Category: Evangelism

Caring in the Caribbean: Puerto Rico Mission Report

The Horn/Vargas family, from Michigan, donates books to the church school to replace the ones lost during Hurricane Maria.

The island of Vieques lies seven miles off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, the “Island of Enchantment.” It’s what you’d call a tropical island, with mango trees, coconut palms, beautiful beaches, and the brightest bioluminescent bay on the planet. Wild horses roam the streets, and green iguanas soak up the sun as they laze about on branches and low stone walls. It’s a place where people go on vacation, to get away from the hustle and bustle of life in the city.

It’s also an island with a great deal of need. While the party crowd comes and goes daily by ferry, the local populace of Vieques has a hard time taking care of their basic needs. Hurricane Maria devastated the island in 2017. The only hospital on the island was destroyed, leaving the 8,500 people who reside there with just a poorly-equipped emergency medical clinic that is open a few hours each day. There are two small gas stations on the island and only one grocery store. The bars and nightclubs abound, but opportunities for people to find true health and peace are in short supply.

Because of this great need, It Is Written partnered with the East Puerto Rico Conference to bring a group of 22 missionaries to the island of Vieques. The team of doctors, nurses, preachers, and support staff arrived in the town of Isabel Segunda on July 25 and began making preparations to open a free medical clinic at the church the next day. Exam rooms were set up, a triage area was established, translators were prepped, a pharmacy was organized, and spiritual material was lined up to distribute to the children and adults who would soon be arriving at the clinic. 

The Vieques mission group

Over the following days, scores of people came through the doors of the church to get help for themselves, their children, and their parents. Patients came with musculoskeletal pain, rashes, diabetes, and a variety of other health challenges. One man shared that he had been trying to get an appointment to be seen by a local doctor for over six months without success. He was elated to find that he could see a doctor at the medical clinic—and receive his needed medications—for free! And each patient who came received spiritual material to connect them with Escrito Está, the Spanish-language arm of It Is Written.

It Is Written Partners Dr. Sotero Escarza and his wife, Patti, said, “It was our first mission trip and we were struck with the fact that so many people would pay good money, take time out from their lives, and give up some creature comforts to help out people they don’t know with some basic medical needs and to give them literature about the Good News. It gave us comfort that God is in control and He has His remnant that will reflect His character.”

Keiton Bahnmiller, another first-time missionary, put his experience with construction into practice by helping to find and repair leaks in the church school’s roof and windows. He also helped pressure-wash the exterior walls and prepared them for painting. The only private school on the island, the school is a great outreach opportunity for the church.

Dr. Raul Vila, an It Is Written Partner who has joined the ministry on six mission trips, said, We encountered multiple challenges during this trip, however, we all were blessed as we cared for some of the needs of the people we served. I remember one man in particular who came with a case of shingles on his trunk and how in between acyclovir and some natural remedies, he could find relief. I’m glad that we could be there for him. Each patient seen carried new hope and a prayer sent to heaven.”

Would you like to let God use you on a mission trip? Visit itiswritten.com/missiontrips to learn how you can partner with us on an upcoming trip.

 

It Is Written Announces Grounded, A New Revival Series Airing in October

From October 19 to 22, It Is Written will present Grounded. Grounded is a revival series focused on leading viewers into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. Presented by John Bradshaw, Grounded will broadcast live from Knoxville, Tennessee. Grounded will air on It Is Written TV, 3ABN, Facebook, and YouTube. Churches and small groups are encouraged to sign up to stream the series. Register and find free promotional materials at grounded.study.

Each session will consist of a one-hour topic presentation, followed by a half-hour Bible study. Churches and small groups can watch the broadcasted Bible study or purchase the It Is Written Bible Study Guides and conduct their own Bible study in-person.

“Grounded is an excellent opportunity to grow your faith in God, and to invite others to do the same,” says Bradshaw, It Is Written president. “Grounded is specially designed for both people of faith and people who are only beginning their journey with Jesus. Grounded will give us an opportunity to strengthen our walk with Christ, settle deeply into the teachings of the Bible, receive more of the Holy Spirit, and prepare for the momentous times just before us.”

