Dear Kérugma Supporter,
Because of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we believe that the time is right to establish a Christian video club. It is our wish that all of you would prayerfully consider this letter and join the video club if at all possible. Please allow me to openly discuss with you certain aspects regarding video distribution in South Africa. We feel that our videos offer much for everyone, and we want to ask you to assist us in the production and distribution of them. How many of Kérugma's videos have you seen? We would dearly like you to see them all. Not just you, but also your family, friends and neighbours.
We know that if we can send you the videos one by one over a period of time, the chances are good that you would watch them all. In our experience with video distribution we know that if you give a person a book as a gift, the chances are small that he/she will actually finish reading the book. It depends on who the person is and if it is the right book at the right time. He/she will possibly read only part of the book or just the introduction. You never know. But with a video it is different. Our experience is that most people who receive a video as a gift will actually watch it. That which a person reads is of much value but that which a person sees and hears at the same time is of much greater value.
This brings us to another problem-, the prohibitive cost to produce a high quality multimedia production such as a video or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). Before we get to that, I first want to draw a comparison between the prices of certain items so that you can understand why we always say that the cost of our videos does not include the production costs.
How much do you pay for a good Christian CD? The fact is that in South Africa CD's are much more expensive than videos. But it costs up to five times as much to produce a video. If we, for instance, would have our videos produced by a professional video studio, the quote for such a production would be prohibitive.
The relationship between the overseas prices for CD's and videos is much more realistic. Prices of Christian CD's are about US$10.00 while videos go for US$20.00 or more. Why, then, do we in South Africa sell our videos so far under value? There are two major factors to consider. The first is the small volume of such videos which do actually sell in South Africa. The second is due to a specific situation which developed when a certain company, which has produced good Christian videos for years, started financing the production of their videos through sponsors. They were in a position to release the videos at a price which covered only the tape plus the cost of duplicating the videos plus the normal labels and cover. The result of this was an unrealistic low market price for such video productions in South Africa. Every entry into this market now has to be at this low market price. The problem with this state of affairs is that any person who wants to produce Christian videos now has to finance his own cost of producing a video. Kérugma trusts the Lord to work in the hearts of people like you who have seen our videos, to support us so that we can continue to produce these videos.
The main advantage of these low prices is that these videos are more accessible for all. The disadvantage, however, is that some videos can not be produced or distributed in South Africa at this lower cost. For instance, a friend of ours from England wanted to distribute one of his videos in South Africa. He wanted to release the video at what he thought, was a very reasonable price, R200.00. After consultation with various people, he decided to reduce the price to R100.00. The South African sales of his video now actually cost him money, but he is more concerned that people receive the message of the video than that he make a profit. The same is true for our videos.
There are, however, some very good overseas productions which we want to obtain and distribute locally. The masters of such videos are very expensive. In addition, normal royalties payable to the owners are in the region of US$7.00 (±R80.00) per copy sold. This of course makes it impossible to include the cost of the tape, cover, label and duplication for under R100.00. At this price, it would not be possible to distribute such videos in South Africa.
We mention these things to you to give you a glimpse of the dilemma in which we find ourselves.
When we mention the low volume of Christian video sales in South Africa, please keep in mind that the impact of a video is much more than a book, for instance. One example of this is the best selling video from Kérugma entitled Die Here het my verlos van tipiese Toronto "Blessing" ervaringe by Rev. Ettiene Maritz. When this video was produced, we printed 1000 labels. Sales of this video went well, and we even sent some copies overseas. People everywhere heard about this video. The impact of such a video is massive. One minister told us that as a rule his congregation made sure that his services never lasted more than a specified time. He therefore planned to show the video in three parts on three successive Sundays. When he switched off the video after the first session on the first Sunday, the audience insisted that he show the rest of the video. So they sat for the remainder of the video - for 2 hours and 30 min!
The following day his wife lent the video to someone at University. The University students saw the video. It was also shown at some schools and hostels in that city. We often hear how a single video is shown to a great number of people. Therefore, we know how valuable a tool this medium is for evangelisation.
