About Friendship Ablaze!

These materials were prepared 

• thanks to a generous grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans; 
• at the request of Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) District and Congregational Services--Outreach Ministry, in support of the Ablaze! initiative; and 
• under the direction of The Center for U.S. Missions, Rev. Michael R. Ruhl, Executive Director.

They were written to encourage and enable congregations to equip their members to reach out with the love of Jesus Christ and embrace their unchurched friends. Material for a Friendship Sunday outreach is included as part of an overall, ongoing Friendship outreach focus.

The materials are available for free download from the Downloads library. Printed copies, in a 3-ring binder, are available at a cost of $40 plus shipping from the Center for U.S. Missions. Order from the Center's secure website, or contact the Center at 949-854-8002 x1780; 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, California 92612;  office@centerforusmissions.org.

The title Friendship Ablaze! was chosen because these materials support the Ablaze! initiative, a worldwide mission movement of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to share the Good News of Jesus with 100 million unreached or uncommitted people, 50 million of them in the United States, by the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.

Ablaze! and Friendship Ablaze! center on one Christian giving witness of the hope that is within him or her to another person so that person may encounter Christ (called the “critical event”).

These materials were written by:
Mr. Bruce Braun, Westland, Michigan
Mrs. Chris Chauvin, Fenton, Michigan
Rev. Michael Gibson, Milpitas, California
Rev. Jerry Kosberg, Phoenix, Arizona
Rev. Glenn Lucas, Santa Clarita, California
Rev. Michael Ruhl, Irvine, California
Ms. Martha Windelborn, Sycamore, Illinois

Other contributions were made by:
Ms. Melissa Barnett, Milpitas, California
Rev. Farouk Khan, People of the Book Lutheran Outreach
Dr. George Locke, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Rev. Michael Meissner, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Mr. Terry Schmidt, St. Louis, Michigan
Ms. Sue von Fange, Clinton Township, Michigan
LCMS District and Congregational Services—Outreach Ministry

Editor: Karen Kogler, Palatine, Illinois, for the Center for U.S. Missions
Production Assistance: Michelle Connor, Irvine, California, for the Center for U.S. Missions
Website development provided by Tim and Katrina Behnken