Expanding the Work Full
“Innovate or die.” It’s sage advice. For far too long, there has been an unspoken assumption among many church members that introducing others to Christ is far too complex for the average person. Rather, we should just let the professionals do the job.
Thus for years, I—along with a handful of others—have conducted large series in numerous major urban centers around the world. But no matter how many thousands of people are introduced to the Gospel, there are still countless more to be reached. There’s no way I can reach everyone on my own; there has to be a way to expand the work faster and farther.
The Voice of Prophecy was founded more than 85 years ago by a man who faced the same dilemma. Walking to his hotel one night after speaking to a crowd about Bible prophecy, H.M.S. Richards Sr. pondered how he could reach the people in the neighborhoods he passed—people who might never come to hear him preach. His innovative 1929 solution: start a daily radio broadcast. This broadcast later grew into a national weekly radio program. Today we continue that legacy of innovation. Public evangelism remains at the core of who we are and what we do. But, like our ministry’s founder, how we do it is changing in exciting ways with new tools and resources designed specifically to help the local church and its members reach their friends and neighbors with the Gospel.
Granted, it’s going to take a little time. When our team first signed on two years ago, the Voice of Prophecy was in desperate need of some TLC. It was in debt, it had a skeleton crew, and even the broadcast had fallen on hard times. But thanks be to God, that is all turning around faster than we expected.
Now that we’ve managed to relocate 85 years of ministry to Colorado, we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work . . . for you. I’m almost hesitant to write to you this soon, because not everything I’m about to share with you is quite ready yet, but I really want you to know what we’re cooking.
What kinds of things do we want to share with you? Here’s what’s ready (or nearly ready) right now:
• The Discover Bible School will be rebranded and lessons redesigned by January. Over the past year, I have seen remarkable things take place through this school. One region that implemented our strategy for using the school effectively ended up with four Bible studies for every member on the books. Four! We’ve seen the same kind of response in a number of North American markets, and I’m confident that we can help you reproduce that kind of excitement in your area. We’re ready to help churches reboot their Bible school (or perhaps start one for the first time).
• We’re developing training resources for church members that will help you achieve the same kind of response we’ve enjoyed in our outreach projects. We will help you:
- Find good-quality interests.
- Bring them through the doors of your church.
- Make them a part of your congregation.
• We’re about to open our own brand-new recording studio, and once it’s ready, we'll be pumping out training materials as fast as we can make them.
• This coming spring (probably in April) we’re going to host Shadow Empire, a brand-new event that you can stream in your church. It won’t be a full-scale meeting; rather, it’ll be a short event designed to bring your congregation’s Bible study interests (and other members of the community) through the doors of your church building. It will consist of four short meetings: Thursday evening, Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday evening. Every meeting will involve a brand-new Voice of Prophecy presentation—including on-site presentations from Rome and parts of the Middle East.
We’re still in the production phase, but I’ll tell you this much: the content will look at contemporary religious issues through the eyes of ancient church history. We’ll look at the trustworthiness of Scripture, the person and divinity of Christ and the impact of prophecy. In addition, we’ll take a non-threatening look at the way church and state began to blend back in the fourth century. These presentations are designed to encourage a deeper study of the Bible.
• Were also creating a new DVD resource out of Revelation Speaks Peace, the prophetic meetings I’ve been working on for the last 20 years—designed for church members to use in small group studies. The Shadow Empire event will encourage guests to participate.
• Additionally, we’re going to release a brand-new preaching series. We’re taking Revelation Speaks Peace and creating a “preach-it” edition, to be available this next summer.
. . . and much, much more.
Those are just a few of the things that we’re working on right now, but there will be more because I am so utterly convinced that our best outreach happens through members of the local church who are equipped, trained and emboldened to try something for the Kingdom. This is why it’s so important that we create comprehensive, well-resourced evangelistic tools.
Again, some of this will take a little time to put in place. But it’s going to happen. I want you to be aware of what we’re doing, so that you can anticipate it and partner with us. It’s only through the generous support of caring friends like you that we can continue to reach the world for Christ.
When I signed on with the Voice of Prophecy, I laid out a plan that would take approximately five years to execute. We’re already two years into that plan, and God is moving us forward faster than I dreamed possible!
These are exciting times. People everywhere are hungry—desperate even—to hear the good news of the Gospel. Please prayerfully consider making a special gift today. Your gift will enable us to provide new innovative resources that pastors and churches can use to introduce many more people to the saving love of God. Thank you for your prayers and gifts of support. You make a huge difference.
Your brother in Christ,
Shawn Boonstra
Speaker/Director