Grounded will air at 7:00 p.m. EDT October 19-22, with a replay each night at 10:00 p.m. EDT on It Is Written TV. A Saturday presentation will also be broadcast at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Viewers may watch live on 3ABN, the It Is Written Facebook and YouTube pages, or It Is Written TV. It Is Written TV is available at itiswritten.tv, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Google Play. Archives will be available on demand on Facebook and YouTube after the livestream.

For more information, visit grounded.study or call 844-974-8836 (844-WRITTEN).

Gideon in the Dominican

This is the word of the Lord… “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. —Zechariah 4:6

God is never limited by the number of people or resources available to accomplish His purpose. Over and over in Scripture, God does mighty things through little. He brings beauty out of ashes and glorifies Himself through the weak things of this world. He did this again during the It Is Written mission trip to the Dominican Republic in May. 

A woman reads the Christian literature she just received while waiting to be seen at the clinic.

It Is Written partnered with the Southeast Dominican Conference in an initiative to reach a previously unentered territory by the church. A church plant is developing, and the church building is almost finished. Our mission team partnered with church members to conduct a medical clinic for the neighborhood right in the unfinished church building. Hundreds waited patiently for the free healthcare offered, which included dentistry, general medical care, cardiology, neurology, pediatrics, and more. Patients also received gifted items of soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, socks, vitamins, and much-needed medication. Every person received Bible-based literature, and many began asking questions immediately as they waited.

More than 600 community guests came through the clinic over several days, with more than 450 people saying yes to the invitation for Bible studies. The church is currently following up on those interests. Many people who came through the clinic will eventually become members of that new church family and worship in the building where they were first introduced to Jesus! 

A boy is examined by the team dentist.

The finished church building

The mission team also funded and painted the newly constructed church inside and out, which significantly shortened the move-in date. The conference graciously dedicated the new building to It Is Written for substantially advancing this mission goal. A special thank-you to you, our Partners. Without your prayers and support, this trip would not have been possible. God receives the glory; we receive the joy!

In addition to medical clinics and church renovation, our team also conducted four evangelistic meetings and children’s programs. Several hundred attended the meetings, and more than 40 made decisions to follow Jesus in baptism! Hundreds of children participated in the nightly VBS meetings, and many learned about Jesus for the first time.

One young man made his decision after wrestling for several years. His hesitation was due to the impression that God was also calling him into full-time ministry. “I did not want to be baptized because I did not want to be a pastor,” he said. “Yet, God softened my heart through these meetings, and I surrendered to the call to be saved and serve others.” What a joyous moment! Another lady had been considering baptism for more than 10 years. God moved her heart through the preaching. She said, “Jesus is coming soon! I can’t afford to put Him off any longer. Christ is calling me now, and I am answering.” These are just a few of the 40+ testimonies of God’s greatness.

Pastor Wes Peppers, center, shares his testimony.

The conference also owns a radio station that reaches the entire country of 11 million people. It is the third most listened-to station of any genre, and several influential business owners and high-ranking government officials listen to the programs daily. I shared my personal testimony, “The Atheist Who Found God,” live on their afternoon program, and we received several callers in response.

Marion Peppers and community members pose for a picture as they pick up medication.

Indeed, it was like Gideon’s army again! The Lord did mighty things through just a small handful. This trip was a prelude to a more significant effort in August 2023. The conference will celebrate its 25th anniversary with 25 evangelistic series. It Is Written will conduct another mission trip with clinics, VBS, and possibly construction. Pastor John Bradshaw will join, and his live evangelistic presentations will be broadcast on the radio station, reaching every home in the Dominican Republic!

We are also recruiting speakers for all 25 meetings. Perhaps God is calling you to be a part of this trip, a different one, or sponsor someone you know to go. We invite you to join us for a life-transforming experience! God is calling; are you ready? 

Visit itiswritten.com/missiontrips for more information or to sign up.

Pastor Wes Peppers and his meeting attendees.

