Why us?

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William and Kate are expecting a baby.  The new iPhone is going to be great!  George Clooney is getting married, and someone thinks they know where and when.  Joan Rivers’ funeral was attended by a lot of interesting people.  The Cowboys are the number one searched sports team.  Those were just some of the stories that Yahoo and Google suggested I read.  What is rarely mentioned is the number one book on Google trends.  We call it the Bible.

Consider these recent statistics from the American Bible Society:

– 41 percent of Americans now use the Internet to read the good book on a computer.
– 29 percent of poll respondents said they searched Bible verses on a cell phone.
– 17 percent said they read an electronic version of the Bible on a Kindle or iPad.

This reflects the trend found in news publications, whose content is now being increasingly read online.  “The data shows a continual shift to digital content. The number of Bible readers who use their smart phone or cell phone to search for Bible content has increased each year,” the ABS said.  

That is my answer to the question “Why us?”   Twice a year I will ask my readers to consider giving to our ministry, The Denison Forum on Truth and Culture.  Today is an easy day to do that, if God leads you to give.  North Texas Giving Day has “pumped more that $60 million into the North Texas community” according to their website.  

Last year more than 75,000 gifts, totaling $25.2 million, were given to benefit more that 1,350 nonprofits.  Our ministry was one of those nonprofits that people like you chose to bless.  In fact, just to brag on our donors a little bit, The Denison Forum won an award and a $5,000 prize because we received first place for the largest increase of donors.  (Among large organizations who were first time participants in North Texas Giving Day).  Way to go y’all!!!  You blessed us.

Here is my point.  I am not a fund-raiser.  I am a writer and a teacher.  My favorite things to say when I need to answer the “Why us?” question are:

– I think the Internet is the most potent mission field we have today.
– The Denison Forum puts a LOT of information about God into that mission field.  (Just check out these stats for example: Jim’s Cultural Commentary goes out to over 85,000 subscribers in 203 countries every weekday and our websites have had over 3.3 million page views this year!)
– We exist to present God’s word, good theology and biblical truth to our world and to our culture.
– My standard phrase is:  We give our donors a LOT of bang for their bucks.

I’m not a polished fund-raiser because I don’t want to learn how to be!  So…at this point I just want to say that I am grateful for every one of you who give.  You are the reason our ministry can fulfill our calling and we at DFTC are more grateful than we know how to express.  So, I will simply ask you to pray about giving – then follow God’s leading.  That is all we ever want for your life and for your money.  And, I mean these words – thank you.  We are blessed because you care.

Click here to give a gift between 6am and midnight today. All gifts $25 or more will be supplemented by $2 million in bonus funds and prizes.

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Posted by Janet Denison

Janet Denison teaches others to live an authentic faith through her writing, speaking, and teaching ministry. She blogs weekly at JanetDenison.org and often at ChristianParenting.org. She is also the author of The Songs Tell the Story and Content to Be Good, Called to Be Godly, among other books. Janet and her husband, Dr. Jim Denison, live in Dallas, Texas. When they’re not writing or ministering to others, they enjoy spending time with their grown children and their four still-growing grandchildren.