We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

Transcription

1 1

2 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-9 Hope gives us peace in the midst of persecution and perseverance in the face of oppression. dr. michael youssef Dear Friends and Partners, I believe Leading The Way is playing a crucial role in preparing the next generation for the challenges that lie ahead. My prayer is for God to use this ministry to raise up a generation of believers who understand the times and know what God is calling them to do a generation who knows who God is, believes what His Word says, and loves Him more than their very lives. This year we have seen the ruin that happens when man chooses his own way over God s. From the beheading of Christians to the legalization of same-sex marriage, we have grieved for the persecuted church and for our nation. Yet in the midst of the chaos, we have seen God do the impossible in the lives of our listeners and viewers. We have seen God turn young Muslim men and women into passionate evangelists for Christ. We have seen Him awaken lukewarm believers to stand for the Truth. In this report you will hear of men and women who are risking their lives for the call of Christ and serving tirelessly on the mission field. I want you to know that you are a part of their testimony. Through your prayers and support, God is igniting true hope in hearts worldwide in the midst of chaotic and turbulent times. Contents Touch One Person, Impact a Nation The Big Picture From Consumers to Disciples Domestic Outreach Proclaiming Hope to a World in Crisis International Outreach Covering the World with the Word Navigator Outreach Closed Countries, Open Hearts THE KINGDOM SAT The work is far from finished; the harvest field is vast. But our redemption is drawing near. Thank you for your continued spiritual and financial investment in Leading The Way. I pray you will be blessed by God as you see the rewards of your partnership throughout this report. To Him be the glory. Reviving the Church of Acts On-the-Ground Follow-Up Persecuted, But Not Abandoned Help The Persecuted In Christ, FY15 in Review Financials 24 Michael Youssef, Ph.D. Onward and Upward Mission & Vision

3 Ministry Overview BROADCAST Passionately proclaiming the uncompromising Truth of Christ through every major form of media to more than 190 countries in 25 languages. So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. ISAIAH 55:11 BROADCAST FOLLOW-UP HELP THE PERSECUTED FOLLOW-UP Evangelizing the lost and discipling new believers, equipping them to grow in Christ. Leading The Way Glossary They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ACTS 2:42 THE KINGDOM SAT: Leading The Way s 24/7 satellite and Internet channel airing sound Biblical content from more than 50 pastors, reaching the Muslim world for Christ. DUAL-LANGUAGE: Radio programs with Dr. Youssef s messages in English followed by translation into one of 24 other languages, reaching diverse audiences and English-learners. THE NAVIGATOR: Leading The Way s solarpowered pocket missionary loaded with the New Testament and Dr. Youssef s dual-language messages, designed to reach remote areas with the Gospel. 4 ON-THE-GROUND FOLLOW-UP: Leading The Way teams committed to evangelizing and discipling listeners and viewers responding to our broadcasts. HELP THE PERSECUTED: Leading The Way s ministry dedicated to meeting the urgent needs of persecuted Christians, many of whom have come to Christ through our broadcasts and follow-up. *Note: Many names in this report have been changed to protect their identity. HELP THE PERSECUTED Ministering to the needs of persecuted Christians through direct on-the-ground support. Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death. PSALM 9:13 5

4 THE BIG PICTURE TOUCH ONE PERSON, IMPACT A NATION Can one TV program really change a nation? From Libya, Lebanon, and Iraq, God called forth three political refugees who would become part of a discipleship movement in Turkey. Their story is a testimony of how one life touched by the Gospel can change a nation and how persecution is never the end of the story. fter 15 years of studying A and memorizing the Qur an, Shahid had given up on Islam. The more he studied it, the more troubled he became until one day, while flipping through the TV channels, he stumbled across THE KINGDOM SAT. I watched the channel day after day, Shahid said. I wrote to the channel, and a man from Lebanon corresponded with me for over two years, answering my questions about Jesus the Messiah. Shahid later traveled to Jordan, where he connected with George, the director of Leading The Way s follow-up teams. Through George s teaching, Shahid said, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. For three months I stayed in Jordan, where I studied the Bible and was baptized. Then I left to serve the Lord back in Libya. Soon after Shahid left Jordan, George lost contact with him. After two months of unnerving silence, George learned that Shahid s own father, angered over his son s conversion, had reported him to the government. The Libyan border guards had intercepted him. When George located Shahid, the young man was in a refugee camp in Turkey, where two Muslims had tried to murder him. George asked Shahid, Why did they want to kill you? Shahid replied, I couldn t keep my mouth shut. I had to share Jesus with others! That s exactly what Shahid continues to do and that s why his story doesn t end here. We first heard from Shahid more than two years ago. Last year we were able to help him navigate the legal system in Turkey through Help The Persecuted. With tears in his eyes he told George, Thank you for all that you did. Thank you for caring. Since then, God has used Shahid as a connecting point to expand God s Kingdom and connect other persecuted believers with Leading The Way. He is planting churches; he is discipling Muslim converts. He is using the funds from his own business to support other persecuted believers and pay the rent for the churches he has planted. Shahid s story, now just beginning, is a testimony of how God can use one broadcast to impact not just one person, but many lives for Christ. SHAHID HELPS RAMZI Like Shahid, 28-year-old Ramzi came to Christ through Christian television and studying the Bible. After his conversion, he could not help but share his faith with friends, family, and the Muslim refugees in his hometown. But when his family discovered his faith, his father kicked him out of their home. The seeds of one broadcast planted into a young Muslim s heart have grown into a vibrant church planting movement. Having fled his home country of Lebanon for Turkey, Ramzi is now a political refugee. Like Shahid, he is discipling Muslim converts and starting home churches in Turkey. 6 7

