By Jerry | Published:
July 17, 2010
We’re headed out and we need you to pray! Gwen and I will be in N. Africa visiting with a group of workers who have a huge passion for people in their part of the world. Please pray for this gathering that it will be a time of refreshing, encouragement and connection. We are raising the bar to make stronger connections directly to those who are on the ground. IMM has partners in this part of the world and are working together to bring the story that changes lives to the untold. Sorry, but we won’t be able to send any pictures.
We have a big announcement, as I’m sure many of you have already seen on Gwen’s Facebook page. We are going to be grandparents! I have been waiting for this news for sometime. Congratulations to Bethanee and Daniel Esqueda!
I get asked if I’m ready to be a grandpa! The answer is an unequivocal, “YES”. I just read Proverbs 17: 6, “Children’s children are a crown to the aged.” While I’m not sure I’m excited about being grouped with “the aged”, I am looking forward to being “crowned”! Please keep Bethanee and Daniel in your prayers AND us. Living overseas just got more serious! This will really raise the bar in terms of our commitment to serve.
I’m really excited to let everyone know that IMM has a new look on our website. Go to imm.edu to see and interact with our team and projects. You can download our 31-day prayer guide too. (IMM prayer guide ) This is our effort to raise the bar in terms of our communication with you, our partners. (More about that later.)
Thank you to all of you that make it possible for Gwen and I to follow the Lord as messengers of His truth. We are honored to partner with you to take creative media to a borderless world.
By Jerry | Published:
June 15, 2010
“My people have a proverb…” I heard this phrase many times over the ten days that my African friend, Pastor Philemon Salam Saba, spent with us here at IMM recently. Over the past few days, I had learned to listen carefully to the words spoken by my new friend because of the years of wisdom behind them. “He who beats the drum does not know how far it goes.” Those words are still ringing in my ears weeks after hearing them for the first time.
Pastor Philemon Salam Saba is the lead pastor of a congregation of 2,000 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. He came to IMM to help us record a French version of “Open the Bible: The Gospels”. Within six weeks of his coming we completed a version for the 115 million French-speaking people in 31 countries of Africa.
OTB DVD for French Africa
When I asked him why he was willing to invest his time to participate, he shared with me how important this project was for introducing people to Jesus through media and having these kinds of quality programs for the Bible schools and churches. As we talked about the importance of IMM in partnering with French speaking countries he shared this proverb. The meaning needs no explanation.
We give ourselves everyday to the task of “beating the drum” at IMM. We beat the drum with hearts of faith that the sounds will fall on open ears and hearts. You too are beating a drum with your life! You just don’t know how far that influence will be carried. Know this, your influence is reaching to the nations of French-speaking Africa because you are standing with us as faith partners. Thank you for your faithful part in telling the story that changes lives.
By Jerry | Published:
March 5, 2010
Three thousand, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! It took a minute for the impact of that number to sink in. Three thousand is a very respectable number if we are talking about the number of people in a church. It is an excellent number if we’re talking of new churches planted last year in most countries of the world. But what I was being told was that the nation of Turkey, with a population of over 72 million people, has just 3000 known followers of Jesus. JUST 3000.
The Blue Mosque in Istanbul
Gwen and I recently returned from Turkey where we had the opportunity to see, first hand, the challenge being faced by Christian workers on the ground. I can tell you, our AG personnel are doing a stellar job! We were able to meet with a very courageous crew of media people who are producing and BROADCASTING Christian programming 4 hours a day in the Turk language. Among the programs being used are “The People Who Met Jesus,” one and two, programs produced by IMM. I am also pleased to tell you that, within the next month or so, two more of our programs, “The Parables of Jesus” and The Path of Jesus,” will be aired in Turk all across that country and Europe. While Turkish talk shows proclaim Christianity to be a polytheistic cult with 4 holy books, our partners there are telling the story that changes lives.
Thank you for standing with us this past month in support and prayers. Together we are shaping hearts and minds to consider the message of Jesus Christ. Believe with us that one day 3000 will be the number of thriving churches gathering to celebrate Christ.
