GOD`S WORD - The Gideons International in Canada

Friends,
Our
WHY
The mission of The
Gideons International
In Canada is to
communicate the
gospel of Jesus Christ
through personal
evangelism and
Scripture distribution,
in Canada and
worldwide, so that
people may receive
eternal life.
The photo’s blurry and closely cropped, but we can clearly see what’s happening:
the hope of the gospel reaching someone on the battlefront. We may never know the
name of the soldier who received that copy of a Ukrainian Hope magazine, nor if he
will end up surviving the deadly conflict.
But what we do know is a man named Roman, who volunteers for our on-the-ground
partner in Eastern Europe, reached up to share a copy of God’s Word with a Ukrainian
soldier on his tank.
What an honour to be in a position where we can equip people like Roman with the
Scriptures he needs to share the gospel with his people. Through the generosity of
our donors, our ministry has done the same thing in 20 countries this year. This report
highlights a few of those.
It also features a new strategic push we executed to partner with churches and
pastors all over the world who need our help. I joined a team in China in Fall 2014,
and spent a week travelling to churches, encouraging the pastors, and sharing
Bibles. What an incredible opportunity to help build up the Kingdom of God in that
Communist nation.
In the same way, The Gideons International In Canada is equipping pastors right here
in Canada with copies of God’s Word so they can reach their communities with the
gospel. The launch of the Global Church Partnership Plan is one of the big stories for
us this year, as you’ll read in this report.
What’s ahead in the coming year?
• The launch of a new membership community tool
• The introduction of a new international ministry identity
• A refreshing of some of our programs
Thank you for your support of this ministry. Your partnership is what’s equipping
people like Roman to step outside their comfort zone and share Christ in their world.
Yours in Christ,
DeWayne Fliss
Board Chair
4
Our
DISTINCTIVES
Working in Canada and around the
world, our ministry’s uniqueness
comes from a combination of the
following:
Gospel-Centred Ministry
Our mission is clear: to share the
gospel of Jesus Christ using free
copies of God’s Word so people
will accept God’s gift of salvation.
Mobilizing Believers
We equip Canadian members and
global evangelists who offer their
time, passion and resources to the
cause of sharing the gospel using
God’s Word.
HOLY
BIBLE
True
North
A “Love
e it. Live it. Share it.” campaign ran throughout the year
across Canada to encourage new efforts to share the gospel. A
new Gospel of John was printed with a cover that featured the
graphic above. Using their creavity, Gideon members connected
in unique and meaningful ways to let Canadians know about the
love of Jesus. Domestic distribution increased by 14% overall,
with the Scripture portions category the most popular (includes
Scripture magazines and the Gospel of John).
696,088
by Canadian m
members
33,216
Youth to youth
52%
were Scripture
portions
Local + Global Partnership
We work globally with churches
and complementary ministries to
contextually share the gospel and
equip the Church for evangelism.
6
Canadian youth are still receiving Gideon Scriptures!
Kids of all ages, like this VBS group in Kitchener,
Ontario, were given their own copy of God’s Word in
schools, church programs, community distributions,
and through the SendMe program.
Global
SCRIPTURES
PARTNERSHIP DISTRIBUTIONS
TOTAL
SCRIPTURES SHIPPED
this year:
1,763,644
(including app downloads)
NATIONS
TOUCHED SINCE 2011:
181
Countries
Where our
Ministry is
Active
Through distribution
teams, app downloads,
and partnerships
(accumulated total)
39
2011/12
PARTNER
RECIPIENT NATIONS
Bibles for China
Bible League Canada
Development Communication
Association (DCA)
EduDeo
Good Hope Ministries
GWG Global
Mission Eurasia
OneBook
TWR
China
Ethiopia, South Sudan
Pakistan
5,820
110,026
5,000
Nicaragua
Malawi
China
Ukraine, Russia, Moldova
Nigeria
Iran, Guinea, Japan, Africa
26,160
72,352
123,265
477,000
20,000
63,340
67
2012/13
165
2013/14
QUANTITY
181
2014/15
7
Canadian
3,755
MEMBERS
TOTAL MEMBERSHIP
at the end of 2014/15
4%
16
%
% of Total
Membership
6%
16%
8
%
30
10%
10%
%
NB/NS/PEI
RACHEL MACHARIA - “I long to
see people find the Saviour. People
need the Lord. They need the Word
of God. And I believe that God is in
this mission. That’s why I joined The
Gideons.”
