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News & Headlines
I am Second Book Party Webcast

Click here to watch the I am Second Book Party webcast. The broadcast includes highlights from the January 14 party held at the I am Second headquarters that featured the Newsboys Jim Munroe, Todd Agnew and Sean Little, plus hosts Tamara Jolee, Dallas Cowboy Bradie James, and many others in attendance. This is something you will want to see.

 

 




Tom Doyle Speaks with CBN About the Middle East

Recently Tom Doyle was interviewed by Chris Mitchell of CBN on a range of topics about the Middle East.

Click here to view the interview.

 




Putting the Lord First (San Antonio Express)
Inside a second-floor classroom at Lee High School, about 20 students eased into chairs during their lunch break and looked at a projector screen. They watched a polished video production of a 30-year-old magician, dressed in black, wielding a deck of cards and testifying how God melted away cynicism through his battle with a rare form of leukemia.

Out of 7 million potential donors for a bone marrow transplant, he said, only one was a perfect match. God spared his life — and soul, he said.

“As a skeptic and a magician, I fully believe in not only who God is, but what he did for me,” he said. “My name is Jim Munroe. And I am second.”

Munroe is one of dozens of celebrities featured in video testimonials on the “I Am Second” website. They include Texas Rangers standout Josh Hamilton, author Anne Rice, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Bradie James and former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy of the Cleveland Browns. Ordinary people are also in the videos, and reveal personal lessons in their lives. Each one ends by stating their names and the statement “I am second,” which presumes God is first.

The catch phrase is the title for an Internet-based campaign begun three years ago in the Dallas area that arrived this fall in San Antonio. It is the handiwork of e3 Partners, a 24-year-old evangelical missions organization based in Plano and noted for its use of technology and innovation and the support of local churches.

The “I Am Second” idea came from Norman Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries and a member of the organization's board. The campaign provides free resources online but relies on grass-roots volunteers — from youth ministers to students — who use the campaign materials to set up small groups.

The idea is for the groups to multiply. If numbers in an area grow significantly, e3 Partners follows it up with a media ad blitz, including billboards and radio and TV ads highlighting celebrities.

 In the digital age, the campaign is an example of how faith groups are increasingly using the power of the Web to boost traditional messages.

“I think (e3 Partners) has done a very effective job of using multiple kinds of media and penetrating the church market to find folks who are passionate about sharing their faith,” said Greg Ligon, vice president and publisher of Leadership Network in Dallas, a church consulting firm.

Faith groups of many kinds are using this approach. Mormon leaders, for example, included San Antonio this fall in their own national media campaign, mixing billboards and an Internet site with high-quality video testimonials. Called “I'm a Mormon,” it also relied on a first-person catch phrase as a marketing tool.

The local “I Am Second” effort was officially launched this fall at a Silver Stars game and continued at a recent Casting Crowns concert. About 1,000 people have signed on, receiving an “I Am Second” rubber bracelet and other products. About 140 people have been trained to start a small group, said John Williams, a local staff representative of e3 Partners and trainer for the campaign.

“This is such a viral thing,” he said. “I don't control the groups. I equip people, and when they're ready to start a group, we support them. It's really just a tool to empower the church to reach outside the walls to share their faith.”

Lee High School is an example. A few initial students have become three groups of up to 40. After seeing the Munroe video on a recent Friday afternoon, some of the Lee students teared up. The magician's story carried the theme of mortality and eternal life, they said, which they built on with discussion later and readings from the Bible. To conclude, members asked each other how they would apply the lesson to their lives that week.

“You never know when Jesus may come back,” said Keaira Dorn, a 16-year-old junior and group leader who wore a campaign bracelet. “We should live our lives like this and know that everything you go through helps you prepare for victory later.”




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I Am Second

Josh Turner

Click here to view Josh’s honest discussion of the calling on his life as a performer and the motivations of his heart in his new I am Second film.

Partnership

Partner with e3 in the Great Commission

Together, in 2011, we made more than 587,282 personal gospel presentations worldwide! Join with us as we launch efforts for greater things in 2012. Click here to partner with e3.

e3 Expeditions

Go on Expedition in 2012

We live in a world desperate for the gospel. Join e3 Partners this year as we bring hope and the Good News of Jesus to many countries. Click here for information about 2012 Expeditions.

e3 Partners

Missions Frontiers Articles

The 2012 Mission Frontiers Jan/Feb edition features e3 Partners in the first two stories. Click here to read about short-term teams and church-planting movements or click here to read about short-term trips, Bible storying and church-planting.

Simply Go Now!

Simply Go Now
Sagarmatha, Nepal June 1 - June 12

In this expedition, we will join forces with the youth leaders of Nepal and introduce them to SportReach. This is an effective ministry for sharing Christ through sports activities that build relationships and open doors for the Gospel. We will train, play, evangelize, and plant churches. If you're up for some fun, come with us.




Quito, Ecuador July 1 - July 7

Opportunities to plant new churches in poor communities around Quito, Ecuador, are growing. We share the Gospel after folks receive free medical and eye care. After having these needs met, people are open to hearing why you came to their village. We travel each day to a very needy area by bus, but return each night to stay at a 4 star Swissotel where we can rest for the next day's work. This would be a good first mission trip, suitable for families. The team size will be limited and we expect the team to fill up rapidly.




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