Before I get into the main topic of this newsletter, I want to share an exciting update about Starting With Jesus. Earlier this month, SWJ officially became a standalone 501c3 nonprofit organization! Their work has grown so much that they needed to spread their wings to really fly, and we are excited to see what the Lord will do through this incredible ministry next.

What this means is that all donors who have been giving toward SWJ through AudioVerse’s donation portal should switch over to their new donation page here. All recurring gifts should also be redirected to their new donation page.

SWJ will be reaching out to all their donors directly with more instructions about this, but AudioVerse will continue to remit donations earmarked for them for a period of time. Feel free to reach out directly to them if you have any questions at: info@startingwithjesus.com

A Hunger for the Word

Over the past several years, we have noticed a growing trend of new users coming to AudioVerse to listen to the audio Bibles. The audio Bible pages are the most visited pages on our entire site, and audio Bibles are our fastest growing type of content in user activity. We’ve also observed that click-through rates on our audio Bible ads are 3x the industry average. Over half of all new users are coming to AudioVerse to listen to the Bible!

People are hungering for the Word of God!

Multiplying the Word

To meet this demand, we will be integrating a service by a Christian nonprofit ministry called Faith Comes by Hearing to provide many new versions of the Bible across all of our supported languages and beyond. Their robust API allows us access to their database of Bibles that have been translated into over 2,000 languages and dialects. By God’s grace, we want to use this resource to reach every nation, kindred, tongue, and people!

In the meantime, we’ve also been working on our own KJV audio Bible that we own entirely so that we will never run the risk of losing access to these resources entirely. You can hear this audio Bible here: [LINK]

Enhancing the AV Bible Experience

We are also making some huge improvements to the audio Bible player on our website and in our app to better serve the growing number of visitors. Some new features may already be released by the time you read this, but here are some exciting capabilities to expect:

• Brand new, streamlined design for easier navigation.
• Ability to toggle between Bible versions seamlessly.
• A convenient new place for your Bible listening history.
• Dozens of new Bible versions in both dramatized and nondramatized forms in English.
• Audio Bibles for the other seven languages besides English.
• Bible text that scrolls along as you listen, karaoke style.
• And more!

We are committed to making AudioVerse a world-class experience for listening to the Bible.

“Do You Understand What You Are Reading?”

When Philip encountered the Ethiopian Eunuch, access to the Word wasn’t the issue. It was understanding the Word. With so many sincere seekers coming to AudioVerse to listen to the Bible, this is an incredible opportunity to minister to them like Philip did to the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40).

What if we could offer them messages that explain the passages they are listening to? And to point them to answers for their questions about the Bible?

What if we could transform the countless hours of content on AudioVerse into a powerful and intelligent commentary on the Bible?

With a prudent application of AI technology, we plan to:

• Identify the primary Bible verses and Spirit of Prophecy references in every message on AudioVerse and when they occur in the recording.
• Identify main topics covered and key questions answered by each message.
• Connect Bible passages to the sermons that best explain those verses.
• Recommend those messages to our users as they interact in our brand-new audio Bible experience.
• Develop new ways to encourage regular engagement with the Bible for believers and nonbelievers.

We call this our “AI Bible Project” which stands for the “AudioVerse Intelligent Bible Project.”

With a library of over 40,000 messages, this is a significant undertaking. Even though we’re taking advantage of advanced, cutting-edge technology, our goal is really quite simple and some might even call old-fashioned: We want to encourage people to read or listen to the Bible and then help them understand what they are reading or hearing.

Casting the Net

This Ethiopian represented a large class who need to be taught by such missionaries as Philip—men who will hear the voice of God and go where He sends them. There are many who are reading the Scriptures who cannot understand their true import. All over the world men and women are looking wistfully to heaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries go up from souls longing for light, for grace, for the Holy Spirit. Many are on the verge of the kingdom, waiting only to be gathered in. - Acts of the Apostles, p. 109

Our data corroborates what this passage tells us. There are many souls around the world with genuine interest and hunger for the Word of God. As fishers of men, we need to go where those fish are biting and we intend to cast our net wide to reach as many as we can.

As our software development and data engineering efforts proceed, we are also investing in targeted digital marketing and advertising campaigns to reach the hungry fish on the internet with the Bible. We’re also developing new strategies to help these newcomers to AudioVerse to establish regular habits of spending time in God’s Word.

Your Help is Needed!

Between data engineering, software development, user experience design, digital marketing, and much more, an undertaking like this has many moving parts. And such intensive applications of technology are not free.

We estimate that to bring this project to reality, we will need $350,000.

A generous donor with a heart for reaching unbelievers with the Everlasting Gospel has already contributed $100,000 as seed money to jump start this project. We praise God for giving us a running start on this exciting initiative! That means we’re already nearly a third of the way to our goal!

We invite you to join us now in this endeavor to reach those men and women around the world who are “wistfully looking to heaven” and longing for someone to explain the Word of God to them. Your gift can make their wish a reality!

If I may be candid with you, our estimated figure is only the minimum we need to deliver on this plan. If we can exceed this number, it would allow us to reach many more people and expand our net that much more. So as you plan your year-end giving, please prayerfully consider what the Lord may be impressing upon you to give toward this important work today.

To give, simply visit our donate page or you may give by check to our address below. If you would like to give by credit card but are concerned about transaction fees, you may consider giving through PayPal Giving Fund instead.

Thank you for your support and may God bless you in the upcoming holiday season.

Alistair Huong

Executive Director

P.S. There is a real hunger for the Bible in the world. To fulfill that need, AudioVerse is launching the “AudioVerse Intelligent Bible Project.” The goal is to vastly increase the number of audio Bibles we offer across all supported languages and to develop powerful, intelligent tools to help the listeners understand what they are hearing by linking Bible passages to the sermons that explain them. In other words, we are transforming the AudioVerse library into a powerful and smart Bible commentary. Not to mention the targeted digital marketing strategies to introduce even more people to our free audio Bible resources and new tools to engage them in spending regular time in God’s Word. Many souls are longing to understand the Word of God, and like Philip to the Ethiopian Eunuch, we want to come alongside them to help them understand and accept the Word of Life. Join us in this exciting initiative by becoming a financial partner today! To give, simply visit our donate page.

P.P.S. Starting With Jesus has successfully obtained their status as a 501c3 nonprofit organization! We are thrilled to see where God takes them next. All financial support toward their ministry should now be rerouted through their new donation portal here.