This month I'm departing from my regular monthly teaching format, which I've rarely done. The Lord has spoken some very important things to me that I believe you will want to know.
There are so many significant things happening in the ministry that I can't tell you everything, but here are a few things I feel I must share with you.
The Lord spoke to me in 2002, about how I was limiting Him with my small thinking. I changed and so has the ministry. In 2002, we were only reaching 6 percent of the American television market. Now we've covered the U.S. market as well as most of the English speaking world. Over 3 billion people can watch my television programme if they want to. The growth has been supernatural. Only God could have done this.
We've not only increased the television ministry, but we've also completed the first phase of our Charis Bible College (CBC) campus in Woodland Park, Colorado - debt free! This is a major blessing. Thank You, Jesus and thank you partners, for making all of this possible. I am blessed and so grateful to the Lord for choosing me to be a part of this.
Recently the Lord has been speaking to me that it is time to grow again and not to limit Him with small thinking. We started construction on the next phase of our CBC campus this month. This is a $25 million project that we will complete debt free, just as we did with Phase I. There needs to be a substantial financial increase to complete this in our two-year time frame, but the Lord has instructed me to think much bigger.
Our Gospel Truth television broadcast is the fourth or fifth most watched Christian programme in the world, praise the Lord, but there are still millions of people who have never heard the message the Lord has given me. There are a number of reasons for this. I'm not everyone's "cup of tea." There are different strokes for different folks, I'm fine with that.
However, one big reason many have not received from me is because over 95 percent of my programmes are on in the early morning. While that is great for many people, there are millions who don't watch television at that time. I've known from the beginning that we needed multiple television broadcasts for different times of the day, especially in evening primetime, but this is really expensive. We could also reach a whole new market of people by broadcasting on secular stations and networks that carry limited Christian programming, as well as weekend broadcasting.
The Lord is urging me to aggressively start expanding the television ministry into these new time periods and secular markets. In fact, I've already made a major step in that direction by adding a daily broadcast on WGN, right after Joyce Meyer and before Creflo Dollar. This isn't cheap. It has added hundreds of thousands of dollars to the budget each month, but I believe this is what the Lord is leading me to do.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. We are also expanding into social media and so many other things, I can't communicate them all in one letter. We've already done some things in social media that have increased the number of "likes" over three times more than ever before. This has huge potential. We now have a new goal of reaching 2.5 times as many people in the next three years as we currently reach.
To the natural mind, this looks crazy. We are in the middle of constructing the main auditorium at The Sanctuary, a $25 million project. That in itself is big, but I truly believe the Lord told me that we need to aggressively pursue the goal of saturating the U.S. market with the Gospel Truth at the same time. As we expand our outreach, that will fuel the growth of our CBC network.
I know that not everyone will respond positively to what the Lord has given me to share, but millions will. The Lord has laid it on my heart to reach as far and as deep with the Gospel as I can. What people do with it is their choice. The Lord has instructed me to make it available and that's exactly what I intend to do.
So, I've been in many meetings over the last few months, and Jamie and I, as well as my staff, are on fire for what the Lord has instructed us to do. We are making plans for major growth, greater than anything we've experienced in the past and that's saying a lot.
We estimate that our television budget will have to more than double, from $1 million per month to $2.2 million.
We are also putting major effort into our website, which has been averaging over 1 million visits per month. We believe we can multiply that so we are actually reaching more people on the web than we do on television.
Television is an essential part of my plans to saturate the U.S. with the Gospel Truth, but my vision is to include every available avenue we can think of to change people's perspective on how to relate to God through grace. We've made major changes in our ministry. We are in the process of restructuring everything to accommodate this growth. Our vision has been refocused and we are ready to go. Now we need you to join with us to get this done.
We estimate that in order to reach 2.5 times as many people, we will have to increase our income 2.5 times what it is now. That's huge, but we serve a huge God. I know we can do it. I'm not going to limit Him by thinking small.
We can't do this all at once, but inch by inch, it's a cinch. The first step I believe we need to take toward these goals is to increase our partnerships by 10,000 new people. We presently have 20,000 monthly partners who pledge a total of $1 million per month. That's 40 percent of our monthly income. Ten thousand new partners would be a 50 percent increase in partners. I think this is an obtainable first step.
