Great stories have a way of pulling us in. That same power of storytelling is now being used to share the greatest story ever told: the Gospel. And Jesus Film Project is taking it to the next level.

Geoff Peters with Jesus Film Project says, since the ministry’s inception in 1979 with the original JESUS film, “We have seen that one piece of media be used in every country across now over 2,100 languages to bring people to know who Jesus is.”

The ministry has seen film transcend cultural and linguistic barriers, reaching people where they are with the message of Christ.

With new and improving technologies today, the medium of film can go even further in connecting with people’s hearts.

“If we look back to our historical reference points of what has contributed to the Gospel getting out there into the world, you can go all the way back to the story of Jesus being told because of the existence of the Roman roads,” Peters explains. “Then fast forward 1,400-1,500 years to the Gutenberg Press now allowing the written Word to be available to everybody in their own hand to have it and read.”

Now, Peters believes we are at another pivotal moment in missions history.

Jesus unveiled in new animated “JESUS (2025). Photo credit of JesusFilm.org

The Jesus Film Project’s latest work, JESUS (2025), represents a groundbreaking step forward. This animated reimagining of the original JESUS film will use cutting-edge technology to reach audiences with the Gospel.

“Through this film, we’ll actually be able to allow people to immerse themselves through virtual reality technology, augmented reality technologies, and ultimately creating an animated telling of the Gospels in the three-dimensional environment that will allow people to step in — not just watch it as a film, but actually be able to immerse themselves in scenes and moments of the Gospel narrative in a way never before possible,” Peters explains.

Ultimately, using the medium of film, all about pointing people to Jesus Christ beyond the screen and encouraging them to follow Him in their everyday lives.

“We are a people, even today more than ever, who are seeking to find ourselves in God’s story — even if we don’t understand that it’s God’s story we’re trying to find ourselves in the middle of,” Peters says. “A film like this can help reawaken people to the larger narrative that they’ve been a part of throughout their entire lives, whether they’ve been aware of it or not.”

Peters encourages, “If anyone wants to go to Jesus.film, they can go on and find ways of staying connected [and] continuing to pray for the project.”

Please pray for encouragement and biblical focus for the Jesus Film Project teams as they finish work on JESUS (2025). Ask God to use these new tools to advance His Kingdom.

Header photo: Scene from new animated film highlights the Scripture passage “On Earth as it is in Heaven”. (Photo courtesy of Jesusfilm.org)

“So essentially this is a movement of passionate women, who are dedicating themselves to freeing oppressed and enslaved women and children from around the world. And they are participating in all kinds of physical challenges, from running, to walking, to swimming, and of course climbing which was the original vision,” The Director of the Freedom Challenge Tracy Daugherty explains.

Women participating in the Freedom Challenge raise money to support projects focused on helping enslaved women and children. This money goes to 50 different projects the Freedom Challenge partners with worldwide. These projects participate in prevention, development, restoration, and rescue.

“Prevention and development are our greatest framework because if we can disrupt this evil atrocity and bring disruption to that from ever happening, that is rescuing the life in a more sustainable and powerful way. So, we put a lot of effort into that,” Daugherty says.

(Image courtesy of the Freedom Challenge)

An Alumnus’ Story

In 2018, author and blogger Sylvia St. Cyr participated in the Grand Canyon Freedom Challenge. She, along with 28 other women, raised $130,000 to support the efforts of freeing women and children. These women climbed to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. St. Cyr climbed with group one which featured seven women who were at the time strangers. But, over the course of four days, this changed. A lot changed, actually.

(Header and photo courtesy of the Freedom Challenge)

“Any time someone asks me “what was the Freedom Challenge like?” I have to use the word life-changing because pushing yourself to that limit and realizing what you can do when you have God living in you…You are a living example of His might, of His power, and so if He can bring me through the Grand Canyon…what can He do with the darkness that is the 40 million people trapped in human trafficking right now all over the world,” St. Cyr says.

St. Cyr said she felt God’s call for her to get involved with ending human trafficking particularly with an organization focused on helping women and children. Her proof the Freedom Challenge was the right choice? St. Cyr has osteoarthritis in her right knee. It has prevented her from running half marathons and more. However, she didn’t feel any pain during the Grand Canyon climb, even while carrying 50-55 pounds on her back.

“I see [the climb] as a living sacrifice in all ways. That’s what’s so beautiful about it, the amount of sacrifice in the love of what these women are doing is phenomenal,” Daugherty says.

Why Join the Freedom Challenge

While it is easier to donate to the cause rather than raise funds and climb, climbing is like putting a stake in the ground. St. Cyr says by committing to a climb, you are tangibly express your “yes” to the cause. Women who join the climb sacrifice their time and their resources. But they also get a lot more people involved through support than by simply giving.

(Photo courtesy of the Freedom Challenge)

Daugherty explains how during this process, women are giving towards the transformation of the lives of people they have never met, but they’re also receiving a gift, too. That gift is transformation by God.

“When we went down the first day. I was utterly exhausted. I mean I had nothing left…One of the hikers with us said, you know I can’t even imagine going up on day four. I don’t know what that looks like, that overwhelms me,” St. Cyr recalls.

“Our leader immediately said, ‘Well, God didn’t give you grace to go up today. He gave you grace to come down.’ I’ve taken that into my life now in such a way that if I ever get overwhelmed with something that’s happening in my life in a week from now, I just remember God has given me grace for today.”

Are you passionate about ending modern day slavery? If the answer is yes, then consider joining the Freedom Challenge to raise awareness and resources to end human trafficking.

Learn more about the Freedom Challenge here!

Please also pray. Pray for the end of human trafficking, for God’s light to enter these dark places of the world, and for women to rise and join the Freedom Challenge movement.

Join us tomorrow to find out how the Super Bowl and human trafficking collide along with what you can do to stop it.