Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 175

2026 Convention Workbook
140 
OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
Mongolia.
“The Lutheran Hour® ” continues to expand its reach through 
digital means beyond traditional radio stations in North America. 
While it currently airs each week on around 1,700 stations as well 
as the American Forces Network, the program is also available 
online, as a podcast, and on media platforms like Amazon Alexa, 
Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Home, and Sirius XM satellite radio.
The “Connected by LHM” app allows people to get many 
LHM resources in one place on their Android devices or iPhones. 
In addition to being able to read and listen to LHM’s Daily Devo-
tions, users can also access The Lutheran Hour sermons, topical 
booklets, Bible studies, and more.
Impacting People Right Where They Are
Growing diversity, cultural shifts, and spiritual hunger are re-
shaping North America—opening new doors to share the unchang-
ing hope of Jesus. The mission field is no longer far away; it is right 
outside our doors.
God has called all laypeople to be powerful witnesses for Christ 
with their families and communities. LHM continues to produce 
timely resources that offer convenient ways for people to connect 
with Jesus and share their faith with others. From the popular Proj-
ect Connect booklet ministry with more than 50 titles to dozens of 
online LHM Learn courses under five faith-strengthening catego-
ries, and from daily and seasonal devotions to online video Bible 
studies, LHM has numerous offerings to connect with people at 
any stage of their individual faith journeys.
Several years ago, LHM began a partnership with Barna 
Group, a world-renowned, premier Christian research firm. The re-
sulting research findings have allowed LHM to provide timely and 
relevant resources that meet people where they are by equipping 
individuals and churches to engage in fruitful spiritual conversa-
tions, deepen faith in households, impact neighborhoods with the 
Good News of Jesus Christ, and develop their God-given talents. 
They enable us to gain a hearing for the Gospel in an inviting and 
contextual way—guiding those who seek toward faith.
Spiritual Conversations: Sharing Life, Faith, and Jesus with 
Friends is a seven-lesson curriculum to encourage high schoolers to 
engage their peers with the Gospel by helping them recognize and 
respond to opportunities to have spiritual conversations. Combin-
ing insights from Barna Group research and LHM’s commitment 
to equipping people for sharing the Gospel, this course includes 
interactive group activities, videos, data to consider, opportunities 
for discussions on Scripture and faith-sharing conversations, and 
more. Schools, Sunday school classes, small groups, and youth 
groups are already benefiting from this easy-to-implement—and 
fun—resource.
The Hopeful Neighborhood Project™ from LHM is moving 
forward as a collaborative network committed to improving neigh-
borhood well-being around the world. The program’s resources and 
online network equip and encourage neighbors to work together, 
using their gifts and the gifts of their community, to pursue the 
common good of their neighborhood. One of its partner programs, 
Missouri Good Neighbor Week, was recognized as the Best Neigh-
borhood Program of the Year during the 2023 Neighborhoods USA 
conference.
As a
 self-funded project of 
our Southern California District of 
the Lutheran Laymen’s League, the Lutheran Hour Ministries 
float continues to reach millions as the only Christian float in the 
the region. In addition to a newly launched seventh season of Ar -
abic programming that explores themes common to young adults 
from a biblical perspective, a multi-language project called Recon-
necting the MENA to Hope uses selected topical content from LHM 
booklets to offer hope in Jesus through unique satellite broadcasts, 
digital and social media, and direct follow-up. Programs air on 
three channels: SAT-7 ARABIC, SAT-7 PARS (for Persian speak-
ers), and SAT-7 TÜRK (for Turkish speakers). Each channel’s pro-
gramming is tailored to the unique language, culture, and felt needs 
of its audience, and points viewers to additional resources to help 
them further explore the topics covered.
Holistic outreach is an effective way of demonstrating to peo-
ple the love of Christ. These programs have a comprehensive im-
pact in reaching both body and soul as a ministry to the unchurched 
in word and deed where both physical and spiritual needs are ad-
dressed. In African nations like Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, and 
Liberia, our successful holistic programs continue to reach at-risk 
young adults, especially women, through medical camps, prison 
ministry, vocational training, and spiritual guidance and fellowship.
Impacting People through Digital 
Engagement
In today’s digital age, more people than ever are searching on-
line for guidance on topics like stress, anxiety, depression, fear, 
guilt, toxic relationships, and other relevant issues. Vivenciar.
net continues to be an instrumental platform for reaching Portu-
guese- and Spanish-speaking individuals worldwide, including an 
increased focus on connecting with Hispanics living in the United 
States. Vivenciar.net assists these individuals through live chats, 
blog posts, articles, e-books, and courses. It also offers a safe space 
where trained volunteers can listen to what people have to say 
about specific situations in their lives and accompany them in these 
moments with biblically based support and guidance.
Our “by Hispanics, for Hispanics” approach to creating content 
continues to resonate with a growing digital-first Hispanic audi-
ence that is hungry for ministry resources that share the hope of the 
Gospel. The Sentido Latino podcast is now available on YouTube, 
an additional platform to reach out with our Hispanic ministry mes-
sages and resources to new communities in the United States and 
beyond. In less than a year, our YouTube channel has more than 
50,000 subscribers. Sentido Latino also has more than 1 million 
views across all platforms.
Thred continues to create content to equip Christians for shar -
ing their faith in the digital world. Our newest downloadable re-
sources were created to help individuals tell their story. The Search 
for Self reminds users that as Christ-followers we identify as chil-
dren of God, which in this image-oriented world we live in is not 
always easy to remember. Not My Job encourages people to see 
their place in the Gospel narrative and inspires them to talk about 
what God has done and is doing in their lives. In addition, Thred’s 
weekly email series delivers content to more than 21,000 subscrib-
ers and offers a way for subscribers to join the conversation through 
polls or specific feedback prompts followed by comment boxes.
Our annual Gospel Adventures™ program reaches around 
40,000 elementary and middle school students each year. This in-
teractive virtual experience includes a five-day curriculum, videos, 
theme music, hands-on activities, and more—all working together 
to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the work 
of the Gospel in their own lives and how God is at work in peo-
ple’s lives in another part of the world. The 2026 program explores