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It Is Written

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It Is Written
GenreReligious broadcasting
Created byGeorge Vandeman
Presented byGeorge Vandeman(1956–1991)
Mark Finley(1991–2004)
Shawn Boonstra(2004–2011)
John Bradshaw(2011–present)
Country of originUnited States
Production
Production locationsThousand Oaks, California(1956–1995)
Simi Valley, California(1995–2014)
Chattanooga, Tennessee(2014–present)
Running time30 minutes
Original release
ReleaseMarch 1956(1956-03)
present

It Is Writtenis an internationally broadcastSeventh-day AdventistChristiantelevision program founded in 1956 byGeorge Vandeman.[1]Its title comes from theGospel of Matthew:"It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"[2]The programs are produced by the Adventist Media Center in California.[3][4]

It Is Writtenwas the first religious television program to air in color, and the first to take advantage of satellite technology. The program broadcasts to millions of viewers in more than 140 countries.[5]

History

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The program aired in March 1956 with founder Pastor George Vandeman as speaker. It made history as the first religious telecast to air in color.[6]Over the next half-century,It Is Writtengrew exponentially. Under Pastor Vandeman's direction, It Is Written entered many new evangelism arenas. His live “Revelation Seminars” attracted tens of thousands of eager visitors, and the telecast entered millions of homes in numerous countries.

In 1991, Vandeman retired, and Pastor Mark Finley accepted the position as the ministry's new speaker/director. He also shared Pastor Vandeman's vision for evangelism, and in 1995 made history with a satellite evangelistic series calledNET ’95.

NET ’96 followed one year later, and whereasNET ’95had targeted North America,NET ’96reached the world with messages in 13 languages. It is estimated that 2,200 churches from 45 countries participated in at least one of theNETs,and more than 30,000 people were baptized at the conclusion of the meetings.

It Is Writtenwas the first major Christian ministry to utilize satellite uplink technology. The next major It Is Written satellite effort took place from 1999 through 2001 withACTS 2000,when the ministry covered the entire globe with multiple satellite meetings. Pastor Finley conducted a total of 10 series to a combined audience of 3 million people.

By this time, the program's reach had expanded by leaps and bounds. Although hundreds of other Christian broadcasts had flooded the airwaves, It Is Written maintained its rank as one of the top 10 religious programs in North America and received more than 30 awards for excellence in programming.

It Is Written entered a new era in January 2005 as Pastor Shawn Boonstra became the third speaker/director. Finley passed the mantle to Boonstra with his blessing.

Pastor Boonstra came to the It Is Written headquarters from It Is Written Canada, where he had served as speaker/director for four years. As someone who joined the Adventist Church after attending an It Is Written evangelistic series, Pastor Boonstra passionately believes in the mission of the ministry.

The next five years were a whirlwind of outreach via technology and public evangelism. Pastor Boonstra'sRevelation Speaks Peaceevangelistic series in cities like Phoenix, Portland, Los Angeles, India, and Rome energized attendees and church members alike with the hope in Christ that is revealed through the final book of the Bible. [7]

In January 2011, Pastor John Bradshaw was named new speaker/director for It Is Written.[8]

In May 2011, Bradshaw conducted a short series live from Las Vegas calledBabylon Rising.This effort was broadcast worldwide via satellite and the Internet. Following the success of theBabylon Risingseries, Bradshaw presented a month-long series calledRevelation Todaylive from the Cashman Center in Las Vegas in January 2012. He followed this series with meetings in Paris, Dayton, Southern Mexico, Costa Rica, Prague, New York, Charlotte and more.