You can read Rachel’s story online at
www.gideons.ca/evangelism
Canadians have been sharing the gospel using God’s Word as
Gideon members since 1911. From the early days of almost
exclusively
l i l using
i
h
hotels
t l as the
th distribution
di t ib ti
points,
i t to
t today
t d
where the avenues of ministry are endless, it’s the volunteers of
men and women across the country who are the hands and feet
of the Canadian ministry.
The Gideons is continuing to attract men and women of all ages
to the cause. Canadians under 50 years old made up 38% of
new members this year. Ages of new recruits spanned 19 to 86.
Recruitment will get a boost in the coming year thanks to a
new membership community tool, more extensive publicity to
the church community in Canada, and continued growth in our
international ministry.
8
$940,707
FUNDS RAISED at 136 events
across Canada, organized and
run by Gideon members
268
NEW MEMBERS
for 2014/15
54
AVERAGE AGE of new
members for 2014/15
66+
24%
18-35
16%
AGE
of New
Members
51-65
38%
36-50
22%
DR. TIM GRIFFIOEN - After
becoming a member last year in
Temiskaming, Tim began offering his
patients Gideon Scriptures. He has
amazing opportunities to share the
gospel with people in the midst of lifethreatening health issues.
You can read Tim’s story online at
www.gideons.ca/evangelism
Impacting LIVES
Gideon members like Debbie Stewart (above right)
travelled the world to share the gospel this year. In
China, Eastern Europe, Latin America, South Asia and
the Heart of Africa, Canadians worked side by side
with ministry and church partners to place God’s Word
in the hands of people hungry for hope and grace.
9
169
Registered
churches*
1,596 7,500
SendMe blog
subscribers*
236
Registered
youth*
10
App cards
ordered
61%
Growth
*Total figure from
launch of SendMe
SendMe
The future of the ministry lies in the generations to come.
SendMe is a program aimed at training and equipping
young adults to share the gospel with their peers. It’s also an
excellent way to bridge the present with the future by inviting
SendMe participants into Gideon membership when they’re
ready.
SendMe’s model is simple: register online, order free copies
of the Gospel of John, download the NewLife app to your
smartphone, and engage your friends with the Good News.
A full-time SendMe manager was hired in 2015 to continue
building the program through youth leadership, church engagement and youth event participation.
Over the course of 17 events, and thanks to a partnership
with the YC youth conference, SendMe is starting to take
root in the minds of youth leaders and event planners.
In July 2015, the first international SendMe trip occurred in
the country of Moldova. Partnering with Mission Eurasia,
seven young adults brought their energy and creativity to
share the gospel with the youth of the poorest country in
Europe. This was the beginning of a new phase for SendMe.
For many years I was afraid of sharing the gospel...
As I drew closer to the Lord, I started desiring other
things. I wanted to share Jesus with others. I found out
about SendMe, where I could have access to Gospels
of John to share with people I meet everyday. Now I
never leave the house without them. You never know
who you might encounter outside. Always be prepared.
—ERIKA MELISSA, BC
33,216
Gospels
Ordered
16,343
5,620
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
11
Global Church
PARTNERSHIP
“How can The Gideons do a better job helping
pastors all over the world reach their communities
with the gospel?”
From that question sprang the Global Church Partnership Plan (GCPP). In
2014 we began inviting Canadian churches to join us in a unique partnership
opportunity. In return for a monthly donation to help pastors around the
world receive Bibles to equip their evangelists and church leaders, Canadian
pastors have access to evangelism Scriptures of their own.
