Thanks to your support and partnership, people are responding to your Messages of Hope every day. More than 52,000 people responded in 2020 – more than 1000 a week.
Messages of Hope shares real stories of the hope Jesus Christ offers us all. These stories reach out, engage, and nurture people, including daughters Sonya and Ripley who are caring for their mum and dad:
Sonya: Good on you, my dad is doing the same with my mum. To love somebody makes you strong. Don’t let go ❤
Ripley: I know how you feel I’m going through the same with my dad and it’s like a living death I’m grieving for him, and he is alive ?
Even though we also receive negative comments from people like Henry:
Please forget ‘God’ … instead ask yourself why ‘God’ would do this?
And Shinobi: ‘I don’t know how people without Christ cope’ – interesting comment. Billions of people throughout history and in present times cope perfectly fine without Christ.
We respond with grace and compassion because many contact us or reply with the following:
Hi i would like to know if you can help me i am in a bad way i live by myself and it is getting very hard please get back to me.[sic] Mario
Prayers are always important but never more than now. Elizabeth.
Your Messages of Hope is inspiring and encouraging people with the good news of Jesus Christ and his great love, compassion, and hope.
Thank you, Lutheran Women of Australia, states, zones, and congregation groups. We are truly grateful for your support through your fellowships and individually.
Because of your support, more Messages of Hope radio messages are being played on more radio stations and more often. COVID restrictions have amplified people’s need for hope and hence Messages of Hope has been more popular than ever. Messages of Hope now has a potential audience of more than 25 million people and an actual audience of over seven million people.
During the last three years, Messages of Hope has:
- expanded across New Zealand on popular radio stations and free-to-air TV;
- spread across new radio stations in Victoria including SEN, TheLight, MMM, and 3GG;
- increased the number of plays in South Australia, especially on FlowFM;
- grown across Queensland, especially in Brisbane and Townsville;
- expanded across NSW including Sydney and Newcastle;
- spread across more Asian countries including India and Papua New Guinea;
- been played more in Western Australia (including Esperance), Northern Territory and Tasmania.
Thanks to your support, Messagesofhope.org.au (and messagesofhope.org.nz) has grown to include a list of topics that people are interested in including addiction, ageing, anger, anxiety and depression, big questions, Christmas, Coronavirus, crisis, dementia, Easter, fear, forgiveness and guilt, grief, loneliness, parenting, relationships, stress, suffering and pain, and wellbeing. On these topics there are videos, podcasts, and free, downloadable PDFs for people. Messages of Hope is now also on iTunes and Spotify along with reaching more people on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. As I write, 12,985 people follow us on social media.
Happyland.com.au continues to reach children and families with the good news of Jesus Christ. There are videos, activities, and free booklets available, along with Christmas and Easter online calendars with surprises behind stars and eggs that introduce children to the Christmas and Easter stories. The Happyland App has been developed and expanded too. Community fetes spread Happyland showbags and primary schools and early learning centres find Happyland popular too.
Your support has also enabled the spread of worship services via lutheranmedia.org.au/worship. Some 80 to 160 worship DVDs have been sent out every week and thousands more have watched live-streamed worship from St Michael’s Lutheran Church, Hahndorf, and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Toowoomba. The streaming of worship services has expanded to include Facebook and YouTube and we are currently working on a videoed sermon resource.
Resources have been popular including packs of Messages of Hope greeting cards, and CDs and DVDs on topics such as Luther and the Bible on Trial. You can find these at lutheranmedia.org.au or call us in the office on 1800 353 350.
The popularity of the video competition has given people a way to share their message of hope in Jesus. The calendar image competition has inspired twice the amount of calendar orders with many going to first time contacts.
In 2020, Lutheran Media celebrated and gave thanks for 75 years of reaching out to people through media with the good news of Jesus Christ. This would not be possible without support from Lutheran women. Thank you!
To help reach out to people with Jesus’ message of hope, please continue to pray for us and the people being reached through media. You can also join with us by giving a donation at lutheranmedia.org.au/donate or call us on 1800 353 350. You can give a one-off or regular donation, and either tax deductible or not, with your credit card, or by posting a cheque to Lutheran Media, or transferring a donation to the Lutheran Media bank account, or by using the MEG (Media Electronic Giving) process through the LLL.
We also thank and acknowledge supporters who have given a legacy in their will to continue the spread of the good news of Jesus Christ for generations to come. We pray for their grieving family and friends.
We greatly value our partnership with you and your kindness, generosity, and support. We look forward to continuing to partner with you to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to many more people.
So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11
Thank you and God’s peace in Christ Jesus be with you all.
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