Ministry Update- May 2012
May 15, 2012
We appreciate your prayers and/or financial support to our ministry. Without your partnership our ministry would not be possible. God has done some amazing things this year, and you played an important role. We thought you would be just as encouraged as we were to see some of the ways the Lord worked through The JESUS Film Project in the past four months.
1. People worldwide had the chance to hear the gospel this year through various tools provided by the ministry. From new media tools that can be used as a springboard to the gospel, to the classic films like “JESUS”, “The Story of Jesus for Children” and “Magdalena: Released From Shame”—many individuals were given opportunities to accept Christ.
2. New translations of our film tools were completed. The classic “JESUS” film was dubbed into 21 new languages bringing the total to 1,142 languages. Six new translations of “Magdalena: Released From Shame” were completed bringing the total to 91 languages.
3. Stories of changed lives were witnessed from around the world. On March 15th factory owners screened “JESUS” for 110 workers from inside their factory located in a country in East Asia. As a result of the showing, 23 workers prayed to receive Christ while 24 others expressed a desire to know more about Christ. These new believers are in the process of being followed up with to help them grow in their faith.
4. In February, a new film-based discipleship series called “Walking With Jesus” premiered in Africa, helping Africans understand the practical implications of their faith. More than 250 people attended the premiere event including the Vice President of Kenya.
5. A website to promote the new anime film, “My Last Day”, was launched in March. The newly designed website, www.mylastdaymovie.com, provides a free download of the film available in multiple languages as well as outreach strategies and printable materials. The film serves as an innovative way to reach a new generation of seekers.
As we reflect on all that God has done through your support this year we are reminded of the passage in Ephesians that says it is purely by God’s grace that any of us know him. Paul goes on to say, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10).
Thank you for the good work you have been part of as a partner of our ministry. We praise the Lord for all He has done and continues to do through people like you. Please pray for more opportunities to create visual media tools to reach everyone everywhere. Thank you for your continued prayers for us. Praise God for providing one-third of our total financial support need in the past few months.
Ministry Update- April 2012
April 5, 2012
In many parts of the world, women are not valued in their society. With a great need to show them that they are valued by Jesus, Doug’s team produced the film “Magdalena: Released From Shame” which shows how Jesus values women by focusing on historical accounts of His interactions with four biblical women.
Campus Crusade for Christ leadership in Russia organized showings of “Magdalena” to coincide with a recent national holiday. To most Americans, March 8th is like any ordinary day. However, in Russia and other countries around the world March 8th is referred to as International Women’s Day which celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.
Prior to the public screenings of “Magdalena” surrounding this day, Campus Crusade leadership trained volunteers to assist with outreaches and follow-up meetings for new believers who come to Christ through the film. As a result of the showings, more than 400 women watched the film in March.
During one of the “Magdalena” showings in a region of Siberia, a couple attended who had never heard the gospel. With great suspicion, Yury accompanied his wife, Natasha, to the showing. Natasha’s mother is a believer and on several occasions invited her daughter to attend the church where the showing took place, but Yury never allowed his wife to go.
After the showing, Yury was so impressed with the experience that he urged Natasha to attend the church the following day. During the church follow-up meeting, Natasha accepted Christ! In addition to Natasha, 12 more women joined the church as a result of the “Magdalena” showing.
Pray that Yury would join his wife in attending church and that he would consider a relationship with Jesus. Pray also that the spiritual momentum created during the “Magdalena” showings will continue to spread across Russia and beyond.
Thank you for your prayers and support to our ministry. Your partnership means so much to us. Please continue to pray for us as we raise new monthly support. We value your prayers and know that this ministry would not be possible without your prayer support.
Japan- Triple Tragedy!
March 20, 2012
Here is an exciting outreach that our teams are involved with in Japan.
