Fabricio finds hope through the Bible App for Kids
Most of the time Fabricio seemed to be in a world of his own. He didn’t speak, but he used his hands to make signs and signals his mom, Tatiana, could understand.
He’s a 7-year-old with Down syndrome who lives in Nicaragua. He spent most of his time watching TV or videos on YouTube, and Tatiana worried that the programs he watched weren’t good for him. When she saw the Bible App for Kids, she downloaded it right away for Fabricio.
It immediately became his favorite pastime!
He interacts with the Scriptures every day, has completed all the lessons and games in the app, and has signaled to his mom that he recognizes Jesus when he sees illustrations of the Savior elsewhere.
Encouraged by this, Tatiana got the Bible App for Kids Book of Hope for Fabricio, and it’s now his favorite book and is always in his backpack whenever he’s going anywhere.
Fabricio’s story proves that you’re fulfilling the OneHope vision of God’s Word for every child. Thanks for reaching out with the Good News for him!
Fast Facts: OneHope Digital Programs
My Story of Hope:
SEBASTIAN IN VENEZUELA
Sebastian was not going to church if he could help it.
His mother and sisters were believers, and even his stepdad, who didn’t claim to be a Christian, went to church with them … but they had to drag Sebastian along. He was not interested!
But when his older sister told him about Happy Children’s Club, Sebastian agreed to go. Happy Children’s Club is where his younger sister chose to follow Jesus, and she was eager to share her faith with him.
At the club, Sebastian received the Bible App for Kids Book of Hope, a special edition that includes text and illustrations from the app. He was drawn into the story of Jesus … and the next Sunday Sebastian was eager to go back to church!
Today he is following Jesus and happily attending church and Happy Children’s Club, growing in his faith week by week. Thanks for sending God’s Word to transform his life.
The Bible App for Kids Book of Hope showed Sebastian the story of Jesus and transformed his life.
How You Reach Young People With Web-Based Programs
In 2019, with your generous partnership, OneHope launched What If It’s True? It was our first web-based program designed to connect young people with digital missionaries. Today, over 30 web-based programs are running or testing at any given time. These programs have proven effective because, at the heart, they are all about reaching youth with God’s Word.
Young people encounter a program when they respond to an onlinead with a compelling headline or thought-provoking question.
For instance, someone encountering a What If It’s True? ad reads a question such as:
• What am I most afraid of?
• Why do I feel lonely?
• What holds me back from living a full life?
• Why do good people suffer?
Curious, the young person goes to the program’s landing page. As they interact with the content, they will discover through Scripture that God loves and cares for them. They are encouraged to contact a digital missionary for more information.
When a young person decides to follow Jesus, the digital missionary connects the new believer to a faith community, either online or through a local church, for further discipleship.
The program proved so effective that we created new programs tailored to young people’s needs. For instance, Unfinished Story uses engaging video clips about Jesus for those who respond to video content. As young people learn more about Jesus, they can connect with a digital missionary.
A program tailored for young Japanese is O&Dan (the name is a pun for “your cheerleaders” in Japanese). It brings encouragement and hope to Japanese youth through the Word of God amid daily mental and emotional stress and challenges. The landing page presents Scripture and highlights how fulfillment can only be found in Jesus Christ and His agape—unconditional love. Users can also connect with a digital missionary.
Digital, web-based programs enable us to reach a large number of young people while addressing each person’s individual needs with content they can connect with.
You are enabling young people worldwide to connect one-on-one with field partners trained to share God’s Word. Thank you for redeeming technology in order to reach and disciple the world’s children and youth.
You showed her that in Christ she is Unstoppable!
School is the impossible dream for many children in Zambia — especially girls.
While national stats say 91.8% of children at least complete seventh grade, this generalizes the fact that in the northern regions, only 72% of girls do … and less than half of students who do finish seventh grade move on to high school.
Poor families can’t afford the cost of school fees, and often they need children to go to work to help support the family. Culturally, it’s considered that girls don’t need an education anyway, so many are just left out.
