2024
Light Bearers
Annual Report
DEAR FRIEND,
Ty Gibson, Speaker/Director
One day, in a little Australian town called
Byron Bay, I noticed a sign that said, “I
saw the universe change today.” Whoever
wrote those words was paying attention.
According to “chaos theory,” the single
movement of a butterfly’s wing may be
the determining factor in the formation
of a hurricane. According to the Bible, the
movements of each individual life exert
determinative effects on other lives.
As God went forward with the work
of creation, only three conceivable
possibilities lay before Him. He could
create (1) robots, (2) slaves, or (3) free
moral agents. Only the third option would
be consistent with the aspirations of
love. So here we are, beings of huge and
magnificent significance, beings who
matter so much that our actions run
adjacent to God’s actions, as genuinely
free beings who possess the power to
create effects for which we alone are the
cause, and which ripple into eternity with
never-ending impact.
At Light Bearers, we have the immense
privilege of witnessing the ripple effects
of your support as the story of God’s
love illuminates hearts and minds. This
year, 2024, has been no different. We
have seen communities transformed
through our publishing ministry, young
adults empowered and equipped by ARISE,
relationships flourish in community, and
lives renewed through biblical, Christ centered preaching. It is our honor to
share a few of those stories with you here.
Daniel the prophet realized the
weightiness of our moral influence
when he said, “those that turn many to
righteousness” will “shine . . . like the stars
forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3). As you
read this annual report, I hope you feel
yourself shine just a bit brighter, knowing
that you played a part in turning many to
righteousness. There are people around
the world right now who are loving
better, seeing clearer, and sleeping easier
because of you. More amazing still, your
decision to advance the gospel cause has
had a ripple effect upon the very heart of
God. Jesus explained that anything we do
for or against any human being registers
in His heart as if done to Him. What a
wondrous thought to know that when we
put our love into action, we gladden the
heart of God.
“I saw the universe change today,” and it
was through your support and prayers
that it happened.
Thank you.
In Christ,
Ty Gibson
RIPPLES IN NICARAGUA
Anneliese Stock, Communications Assistant
Apolonio’s stomach dropped when
he looked under the bus. His luggage
was missing. With his evangelistic
campaign beginning that night, he
didn’t have time to lose the Light
Bearers Bibles he’d brought from
Managua, Nicaragua, not to mention
his belongings.
Seeing one bag left that looked
like his, Apolonio realized another
passenger had mistaken his bag
for their own. The only person left
at the station was the driver, so
Apolonio gave him
his number in case
the other passenger
reached out.
Then he took his
carry-on and the
other suitcase to his
lodging. In about an hour, his phone
rang. A woman named Maria said, “I
hear you have my bag.”
Apolonio sat up, “Yes, I do!” They
quickly decided on a place to meet.
Maria didn’t
know much
about God, but
she wanted to.
After hanging up, however, Apolonio
felt impressed to take one of the few
Bibles he packed in his carry-on and
put it in her suitcase.
Soon they met up, swapped
bags, and went their separate
ways. After Apolonio returned
home, his phone rang.
“Did you put a Bible in my bag?”
Maria asked.
“Yes,” Apolonio replied carefully.
“You have no idea,” she said, her
voice tight with tears. “I’ve been
praying for months for a Bible.” Maria
didn’t know much about God, but
she wanted to. She has since left
Nicaragua, but Apolonio continues
to keep in touch with her as she
studies her Bible.
This interaction, this ripple, was
made possible because you believe
in the power that a simple gospel-infused track can have. In 2024, we
sent seven containers with millions
of pieces of gospel-filled literature
across the globe. All this material
was shipped free of charge because
of people like you. We cannot thank
you enough on behalf of Maria and
all the others experiencing the ripple
effects of your support.
Yes, I want to support the spreading of gospel-filled publications to people like Maria around the world!
Give Now →
1
This year, we published and sent out 3,780,000 pieces of gospel literature and 60,000 Bibles in French, Spanish, and English to be distributed in Zambia, West Congo, Nicaragua, Ghana, Colombia, Botswana, and Senegal.
