The Global Gospel

A Fresh Approach to a Classic Resource

GNPI is breathing new life into a classic evangelistic resource through a project we call The Global Gospel (TGG). In the 1970s, Don DeWelt commissioned an artist named Paula Giltner to create the artwork for The Pictorial Life of Christ—a full-color, illustrated depiction of the stories contained in the four gospels. The project took several years to complete and was eventually published by College Press. These detailed illustrations, paired with harmonized accounts of the gospel, gave readers a powerful, visual presentation of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

While The Pictorial Life of Christ was a remarkable project by itself, the team at GNPI believed it had further potential. In 2010, we began turning Paula’s vivid illustrations into a visual storybook composed of 107 short video episodes, complete with narration of the gospel texts.

We finished production on the first set of DVDs, narrated in English, in 2011 and saw that the format could be easily translated into other languages. When we talked to our global network of missionaries and church partners about this project, and they were excited to jump on board. Hundreds of people contributed by narrating, recording, mastering, and duplicating the stories in dozens of languages. They also wrote questions for discussion and application for each story, and helped distribute TGG in the nations where they lived.

Getting TGG translated into other languages was an important step toward making it accessible to a worldwide audience. But there was more. We realized this could be a tool for strategic evangelism as we seek the most effective means for preaching the gospel in every culture and to every worldview.

 

Timeless Truth, Relevant Media

The short length of each gospel story allows them to be shared easily on multiple devices and platforms. Any device that can play MP4 files and has the ability to accept and share files via Bluetooth, WiFi, or an SD card can be used to view TGG. GNPI and our ministry partners began distributing videos through YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and other social media platforms.

Missionaries all over the world began sharing these videos on social media and using them for sermon illustrations and Bible lessons. They had huge potential in teaching contexts, especially in non-literate cultures. Christians working in closed countries also began using TGG videos as discussion starters on social media platforms to identify people who were curious about Jesus.

Then, doors opened for TGG to join YouVersion, the world’s most popular Bible app. Through YouVersion, people all over the world now have access to TGG’s illustrated stories through their mobile devices and can hear or read those stories in their own languages. To date, more than 380,000 users have downloaded TGG images in 190 different countries, and over 64,622 have completed one of the accompanying reading plans.

In addition to social media and mobile platforms, we’re always learning about new ways TGG is being used. One partner in north Africa has taken the Arabic translation of these stories and woven them into a series of videos broadcast over SAT-7 KIDS. Muslim children are hearing and seeing the story of Jesus for the first time, in a language they understand, paired with vibrant illustrations. We also regularly hear from different regions of the world where internet and satellite radio stations are broadcasting the audio recordings of TGG in local languages to people who’ve never heard the good news.

Solar Kits, another tool GNPI uses for strategic evangelism, have also been an effective medium for sharing TGG. These solar-powered projectors are used by missionaries in places where electricity is scarce. Most of the people living in these areas are non-literate or prefer to learn orally. TGG is a way for us to share the good news with them through a medium that is meaningful and relevant.

Statistics tell us that the vast majority of TGG videos are being viewed on mobile platforms. Whether they’re distributed on a mobile device, computer, tablet, or Solar Kit, we’re thrilled that the Word of God is being preached all over the world. 

The Future of The Global Gospel

The impact of TGG has been monumental, but there’s more opportunity for growth. Our ultimate goal is to make this series available in every language in the world. But a good starting point is to translate the text and audio into the world’s most widely spoken languages. By targeting these language groups, we can reach an audience of 3.6 billion people, half the world’s population!

Another key to future growth is developing mobile apps for distributing TGG. Even in third world countries where other technology is underdeveloped, smartphones are prolific. Through mobile apps, we can put TGG into the hands of smartphone users worldwide and connect them to our ministry partners. We have 33 languages and counting!

Check out the links below to view TGG in different languages and feel free to download or share them:

African French, Arabic-Ketab El Hayat, Arabic-Smith/VanDyke, Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, Bosnian, Burmese, Cantonese, Crimean Tatar, English, Farsi, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Lenguaje de Signos Mexicano, Luganda, Malayalam, Mandarin, Marathi, Min Nan, Nepali, Punjabi, Russian, Sindhi, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, Telugu, Turkish, Thai, Ukrainian, and Urdu.

Contact Mike Schrage at mschrage@gnpi.org to learn more about this project.

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