On Sunday, March 11, a year has passed since Japan was struck by the triple tragedy of an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. According to figures from the country’s National Police Agency, the Great East Japan Earthquake left 15,848 dead and 3,305 missing – the largest loss of life due to a disaster in Japan since World War II. Approximately 320,000 people lost their homes; including jobs, possessions and livelihoods. More than 90 percent continue to live in temporary housing. Trauma, grief, pain and hopelessness fill each day for many survivors. Combined with cold, dark weeks of winter have caused some to resort to suicide – already a chronic, increasing concern in Japan.
Japanese Tsunami Response “Manga”
A newly created “Manga” magazine titled “RISKRIDE” is planned to be distributed to survivors and others affected by this ongoing tragedy. It is a story of hope in the gospel of Christ that many have experienced through the help, concern and love of Christian relief and church workers. Manga magazine style is very popular in all segments of Japanese society and read by all age groups, especially its youth. “RISKRIDE” is a powerful story of faith and redemption that will encourage a path to recovery, purpose and revived hope for survivors to rebuild their lives!
“RISKRIDE”– View it and share it from here: http://www.jesusfilm.org/manga/RiskRide.pdf
PS, Please view “My Last Day,” a powerfully graphic anime´ depiction of the crucifixion of Christ and two thieves! This film uses the audio from “JESUS” and Doug’s team help develop the concept. http://www.mylastdaymovie.com
Ministry Update- February 2012
February 29, 2012
We all understand the great importance of leading someone to Christ. But it should not stop there. Following up that new believer so they understand the practical implications of their faith is just as critical.
One of the tools Doug’s New Media team developed to follow-up with new believers in Africa who come to Christ after watching “JESUS” is called “Walking With Jesus.” We shared about this film series in our August newsletter. Combining scenes filmed in Africa with clips from “JESUS”, this film-based discipleship series depicts common African life scenarios, modeling committed Christian discipleship.
This month, “Walking With Jesus” premiered in Africa. With more than 250 people in attendance including pastors, bishops and government leaders, the event was a huge success. The Vice President of Kenya delivered the keynote address.
Kenya Vice President
While this event was promoted as a premiere, our Campus Crusade for Christ staff members in Africa began using the film after its release to test it and provide feedback.
We have seen God do amazing things with “Walking With Jesus” like bringing people to Christ, helping them understand basic biblical truths and establishing churches in remote villages.
In a Muslim region of Mozambique, a staff team showed “Walking With Jesus” during a weeklong outreach. After the first film showing, a man accepted Christ and began helping the team screen the film in other areas during the rest of the week. As a result of the outreach, 1,500 people heard the gospel and 300 people made decisions to follow Christ!
Campus Crusade staff in Kenya are using the film series during their premarital counseling, helping couples become grounded on the truth of the gospel before starting their lives together. Church planters in Kenya began using “Walking With Jesus” as part of their church planting program. They say that traditionally follow-up groups dwindle in numbers over time. When they use the film series, the numbers increase each week as people bring their friends and family back to see the next episode. It is helping them build a congregation.
Please pray for the continued ministry use of “Walking With Jesus” in Africa. Please also pray for us as we continue to develop our monthly support team. Thank you for your prayers and partnership. It is a joy to serve Him in this ministry with you.
Ministry Update- January 2012
January 22, 2012
During the past 15 years, more than 1.5 million people have immigrated to the United States from the Middle East alone. Most have never developed a meaningful relationship with someone who truly follows Jesus. Instead of taking the gospel to their countries, God has brought many of them to us.
Click on the image to get more information and to order
This past Christmas, The JESUS Film Project partnered with four church denominations to distribute a multi-language JESUS DVD. The DVD includes 16 languages, and is designed to facilitate reaching the nations among us for Christ. As a result of this partnership, thousands of DVDs were distributed.
A Persian man living in California received the DVD and watched it with great emotion. He saw that a free copy of the Holy Injil (New Testament) was offered, so he contacted the JESUS DVD response center asking for a free copy in Farsi, his heart language.
