This Christmas season, my wife Darlene, my daughter Michelle, and I, want to convey to you our love and warmest Christmas greetings. We have enclosed a special gift to you—a picture of our family. As you see it throughout this coming year, we hope you will remember our family and ministry in your prayers.
In this letter my wife Darlene and daughter Michelle have written a personal word to you. I will also share with you some of the stories from viewers around the world whose lives have been changed because of your prayers and support of our ministry.
In Christ’s love,
John, Darlene, and Michelle
From Darlene: We love you and our other friends of the ministry so much. Let me say thank you for standing with us faithfully throughout the year. Many of you write notes when you send in your gifts. These notes are so encouraging, especially as I work with our stations, our bookkeeping, and accountants. Throughout the year, when finances go up and down, your gifts make all the difference in the world. When I come home at night, like many of you, I also care for my wonderful 86-year-old mother. Thank you for your prayers for John, our family, and our ministry as we share Christ around the world.
From Michelle: I also want to say you mean a lot to all of us. Each day I have the privilege of talking with many people who call the office (I lead the customer service department of our ministry and oversee the changing needs of our operations to minister to you). People are so excited when they order programs and books. We literally receive thousands of letters, messages, and phone calls each month. This last year, outside of work, our church asked me to lead a singles Bible study. From time to time I also travel with Mom and Dad. I look forward this next year to meeting more of you in person.
A Word from John
Would you like to know how God is using your gifts to reach people for Christ? As you have helped us broadcast our ministry programs into 206 countries, people are responding. Just this week I received this message from a new viewer in Germany commenting on our new Bible outreach to offer Scripture online and in audio format in more than 750 languages. She wrote:
“Being disabled, I am often too tired to read the Bible. When I feel fatigued I can now play the Bible online on your site. I am so excited about this. This solves my problem of not reading when I am exhausted from auto-immune disorder.”
Another viewer wrote about helping a friend in England:
“I had tuned in to your show last night and you mentioned you had put the Bible in many languages online. That was what I needed at the moment to send to a young father in England whose son is in the hospital [and did not have a Bible].”
Still another wrote:
“[Your program] has truly opened up my heart to pray for [the Muslim world]. May you all be blessed and thank you for the audio Bible online. This is going to help so many people!”
My view concerning Iran’s political leaders is one thing, but my heart is burdened for the Iranian people as viewers in Tehran, Iran are writing to us:
“I watch your program with the windows shut and the sound low. You have helped me very much in my understanding of Jesus.”
Another viewer in Sweden shares:
“There is nothing like your ministry in Sweden…. It is a vital source to us for Christian teaching. We are very grateful to God for providing you. You are spreading the Gospel to the world.”
A group of friends in Ghana, West Africa noted how our efforts have helped entire communities:
“We have been watching your show in Ghana and have learned so much. Thank you for your program.”
Back here in the U.S.A. a viewer in Boston observed:
“You are surely not ashamed to defend the truth.”
These messages indicate God is changing and strengthening lives as we minister together.
New Technologies, New Outreach
As God opens new doors for outreach, we have sought to use every means possible to reach people for Christ. This year, you have helped us:
Broadcast our television programs into more than 206 countries. This means 2.4 billion potential viewers can now watch our program on a channel that comes into their home (or about 1 in 3 people worldwide). I also believe these numbers will go up dramatically over the next year.
Broadcast our TV programs into more than 100 million American homes in all 50 States (87% of all Americans can watch on a channel in their home).
Provide 750 language translations of the Bible and 750 audio versions of the Bible online. This allows nearly 6 out of the more than 7 billion people worldwide to be able to access the Bible in their own language.
Provide more than 4,000 articles, sermons, transcripts, and electronic books and study guides in English at our website. In addition, we have already started translating articles into the top 10 languages of the world.
Your Christmas Gift
Sometimes a person will listen to all we are doing and think, “The John Ankerberg Show doesn’t need my help since so many people are watching.” A lot of people do watch, but the majority have never written or sent support to help. They don’t realize that someone else has given so they can watch and listen to the program. Someone gave money so we could purchase television equipment, hire staff, and negotiate contracts with networks and stations to buy airtime for our programs. If someone hadn’t given, there would have been no ministry for people to watch.
This Christmas, I am asking you to help me bring the Word of God to people in 206 countries through television, the Internet, and to continue providing 750 translations of the Bible for people to read and listen to at our website. I also need your help to continue bringing our television program into your home each week.
Here is what we need. We must raise $500,000 by December 15 in order to pay the expenses to stay on all of our stations in 206 countries. In addition, we are asking God to provide another $500,000 so we can translate our television programs into the top 10 languages to speak directly to 75% of the people of the world.
This Christmas, I’d like to ask you to give a special one-time gift to the ministry to help us raise the $500,000 we need to pay for our airtime by December 15.
Would you give a gift of $50, $100, $500, or $1,000 to help me? If so, know that your gift will make it possible for us to minister worldwide. We will thank you (see enclosed card), but God also promises to reward you in eternity for being willing to help reach people for Jesus. The Bible tells us Jesus came “to seek and to save the lost.” Join with me in reaching out to a world that needs to hear His Gospel. Thank you for all you have done, and please let me hear from you during this Christmas season!
In Christian love,
John, Darlene, and Michelle
The post Ankerberg Monthly Letter December 2013 appeared first on Ankerberg Theological Research Institute, John Ankerberg Show.