Ministry facts

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It Is Writtencan be viewed each week in approximately 7,000 cities in the United States and 700 cities in Canada. The telecast's reach extends to at least 140 countries.[citation needed]An average of 1.5 million people view the North American telecast each week and the program consistently ranks as one of the top 10 religious programs in the United States according to theNielsen ratings.[1]

In addition to broadcasting on regular network and cable stations, the telecast regularly airs on six satellite networks:Trinity Broadcasting Network,theHope Channel,and3ABN.[citation needed]

It Is Writtenhas an inventory of over 1,100 recorded programs, with at least 36 new broadcasts produced each year.[citation needed]Over the last 50 years, the ministry has received 30 Angel Awards, 10 Telly Awards, and three Aurora Awards.[citation needed]

Outreach

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Several Bible study tools on the It Is Written site include “The Discover Bible Guides," "New Beginnings," "Unsealing Daniel's Mysteries," and "The Search for Certainty."[9] In 2004,It Is Written—in conjunction with the Joni and Friends ministry—shipped wheelchairs toRwandain an effort to assist with a shortage in local hospitals.

The ministry partnered with the Pilgrim Relief Society in 2006 to deliver 1,500 “Godpods” to theSan peopleof theKalahari Desert.[citation needed]Since the San people have no written language,[citation needed]these solar-powered devices—which are the size of a garage door opener—contain the entire Bible in the clicking San language.[citation needed]In addition to this Bible project,It Is Writtenis also building solar-powered water wells to help the San people combat the problem of dehydration.[citation needed]

In 2007,It Is Writtentraveled to the Arctic to deliver hundreds of Bibles inInuktituttoInuitwho live in remote areas.[citation needed]

It Is Writtenon the internet

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It Is Writtenbecame one of the first Christian television programs to broadcast free video podcasts viaiTunesin 2006.[citation needed]

On Sept. 3, 2007, the ministry launched a daily (Monday – Friday) internet-based devotional program calledA Better Way to Live.The tagline for the online program is "A daily spiritual boost for busy people" and in each program, Boonstra takes one Bible verse and applies it to daily life.[1][verification needed]

This was followed by Bradshaw's launch of a daily one-minute "Every Word" devotional in 2011.[2]

It Is Written TV network is available on Internet,Apple TV(current and future models),Roku,Amazon Fire TVand other means.[verification needed]

It Is Writtenon mobile

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It Is Writtenoffers email sign-ups, gifting opportunities, access to weekly programs and more, via its mobile presence.[10][verification needed]In 2011, the mobile site won both a Silver W3 Award and a Silver Davey Award in the category of Best Mobile Website.[11]The mobile site was designed and developed by Trinet Internet Solutions.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"World Church: 'It Is Written' Marks Half-Century With Outreach Event".news.adventist.org.26 September 2017.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-10-23.Retrieved2015-04-25.
  2. ^Matthew 4:4
  3. ^Malcolm Bull, Keith LockhartSeeking a sanctuary: seventh-day Adventism and the American dream2007 Page 114 "... the Adventist Radio Broadcaster's Association; and the transmissions of the Adventist Media Center in California. Several television programs, primarily of an evangelistic nature, are produced there: Faith for Today, It Is Written,..."
  4. ^Laura Lee Vance Seventh-Day Adventism in crisis: gender and sectarian change 1999 Page 68 "which produces the Voice of Prophecy (radio), and Breath of Life, Faith for Today, and It Is Written (television)"
  5. ^"About Ministry History – It Is Written".www.itiswritten.com.Retrieved2022-01-11.
  6. ^Gary LandHistorical dictionary of Seventh-Day AdventistsPage 310 2005 "Several individuals also worked in Tashkent and the Adventist Encyclopedia (1996) reported that in 1993... Starting in Fresno, California, in 1958, he subsequently conductedIt Is Writtencampaigns in such places as Washington, DC. "
  7. ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-03-09.Retrieved2015-04-25.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^staff, Adventist Review."Bradshaw is new 'It Is Written' speaker/director".Adventist News Network.Retrieved2022-01-11.
  9. ^"North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists®: Bible Study".Archivedfrom the original on 2015-04-17.Retrieved2015-04-25.
  10. ^"It Is Written Mobile Site".Archivedfrom the original on 2013-10-26.Retrieved2013-06-21.
  11. ^ab"Trinet Website – Awards".Archivedfrom the original on 2013-05-01.Retrieved2013-06-21.
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