People at the response center contacted one of their partner pastors whose church is in the area where this man lives. The pastor was excited to reach out to the man and agreed to send a Farsi New Testament, as well as some information about their church.
A few weeks later, the man contacted the pastor. They had a long conversation in which the man said he was having dreams of Jesus. The pastor was able to lead the man in the prayer of salvation over the phone and then invited him to come to the church, as well as to the midweek Bible study. An invitation to a special dinner was also extended and transportation was set up by members of the church to help minister to this new believer.
A very interesting dimension to this story is that this pastor became a follower of Jesus several years ago through the JESUS film while attending an American university as a foreign student.
Praise God for opportunities to share with people the multi-language JESUS DVD and for partners working in follow-up. You can get more information about ordering a copy of this DVD by clicking here.
We thank God for this new year and look forward to what He has in store for us. We are so grateful for your prayers and support to our ministry. It is through your partnership that we are able to reach people around the world in their heart language through film.
Ministry Update- September 2011
October 29, 2011
There is a tremendous competition for the hearts and minds of people throughout the world. Every culture is being bombarded with secular media, especially those under the age of 25 (which accounts for 50 percent of the world’s population).
One of the tools Doug’s New Media team developed to help reach this generation is an animé called “My Last Day”. We shared about the release of this film in our April newsletter. This nine-minute movie frames the story of salvation through animé to capture the attention of a new generation. All of the dialogue from “My Last Day” is taken from the original “JESUS ” film.
During a recent Campus Crusade for Christ outreach conference in New Zealand, more than 200 attendees discovered a creative way to reach out to the community. Typically conference attendees reach out to the community where the conference is being held. However, that task would have overwhelmed the small, local community. Therefore conference organizers prepared a room with computers where attendees could participate in an online outreach.
Organizers set up a website, www.watchthinkchat.com, which included a viewing of “My Last Day” followed by a short gospel presentation and an opportunity for visitors to then participate in a live chat with one of the attendees.
Each of the attendees involved in the outreach posted a link to the website, and promoted it through Facebook fan pages. Over the course of an afternoon, 10,000 people clicked on the link to watch “My Last Day”, including visitors from Saudi Arabia and Iran. Two thousand of those who viewed the film were friends of attendees, from which they were able to have 200 live chats about the gospel leading to two people indicating decisions to trust Christ.
The best thing about the outreach was that the vast majority of spiritual conversations that were initiated were with people that attendees already knew and would be in contact with again after the conference. The outreach helped them to initiate those often hard-to-start spiritual conversations with their friends. Praise God for a successful outreach. Pray for attendees as they take part in follow-up conversations with people they connected with during the outreach.
Ministry Update- August 2011
September 6, 2011
One of the greatest challenges African believers face today is their lack of understanding the practical implications of their faith. Many believers simply do not know what following Jesus looks like in their daily context.
To help address this crucial need for follow-up, Doug’s New Media team developed a five episode series called Walking With Jesus. Using narrated storytelling and clips from JESUS, this film-based discipleship series depicts common African life scenarios, modeling committed Christian discipleship. Walking With Jesus strengthens the African church by grounding new believers in their faith and equipping them to become fruitful members of the body of Christ.
Click image to watch a video about Walking With Jesus
On the first evening of a four-day Campus Crusade for Christ outreach program in an African village, many people gave their lives to Christ. During the following morning’s sessions, workers used Walking With Jesus to follow up with these new believers.
Following one of the Walking With Jesus episodes, the Holy Spirit moved an elderly woman to approach the ministry workers for counseling. She expressed regret for allowing her dislike for her son’s wife to cause her to encourage him to take a second wife. She explained that through the film series she was convicted and planned to apologize to her son’s first wife.
Later that day the ministry workers encountered a woman who identified herself as the man’s first wife. Explaining her astonishment at the repentance her mother in-law demonstrated, the woman began confessing all the ways she had wronged her mother-in-law. She left the team saying, “I am going to go and apologize to my mother-in-law, and from now [on] I promise to take good care of her.”
