Billy Graham's new online portal reaches young people with Gospel

|PIC1|Representing a new effort to reach the next generation, an innovative Christian web resource, Ransom, is now up and running to introduce young people to Jesus Christ.

A project of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), Ransom features compelling music videos and interviews with Christian artists, athletes and other personalities, all designed to connect with youth and young adults and present the life-changing message of the Gospel.

"Young people are facing tremendous pressures from the world, and many are searching for the answers to life's toughest questions," said Ken Barun, senior vice president of communications, BGEA.

"Ransom allows us to meet them where they are, speak their language and let them know there's a God who loves them. It's the same message Billy Graham has always preached - this time in Web 2.0."

The site Ransom.tv is loaded with videos of artists relaying everything from their personal testimony of faith in Jesus Christ to their thoughts on what Christmas means to them. In honour of the Christmas season, included on the site is a brand-new video of "Little Drummer Boy", by the rock band The Almost.

More than a site, Ransom is an online experience, BGEA says, featuring videos, culturally relevant articles, testimonials and a simple, compelling presentation of the Gospel to which users can respond using social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.

New videos and other pieces will be added regularly to keep the content fresh and encourage visitors to return. Ransom also has a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a YouTube channel.

The ministry derives its name from Jesus' words in Mark 10:45: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Ransom is in part a continuation of the popular 2009 Rock the River Tour, a youth-focused concert series that travelled up the Mississippi River last summer with soul-stirring music from bands like Flyleaf and challenging messages from Franklin Graham. The site is a place for these youth and young adults and others to visit and grow in their spiritual walk.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) proclaims the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world through large-scale festivals led by evangelists Franklin Graham and Will Graham; Dare to Be a Daniel, a youth evangelism training project; My Hope World Evangelism Through Television; the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team of crisis-trained chaplains; and many others through print, television, telephone, radio and the Internet.