2020

DEAR FRIENDS

“Thank you for the impartation you released at CVC. I continue to see a shift in attitudes and breakthrough in how people are seeing our Heavenly Father!”  —  Pastor Mark Murrack

2019 is nearly over. It has been a year of yes and trust, of hearts expanded and lives transformed.

We have experienced great joy and His love and goodness continue to transform and grow us. We are so excited about the days ahead!

A quick recap of 2019.

A FAMILY STORY 2019

• I continued to travel and speak and had the opportunity to love on folks across two continents this year!
• I continue to write. Besides the weekly articles, I have been developing a new book on Jesus’ prayer found in John 17:21, “I pray that they will be one…” The working title is, You Can’t Get There From Here. You can read more details below.
• We launched A Family Story as an online magazine and continue to release weekly articles and monthly teaching podcasts. We have had nearly 10,000 visitors and nearly 4,500 podcast downloads.
• We continue to pursue film development opportunities. We launched A Family Story Films earlier this year and are shooting a proof of concept 15 minute short in January to pitch to streaming services mid next year. You can read more details below.
• I co-wrote A family-friendly adventure TV series this year as well and we will pitch it to a handful of streaming services in January.
• We are releasing a Sovereign Love Teaching Series in January in partnership with Present Truth Academy www.presenttruthacademy.org You can read more details below.
• Last and most recently, I wrote a couple of articles on the topic of Hell. Why I Am Not A Universalist and, Does Hell Exist These articles have cost us dearly in friendship and support. The backlash has been painful for my family, even affecting our relationship with our home church. I noted this here because I felt it led well into the next section.

HOW ARE WE PIONEERING

Earlier this year I noted in a Newsletter the pioneering nature of our ministry and nothing’s changed. We have one passion, to reveal that God is love, looks like Jesus, and He is always good. It is our heart that everything we create is catalytic for an encounter with His great affection. We are daily dreaming and leaning into this grand dangerous, beautiful discovery of His goodness. And we are shouting it from the rooftops along the way.

Pioneering can be exciting and revelatory and also lonely and painful. This year has been a little of both, however, we are so encouraged by His faithful love and by all those who continue to believe with and in us. Thanks for your prayers. We have received encouraging prophetic words from so many and are believing wildly for an explosive breakthrough in 2020. With that in mind, I am excited to share a few things we are focused on.

SOVEREIGN LOVE TEACHING SERIES – In January will be launching an online video teaching series entitled, Sovereign Love. It follows along with my book, God Is (Not) In control. A Family Story is in partnership with Present Truth Academy https://www.presenttruthacademy.org/ and this course will be offered as an elective.

Present Truth Academy has a desire to share truth in such a way that it equips, brings spiritual impartation, and ultimately brings each person to a fresh encounter with Jesus Christ.

God is Not in Control, is revolutionary! One of the very best books I’ve ever read, and I’ve read many. It helped me so much with bad theology and ugly definitions of the Father’s character. Thank you so much!   — Carol A.R.

“Revelation and innovation change the way people think and act. God is using Jason to speak directly into my heart…often my heart burns within me as I read or hear the truth revealed and verified through his work. Thank you.”   — Kevin Liard

A Family Story is a 501c3 All gifts are tax-deductible.

A FAMILY STORY FILMS – Also in January, A Family Story films will be shooting a proof of concept short. This short will feature the children’s classic, Where The Wild Things Are.

A Family Story Films pairs classically trained actors with best-selling classic and modern children’s books. Imagine if Mary Poppins sat down to read a story. There would be cartoon animations coming to life around her, songs and dancing animals, She might even fly or fall as the story came to life around her. This is what we are doing. If you would like to read the script, I’ve attached it here.

For those wondering how this fits into our ministry. I believe evangelism can look like a million things and for A Family Story, we continue to grow in influence through the arts.

By the time we are finished with this proof of concept film, there will have been thousands of hours and over $100,000 invested. We believe that this pioneering film idea can become one of A Family Story’s biggest ways to influence the world in the years ahead. We shoot in January. Please pray for and with us.

A NEW BOOK – I have been writing a book based on Jesus’ prayer from John 17:21 “I pray that they will be one just as you and I are one —as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

If on earth as it is in heaven is the mission, oneness, or intimacy, is the implementation. How will the world know His love? Through a church that knows intimacy, first with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and then with each other.

We live in a day of “Us and Them,” of “In and Out” of “For and Against,” of “Left and Right” on and on and on. But there is no “Us and Them” in the Kingdom. Just friends.

Jesus told his disciples, “I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

The church has thousands of books and teachings on discipleship and leadership, on the nature of God and man; we have an endless supply of biblical interpretations, political and nationalistic ideologies, written by humble servants highlighting how to do “Us and Them.”

And when it comes to our mandate, On earth as it is in Heaven, We Can’t Get There From Here. Why, because everything that He learned from His Father He has made known to friends.

Sometimes the road we’re traveling on won’t actually get us to our destination. In order to reach our goal or destination, we have to be willing to leave the road we’re traveling on and get on a different road.

It’s time that friends revealed what He is like; the church living in oneness with God so the world will believe! Intimacy is the implementation of His Kingdom here and now. May we repent from “Us and Them” theology and reveal the inclusion of His love.

That’s what I’m writing about. And that’s more than I meant to write here but I got on a roll. You can watch an excerpt from a message I gave earlier this year that expounds on this subject.

A Family Story is a 501c3 All gifts are tax-deductible.

HOW CAN YOU PARTNER – If you have been impacted through the ministry of A FAMILY STORY, I ask you to consider partnering with us prayerfully AND financially for 2020.

We are so thankful for those who pray for us daily and those who have given and who give monthly. We love you!

PRAY

• For the Clark family. Recently I wrote a couple of articles on the topic of Hell. You can read the first two articles Here. Why I Am Not A Universalist, Does Hell Exist You can also read a third response article HERE What’s He Like These articles have cost us dearly in friendship and support. The backlash has been deeply painful for my family, even affecting our relationship with our home church. Karen and Madi have sacrificed the greatest because of the article. They both gave up their dream jobs at our church.
• Pray for breakthrough and favor in the area of film. Pray for our shoot in on Jan 13 and 14.
• Pray for favor, favor, favor. I have several words that God would open up favor with man, industry, and ministry in 2020. Yes and amen.

GIVE

For those who have given and those who give monthly, we are so honored and grateful!!

Your giving supports

• Website and Magazine Expenses.
• Part-Time Salary for Jason.
• Travel expenses for speaking and ministry.
• Film/TV content development.
• Writing and Editing.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God Bless!
Jason & Karen

“After drinking 7 cups of coffee and witnessing to my atheist brother for the first time ever, I was pretty fired up to email you and let you know I truly believe your book gave me the insight I needed to be an effective witness to him. For that I will forever be thankful!”  —  Brenda E

A Family Story is a 501c3 All gifts are tax-deductible.