Idi vo ves' mir (Go Into All the World)
Wondering why the headline above is written in Russian? Nastia could tell you.
Nastia is a young girl who wrote to Love Worth Finding, “I really enjoy your show. It touches my heart. I am adopted from Russia four years ago, with my sister. Our family loves to watch you every Sunday. I really like America and my family. God has really blessed our family with his love.”
Nastia is one of millions of people blessed to hear the profound truth of the Gospel simply stated because of the vision of Pastor Adrian Rogers.
When he founded Love Worth Finding in 1987, Pastor Rogers made it clear he desired to use technology as a tool to bring people to Jesus Christ and help them grow in the faith. As a pastor and Bible teacher, Pastor Rogers was already a veteran of radio and television broadcasting. "People were requesting tapes of the messages, and soon the requests began to grow to the point that we knew God was leading us into a wider ministry," he said.
Love Worth Finding began with 1-hour television broadcasts on 17 stations and 30-minute daily broadcasts on 19 radio stations. Today, LWF's digital reach extends to millions of people around the clock and around the globe through 2500 radio stations, television broadcasts in 194 countries, the website (lwf.org), the MyLWF app, podcasts, email, and social media. In addition to the multi-media programs, LWF offers books, Bible studies, videos, CDs, and other resources.
In the last 365 days alone, Love Worth Finding has made 50 million Gospel presentations using digital and other broadcast channels, facilitated 19 million social media interactions with God’s Word, and sent nearly 16 million emails to those who are searching for God or growing in their faith. People around the world are watching and listening to Adrian Rogers’ simply stated biblical teaching.
Over the past three years, LWF has implemented a strategy to translate Pastor Rogers’ core material, including about 45 audio messages and 25 printed booklets, into the most spoken languages in the world. These resources cover who Jesus is, why we need Jesus, how to start a relationship with Jesus, and discipleship materials for prayer, Bible reading, baptism, the Holy Spirit, and more. Non-English languages into which materials have been translated include Arabic, Bengali (Muslim), Brazilian Portuguese, French, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Mandarin, Marathi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu. We are open to other languages as God leads.
The larger task ahead is to build ways to distribute each language into international locations. This includes setting up a web site, a social media site, and publicly shared folders online for each language.
The broadcast and language numbers above reflect the commitment of LWF’s leadership team and Board of Directors to carry out Pastor Rogers’ determination to be obedient to the Great Commission, but they don’t tell the whole story.
Statistics can’t quantify the thrill experienced by an LWF partner when he learns he can make a gift to the ministry that will share the Gospel in another language spoken by people who are dear to his heart—much less the excitement of new listeners whose ears are opened to the Good News!
William wrote to us, “Grace brothers, I ask for prayer for understanding, I have decided to be guided by the Lord. I am 20 years old and I want to do the will of the Lord. Now I am part of God's family and I would like to know more about Him. I would like material. I am from Honduras Intibuca. Blessings to all this ministry.”
This came from a listener who discovered greater purpose after listening in Spanish to Pastor Rogers’ message, It Takes God to Make a Home: “Hi I am Salvadoran, but I live in Mexico. Today I heard this biblical advice and, as the father of the family that I am, it makes me understand that I really need God and through the prayer that the brother did, I have put myself right with my God. Thank you for preaching the Word of God. May the Lord. Jesus Christ bless you today and always.”
The extent of Love Worth Finding’s outreach for our Lord cannot be measured, but we are thankful to see some of the impact described in the thousands of letters and emails we receive each month from people who are praising God for mending broken lives, saving marriages, and helping people find the joy of a personal relationship with His Son Jesus Christ.
One wonders how much joy it would give Pastor Rogers today to know the extent to which God is using the treasury of messages he left on Earth after he departed to join the Lord in Heaven.
Shortly before his death, Pastor Rogers penned a letter to those who partnered with the ministry or who would partner with LWF in the future. Some of his final words are appropriate as we consider multitudes now listening to Pastor Rogers and enjoying God’s Word in their own languages.
“It is my heart’s deepest desire that until Christ returns for His Church, this ministry would continue to proclaim the truth of God’s Word—that souls would be saved, that believers would be strengthened and encouraged in the wonderful name of Jesus, and that His life-giving, life-altering love would be broadcast throughout the world.”
Tem ne meneye, pridi, Gospodi Iisuse (Even so, come Lord Jesus).
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Watch the LWF short video of Nastia's story.
-This story has been updated from the original published May 2023.