5 The Impact to the 1 The Impact of the 1 BROADCAST FOLLOW-UP HELP THE PERSECUTED SHARE MULTIPLY CHURCH PLANT Unable to work without asylum status, Ramzi could not pay his rent or living expenses. But after meeting Shahid in Turkey, things changed for him. Shahid shared Ramzi s story with us, and Help The Persecuted stepped in to cover his housing and living expenses. Ramzi has even used some of the aid he received to help other Christians in need. Although this kind of support seems simple, it means Ramzi can focus less on figuring out what he needs to sell to pay for rent, and more on his ministry in Turkey reaching people like Usama. Muslims wage war against each other in the name of God. At the peak of the turbulence in Iraq, Usama moved to Turkey and by God s divine orchestration, met Ramzi. After their meeting, Usama began searching the Internet for more information about this Jesus who could forgive people as evil as ISIS. He even began attending church and praying on Sundays with Ramzi. Usama was confused and couldn t understand the love of God. But he could feel something changing in his life. A GROWING CHURCH Now essentially exiled for their Christian faith, these three young men all under the age of 30 much like the disciples of Jesus day are advancing God s Kingdom. Shahid, Ramzi, and Usama continue to engage in discipleship with each other and with our team. Shahid and Ramzi are actively planting churches in the area and connecting new converts with communities to disciple them. The seeds of one broadcast planted into a young Muslim s heart have grown into a vibrant church planting movement, and the family of God is multiplying. RAMZI HELPS USAMA Ramzi first met Usama at a restaurant where their first conversation centered around ISIS. I have been praying for ISIS, Ramzi told Usama as he spoke about the love and forgiveness of Christ. For Usama, forgiveness was a foreign concept. At just 25 years old, he had already witnessed the death of four family members one of them at the hands of ISIS. In Iraq, he watched Sunni and Shia After two months, Usama accepted Christ as his Savior. Filled with the joy of the Lord, he called his cousin to discuss the reliability of the Bible. She informed their family, who stopped sending him money, took all his belongings, and asked him never to call back. Usama continues to receive discipleship from Ramzi, who connected him with Leading The Way to receive housing and living expenses so that he can make ends meet as a refugee. The story of Shahid, Ramzi, and Usama demonstrates how Leading The Way s broadcasts, personal follow-up, and Help The Persecuted ministry are not isolated outreach efforts, but a part of an organic move of God fitting into His bigger plan: making disciples of all nations. Their story reminds us that one person radically transformed by Christ and unashamed of His Gospel can lead to many lives touched by God. ABOVE Shahid baptizes a new believer on the same Libyan shores where ISIS beheaded 21 Coptic Christians. After reconciling with his family, he has returned to Libya and is helping our team follow up with THE KINGDOM SAT viewers in the area. He continues to travel for his business and has planted 11 churches across North Africa and Europe. 8 9

