New from Pastor Kris: Ephesians & Philemon!

Hello TTW! Pastor Kris here with a quick update. I've been busy in the studio lately, and I just finished up the audio guides for Ephesians and Philemon. I'm so excited! With all the busyness that comes with ministry, work, and running a mobile app, I don't always get to do the stuff I love most. But I am so thankful for every opportunity to get back in the studio and record new audio guides. These two were a lot of fun. Ephesians is always a preacher's favorite, and Philemon is a hidden gem tucked away at the end of Paul's letters. I also put in a little extra time to record b-sides for every chapter on these, so there's plenty of extra to dig into with me.

You can find both of the new plans on the TTW app by tapping Find Plans on the home page, then tap "Books" and scroll down toward the end of the New Testament to find Ephesians and Philemon.

Note: On some devices, the menu is updating slowly and still shows the older versions of these plans. It's a simple cache issue, but not to worry, just subscribe and you'll get all the new audio content. You can also find the new audio guides without starting the plan by simply navigating your TTW Bible page to Ephesians or Philemon. Or just click: https://app.throughtheword.org/a/Ephesians/1

Can't wait to see you there!

 - Pastor Kris. = )

 

TTW in Japanese & Afrikaans!

Hello Through the Word!
Pastor Kris here with some really amazing news. Our Start Here plan for new believers just launched in two new languages on the YouVersion Bible app. We are now in Japanese and Afrikaans! How awesome is that?!! We're teaming up with the awesome team at YouVersion to translate Start Here into more than sixty languages, and these two are the first to launch. I can't even tell you how fun and amazing this is for me. We'll be adding more and more languages over the next few months. For now, the plan is just text - no audio (but we're hoping for audio in the future!). If you know anyone who speaks one of those languages, you can share it with them here:

Afrikaans: https://bible.com/af/reading-plans/13502-start-here-first-steps-with-jesus

Japanese: https://bible.com/ja/reading-plans/13502-start-here-first-steps-with-jesus

English: https://bible.com/reading-plans/13502-start-here-first-steps-with-jesus

Our vision for this plan is to create a discipleship tool for new believers in many languages - one that's easy for anyone to share for free anytime. You can share it now - in English! Just share the link to the plan with someone who's interested in checking out Jesus and the Bible. They can check it out on their own - or you can follow the plan with them!  As these catch on, we hope to follow up with audio plans - just like the TTW ones you love!  (Note: The graphics for the plan will be translated later - long story - with technicalities).

Thanks so much to those who worked hard on the translation, and to our amazing friends at YouVersion. And thanks to all of you for praying for us. Please keep it up!

In Christ,
Pastor Kris  = )

App Update - New Fixes

Hey there TTW! There's a brand new update for the TTW app available in the App Store as of today (January 15). No major changes, but we fixed a couple minor bugs that were affecting some users, including an issue with the Bible Audio player not working for some (or forcing you to close then reopen the page before playing it).  The app should also be a little more stable to reduce crashing. Our programmer Zach told me - if you're still having issues after getting the new update, try logging out then logging back in again on the app so that it will reload your data.

As always, please contact us at info@throughtheword.org to report any issues or challenges. We are always working to improve the app. In the app world, there are so many different devices that it's nearly impossible to test every feature on every phone, so we rely on you to let us know when there is an issue. Thanks so much to those of you who keep us informed! And thanks for your patience as we keep on improving!

And while you're in the App Store - why not give TTW a review! (Of course, if you don't like TTW, remember that you spell the app "C-A-N-D-Y C-R-U-S-H"). Just kidding. But seriously, if you have troubles - please email us before reporting an issue on a review. We appreciate the opportunity to make it right before telling the world. Thanks!

In Christ,
Pastor Kris

To get the updates:
1. Open the App Store on your device.
Apple App Store Link
Google Play Store Link
2. Tap update!

Share a Bible Habit on Facebook for New Year!

Happy New Year TTW! New Year's day is the perfect time to start a Bible habit - or to share one. We made it easy. Just open facebook.com/throughtheword  and pick one of our New Year's Day posts to share. Add a comment about what a Bible habit with TTW means to you - and voila - you can give your friends a Bible habit. It's the best time all year to share it. It's takes just a few seconds - but it could change a life!

Thanks for sharing TTW!
 - Pastor Kris  = )

Just open facebook.com/throughtheword and hit share!

App is Fixed! And TTW Turns 7!

