REAL LIFE PERSPECTIVE
Dear Friend and Partner,
Recently, a pastor friend stated to me, “Jim, with the economy like it is, people need to have a reason to support your work, since money is limited and there are many “good causes.” Certainly, I understand what he was feeling. So, I tried to give him some answers. Here is some of what I shared with him:
· Four million people – face to face – have heard the gospel
· 740,000 public commitments to Christ have been recorded
· Over 20 new churches have been started in Tanzania, Haiti, Romania, Moldova and India
· For every $2.12 given to J.W.E.A., one person has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ
· Over 14,000 pastors/leaders trained through our International Schools of Evangelism in developing nations
· For $30 given to J.W.E.A., one needy pastor has been trained and certified with a graduation diploma in evangelism
· Mission work in 29 different countries
· Ministered in over 263 state/federal prisons
· Shared in 900 schools a message on “drugs, suicide and respect for authority”
· Sponsored six major medical clinics in Haiti, Dominican Republic and Moldova, treating on average more than 1,200 per week
· More than 1,000 pounds of medicines per week were given away
· More than 5,000 Bibles and/or printed Bible studies in several languages have been distributed for spiritual growth – no charge
· One organized mission festival overseas costs $12,000, on average, for lights, sound, interpreters, publicity, etc.
· Everything we do is completely by faith
· No denomination, group, board or church underwrites our work
· We depend totally on God to motivate His people to “invest”
Additionally, I explained to my pastor friend that “Love Offerings” from our domestic meetings provide only about 30% of our needed funds and that our giving through the mail has dropped 37% in the last 18 months (probably due to the economy).
He exclaimed, “Jim, people need to know that you are a missionary/evangelist (by the way, I like that term)!” He asked me about the average gift to J.W.E.A. Aside from some foundations and a few churches that have us in their “mission budget”, I told him that the average gift through the mail is approximately $20. He was astounded, thinking that evangelists have “lots of money”!
Thank God for you who pray and support this work of faith! You are our PARTNERS in the gospel in every sense of the word. Of course, we need your help today more than ever. Without you we would cease to exist … almost immediately. I said to my wife, Joey, “I would rather have 100 partners giving $10 each than one giving $1,000 because every gift represents prayer which is the key to our success and survival.” Of course, we need the larger gifts as well.
I am more grateful to you than I have ever been. This last year (2009) turned out to be the greatest in our history …. preaching to more than 200,000 face-to-face and seeing over 15,000 public recorded decisions for Christ. To God be the Glory!
By the way, as we make our plans for missions to India and a re-scheduled one to Haiti, we continue to send support to the two orphanages in Haiti. If you desire to help, please use the blue envelope (P.G.M., Inc.) and we will send it to Pierre and Marie Prinvil for food, water, fuel and medical supplies.
ISRAEL TOUR
I want to personally invite you to consider joining us for a spiritual journey to Israel, February 25-March 7, 2011. It will be the trip of a lifetime. Tel Aviv is the safest airport, without any doubt, in the world! Some of our 2008 group wrote these comments … “the greatest experience of my life” …. “the trip changed my life” … “your journal was incredible” … “God’s word came alive”. I have enclosed a flyer with all the information. Why not ask some of your family and friends to join us? You will be blessed!
May God bless you richly!
Your friend in Christ,
