March Update

 As Tez continues to learn his new role in Digital Strategies at Jesus Film Project, he and Christine are preparing for another mission trip to Spain to share the gospel (using the JESUS film). Christine recently had foot surgery, so they are praying for a quick recovery so she can be out of her boot by their departure in late April. 

This year, the Brooks' are taking 9 other individuals to Spain. If you would like to join us next summer (dates TBD) let them know at tez.brooks@cru.org. They will keep you advised when exact dates are available. 

 

World Cup Outreach

 

Next year's World Cup is approaching and Jesus Film Project is preparing to share the gospel to these fans. Tez and his team are building an outreach opportunity using a new evangelism resource.

We have created a free tool to help churches and organizations provide digital journeys that lead users to discover and follow Jesus. It's called Next Steps and you can compare to a Make-Your-Own-Adventure book (but online ... for adults). Tez is working with this team to fine-tune the tool and train others how to use it. 

You can use this free tool to invite people to an event, for prayer journeys, to present the gospel, or to disciple believers. It's available to use today! If you want to know how you can make your outreach efforts more robust and cutting-edge for digitally savvy audiences, contact Tez or learn more here. 

Digital Evangelism is the Future of Missions

 

Check any recent study on the state of missions and you'll see that outreach efforts have undergone significant changes.

Digital is the way most of the world now desires and responds to information, including the gospel. 

Tez has a new role with Jesus Film Project as a trainer for churches and organizations desiring to maximize their outreach efforts digitally. them utilize one of the many innovative evangelism tools Jesus Film has created.

He's also been meeting with our staff in Italy to see how he might work with them remotely from the USA as they start up a new ministry to those hiking the Via Francigena (a spiritual pilgrimage). 

Christine continues in her position with the International School Project , coaching and encouraging new and veteran missionaries.      

A Train Ride with Jesus

We believe Christ-centered media in one's heart language can change the world for Jesus. One of our missionaries was traveling by train in an undisclosed country. Before boarding, she was watching the JESUS film on her tablet, but it seemed to freeze or shut down, so she put it into her bag.

After settling in and falling asleep, the tablet mysteriously started playing the film again from inside her bag!

The surrounding passengers heard the sound. An elderly man said, "Woman, something is speaking in your bag. Take it out! It sounds like it's saying something good."

Our co-worker explained it was a film about Jesus and took out the tablet, and played it for them. She continued showing some of our short films. She played them for the rest of the train trip.

A 71-year-old grandmother repented and accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior right there on the train! Not only did this grandmother go to the church address we gave her, but she brought her daughter, son, and daughter-in-law. She is now attending church and is eager to be baptized.

Thank you for making it possible for us to reach the lost. We couldn't do it without your support.  

"My Family Will Kill Me!"

As you know, I (Christine) am involved in an outreach to international women who live in my city. Most do not follow Jesus but once in a while, a believer will attend. This week, I sat next to a young woman from a Middle Eastern country. Her name was M. 

She was a believer and when I asked how she became a Christian, she shared her story which started in her home country.

She has an autoimmune disease and had been in the hospital. Her friend came to visit and read scripture over her. She said this was the beginning of her belief. Seeds planted.

This friend introduced her to two other believing women who worked in a salon. Mariam would go to have her hair done and hear about Jesus.

Then Mariam’s mother died and her family said she was to blame. They also said that her autoimmune disease was God’s punishment on her. But for what, she didn’t know.

Mariam compared how these Christian women treated her and how her family treated her. She felt loved by the Christian friends and this softened her heart to Christ.

Mariam began to read her Bible when her father wasn’t home, but one day when he overheard her talking to Christians on the phone he realized she became a Christian. he was very angry.

She had already applied to be an exchange student here in the US and came here to study. After she got here, she applied for religious asylum and was granted. She is living here as a young woman with no family and can’t go back because her father said he would kill her. As she told me her story, the joy of the Lord shone through her. Her commitment and love for Jesus outweighed the loss of her family. She will be instrumental in helping us reach the other women in the group. 

I share this story as an encouragement of how easily we can influence others for Christ. Who will you influence today? This young woman‘s eternal destination is forever changed because of some friends who were bold enough to merely read scripture and demonstrate the love of Christ. You can do the same!

Thank you for making it possible for me and M to reach these women. I couldn't do it without your support.  

