New! Sole Podcast & Logo Contest!

Hello TTW family!
 Pastor Kris here with our next big announcement...

The Sole Podcast is launching next month! 
I'm so excited about this. We're already in production, and the stories are so good! It's a little different than what you're used to on TTW. We're heading into the studio to record interviews with some amazing people sharing powerful testimonies. It's all about God's grace through tough issues, and the stories are phenomenal. I can't wait to share them with you. One thing I guarantee - you're gonna talk about it!

In the studio recording Sole!

But before we launch, we need a logo! So, we're having...

The Sole Podcast Logo Contest!
That's right, we want you to send us your ideas for our new logo. Graphic artists, aspiring artists, or just creative TTW fans with great ideas, we want you to submit a drawing for the new Sole Podcast logo. Here's the details...

• Draw your Sole logo idea following the guidelines below.
• Email to info@throughtheword.org by Friday August 30. 
• Subject: Sole Logo Contest

Here's a sample drawing of our basic idea:
Shoe print, mud splatter, and the Sole name & tagline.

• We will post entries on Facebook.com/throughtheword. Vote for your favorite!
• The winner will be decided by TTW and the artist will receive a bag of TTW swag!

Reminder: New Giving Site / Free Water Bottle

Don't forget. We're moving all donations over to a new donation platform. It takes just five minutes for you to set up, and the new site has a better interface, better security, and lower fees! To thank you for moving, every donor on the new site gets a free TTW water bottle! We're 100% listener supported, and you guys make TTW - and now Sole - possible! Details here:

Donate Here - Get a TTW Water Bottle!

Logo Entry Guidelines

• Text: "Sole Podcast"
• Tagline: "Great Stories. Tough Issues. Grace in the Real World." (The image above has a different tagline we considered previously).
• Our Image Ideas: You are welcome to come up with your own ideas, but here's what we've brainstormed so far. Our basic concept is a shoe print with mud splattered about. The idea is a believer stepping out into the muddy world and leaving their footprint. The text can be scrawled in the mud. We also considered sneaking in other elements into the mud splatter - like a cross, the TTW logo, headphones, or a Christian dove symbol. But we don't want to make it busy - so any added stuff should be subtle. We like simple, striking images. 
• Colors: We are undecided on color at this point. We will likely match the TTW logo orange, or use something that matches it well. TTW orange is a gradient from #FC6A04 to #F9A236.

Thanks everyone for all you do to make all we do possible!
In Christ,
Pastor Kris

Contest Notes...

• Contest prize has no cash value.
• Submitting your entry to TTW signifies your consent to TTW to use images and ideas for promotional purposes on social media and elsewhere. If we select your entry idea in part or whole, we will contact you to request that consent in writing. 
• Thanks so much for participating. We love our amazing TTW community, and your collaboration with us is an important part of this ministry. Our listeners rock!

Donations are Moving! Plus Free TTW Water Bottle!

Hey TTW! Pastor Kris here with two big announcements:

1. We're moving all donations to Church Center.

This requires just a little work from you, with a lot of benefit for both you and the ministry. Three basic reasons: lower fees (20% less!), stronger security, and better giving process. Don't worry, there were no security issues with the old site. We just believe in always improving!

Chillin' in the studio with my TTW water bottle = )

2. We're sending you a TTW water bottle!

We know change is difficult, so we're thanking everyone who donates on the new site with a TTW water bottle! First time donors, new monthly donors, and moved monthly donors - you all get one! As always we are so blessed and grateful for your giving. You guys rock! 

So here's what you do...

Donate on the new site here: https://ttw.churchcenter.com

• Follow the simple instructions to donate once or monthly.
• Be sure to add your address to your profile, and we'll send you a TTW water bottle!

If you are already a monthly donor...

Cancel your prior monthly donation here: https://app.mogiv.com

• Login
• Select scheduled gifts
• Select remove

Thanks everyone for all you do that makes all we do possible! You guys rock!

In Christ, 

Pastor Kris

Because reading the Bible makes me thirsty!

Need more help? Click here for detailed instructions - with step-by-step-video help!

Issues? Email info@throughtheword.org with subject: Donation Help.

Note #1: Update the app to update the donate link. The donation link on the app has been updated to the new site (Church Center), but that link will not update on your app until you get the latest version here for Apple App Store or here for the Android App Store.

Note #2: Mogiv donations will continue processing until all donors have moved to Church Center. If you donated there, don't worry - it will process normally. 

Listening to TTW in the car? Drink it in!

Countdown to Big News...

Hey friends! Just wanted to give you all a heads up that we have some big announcements coming very soon! We've been keeping quiet because we've been busy working. With several big projects just about ready for release - I decided that it's time to start telling you about them! But I don't want to do that all at once - so this is basically a heads up: big things are coming! So please - watch here for the news in the next few weeks. You can also find news and updates on our social media pages at facebook.com/throughtheword or instagram.com/throughtheword.

