Brian Helstrom Executive Director Jesus Film Harvest Partners Evangelism Church of Nazarene Missions Missionary
Finish Line Podcast Episode 50

Brian Helstrom, Executive Director of Jesus Film Harvest Partners, on How Technology and Partnership are Changing the Missions Landscape

You may want your missions giving to help people encounter Jesus, while also wondering what happens after that first exposure to the gospel.

How can your generosity support evangelism that leads into discipleship, local church planting, and ongoing ministry among people who are still difficult to reach?


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Meet your guide

Brian Helstrom, Executive Director of Jesus Film Harvest Partners, has served with the ministry since its partnership with the Jesus Film Project began in 1997. Working through the Church of the Nazarene and local ministry teams around the world, Brian has helped develop an approach that connects evangelism with discipleship and church planting rather than stopping at an initial gospel response.

Brian explains how collaboration makes that possible. Jesus Film Harvest Partners combines resources from ministries specializing in film, Bible translation, audio Scripture, technology, transportation, and missions research, then equips local believers to carry those tools into unreached and difficult-to-access communities. New technology, including solar equipment, portable hotspots, phones, tablets, and digital media, is also creating opportunities to reach people where traditional public gatherings are not possible.

Throughout the conversation, Brian emphasizes that every person has something to contribute. By the end, you may see missions generosity as a way to put whatever God has placed in your hands toward a shared effort to make disciples and strengthen local churches.

What you’ll gain

  • Why evangelism should lead into discipleship and church planting
  • How ministry partnerships multiply the impact of shared resources
  • Why local believers are essential for reaching difficult places
  • How technology is opening new doors for gospel access
  • Why strategic collaboration can make missions giving more effective
  • How to steward whatever God has placed in your hands

Inspired? Take your next step

Try the Game of Life Simulator

Step into a four-minute interactive experience and see what unfolds as you decide how to manage your resources.

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Game of Life Simulator Mobile Screenshot

Inspired? Learn how to partner with ministries well.

A compelling ministry story can inspire you to respond. But wise partnership often begins with better questions.

Applied Generosity Intervention Partnership Focus

What is the ministry really seeking to restore?

Learn to look beyond visible needs toward people, context, relationships, and flourishing.

Applied Generosity Intervention Partnership Fruitfulness

How do you recognize meaningful impact?

Consider how ministries learn, evaluate their work, and pursue lasting change.

Applied Generosity Intervention Partnership Faithfulness

What does genuine ministry partnership look like?

Explore how to foster trust, alignment, and shared mission in your giving.

In our Intervention Series on the Applied Generosity Podcast, we’ll help you become a more thoughtful, discerning, and faithful partner.

Start the Series

Quotes to Remember

  • “The unengaged and unreached people groups, especially those who have yet to even hear Jesus name after 2000 years, are in areas where they are unreached for a reason”
  • “In the pandemic, we thought we were going to lose all our teams, but all it did is cause them to grow.”
  • “Because of this technology and because of these partnerships working so close together, everybody’s best stuff is helping us to go into places we never thought we’d get to this quickly.”
  • “We’re really good at taking everybody’s best products, putting them in a backpack, and efficiently going to the next place that needs Jesus.”
  • “Our efficiency of ministry only works because we partner not only with our denomination, but with other kingdom ministries.”
  • “Pioneer donors who help start ministries are willing to bleed and die for this new baby that they’ve started.”
  • “Most people have more of their wealth in what they own rather than in cash.”
  • “We’re leaning into every new piece of technology we can get.”

Links from the Show

Bible References from the Show

Mark 12:42-44 | A Widow’s Offering

42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

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Use Our
Free Guide

Have you considered the ways you are uniquely called into generosity? We’re not all called into the same adventure.
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Enter your information below and we’ll send you our free PDF guide to explore the specific adventure you were called into.
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