Website Puts Christ First, Surpasses 5 Million Visitors
The website for the I am Second movement, which inspires people to live for God, marked its 5 millionth visitor Monday.
The I am Second movement has been inspiring people to put Christ first in their lives for nearly three years. In addition to encouraging humility before God, the site also aims to help those who are struggling with issues like addiction, abuse, death of a loved one, finding purpose in life and much more.
The website was launched in December 2008 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and has spread rapidly ever since. The site has been viewed by visitors around the globe and has launched Local Expressions in the cities of Orlando, Fla.; Evansville, Ind.; Kansas City, Mo.; and Nashville, Tenn.
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Local Expressions serve as regional hubs and are places for leadership training, film production and advertising distribution for the movement.
Many celebrities have decided to become a part of the I am Second movement over the last few years, offering testimonies of their struggles and how Jesus Christ has made an impact on their lives. The site features video testimonials of professional athletes like the Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton and Ultimate Fighting Champion star Vitor Belfort, who have both traveled a bumpy road on their way to finding Christ.
On the site, Christian music sensation Michael W. Smith's video testimony mingles next to the testimony of heavily-tattooed Brian “Head” Welch, who was the co-founder and guitarist for the hard rock band Korn.
In addition to superstars, the site offers the testimonials of less-famous people, including struggling Iraq war veterans, ex-prostitutes, drug addicts and others who deal with normal, but powerful, struggles.
"I am Second is much more than just a website,” said Mike Jorgensen, I am Second Director at e3 Partners Ministry, in a statement. "It is a movement of individuals living out their faith as second to Christ."
The movement began when businessman Norm Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries, teamed up with e3 Partners, a world missions organization founded in 1987, to create a website as a means of sharing his faith with the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
"When we started I am Second less than three years ago, we could have never imagined the overwhelmingly positive response it would get," Jorgensen said. "We daily receive emails and messages from individuals who have visited the website and seen their lives changed, thanks to the powerful, raw testimonies of faith shared."
The website doesn't just show testimonies, it also provides the means for visitors to connect to and participate in the I am Second movement. For example, the movement has spawned small groups around the nation, where people meet to talk about God, share their stories and watch the testimonies of others.
Members of the movement are encouraged to start new groups and searching for opportunities to volunteer in their local communities. They can also join global expeditions, in which they “take Jesus to the world” and “bring real-world solutions to poverty and suffering.”
The I am Second crew is working to reach the world in a number of different ways, and they hope that a soon-to-be-released book will help them in their cause.
The I am Second book is set to be released in January 2012, and will feature some of the website's popular testimonials.
Among the 22 individuals whose stories will be shared in the book are Brian Welch, Josh Hamilton, Bethany Hamilton (star of the film “Soul Surfer”), Michelle Aguilar (winner of “The Biggest Loser” season six), Vitor Belfort, Michael W. Smith, and NFL stars Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford.
The book includes study group questions and an opportunity to see how Christ has changed people's lives for the better.