But our partnership with churches goes far beyond the program we launched
in Canada. In every country where we work, we are actively partnering with
churches to support their evangelism efforts. In some cases, we are simply
the catalyst for mobilizing church members to engage their communities in a
new way. Visit www.gideons.ca/churches for more information on the GCPP.
Pastor Tarune, a pastor and
evangelist in Ethiopia, had one
Bible in his church—and it wasn’t
even in his own language. We went
to his church and not only gave
him a Bible, but shared Bibles with
his entire congregation. When we
visited him a year later, his church
had quadrupled. Why? Because
people could read the Bible, teach
from the Bible, and evangelize
from the Bible. Hear his story at
www.gideons.ca/ethiopia.
12
THE GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL IN CANADA
133
CHURCHES who joined the GCPP
18,048
SCRIPTURES ORDERED by
churches for Canadian outreach
$73,615
FUNDS RAISED for pastors
around the world
GLOBAL
CHURCH PARTNERSHIP
LOCAL PARTNERSHIP. GLOBAL IMPACT.
$160,000+
PLEDGED for 2015/16
Impacting LIVES
“I am Chasimba from Malawi, the pastor of Last Church,
but I had no Bible. It was my prayer to God to give me
another Bible because the one I had was torn apart—
and today God has answered my prayer. This was the
Bible I was using.”
Thanks to our donors and our partnership with Good
Hope Ministries, faithful pastors like Chasimba can now
help their churches grow in the Word. And they can reach
out to hundreds of Tumbuka villages with the communitychanging message of the gospel.
Cards for
THE CAUSE
Simple yet powerful, Gideon Expressions cards
impact multiple people each time they’re used.
1. The card giver/donor
2. The card receiver
3. The recipient of God’s Word
Within the church context, the family of believers
is also impacted—by fostering an atmosphere
of mutual encouragement.
“Thank you...
...for the large print Gideon Bible
I received from a Gideon. I left it
in my friend’s room so it would
be there for me to pick up each
time I visited to read a Psalm, a
Scripture—a reminder of younger
days when she leaned on God’s
Word and prayer to get her through
as a young widow of faith raising
four children.
Today we remembered our dear
friends who used to live in our
community but who live many
miles away. We remembered them
together, in their struggles and
prayed for them together.
I noticed the Gideon “Thinking of You” card with a teapot
and cup at our church on Sunday. I picked it up thinking of our
many times of warmth and love
over a simple cup of tea, and a
sweet, in their lakefront home.”
—a Gideon Expressions card user
14
Originally conceived in 1948, today’s card
program has matured and grown to become
a major source of funds for The Gideons: over
$1.3 million last year. The hundreds of thousands
of copies of God’s Word in the hands of people
around the world make it all worthwhile.
$47
Average gift
from a card
The coming year will see the introduction of
Pastor Appreciation cards, as well as a gentle
refreshing of the brand.
$1,321,327
FUNDS RAISED
63,589
CARDS
sent out
440,442
SCRIPTURES FUNDED
240
CARD RACKS
shipped out
132
FUNERAL HOME
card racks
Crowd
FUNDING
In Fall 2014, an intense campaign was launched to
raise funds for Bibles for Ethiopia. One of the methods
we used was crowdfunding through a new tool we
developed for our website. Crowdfunding works on
the concept of many small gifts from a wide array of
donors—adding up to a significant total.
From mid-November through the first week of January,
we invited people to help end the Bible famine in Ethiopia.
Videos were produced from footage captured on the
ground and a social media strategy was developed.
By the time the campaign ended, the crowdfunding had
surpassed the goal of $50,000.
Crowdfunding will continue to be used as a method of
cultivating new donors, creating awareness for specific
global needs, and tapping into a younger demographic
that is open to less traditional methods of fundraising.
$56,898
FUNDS RAISED
for Ethiopian campaign
The SendMe team
members heading to
Moldova in July 2015
each launched their
own crowdfunding
campaign to help raise
funds for the trip.
