Each Week, Kids Count Down the Hours Until it Begins
Dear Friend,
A few months ago, at a camp meeting my wife Jean and I attended, a young girl approached Jean and asked if she could audition to be in one of the episodes of Discovery Mountain, our weekly children’s program. This didn’t surprise us, because the program has been a hit with kids everywhere. Between April and January, we had 71,838 downloads!
That’s amazing for such a new program, and it doesn’t even include those listening through other methods! The responses we’re receiving confirm that children and young people are receptive to listening to Bible-based programs if we speak to their needs. The truth is, the world wants our children. It bombards them day and night through all media outlets to capture their young minds and hearts.
It is every Christian parent’s challenge to train their children to tune out the constant world noises and listen to the “still small voice.” Jean and I are no exception. We have felt that same burden ever since our two girls were born—we want them to succeed in this world, but above all, we want to see them in the kingdom of heaven!
That’s why teaching children to love Jesus is a top priority at your Voice of Prophecy. I was so excited last year to share with you the launching of Discovery Mountain, because it’s such a unique evangelism tool for young people. It was an immediate hit—exceeding all expectations!
The concept is simple, and yet there’s nothing comparable on the market for children. Discovery Mountain is the ongoing story of the lives of people—especially a group of young kids—in the summer camp town of Discovery Mountain. Each episode features a particular challenge they face and the life lessons they learn.
This may sound simple enough, but it’s huge! Children may watch good programs on television—and read many inspirational stories—but in Discovery Mountain, they can use their imaginations and learn how other young people like themselves resolve everyday problems from a Christian perspective. They learn Bible lessons they can apply to their own lives, and in the process, have an opportunity to get to know Jesus as their personal Savior.
One recent story on the program—covered over several episodes—featured the experience of Haddie, a young girl who, like the Esther of old, had to decide to take a stand for truth and justice—and risk losing her very first job. This was one of our most popular episodes as young people identified with brave Esther and Haddie!
Each episode of Discovery Mountain confronts a unique set of problems, guiding young people to make profound life-changing decisions that reflect our biblical beliefs. Let me share with you a few of the testimonials and impressions we’ve been receiving from young and old alike:
- A mother and daughter started a prayer journal after listening to an episode last year where the idea was woven into the storyline.
- A young boy in Australia is doing a science experiment along with us after listening to one of the episodes.
- A family decided to binge-listen to Discovery Mountain during a long road trip—and the children were entertained the whole way, as were the adults!
- A mother shared that she and her boys listen to the stories many times over. They’ve been doing this since last summer when they discovered the series.
- A teacher told us she’s using Discovery Mountain in the classroom—and the kids love it!
- One six-year-old has memorized parts of episodes and acts them out for friends using stuffed animals.
- Some of our listeners have shared that they start counting down the hours before the next episode begins!
- Another mother wrote: “I turn the program on for my daughter, but I absolutely love it! I’m hooked! It’s so refreshing to not only have a program that causes one to use the imagination, but is truly Bible-based. I used to listen to another program, but it had doctrinal errors. Thank you so much for this program!”
- A young man wrote: “I am 10 years old and love to play the guitar. The stories that you guys create are awesome!!!” He then requested the music for the theme song to play on his guitar, and we sent it to him, much to his delight.
- Many adults who don’t have children have written to say they’ve been blessed by the series and don’t miss an episode.
- And then there’s Anna, the 15-year-old girl who loves Discovery Mountain so much that she asked Jean if she could audition for an episode. She did! We invited Anna to the studio, and we discovered she was a good fit for the voice of Haddie in Season 4! Now Anna and her entire family have become ambassadors for Discovery Mountain. They share Discovery Mountain bookmarks and other promotional items with children in their community.
Every week, we receive testimonials and appreciation for the program, and we praise God for each one. We are in a battle for the souls of our children, and Discovery Mountain is an evangelism tool that can be used to reach our young people!
I love the advice from one of my favorite authors and have taken it to heart not only in my home, but in my ministry:
“Educate your children for the future, immortal life . . . Bring them to the foot of the cross. Try to teach them what it means to believe in Jesus—that it is to accept Him as our dearest Friend.” (Sermon and Talks, Vol. 2, p. 234)
That is my greatest desire for my own daughters, and I want your Voice of Prophecy ministry to reach all of our children, so that they can one day teach these precious Bible truths to their children, and their children to the next generation. It’s like a golden chain, linking all generations together—a chain that will not be broken until Jesus comes!
Recently Anna shared her dream with us. She wants to start a weekly club in her area where kids can come into her home and listen to that week’s episode, do science experiments and cook recipes based on that season. What a great idea—and it was inspired by listening to Discovery Mountain!
I know how tough it can be to parent in today’s world, but you and I can make a difference in the life of a child—and that child may be our own. Sometimes we may sow in tears and discouragement, but if we persist, we are promised that our sowing will not be in vain as “parents will return with joy, bringing their sheaves with them.”
What a wonderful promise! How encouraging it is to know that we can work together for the salvation of our children. If we can help save just one more child, then the years of work preparing Discovery Mountain will have been well worth it!
Thank you for your continued support of this project. Discovery Mountain takes time, cooperation, many volunteers, and a steady flow of funding. But our children are well worth it. They are precious in God’s sight.
I want to invite you to consider a special gift this month for the support of this program. Each episode costs $5,013.91 to produce. If you can provide a full program, that’s wonderful, and I would encourage you to do it. But each gift is precious, no matter the amount, and helps moves this project forward.
Please take a few moments to make a gift online to support this far-reaching project. If you’ve been blessed by the program, or know of someone who enjoys it, please share your comments with us. We enjoy hearing from you.
Thank you for your partnership. It is only as we work together that we can impact the world—and our children—for God’s kingdom.
Your brother in ministry,
Shawn Boonstra
Speaker/Director
P.S. Discovery Mountain, our innovative program for kids, has already seen 70,000 downloads, and that’s just the beginning! This is a unique evangelism tool to reach our young people for Jesus—and it’s exceeding all expectations! Young people like Anna are learning to trust in Jesus as their Best Friend—and that’s the best education we can give them. Thank you for making such a significant difference in this ongoing project. If you haven’t yet listened to an episode of Discovery Mountain, you may do so at discoverymountain.com, or download all the episodes for free on your favorite podcast platform.