Each month I usually like to share stories that show how “lives are being touched and transformed” by the work of the Holy Spirit using the film “JESUS.” But I thought I would take a different approach this time and to look at what God is doing on a more macro level.
Normally I don’t like to share statistics because most of us can’t relate; we can’t wrap our heads around numbers, especially big ones. But this month, to celebrate Thanksgiving, I wanted to share some inspiring numbers reflecting all that God is doing through Jesus Film® media in the hands of Cru® and more than 1,800 partner ministries.
God has taken the limited resources He has entrusted to us and produced a 30-, 60- and 100-fold spiritual harvest.
Beginning in 2015, in consultation with global missions’ researchers,* ministry effectiveness was determined according to three core measures of fruitfulness:
- Exposure
- Decisions to receive Christ
- Churches or fellowship groups planted
These figures represent totals for 2015 through 2019:
| Year | Exposures | Indicated Decisions | Churches Planted |
| 2015 | 186,337,616 | 37,229,467 | 372,295 |
| 2016 | 215,425,704 | 39,760,272 | 366,927 |
| 2017 | 374,667,806 | 20,928,545 | 209,285 |
| 2018 | 386,038,417 | 22,037,726 | 220,377 |
| 2019 | 485,015,316 | 29,769,281 | 299,019 |
1. Cumulative Exposures: 1,647,484,859 Average 329,496,972/year
2. Cumulative Decisions for Christ: 149,725,291 Average 29,945,058/year
3. Cumulative Churches/Groups: 1,467,948 Average 293,590/year
These numbers are humbling, to say the least. God has enabled Jesus Film Project® to have a hand in more than 149 million decisions and 1.46 million churches being established in half a decade. These numbers are not humanly possible; they are God-sized to say the least. To Him goes all the glory! He is empowering His people to pursue the fulfillment of His Great Commission.
And with six weeks left in 2020, not only have we experienced no drop off in viewership because of COVID-19, but we believe we are on par with recent years’ averages and may even exceed them.
Just in the area of television and digital follow-up, we project a nearly 300% increase in viewership over 2019. God is opening doors and His message—hope in Jesus—is being proclaimed even in historically closed nations. In one key Middle East country, secular TV stations in 19 cities or provinces (including least-reached rural areas) will have three Christmas season broadcasts each; that is 57 unique showings in a nation where just five years ago we’d have said “you must be dreaming” at the notion of broadcasting “JESUS” there. Yet today, God is seeing fit to get His word on film to nations like these; again, to Him be the glory!
In grateful partnership with you,
Larry
PS. Please pray for Christmas season television broadcasts in potentially scores of countries like the ministry experienced at Easter. Many nations are still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and people are still fearful and “sheltering in place.” Television brings the gospel on film safely and privately into their living rooms. Thank you for your prayers; thank you for your partnership in the advancement of the good news of Christ worldwide. Have a blessed Thanksgiving, and a joy-filled holiday season!
“’My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the Lord Almighty”
(Malachi 1:11, New International Version.)
*An 80+ page document explaining the research methodology employed for the statistical analysis is available for public viewing on our JFP website.
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