6 FROM CONSUMERS TO DISCIPLES From race riots to domestic terrorism to the legalization of same-sex marriage, 2015 was a spiritual turning point for the Western world as unprecedented challenges rocked our nation. In the midst of the chaos, Dr. Michael Youssef s bold confrontation of today s issues has positioned him as a powerful voice of Truth here at home. n February 24, 2015, Dr. O Michael Youssef stood before thousands of Christian media professionals with a startling message: I fear Islamic jihadis far less than I fear the Christian church departing from Biblical orthodoxy. Dr. Youssef s address at this year s NRB Islam Sessions was a grace-filled warning to the church: It is not outside threats, but those from within, that are destroying the church and as false gospels spread from the pulpits to the pews, it s time for us to renew our commitment to God s Word. It s time to get serious about making disciples. Leading The Way is committed to seeing a generation of consumers transformed into disciples of Jesus Christ. Our blueprint for this mission involves utilizing every major form of media to increase Biblical literacy from clear, Christ-centered messages to 24/7 broadcasts to a vast library of resources facilitating practical study and application of God s Word. Through this outreach, God is stirring hearts from lukewarm faith to a passionate pursuit of Christ. This month s publication has made me examine what type of faith I have. Is it real or counterfeit? Is Jesus really my Lord, or do I just know some facts? Feeling humble, I ask for true faith that only He can give. I m a hard-hearted man in many respects, but I m moved to tears this morning and something is changing inside me, something I can t explain. Joe, USA As nominal Christianity becomes the status quo and Muslim immigrants are arriving on American soil in record numbers, the mission field in the Western world is growing. By expanding our reach to family-friendly, non-religious networks like UPtv, ION, and 7Two, and through targeted broadcasting and follow-up efforts to reach Muslim audiences here at home, God is awakening those who might never consider watching a Gospel message. With Bible-based content available 24/7, airing more than 4,300 times a week, available in 25 languages, and accessible in the palm of your hand, Leading The Way is calling the church to stand on Biblical Truth and is reaching the lost with the only message that can save. There is no use trying to go across the globe before going across the street. The Bible gives us that priority Jerusalem, then the ends of the earth and that s what we re doing here at Leading The Way. dr. michael youssef I ve learned firsthand that Christ is everything. tony 5,660,530 TOTAL MEDIA HITS ACROSS THE WEB, APP, PODCASTS, AND ROKU It was a victory over sin. ben A Timely Wake-up Call With 23 media appearances in the last year and a timely response to the Supreme Court decision amassing more than 800,000 views on social media, God continues to use Dr. Michael Youssef to shed light on the spiritual issues behind current events. This year, Dr. Youssef addressed the rise of radical Islam through the release of his fastest-selling book to date, Jesus, Jihad and Peace. From the Pennsylvania pastor who distributed more than 200 copies to his congregation to the couple who used the book to share the Gospel with their Iranian neighbor, Jesus, Jihad and Peace has become a timely wake-up call here at home, awakening readers to the dark reality of Islam and God s deep love for the Muslim people. Visit Playing Offense Jesus, Jihad and Peace affirms that supporting Leading The Way in bringing truth to these precious people is one of our best defenses, as well as the best offense for the Kingdom of God. Patti, USA Restoring Hope In our world gone mad and with terror all around us... I have found myself asking God, Are you there? Michael s book really brings God and the sovereignty of our Father back into the picture. Stan, USA Awakening the Church It is my hope that all who read Jesus, Jihad and Peace realize our responsibility to stand firm against such demonic doctrine and follow the example of love, kindness, and hope for eternal salvation given to us by our Lord Jesus. Jorge, USA to watch their stories. THE IMPACT 35,495 BOOKS, TEACHING SERIES, AND OTHER BIBLE-BASED RESOURCES DISTRIBUTED FROM LEADING THE WAY 10 11

