the jesus film 2014 annual review

2014 AnnualReview

connecting people to

Jesus

connecting people to Jesus 1

Around the world and next door, people’s lives change when they connect with Jesus. For 35 years God has used The JESUS Film Project®—its tools, strategies, partners and resources—as part of the life-changing process of connecting people with Himself. Thank you for the role you have played in this ministry. The JESUS Film Project works within the body of Christ to contribute to the fulfillment of the Great Commission

in three key missional areas—reaching unreached peoples, equipping churches and church planters, and connecting media-sophisticated, urban people to Jesus. The following stories are examples of how God is using you and The JESUS Film Project in each of these areas to connect people to their Savior.

Executive DirectorThe JESUS Film Project

“Each day proclaim the good news that He saves. Publish His glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things He does” (Psalm 96:2-3, New Living Translation).

Erick Schenkel

connecting people to Jesus2

A Lifetime of ConneCtions With JesUs


On December 14, 2013, in a small village in Southeast Albania, Kreshnik1 looked around the room,

amazed by the work of God. He and the 38 members of the church he pastors had prepared for days for this showing of Magdalena: Released From Shame in Albanian. Initially expecting 30 women to attend, they changed their estimate to 50 when they saw the interest in surrounding villages. However, as Kreshnik scanned the room before the film started, he counted 110 women from the community. Kreshnik smiled. He should have known God would exceed his expectations through this JESUS Film® tool. It was a theme of his life: God uses The JESUS Film Project in extraordinary ways to connect with him and those around him.

More than 20 years ago, just after Communism fell in Albania, Kreshnik first saw the JESUS film as a young soldier. He and two military friends attended the Albanian premiere of JESUS in the capital, one of the first major religious events in the country in 45 years. Kreshnik felt impressed by Jesus, especially His suffering. However, he failed to see Jesus’s relevance to his life, and he knew no Christians to ask for more information. But when a JESUS film team came to his village four years later, Kreshnik watched the film with new eyes. Full of questions, he stayed awake all night talking to one of the team members. When morning came, Kreshnik surrendered his life to Jesus. The film team introduced him to other believers in that

region. These people who came to faith through the JESUS film formed the area’s first church, which they called “Na Bashkoi Jezusi,” meaning “Jesus Brought Us Together.”

The next few summers Kreshnik volunteered on a JESUS film team. As he witnessed God using the message of JESUS to touch the lives of others, Kreshnik’s life also changed deeply. He returned to Albania in 2010 after years in Greece and felt burdened to connect his own family and those in his village with the gospel. He remembered the effectiveness of JESUS and decided to hold a film showing in his village. Many people received Christ, including Kreshnik’s mother. She opened her home as a meeting place for the new church.

Kreshnik met Jeton, an Albanian Campus Crusade for Christ® staff member, in 2013. Kreshnik shared about his use of JESUS in church planting—his church already had started several Bible studies in a neighboring village as a result of showing the film. Jeton and his wife invited Kreshnik to partner with them in an outreach to bring Magdalena to his village and two other nearby villages. Kreshnik immediately agreed. He felt this film might help the community’s women—undervalued by everyone, including themselves—see their real worth in the eyes of Jesus. On the day of the Magdalena showing, Kreshnik felt insecure. What if no one came? How would they connect their neighbors with Jesus? But as the room filled with the

large crowd, Kreshnik praised God. No one ever had gathered so many women from the community in one room. They soon would hear of God’s love for them for the first time. At the end of the show, 51 women indicated decisions for Christ.

Kreshnik and his church members rejoice at God’s work through the Magdalena showing, and they see it as just the beginning. They envision planting a church in every village in their county, using film showings to share the gospel and establish connections with the villagers. He shared, “As we have seen our lives changed by Jesus and the blessings in our lives, we want to let others know about Jesus.”

It was a theme of his life: God uses The JESUS Film Project in extraordinary ways to connect with him and those around him.

