“Ask and You Shall Receive”—Concordia Publishing Donates VBS Materials

Concordia Gospel Outreach Provides Materials for South Korean Mission Project

09.17.2009 – St. Louis, MO--In the current economy, a common question is, “how much will it cost?” In fact, that question can single handedly stop production lines. However, when KerriAnn Schmid contacted Concordia Publishing House (CPH) asking for assistance for her church’s mission trip, “how much will it cost?” was not a question she heard.

Schmid, who is the Director of Youth Ministry at Zion Lutheran Church in Belleville, Illinois, planned a mission trip to South Korea for the summer of 2009. In fact, she had been planning the trip for over a year and decided to contact CPH for assistance.

“We did fund-raising events, like yard sales, to raise the money to go, but our biggest expense was going to be airfare,” said Schmid. “We had done [Concordia’s] Gadget’s Garage [at Zion], so I had a lot, but not all, of the materials needed to run a Vacation Bible School (VBS) program.”

Knowing that they needed to pay for both their airfare and the mission materials, Schmid decided to contact CPH and find out if any of the materials could be donated. CPH responded immediately with an answer—yes.

Through the Concordia Gospel Outreach (CGO) program, a CPH vehicle that supplies Christ-centered, Gospel-focused Lutheran resources across the world, Schmid was given a leader guide, Bible packs, and craft materials completely free of charge to use on their mission in Korea.

“It’s no secret that the world needs to know Jesus,” said President and CEO Dr. Bruce Kintz. “As the publisher for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, we exist to support the work of Christian congregations, families, and individuals as they share Jesus with those who need to hear the message of His saving love.”

In fact, CPH is dedicated to sharing Jesus’ love in all of their VBS programs. In the summer of 2010, children will have the opportunity to experience Planet Zoom, a bee-themed VBS where children zip, zap, and zoom for Jesus and learn all about being bold bee-lievers who share Jesus with those who need to hear His message.

Because of CPH’s donation, Pastor Hyo Jong Kin, the pastor for the Korean Lutheran Church that meets at Zion, Schmid, her husband Jonathan, and two college students were able to travel to South Korea to spread this Gospel message—and they only had to cover airfare.

“The people I talked to at CPH were very quick to respond and obliging; we got everything that we asked for,” said Schmid. “It was really helpful for them to give us the leaflets and supplies. We were able to use all of our fund-raising towards getting there.”

Once they arrived, the group spent 12 days in three different cities working with underprivileged kids in Taecheon and running a VBS program in Pusan.

The VBS program this mission group put on showed their mission in action—something that all VBS programs, whether overseas or in the United States, strive to do. In Vacation Bible School, children learn about Jesus and learn to be bold and share Jesus with others, a gift that can change a life.

Zion Lutheran is not the only church that is lending this helping hand. Each year dozens of mission trips are set up by churches and churchgoers. In fact, through the LCMS World Mission alone, an average of 45 mission trips are organized each year. And that number is always growing.

“These missions are a great way for people to be involved in sharing the Gospel internationally,” said Jennifer Mustard, placement counselor for LCMS World Mission.

Whether close to home or half way around the world, people are dedicated to spreading God’s love—near or far—to everyone who needs it. In fact, in the past year, the Gospel has been spread to those in need in 15 different countries, with many missionaries traveling to Asia and Eastern Europe.

And CPH is helping in whatever way possible. Sometimes that means praying for a mission’s success and sometimes it means providing resources. In fact, each year, CPH receives many requests for free resources to support the ministry of the Church.

CPH continues to respond to these requests with the Concordia Gospel Outreach program, which helps cater to these needs by receiving used resources and delivering them to locations across the globe. Donations contribute to real stories of God’s people, close to home and far away. These materials proclaim the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ through contributions, sponsorships, and programs that distribute CPH resources for evangelism efforts throughout the world.

“The world needs Jesus; and Concordia Gospel Outreach is CPH’s mission in action,” said Kintz. “Whether it is VBS resources or children’s books distributed in foreign lands—Concordia Gospel Outreach supports the message of the Gospel as it is preached and taught in a multitude of places.”

Donations are received through the Web site, or by calling CPH at 1-800-325-3040.

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News Facts

Concordia Gospel Outreach connects people with opportunities to proclaim the saving Gospel through contributions and programs that distribute Christian resources for evangelism efforts worldwide.
Cents Make Sense:
Purchase resources at cph.org and simply round-up your purchase total to the nearest dollar. Cents Makes Sense supports the Concordia Gospel Outreach Fund
The new vision of Concordia Gospel Outreach allows CPH to use financial resources to supply God’s people with fresh, current materials. Your donations contribute to real stories of God’s people, close to home and far away.