7 I m so glad that I found you on the radio. I did not know anything about Christianity. Hilal, 25 PROCLAIMING HOPE TO A WORLD IN CRISIS OUTRAGE OPENS DOORS In January 2015, a prominent Muslim official in Turkey declared, For Muslims who believe the Qur an, there is no age limit for marrying. There aren t any obstacles for marrying at 10, 7, or 6. Turkey has one of the highest rates of child marriage with an average of 50,000 child brides taken each year and the number of women who are killed or commit suicide is rising as a result. Shortly after the statement was released, our radio partners in Turkey began to hear these stories from our Turkish listeners: After watching the news on TV I decided to be a Christian. How can people say that a child could marry an old man? And they give references from the Qur an! I can t believe that.... I want to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Could you please help me? Ada, 30 Leading The Way s dual-language radio program, beginning with Arabic in 1996, has now grown to a 24-language library covering the globe with the Gospel. As Dr. Michael Youssef s messages ring out in the local language on radio, TV, and online, God is exposing darkness and stirring hearts to action. A supermarket owner asked that the program be given more time because his clients stick around when the program is aired and will not leave until it ends. A housewife said she listens to the program regularly, sitting next to her radio and following the Arabic-English translation from beginning to end and invites others to listen. Leading The Way s dual-language programs are a crucial piece of our international strategy. Appealing to Englishlearners, God is using this program to draw listeners who might never tune in to Christian programming, providing a timely message of hope to a broken world. I hate the way Muslims treat women, and I don t want to be a Muslim anymore. My family is getting more radical day by day. I listen to your programs and have started to read the Bible. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.... Please pray for me. Fatma, 24 I m so glad that I found you on the radio. I did not know anything about Christianity. I have problems with Islam.... One day I was listening to your program by accident.... Afterwards I got a Bible in secret. I m a child of the God of love now. When I marry one day, I want to marry a Christian. Please pray with me. Hilal, 25 SPIRITUAL HUNGER IN THE HOLY LAND This year, Leading The Way began broadcasting the Gospel out of northern Palestine in Israel, reaching Jews, Christians, and Muslims all with one Arabic-English radio broadcast. Within three months, the program had already begun to make inroads into the hearts of listeners. A restaurant owner reported that during the broadcast, the volume of university students increases dramatically because they come to listen while eating dinner. THIS YEAR, OUR DUAL- LANGUAGE RADIO PARTNERS HEARD FROM 34,616 LISTENERS AND DISTRIBUTED 3,661 BOOKLETS AND CDS

8 FY15 AT A GLANCE MORE THAN 60,000 NAVIGATORS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS MORE THAN 20 COUNTRIES 25 LANGUAGES ALBANIAN / AMHARIC / ARABIC / BENGALI CANTONESE / ENGLISH / FARSI / FRENCH HINDI / INDONESIAN / JAPANESE / KOREAN MANDARIN / PORTUGUESE / PUNJABI RUSSIAN / SINHALA / SPANISH / SWAHILI TAGALOG / TAMIL / THAI / TURKISH URDU / VIETNAMESE This year Leading The Way added Japanese to its duallanguage library and began production on its 25th language, Swahili. 21,856 FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATIONS WITH VIEWERS OF THE KINGDOM SAT MORE THAN 7,725 PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS HELPED THROUGH HIS FAITHFUL PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL, BOLD CONFRONTATION OF WORLD ISSUES, AND PERSISTENT ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE EAST, GOD IS ESTABLISHING DR. YOUSSEF AS A VOICE OF TRUTH GLOBALLY AS HIS MESSAGES REACH ACROSS 6 CONTINENTS

9 Covering the A lot of [refugee] children have experienced difficulties, but I see that they are improving.... They have found love and care. Pastor Yaseen, Jordan World with the Word The Perfect Tool for the Global Church It is hard to describe how much it means for me to have this tool in my hand. I can simply say that though I m blind, my spirit can see the majesty of our Lord. Dritan, Albania It is impossible to explain the effect these Navigators have had on people s lives. They have all lost everything. The Navigators tell them that the world may have forgotten their needs, but God has not and will not. Canon Andrew White, Iraq Remote villages in Nepal. Refugee camps in Iraq and Jordan. Drug towns in Brazil. Blind communities in Albania. Prisons in Indonesia. These are just a few of the places where the Gospel is going forth through the solarpowered Leading The Way Navigator. Compact, rechargeable by sunlight, and filled with the audio Bible and Dr. Youssef s messages, these devices are one of the most The Navigator could lift the country out of war and into peace and love for Christ, transcending tribal differences.... With the help of the Navigator, our team led 47 Muslims to Christ. Rhys, South Sudan Recently I had the opportunity to distribute Navigator audio Bibles in Nepal. I left on Friday, and the next morning Nepal witnessed a powerful earthquake.... I am certain that many are listening to these players right now and are being encouraged in the Lord and assured that He is in control. James, Nepal effective ways to share the Gospel in remote regions. Used for discipleship training among local pastors and 60,856 NAVIGATORS DISTRIBUTED evangelism by church planters, God ALBANIA INDONESIA PHILIPPINES is using this small handheld device to convict the lost, equip the believer, and comfort the persecuted. AUSTRALIA BRAZIL CHINA CUBA EGYPT ETHIOPIA INDIA IRAQ JAPAN JORDAN NEPAL NIGER PALESTINE PAPUA NEW GUINEA SOUTH KOREA SOUTH SUDAN THAILAND UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES ZAMBIA I had the privilege of carrying 400 Navigator audio Bibles in the Kukna language.... The next day as I walked through the village, I heard almost every home listening to the audio Bible in their small one-room huts. - James, India Many of our church planters call me and say, Can you send more Navigators? They minister in remote, poor villages, so it really helps them evangelize. You don t need a battery, just use the solar! Robert, Indonesia 16 17