150
GIFTS through
crowdfunding site
15
Global
REACH
When you learn that a
ministry partner is leading
workshops to teach their
volunteers how to use
your app, you’re reminded
NewLife is a tool meeting
a need.
2014/15
DOWNLOADS
Brazil
10%
Other: 20%
(124 countries)
USA: 7%
South Africa: 3%
Canada
43%
By the end of our 2014/15
fiscal year, the NewLife
app was available in 14
of the most spoken languages of the world,
and has become a key
component of our international ministry. Physical Scriptures are now
printed with a message to
let the reader know about
the app.
We know this works
because it’s happening
in Brazil. One year after
the evangelism campaign
prior to the FIFA’s World
Cup,
downloads
of
NewLife are continuing
to outpace the rest of the
world (see graphic).
The other key to the
steady downloads of
NewLife is having app
ambassadors. How else
do you explain the dominance of Canada in the
app statistics? Gideon
members are sharing
the app, as well as our
Global Church Partners.
We also know the app is
being heavily promoted in
Russia by staff and volunteers associated with our
partner, Mission Eurasia.
What’s next? Besides
continuing to expand
the language options for
NewLife, The Gideons
is looking to expand the
promotion of the app
both in church communications and to the seekers among us. Finding
its niche in the world of
evangelism and apologetics is key to its longterm success.
Russia: 5%
Nigeria: 5%
Colombia: 3%
China: 4%
16
53
Commitments to Christ came through the app
from Brazil, Chile, China, Curacao, Russia,
South Africa, the UK, USA and Canada.
Canada
19,299
USA
3,286
Mexico
312
Colombia
587
Chile
113
DOWNLOAD
LEGEND
Blue: 100+
Red: 10-99
Orange: 1-9
Green: none
NewLife for
Russia
1,297
UK
507
CHURCHES
A tool for the tough
questions, and a
compass to your
church
Ukraine
173
China
731
India
337
Venezuela
217
Ghana
155
Brazil
1,874
Philippines
622
Nigeria
1,265
Zambia
232
Thailand
217
Malaysia
Malaysia
116
116
Australia
169
South Africa
747
Argentina
146
LIFETIME App Stats (as of May 31, 2015)
35,120
GLOBAL DOWNLOADS
175
COUNTRIES
14
LANGUAGES
Watch the NewLife video at www.newlifeapp.ca
1,091
CANADIAN
CA
CHURCHES listed
CH
When a NewLife user in your
community is looking for a
church, will yours pop up?
Churches from coast to coast
are in the app (for free) and
have listed their service times,
special ministries available,
who to contact, and more. You
can register your church at
churches.newlifeapp.ca
“The challenge as
pastors is that your
people want to
share their faith—
but they don’t
know how. We need to teach
them, and put the tools in their
hands so they can effectively
share their faith. And this app
makes it really, really easy to
help them do that! I showed
my church of 800 people how
to use NewLife.”
—Rick Boyes, Pastor of
Gateway Church, London, ON
Watch Rick’s video at www.gideons.ca
Meeting
JESUS
“In the beginning was the Word”—that’s where we
suggest people start reading. More than anything,
we want them to meet Jesus, the one person the
entire Bible is about.
That’s why the Gospel of John is in every Scripture
magazine, and it’s why people are offered small
booklets that only have John’s Gospel inside—not
only in Canada but around the world.
In 2014/15 Gideon members began sharing a new
version with a “Canadiana” cover. We also printed
a Spanish Gospel of John and are continuing to
produce our Scripture magazines in other languages.
18,000
Light Magazines sent
to churches
Christmas and Easter are when
most non-church going Canadians
step inside a sanctuary. Through
the Light Scripture magazines,
Global Church Partners were
invited to offer visitors a fresh new
way to look at God’s Word. By reintroducing people to the gospel
message using a familiar magazine
format, we believe they will be
more open to reading the story of
Jesus—perhaps for the first time.