1 Some people and language names have been changed throughout the review for security purposes.

connecting people to Jesus4 connecting people to Jesus 5

Mike Ansari with Mohabat TV, a partner spreading the gospel in closed countries, recently stated: “It seems what used to be impossible—to go out to the mission field and spend years to tell them about Jesus—is being done miraculously using this tool. Now as a partner my job is … to take this tool and to pass it on to people in those countries.”

ConneCting UnreaChed PeoPLe groUPs to JesUs

One of the core values of The JESUS Film Project is the belief that no one should have to learn another language to have a life-changing encounter with Jesus. Erick Schenkel noted, “That’s the heart of who we are—reaching further and further into people groups in their own heart language and taking them the very Word of God in visual story form.” The JESUS Film Project relies on connections with partners—Christian organizations, denominations and local churches—to minister to these unreached people groups. Only with the cooperation of the whole body of Christ will every tongue, tribe and nation know the gospel of grace.

◀ Villagers in Panama watch the JESUS film in their heart language of Northern Embera.


Power of the Heart Language

In February 2014 the SUV carrying the team to premiere the Balu JESUS film suddenly stopped

outside a remote West African city. After a long day of bumping along the dusty road from the capital, the five team members—representing a partnership between Campus Crusade and two other organizations—realized, unhappily, they had reached a military roadblock. The soldier at the window told them the area was under curfew due to recent attacks by insurgents. After asking a few questions, the soldiers allowed the vehicle to pass. The team would have to stay the night in the city and finish their journey to the site of the premiere the next day.

As the team pulled into the village the next morning, their frustrations faded when they saw the excitement of the believers greeting them. The believers knew the SUV carried many tools—available in Balu for the first time—to strengthen their faith and equip them to connect their neighbors with God.

Eagerly, they unloaded the materials produced by the three organizations: JESUS film DVDs, print and audio versions of the Gospel of Luke, and even posters of the Balu alphabet. Unable to wait until the afternoon’s festivities, a man opened a copy of Luke and read aloud the parable of the Good Samaritan, savoring the words of Jesus in his heart language.

The population of Balu speakers is small. But thanks to Mission 865™—an initiative of The JESUS Film Project to reach the neglected language groups of the world with more than 50,000 speakers through the JESUS film in their heart language—people like the Balu now have a chance to encounter Jesus in a language they can understand.

By noon on that day in February, more than 2,000 Balu speakers gathered in the village center for the dedication of the Balu-language materials, thanks to the five church denominations that united to promote the event. The team

101VERSIONS OF JESUS COMPLETED

4559

6560

SPOKEN IN UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS

LOCATED IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

%

%

%

%

A Closer Look at Mission 8652

Of the remaining Mission 865 languages

SPOKEN BY HIGHLY ORAL PEOPLES WITH LOW LITERACY RATES

HAVE NO PORTION OF SCRIPTURE IN THE LANGUAGE

2 As of June 30, 2014


rejoiced when they heard the Balu chief, an adherent of another major religion, announce his support of the JESUS film and the other materials as means to preserve the Balu language and culture.

That evening more than 1,000 people gathered at a local church to watch the Balu version of JESUS. At the end of the showing, more than 500 people came forward to indicate decisions to follow Christ. With joy, the three partner organizations equipped the local churches with the resources and training they need to follow up with these new followers of Jesus.

The security in this area of Africa is very volatile. In fact, insurgents recently attacked and burned down the church that hosted the February premiere of the Balu JESUS film. Despite these trials, ministry continues. In April 2014 Campus Crusade staff members trained Balu Christians to connect their neighbors to God through JESUS film showings and personal evangelism. Though a tiny minority within the people group, the Christians know they have something their neighbors need—the love and peace of God communicated in their heart language.

At the end of the showing, more than 500 people came forward to indicate decisions to follow Christ.