There are just under 100,000 people receiving this letter. Eighty percent of you haven't yet become partners. I know there are many reasons for that, but I also know there are at least 10,000 of you who could and should take that step. It would be a blessing to you.
I'm well aware there are many things that compete for our finances today, but I believe that proclaiming the true Gospel has to be our top priority. I can promise you this: All the things we spend so much money on in this life are all going to be gone someday and only what we do for the kingdom of God will last. When we all get to heaven, you won't be sorry you invested in the kingdom; you'll hug me and kiss me for getting that money out of your pocket. It's only what you give away now that you get to keep throughout eternity.
The Lord is using this ministry to make a profound impact. I know this firsthand from the thousands of letters, emails and personal testimonies that have come to me. The Gospel works and there are so many more people who would respond if we would just get the true Gospel to them.
So, I'm asking you to pray about being one of these 10,000 new partners. We classify a partner as anyone who pledges an amount to the ministry on a monthly basis. There is no stipulation on the amount, but it is a regular monthly commitment. At the moment, our partners average $50 per person per month, but we know people's ability to give varies. The Lord looks at the heart and not the amount that is given. Whatever the Lord leads you to do would be a blessing. If you'd like to sign up, go to www.awme.net/partnership, call our Helpline: +44(0)1922 473300, or fill out and return the enclosed form.
We currently have $4 million in hand to start the construction of Phase II at The Sanctuary in Woodland Park. We need a $300,000 to $400,000 increase per month to get this project finished in the next eighteen months.
To those of you who are already partners with us, Jamie and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You are the ones whom the Lord has used to help us touch so many lives. I believe there is a special blessing on those who partner in the Gospel (Phil. 1:5 and 4:19) and God's blessing is coming abundantly on you and your family.
Together we are going to put the true Gospel in front of everyone we possibly can. We are going to cross their paths in so many ways that they will have to listen. I can stand to be persecuted, but I can't stand to be ignored. The true Gospel of God's grace is going to be everywhere. With your help, I'm going to do my part. Thank you for joining with me!
We Love You,
Andrew and Jamie
P.S. You'll notice that there isn't a product offer this month. I just wanted this to be a direct appeal to your hearts to help us reach further and deeper with the Gospel than we ever have. Thanks for sending us to preach the Gospel (Rom. 10:15).
There are so many significant things happening in the ministry that I can't tell you everything, but here are a few things I feel I must share with you.
The Lord spoke to me in 2002, about how I was limiting Him with my small thinking. I changed and so has the ministry. In 2002, we were only reaching 6 percent of the American television market. Now we've covered the U.S. market as well as most of the English speaking world. Over 3 billion people can watch my television programme if they want to. The growth has been supernatural. Only God could have done this.
We've not only increased the television ministry, but we've also completed the first phase of our Charis Bible College (CBC) campus in Woodland Park, Colorado - debt free! This is a major blessing. Thank You, Jesus and thank you partners, for making all of this possible. I am blessed and so grateful to the Lord for choosing me to be a part of this.
Recently the Lord has been speaking to me that it is time to grow again and not to limit Him with small thinking. We started construction on the next phase of our CBC campus this month. This is a $25 million project that we will complete debt free, just as we did with Phase I. There needs to be a substantial financial increase to complete this in our two-year time frame, but the Lord has instructed me to think much bigger.
Our Gospel Truth television broadcast is the fourth or fifth most watched Christian programme in the world, praise the Lord, but there are still millions of people who have never heard the message the Lord has given me. There are a number of reasons for this. I'm not everyone's "cup of tea." There are different strokes for different folks, I'm fine with that.
However, one big reason many have not received from me is because over 95 percent of my programmes are on in the early morning. While that is great for many people, there are millions who don't watch television at that time. I've known from the beginning that we needed multiple television broadcasts for different times of the day, especially in evening primetime, but this is really expensive. We could also reach a whole new market of people by broadcasting on secular stations and networks that carry limited Christian programming, as well as weekend broadcasting.
The Lord is urging me to aggressively start expanding the television ministry into these new time periods and secular markets. In fact, I've already made a major step in that direction by adding a daily broadcast on WGN, right after Joyce Meyer and before Creflo Dollar. This isn't cheap. It has added hundreds of thousands of dollars to the budget each month, but I believe this is what the Lord is leading me to do.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. We are also expanding into social media and so many other things, I can't communicate them all in one letter. We've already done some things in social media that have increased the number of "likes" over three times more than ever before. This has huge potential. We now have a new goal of reaching 2.5 times as many people in the next three years as we currently reach.