18
381,293
SCRIPTURE PORTIONS
SHIPPED across Canada
49%
Growth
“On Saturday I saw a couple dressed in red t-shirts
with ‘True North’ in white on the front, handing out
red True North Gospels of John to people entering the
GlobalFest site. The Canadian-coloured Gospels of
John were well accepted as it was a Canadian-themed
festival. Throughout the evening, I watched the people
who took the gospels. I reflected that many of these
people come from cultures and backgrounds in which
they probably have never heard the Truth.”
“I live 40 km from the war zone
near Donetsk, Ukraine. I believe
only the gospel can transform
this nation. So, together with
the food and supplies, we bring
these attractive copies of the
Word of God that offer people
hope in the midst of war.
The Gospel in
CONTEXT
Igor Tunik
Pastor and church planter
The creation of the Hope Scripture
magazine has become a spiritual
game changer for hundreds of
thousands of people—but not
just in Canada.
Hope has now been translated
into Russian and Ukrainian, not
just in the text but also in some
of the design. Contextualizing
the photography means a greater
acceptance by the receiver.
Requests for additional languages
of Hope are frequent and churches are desperate for this tool to
share in their communities.
19
Strategic Impact
Since autonomy in 2011, The Gideons International In Canada
has forged ahead in fulfilling its God-given mandate to share
the gospel in all the world! All the financial indicators we use to
measure our effectiveness have gone up, our cost ratios have
gone down, and the adoption of our new Scriptures have been
dizzyingly fast.
But the most satisfying impact has been the number of
conversions, the number of Bibles distributed, and the positive
effect on churches in the countries we’ve ministered.
Our long-term strategy in these nations is built on operating
principles aligned with our mission but customized for different
cultures and countries.
As we move forward and engage more deeply in key regions of
the world, we require the financial investment that will ensure
strategic and long-term success.
ENGAGE
Strategic
Sustainable
ble
bl
le
Long Term
m
Hands On
Partnered
Operating Principles
The Engage a Nation strategy uses a phased approach for
long-term ministry and is built on five core operating principles:
1. Strategic in planning, investment and relationships
2. Engaged in projects with the potential for sustained and
significant impact
3. Committed long-term to ongoing, effective and fruitful
ministry with the local church
4. Hands-on management of projects and outcome
5. Partnered with strategic organizations who have ministry
access and relational accountability
20
To date, these five principles have allowed us to:
• Share the gospel and see lives changed
• Distribute Scriptures and Bibles to those who don’t have one
• Build up the local church
• Train pastors, Bible school students and prominent members
of society
After five years in each chosen region, we will have built an
infrastructure and equipped people with the necessary skills to carry
on the work.
Regional Investment
Latin America
Through strategic partnerships with like-minded ministries and
on-the-ground infrastructure, we will invest in sharing the gospel
with God’s Word in these five areas.
Heart of Africa
LATIN AMERICA
Following the successes we have had in Brazil, Colombia
and Chile, we have been invited back to Brazil to lead an
evangelistic campaign for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Plans are
in place for future distributions in other parts of Latin America.
Former USSR
HEART OF AFRICA
Already working in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Kenya and Malawi,
we feel God’s calling to establish an office in Kenya to coordinate the work in this needy, but spiritually open region.
South Asia
China
FORMER SOVIET UNION
We have joined with Mission Eurasia to complement their work
and provide them with the resources they need to evangelize
this region, especially its young people.
A NATION
SOUTH ASIA
India is soon to be the most populous nation in the world and
desperate to be freed from the bondage of false religion and
teeth-grinding poverty. Other surrounding nations are also
being explored for evangelism opportunities.
Critical Success Factors
CHINA We have opened an office and been given unprecedented
opportunities by the communist authorities to preach the
gospel. For instance, in November 2014 we were asked to
provide Bibles to 2,000 government officials.
