Connecting with Travelers Through Project Connect Booklets 

Connecting with Travelers Through Project Connect Booklets 

Truck stops might not be the first place you think of for sharing the Gospel. These high-traffic locations have proven to be a fantastic opportunity for individuals to learn about the love of Christ through LHM’s Project Connect topical booklet ministry.  

Gene Mackey, former zone president in the Nebraska district of the Lutheran Laymen’s League (Lutheran Hour Ministries), was friends with the CEO of Sapp Brothers Petroleum. Several years ago, he came up with the idea of providing Project Connect booklets in Sapp Brothers’ truck stops across the state of Nebraska. The CEO of Sapp Brothers Travel Centers gave Gene the green light to place the standing display racks filled with booklets in each of his 17 locations. Altogether, they stretch from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Fairfield, Pennsylvania, with locations in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois in between. Gene then recruited other Nebraska district LLL members to restock the racks at various locations.  

Dennis and Imogene Wacker first learned of the LLL when they attended a young couples club shortly after they were married 53 years ago. The group was affiliated with the LLL, and members supported it by using Bible studies, hosting a Lutheran Hour Sunday every year, and attending zone rallies and district conventions. As the group stopped meeting over the years, many members like Dennis and Imogene continued to be LHM supporters. Their longstanding involvement is why they agreed in 2021 to take over the racks at the truck stop location in Odessa when the couple who previously stocked it could not continue. 

Living about 80 miles away from Odessa, Dennis and Imogene stock the rack that is located inside a high-traffic enclosed entryway every two months. “The first time we went to Odessa to refill the rack it hadn’t been stocked for about six to nine months,” says Dennis. “When we first got to the truck stop, we couldn’t find a Project Connect rack anywhere. We asked the young man working behind the counter if he knew anything about a booklet rack, and he said they had taken it down and he didn’t know what had happened to it. As we were talking with him, another employee just happened to walk by, heard the conversation, and said he knew where the rack was in the storeroom, and they would like to have it back up if we would refill it. We were so thankful that the second employee walked by at just the right moment, or the ministry at this truck stop would probably have ended. It was a God-thing!”  

“When we didn’t get there for about three months over the summer, the rack was completely empty,” says Imogene. ““We have talked to several employees who say they get concerned whenever the rack starts to get empty, and they hope we show up again soon to restock it. Several staff members have commented on the popularity of the booklets and management is incredibly supportive of the project.”  

Dennis and Imogene order a wide variety of booklets and have found the children’s booklets to be particularly popular. “The booklets on PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicide, cancer, Alzheimer’s, grief, angels, parenting, pornography, and gambling are also very popular,” says Dennis. “We also try to always stock the booklets, “Who Is Jesus?,” “What Is Faith in Jesus?,” and “Why Did Jesus Die?” 

While this might seem like a costly endeavor, Dennis and Imogene learned about the Thrivent Action Teams program to help maximize their efforts. “We order $750 to $1,000 worth of booklets, including shipping costs, each year,” says Dennis. “The Thrivent Action Team grants of $250 each make this a very ‘doable’ project, and we have encouraged others in the Nebraska district to also use Thrivent grants to help get these booklets in front of even more people.” 

Do you know locations where you can bring hope to your community by utilizing a Thrivent Action Team grant to set up a booklet display? Beyond your church narthex or fellowship hall, Project Connect displays are a great resource for community recreational centers, doctors’ and dentists’ offices, funeral homes, and other locations where a lot of people visit. To learn more about Project Connect, visit lhm.org/projectconnect. To find out more about Thrivent Action Grants, visit thrivent.com/about-us/membership/thrivent-action-teams