Spanish Book Drive

We are collecting Spanish children’s books for our mission trip to Puerto Rico. The school library in Vieques was destroyed in 2017 by Hurricane Maria, and we would love to give them as many books as we can! 

Books must be:

📕 in Spanish
📘 spiritual or educational
📗 for children in grades K-6
📙 in good condition

Send your books by July 7 to:

It Is Written
Attention: Eric Flickinger
9340 Four Corners Place
Ooltewah, TN 37363

Thank you!

Giving Tuesday 2021: Donate Today & Support All Year Long

We recently concluded Revelation Today: The Great Reset. After watching the series, Kate shared this with us:

“I have been out of the church now 25+ years. I have listened to every message from the seminar, and I want you to know I have made the decision to come back to God. I will be baptized next month. Thank you most of all for allowing God to use you as a messenger of his true love for me. I praise God for directing me to your message of truth. I can’t wait to be baptized!”

Wow! That’s why we, together, do what we do. Your support of It Is Written makes it possible for testimonies like this to be shared.

Donate Now

On this Giving Tuesday, we’d love for you to make a gift today and enable It Is Written to continue sharing the gospel around the world through television programs, mission projects, online and in-person evangelism, and faith-sharing resources.

When you make a gift of any amount on #GivingTuesday, November 30, you will receive a FREE Digging up the Truth DVD Set as a thank you. In these two programs, archaeologist Dr. Michael Hasel joins Pastor John Bradshaw and shares important archaeological discoveries from Israel, showing how archaeology proves the reliability of the Bible.

In addition, Pastor John will broadcast live from the It Is Written Facebook page to say thank you and share an inspiring testimony or two. Join him LIVE on Tuesday, November 30, at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Ways to give:

1. Click the donate button above.

2. Call 800-479-9056.

3. Mail a check or cash donation marked “Giving Tuesday” to It Is Written, PO Box 6, Chattanooga, TN, 37401.

Here are other ways to support It Is Written throughout the year:

Shop on AmazonSmile.

Support It Is Written with your Amazon shopping. When you select It Is Written as your designated charity while shopping on smile.amazon.com, the AmazonSmile Foundation donates a portion of every purchase to It Is Written.

Add It Is Written » or Learn more about AmazonSmile »

Order an Eyes for India mission kit.

There are endless ways that you can raise funds to support It Is Written projects like Eyes for India. Whether it’s a church fundraiser, small group project, or birthday activity, you can make a big difference in the lives of others and have a great time doing it. This kit provides everything you need to make your fundraiser a success!

Learn more about the Eyes for India kit »

Set up a monthly recurring gift. 

Give a gift every month automatically through your credit or debit card or checking account.

 Visit our donate page » or call 800-479-9056 to get started.

Become a ministry Partner.

Partners support It Is Written with a commitment of at least $125 per month or $1,500 annually. Special events are held for Partners every fall.

Learn more about becoming a Partner »

Make a Planned Gift.

You can help It Is Written make an eternal difference with a planned gift, will, or trust through your financial and estate plan.

Learn more about Planned Giving and Trust Services »

Revelation Today: The Great Reset to Start October 8

Decorative imageBeginning October 8, It Is Written will air Revelation Today: The Great Reset. Pastor John Bradshaw, It Is Written president, will present the full-length evangelistic series from the Chattanooga First Church. Viewers may register and watch at revelationtoday.com. Promotional material may be found at itiswritten.com/rtresources

Revelation Today: The Great Reset is the final series of ACTS 20:21, a multi-year evangelism campaign by It Is Written in partnership with North American churches. “When society locked down,” said Bradshaw, “It Is Written ramped up with Hope Awakens. We followed it with series after series, touching on prophecy, health, revival, and prayer. We have seen many people come to faith in Christ as a result. And with Revelation Today: The Great Reset, we expect to see many more. This series is designed to respond to the turmoil we see in the world today with messages of hope.”

