Served by Pastor Dan Oberer, Hope currently numbers 69 souls.
Hope now has a piece of property on which to build! The official closing on this 4.8 acre piece of land will take place soon. The land is located on Highway 3, a major north-south artery in the area. Preliminary plans for building are underway.
An online video devotion, “Halftime Hope,” is now produced each week and made available midweek. See Hope’s website for more information (http://www.hope-farmington.com).
Faith Lutheran Church – San Antonio, TX
Pastor David Thompson serves this congregation on the northeast side of San Antonio.
Faith now numbers 61 souls.
February 6-7, 2015, the congregation will host a worldview conference with five different speakers. It is hoped that this conference will gain much attention in the area and provide useful information. See http://flc-sa.org/biblical-worldview-conference for more details.
Outreach Idea of the Month
“Ministry Area Profiles” (MAPs) – Still Available…NOW at even MORE of a REDUCED COST!
If you attended one of the “Engage Others with Jesus” retreats or have read these missions newsletters before, you have heard about the availability of a MAP for your area. The BHO continues to make this study available to your congregation, and for a limited time will do so for $25 (discounted from the already-discounted price of $50).
What is a MAP? It is a thorough demographic study of an area of your choosing, completed by the Percept Group. You are able to establish the boundaries of a study in four ways: (1) with a radius reaching out so many miles from a midpoint, (2) by ZIP codes (multiple ZIP codes must be contiguous), (3) by county (multiple counties must be contiguous), and (4) by creating your own boundaries on a map in any shape or form. The area chosen should be an area “reachable” by your congregation.
There are three main sections of a MAP study. (1) The actual “Ministry Area Profile” gives information regarding population types, trends, and projections; household information; lifestyle trends; which denominations are in the area, along with community concerns, values and desires; and a series of maps that give a view of population and household characteristics, patterns, and trends. (2) The “Compass Report” provides data regarding the religious climate, perspectives, and desires in the target area. (3) The “Source Book” provides how Percept gathers its information.
Examples of a MAP study are available on request. Numerous congregations have made use of this valuable tool and have found it helpful.
Please contact BHO chairman Prof. Michael K. Smith (mksmith@blc.edu) for more information. Limited quantities of these reduced-price MAPS are available.
World Outreach Update
New Technology for Mission Fields
With the assistance of WELS Multilanguage Publications, the ELS Board for World Outreach is sending “Proclaimers” to several of our mission fields. These unique devices are able to play recordings of the New Testament in native languages and are powered by battery, solar power or a hand crank, making them invaluable tools in environments without electricty or with unreliable power. Proclaimers with recordings in Spanish, Quechua, and Shawi have been sent to Peru and devices with recordings in Hindi and Telegu will soon arrive in India. Pastors and evangelists can bring the lightweight device on long trips, play a section of Scripture, then teach and discuss with a group or congregation. Shipping for the devices is not in the current budget for the Board for World Outreach, so if you would like to help, please contact Rev. Steve Petersen: spp@blc.edu or call 507-344-7852.
Prayers for Ukraine
With the ongoing political unrest in Ukraine, we ask for your continued prayers for our Christian brothers and sisters in the Ukrainian Lutheran Church, as well as for Nick and Kerry Laper and the Gift of Life program.
Would you like to help with our home or world outreach? Donations are accepted online at: www.els.name/donate. You may also send your donation by mail to:
