August 2020 Global Report
Lead Today shapes Christian leaders for today and tomorrow.
His family isn’t wealthy — in fact Arcides’s parents struggle to provide for their children and keep them in school … in their home nation of Honduras, about 66% of the people live below the poverty level.1
But Arcides was determined to make the most of the gift of education that his parents worked so hard to give him. He tried hard to make good grades — and when he was enrolled in the Lead Today program, it added to his passion for excellence.
“I understood that being a leader isn’t easy, but that I could control myself and take responsibility,” he says. “And what I am learning isn’t just for me, but I will be a leader for my family, my school, my community, and my country. I will try to influence others through my example, following in the footsteps of the most excellent leader, Jesus Christ.”
His wonderful attitude, and his joy in learning the principles of godly leadership, highlight the importance of Lead Today. You are affecting the destiny of the next generation! Thank you for helping reach young people with God’s Word through this, and so many other, life-changing programs!
1 https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/honduras
TOP-10 Things we need to know about Gen Z
by President Rob Hoskins
Gen Z, born after 1996 … They follow on the heels of the Millennials, and today they’re our target audience for engaging with God’s Word. Our research into who they are shows us 10 important facts …
- According to the Census Bureau, Gen Z is the most diverse generation in America. 48% of the makeup of Gen Z is non-Caucasian, and they value diversity.
- Generation Z takes in information instantaneously and loses interest just as fast. We have to keep our message short, simple, and visually oriented.
- They want to work for their success, not be discovered.
- They value the realistic over the opportunistic or falsely optimistic. They want substance, authenticity, and truth. All things the Church can and should provide!
- They believe that equality is non-negotiable. We must give them a biblical lens and framework for what is important in God’s eyes.
- They want to create and curate their own identities. We would do well to present reality while allowing them the opportunity to create a unique identity based in the truth that they are image-bearers.
- They are self-selecting. They choose where to seek and find their information as well as how they spend their time.
- They are independent as opposed to collaborative.
- They are private vs. public. This generation is more selective of where and how they use social media than the Millennial generation.
- They appreciate face-to-face vs. digital only. This generation craves real relationships and substantive conversations.
When we understand that each new generation is reared by its predecessors, we see how important it is to speak to its heartfelt needs. Engaging young people with the Gospel by providing God’s Word in relevant and meaningful ways is essential to this mission.
Popular demand for Lead Today among teenagers in Ghana
Meet Dorcas. She has volunteered with her church for seven years — most recently as the youth minister. Like many leaders in African churches, she didn’t have a degree in youth ministry or a comprehensive curriculum for teaching young people … At first her services were sort of a Bible study and open discussion — but very few teenagers bothered coming. They felt bored.
Then, Dorcas received training to use the Lead Today program at her church in Ghana and show young people how they could become godly leaders.
“In the last two years of using Lead Today, we’ve seen tremendous growth in attendance and participation. Frequently we repeat certain topics by popular demand,” Dorcas says today.
“And the students invite others, their friends who aren’t even church members, because they want to share what they are learning.”
Digital programs proclaiming God’s Word throughout the pandemic.
Thanks to everyone for your faithfulness and prayers during the pandemic! You’re reaching the next generation through digital and online programs including …
- The brand-new Kids Bible Experience which was just launched — You can get it for your own children or grandchildren by enabling it within the YouVersion Bible app. It’s designed to engage pre-teens with God’s Word, and the content is continually updated.
- The Bible App for Kids — It’s available in over 50 languages and has been downloaded on every continent.
- What If It’s True? — This amazing program was created to speak to young people in the Muslim world and is making a big impact!
How Lead Today is shaping a generation of godly leaders
Young people, ages 12-19 … They’re the target for Lead Today.
It’s a program developed in partnership with leadership expert John Maxwell’s EQUIP organization to teach leadership from the Bible — and introduce young people to Jesus.
Students are transformed as they learn about the ultimate leader, Jesus. Parents, teachers, and church leaders all agree about the program: they love it!