One day about a year ago ds. Maritz asked us for interest's sake how many copies of the video had been sold over the years. Everywhere he went, he heard people talk about this video. For instance, one minister from a large town told him, "Ettiene, you don't even have to come and preach here because everyone has seen your video." Imagine his amazement when he heard that we still have 800 of the original 1000 labels left. Spiritually speaking the production of that video was a great success. We can only thank the Lord for that. Financially speaking, though, it was not so successful.
Some interesting facts came to light from a conversation held with a person involved with the Christian video company that we mentioned earlier. They made a series of videos of the sermons of a well-known American preacher who visited South Africa. However, they only produced 200 copies of the series because they knew that they never sell more than that amount! This should give you a clear picture of the situation in South Africa. Personally I do believe that we can distribute many more videos in South Africa. There are many people who still don't know about our videos.
We want to ask you if you would be willing to become more directly involved in helping us produce and distribute these videos. We live in a time when each opportunity must be seized to proclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Some people say they don't want to pay for a video that they will only watch once or twice. The fact is that it is necessary to watch the video more than that. The first time it may make a good impression on you, but there is much you only take in or notice after the second or third time. Furthermore it is surely not necessary to keep the video to yourself, is it? Is there not someone to whom you can lend or even give the video after you are finished with it?
These videos also make excellent presents. You can be sure that the person to whom you give it will watch it. Before you give another book or CD to someone, why not consider giving one of Kérugma's videos?
A certain lady recently told us that her husband had to go to Addis Ababa on a work-related trip. They had just watched Highways to Zion. They were so excited about it that he decided to take the video with him. They both prayed that the Lord would undertake and that it would not be found in his baggage. When he arrived in Ethiopia, he met a Christian and gave the video to him. Now they have received a letter from this Christian telling them that he has shown the video in several churches and that there has been fantastic reaction to it. He said that they have never received as much teaching in their churches as from this one video!
With this in mind we would like to offer everyone the opportunity to help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through videos. The production cost of the video in terms of man-hours, the sophisticated digital editing apparatus, the camera and the professional assistance amount to thousands of rands. Even though, through the grace of God, we have been able to cut down many of these costs by doing most of this work ourselves, we still need the support and assistance of you, as a child of God, for each project. Without this we cannot effectively continue our work of proclaiming the gospel by this means. Would you please consider carrying this ministry through your prayers and by making a regular monthly donation? Let us face the facts. Prayer and finances are the essential ingredients to maintain a ministry such as ours. There are already some people who are freely supporting us without receiving anything in return. This is surely God at work when He encourages people to give a freewill offering for His service.
It is our desire that the videos will reach you. It is difficult for us after producing a video like Psalm 23 - The Shepherd and His Sheep to know that some people on our address list will not get to see it. We would like all to see it and we would also like to know what you think of it. This is also the idea behind the establishment of the Kérugma Video Club. The advantage to us would be to receive a regular income but we mainly want everyone to see all the videos and share in the blessing we receive from it. This is why we want to give you the opportunity to regularly receive our videos while you in turn are helping us to produce them.
Membership of the club will entail the following. You undertake to financially support the ministry of Kérugma Productions with the amount that you will specify on the application form. Kérugma in turn undertakes to present you with a video each month. You will have a choice with regards to which video you would like to receive each month. In this way we will make sure that you and your family will get to watch a new video at least once a month. At the same time you will be contributing with your monthly donation towards the effective spreading of the gospel to others.
There is a lot of work to be done. God asks us to pray that the labourers will be sent forth to the harvest (Mat 9:38). Your support to this ministry will help to send the labourers to the harvest.
We have only touched on Scripture-expounding productions utilising as background video footage from the Bible lands. We also have to translate the videos into other languages and for different cultures. In addition, we have a number of Afrikaans video productions that are ready to be edited. There is so much which must still be done.
We constantly hear positive testimonies from people who have watched the videos. Perhaps when we are all standing in front of the Throne of Grace, you would hear a testimony of someone who is there because of the videos he watched. Would that not be wonderful to know that this was God's work done through your prayers and financial support?
Greetings in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In His Service
Naas le Roux