Grace’s auntie, who is raising her, wanted to make sure she was able to go to school, but there wasn’t any money for the fees and supplies … so Grace was forced to drop out at age 12. She was disappointed and depressed …
But then you sent the Unstoppable Book of Hope to the local church. A friend invited Grace to attend the Unstoppable program with her, and Grace decided to go.
“I’m so grateful I did!” she says today.
“I learned to trust in God. Now I know that God loves me and wants the best for me. He doesn’t write bad stories, but He rewrites bad stories to good, like the woman with the issue of blood who received healing. I am confident my future is bright because I am His, and I am unstoppable!”
The digital frontier of mission
By OneHope President Rob Hoskins
Web 3.0 … it’s set to disrupt the internet as we know it and create a dynamic paradigm shift as the World Wide Web becomes more user-driven with AI that understands your input — whether through text, voice, or other media — and responds to you with even more personalized content.
This is the internet landscape opening to us in the days ahead, creating digital places and spaces where unreached digital people groups — online communities — are waiting to receive the Good News.
Although the idea of digital spaces needs more theological treatment, as a creation of God’s creation (humans), digital technology does fall under the reign of God’s Kingdom — and it’s no longer only reserved for content distribution: already there are fully virtual churches like the Robloxian Christians and others in the metaverse.
It is the presence of God that makes a community, not spatial proximity.
The Gospel has always been countercultural, addressing the specific needs of every generation and culture it encounters. As missionaries, we must discern what is missing from each culture that Jesus seeks to restore and renew.
For Generation Z and Generation Alpha, authentic community and physical connections are increasingly crucial due to their lived experiences in a digital world. However, the way they initially receive information and connect with others is through the digital sphere. Therefore, the very nature of the Church must adapt to meet their needs.
While digital tools offer unprecedented access and convenience, they cannot fully replace the power of physical presence and proximity. I believe the impact of today’s ministry will be found in the fusion of digital reach and physical proximity, creating transformative encounters.
The digital realm, with its ever-increasing invasiveness and ubiquity, holds immense potential for missions. Rather than fearing or resisting this change, we must embrace it. Technology is not slowing down; it is speeding up, and as the Church, we must ride the wave of innovation and utilize these digital spaces to advance the Kingdom.
NATION BY NATION
GUYANA
Roberto encountered our Superbook program at church, and it immediately gave him new insights into the Bible. When he discovered the Superbook app, he was hooked! Today he’s growing in his walk with Jesus, and he has reached 40 of his friends with the Superbook Book of Hope.
LIMITED ACCESS
In a majority-Hindu nation, Rahi was impressed with the book his young son brought home one day. The illustrations were beautiful, and the story was engrossing. Rahi found out the Book of Hope was a gift from the local church … and today the whole family is attending church together!
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Nicole’s sister had been pestering her to come to Bible club at church, but Nicole didn’t want to go … she finally said yes when there was to be a showing of The GodMan film — and it changed her life! She chose to follow Jesus after she saw Him on the screen.
IN A BUDDHIST NATION…
Transformation through God’s Word!
She lives in an Asian nation where to be Buddhist is regarded as one’s social heritage and natural state — and to leave Buddhism is seen as something akin to treason. Buddhists who choose instead to follow Jesus are ostracized and subject to persecution.
Soe had never given religion much thought. Her family is extremely poor; her parents work long, hard hours in the struggle to put food on the table for Soe and her three siblings. Soe took advantage of the many hours she was on her own to skip school, play with friends, and rebel against her parents’ authority.
“I didn’t listen to my parents or teachers. I was not interested in school,” Soe recalls.
“But I felt so lonely! My lifestyle was very bad, and I felt guilty because I cared for nothing. And I certainly didn’t know God.”
But then she went to a children’s club at the local church. They were studying God’s Big Story together, and she also received her own Book of Hope and the Bible App for Kids.
And today Soe says:
“Now I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I love going to the club and learning and worshipping God — and knowing that God is a living God and can change people like me.”
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