Leadership
• An ambitious and stretching vision
• A strategic, long-term plan
• Committed leadership at all levels
• A robust funding pipeline
• Strong partnerships at home and
abroad
Vision
Funding
Strategy
Advisors
Partnership
Beyond the borders of the five key regions specified above, we
will continue to partner with other ministries who share our
commitment to reach the lost and equip the church with copies
of God’s Word. By building on each other’s strengths, more
communities in every country of the world will be reached for
Christ in creative, contextualized and cost-effective ways.
• Independent/external advisors
21
Engaging the
FORMER SOVIET
UNION
22
One thing quickly became clear
during a quick exposure trip in
February to three former Soviet
Union countries: the shadow of
Communist rule has left its mark.
We met Yana in Chisinau,
Moldova, (top right) and through
her story heard about some of the
heartbreaking problems that are
ripping families apart. Sandwiched
between Romania and Ukraine,
Moldova is the poorest country
in Europe and has some of the
highest sex trafficking rates in the
world.
Pessimism and brokenness overshadow any promise of a brighter
future throughout the former Soviet nations—but young Christians
are not sitting still. While visiting
Mission Eurasia’s office in Kiev,
Ukraine, we met and interviewed
several students (left) who are part
of their training program called
School Without Walls. Their quiet
passion for sharing the gospel
was inspiring.
We had the privilege of seeing
them in action, and helping them
share copies of the Ukrainian
477,000
SCRIPTURES SHARED
in partnership with
Mission Eurasia
Hope magazine in Maidan, the
most famous square in Kiev. The
nation was marking the one-year
anniversary of a massacre that had
killed 100 protestors. In the midst
of the waving flags and patriotic
fervour, these young people were
inviting people to take a copy of
God’s Word.
Our main translator for the week
was Pavel Tokarchuk, a young
man from Moscow, Russia
(pictured bottom right) who had
helped us on previous trips.
He represents the future of the
church in Russia and introduced
us to young leaders of a Baptist
church in Moscow who struggle
to minister as evangelicals in a
country that officially sanctions
only the Russian Orthodox Church.
He also connected us to leaders
of the Pentecostal Assemblies
of Russia, a denomination with
incredible vision and strategy to
reach every town in Russia with
God’s Word.
“As soon as possible, I wanted to leave Moldova,”
Yana told us. “There is no hope in this country.
Children are growing up with only one parent or
no parents. I grew up believing there was nothing
good in Moldova for me.”
Then a friend invited her to his church where
she started taking guitar lessons. This exposed
her to the gospel and to reading the Bible. Since
becoming a Christian, her attitude toward Moldova
has completely changed. “Now I have hope,” she
said. “I want to share this hope with other young
people so we can stay in Moldova and make our
country better.”
Millions of Bibles are needed in
this part of the world, in multiple
languages. What an opportunity
for us.
964
APP DOWNLOADS
in Russia, Ukraine &
Moldova
23
24
In 2015, an exciting Bible-raising
campaign was launched in the U.S. in
partnership with Tyndale House Publishers
and LifeWay Christian Resources, one of
the world’s largest providers of Christian
products and services, including Bibles.
In partnership with Tyndale, LifeWay is
raising funds from its customers for Bibles
for China. The Gideons International In
Canada is the distribution arm in the
partnership.
The campaign had already raised over
132,000 Bibles by our fiscal year end,
reaching a total of 201,548 in June. Some
of the bookplates signed by customers
(pictured at right) were shared with
believers in China in May, along with
copies of the Bible.
180+
LIFEWAY STORES
Across the USA
132,000
BIBLES PURCHASED
1,000,000
# OF BIBLES
Tyndale House Publishers
wants to share with the
church in China
25
26
A Catalyst in
COLOMBIA
In a highly segregated metropolis of 12 million people, how
can a mere 20,000 New Testaments make a dent in a city
notorious for kidnappings, illegal drug trade, murder, guerrilla
warfare and corruption?
And how can 15 Canadians enter a foreign land for 10 days,
expecting to spark any long-term change?
