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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.
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.
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.
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.”