Help us spread the gospel through literature distribution
Donate
RIPPLES IN FINLAND
David Asscherick, Speaker/Director
None of us saw this one coming.
There are ripples, and there are
ripples. This was a ripple.
In 2021, two ARISE Australia
graduates, Braeden and Levi, moved
to Finland because their wives,
who also attended ARISE, were
from Finland.
ARISE, our discipleship training
program which has now empowered
over 4,000 people to love and share
the gospel story, had a profound and
transformative impact on the four
of them. To the
point that, after
they attended
ARISE, they
began dreaming
about starting
an ARISE
program in Finland. They wanted
other people to experience what they
experienced. So they prayed, talked,
dreamed, plotted, and shared their
vision with locals. Providence after
providence began lining up.
They wanted
other people to
experience what
they experienced.
Then, one day, Levi and Braeden
reached out to Ty and me to share
the vision, the plan, and the manifold
providence of God. What a glorious
revelation that was! Immediately, our
team saw the hand of God all over
the situation.
Could we really start a new ARISE
program in Europe? Could we afford
it? Could we staff it? Could we really
pull this off?
The obvious answer was no.
But the Spirit’s answer was yes.
Given the way that God was leading,
how could we not? Mission-minded donors stepped up, hearts
were moved, walls were painted,
arrangements were made, and—just
like that!—ARISE Finland, almost
like Creation of old in Genesis 1,
suddenly existed! And all because
of the astounding will and power
of God, the passion of four of His
young children, and the generosity of
people like you.
Presently, there are 38 young
people, from 12 countries, enrolled
at ARISE Finland.
Friends, that’s a RIPPLE! And it
would’ve never been possible
without you.
Yes, I want to make more disciples!
Give Now →
0
In this year’s first-ever ARISE Finland class and our eleventh ARISE Australia class, we had 83 total students, ages 18 to 61 representing 19 countries. To date, we’ve trained and discipled over 4,000 people through our collective ARISE discipleship programs.
Help us empower people to share the gospel
Donate
“Going to ARISE
was the best
decision I have
ever made. It was
life-changing and
transformed my
view of God.”
—Justin Chung
FIND YOUR PLACE IN GOD'S STORY
At our three-month ARISE discipleship programs, you’ll fall in love with God, explore the biblical narrative, learn from gospel-oriented teachers, serve in community, and form long-lasting friendships.
ARISE Finland
August 21-November 15, 2025
Registration Opens
January 15
Application Deadline
July 31
Learn More
Class sizes are limited. Don’t wait to apply.
RIPPLES ONLINE
Angelo Grasso, Spiritual Care Director
Community is the signature of
God’s creation. We were conceived
in community and we find our
ultimate purpose in community.
Satan knows this and is
committed to perfecting schemes
and systems to keep us in the
darkness
of isolation.
Because he
hates creation,
he hates
community. His
mission is to
take us back to the conditions of
pre-creation—formless, void, and
alone! And in far too many cases,
he succeeds.
At Light Bearers, we realize that
to vindicate the beauty of God’s
character necessitates waging
war against the machinery
of isolationism, which is now
perfected into a dark art through
modern technology. In 2024, we
leaned into community like never
before. We invested in our online
community by launching a series of
live sessions called “EDIFY.” Nearly
3,000 people registered and found
community through our shared
conversations, while, to date, the
series has over 60,000 views.
In 2024 we
leaned into
community like
never before.
We offered spiritual care to our
community in the form of pastoral
support through prayer and biblical
counsel. We connected with
our community on social media
through our Facebook group and
our other social media channels.
And we showed up in real life, too.
Our team invested in community
by traveling the world to spend
time with our global family in
conferences and retreats, large and
small. Through our ARISE training
school, we immersed students in
the art of community-building and
deployed them into the mission
field as light bearers.
So, on behalf of our Light Bearers
community, thank you. Thank you
for supporting this good fight. It is
because of your financial support
that we have been able to create an
infrastructure that is supporting our
growing community, undermining
the devil’s designs, and creating
a ripple of connection, hope, and
restoration that is spreading around
the world.
Yes, I want help build community!
