2017 MINISTRY REPORT

Transcription

1 2017 MINISTRY REPORT

2 We Do THREE Things TEACHING TRAINING TOOLS It is amazing to consider the millions of lives that have been transformed through the ministry of Living on the Edge over the last 20 years. We celebrate what God has done! Together, we are on mission to help Christians live like Christians at home, work, and school in order to transform families, churches, and communities for the common good and the glory of God. You will read a few stories that reflect this type of transformation in the following pages. Each of these stories has incredible and eternal significance. For THREE Groups MULTITUDES SMALL GROUPS LEADERS EVERY ONE matters. This report provides a glimpse of the impact we see every day at Living on the Edge, but we believe the work has just begun. I hope you are as blessed as I am to see how God is at work, and I pray you ll be inspired as you read about where we believe God is leading us. For ONE Purpose TO HELP CHRISTIANS LIVE LIKE CHRISTIANS

3 The Real God for Real Needs When people like Emily see God for who He really is, it revolutionizes every facet of their lives. Now imagine the difference it would make if EVERY ONE encountered The Real God. THE REAL GOD NO MORE GUESSWORK Having a right view of God changes everything. This crucial truth has been the heartbeat of our resource development in 2017 and will continue to guide new releases for children, students and churches in Take a look at what God is doing... Before I was saved, I was dating women in serial relationships and still figured myself to be a pretty good person. I was relying on that because I didn t have an understanding of sin or repentance. Then I was asked to join a Bible study. The more I read and understood, the bigger God became and the smaller I felt. I realized that I was following me and calling it Christianity. Chip s book made it so clear for me that I didn t have any guesswork. Homosexual practice and drug use were my most obvious sins, but there are many others God revealed and continues to reveal to me. I trust He ll complete the work He s begun, and now I just want to be an open vessel. I want to be a good wife and helper to my husband, Ben, and a servant with the story He has given me. - Emily Release of The Real God Book Release of The Real God Workbook & Video Series Release of The Real God Family Devotional & Videos Release of The Real God Children s Curriculum (2018) Release of The Real God Church Campaign (2018)

4 Real Answers for Tough Questions People have honest questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity. The Why I Believe series meets people where they are with truth that transforms doubt into faith. NEW RESOURCES! In Why I Believe, Chip shares how he personally wrestled with questions about God and the conviction that came to bear in his personal faith journey. A full slate of Why I Believe resources created to help Christians deepen and defend their faith will release throughout SEARCHING FOR TRUTH Release of Why I Believe Book (Fall 2017) Release of Why I Believe Workbook & Video Series (2018) Release of Why I Believe for Students (2018) Release of Why I Believe Church Campaign (2018) Thank you for this series. It provided answers to the tough questions my generation is struggling with. - Scott Release of Why I Believe for Children (2018)

5 CHANGED FROM THE INSIDE I m the proud momma of Clint, but I haven t always been so proud because of his past drug addictions and the lifestyle that produces. Clint has 11 months left of a 6-year prison sentence. But over the last year, I ve noticed changes taking place in Clint. He is listening and learning from your teaching, Chip. Through his letters, phones conversations and few brief visits, I ve watched him evolve into something only possible through Jesus! He is bursting to share his life testimony upon release. - Lisa Truth Proclaimed Daily Every year God uses our broadcasting ministry to impact millions of lives through radio, the Chip Ingram App, listening online, podcasts and television. Radio 1,001,232 WEEKLY LISTENERS Our Biblical teaching is broadcast on 1,021 radio outlets across the U.S., 3 times per day on Sirius XM, and other satellite radio stations around the globe. Web 2,093,009 VISITS ONLINE People engaged with us more than 2 million times at LivingontheEdge.org, a place where they can listen, find resources, and connect with us online. App 2,142,062 APP LAUNCHES More than 200,000 people have downloaded the Chip Ingram App since its launch. This digital community is engaging daily from their mobile devices, launching the App more than 2 million times.

6 Reaching the Next Generation Teaching kids about God can often feel daunting, but the good news is you don t have to do it alone. With our family resources, we re making it easier to explore who God is together. FAMILY DEVOTIONAL TRUTH FOR ALL AGES Thank you so much for these family devotion videos. My 10-year-old son loves family time with God! And we love the videos! They are such a great way to bring our family together at night for devotions. - Rebecca The Real God Family Devotional helps people reclaim time with their family while learning more about who God is. Featuring dynamic videos and a downloadable discussion guide, facets of God s character are presented in a way that kids can understand and engage in. STUDENT MINISTRY The Real God Student Edition includes everything a youth pastor needs to unpack the attributes of God, including games, sermon guides, message slides, and small group curriculum.