110

66

new language versions completed, including:

for groups that have no portion of Scripture

in their language

for unengaged, unreached people

groupsfor unreached people

groups

JESUS in Ipili of Papua New Guinea

Magdalena in Fulfulde-Adamawa of Cameroon

The Story of Jesus for Children in Maltese of Malta

Walking With Jesus in Tanzania Swahili of Tanzania

My Last Day in Setentrional Chibi of Brazil

29 41

2%

3%

5% 51%

5%35%

My Last Day

Distribution by Tool

Distribution by Continent

% % %

3

JESUS MagdalenaThe Story ofJesus for Children

WalkingWith Jesus

3 Between July 1, 2013, and June 30, 2014


eqUiPPing ChUrCh PLanters to ConneCt PeoPLe With JesUs

As World Relief™ president and CEO, Stephan Bauman, recently remarked: “Jesus said, ‘The Spirit of the Lord God has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.’ As we bring tangible hope to the world’s most vulnerable, there’s no greater tool than the JESUS film for offering the extravagant love of God in the midst of extreme suffering. It is an honor to partner together in bringing the gospel, in both word and deed, to the least of these.”

The apostle Paul said, “My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard” (Romans 15:20, NLT). The JESUS Film Project shares that ambition and is working alongside partners—including Global Church Movements, a worldwide ministry of Campus Crusade—to see a church in every community that encourages its members in their faith and shares Jesus actively with its neighbors in word and deed. JESUS Film’s tools empower church planters all over the world to share the gospel and disciple new believers, laying the foundations for multiplying networks of sustainable churches. ◀ Refugees in East Africa congregate outside their camp’s church.


As soon as Ninad realized the man approaching him was talking about Christianity, he stopped

him. He had no interest in changing his religion—or anything in his life. A prominent landowner in his village in Southeast India, Ninad enjoyed a large home, successful children and the respect of his community. Why would he risk everything to follow a different religion?

Ramesh, the church planter who approached Ninad, would not give up. He began to pray regularly for the salvation of Ninad’s family. Equipped and trained through South Asia’s church-planting strategy, Ramesh longed to see this village transformed through the gospel.

Trusting in God’s ability to change hearts, Ramesh looked for Ninad again a few months later. This time as Ramesh spoke, Ninad listened carefully. The reality of Jesus struck him. The idols he worshipped did not forgive, love or change lives. They were shrouded in myth, but Jesus was grounded in history. Christianity offered him something his idols never could: hope and peace in his heart and a connection with a living God who cared about him.

Ramesh and Ninad met again a few days later, and Ninad put his faith in Jesus, becoming the first person in the region to risk everything for a relationship with Christ. Over the next few weeks, Ninad’s wife and three children also accepted Jesus.

A month after Ninad became a Christian, Ramesh brought the Telugu JESUS film to Ninad and his family. Using a portable DVD player supplied by The JESUS Film Project, the family watched the film together, eager to learn more about their newfound Savior. Stirred by Jesus’ parables and teaching in his heart language, Ninad suddenly saw a kingdom-purpose for everything in his life.

His neighbors’ respect for him gave him opportunities to share his testimony. His financial security allowed him time to tell others of his new hope. Ninad and Ramesh wholeheartedly connected with as many villagers as would listen, usually finding an opportunity to show JESUS.

On one occasion Ninad stood in front of a group of his fellow villagers, talking freely

Worth the Risk

1.29EXPOSURES TO THE GOSPEL

57,876

4,823CHURCHES AND SMALL GROUPS

NEW BELIEVERS MEETING REGULARLY

The church-planting strategy supported by

JESUS Film in the South Asia region

continues to have a tremendous impact

MILLION

5

4

5

4 Between January 1, 2013, and February 28, 20145 As of December 31, 2013continued on page 16


the Process of deepening Connections to god

3,116,112 334,721exposures to the gospel reported at in-person showings of JESUS and other films in 2013

presentation tools—like digital projectors and tablets—distributed in 60 countries in 2013

plays of a film or a clip through Jesus Film Media™ on an average day6

E X P OSURES DECISIONS

GROUPS

CHURCHES

1,232 languages in which the classic JESUS film is available6

1,161,311media products—like DVDs and SD cards—containing JESUS Film tools distributed in 2013

74524,220

indicated decisions to follow Christ reported after JESUS Film ministry activity in 2013, including

2,627people who indicated decisions for Christ during one of 33 JESUS Film Mission Trips™

610

4

8,350small growth groups formed in 2013 with the help of The JESUS Film Project.

available languagesof Rivka

available languagesof Walking With Jesus

People in at least

2,947new churches were started in 2013 using JESUS Film tools, teams, resources and outreach efforts.

partner organizations use JESUS Film tools to plant churches.6

preaching points (young churches) in 2013 using a variety of tools, including the JESUS film.