TIMES SQUARE FEATURES JESUS FILM

Recently our ministry, the Jesus Film Project and the Bible App (that I regularly write YouVersion reading plans for) were featured on the big screens. Praise God for New York's willingness to encourage people to read the Bible and watch our films.  

The world is open and looking for answers in the Big Apple and around the globe. Join us in sharing your faith boldly and see what God does. 

Scan this QR code to check out Tez's YouVersion Reading Plans

Turkey Trip Report

Check out our latest newsletter report from a recent trip to Turkey.

https://mailchi.mp/3fdb20deb563/awo51y8tib-17470681

From Criminal to Evangelist

Sattar* served three prison terms for serious offenses. After his release from prison, he continued to live a life of crime. But by God’s grace, Sattar came to Christ in the summer of 2014. 

Since that time, he has taken very seriously Christ's command to reach all people for Him, so he asked the city officials to have his house opened as a home church for his friends from the criminal world. 

He invited them to a showing of the JESUS film every Wednesday. Soon, he decided that showing the film once a week was not enough, so he added Saturdays too. Many have chosen to follow Christ as a result of seeing the film. 

Praise God for using believers like Sattar to take the gospel (via this film) to everyone, everywhere!

*Name changed for security

Delivered Instantly from Drugs

Elnaz and his wife, Roya, struggled with drug addiction for 27 years agonizing years. Desperate for hope and deliverance from the all-consuming bondage of their dependence on the poison that was robbing them of their very lives, Elnaz reached the tipping point of his ability to carry on under his own power. Utterly broken and despondent, he cried out to God for help.

For reasons he did not fully understand at the time, Elnaz turned on his television and flipped through the satellite channels until he landed on one particular channel, which was showing the Jesus Film in Farsi.

Immediately captivated by this story of grace and forgiveness, Elnaz called Roya into the room, where together they watched the film and wept as they realized that Jesus suffered and died for them. When presented the opportunity to pray for personal salvation at the end of the film, Elnaz and Roya dropped to their knees and felt 27 years of blackness and hopelessness melt away as they asked Christ into their hearts.

In that moment, the Lord supernaturally delivered Elnaz and Roya from their drug addiction. Counselors continue to communicate with the couple regularly and report that they are growing in their relationship with Christ and continue to enjoy sobriety.

Incredible, life-transformational stories, like this of Elnaz and Roya, are happening throughout their country every day. God is moving across this nation unlike any other time in history and we have the privilege of being a part of His amazing work among Persians.

We do not do this in isolation. With more than 40 ministry partners, this television station is utilizing the power of collaboration and partnership to penetrate every corner of this lost and broken nation with hope of Christ.

Please pray for this station to continue to effectively communicate the hope and love of Christ to the millions of Middle Easterners who wake up each morning, hopeless and desperate for acceptance. With our ministry partners, we are trusting the Lord to use us to transform a nation of people like Elnaz and Roya for His glory.

Why I Became a Jesus Film Missionary

by Tez

It was 2002, at 36 years old, I was a guy who just didn't know much about Campus Crusade for Christ^® (now Cru^®). My fiancé served as a missionary for them for decades. They tried desperately to recruit me … even flying me to an out-of-state staff conference, to see if I could "catch the vision." It didn't work, I wasn't interested. I enjoyed my career in law enforcement.

One day at the Cru international headquarters—while meeting my fiancé for lunch—I decided to take the Jesus Film® tour. I remember seeing the film as a 16-year-old boy at the theaters and enjoying it. So, I was curious as to how it was still being used.

Each step of the interactive tour drew me in deeper as I learned the history of the film, how translations were made, and heard stories of those who gave up their lives for the gospel. By the end of the tour, I was crying. The Holy Spirit was moving in me and the call of God was strong.

All I could think was, Who's gonna continue this work—taking Jesus to the lost?

For several months the Lord continued to work in me. Shortly after we were married I went back for another tour, and cried again. A month later I went back a third time.

Surely this would eventually get old and I'd no longer be emotionally pulled in. Nope! I cried each time.

The Holy Spirit gently tugged. No, actually—He pulled at my heart. I heard God asking "Will you go? Will you devote your life's work to Me?"

A few days later I said to my new bride, almost in a whisper, "I think God is calling me to join you as a full-time missionary."

A few weeks later after some prayer, I interviewed with Cru. My application was approved and I suddenly found myself resigning a secure government job and going to Cru staff training. As I requested, they assigned me to serve with Jesus Film Mission Trips^™ I've been serving them in various capacities for 23+ years.