Some feedback from partners in Africa …
- “Lead Today is the foundation of our new ministry — It’s amazing to see the engagement of the teens with it. We just want to celebrate how this material has been a tool so far in assisting us to help our teens grow spiritually.” —Garth Langeveld, Doxa Deo Randburg, Fusion City Youth, South Africa
- “Facilitators attending the Lead Today training are all in awe of the way in which the material brings about a change in the way they themselves look at and think about leadership. The Lead Today program has the potential to bring about a fundamental and lasting change in the way children take responsibility of their lives, now and in the future.” —OneHope Partner, Future Now, Johannesburg, South Africa
- “I was moved by pastors, Sunday School teachers, and Bible Club teachers as they came to our training. One pastor told me ‘I wish to thank OneHope for their books. I am taking my youth through Lead Today, and this book is wonderful. I have used other books, but this book is very unique.’” —John, Kenya
For 16 years, he struggled to overcome depression … and then —
Depression stalked him from the time he was a child. The ongoing economic woes and social upheaval in his home nation of Venezuela made things even worse for Lucas as a teenager.
But then a Christian friend insisted he come to her church. Lucas met Jesus and dedicated his life to Christ. Things began to change for him … and when he began the Lead Today program, the changes came even more quickly!
Depression slipped away as he discovered his purpose in life, to become a godly leader wherever he was: at school, in his family, in the community.
“I learned we can be exemplary leaders, who preach the wonders of knowing Christ, and how He helps us in moments of despair,” Lucas says today.
Thank you for showing him the way to new life and new hope!
Your charitable donations: deductible whether you itemize or not.
You can receive a tax benefit for charitable donations — whether you itemize your taxes or not.
The federal relief package in response to the pandemic offers you an excellent universal deduction for your 2020 charitable cash contributions up to a total of $300. You get this deduction whether you itemize or not.
Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity now because Congress may not renew it in 2021. (You can’t donate to your Donor Advised Fund to use this deduction; you have to donate directly to a non-profit organization.)
Powerful and effective way to reach the next generation with God’s Word —
And generate a lifetime income for yourself and your spouse
You already have a great heart for sharing God’s Word with the next generation — and we’re grateful for you and the impact you make!
Now you can establish a Charitable Gift Annuity with a significant gift, and it will go on reaching children and youth with the Good News for years to come … and it will generate an income for you.
While the interest you may make on stock market investments can fluctuate, the income you receive from your CGA will not change.
The chart shows you the rate of return you might expect on the CGA, based on your age, when you establish the annuity.
Benefits include:
- Tax deduction for charitable giving.
- Regular, guaranteed income for life.
- The joy of knowing you are making an eternal difference in the lives of children and youth!
For additional information or questions about a CGA or other planned giving options, please contact April Floria at aprilfloria@onehope.net or 1.800.GIV.BIBL (448.2425) today.
NATION BY NATION
MEXICO — Divine healing and family transformation
Carlos is only three years old — he can’t read yet … but when a team from the local church visited him in the hospital and met his family, they gave Mom and Dad the Book of Hope to read to Carlos during this difficult time.
He was suffering from a painful digestive disorder that had confounded his doctors — many days in the hospital hadn’t made him feel any better. As his frightened parents read the Book of Hope and spoke with the church team, they made the decision to follow Jesus, and asked the team to pray for Carlos.
Soon he was feeling much better! More tests were administered … and doctors could find nothing wrong with him. He was discharged from the hospital, completely healthy! And now he will be raised in a Christian home with parents who are thanking the Lord for his healing.
LIMITED ACCESS NATION
BOLIVIA
FIJI
God’s Word. Every Child.
She thought they were going to kill her…
Iuliia thought she was about to die. Her mother and stepfather were drunk and had beaten her bloody — Now her mother was about to smash a 3-liter glass liquor bottle into her head! Somehow Iuliia managed to deflect the blow —
“I think it was God who was already protecting me back then,” Iuliia says. A teenager in Perm, Russia, she had received the Book of Hope years ago … but its words hadn’t made much difference in her life, until now.
She fled into the night and tried to phone her father … but the woman he lived with told her she couldn’t speak to her dad — and the best thing would be if she just killed herself!
Aching, alone, and unwanted, Iuliia remembered from her Book of Hope that she could pray to God. But would He listen? Would He answer?
YES! By God’s grace, Iuliia found shelter with her grandmother that night … and astoundingly, later, her mother stopped drinking. Iuliia was able to go back to live with her mother, and soon she had a new baby brother, Rustam.
And in the next few years, Iuliia and her mother found their way to the local church, where they both committed their lives to Christ.
Today, Iuliia serves on a One Year for Jesus mission team, helping to distribute the Book of Hope to other Russian children and teenagers — that very same book which once told her that there was a God, and that He would hear her prayers!