10 THE KINGDOM SAT THE KINGDOM SAT CLOSED COUNTRIES, ow many of you watch H THE KINGDOM SAT? It s a question Dr. Michael Youssef asked a 7,000-member congregation in Cairo, and it s a question our on-the-ground team asked a crowd of refugees in a Middle Eastern country. In both instances, nearly the entire room raised their hands. ABOVE We asked a group of Middle Eastern refugees to raise their hands if they watch THE KINGDOM SAT. About 80 percent raised their hands. Most are Christians, but many are also Muslims. BELOW THE KINGDOM SAT plays in the background as our team interviews Sara, an Iraqi refugee whose family fled when ISIS overtook Mosul. They are also Help The Persecuted recipients. OPEN HEARTS I admire THE KINGDOM SAT; it is the reason for my faith. Through this channel I gave my life to Jesus Christ. youness, algeria THE KINGDOM SAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF VIEWERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. The number of viewers coming to our channel to find spiritual nourishment is increasing significantly, especially from Syria and Iraq, says Maged Atalla, director of THE KINGDOM SAT. People are trying to find hope. And nothing can help them except for a program that gives them a word of encouragement in a time when they are desperate. THE KINGDOM SAT is not just a media mission; it is a discipleship movement that relies on personal follow-up to build the body of Christ. A new Christian hungers for Biblical teaching in a closed country. A persecuted refugee family seeks encouragement. A Muslim searches for the Truth. These are the stories that THE KINGDOM SAT is hearing daily. I accepted Christ as my Savior but I ve never met another Christian nor attended a church. I totally depend on Christian channels to grow in faith and understand the truth. I m so thankful I got the chance to finally talk to a Christian through your channel. Thank you so much for your ministry. Amira, Algeria After the explosions of several churches in Mosul, we couldn t keep going to the church. Churches started to close and Christians began leaving the city from all the kidnapping and killing. Our only outlet was the religious channels, mainly THE KINGDOM SAT, which was our spiritual food.... We need it, especially the kids. They never had a chance in Iraq to get this kind of teaching. Sara, Iraq I was one of those people who fanatically and blindly defended Islam. One day a friend calmly advised me to study more about my religion.... it was hard to believe what I read. I couldn t see justice in the god of Islam. I called my friend and he told me about THE KINGDOM SAT. I started to watch the programs and got to know and understand the character of God, whom I always longed to know. I thank God that He delivered me from Satan and called me out of darkness into His wonderful light. Omar, Morocco MORE THAN 1M YOUTUBE VIEWS OF THE KINGDOM SAT PROGRAMS Devotion, disillusionment, doubt, atheism that is the cycle that many Muslims are going through as the rise of Islamic terrorism and other Qur anic issues stir up questions. With sound apologetics teachings and respectful conversation-starters, THE KINGDOM SAT is engaging an increasingly skeptical, atheistic culture with the Gospel. This year, in a risky move to provide more evangelistic content for Muslim audiences, THE KING- DOM SAT began featuring teaching programs from Muslim-background believers. One program features teachings from a convert from Saudi Arabia, a country with a reported 100% Muslim population. The juxtaposition of a man in traditional Saudi dress, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and sharing about his experiences as a former Muslim is a powerful image that some viewers simply cannot believe. The feedback is overwhelming, says Maged. Some people don t believe it, some think we are faking it, and some are surprised and are asking questions. And that s exactly the goal: conversations. THE KINGDOM SAT is not just a media mission; it is a discipleship movement that relies on personal follow-up to build the body of Christ. The programs of THE KINGDOM SAT are simply a hook to bring people to us with their questions and ultimately, to lead them to the Lord Jesus. Through this 24/7 satellite and Internet channel, God is reaching into closed countries and transforming lives in Christ and He is lighting a fire in the Muslim world that cannot be extinguished. LEFT THE KINGDOM SAT uses programs like Al Fadi s Behind the Dunes to reach Muslim audiences and music like the Tunisian rap song Jesus Is the Answer to reach the youth