7 Equipping Leaders Through initiatives like Primemovers, we are helping marketplace leaders discover their calling and equipping them to make a difference as spiritual entrepreneurs. A PRIMEMOVERS STORY Michael built THRIVE Farmers Coffee on the premise of putting people first. With a commitment to fair and equitable profit sharing, THRIVE empowers farmers around the world with the economic sustainability to successfully care for their families. And God has blessed that commitment to value people over profit. THRIVE was #19 on the 35th annual Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies list and is now the sole coffee provider for 2,000+ Chick-fil-A stores. WORK THAT CHANGES LIVES Your materials helped me understand how to integrate my faith with business, and that has led me to a place today that I could only have dreamt of being. We focus on this calling that God has placed on our life, and as God wills, we can change the world for His purposes. For my family, coffee means everything. We have done very well thanks to God. Coffee is what provides for us to live, and we give work to others through it. - Rogelio (Colombia) Michael Jones Michael Jones, THRIVE Farmers CEO & Primemover Alumnus

8 Reaching the Middle East By the grace of God, doors are opening in places once closed to Christianity. Through our partnership with Levant Ministries, we are reaching people in the Middle East with Biblical teaching. HEARING THE TRUTH Our television broadcast is shown nine times each week across the entire Arabic-speaking world, and thousands engage with our Arabic-language Facebook page to learn more about the Christian faith. HOPE REMAINS Living on the Edge has produced more than twenty television series in Arabic, including The Real Heaven, True Spirituality, and Doing Good. In early 2018, we will meet with hundreds of pastors and ministry leaders from the Middle East in preparation for the strategic release of Arabic-language versions of The Real God and Transformed. I ve been following your program and it gives me so much encouragement as I try to live for Christ in this dark place. Our country has been torn by war, but the Word of God is the only hope we have left. Thank you for providing us with the teaching of Jesus. - Amir (Syria)

9 DISCOVERING WHO GOD IS After I finished reading Chip s book, I learned that God is the Lord of creation, the Savior of mankind, and how you see God determines your whole relationship with Him. - Zhang (China) Partnering in China The Chinese church is the fastest-growing in the world, yet with this growth also comes great need. Through strategic partnerships, we are working together to spread the message of who God really is. CREATING A RIPPLE EFFECT As part of our Real God initiative, teams from Living on the Edge traveled to China in the spring and fall. Training began in Nantong, a city of 7 million people near Shanghai. More than 80 leaders gathered to learn, representing over 40 churches and 60,000 Christians. Training continued in the community of Wuxi with an influential gathering of leaders that represented 74 churches in the area and over 100,000 Christians. TRUTH IN THEIR HANDS Through our partnership with the official Three Self Church of China, we are privileged to provide discipleship resources and local training for pastors, teachers, and leaders. Drawing from Chip s foundational teaching on the character of God, Chinese pastors are taking the message of The Real God to their congregations and area churches helping others see God in a whole new light. We have produced and distributed 200,000 copies of The Real God in Mandarin Chinese this year, and we are prayerfully collaborating to distribute more in the year ahead. It is astounding to see the potential ripple effect that this training can have, and it is our prayer that our Christian brothers and sisters in China will be equipped to share the message of The Real God with others.

10 As encouraged as I am by what God has done, I am more motivated than ever to respond to the unprecedented doors He is opening for us in the U.S., China, Middle East, and beyond. We live in an unstable world, leaving many desperate for truth and hope. It s time to take our biggest step of faith yet by answering God s call for even greater impact in The need is great, but together we can play our part in God s great redemptive plan. Truly, EVERY ONE matters. YOU matter. Will you prayerfully join me in this mission? 5 Priorities for 2018 Will you partner with us where God is leading? The Real God Church Campaign Resources for adults, students and children all focused on who God really is. Why I Believe Resource Release Provide answers to people s most honest questions through a series of apologetics resources. Discipleship Resources for China Train 1,200 pastors and impact 400,000 Chinese people with The Real God. Broadcast in the Arabic-Speaking World Television broadcast nine times a week coupled with Arabic discipleship resources. Technology & Innovation for Year Olds Leverage today s technology to reach a digital generation. WAYS YOU CAN GIVE Online: LivingontheEdge.org App: The Chip Ingram App Mail: Living on the Edge, P.O. Box 3007, Suwanee, GA Phone:

11 A RIGHT VIEW OF GOD Last year was a really hard year, but I listened to the app while I waited on the LORD and gained a lot from it. My view of God has grown now that it is based on truth, and my desire for His Word continues to grow. This ministry has been a vessel that Jesus used and continues to use to stretch me and to grow my spiritual muscles. Mungu awabariki (God bless you all). - Naitore (Kenya)