Tiny Team, Mighty Dreams

Drug Addiction that Started at the Age of 12.

Clinical Depression in a Leader of a National Christian Organization.

Drugs Destroyed Her Life – Prison Led Her to Freedom.

The Victim and the Instigator – Counsel from an Adulterer

The Sacred Places Shared by a Military Chaplain and His Wife.

These are some of the interview topics we have tackled in the past two weeks. They will be launched this summer and fall. These topics don’t include the other powerful interviews we launch every two weeks all year long. I often say that MARKINC is a bread and fishes ministry, and the growth of the listening audience for the Help & Hope audio library is a tangible picture of how God multiplies our tiny budget into an ever-widening eternal impact.

In 2015, 20,221 people listened to the Help & Hope Resources.

In 2016 22,585 people listened. Not too shabby for a tiny ministry, right?

But wait. Something amazing happened in 2017. Listeners accessed the Help & Hope interviews 39,463 times.

But wait again. So far this year, the interviews have been accessed 39,227, almost as many times as in 2017.

Based on how many people have listened to these interviews this year, we project that these powerful stories of help and hope will be accessed 98,388 times in 2018.

God is multiplying every minute, dollar, and tear invested in each interview. We do not have a marketing budget. God is doing this. Thousands of people are hearing the beauty of the Gospel every day through the Help & Hope audio library. These resources are free to the listeners. But they aren't totally free. Here is the journey we take for each one.

I am responsible for researching and contacting potential guests for our podcast. If a person indicates interest in the project, I typically do a pre-interview meeting on the phone or online video. Almost always, the potential interviewee agrees to the interview. They say yes to going back into their own pain in order to offer the help and hope of the gospel that they received and continue to receive in their own personal life crisis. They want to “call back” to someone coming behind them that God is sovereign and He can be trusted..

We highly respect each one who partners in ministry with us, and we do everything we can to produce a high quality resource that tells their story their way. Our Sound Engineer and Editor, Stephen L’Italien, works his magic with editing, sometimes having to clean up very poor sound quality. We have experienced numerous equipment and recording platform issues but when that happens, the interviewee graciously offers to redo the interview. After two failed attempts with one interviewee she offered to record again. This time, I’m going to her, about ninety minutes away, so we an record face to face.

Understand what that means for each one who records their story again. They are investing their time and their hearts because often they have to go back into their pain to transparently offer the help and hope of the gospel to someone coming behind them.

Once Stephen edits the interview, I review it and then send it on to the interviewee for their final approval. I create a title and write a summary. Kasie Lamme designs the graphics for each resource. Bill Hughes, our full time volunteer who oversees more than I even know about, makes sure the final edited and approved version is posted on the internet, ready for Kasie to launch it on our website and social media. We recently entered a partnership with iDisciple (at no cost to MARKINC) and each of our Help & Hope resources, along with our In His Grip broadcast is on their website, a worldwide platform that is building our listening audience.

Our team is tiny, but our God is mighty. And He keeps opening doors for us to connect with people who share incredible stories of God’s redeeming love experienced in the dark corners of life. Many people listen to every new resource, telling us that though they have not experienced these life crises, their own faith is strengthened by the confidence that if life falls apart for them the Lord will give them the same faith and strength to experience His redeeming love in the middle of the struggle.

I tell you all of this, because once more I want to ask you to help us continue to produce these resources designed to help turn hearts toward Jesus. Some people need to see the work behind the finished product before they see the need to invest financially. We offer each of our Help & Hope audio library resources free of charge, but I am confident you can see that these resources are not free. Our supporters invest dollars, our team invests time, and our interviewees invest their hearts. 

Our Help and Hope audio library is just one piece of MARKINC Ministries, but it has become a signature piece. We will produce twenty-two new interviews this year and launch one every two weeks. You have to agree, that’s impressive. One reason this can happen is because of God’s grace giving our team a passion for offering the help and hope of the Gospel through the platform of MARKINC. Another reason is that many people support MARKINC financially. Has MARKINC touched you life? Can you help us continue to offer the help and hope of Jesus?

One of our faithful donors is giving a matching gift of $10,000 for any dollars given by August 15. We are a bread and fishes ministry. God multiplies each dollar into phenomenal eternal impact. This time, we will see the physical evidence of that multiplication with every gift between now and August 15.  If our resources have helped you or someone you love walk by faith, please prayerfully consider how much you can give. Whether it is $5 or $5,000, it will be doubled. 

Each week between now and August 15, I will take you behind the scenes of how each of our core resources are produced. I have a feeling that many of you will be surprised to learn how many ways God is offering the help and hope of the Gospel through the platform of MARKINC Ministries. And you will agree that though our team is tiny, our God is mighty. I ask a favor of you. Don't read this and conclude your help is not needed. Ask the Lord to show you how much you can send as a means of partnering with our tiny team.

Please help us continue to help others.

Treasured by Him,

Sharon