Revelation Today: The Great Reset is not the only evangelistic series It Is Written is launching in October. Eric Flickinger, It Is Written associate speaker, will present Which Way, America? in Rochester, Minnesota, and throughout the state. Donavon Kack, It Is Written evangelist, will deliver Revelation’s Urgent Call in San Antonio, Texas, and Robert Costa, of It Is Written’s Spanish-language ministry, Escrito Está, will conduct five evangelistic series between now and the end of the year. Including these events and their satellite campuses, It Is Written will conduct more than 250 evangelistic meetings in October.

Revelation Today: The Great Reset will continue through November 6 with 21 presentations.

It Is Written Welcomes New Evangelism Director

Headshot of Wes Peppers

Pastor Wes Peppers, the new It Is Written evangelism director

It Is Written welcomes Wes Peppers as the ministry’s new evangelism director. Wes replaces Yves Monnier, who accepted a call to serve as the ministerial and evangelism director for the Pennsylvania Conference. Wes began his new position in August.

Wes joins It Is Written from the Michigan Conference, where he served for 10 years as pastor, personal ministries director, evangelism coordinator, and associate ministerial director. Wes also has experience in international media evangelism from his time with Amazing Facts.

“We’re thrilled to have Pastor Wes Peppers join our team,” said John Bradshaw, It Is Written president. “He is an unusually gifted speaker and evangelist and has been extremely successful in pastoral and evangelistic ministry, as well as in administration. He has a love for souls that is obvious and infectious. It is a privilege to have someone of his caliber join us at It Is Written.”

As evangelism director, Wes will handle the creation and execution of the master plan of evangelism for It Is Written. Having done mission work in 35 countries, Wes is ready to lead the evangelism team as It Is Written continues to reach souls around the world with the gospel. 

“I love It Is Written, because it focuses exclusively on proclaiming the everlasting gospel and reaching the lost for Christ,” Wes said. “One of my greatest passions in life is sharing Christ with others through preaching, Bible study, and media programming. I love to train churches and members how to share their faith with others. I am looking forward to using the gifts and experiences God has given me to minister around the world through It Is Written while personally living in His grace and strength each day.”

Wes and his wife Marion felt a clear call from God to take the position. “Over a two-month span of time, there were a series of miraculous events that finalized our decision,” Wes said. “After several weeks of fasting and wrestling in prayer, God overwhelmingly confirmed that His will was for us to serve at It Is Written. We have all the confidence in the world that we are exactly where God wants us to be!” 

Wes and Marion, a musician, have been married for almost 17 years and are joined in ministry by their two children, Levi and Liana. 

For questions or evangelism resources, contact [email protected] or 844-WRITTEN (844-974-8836).

It Is Written Announces New Online Prayer Series to Start August 9

Starting August 9, It Is Written will present Connect, a new online series on effective prayer. Hosted by Pastor John Bradshaw, Connect will livestream on It Is Written TV, Facebook, and YouTube. Viewers are encouraged to register for Connect at iiwconnect.com to get access to exclusive giveaways. Promotional material may be found at itiswritten.com/rtresources

In Connect, viewers will learn how to pray more effectively, learn from model prayers in the Bible, understand what prevents prayers from being answered, and learn what prayer really is–and isn’t. Special guests will share inspiring stories of answered prayer, and the keys to biblical prayer will enable viewers to take their prayer life to a new level.

Connect is the latest series in ACTS 20:21, a full-cycle evangelism program for both churches and individuals. “Encouraging and equipping people in effective prayer is a huge need,” said Bradshaw. “And the current challenges in society give us a unique opportunity to point people to the God of heaven. This is a great way to reach out to people looking for more in their spiritual life.”

Connect will air at 7:00 p.m. EDT August 9-13. Viewers may watch on the It Is Written Facebook and YouTube pages, or on It Is Written TV. It Is Written TV is available on itiswritten.tv, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Google Play. Archives will be available on demand on Facebook and YouTube after the livestream.

Learn more about ACTS 20:21 at itiswritten.com/acts2021.