To the natural mind, this looks crazy. We are in the middle of constructing the main auditorium at The Sanctuary, a $25 million project. That in itself is big, but I truly believe the Lord told me that we need to aggressively pursue the goal of saturating the U.S. market with the Gospel Truth at the same time. As we expand our outreach, that will fuel the growth of our CBC network.
I know that not everyone will respond positively to what the Lord has given me to share, but millions will. The Lord has laid it on my heart to reach as far and as deep with the Gospel as I can. What people do with it is their choice. The Lord has instructed me to make it available and that's exactly what I intend to do.
So, I've been in many meetings over the last few months, and Jamie and I, as well as my staff, are on fire for what the Lord has instructed us to do. We are making plans for major growth, greater than anything we've experienced in the past and that's saying a lot.
We estimate that our television budget will have to more than double, from $1 million per month to $2.2 million.
We are also putting major effort into our website, which has been averaging over 1 million visits per month. We believe we can multiply that so we are actually reaching more people on the web than we do on television.
Television is an essential part of my plans to saturate the U.S. with the Gospel Truth, but my vision is to include every available avenue we can think of to change people's perspective on how to relate to God through grace. We've made major changes in our ministry. We are in the process of restructuring everything to accommodate this growth. Our vision has been refocused and we are ready to go. Now we need you to join with us to get this done.
We estimate that in order to reach 2.5 times as many people, we will have to increase our income 2.5 times what it is now. That's huge, but we serve a huge God. I know we can do it. I'm not going to limit Him by thinking small.
We can't do this all at once, but inch by inch, it's a cinch. The first step I believe we need to take toward these goals is to increase our partnerships by 10,000 new people. We presently have 20,000 monthly partners who pledge a total of $1 million per month. That's 40 percent of our monthly income. Ten thousand new partners would be a 50 percent increase in partners. I think this is an obtainable first step.
There are just under 100,000 people receiving this letter. Eighty percent of you haven't yet become partners. I know there are many reasons for that, but I also know there are at least 10,000 of you who could and should take that step. It would be a blessing to you.
I'm well aware there are many things that compete for our finances today, but I believe that proclaiming the true Gospel has to be our top priority. I can promise you this: All the things we spend so much money on in this life are all going to be gone someday and only what we do for the kingdom of God will last. When we all get to heaven, you won't be sorry you invested in the kingdom; you'll hug me and kiss me for getting that money out of your pocket. It's only what you give away now that you get to keep throughout eternity.
The Lord is using this ministry to make a profound impact. I know this firsthand from the thousands of letters, emails and personal testimonies that have come to me. The Gospel works and there are so many more people who would respond if we would just get the true Gospel to them.
So, I'm asking you to pray about being one of these 10,000 new partners. We classify a partner as anyone who pledges an amount to the ministry on a monthly basis. There is no stipulation on the amount, but it is a regular monthly commitment. At the moment, our partners average $50 per person per month, but we know people's ability to give varies. The Lord looks at the heart and not the amount that is given. Whatever the Lord leads you to do would be a blessing. If you'd like to sign up, go to www.awme.net/partnership, call our Helpline: +44(0)1922 473300, or fill out and return the enclosed form.
We currently have $4 million in hand to start the construction of Phase II at The Sanctuary in Woodland Park. We need a $300,000 to $400,000 increase per month to get this project finished in the next eighteen months.
To those of you who are already partners with us, Jamie and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You are the ones whom the Lord has used to help us touch so many lives. I believe there is a special blessing on those who partner in the Gospel (Phil. 1:5 and 4:19) and God's blessing is coming abundantly on you and your family.
Together we are going to put the true Gospel in front of everyone we possibly can. We are going to cross their paths in so many ways that they will have to listen. I can stand to be persecuted, but I can't stand to be ignored. The true Gospel of God's grace is going to be everywhere. With your help, I'm going to do my part. Thank you for joining with me!
We Love You,
Andrew and Jamie
P.S. You'll notice that there isn't a product offer this month. I just wanted this to be a direct appeal to your hearts to help us reach further and deeper with the Gospel than we ever have. Thanks for sending us to preach the Gospel (Rom. 10:15).