5,100JESUS Film Harvest Partners helped to plant more than

available languagesof Following JESUS

countries useReflections of Hope, a Bible

study inspired by Magdalena.

Views to Pews

6 As of June 30, 2014


about God’s work in his heart. As he finished, the people looked at each other, and someone asked, “If Ninad can accept Christ, why can’t we also accept Him as our Savior?” When Ramesh shared the gospel following Ninad’s testimony, many of the villagers accepted Christ immediately.

The number of local believers grew, and Ninad opened his home for a small group led by Ramesh. These new believers watched and discussed the five episodes of Following JESUS7 as part of their early discipleship, helping them grow in their faith. Within six months, the group became a vibrant house church, with more than 40 members.

In the meantime, Ninad—trained by Ramesh to share his faith and help others grow in theirs—felt called by God to connect even more people with Jesus. He and Ramesh traveled to a nearby village and began sharing their testimonies, presenting the gospel, and showing the JESUS film. People opened their hearts to Christ, often moved by His compassion and healing. Less than a year after becoming a Christian, Ninad started and led his own small group for the new believers in that village. The group developed into a house church in 2013.

Today more than 40 people meet at that new church, and more than 60 people

Inspired and equipped by The JESUS Film Project, Ninad helped draw more than 100 people into relationship with God in just three years.

7 A follow-up film series contextualized for South Asians, designed to disciple new believers, ground them in their faith , and equip them to be fruitful members of Christ’s body

meet in the church in Ninad’s home. Inspired and equipped by The JESUS Film Project, Ninad helped draw more than 100 people into relationship with God in just three years. He has not stopped, either. Up to four times a week, he travels to the neighboring village to lead the church and to share the gospel with even more people through JESUS Film tools. Ninad also leads more broadly in the church-planting movement, encouraging other church planters and leaders.

Ninad speaks humbly about his success in helping lead his family, friends—and even strangers—to Jesus. “Jesus came to this world to save sinners like me,” he said. “In the [JESUS] film, the tax collector came to Christ, he repented, and then he followed Jesus Christ. So like [this], I am following Jesus.” To Ninad, connecting people to Jesus is the natural response to God’s connection with him.


ConneCting the media-soPhistiCated to JesUs

From high-tech cities where people stay constantly connected to the demands of the modern world, to remote villages where one’s most prized possession is often a smartphone, Jesus Film Media, the digital expression of The JESUS Film Project, remains on the cutting-edge, reaching people with the truth about Jesus. With a few taps and swipes, anyone can become a mobile missionary, connecting media-sophisticated people to God through JESUS Film’s digital tools.

◀ Strangers share a park bench in London, England.


In 2002 a team from our church joined believers in Jos, Nigeria, to show the JESUS film in 40 villages in 10 days. Twenty thousand people heard the good news in the Izere language for the first time, and thousands accepted Christ. By the end of the film, they understood that Jesus was the Son of God and that He was crucified and rose from the dead. The first joyful response was, “aYesu fe Izere!” meaning “Jesus speaks Izere!” Then came the question, “What did he say?” But there was no way to press “rewind” and go back through reels of 16 mm film to listen again to Jesus. It was time to move on to the next village.

