365 Days, 5 Hours, 49 Minutes, 12 Seconds, that is how long it actually takes for the earth to make one complete circuit around the sun. But in that we have a 365 Day calendar; we have to readjust, reset the calendar every four years to make it accurate -- thus "Leap Year". The 366 day adjustment began with Julius Caesar in about 44 B.C. If we had never made the change, today's date would probably be May 29, 2013, a pretty cold late spring. And all of us would be a year older! I like leap year, I am thankful for February 29th!

Have you realized that leap years are also Presidential Election years? I guess they need that extra day to do a little more campaigning and fundraising. Every four years we readjust, reset the Executive Branch of government with new promises, goals, plans and the desire to cast a new vision for the nation. Sometimes things change very little, other times the adjustment is more dramatic. Regardless, the process is very important, essential to keeping pace with the times.

How often do you reset your vision for your ministry? How often does your church reassess its mission? Are you current with the times in which we live? I am not asking about changing the gospel or our essential doctrines, but rather if you are relevant to the people you are trying to reach with the good news of Christ, are you in tune with the ones you are trying to grow up in Christ.

Perhaps this is the year that you and your church should take a moment and engage in pragmatic self-evaluation and mission analysis. Perhaps this is the time to readjust and reset your vision and practice to insure that you are sharing Christ with the lost and truly making disciples of the nations, all the nations, to the ends of the earth. Is this your leap year?

And perhaps this is the year you and your church consider strengthening your commitment to the Latino's in our midst who are rapidly becoming the majority ethnic people in America!

Matching Funds Challenge - $6,150.00!

The Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute has received many requests to make its courses available in a self-study, internet based, format, in English as well as in Spanish. Until now, funds have not been available to create this online coursework.

The Board of Directors for LHMI, at their November meeting, received a very generous offer of gifts for this purpose. Working together, the Board of Directors have established a matching gifts challenge of $6,150.00.

If you will help us match this challenge, $12,300.00 will be available to produce the lessons. The first class to go self-study online will be in English and will be our newest class offering, "Hispanic Mission Basics". This class presents ideas, methods, and models for Hispanic ministry for churches and individuals wanting to share the Gospel with Spanish-speaking people.

Please help us reach this matching gifts goal. Gifts may be mailed to the Institute or given online through our website. Funds identified for this purpose will be placed in a temporarily restricted fund and used as the classes are produced and distributed.

Thanks, Paige

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LHMI has received a Grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation. This Grant allows LHMI to take you and some of your friends to dinner to talk about Spanish Outreach. For more information contact R. Paige Mathews, Director of Development.