Impact Media

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November 1998, No. 2

What has been happening with me, you ask? I'm glad you asked. It has been a typically busy summer and fall with several big media projects on my plate. Perhaps the most exciting one was a PowerPoint presentation, explained in detail in the next story.

The greatest challenge, however, was producing a video for a gal heading to England to do her YWAM Discipleship Training School. From the inception of the project to the day of its delivery, I was feverishly sick and did not feel up to the task at all. Inspite of the illness, the Lord held my hand and walked me through it. The end result was one of the best videos I've ever done since starting the ministry in 1995.

It was also a challenge to do the video because I had a media workshop to lead right in the middle of the 3 week production period. Trudy, my wife and closest supporter, prayed fervently for me, and for two days leading up to the ACMC conference (Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment}. I was nearly free from all symptoms. The day after the conference, I fell back into illness immediately. It's curious to see how the Lord works. He made me healthy for ACMC, and seemed to insist that I be ill while working on the YWAM video. Yet all throughout the 3 week period, He reassured me in many ways that it was all going to work out great, and it did.

StartIng November all media productlon services were suspended so I could devote 100% of my time to raising support, and support for the organization. A major part of this effort will include finding volunteers to help with office responsibilities, recruiting technical and project staff. and filling empty seats on the board of directors, as many of the (3 year) positions from the original board will expire at the close of 1998.

While this task does seem enormous, I have two things that keep me going strong. First, the Lord has been directing me to take this path for about the last year and I am confident of His support. Second, I have you who faithfully pray for me and support this work financially. Because of that, this is not a solo venture, it is a team effort, and so I am GREATLY encouraged by your participation with me. You can be assured that I'm doing my level best (that's a phrase I picked up in India) to see this faith journey through to victory. Once the production starts up again next year, I expect a lot more excellent media products will be developed, ones which will spark interest, vision and commitment in people whom God is calling to touch the world for Him. ---Jim Au

Multiplication Begins in Adanta, Georgia
Global Focus as a Christian organization is relatively new to the global missions scene. It was founded in 1994 on the zeal and vision of one man, Dr. Larry Reesor, who desired to see thousands of churches given a reasonable opportunity to make missions an integral and effective part of their ministry. Through the years, he had encountered churches, especially denominational ones, in which any thought of global missions was nearly absent. Having spent much of his life as a Southern Baptist pastor, he took his vision to the denominational leaders and worked out a 5 year contract with them to see what he could do among their 40,000 plus churches in order to build missions vision and commitment. An intense 3 day seminar for pastors and their staff was the flagship product, and since 1994, hundreds of churches throughout the southern U.S.A. have been exposed to mission teaching. This has snowballed into a significant multiplication of resources, both human and financial, for world missions among the Southern Baptists and in several seminaries across the country .

Early in the summer, Dr. Reesor contacted IMM and requested me to upgrade the visual content of his seminar. I was flown out to Atlanta, GA for 2 days to work with him and his executive vice president, Tony Stinson. A little over 3 months later, rave reviews poured into our office from Global Focus staff who were impressed with the quality of the improved presentation. They felt it provided a tremendous facelift to their seminar and helped to communicate the importance of their work. Already since the first showing in September, many hundreds more have attended the seminar and are making critical decisions that will affect the world for all eternity. Lord, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of 011 that You are doing to reach this world for Your holy name and for Your kingdom.

Dream to Reality: IMM's Beginnings (Snapshot 2)
Now Burger King might not seem to you the most likely place for any dream to be birthed. Unless of course it's a dream about lots of burgers and fries. That's exactly where many key discussions took place in the formation of Impact Media Ministries. On several occasions in the summer of 1995, Jim Au met Scott Powell to talk about the potential of using inexpensive consumer electronic technology to produce quality media and help people take notice of the cause of Christ in world missions, not to mention the Great Commission. As the two pondered the glorious possibilities over grilled Whoppers and greasy fries, lots of detailed notes were taken on paper napkins which, while usually doing a wonderful job as napkins, in this case were needed to capture the moment and all the diagrams and ideas that Jim and Scott came up with. Maybe it's just a matter of time before those scribbled napkins are framed and hung in the Smithsonian Institute. Or put to good use by being recycled as "Used Paper".

Recorded Feedback: Letters
'Words are inadequate to express to you my personal appreciation, let alone our entire staff, for your outstanding work! Your PowerPoint presentation took our seminar to another level. Everyone was in awe of the professionalism, graphic illustrations, etc. I don't know quite how to thank you." --Dr. Larry Reesor, president, Global Focus Atlanta, Georgia

"All went well with the PowerPoint at the Leadership Conference last week. We had many comments from participants about the quality of the PowerPoint Presentation. Our entire staff felt like it added a new dimension to our seminar and greatly enhanced the teaching and reception of the material." --Tony Stinson, exec. vice-president, Global Focus Atlanta, Georgia

"Praise the Lord. The video received rave reviews from the congregation. In fact, one retired pastor came up and handed me a check for $150 to help [our gal] get to England [for the YWAM DTS]!... In my mind, you were very successful in more than fulfilling what I had in mind in the beginning as far as promoting missions at [our church]." --Dennis Miller, regional coordinator, ACMC Portland, Oregon

"We are so grateful to you for all of your hard work, and efforts to make the multimedia presentation a huge success! Your talent and attention to meticulous detail helped to make the video something Multnomah can be proud of for years to come." --Pami Katcho, Development Department Multnomah Bible College and Seminary Portland, Oregon

On the Horizon: A Look Ahead
Please be praying for: Efforts that will last through the spring of 1999 to seek out new prayer and financial supporters. The right volunteers. Technical staff and new board members to be found in God's timing.

Personal news from Jim and Trudy Au... Clarissa Mei Ji was born to us on July 19, 1998 at 3:45am in Portland, Oregon. She weighed 71b. 15oz. and measured 21 in. long. By custom, Jim caught the baby and cut the cord. From the very beginning of her life, she has slept through the night. Clarissa means "brightest one" and Mei Ji means "beautiful branch". Her parents are ecstatic about her.