Well, we’re really more of a catalyst in the equation. By
partnering with the local church to share the gospel in their
own neighbourhoods, offering copies of God’s Word in
people’s heart language, and inviting people to their church,
The Gideons acts as a catalyst for the gospel in Colombia.
Giorgio Gori, VP of Development states, “We evangelize,
using the Word of God, to build up the local church. That’s
what God has called us to do.”
Rather than parachuting in with our own agenda, our desire is
to build a long-term relationship with the Colombian church.
The local church has been God’s plan all along, we know from
the New Testament. And we saw this in action in May 2015
when our Gideon team left the safe streets of Canada for the
garbage-strewn, treacherous sidewalks of Bogotá, Colombia.
20,000
NEW TESTAMENTS
SHARED in Bogotá
10,028
RESPONSES to
the Gospel
750
CHURCH
VOLUNTEERS
27
Generational
impact in
NICARAGUA
Nicaragua is a nation struggling to cope. Only
53% of adults have stable employment and
47% of the population live below the poverty
line. Schools have the lowest enrolment in
Central America, and many children are forced
to work to support their families. Supplies are
scarce and many parents can’t afford books,
let alone Bibles for their students.
In partnership with EduDeo, we were excited
to share just over 26,000 Spanish Bibles with
students in Nicaragua. The smiles on their
faces and the excitement of the teachers was
a reminder of the incredible gift we have to
offer. And we know those Bibles represent the
beginning of generational change in a country
desperate for hope.
26,160
BIBLES SHARED
The heart of
AFRICA
Generous donors made it possible for us to share
54,850 Oromo New Testaments with churches in
Ethiopia. We also equipped the people of South
Sudan with New Testaments for students and full
Bibles for pastors.
Both of these countries are in the midst of a Bible
famine that we will be looking to eliminate over the
long term. It’s an opportunity to change nations
with the gospel.
110,026
28
SCRIPTURES SHARED
26,160
BIBLES SHARED
with students
God’s Word in
PAKISTAN
The Development Communication Association
(DCA) partners with The Gideons to share the
Good News with God’s Word in Pakistan through
strategic connections with community leaders and
influencers—like teachers, principals, pastors,
church planters, doctors and passionate young
people—who can spread the gospel throughout
their spheres of influence.
5,000
BIBLES SHARED
29
Media players in
MAURITANIA
Through our partnership with TWR, over
63,000 Scriptures were shared in Africa,
Japan and the Middle East. One of
those places was Mauritania, an officially
100% Muslim state. Its constitution does
not guarantee religious freedom and
conversion to the Christian faith is illegal.
There are between 150-700 Mauritanian
Christians. Some gather in networks but
many are isolated in their villages and
suffer from a lack of Bible knowledge. The
law prohibits Mauritanians from hearing
the gospel and turning to Christianity.
We partnered with TWR to do a media
player distributon project of 600 players
containing French and Arabic audio
New Testaments as well as The Way of
Righteousness in Hassaniya. TWR has
received exciting reports of conversions
to Christ as a result of the distribution.
“I was born into a Muslim family in
Mauritania. My dad took care of me. He
taught me how to pray (Muslim) and how
to celebrate Ramadan. When I received
the media player and heard the gospel in
Hassani I learned a lot about Jesus. For
example, He is the way, the truth and the
life, and we cannot come to God without
Jesus Christ. I saw that Jesus is much
more than a prophet. He is GOD who
came in body and suffered for us all.”
30
Impactful
PARTNERSHIPS
Sharing the gospel around
the world with like-minded
ministries is our privilege.
Partners like Anna Ebert, founder of Good Hope Ministries,
work tirelessly and sacrificially
to offer God’s Word to people
who have no other way to obtain a copy for themselves.
72,352
BIBLES SHARED IN MALAWI
through Good Hope Ministries
The transformational results in
the communities of Malawi is
the kind of long-term impact we
value and look for as we continue to form partnerships for
global ministry.