11 ON-THE- GROUND FOLLOW-UP ON-THE-GROUND FOLLOW-UP REVIVING THE CHURCH OF ACTS I m so thankful for the follow-up team who walked me through the Bible and explained to me repentance, forgiveness, salvation, and the relationship between God and man. hakima, morocco A young man teaches a new believer how to study the Bible. A Muslim calls with questions about Christianity. A group of new Christians prays in secret. A convert asks to be baptized. Late-night s, long phone conversations, and secret meetings this is the daily life of Leading The Way s on-the-ground follow-up teams as they interact with our viewers. C an you send me more teaching on Jesus? After watching THE KINGDOM SAT in Indonesia, Eko was hungry to learn more about Christ, so he contacted our on-theground follow-up team in search of the Truth. After our team shared the Gospel with him and answered his questions, Eko came to faith in Jesus and was baptized. His heart burns with eagerness to share the Gospel, our follow-up team reported in April After giving his life to Christ, Eko, a middle-aged sugarcane seller, went to a neighboring village to share the Good News with others and led five people to the Lord. Because of his boldness, Eko has fled angry crowds, received beatings, and been forbidden to evangelize. Being a Christian is not easy in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world. But that hasn t stopped Eko. Undeterred, he has even gone to local mosques to share the Gospel. Eko s ministry all began with one broadcast that touched his heart and stirred him to call our channel to learn more. They are on the frontlines of ministry, walking with those whose conversion could literally be a life-or-death decision. He is one of thousands who receive personal ministry through Leading The Way s follow-up teams. These teams work tirelessly to evangelize and disciple those who call in response to our programs answering theological questions, leading Bible studies and in-person discipleship meetings, and connecting them with the local church. They are on the frontlines of ministry, walking with those whose conversion could literally be a lifeor-death decision. This year, our small team engaged in more than 20,000 conversations with viewers of THE KINGDOM SAT. We spend so many hours on one Skype conversation, says George, Regional Director of THE KINGDOM SAT. It s not just a question and answer thing. Sometimes people just want to cry or want somebody to pray with them. All of Leading The Way s follow-up staff have at least a bachelor s in Biblical studies from an accredited seminary. Most are converts from Islam who have experienced persecution firsthand and continue to serve at great personal risk in closed countries. 21,856 CALLS, SKYPE CONVERSATIONS, AND S THIS YEAR THROUGH THE KINGDOM SAT 13 ON-THE-GROUND FOLLOW-UP COORDINATORS AND MANY VOLUNTEERS AND PARTNERS These teams not only connect believers with the local or underground church, they also plant new churches where none exist. Discipleship groups are outgrowing themselves and multiplying. New believers are being baptized. Viewers are growing in faith, becoming leaders, and sharing the Gospel and their faith is contagious. Amidst great crisis and extreme persecution, revival is happening. Through on-theground follow-up, Leading The Way is emboldening viewers to follow Christ, mobilizing underground churches, and empowering modern-day Apostle Pauls to expand God s Kingdom. Through their work, the book of Acts is being lived out as one person touched by the Gospel begins sharing it with others. Leading The Way heard from a young Saudi Arabian woman whose doubts about ISIS led her to our follow-up team, and ultimately, to Christ. Visit to watch her story. Behind the Scenes 1 Our team receives a call, , text, or Facebook message with theological questions or prayer needs in response to the programs of THE KINGDOM SAT. 2 Team members discern whether a request is genuine or if the person intends harm. 3 Phone calls, Skype appointments, or in-person meetings are arranged and discipleship takes place. It often takes eight months to a year until someone makes a decision for Christ. Here, a follow-up coordinator meets with a Syrian convert. 4 A new believer is connected with a local or underground church or another believer, or is placed into one of our own discipleship groups, which grows and multiplies