So it's more than a tour for me. It's more than an interactive experience that helps visitors understand the work of God around the world. For me, it was the instrument through which God called me into full-time ministry.

I bring all my friends to the tour when they are in town. I sit in my office right next to the very tour God used to call me here. I hear the tour all day long and pretty much have it memorized by now. It brings joy to my heart knowing there is probably someone —a teen, a mom, a truck driver, or senior citizen—experiencing the tour and maybe even being called to "go and make disciples of all nations."

I thank God for that tour. It's a tool that brings hundreds of people a year to our Master Studios in Orlando to experience what God is doing through the "JESUS" film. If you haven't yet, next time you're near the Orlando International Airport, make time to spend an hour and experience the tour at our headquarters.

Who knows, it just might change your life.

Meeting JESUS in a Spanish Hostel

Tez shares the gospel with a hiker.

One of the pilgrims who stayed the night.

The pungent odor of cow manure fills the air as travelers walk the Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James) toward a hostel named La Fuente del Peregrino. The name means The Pilgrim’s Fountain. It’s just one of many lodges for pilgrims hiking the 500-mile journey to Santiago de Compostela.

Many pilgrims have hiked for days before arriving at La Fuente del Peregrino—a 400-year-old building offering fresh coffee, clean bathrooms, and an overnight stay. Those who lodge get two hot meals, great hospitality, and a chance to watch the JESUS film.

The house is run by Natan, a staff member of Agape Spain, the name for Campus Crusade for Christ® in this country. He recruits volunteers from around the world. They rotate in for a week, maintaining the hostel and sharing Christ to the 400-800 pilgrims who pass each day.

Travelers on this pilgrimage often find themselves unexpectedly open to God conversations. “We use those moments as an open door for the gospel.” Natan says.

In the afternoon, an optional reflection time is offered to those staying overnight, followed by a showing of JESUS. For the pilgrims, a movie with popcorn is a welcome treat!

Natan explains to the guests, “Unlike most lodging that only provides for your physical needs, we focus also on heavenly needs—helping you take the next step in your spiritual journey.”

Filipe* is a guest this night. Filipe is a guru of Eastern mysticism and almost derails the discussion with his talk of chakra energy and an alien abduction that gave him power to heal.

The Jesus Film Mission Trip® volunteers pray as they communicate truth to Filipe. He is unreceptive. They don’t filter who stays at the hostel, trusting God to bring the right pilgrims who need to hear about Christ.

Some receive it, some reject it, but all are sent on their way contemplating Jesus and the extraordinary love poured out by the staff.

The next morning, one of the guests receives a copy of the film, “The Story of Jesus for Children.”

She responds, “You’ve blessed me. There’s something peaceful about this place—about you.”

This year marks the 20th anniversary since La Fuente del Peregrino opened its doors. Almost 19,000 pilgrims have found rest, shelter and the love of Christ. There’s no doubt God has placed this hostel in a strategic location. The Pilgrim’s Fountain continues to be a beacon of hope in a lost and broken world. To learn more, go to lafuentedelperegrino.com.

*Name changed for privacy

STATS FOR THAT TRIP:

• 4 Film Festivals at the Fuente with 17 people engaging with the short films.

• 4 Training's with 84 locals attending

• Roughly 130 initiated conversations (90 spiritual conversations and 24 gospel presentations)

• 2 indicated a decision to follow Christ.

• The most used short film was "Delight." 

PRAYER POINT: Ask God to use the JESUS film to reach pilgrims hiking El Camino.

A Bridge to Love

Anna* led her young son toward the bridge, where she believed her final act in life would be an act of mercy. Without hope for a future for herself and her son, there seemed no choice but to end his life, and hers.

Anna's desperation was no doubt born of an overwhelming set of circumstances. In the weeks prior, she'd tried what she could to provide for herself and her son in the midwestern city where they lived. But, her resources were exhausted. Her landlord would soon turn her out. She could no longer provide a roof over her son's head, if she could not pay rent by his deadline.

Eviction! Anna felt utterly alone.

In search of someone who might help, Anna dialed the phone, even calling people she did not know, grasping at straws. One of those calls was to a local pregnancy resource center. They called her back and asked her to come in. But by then—the circumstances, the setbacks, the loneliness had taken their toll. She lost hope. Gathering her son, she made her way toward the bridge.