Good Hope
Ministries
Development
Communication
Association
31
Sharing
Scriptures Shipped and Downloaded in
GOD’S WORD
CANADA
14%
Increase in domestic
Scripture distribution
Comparative Years
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
Bibles
137,065
31,284
30,739
32,073
Testaments
Large Print
Medical
Youth
Personal Worker
Public Ministry
Bilingual
Foreign Language
Service/RCMP
23,591
6,721
163,727
13,071
152,882
40,590
13,014
4,501
20,626
7,600
155,262
9,351
180,116
1,660
11,001
7,590
16,109
6,537
119,494
11,797
170,052
7,370
12,802
6,977
20,460
3,790
117,341
5,265
136,999
4,235
23,447
4,401
0
88,936
255,639
381,293
Print Total
Bible Downloads
555,162
0
513,426
3,989
637,516
8,091
729,304
7,938
TOTAL DOMESTIC
555,162
517,415
645,607
737,242
Scripture Portions
Personal Worker:
<1%
Medical NTs: <1%
Large Print: 3%
Full Bibles: 4%
Downloads: <1%
Fiscal Year ends May 31st
Youth NTs
16%
Public Ministry NTs
19%
PRINTED SCRIPTURES
Shared in Canada
729,304
Scripture Portions
52%
637,516
Bilingual: <1%
555,162
513,426
Foreign Language: 3%
Service NTs: <1%
PERCENTAGE
of Total Scriptures by Type
32
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
Scriptures Shipped and Downloaded
INTERNATIONAL
Scripture
Distribution
INTERNATIONALLY
1,945,118
2014 Brazil
Campaign
1,026,402
794,047
573,904
Comparative Years
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
Scriptures (Print)
Bible Downloads
794,047
0
572,655
1,249
1,940,083
5,035
1,017,555
8,847
794,047
573,904
1,945,118
1,026,402
TOTAL INTERNATIONAL
Fiscal Year ends May 31st
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
Various
(Other)
Colombia, Haiti
(The Gideons)
Africa
(OneBook)
Middle East,
Africa
(TWR)
2014/15
Ethiopia,
South Sudan
(Bible League
Canada)
28%
Nicaragua
(EduDeo)
Increase in digital
Scripture downloads
Malawi
(Good Hope
Ministries)
International Scripture
Disbursement
TOTAL
China
(GWG Global)
Scriptures Shipped
and Downloaded
2,590,725
2014 Brazil
Campaign
1,763,644
1,349,209
Former Soviet Union
(Mission Eurasia)
Pakistan
(DCA)
1,091,319
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
33
Management’s
Report
The Audit Committee and the
Board of Directors review and
approve the annual financial
statements. In addition, the
Audit Committee meets
with financial officers of
The Gideons International
In Canada and the external
auditors, and reports to the
Board of Directors thereon.
The Audit Committee and
the Board of Directors also
review the annual report in
its entirety.
One item to note is that
we deferred approximately
$1,030,000
worth
of
restricted
donations
received toward international
campaigns that will occur
in the subsequent fiscal
year. These donations will
hit revenue in the 201516 financial year, and
thus be matched to their
corresponding expenditures.
APPROVED BY THE BOARD:
Kevin Cawthra, CA CPA
VP of Business & Finance
DeWayne Fliss, Board Chair De
34
Ron Magee, Treasurer
Ro
$8,651,000
$7,463,000
2012/13
$7,854,000
2013/14
2014/15
Actual Gifts Received
35
Impacting LIVES
On the ground in Colombia: “Today little Dylan
(in the blue shirt) asked Jesus into his heart
after listening intently as Danny told him and his
younger cousin the Good News of Jesus. Dylan
said: ‘My Dad is in prison. When he was moved
to a new prison he found Jesus. So today I want
to accept Jesus to be like my Dad.’”
Box
3619,
Guelph,
Ontario
N1H
7A2 Solutions
| 519.823.1140
Printing of this
report
generously
provided
by Cober
Evolving
| www.gideons.ca