Lutheran Hour Ministries has expanded Vivenciar.net into the United States as part of our Hispanic ministry outreach program. Pioneered and developed by LHM ministry center staff in the Latin America region, Vivenciar.net is a bi-lingual platform that reaches Spanish and Portuguese speaking individuals.
The digital platform offers guidance, support, and direction to individuals seeking help through live chats, blog posts, articles, e-books, and courses. “Vivenciar.net is a space where we listen to what people have to say about specific situations in their lives and accompany them in these moments,” says Deaconess Noemí Guerra, LHM’s program developer for Hispanic ministry.
Since it began in 2017, the purpose of Vivenciar.net has been to start conversations with non-Christians who are looking for help and guidance about relevant topical issues on the internet. Young adults are gravitating to the internet seeking help, including millions who are curious–or have doubts–about Christianity. The Vivenciar.net website serves as our hub for digital outreach throughout Latin America. Through Vivenciar.net, staff and volunteers enter into digital conversations with individuals and provide biblically based answers for their lives.
“We have a team of Christian volunteers ready and willing to talk to everyone who interacts with us confidentially, to offer biblical support and guidance. We are very excited to be able to be with people and talk to people especially during difficult times,” Guerra explains.
We hope that if someone searches words like “anxiety,” “depression,” or even “suicide,” the Vivenciar.net website will come up and they can find all kinds of resources or choose to chat live with someone. By using a digital platform, volunteers can respond to messages as soon as they come in, ensuring timely feedback for those seeking conversation.
There have been thousands of interactions with individuals on Vivenciar.net through the Latin America efforts so far and the number of interactions and e-book downloads have been increasing on the United States platform since it launched in August.
God continues to open doors for LHM to reach people with the Gospel in the United States and around the world through digital resources.
A woman who recently moved from Cuba to Florida visited the United States Vivenciar.net website. She was suffering from anxiety and relationship problems, and after talking with volunteers for several days, she agreed to be connected to a local Lutheran church. We are thankful for our relationship with her, and we are encouraged that she is taking steps to learn more about Jesus.