CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The board of Lutheran Men in Mission (LMM) met here March 16-18 and committed the men's organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) to print $135,000 worth of Bibles containing personal and small group study materials. The "Serendipity Bible" is a key component of LMM's new "Men's Ministry Tool Kit."
"It is a big commitment, but through God's grace we will accomplish it," said Charlie Schwartz, Fredericksburg, Texas, LMM president. At the same meeting the board approved a 2001 operating budget of $219,300 for the men's ministry in ELCA congregations across the United States and Caribbean.
The Serendipity House Publishers, Littleton, Colo., and Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich., publish a special edition of the Serendipity Bible for LMM called "Master Builders Bible for Men."
The Bible project the board approved will eventually support itself separate from the budget. LMM representatives will hand-deliver complimentary Bibles to 2,000 congregations developing men's ministries, with information on how to purchase additional Bibles. Revenue from sales will eventually cover the costs of publishing. "We know that God is going to be with us, because there is a thirst in this country for the Scripture," said Schwartz. "We want to help quench that thirst."
"This organization has continued to grow in God's grace, and we continue to do the work that God would have us do," he said.
The new edition of the Master Builders Bible for Men will include a 16-page insert with details on how to develop a congregational men's ministry. Schwartz said the insert "will be tailored especially for the work of Lutheran Men in Mission and the ways in which it can touch the lives of men."
The Master Builders Bible for Men is a principal element of LMM's new "Men's Ministry Tool Kit." A canvas "Master Builders" tool bag includes the men's ministry action plan, the "Man-2-Man" audio tape, the book "How to Build a Life-Changing Men's Ministry," two posters and a three-session video course called "Building Blocks for Men's Ministry." The tool kit is distributed by Augsburg Fortress, publishing house of the ELCA, Minneapolis.
LMM board members also received copies of "Tools for a New Generation," a compact disc of music and interviews with young men about relationships and the church. The compact disc is designed to invite men between 18 and 30 years old into the ELCA men's ministry.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