Now we have the JESUS film available digitally through Jesus Film Media’s mobile phone apps, which come with a “rewind” button. Not only can the two-hour JESUS film be watched again, but the Jesus Film Media app makes segments of the film available in 61 short video clips—like the topic headings in my Bible. In the Great Commission, Jesus first tells us to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” Now with His words on their phones, we can follow through with Jesus’ second instruction: “Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Steve BissellExecutive Director of Kolo Group


John, an American JESUS Film staff member, makes a startling admission—he now shows

only segments of the JESUS film when he shares his faith. Although John still sees the entire JESUS film as a powerful, relevant tool, he encountered a problem: “After working with Japanese for 20 years, I can say pretty accurately that maybe only one out of 20 Japanese is willing to watch the full JESUS film. So what do I say to the other 19?” As a solution to this dilemma, John developed the “Gateways to the Heart Strategy,” designed to reach even resistant urbanites with the truth about Jesus. The strategy pairs a Global Short Film Network™ film with a matching clip from the JESUS film, Magdalena or My Last Day keyed to one of the five areas of interest or “gateways” most people have at any given time. The strategy is incredibly accessible—anyone can find these tools on a mobile device through the Jesus Film Media app or a computer through www.jesusfilmmedia.org or www.globalshortfilmnetwork.com.

To test this new strategy, John traveled to Kyoto, Japan, in December 2013 with a JESUS Film Mission Trips team. Ministry leaders from

six Asian nations came to Kyoto to receive training in the strategy from John. Euikyum, a Korean-American Campus Crusade staff member who is the city director in Kyoto, also attended with his team.

A few months previously, Euikyum listened as his team of five Korean short-term missionaries expressed their discouragement. They had exhausted all the standard approaches to reaching people on the 30 college campuses of Kyoto, and they did not know what to do next. For years they had not seen much long-term fruit from sharing the Four Spiritual Laws booklet. Euikyum reflected: “Making disciples among college students is the number one priority of my ministry. … Many received Christ as their Lord and Savior through my witnessing, but they didn’t remain as disciples.”

Euikyum appreciated the JESUS film. Early in his ministry he used it to evangelize in villages in South Korea. He regularly gave away JESUS DVDs as gifts because he recognized the film’s power. But using the JESUS film on campus for evangelism? Euikyum had stopped years ago because of students’ short attention spans.

Spiritual Connections in a Fast-Paced World

“I can say pretty accurately that maybe only one out of 20 Japanese is willing to watch the full JESUS film. So what do I say to the other 19?”

As a solution to this dilemma, John developed the “Gateways to the Heart Strategy.”

credit: STEVE DUCHESNE - Fotolia


Gateways to the Heart Strategy

Religious Holidays: People often wonder about the purpose of Christmas and Easter. Show them the true meaning of these holidays.

Personal Issues: People usually have some concern on their minds, such as forgiveness, death or betrayal. Show them how Jesus can meet their deepest needs.

Generational Issues: Millennials (18- to 30-year-olds) feel concerned about truth, justice and equality. Show them how Jesus upholds these values perfectly.

Cultural Hotspots: People usually have concerns about the way their society or government runs. Show them how Jesus provides guidance to live counter-culturally.

Beautifying Christ: Many people have a bad impression of Christianity because of past experiences. Show them how those experiences did not accurately represent Jesus.

Connect with the person through the gateway that best fits that person’s interest.

CONNECT

Show Engage Pair ShareShow a short film that relates to the gateway.

Engage in conversation to see if the person identifies with or shows interest in the subject. Many of the short films on the Jesus Film Media app and jesusfilmmedia.org include discussion questions that you might find helpful.

Pair the short film with a matching segment from the JESUS film, Magdalena or My Last Day.

If the person expresses interest in learning more about Jesus, share the gospel—using the closing segment of the JESUS film or another media tool.

At any given time, you can connect with most people through one of these five gateways:

credit: Delphimages - Fotolia


which revived our team and refreshed our spirit and attitude in witnessing.”

John is excited about the possibilities: “Our new media … and new approaches now help us to even be able to connect using our tools with uninterested unbelievers—those other 19—and often seeing them open up and some come to Christ.” By training Christians in this strategy, John hopes to motivate them to share their faith lovingly and actively—connecting people with their ever-loving, ever-pursuing, ever-relevant God.