12 HELP THE PERSECUTED HELP THE PERSECUTED PERSECUTED, UNE 10: the date is J etched in Sajed s memory. It s a date he will never forget because it s the day his hometown of Mosul became part of the Islamic State. MORE THAN 7,725 PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS WERE HELPED ISIS has ushered in one of the largest refugee crises in history, displacing more than 3.3 million people in Iraq alone. Cities where Behind the Scenes BUT NOT ABANDONED The mission of Help The Persecuted is to work alongside our broadcast and follow-up ministry to demonstrate the Gospel by providing strategic, We lived in fear and horror knowing that the terrorist group ISIS was very near to our area, Sajed said. The Iraqi army retreated, leaving Sajed s family defenseless against the bombs. Seeking shelter, they fled to the neighboring town of Erbil. For five days, they lived in a tent in school courtyards, parks, and church gardens until the Kurdish army told them that the violence was over. Return home; we will protect you, they said. So Sajed and his family returned to Mosul. THIS YEAR BY LEADING THE WAY 38% of cases were ISIS-related. Sajed and his family now receive funding from Leading The Way for living expenses and medical expenses. With a recent kidney transplant, Sajed needs to take expensive medication on time so that his body does not reject his new kidney medication he could no longer afford until God provided through Help The Persecuted. Christianity has thrived for nearly 2,000 years have found their Christian populations decimated whether killed or forced to flee as refugees. With refugee status, these believers are denied legal work and struggle to pay their living expenses. Their stories are innumerable, but their needs are simple: housing, food, medical supplies, jobs, mattresses, plane tickets, legal fees. Although forsaken by the world, God has not forgotten them. The Leading The Way team listens to and assesses the needs of a potential Help The Persecuted recipient. Cases where the recipient has experienced direct persecution, significant loss of livelihood, or the murder of a family member are prioritized. practical help to Christians affected by persecution. When they returned, there was no water or electricity; ISIS now had control of that. And on August 6 at 4:30 am, as bombs fell around them once again, they awoke to the dismal reminder that Mosul was no longer their home. We lost everything because of ISIS, Sajed says. They persecuted us, killed us, and forced us to leave with only the clothes on our backs. But now I m ready to forgive ISIS. And that s all by the grace of the Lord. FUNDING BY CATEGORY B C Christian refugees previously living 12 to a room are led into their new home, one of Leading The Way s safe houses. The promises of the Kurdish forces evaporated as their army retreated. ISIS gave the Christians three options: pay a crippling fine and live under ISIS rule, convert to Islam, or be killed. We left our jobs, houses, cars, and everything we had for the sake of Jesus name, Sajed said. We were not ready to forsake Jesus name for anything. With the August sun beating down on them and with no food or water, they traveled 11 hours back to Erbil, obtained visas, and traveled to Jordan. There they lived in a church hall with 110 others. We suffered, Sajed said, but we were joyful because all of this was for the name of Jesus Christ. This year, Leading The Way distributed more grants to persecuted Christians than in all previous years combined, providing help to recipients across 12 countries. In addition to helping individuals, Leading The Way actively partners with churches on the ground who have opened their doors to Christian refugees. Through the life-giving support of Help The Persecuted, God is strengthening our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. In turn, we are learning from them as they continue to run the race of faith with great hope and endurance a picture of a victorious church in the midst of chaos. The Lord has sent kind people into our lives, Sajed says. He will not forget us. A A HOUSING: 36% B LIVING EXPENSES: 17% C FOOD: 14% D EDUCATION: 7% E TRUSTED PARTNERSHIPS: 6% F EMERGENCY RELIEF: 6% G MEDICAL: 3.5% M L H I J K L M K J I H G SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE: 3% BUSINESS: 2% TRAVEL: 1.5% CONSTRUCTION: 1.5% FURNISHINGS: 1.5% LEGAL: 1% D F E The Leading The Way team spends time encouraging a Help The Persecuted recipient. Bags of food staples are distributed to a crowd of refugees at a local church. Sajed shares his story with us

