Reaching 2 Billion Children and Youth with God’s Word

On February 28, 2023, OneHope reached our 2 billionth child with God’s Word since 1987. This was such a beautiful and moving moment for us, especially for me, as I watched my dad be present as the 2 billionth child was handed a Book of Hope in El Salvador, where he distributed the very first one. 

When we knew we were reaching this threshold of 2 billion, something had already started stirring in my heart about the whole concept of being faithful to the calling. What did it look like for us to be faithful to that original vision Dad had in 1987 of God’s Word. Every Child? In 2009, my dad actually came to me and said, “I believe that you need to answer that question. How are we going to fulfill the mission of OneHope? How are we really going to reach every child in the world with God’s Word?”

OneHope began to strategize as a team, and in 2010, we launched our Vision 2030. And that vision is to catalyze a movement to reach every child and young person in the world through the Church. At OneHope, we are in service of the Church. They’re the ones that reach the next generations within their communities. People often ask, “Wow, how did you reach 2 billion children with God’s Word?” and every time, I want to jump into the middle of their sentence and say, “No, no. OneHope as an organization didn’t reach 2 billion kids on our own. It’s the global Church that we serve around the world that did.” It’s the tens of thousands of churches that reach their children and their neighborhoods with God’s Word. We, as OneHope, get to serve His beautiful Bride. We love the Bride of Jesus Christ, we love the Church, and that’s why God has blessed this ministry.

Vision 2030 is what we have been executing now for these 13-plus years, and it has brought us to this moment. Over these last 13 years, we have seen exponential growth, but when we first began, there were huge gaps in how we would achieve it. When we thought of all the closed countries where it’s illegal to share the Gospel, we had no idea how we would get to those places. Throughout the years, God has stepped out in front of us and opened up nation after nation to this ministry. 

When we didn’t know how to reach illiterate children, God began to grow this passion in us for spreading the Gospel through films and then set our hearts on digital programs such as the Bible App for Kids. As the Lord began to build in us a spirit of faith within the OneHope ministry, we felt God saying, “Just say yes. Just say yes to a million children in El Salvador. Just say yes to more than a hundred million children in Russia. I’ll open doors and do My work through you if you respond in faith.”

Just several months ago, I was meeting in New York City with some of our major Kingdom partners from around the world, and they were dreaming about 2033, a historic date when we will celebrate the 2,000-year anniversary of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and the day of Pentecost. During that meeting, the Lord just spoke to me and said, “It’s taken you 35 years to reach 2 billion children. I want you to reach 2 billion children in the next 10 years.” 

I know this seems like an audacious goal. It seems like something that is beyond our natural abilities. However, how many of you know God loves moving beyond our natural abilities and doing things through the power of His Holy Spirit? This new Vision 2033 doesn’t just include reaching 2 billion kids in the next 10 years; it also means equipping the Church to catalyze a movement and building capacity and sustainability in the global Church to disciple the next generation.

To whom more is given, more is expected. We need to be faithful to our call to do more than we’ve ever done before. God has given us more capacity and more abundance and more blessings in the Church of today, so our answer today and every day is, “Lord, yes. We’re going to fulfill this vision of God’s Word. Every Child.” Are you ready to go on a journey with us to reach 2 billion more in the next 10 years?