On a whim, instead, Anna turned toward the entrance of that pregnancy resource center.  She shared a bit of her story with them. The center's director ushered her to a quiet area where Anna viewed portions of the "Magdalena" film.

The young mother emerged a different person. Moments before, she saw no alternative but to take her own life and that of her son.  But the message of the movie gave her hope that God would carry her through, despite the circumstances.

"Magdalena: Through Her Eyes" portrays Jesus's compassion for women and historical accounts of His interactions with them. The film's companion Bible study is a key part of this pregnancy center's outreach for providing hope and help to women.  What a difference it made in Anna's life.

With the help of a partnering church, the pregnancy resource center was able to help Anna with her rent payment and she was not evicted from her apartment. The Lord directed Anna away from the bridge of despair and death toward Christ, the Bridge to the Father. Please pray for young mothers in the USA to see Jesus as their hope and salvation.

*Name changed for privacy

Is Humanitarian Aid the Gospel?

           A lot of words are thrown around these days describing various kinds of compassion, acts of mercy, justice, and peace. Our society has redefined some of these biblical terms but muddled the meaning in the process. Lumping words together or using them interchangeably can cause quite confusing definitions.

COMPASSION DEFINED

The Bible never mentions the word “humanitarian aid” but it does speak of compassion. Humanitarian work is the practice of improving human life. So, let’s use the word compassion instead, which depicts more a stance of love and care, rather than supplying the outward physical needs one may have.

Using the words found in scripture helps us avoid any confusing definitions attached to modern terms or slang. Zechariah 7:9-10 says, “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.”

 I believe helping others not only shines our light as Christians in a dark world, but can sometimes open doors to a gospel presentation.

Mercy ministry—much like Jesus did when showing love to the sick, weak, and oppressed—can be a powerful tool to open hearts to hear the message of Christ. I’ve seen the power of mercy ministry in:

·      feeding/clothing those in need

·      helping widows/orphans

·      freeing slaves

·      rescuing human traffic victims

·      disaster relief

·      medical care units

·      and more

A few years ago I went on a medical mission trip to provide health/dental/vision care in Cambodia. It was clear to me how meeting the physical needs of individuals more readily prepared hearts to receive the message of the cross we presented.

But we must be careful not to take James 1:27 (like some Christians do) as a verse that explains what the gospel message is. This passage says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, ….”  This verse addresses pure and undefiled practices or good works (compassion). If we keep the verse in context, it’s clear James is talking about how we should live as a believer, not how we are to share the gospel.

We deceive ourselves when we begin to apply this verse or others like it, as a formula for the Great Commission. If we dig a well in Africa, play soccer with some kids, and hug a few villagers, yet never share the actual gospel—it would be wrong to say we evangelized. That’s actually a compassion trip, and even non-Christians are nice to the weak and oppressed. These trips are wonderful acts of love Christians should participate in. But without a gospel presentation, I fear we reduce our time, money, and effort to mere secular kindness. We might feel great about ourselves; while hundreds might now have a full belly, a cleft pallet repaired or freed from a brothel, no eternal difference was made—their souls are not secured.

Compassion is merely a tool to open heart doors. I too, love a good evangelism tool. But if I rely on tools alone as the gospel, I miss the mark. A clear, simple, gospel explanation must follow our love and generosity.

THE GOOD NEWS DEFINED

The gospel or Good News is clearly summarized in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, where Paul gives the most basic ingredients of the message—namely Jesus’s substitutionary death on the cross for us, his burial, and resurrection. It’s easy. If we share our faith in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God, there’s no limit to what he can do, with or without our good deeds.

While kindness is an effective tool, John 3:16 or Acts 10 or 13 doesn’t seem to mention anything about meeting people’s needs in order to present the Good News.

I’m concerned we’ve allowed the world to adopt and twist our terminology to water-down the definition of Christian outreach. How often have you heard secular organizations calling their medical practices in the jungle a “mission trip?”

            As we get involved with outreaches, here or overseas, let the worldwide Church be diligent not to embrace a watered-down gospel, but to communicate the true message of the cross. May we remind ourselves daily, that the Good News is the person and work of Jesus Christ—especially his virgin birth, righteous life, atoning death, and resurrection—with the promise that he will save anyone who turns from sin by trusting him as Lord. 

Let us continue to love sinners, using valuable tools like compassion to help the Holy Spirit prepare hearts. But may we never neglect to preach the gospel of grace to all nations, making disciples and teaching them to observe all Christ commanded.