New It Is Written Series, Next Level Health, to Start April 23

It Is Written is pleased to announce its new online evangelistic series, Next Level Health. Join Pastor John Bradshaw and health experts from around the country as they share practical ways to enhance every area of a person’s life: physical, mental, and spiritual. Next Level Health runs April 23-29. Register and watch at nextlevelhealth.life

Next Level Health is the latest series in ACTS 20:21, the It Is Written full-cycle evangelism program for both churches and individuals. This series is designed to meet people where they are and address concerns heightened by the current pandemic. 

The seven-day series will be especially effective for churches reaching out to their local communities with practical life-changing health principles and for people witnessing to family and friends. Featuring physicians and medical experts and presented in a dynamic, magazine-style format, Next Level Health will cover hot-button health topics such as boosting immunity, improving mental performance, increasing energy, enhancing relationships, and promoting emotional wellbeing. 

“Last year we hosted Take Charge of Your Health and thousands participated.” Pastor John Bradshaw, It Is Written president, said. “When we asked those viewers how It Is Written could best help them reach their health goals, almost 50 percent asked for a follow-up series. So here we are!” 

After Next Level Health, ACTS 20:21 continues with a prayer series, an online Bible studies series, and a full-cycle evangelistic series all available virtually and with interactive and local follow up by It Is Written-trained church members.

“This is a new day for evangelism,” Pastor Yves Monnier, It Is Written director of evangelism, said. “People’s hearts are open right now, and church members are excited. They are able to engage with people who may never have attended an in-person meeting, but barriers are broken down through virtual outreach.”  

Register and watch the series at nextlevelhealth.life. Tell your church and community about it by using advertising resources available at itiswritten.com/rtresources. Learn more about the It Is Written full-cycle evangelism series, ACTS 20:21, at acts2021.com.

ReCharged and Ready to Go: Report

Everything was in place for ReCharge, the annual It Is Written Evangelism and Church Growth retreat.

☑️ Topic: Preaching that changes lives—check.

☑️ Guest speaker: Dr. Henry Wright—check.

☑️ Date: December 13-15—check.

☑️ Location: Cohutta Springs Conference Center—check. 

Everything was ready and then, of course, COVID-19 showed up.

We considered canceling this year’s ReCharge for about two seconds and then decided to do it virtually like we had done with Hope Awakens, our April evangelistic series. What happened next blew us away. Transitioning to online allowed over 500 individuals representing 34 conferences to register and participate. About half of the registrants were pastors and lay pastors, and most of them are a part of ACTS 20:21, the one-year evangelism initiative from It Is Written. 

These numbers are not the real story, though. The real story is the vibrant presentations on preaching by Dr. Henry Wright. Dr. Wright, now retired after 53 years of faithful service, is one of the great preachers of the church. During his five presentations, he shared practical insights, not just theories, from his own journey as a preacher.

The webinar included interesting conversations between Pastor John Bradshaw and Dr. Wright that went well beyond the lectures. They talked about the kind of stuff that really connected with the hearts of those who want to take their preaching to a new level. One point that Dr. Wright made that resonated loud and clear was that one should never preach a sermon that doesn’t move them first.

One attendee reflected that by the end of ReCharge, “I was certainly recharged.” Another individual indicated that as a new elder he was eager to put to practice the things he had learned. And another wrote to us to share that ReCharge had filled him with joy. 

Here are some additional comments attendees shared: 

“Thank you so much for the preaching seminar! It was excellent, and I learned much.”

“Thank you so much for the ReCharge presentation. It did just that, recharged me for service!”

“The virtual sessions were very informative and practical.”

“Each session was a blessing, a real mountaintop experience for me.”

“I very much enjoyed and was blessed by the content of this workshop. I look forward to attending the next one.”

“It was a great blessing for me. I was so filled with joy that I couldn’t keep quiet. I shared many things that I learned with my wife. To top it all, I had a Bible study in the evening so I was able to use many things that I learned. What a wonderful day.”

“It was really good, and I appreciate the time and effort all of you put into making it available and presenting this training for our pastors.”

“Great seminar. Thank you for tapping Dr. Wright. I have long wanted to sit at his feet with regard to how to preach.”

These testimonies and the many others are the real story—the reason It Is Written organizes this annual event. Our desire is to impact pastors and members in their work of evangelism.