touches

hearts and opens opportunities to share a
verbal Gospel witness.
The congregation takes part in Project
Compassion, which serves the critical needs
of our community, Martin says, and also
offers an English-as-a-Second-Language
program and the use of its Family Life Center
for youth sports and other activities. Our
English classes serve one of the greatest
needs of our Hispanic neighbors while also
providing a loving community that shares the
Good News of Jesus.
The cherry on top? Every fall we host
the Festival of Nations, a celebration of the
cultures within our church, Martin explains.
Thanksgiving celebrations recently included
a bilingual service and an international
meal. In addition to turkey and the works, we
also savored pupusas, pozole and arroz con
pollo. Lutheran potluck at its best.
I am convinced, he says, that
convivencia is much richer when Hispanics
are involved!

God-Given Opportunities
As cultures, languages and Lutherans
continue to convene at Cristo Para Todos,
Martin sees continual opportunities for
prayer: that the Lord of the harvest will
raise up bilingual laborers in Northwest
Arkansas and throughout the United States
and that God would open our eyes and
hearts to the millions of immigrants and
their children in our midst.
And as for convivencia? Martin gives
thanks for it and that God has brought
the nations here, including millions
from Latin America, and given us the
opportunity to show mercy, give witness
and enjoy life together.
Adriane Heins is managing editor of The
Lutheran Witness and editor of Catechetical
Information for LCMS Communications.
Learn more:

A
 bout LCMS Hispanic Ministry:
lcms.org/hispanicministry

V
 iew the photo gallery:

lcms.org/photo/cristo-para-todos
Top, church members and guests line up for a fellowship meal following a bilingual service at Salem
Lutheran Church in Springdale, Ark. Center, children learn Spanish Christmas songs at Salem. Bottom,
the Rev. Brandon Martin (right), Salems associate pastor, greets members before a bilingual service.

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|
Grants Support Gospel Proclamation
at 45 Urban Lutheran Schools
WITNESS MOMENT

nform

PHOTO: CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE

by Megan K. Mertz

Forty-five LCMS schools in urban areas all over the country

recently got some surprising news: They were nominated by
their district education executive to receive a grant of
approximately $2,200 from LCMS Urban & Inner-City
Mission (UICM).
The grants were made possible by
children in 38 states who brought in their
nickels, dimes and dollars for Big City
Mission: Tools for School the mission
project included in Concordia Publishing
Houses 2015 Camp Discovery vacation
Bible school program.
More than $92,000 was received from 260
churches and groups, and the LCMS added
extra funding to bring the total up to $100,000.
The grants will support Gospel proclamation
efforts at urban Lutheran schools by helping
them provide tangible care to students
through things like lunches, school supplies,
playground equipment and tuition assistance.
One of the schools to receive a grant
was Christ the King Lutheran School in
downtown Chicago, which has 35 students
in preschool through eighth grade.
Geraldine Brazeal, Christ the Kings
principal, said she was elated to hear
the news.
We have a lot of children in the
school who come at 6 a.m. and usually

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

stay until 6 p.m., but not all the parents

qualify for child-care initiatives. If they
werent here with us, they would be home
alone, she said. Rather than turn people
away that need our after-school program,
we plan to use part of the funding to
assist those families that would not be
able to attend.
She said the remainder of the grant
will be used for the violin program, which
prepares future church musicians to
attend better high schools and qualify for
college scholarships.
Our mission is to reach out to those
who dont know Jesus Christ, she continued,
noting how the school makes it a priority
to accept unchurched students and then
involves those families in worship at Christ
the King Lutheran Church at least once
a month.
The school has a Baptism rate of about
25 percent, Brazeal said, because the
Lord provides and God works through
all that the staff are doing.

I cannot thank our donors enough for

their overwhelming response in supporting
urban missions through Big City Mission,
said the Rev. Steven Schave, director of
UICM and LCMS Church Planting, who was
responsible for distributing the funding.
Lutheran education through our
urban schools is one of the greatest ways
for us to reach out to the families in our
inner-city neighborhoods and to show
we care, Schave continued. People in
these communities are very interested to
see how you care for their children and
elderly residents, and offering a good
education speaks volumes. And of course,
the ultimate goal is to bring these families
into the life of the church and to teach the
faith to the students. An education is lifechanging, and when it is centered in the
Gospel, it is truly transformational.

L earn more: lcms.org/citymission

JanuaryFebruary 2016

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19

Straight from the

President

The latest news and highlights delivered to your inbox.

