LCMS World Mission is offering free online videos and resources that are designed to help congregations, schools and Bible-study groups celebrate “Mission Month” in October — or at any time of the year.
“Your congregation may have a tradition of doing this every year, or you may be starting it for the first time,” said Kurt Buchholz, interim executive director of LCMS World Mission. “Regardless, join us in celebrating what God is doing today through the global Lutheran missionary family of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and our global partners in reaching out with God’s love and the Good News of Jesus. I can’t imagine a more exciting time for mission!”
LCMS World Mission suggests the following mission-focused activities and corresponding online resources:
Include a “Mission Minute” during your Sunday worship service, Sunday school or Bible study.
- Watch one of seven new faith-sharing videos featuring fellow LCMS members.
- View the latest International Mission Highlights Video featuring Lutheran missionaries in Ethiopia, Latin America, Poland and Sri Lanka.
- Check out the “What’s Your Go?” video to encourage personal mission involvement locally and globally.
- Read stories about mission fields from LCMS World Mission’s blog or its 2010 Convention Report.
Hold a mission worship service or prayer-and-praise meeting.
- Read John 3:16 in various languages. Download the New Testament audio Bible in any of more than 300 languages.
- Choose from eight mission worship services.
- Sing favorite mission hymns or select from two new hymns — including “Awake the World” by Rev. Ronald Nelson — and seven new songs.
Help plan a day school or Sunday school mission fair.
- Each class can exhibit a specific country, type of mission work, mission family or people group. Serve foods from different countries. Use the latest “Mission Friends” mission curriculum and other resources for children, including maps, “passports,” pencils, balloons and bookmarks.
- Download mission photos from online albums and use them in PowerPoint or print presentations.
Pray for missionaries each day in October.
- Download missionary prayer cards from the “Pray For Us” database and pray for one missionary family each day.
- Pray for God’s mission each day with the October “Pray For Us” prayer calendar. It includes a daily prayer and the names of LCMS missionaries and military chaplains celebrating birthdays in October.
Organize or sponsor a short-term mission team.
- Check out the list of short-term mission team opportunities.
For more information, contact LCMS World Mission at 800-433-3954 or mission.info@lcms.org.
To download free resources, visit www.lcmsworldmission.org/missionmonth.
Posted Sept. 8, 2010