Fiscal Year 2019: Understanding Our Times

The last week in August marked Global Media Outreach’s Fiscal Year 2019 “Kickoff” celebration. Like last year, we invited remote language strategy teams (Pictured) from Asia, South America and the Middle East to visit our offices in Plano, TX. We packed days with activities, reports from team members and encouragements from our leadership

Our founder, Walt Wilson, retold the story of Global Media Outreach’s founding, which began with a thought about how the coming Worldwide Web he got to preview at MIT could be used to spread the gospel like never before, connecting seekers at their point of need with those available to disciple them. ”It’s not my idea; It’s God’s,” he regularly reminds us.

The “men of Issachar understood the times and knew what Israel should do,” 1 Chronicles 12:32 tells us. Like the Chronicler’s look back at what God did for Israel, what God has done through Global Media Outreach validates Walt’s mandate. In this year’s charge to us, Walt shared his clarity about our times. Today’s world hears the love of God as hate. To really get the love of God across to them, we have to speak the eternal truth of the gospel in the words they’ll hear. We have to be fearless but gracious to push into territory Christians have all-but-ceded to a world that has bought into Satan’s lies. “No generation in human history has been given the opportunity that we have been given.” Walt reminded us. “I hope you feel that weight. You are predestined, set apart. Be holy.”

Jeff Gowler, Global Media Outreach’s President and CEO, pointed out that our annual budget is a fraction of other Christian organizations who are now beginning to acknowledge that their own online evangelism efforts outpace their traditional evangelistic methods. God’s word to Walt at the outset of the worldwide Information Age put us in the lead, and it’s important that we continue to innovate. Our competitors are not the other Christian ministries with longer histories and bigger budgets. Our “competition” is the world’s proud attitude and endless distractions keeping seekers from knowing about God’s love.

Hosting an international annual meeting and working on a July to August fiscal year like we do gives us an opportunity for planning that doesn’t conflict with holidays.

Our plans for fiscal year 2019 include specific ways to target seekers in the USA. Walt is passionate about this, sensing that God’s leading on this is as clear as that fateful day at MIT media labs. We must show them God has something better for them.

In addition to continuing my efforts to provide mentoring and personalized review for each of our Online Missionaries, my discipleship area plans include charting multiple paths of follow-up for different types of seekers so that are Online Missionaries are prepared to lead them in their new walk with Jesus.

Will you please pray that our ministry will understand our times, our calling and our resources so as to make the most of the leadership role in online evangelism we’ve been given? Thank you for your vital investment in us that makes our work possible!

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Waiting for physical therapy.

Prayer Request: Both kids are having health issues. We spent a lot of time at UT Southwestern-Dallas Hospital this summer for Dr appointments, tests, and physical therapy. Emily has been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Luke has parts of the syndrome with hyper-mobile joints and scoliosis. Both kids have chronic pain and other issues. The syndrome is genetic with no cure.Trying to manage symptoms and would covet your prayers for them.

Love, in Christ,