A new digital digest, packed with features selected from
Synod publications and multimedia outlets, is available from the
Office of the President. Pastors, church workers and laity will all
find useful information to aid the whole church as we live and
work together to proclaim the Gospel and bear Christs mercy to
one another in our congregations, communities and the world.

Visit lcms.org/lifetogetherdigest to sign up.

WORLDWIDE

The Leader in Christ-Centered

Programming

Find a special national or international

mission project YOU can champion.

Have questions?

Contact LCMS Mission

Advancement at 888-930-4438
or mission.advancement@lcms.org.

lcms.org/projectcatalog
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STEWARD'S CORNER
nvolve

CHECKING THE OIL

PHOTO: ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

The Case for the Unrestricted Gift

e are beginning to overtly

encourage Gods people to consider
giving an annual unrestricted
(undesignated) donation to the LCMS. Ive
been told that Im off my rocker for even
thinking about doing this. So, why do it?
Its a stewardship issue! Its not the
most exciting one, but it is immensely
important to the mission of the church.
Yet, we dont quite know how to articulate
just why this kind of donation is so vital.
Bear with me as I attempt to share some of
what Ive been thinking. Id be interested to
hear your thoughts as well.

Routine Maintenance
A few years ago, I took our car to one of
those quick oil-change places. As I was
driving home, I checked the rearview mirror
and saw a trail of fluid on the road behind
me. The oil was draining out of the engine
at an alarming rate. I quickly turned around
and headed back to the service shop, where
the mechanic found the culprit: The ring
seal on the new oil filter had slipped out of
place. He made the repair, and an expensive
disaster was averted.
The engine in your car, without enough
oil flowing through it, will eventually fail.
Without oil, parts cant move together as
quickly or smoothly as designed. They will
get hot, bind or break, and the engine will
seize up.

lcms.org/givenow/globalmission

by Mark Hofman

The same is true with a congregation,

a parochial school and even our Synods
national office.

Follow the Trail

When people express frustration about
what the Synod is or isnt doing, we
sometimes discover that the root of the
frustration is found in a steady, decadeslong decline in unrestricted gifts, which
come mostly from the offering plate.
Like oil, unrestricted funds dont restrict
motion they lubricate it. Our oil
as a Synod is spilling out of the engine.
Frustrated that the Synod doesnt support
seminaries at more significant levels? Look
at what is happening to the unrestricted
funds, because thats where seminary
subsidies come from. The Synod not paying
the full freight of international mission
work, including missionaries? Look at the
unrestricted funds.
Some pieces of the Synod, Inc., machine
can only be funded using unrestricted
dollars: paying down debt, like the historic
loans of our treasured university system;
elected officers and boards; various
constitutionally mandated commissions;
the independent audit of the Synods
finances; legal services; compliance with
state and federal laws; and the list goes
on. These things are all parts of the engine,
and many are rightly the responsibility

of the whole LCMS all of us who claim

affiliation. Most have an important role
to play in our Synods mission; some we
have no choice about. Take one or more of
those parts out, and the machine begins
to sputter, clank and grind. And we get
frustrated, angry or anxious.
For decades, our oil level has been
falling. The joy of designating a donation
for something specific has overwhelmed
the simple act of taking care of what
God has already provided. I, for one,
dont want to look in the rearview mirror
and see signs that our capability to do
important work in Jesus name is being
compromised because I failed to lift up this
vitally essential element the value of the
unrestricted gift.
In the new year, how can we walk
together so that we continue vigorously
to make known the love of Jesus in word
and deed at home and abroad? I believe
there is value in checking the condition of
our oil every so often and topping it off
with good oil so that the various parts
perform as we all want and expect. Were
beginning to encourage unrestricted gifts
to ensure this can happen.
Mark Hofman, CFRE, MBA, is the executive
director of LCMS Mission Advancement.

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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.

OUR PRESENCE AS LUTHERANS IN

WITTENBERG
The dedication of the renovated Old Latin School as the International Lutheran Center in
Wittenberg, Germany, opens new doors to proclaiming Christs salvation and deepening the
understanding of the Reformation begun in 1517. You can be a part of it!
By Gods grace, our Synod is close to completely funding this exciting renovation work
through specially designated offerings. You can help make that dream a reality with a
special Wittenberg Project gift, or by giving another gift!

Follow our progress at thewittenbergproject.org, or call

LCMS Mission Advancement at 800-248-1930, Ext. 1661.
Let us share ways you can stand with Luther to proclaim:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast

(Eph. 2:89).