In the studio for the Sole podcast! Coming soon...

This is some big stuff. We have a bunch of new audio guides on the way - from me, Peyton Jones, and Jonathan Ferguson. I'll tell you what books and when you'll get those. We're also working on an all new podcast launching soon! This one is so cool - interviews with amazing people and phenomenal stories of God's grace. Can't wait to tell you about the Sole podcast. And we're updating the app! TTW 3.0 is in beta testing, so I'll have some details on that. Plus big opportunities for us in translation of Through the Word.

But the first announcement coming later this week will be a new donation platform. We're making it simpler and more secure for you to give. We haven't had any problems or issues, we just believe in security, simplicity, and always improving. So that announcement will be coming this week, along with an opportunity to get a TTW water bottle. Stay tuned!

Hello From Bethlehem!

Hello from Israel!
Pastor Kris here, sending you greetings from the Holy Land. Well, I was there a couple days ago anyway. I'm actually en route back home and waiting in an airport at the moment. Finally a chance to stop and share a few pictures! After our summit with Bible Societies from all over the world in Athens, we found tickets to Israel for just $57. That was a deal we couldn't pass up! Joining me for the trip were TTW's Executive Director, Ryan McCarter, and our Social Media Director (and my beautiful wife of 22 years), Andrea Langham. For Andrea and I, it was our first trip to Israel, and what a trip! We could only stay three days, so we packed in quite a trip! Here's a few pics from our adventures. I have so many more! I'll try to post some more and tell more stories soon. Hope you enjoy!
 - Pastor Kris

Arriving in Tel Aviv! That's me on the left, then Andrea and Ryan.
Ready for adventure!

And adventure found us! This is the doorway to Bread of Life Church
in Bethlehem, in the West Bank, just two blocks from the church of the Nativity.
That's right - West Bank. We got to know the pastor and his amazing family
 - Palestinian Christians living in one of the most challenging places you can imagine,
and shining a light for God for Palestinians and Israelites alike.
The Palestinian situation is quite complex, and I believe most Christians in America
judge the situation without really understanding either the history or the present situation
here. For starters, many of those Palestinian people are Christians. Their hospitality
to us was amazing, and they send greetings to believers all over the world.

Ryan and I outside the caves at Qumran,
where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
I don't remember why I made that face,
but I do remember it was hot!

At the Jordan River - at the place where they say Jesus was baptized.
Is it the exact location? Hard to say. In Israel, you have to get over the
desire to know precise locations where every last thing happened.
 The Jordan river runs from Galilee to the Dead Sea, and the Bible doesn't
give an exact location - for this and many other events.

This is the the remains of a 1st century synagogue in Magdala,
just steps from the Sea of Galilee. Jesus almost certainly would
have opened the Torah scrolls here and preached the good news!

Inside the castle of Herod the Great in Jerusalem - Ryan, Andrea,
and our intrepid guide, Pastor Fadi. 

Saw this fellow walking the Via Dolorosa. This was a surprisingly
clear spot. Much of the path that (they say) Jesus walked is both packed with
tourists and lined with souvenir vendors.

This olive grove is on the Mount of Olives at the Garden of
Gethsemane - just across the Kirdon Valley from Jerusalem.
 This was one of my favorite places to visit.

This boat took us across the Sea of Galilee. More the size of a lake -
 it was much more beautiful than I expected.

Something about this sign just struck me as funny. I love explaining!
It was posted outside the chapel built on the shore of Galilee
at the place where they say Jesus met the disciples in John 21 -
after His resurrection - where He called Peter to "Feed my sheep."

Mission Update from Athens! (And last week for TTW stickers!)

Hello from Athens!

United Bible Societies Summit!

Pastor Kris here with an update on our travels and adventures at the United Bible Societies' DBL Summit* here in Athens. It has been... awesome. Seriously, so much amazing stuff, I don't even know where to start. First off, I should tell you what this is all about. The United Bible Societies is an alliance of national Bible Societies from countries all over the world. The representatives gathered here in one room are from every corner of the planet, speaking more languages than you can probably think of. Men and women from a wide variety of denominational and cultural backgrounds, all gathered in our shared faith in God's Word, and shared mission to bring it to the world. I have to say - I'm a little bit floored and a lot humbled to even be included in this bunch.

St. Chapelle! The stained glass on this 800 year old church in Paris
has Bible stories on every panel - every column is a Bible book!
It's old school TTW! (and that's a TTW sticker on the bottle)

Last Week for TTW Stickers! Before I tell you more about the Athens summit, just want to remind you there's still a week left to get your TTW sticker. Every donor in the month of June will get an awesome die-cut TTW sticker in the mail. If you can't donate, just send us an email at info@throughtheword.org with your mailing address with the subject "Sticker Please!" (or anything like that). Ends July 1st! Head to mogiv.com/ttw to donate. Okay, back to Athens...

