~ Lutheran Hour Ministries ~ Have you seen a movie lately? It's been a few months since Krista and I saw one. But what if you had never seen a movie... ever...? And what if you had never watched a television? And what if the only Jesus you had ever even heard rumors of was this western white Jesus who spoke English? ... Then, what if the first movie you ever saw was The Jesus Film and Jesus spoke your own language?
Film shows in settings like this are a regular part of Lutheran Hour Ministry programs all over the world. In Kenya it's the same. Nuru, which means "light," is the Lutheran Hour Ministries branch in Kenya. Last week my coworker, Catherine, and I paid a visit to the director of Nuru to talk about opportunities to work together, especially with short-term teams visiting the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK).
Nuru has a lot to offer. They have a Bible Correspondence Course through which they have accumulated a database of over 30,000 Kenyans interested in study of Scripture. They have film show crews. They have the capability for radio broadcasts, although they don't currently have any programs on the air. They lead Equipping the Saints workshops for evangelism training. They have prison and hospital visitation programs. They use drama, sports, and music to reach children and youth. They are experienced in utilizing media to reach God's people.
How can we work together?
One ELCK partner who comes to Kenya through LCMS World Mission uses an eyeglass clinic as a service and attraction for the community. In the course of one week at a number of locations throughout Kenya, this large team provides eyecare and corrective lenses to tens of thousands of people. While there, those people hear the Gospel message at least twice, are introduced to local church leaders, and are invited to hear the Word of God at the Lutheran church hosting the clinic. What if, I asked, Nuru partnered with the eyeglass clinic team? We could invite the people who come, people who - perhaps for the first time in their lives - are seeing clearly, to come again to the church later in the week and see the Jesus Film? One of the first things they ever see clearly in their lives could be an account of what Jesus has done for them. What an opportunity! What a partnership!
Together we talked about the ministry God is doing through our respective organizations and brainstormed what it might look like if we worked together. A short-term team coming to do door-to-door evangelism with a local congregation could request Nuru blanket the area with radio broadcasts in the month leading up to their trip. They could request a showing of the Jesus Film during or after their time in-country. They could even make use of the database of Bible Correspondence Course participants to access a targeted and interested demographic to invite them and get the word out in the community. It could be a great partnership.
But we don't enter into such partnerships lightly. We must be cautious to stay within our specific mission (don't go outside your area of expertise) and avoid burdening other organization's funding. Nuru has their own programming and strategy. They have their own budget and their own budget limitations. We must think ahead - what happens if there are a dozen short-term visiting teams who are all requesting Nuru support? Will that overwhelm Nuru's strategy, personnel, or resources? But we also know that when partners work together, the results are often far beyond what they can do separately. Let us hope and pray that together in new and creative ways, Lutheran Hour Ministries and LCMS World Mission can witness and participate in God's amazing work here in Kenya. -Shauen