From: "Rev. Robert L. Rahn (by way of Rev. Eric J. Stefanski, )" To: Subject: CLIMB: LHF Groundbreaking Date: Friday, November 02, 2001 12:54 PM For Immediate Release by Dr. Robert L. Rahn LHF Executive Director +++LHF Breaks Ground For World Mission Center+++ Around 100 people attended the May 11, 2001, groundbreaking ceremonies for the Lutheran Heritage Foundation World Mission Center to be built in Macomb Township, MI, approximately 23 miles north of Detroit. The 11,000 square foot facility will serve as the center from which the translation and publishing mission efforts of the LHF are coordinated and administered. The Rev. Robert Kasper, Pastor of St. Peter Lutheran Church, Macomb, delivered the message for the groundbreaking event. Rev. Kasper said: "It is a privilege for our church to be involved in this effort and I encourage more churches to help the LHF build on the foundation of Christ through the books and literature they provide free of charge all over the world." Members of the LHF Board, LHF local and international staff, area Pastors, building tradesmen, township officials, and area volunteers all participated in the dirt turning symbolic ceremony. The building will be divided into three primary units. The middle portion of the building will contain a reception area, copy, communication, and mail rooms, and will also house the executive staff in six self contained offices. There will also be a Board Room designated as the Dr. Robert D. Preus Board and Conference Center. Dr. Robert Preus served as Chairman of the LHF Board of Directors from 1992-1995. A second unit has been set aside for the King's Royal Order of Stuffers, a volunteer group which assembles all LHF mailings. The final unit will house several offices, a work area, and storage. Dr. Anssi Simojoki, LHF Vice President for the Africa Region, from Nairobi, Kenya represented some 250 members of the International Staff. "This venture has great significance for the world mission scene as we become better equipped to carry on the work eagerly awaited by a large segment of Lutherans who have survived with little or no Lutheran books and literature in their language." He cited the case of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT) which came into existence over 150 years ago and today has 2.6 million members. Only recently the LHF provided the first Lutheran works ever published in the Swahili language. "I pray that this Center becomes a true center of activity that will allow many more works to be translated and published through this God-blessed work," Dr. Simojoki added. A noon luncheon was provided following the groundbreaking ceremony. Rev. Robert L. Rahn, LHF Executive Director, presented a brief history on the search for an existing office or property. The Rev. William Brege, Building Committee Chairman, Ossian, IN, commented that the growth of the LHF has made the plan of leasing out a portion of the building obsolete. "We have grown to now working in 60 regions of the world and in 58 different languages, a phenomenal blessing from our gracious God," Rev. Brege said. Despite breaking ground the LHF is still dealing with preliminary construction issues. It is anticipated that construction will commence later this year and that the building will be completed and occupied by June 2002. "Our goal of entering the building debt free was delivered a blow when it was determined that additional site preparation work needed to be performed. We still believe that God has allowed a building delay in order to give us time to shore up a CLOSE THE GAP campaign so that we can still enter the facility debt free," Rev. Rahn said. Those interested in helping to CLOSE THE GAP can purchase a $200.00 inscribed paving stone with personalized wording. The pavers will form a walkway in a designated area on the property site. So far over 200 paving stones will be placed in the walkway. To request a brochure and order form featuring this program please call 1-800-554-0723. A form can also be completed and printed off by visiting www.lhfmissions.org and selecting the building project link found at the bottom of the home page. + + + Confessional Lutherans in Missionary Boldness + + + The CLIMB e-letter brings you unedited, uncut reports directly from the mission field, whether in South America, Africa, Europe, inner-city, rural, or collegiate America, or military installations and battle sites around the world. It is our contention that those who truly hold to the ~Book of Concord~ as the pure exposition of Holy Scripture and the true confession of the Christian faith are also the most zealous supporters of the preaching of the Gospel in every corner of the world and, as such, ought to be kept thoroughly informed of how those endeavors are faring and shown how they may be rightly carried out without the destruction of orthodox doctrine and practice that some within the pale of Lutheranism now advocate. You may contact the authors of individual posts to this list simply by using the 'Reply' feature of your email reader (unless otherwise indicated in the above message). Because of the demands of their endeavors, there is the possibility that not all responses will be able to be answered. 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