Director’s Letter
Tell the Next Generation
The Lord has done marvelous things for His people — things so great they should be told to children, youth and all people.
In July, the Synod in convention voted to make “Tell the Next Generation” the mission and ministry emphasis for this triennium. But this statement doesn’t stand on its own. The Word of the Lord in Psalm 78:4 makes clear that this is something for the people of God to do in response to what He has done: “We will … tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.”
The Lord has done marvelous things for His people — things so great they should be told to children, youth, young adults, and all those who need to hear that Christ is risen so that, by the Spirit’s power, they might become children of God.
What are these things? That Christ is risen for our justification. His sacrifice is sufficient payment for your sins and mine. The devil, your adversary, can no longer bring accusation to God against you. Death has been swallowed up in victory. Christ is risen. Baptized into Him, you have new life.
The death and resurrection of Christ is the most amazing — and most important — thing that’s ever happened in the world. LCMS Fourth Vice-President Rev. Christopher Esget began his sermon at this summer’s convention with one word in response to this: “Wow!” That’s what his member who suffers from dementia says when Pastor Esget reads the remarkable things that our Lord has done in the Gospels. We might not always say this as we hear those familiar readings, but we should. We should also be eager to tell others what He has done.
In this issue of Lutherans Engage the World, you’ll read how some of the members of your church body engage in the effort to “Tell the Next Generation.” I hope that you are encouraged by this and that you will pray for those who are doing the work described in these pages. And it is my prayer that you will join with your brothers and sisters in Christ in the LCMS as we share this life-giving message with others.
In Christ,
Rev. Dan Galchutt
Chief Mission Officer, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
