Lutheran Hour Ministries: From Radio To Internet

In 1929, volunteer members of the International Lutheran Laymen's League voted in favor of introducing a Lutheran program on the radio, titled "The Lutheran Hour." On Oct. 9, 1930, the program aired for the first time on 34 CBS affiliates throughout the United States, and Lutheran Hour Ministries was born.

Since its modest beginning, Lutheran Hour Ministries has grown to include Christian outreach programs spanning print, radio, television and the Internet. It proclaims the Gospel to millions people in more than 40 countries and 26 languages across the globe and seeks continued expansion. During the 1998 fiscal year, the multimedia ministry programs generated an estimated 692,442 responses to programming from audiences internationally.

Introduced during the 81st annual International Lutheran Laymen's League convention in 1998, the ministry's vision for growth has inspired change within its outreach programs throughout the 1999 fiscal year. With this new direction, Lutheran Hour Ministries is focusing on "serving Christ in all nations through media."

During the 1999 fiscal year, Lutheran Hour Ministries enhanced its ministry outreach services worldwide. Internationally, the organization has grown to include 47 offices and project centers with plans in store for continued growth.

Driven by the mission of "Bringing Christ to the Nations and the Nations to the Church," the organization expanded the scope of its ethnic outreach programs, developed new outreach services and upgraded the response centers that connect callers with local Lutheran congregations. In addition, the organization implemented a "Parish Media Team" program to train lay volunteers to utilize technological and media resources to share congregational news with the community. Throughout the 2000 fiscal year, the ministry will continue in this direction.

Through the use of the Internet, television and radio broadcasts, and programs such as "Living for Tomorrow," "By Kids ... for Kids(r)" and "The Puzzle Club(SM)" series, Lutheran Hour Ministries' outreach has flourished in the multimedia realm and broadened its international reach, providing millions of people with the gospel message. In fact, 32 percent of all responses to Lutheran Hour Ministries' programs are derived from the Internet outreach programs.

Weekly radio programs, including "The Lutheran Hour" and "Woman to Woman"; weekly television broadcasts of "On Main Street"; volunteer programs, such as "Living for Tomorrow" and "By Kids ... for Kids(r);" and animated and dramatized television specials are the main stay of the North American ministry today. Many of these and programs unique to individual foreign offices are produced in native languages and used for outreach internationally.

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