13 FY15 IN REVIEW Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef and affiliates PARTNERSHIPS U.S. REVENUES, GAINS & SUPPORT 2015* 2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Cash & Cash Equivalent Gifts $ 18,298,308 $ 16,360,323 Miscellaneous $ 9,288 $ 80,396 Total Revenues & Support $ 18,307,596 $ 16,440,719 U.S. EXPENSES & LOSSES Program Services $ 16,122,237 $ 14,342,757 Management & General $ 557,801 $ 494,043 Fundraising $ 1,313,530 $ 1,171,737 Total Expenses & Losses $ 17,993,568 $ 16,008,537 Change in Net Operations $ 314,028 $ 432,182 Disposal of Assets/Investment Income $ 0 $ 1,544,992 Change in Net Assets $ 314,028 $1,977,174 INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATE OFFICES James Caswell, Jr. Chairman Nick Ayers Secretary Don Chapman Dennis Chorba Treasurer John D. Craft Thomas Roe Frazer II Eric Graham, M.D. Sandra Johnson Elizabeth Youssef Michael Youssef, Ph.D. STRATEGIC GIVING PARTNERSHIPS Our ministry partners have continued to increase their giving through Strategic Gift Planning creatively making a difference with the resources God has entrusted to them while also lowering their tax burden. ESTATE GIFTS FY2015 was a significant year for estate gifts, with roughly 8% of the ministry s total revenue coming from deceased donors. Giving to Leading The Way through your will is the easiest way to continue passionately proclaiming the uncompromising Truth of the Gospel after your passing, while removing highly taxable assets from your estate. We are humbled when estate gifts come in from those we know and from many we never knew all who share the common goal of supporting the ministry work of Leading The Way with their estate. 10% Financial Partnerships by Partner Category 79% 87% AUSTRALIA Currency Shown in AUD Total Revenues & Support $ 1,890,496 $ 3,142,980 Total Expenses, Losses & Transfers $ 1,697,414 $ 3,004,135 Change in Net $ 193,082 $ 138,845 HONG KONG Currency Shown in HKD SAVING ON APPRECIATION With a rallying market, ministry partners give more gifts of stock each year, in most cases avoiding capital gains taxes while receiving a tax deduction for the full amount. Giving real estate and business interests also allowed partners to avoid taxes and give out of their assets versus cash. 2% 8% 1% Total Revenues & Support $ 630,253 $ 216,688 Total Expenses, Losses & Transfers $ 794,564 $ 210,366 Change in Net $ (164,311) $ 6,322 CANADA Currency Shown in CAD Total Revenues & Support $ 519,867 $ 378,615 Total Expenses, Losses & Transfers $ 533,854 $ 415,553 Change in Net $ 13,987 $ (36,938) UNITED KINGDOM** Currency Shown in GBP Total Revenues & Support 195, ,490 Total Expenses, Losses & Transfers 211, ,644 Change in Net (15,297) (25,154) * Unaudited Financial Reports ** Fiscal Year Ending 31 October Leading The Way is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). Full disclosure and footnotes are found in the complete independent audit financial reports. TAX-SMART GIVING The IRA Charitable Rollover Act was first initiated in 2006 and allows taxpayers age 70 ½ or older to transfer up to $100,000 annually from their IRA accounts directly to charity without first having to recognize the distribution as income. Congress re-evaluates this act each year, so please check with our office for this year s status. idonate GIVING Since last year s launch of idonate, a trusted third-party company that turns unused assets into ministry donations, we have received generous gifts from assets like pianos and cars. VOLUNTEER PARTNERSHIPS Dr. Michael Youssef continues to faithfully serve Leading The Way while receiving no compensation. He remains our number one volunteer! Following Dr. Youssef s servant leadership style, more than 40 faithful volunteers save the ministry tens of thousands of dollars each year with the gift of their time. I am so grateful that God has made it possible for people in so many nations to hear the Gospel through Leading The Way. caryn, uk Individuals and families (includes bequests, stocks transfers, and personal trust gifts) The Church of The Apostles (a portion of budgeted mission giving) Estate Gifts Foundations Other (includes Combined Federal Campaign, idonate, Corporate Matching Gifts, and AmazonSmile) 24 25

14 ONWARD AND UPWARD MUSLIM WORLD OUTREACH Going Deeper THE KINGDOM SAT will increase production of evangelistic content from Muslim-background believers to deepen our outreach to Muslim audiences. On-the-ground follow-up teams will then expand staff resources to handle increased viewer discipleship in the Middle East and North Africa. Expanding Crisis Support In the last year, Help The Persecuted has doubled its assistance to persecuted Christians. Leading The Way plans to hire additional coordinators to accommodate growing needs arising specifically from the Syrian and Iraqi refugee crises. DOMESTIC OUTREACH Building a New Web Platform As smartphone use and web streaming are overtaking traditional media consumption, Leading The Way has laid the groundwork for our single largest media project to date: a new web platform that will include a greater selection of online content, mobile content, and further integration with social media. Mission & Vision Continuing the Momentum Leading The Way aims to continue the momentum of Jesus, Jihad and Peace with the 2016 release of Dr. Youssef s newest book, End Times and the Secret of the Mahdi, equipping believers and church leaders with a Biblical understanding of world events. INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH Spanning the Globe To complete the first major milestone of our One Million Pocket Missionaries Project, Leading The Way will complete distribution of the first 100,000 Navigators worldwide by April Our dual-language program will also expand with the addition of our 25th language, Swahili, to our dual-language library. Reaching the Digital Mission Field Leading The Way will enhance its digital strategy to meet the changing needs of our global audience. Through the development of a new web platform, international audiences will have easier access to Biblical content and resources in their own language. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. MATTHEW 28:

15 28