UBS Summit Stories: The gathering has a number of purposes. Many of the people here are working in Bible translation, bringing the Word into languages that don't have it. That work - is phenomenal. Seriously - a revolution has taken place over the last decade in the advancement and acceleration of Bible translation for the more than 1 billion people who have no Bible in their native language. I am truly amazed, and it has happened largely as a result of alliance and partnership that has arisen between ministry groups that previously worked separately. It's amazing what we can get done when we work together.

Have you been Van-Gogh'in through the Word?

So where does TTW come in? We're not translating the Bible into new languages, but we are getting a vision to translate our TTW Audio Guides into more languages. God opened up some connections for us through the American Bible Society, and we were invited to join in for this conference - to see what connections God might bring together. And He's been doing it! We shared the vision of TTW with the whole group, and all about what God is doing through our crazy little idea in our own language. Then we told them, If you think this would work in your language and your culture, let's work together. We'll give you all our content and all our resources free of charge. The response was awesome, and we're already moving forward to work with Bible Societies from Norway and Mongolia, and talking more with additional society and mission leaders from Slovenia, the Netherlands, Romanian, and Brazil. We'll move forward one step at a time, but we believe this is a huge door opening for TTW around the world. So please keep us in prayer! Meetings continue through Wednesday (then we're headed to Israel!), so your prayers are super appreciated.

We'll be posting pictures on facebook.com/throughtheword - so please follow us there. You can also go back and check out the crazy adventures of the TTW water bottle on our way here. (Can you believe it was cheaper to stop in Paris and Rome than it was to go straight to Athens! We saved money on airfare and saw amazing places - how cool is that!).  Anyhoo - check us out there, and we'll see you back in the Word!

Always in Christ,
Pastor Kris  = )

This is a replica of the Michaelangelo's David.
(Note: TTW bottle does not want to be a prude, nor an
art critic. He just feels awkward about posting 
naked statue parts. Just trying to help.)

*If you're wondering, DBL stands for Digital Bible Library. Basically, they connect Bible copyright holders in various languages with Bible apps and websites like ours to help us work out the licensing agreements necessary to deliver the Bible online. 

DBL Summit Athens - Pray for Us!

Hey there TTW friends!
I am writing you from the LAX airport in Los Angeles as we await our first flight on our way to Athens, Greece for something pretty amazing. It's the Digital Bible Library Summit - put on by the United Bible Societies and attended by Bible apps and Bible societies from all over the world! We are so blessed and amazed to be included in this amazing event, and I would really appreciate your prayers. The main event starts next Sunday June 23 and goes through Wednesday June 26, and it's a big opportunity for us to make key connections and we look toward translating TTW into languages all over the world. We are praying for the right connections with the right ministries to team up with as we continue our mission to reach the world - through the Word! You can follow us and keep up with prayer requests on facebook.com/throughtheword and Instagram.com/throughtheword.

Also don't forget - every donation in June gets a TTW sticker! We want to help you share TTW with all your friends and family. Donate any amount this month at mogiv.com/ttw - and if you can't donate, just email us at info@throughtheword.org and tell 'em Kris said you could have one! TTW is 100% listener supported - you guys make this possible!

Thanks so much everyone. Pray for us in Athens!

In Christ,
Pastor Kris

Just in! Free TTW Sticker!

Hey there TTW friends -
Pastor Kris here with a quick news update, and a great way for you to share TTW with friends.

We want to send you a TTW sticker! 

Look who's sportin' a TTW sticker on the ol' bumper

These little guys are great, and a nice little conversation starter for you to tell someone about an easy way to start a Bible habit. Put one on your bumper or cubicle or guitar case or wherever people will see it. We're giving one away with every donation in the month of June! Just got to https://app.mogiv.com/ttw/give and give by June 30 - and we'll send you one! Can't donate? No worries - just email us at info@throughtheword.org and tell 'em Pastor Kris said you could have a sticker. = )

This little die-cut beauty comes in orange, white, or grey.

Stats Update! 

And now for a little news. Our numbers are up. Way up. In the last six months, we've gone from 15,000 daily listens up to 22,000 daily. That blows my mind! And all that with a basically zero advertising budget. It's all because you guys keep sharing the app. So keep it up - and get a sticker and tell some more!

Back to the lab!

We're back in the studio... 

We're recording new audio guides in several books - including Exodus, Deuteronomy, Jonah, and 1 John and 1 Peter. All of those are scheduled to launch with TTW 3.0 later this year. More news on that coming soon - but I want to send a big thank you to all of our Sponsor-a-Chapter donors who made it possible for us to get back in the studio and get these done. We make it a point to never be heavy-handed about donating - the app is free and we mean it. But we also need to give thanks where thanks is due for all of you who keep giving to keep us moving forward! You guys rock. And thanks to you, we're taking big steps toward translation, and working on an all new podcast called Sole (more on that soon too!). Thanks for all you do to make all that we do possible!

In Christ, 

Pastor Kris

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