April 2020 Global Report
Double Impact for Lead Today
Anger — abuse — domestic violence —
Our research showed these were huge stressors for children and youth in Latin America.
Daniel was no different. He knew his father loved him, but the man struggled with anger, and it made Daniel timid and fearful. Not just around his father … but in his approach to life. He just tried to keep his head down.
But then he was enrolled in our Lead Today program. He learned the principles of God’s love, forgiveness, biblical character, and godly leadership from the Bible … and discovered the love of Christ that empowers him.
Today, Daniel has developed into a vibrant Christian leader for his peers and his community! We expect his circle of influence will continue to expand as he steps up as a leader at school, in church, and his community as well.
Thank you for sending Lead Today to help a generation of young people learn how to lead through the power of God’s Word!
Right now, every donation for this program will be DOUBLED by a $500,000 Lead Today Matching Challenge!
Usually every $1 provides God’s Word for three children and youth. Today, every $1 will be doubled and reach SIX!
How many young people like Daniel will you reach with the Gospel — and help to discover their potential as godly leaders?
The fountain of youth — for ministry
by President Rob Hoskins
With our focus on Lead Today in this Global Report, I can’t help thinking of the young leaders we have right here at OneHope.
We discovered through our research that 45% of teens globally think that religion is very important and 57% wish to be influential over others (ABY 2011).
We wanted to tap into this desire for spiritual rootedness and extend the invitation into Christian community in an innovative way, while at the same time embracing the understanding that 88% of teens are interested in digital media, and 76% of them surf the web at least weekly (ABY 2011).
We need the input of young people themselves to help us understand how to create a new, courageous sense of home within the Church.
We realized it was a critical mission for us to harness the unique talents of this generation and utilize cyber natives in order to exist in their digital age.
We recruited young college graduates, assigned them to a mentor within the organization, and offered them full-time positions at the end of their fellowships.
These mentorships allow for two-way learning, making it a win-win. And it allows for young people to experience the good, bad, and ugly side of ministry while also seeing our hearts. Having a younger presence in the office has not only changed the face of our office, but it has also started changing the shape of our organization — for the better!
A teenager transformed — A family in transition
Bilall lives in a traditionally Hindu region — one of the limited access nations we can’t say too much about in print — a place where Christians often face persecution.
Although his parents knew he was intelligent and had great potential for the future, Bilall at 16 was spending more and more of his days on the streets with his friends, smoking and drinking than he was in school.
But that didn’t stop Pastor Devon from sharing the Book of Hope with Bilall and other young people in the village.
As Bilall read the story of Jesus and the Scriptures in the Book of Hope, he realized he wasn’t living his best life … and he decided he would repent of his sins and follow Jesus Christ!
Today, Bilall is back in school, and he attends Bible study and prayer meetings when Pastor Devon visits the village, where he hopes eventually to plant a church.
Now Bilall’s parents are hearing about Jesus, too, because they’ve opened their home to Pastor Devon! We’re praying soon the whole family will come to faith in Christ.
Thanks for sending God’s Word to bring hope to Bilall and his entire village!
Lead Today is shaping a generation of Christian leaders - and bringing lost souls to faith in Christ!
The preacher’s daughter got saved!
Emma was a “preacher’s kid” in Venezuela … like many young people, she was addicted to her cell phone … didn’t care to do her chores around the house … and while she might show up looking great for church services, she didn’t want to be anyone’s role model.
She just wanted to have some fun.
Then the Lead Today program began at her father’s church. Emma was confronted, perhaps for the first time, with the Scriptures in a way that was relevant in her life — and with the principles that could help her become a godly leader, too.
Today, Emma is faithfully following Jesus — and she’s changed in dramatic ways!
She’s doing her part to help out around the house, and she’s been promoted at her part-time job to a position of real responsibility.
Lead Today helps young people discover how they can become the leaders God intends them to be!
Emma was transformed by Lead Today. And for a limited time, your gift for this program will be doubled! Every dollar will reach SIX young people with the Good News.
Lead Today in 51 nations this year!
Lead Today was established in 2016 in the African nation of Ghana — in 2019, it had expanded to 47 countries — and this year: Lead Today is in 51 nations on 6 continents!
This program, created in partnership with leadership expert John Maxwell’s EQUIP organization, presents Scriptures from the Book of Hope alongside principles for godly leadership. It engages young people with the power of God’s Word and moves them toward a future of influence for Christ!
The idea for Lead Today began when our research showed African children thought of leaders as corrupt people trying to prosper at the expense of others…
With John Maxwell’s expert team EQUIP, we designed Lead Today to:
- introduce youth to God’s Word …
show them the way to life in Christ … - educate them with characteristics of godly leaders from the Bible …
- and prepare them to be godly leaders themselves.
Lead Today is bringing youth to Jesus and training them to be Christian leaders! And today, your gift for this program will be doubled by the matching challenge!
NATION BY NATION
Outlook and future changed forever
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC — Joel was a loner.
Part of the reason: he was shy. The other part of the reason? He wasn’t a particularly nice child: when others did try to include him, he often responded rudely, and he made mischief for himself and others.
But then he read the Book of Hope, which included the story of Moses. He discovered that Moses had some behavioral issues before he met God, too, yet he became one of Israel’s great leaders!
“I understood that just as God helped him, he can help with me,” Joel says. “And I already interact much better with God and with my friends.”
Joel’s future is brighter because you reached out to him with God’s Word. Thank you!
NATION BY NATION
HAITI
BURUNDI
PARAGUAY
God’s Word. Every Child. Sandu finds hope in Jesus!
Life is hard. For millions of tribal people in a mostly Hindu nation, every day is a struggle, just to feed their children.
For Sandu, it was worse… her father is an alcoholic. The little money he makes, he spends on drinking. His bad habits bring chaos and terror into the home.
But then one day a OneHope partner came to this unreached village with the Book of Hope for all the children. Sandu was amazed to read about the one true God, and how much He loved her!
When Pastor Diego returned to the village a few days later, the children flocked around him to discuss their books. His first question to them: “Who is Jesus?”
Sandu spoke up right away: “He is my Savior!”
She had read through the entire book and prayed the prayer at the end to dedicate her life to Christ. Today, she is growing in God and attending the children’s meetings Pastor Diego presents regularly in the village.
Although her father is still drinking, and life is still difficult, today Sandu knows that Jesus loves her and will never leave her. Her mother is so impressed with the changes in Sandu, she also comes to the meetings with her, to learn more about Jesus!
Please pray with us for Sandu’s whole family to come to faith in Christ.
Sandu is following Jesus because you sent her the Book of Hope.
