Welcome to #GivingTuesday where we are once again partnering with our friends at the Jesus Film Project to help bring the Gospel to thousands of people who have never heard it. And because of one generous couple, the impact of your gift will be multiplied.
#GivingTuesday is a global movement designed to launch the Christmas season with an emphasis on generosity, rather than material pursuits. It’s a response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, days focused on spending on self and loved ones.
This year’s campaign will help bring the Gospel to parts of South Asia! According to the Jesus Film Project team:
Hundreds of millions in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have not heard the gospel, even once. The name Jesus means nothing to them. They may view Him as the “god of the foreigners” or Christianity as nothing but a Western religion … of no value.
But when a film team arrives in their village and shows them JESUS, when they hear Him speak in the language of their hearts, when the Holy Spirit moves in their spirits, suddenly Jesus becomes “Emmanuel, God With Us.”
This is why film teams are ready to go deep into these nations, to tell millions of unreached people the good news. Teams just need the showing equipment, portable solar-powered projector sets or video tablets for more restricted areas.
This year, Jesus Film Project is hoping to raise enough money to buy:
100 backpack kits, with a small, highly portable solar-powered projector, speakers, and screen ($3,240 each)
110 solar-powered video tablet/speaker sets for small groups ($570 each)
40 video tablets for private showings ($380 each)
As an example of the impact this equipment will enable, each Jesus Film Project team that is equipped with a backpack kit will show JESUS at least 50 times a year (some show it up to 100 times each year). Over a kit’s useful life, you can help reach up to 30,000 people with the Gospel and plant as many as 30 churches. The teams will also use this equipment to regularly follow up with and disciple new believers.
All told, the equipment listed above will cost about $400,000. However, a generous couple has led the way with the first gift, a $200,000 Challenge Grant. So, by raising $200,000, all of the $400,000-worth of equipment could be purchased.
Last year, the SMI family participated in the Jesus Film #GivingTuesday campaign, generously giving nearly $8,000. Perhaps this year, all SMI members together, each giving what he or she has a heart to give, could contribute $10,000. With the multiplying impact of the challenge grant, that would be enough to purchase six backpack kits, which means at least 180,000 people would be reached with the Gospel and as many as 180 churches would be planted! Working together, we can do something significant to "seek and save the lost" in that part of the world.
We hope you’ll agree that this is a great way to begin your celebration of Advent and Christmas! After all, Christ came and loved a lost world (which includes us), and he has given us a similar mission: ”[Father,] as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world" (John 17:18).
To learn more about this project and then give as the Lord leads, click here. Thank you!