Providing discipleship is key to helping a new believer understand their commitment to Christ. Since joining staff with Campus Crusade , we both have experienced firsthand how discipleship can enlighten a new believer’s perspective of the gospel. We are grateful for the opportunities God has placed before us.
Pray for Doug’s team as they continue to develop film-based tools that proclaim the name of Jesus to the world. Pray for all the new believers in Africa who are being followed up with using this film series that they will continue to grow in their walk with God.
Ministry Update- June 2011
June 13, 2011
Backpack System
A ministry trip to Asia proved to be a “huge success,” exclaimed a JESUS film team leader from a partner ministry. Using the new technology of a backpack containing a solar-powered portable video system, a collapsible screen, and mini-speakers, he explained, “We presented the film four times (three times in the mountains and one time in the city) and had 325 decisions for Christ. The backpack was a hit with everyone!” The team leader continued, “When I did the initial movie presentation to our [Asian] ministry partners …, they wept for joy. I shared how I was able to partner with [The JESUS Film Project®] in getting the film and backpacks, and they were absolutely astonished at God’s providence. [An Asian leader] told me he had been praying for something like this for years.” A team of national ministers will continue presenting JESUS in many other areas.
Praise God for using new technology to help reach people for Christ in remote areas of the world. It is stories like this that Karen has the privilege of passing on to ministry partners of The JESUS Film Project. We recognize it would not be possible for us to minister without your prayers and support. Thank you for the sacrifices you are making on our behalf through your prayers and giving.
Please continue to pray for our financial needs. So far, we have raised 12 percent of our needed funds for our staff conference in July. Please pray that the remaining money will come in by June 30th, and that we will have safe travel to Colorado and back home.
July Ministry Staff Conference
June 6, 2011
During TV showings of the JESUS film in Peru, the screen displayed contact phone numbers. Many viewers called, but one in particular brought a surprise. Antonio called to share the personal effect the movie had on him then prayed to receive Christ over the phone. When asked for his address, he replied, “I am in prison.” The authorities had allowed prisoners to watch JESUS because it was Holy Week. Antonio asked for evangelistic tracts and Bibles because he wanted to spread the news about Christ. It took five hours for a JESUS film worker to gain access to the prison, but he persevered in order to visit Antonio. Despite the difficulties, the worker expressed joy about his visit. He continues to keep in touch with Antonio and plans to meet him on the outside one day soon.
This is just one of the exciting stories we hear from around the world of people coming to Christ in hard-to-reach places. Praise the Lord for how He is drawing people to Himself through the JESUS film and the ministry’s new media tools.
We have the opportunity to hear more about what God is doing around the world through other Campus Crusade for Christ ministries at our upcoming U.S. Staff Conference in Fort Collins, Colorado this July. For our continued training, we will also be taking a seminary level biblical studies class before the conference begins. We will gather with more than 5,000 Campus Crusade staff members from all over the country to receive great teaching from well-known Christian leaders, to pray and worship God together. It’s always an opportunity to sharpen our skills and to gain fresh vision and passion for ministry.
Campus Crusade does not cover the costs for this required class and conference, but allows us to reimburse all of the expenses incurred for our travel and stay in Colorado for the training. To do this, we need to raise $6,024 above our regular donations. This covers the cost of travel, housing, food, our class and conference fees. Would you prayerfully consider giving a special gift to help with these expenses?
Your consideration means so much to us as in addition we still have a great need for new monthly support. We will be in Colorado for a total of 30 days. The cost per day for both of us is approximately $200. Would you consider giving a gift of $200 for one day, $100 for a half day or $400 for two days? If you are in a position to give, whatever amount you contribute will make a difference. You can give online or by check, click here for more information.
Thank you for the vital role you play in helping us to remain in full-time ministry. You are making a difference in the Kingdom through your prayers and gifts. May God pour out His blessings on you!
