Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Viralizing the Viral

On April 11th, Susan Boyle was a homemaker. On April 12th, she was a star.

Her powerhouse rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" on the TV show "Britain's Got Talent" blew away the audience. But it wasn't the TV show that made her an international sensation; it was the internet. Nine days after her stunning performance, online videos of Susan Boyle had been viewed over 100 million times.

It's called "going viral." When you see something that impacts you, your first instinct is to share it with the people you care about. The world's increasingly cutting-edge information-sharing technology now makes it possible for people to share what they love with hundreds, even thousands, in an instant.

Susan Boyle's got a nice voice, but she's not Jesus! The Gospel is the most "viral" message to ever hit this planet. So what happens when you "viral-ize the viral" by effectively sharing the most important Message in history on the most powerful medium ever? The answer is simple, but stunning: a potential spiritual harvest in the millions.

Website Changing Lives

With TheDougAndJonShow.com, we are seeing in increasing measure the power of when the "viral is viral-ized." This site was created specifically for Jon and myself to invite "friends" to experience the same Jesus that has changed our lives. Here is what hard data, collected since August of 2009, is telling us:

• Over 3,000 young people have indicated they have prayed with us on the site to receive Jesus. Over 1,500 of those have happened in the last 2 months.
• 1 in 6 visits that last at least 60 seconds result in an indicated commitment.
• Hurting young people from a wide spectrum are responding. Based on the "comments" sections of the site, many are young people that might not otherwise hear the Good News. We are blessed to be having conversations with young people from many different backgrounds and beliefs.

Comments from the Changed

Here are just a few comments (it was tough picking just a few!) from the page a young person is directed to after they indicate they have prayed to begin a relationship with Jesus:

• "Thank you so much for helping me...commit myself to Him. I have always tried to confess my sins but I never knew how. Thank you."
• "This is absolutely amazing...When I prayed, I felt like I had this luminous white tunnel rushing from my heart and up...Thank you so much...this changed my life."
• "Thank you so much for this. I have been so lost lately and ready to just give up completely...This is no coincidence. I needed to see/hear this, and it really touched my heart. This really means so much to me. Thank you again."
• "I'm glad I prayed and I'm glad I made this decision. I'm not afraid anymore because I know there's a place in heaven for me."
• "Thank you Doug, Jon, and Kara. You guys opened my eyes to what it truly means to be a follower of God. I want to thank all of you for helping me to start my life over. This is the best decision I have ever made. Thank you for leading me to it."
• "Now I really know that God loves me...when that video finished, I started crying because I understand that God can forgive us."
• "That video changed my life and my friend's!!!! We feel like we are 2 new people. Thank you Doug and Jon. YEAH!!!!!!"

Thank You

When one of the many "new creations" thank us on the site, they are really also thanking you. It's simple: without your prayers and gifts, this site would not exist and could not be sustained. The internet is a powerful tool. It is also a very expensive medium to be consistently competitive on.

Even with these miraculous results, to be frank, this is not the easiest thing to raise money for. This is not a gift that shows an instant tangible result, like providing material needs for someone, or a new building or program for a church. What we do know is that on the other end of a gift, someone's eternity has been changed.

I know you've got lots of great ministries asking for your financial gifts right now, and please give to them if that is how God directs you. If He has stirred your heart toward financial action on behalf of RHM and TheDougAndJonShow.com as you've read this, I pray that you will pray how God would have you help us in this "online rescue mission" on this, the internet...the largest "mission field" in history.

Praising God and thanking you,

Doug Hutchcraft