Give Now →
0
This year, we had 2,850 people register for our monthly Live Sessions and 1,170 people currently belong to our Light Bearers Community Facebook Group.
Help us spread the gospel online
Donate
RIPPLES IN ESPAÑOL
Alexandra Mora, Español Coordinator
Did you know that Spanish is the
second-largest mother tongue in
the world?
Light Bearers has always made it
a priority to send Bibles and Bible
study guides in
local languages
overseas.
However,
we’ve never had the
means to provide
our numerous
other resources—
sermon series from
convocation, books
like The Sonship
of Christ, and blog
posts—in other languages, though
they were frequently requested.
That is, until this year.
With your generous support, the
puzzle pieces finally came together,
and we launched Light Bearers
Español this past June.
“Wow! Every
message
makes my
mind explode
and expand. I
can’t wait for
the next one.”
This includes a website, where
you can find our first video series,
Unbelievable (Increíble in Spanish),
as well as other resources. We also
created a YouTube channel, an
Instagram account, and a Facebook
page—all completely in Spanish.
Using the latest AI technology, we’re
translating more Bible studies, media
resources, and sermons, creating an
ever-growing library in Español.
Since we’ve launched, our Spanish
community has been expressing
their excitement and gratitude:
“So many prayers answered! Thank
you, friends, for making everything
that Light Bearers represents
available in Spanish.” – Mariano
“I always listened to you in English,
and there were things I didn’t
understand. Thank you for doing it
in Spanish!” – Josafat
“Wow! Every message makes my
mind explode and expand. I can’t
wait for the next one.” – Dilner
“This is the absolutely beautiful
message of the eternal Gospel.
Simply spectacular. Thank you so
much, Light Bearers. Keep sharing
these resources.” – Kenni
None of this would have happened
without you. We want to thank
you and ask you to pray for this
project and consider how you can
continue supporting it. There are
493 million native Spanish speakers
worldwide—that’s over six percent
of the world’s population. May God
use us to vindicate the beauty of
His character in Spanish!
Yes, I want to help share the gospel in Spanish!
Give Now →
RIPPLE-MAKING
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LET’S MAKE WAVES
Ty Gibson
Well, there you have it. As I said before, these stories are not mere
updates. They are the ripple effects of your compassionate support.
There is a direct correlation between your giving and Maria in
Nicaragua receiving a Bible at a critical moment and Braeden and Levi
spearheading a new ARISE program in Europe.
We’re aware that there are innumerable causes to which you could
give your support. So on behalf of our team, and with deep gratitude, I
want to say thank you for your partnership. Thank you for changing the
universe a little with us this year.
Thank you for
changing the
universe a little
with us this year.
We hope these reflections on 2024 also inspire you as you
ponder the future. There is much more gospel work to do,
both in Western and developing countries. There is a mass
exodus of young adults deconverting and leaving the
church. Religion as usual is no longer sufficient. There are
people in Africa who fearfully beg a buffet of pantheistic
deities for absolution while offering sacrifices. There are
nominal believers for whom occasional church attendance is merely a
ticket out of the bad place.
The one commonality among them is that they don’t understand the
faithful, other-centered love of God. That vital truth is the linchpin of
spiritual, emotional, and relational health.
We aim to share that glorious message with them, to vindicate the
beauty of God’s character. That’s why, next year, we’re sending seven
containers of gospel literature to Central America, Africa, and beyond.
We’ll empower young adults at more ARISE Intensives and at ARISE
Australia and Finland. We’ll put Light Bearers Español on the map by
creating an ever-growing library of Spanish resources.
However, we cannot do this without your continued financial support.
You’re unique, irreplaceable. Therefore, each choice you make sets
in motion an unrepeatable chain of dominoes in the universe. Those
ripples have the potential to become waves and make 2025 look
completely different than it would otherwise.
So, I want to invite you to throw another pebble in. Create more ripples
with us by giving a special year-end gift using the button below.
In Christ,
Ty Gibson
Speaker/Director
JOURNEY THROUGH SCRIPTURE, ENCOUNTER JESUS, AND CONNECT IN COMMUNITY
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