Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.
At Word of Life, we love to help young people experience their faith – to begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and to grow in their daily walk with Him.
With God’s blessing and through the involvement and investment of your friendship, the worldwide ministries of Word of Life are expanding and moving forward: reaching youth with the gospel of Christ.
This report gives you a glimpse of God’s grace revealed through you during 2024. I know you rejoice with us and are encouraged with all that He has done. To God be all the glory! Thank you for your faithful prayers and for investing in young lives. God is using you to make a difference all over the world!
Don Lough, Jr.
President & CEO
The clear truth of God’s Word is our guide.
The potential of the next generation is our passion.
The Good News of Jesus is our message.
The training of multipliers is our method.
The excitement of life in Christ is our culture.
Opens doors for youth and families to develop their relationship with Jesus Christ and with each other.
Gives students a foundation of biblical knowledge and a vision for the future with two-year accredited postsecondary biblical studies programs.
“Yes, I chose to follow God and I chose to let him be in control of my life. I made the decision because I felt like I needed to stop trying to take control of things and let God do the work for me. Since He has a plan for my life and he created me and I should follow the plan that he chose for.” ~ Ridge Camper
“This week, he’s really been teaching me about the importance of sharing my faith with others and really just being bold about it and not being timid. No matter where He puts me or where I go, I know He’s always with me.” ~ Coast Camper
“I learned to preach to people about Jesus’s word Because we are on the earth for a little time, and so are they. So you want to learn as much as we can to help others, so they can learn as much as they can.” ~ Ranch Camper
“I decided to surrender my whole life to Christ. Instead of living the way of the world, seeking after temporary things, He has treasures stored up for you in heaven. And I just think that’s amazing because it’s not temporary!” ~ Island Camper
We seek to empower church youth leaders in their ministry. The heart of every successful youth ministry is always its leaders. We’re dedicated to coaching leaders to create vibrant, disciple-making ministries. We provide comprehensive youth leadership training, offer strategic guidance, and become trusted friends to pastors and youth leaders. We’re excited to see leaders thrive!
January marked our third annual Connect Youth Leader’s Conference where youth leaders will discover cutting-edge strategies in youth ministry. A youth pastor who attended last year’s event said, “I never regret making the effort to attend Word of Life’s leadership conferences. They are always worth attending and my team and I always leave feeling refreshed and encouraged.”
We team up with churches to supercharge their evangelism efforts. Our goals include making sure every student hears the gospel from a friend, encouraging year-round evangelism, equipping students to share the gospel, and assisting with local and regional evangelistic events. Partnering with local churches we see the gospel bring transformation in the lives of young people.
A church that attends Reverb, shared the following story with us: Years ago, during a Reverb event, one of our young members invited his best friend, who had never attended church due to his family’s past hurts. The friend came because he loved basketball and ended up accepting Jesus into his heart. He became a dedicated member of our youth group, later serving as a leader and pastoral assistant. He married a fellow church leader, and together they felt called to the mission field. Now, they lead a mission base in Zambia, training Bible school students and planting churches in remote villages. This story reminds us of the eternal impact of events like Reverb. Thank you for your ministry, and we look forward to this year’s event. Keep pressing on!
Once a student trusts Christ, we provide churches with incredible resources to help them grow in their faith. We’re committed to developing materials that help every student deepen their walk with Christ. Our offerings include customizable, biblically sound curriculum, Quiet Time devotions, and a scripture memory system for all ages. We see many churches engaging their members to use the Word of Life Quiet Time to establish this vital daily habit.
A youth pastor reported, “This year, we’ve purchased 412 Quiet Times, with some using the digital app. It’s been amazing to see God move in a mighty way. Our church has about 800 members, and half have committed to this practice. I’m praying for continued divine intervention.”
This year, 1,266 churches have been energized by our Ministry Coaches through dynamic curriculum, thrilling evangelistic events, and impactful training sessions. Our local church-based evangelistic events drew an impressive 11,685 attendees, with 837 making life-changing decisions for Christ. The excitement continued at our 13 Reverb events, where 16,038 enthusiastic participants gathered, leading to 768 powerful responses to the gospel invitation. The impact is truly inspiring!
This year at the Bible Institute, I’ve learned a lot about forgiveness. Before I came here, forgiveness was just a word to me. I’d say I tried to forgive people, but I often held onto grudges in my heart. However, after this entire year of experience, forgiving and forgetting has become so much easier. Understanding that forgiveness entails making a promise to never bring up that sin again has truly guided me throughout this year.
– Hecsarah
Total Support and Revenue – $61,237,090
Program Revenue – $18,202,943
Unrestricted Contributions – $5,584,537
Restricted Contributions – $36,021,056*
Interest and Other Revenue – $1,428,554
*Restricted Contributions include $11.9 Million in extraordinary contributions for buildings and equipment.
Total Expenses – $56,980,464
Youth and Family Camps – $7,735,841
Administration and Fundraising – $4,567,839
International Ministries – $22,914,504
Youth Ministries – $4,401,329
Bible Institute – $13,307,531
Other Expenses – $4,053,420
Don Lough, Jr.
President and CEO of Word of Life Fellowship, Inc.
Chancellor of Bible Institutes
John Nelson
Executive Assistant to the President
Director of Word of Life Foundation
Rich Andrews
Vice President of Youth & Family Camps
Brian Baker
Vice President of Bible Institutes
Executive Dean of New York Bible Institute
Brent Finchum
Director of Youth Ministries
Scott Foreman
Vice President of Growth and Impact Strategies
Chip Nightingale
Vice President of Ministry Advancement
Kris Stout
Executive Vice President of International Ministries
Mark Strout
Executive Dean of Global Bible Institutes & Professor
Michael Constantino
Vice President of Stewardship
Dr. Donald H. Lough, Jr. / President
Mr. B. John Nelson / Vice President/Treasurer
Lt. Col. Walter R. Price, (Ret.) / Secretary
Dr. Mark L. Bailey
Dr. John S. Barnett
Mr. Mark R. Berardelli
Mr. Andrew C. Brown
Mr. Bob G. Brown
Mr. Roger L. Burdick
Mr. Robert C. Doll, Jr.
Dr. Christopher Gnanakan
Mr. Cory J. Hansen
Mr. Robert L. Horst
Mrs. Riley Hoselton
Mr. Joseph J. Hunt
Mr. Robert L. Lanyon
Mr. Chad J. Lubke
Dr. Ronald D. Moore
Rev. Philip A. Moser II
Mr. John Mark Page
Mr. Jonathan H. Price
Mr. John H. Reimer, Jr.
Mr. Brian M. Smoker
Mr. Kristopher M. Stout
Capt. Dane C. Swanson,
USN (Ret.)
Mr. Ronald D. Wyrtzen