Contact: Suzie Salee, Lutheran Hour Ministries, 800-944-3450 ext. 4214

ST. LOUIS, Mo., Oct. 12, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- New this fall, Lutheran Hour Ministries' JCPlayZone at www.jcplayzone.com is putting teachers front and center. The "Teacher Zone!" is an easy way to shine the limelight on that special educator who's making a difference in the lives of the kids he or she is teaching. Nominating someone is easy. Just go to the website, click on "Check out the TeacherZone!" and fill in an easy form. At the bottom of the form the sender can describe how JCPlayZone is being used in the teacher's classroom.

Everybody can get in on the act. Public, private or parochial school -- it does not matter. Fellow teachers, pastors, principals, administrators and friends are all urged to nominate a deserving educator, no matter where they teach. Selected teachers are then featured on the website as a "Teacher of the Month." Winning teachers receive a framed certificate to proudly display in their classrooms. In August Debbie Armbruster of St. Mark's Lutheran School in Eureka, Missouri took top honors. In September, the winner was Amy Krengel of Epiphany Lutheran School in Houston, Texas. Who will it be for October?

And there's more too! The students of the winning teacher become the "Class of the Month" and get their own special gift. It's kids, of course, who are the real beneficiaries of quality teachers.

One way teachers score big with their students is when they're using one of JCPlayZone's many online features in the classroom. At www.jcplayzone.com you'll find interactive games, crafts, recipes, coloring pages, animated Bible stories, original music, crossword puzzles, Daily Devotions, e-cards, word searches and other goodies -- all designed to give kids cool and creative stuff that's fun to use and teaches them about God’s love in the process.

Teachers are vital to the health of our children and our nation, and this is just one small way we can say thanks for all they do. Is there a first-rate teacher you know of who is making a difference in students' lives? Nominate that teacher today!

Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) is a Christian outreach ministry supporting churches worldwide in its mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations -- and the Nations to the Church. For more information on LHM's many Christ-centered resources and ministry programs, go to www.lhm.org.