Hello TTW friends. We had a temporary issue with the app but it's all fixed now. If you experienced the trouble, we apologize for the frustration. All should be working properly now - just close and reopen the TTW to allow it to reset. Thanks for your patience and your prayers! And if you missed it - today's original blogpost is below...

Happy Anniversary TTW!
Seven years ago this week TTW launched a brand new app in the App Store (the official date was 12/29/11), and the road since that day has been quite an adventure! So I want to extend a very big thank you to all of you who have been part of this journey, and to all those who continue to make it possible. It is just amazing to look back and see how far we've come.

So I thought I would share a quick story. On Sunday I happened to visit a very large church that I had also visited back when we launched. I remember so clearly - looking around the 4,000 seat auditorium in 2012 and thinking, "We could reach enough people to fill this whole room." Now I didn't tell people that - because it was crazy! We were a bootstrap ministry with very big dreams and very little means. Well, seven years of faith, perseverance, and hard work gone by - and today we could fill that room about 26 times every week. Our daily audience just reached 15,000 - our seventh year of 50% audience increase year-over-year. And to God be every last bit of glory!

I can't say that I'm surprised to be here. I always knew that I couldn't do it - but God could. But I still stand in awe! This is crazy awesome. And I also can't say that I've stopped dreaming big. There are a lot more people who need a Bible habit. And just recently, some big doors started opening up. The opportunity to translate suddenly opened wide this year as YouVersion is working with us to translate our new "Start Here" plan for new believers into 60+ languages. How cool is that?!!

And there's so much more - I truly believe that we are standing at a moment of opportunity, much as we did seven years ago. So we'll keep at it as you keep praying for us. Thanks so much to all of you who do pray for us. We need it. And here's to the next seven!

Always in the unfailing love of Christ,
Pastor Kris

PS. Tomorrow (Jan 1) is the last day for our donation-match opportunity, and everyone who donates through Jan 1 gets a TTW Pop-Socket. Of course, give today (postmark or online Dec 31) for your last chance at 2018 tax deductions. As always, TTW is free with no strings, no ads, and no giving guilt trips attached. If you'd like to give, go to:
Online: https://mogiv.com/ttw
Check: Through the Word, PO Box 303, Westminster CA 92684

           

Last Week for Donation-Match & TTW PopSocket

Hello TTW Friends!
I hope that your Christmas was blessed, and I hope that the holiday rush finally slows down so you can focus on the stuff that matters most. For me, the week between Christmas and New Year's is a chance to finally take a breath and rest and enjoy some of life's simple blessings with my family. I hope you are able to do the same. Of course, life doesn't always make that easy. (That's why we designed an app to help busy people get some real time in the Word - because I'm one of them!).

So I'll make this quick. Just wanted to let you know that our Donation-Match event is still on through New Year's day, and every donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar until then. Plus we're still giving away TTW PopSockets to every donor in December. (If you got one and want another for your family - just email us! info@throughtheword.org, subject: PopSocket Request.

As always, TTW is free and we mean that - no strings, no ads, and no giving guilt trips attached. But it's important to know that we keep it free because people give to make that possible. So if you would like to invest in this mission, year-end is a great time. TTW is 100% listener supported, and this year we received the GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency (their highest honor). And so far this year, every $100 donated can be directly traced to 35,000 minutes of Bible engagement. So if you've been thinking about supporting our mission, this just happens to be a really good time! Just tap this link: mogiv.com/ttw - or find the donate button on our main menu anytime. Thanks!

Always in Christ,
Pastor Kris

Christmas Audio Update

Hello TTW. We have a special treat for you just in time for Christmas. The Shepherd of Bethlehem is a dramatic retelling of the Christmas story from the first-hand perspective of one of the shepherds keeping watch over his flock by night. Bill Welsh performs this original and powerful drama in two acts (about 30 minutes each). You can find the audio by tapping the Bible button and navigating your way to Luke 1 & Luke 2 (just tap the name of the Bible book to find your way around the Bible). Or you can use this direct link:
Act I: https://app.throughtheword.org/a/Luke/1
Act II: https://app.throughtheword.org/a/Luke/2


We hope you enjoy this audio drama. It's a little longer than our usual audio guides and a different style, but we think you'll love it. It's one of my own favorite Christmas traditions, and it perfect for your drive to Grandma's house or just sitting by the fire or whatever your tradition.

Merry Christmas to my TTW family!
- Pastor Kris  = )

Note: We had some technical trouble loading the drama as a reading plan for you - and we apologize if you experienced any difficulty with that. So instead of a reading plan, we're just providing the audio directly on the page for Luke 1 and Luke 2.