Others at John’s training were skeptical about the strategy—until they tried it. Learning in the mornings and practicing on campus in the afternoons, the staff members caught the vision as they started to see people come to Christ in unprecedented numbers. Within five days the trainees befriended 230 Japanese students, engaged in 130 spiritual conversations, gave 50 complete gospel presentations, and helped lead 10 students to Christ.

Soojung, a member of Euikyum’s team, met Yuto in the cafeteria. Soojung and two of her fellow trainees told Yuto they work with a company that has the world’s most translated film. Yuto was fascinated to see the list of some of the languages. Their conversation easily led into showing one of the short films, The Light of Darkness. Since it was Christmastime, they decided to pair it with the segment showing the birth of Jesus. Yuto knew nothing about Jesus—let alone the true meaning of Christmas. Sensing his openness, the team shared a film version of the Four Spiritual Laws. After thinking about what he just learned, Yuto decided to place his faith in Christ. Even though he recently graduated from college and must prepare for his tests to become a public officer, Yuto regularly attends the ministry’s weekly meeting.

The Kyoto team found the Gateways to the Heart Strategy builds disciples since they must connect with each person to find the right films to show. Euikyum shared, “The new strategy … has become a wonderful tool,

“The new strategy … has become a wonderful tool, which revived our team and refreshed our spirit and attitude in witnessing.”


8 All figures July 1, 2013, through June 30, 201410 Between 2 and 3 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on July 5, 2014

8.7 MILLIONplays of Jesus Film Media’s large library

of media tools in the past year

full-length films

film segments

% %

194,179installs of the app in the past year

75 25iOSAndroid

peak time to watch around the world is between

While you were sleeping

(Psalm 121:3, NLT).

“The One who watches over you will not slumber”

In a single hour10 in the middle of the night:

Whenever and wherever—the gospel through film is

always available.

633plays 63countries 32languagesVS

8

4258%

%

in and99

9 Android is Google’s mobile operating system, and iOS is Apple’s.


Mary volunteers on mission trips showing JESUS in unreached areas

of the world. On a recent trip to Asia, Mary planned to lead a Bible study for local women. As she stood in front of the group, though, she suddenly realized none of the participants were believers. She prayed, “Lord, what should I do?”

Mary had the Jesus Film Media app on her video tablet. She asked the women if they would like to see some short

films in their language. Agreeing, they gathered in a circle to watch. First she played a segment from the JESUS film that explained people’s need for a Savior, then a portion of Magdalena and then the Crucifixion scene. Finally, Mary played the invitation to receive Christ from JESUS, and one of her teammates further explained God’s gift of grace. When they asked if anyone wanted to pray to receive Christ, every hand went up!

From Strangers to Sisters

credit: Fotosearch


Kathy LaGambinaNational Coordinator

1216 Old Mill RoadOrlando, FL 32806

Cell: 407-538-5019 Office: 407-888-2244Fax: 407-855-6821

[email protected]@JesusFilm.org

A Ministry of the JESUS Film Project

Praying with PassionGiving with Purpose

WfJ Bcrd_final 5/28/08 2:24 PM Page 1

TM

TM

®

For your neighbors and for the nations, The JESUS Film Project remains committed to creating opportunities to help connect people to God. The many facets of JESUS Film all join together for this purpose, but they do not labor alone. Financial partners, film teams, field organizations, church planters, lay leaders and mobile missionaries—all are united in the body of Christ and work together in the task of seeing the gospel spread to every person and every people group.

http://www.cru.org

http://www.jesusfilmmedia.org

http://www.reachingthenationsamongus.org

http://www.jesusfilm.org

http://www.womenforjesus.org

http://www.globalshortfilmnetwork.com

http://www.mission865.org

http://www.brokenphonebooth.com

Thank you for your partnership with The JESUS Film Project. Thank you for your commitment to creating life-changing encounters with Jesus through film. Through you, God is building the body, expanding the kingdom and making His glory known. You are forming connections that will transform lives for eternity.

credit: chungking - Fotoliacover credit: Hunta - Fotolia

the jesus film 2014 annual review

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