Beginning

Monday, approximately 40,000 videos about the life of

Jesus Christ will be mailed out to every household in

Fayette and Coweta counties. Titled "Jesus,"

the video arrives compliments of hundreds of Christians

in the area, representing more than 75 churches of

various denominations. According to Mary Frances Bowley,

one of the coordinators of the "Jesus" video

project, many individuals have pooled their resources of

time, money and prayer, to provide a copy to every home.

The arrival

of the video will initiate "a time of spiritual

awakening for the community," predicted the Rev. Sam

Calleiro, senior associate pastor at River's Edge

Community Church. This Sunday will be marked as a day of

prayer and preparation in area churches; a day when

pastors will alert their congregations to the arrival of

"Jesus" in VHS format.

Supporters

of the Jesus video project have raised about $75,000

locally for the mail-out. "We`re hoping our area

will be an example for others to follow," Bowley

said. The group's goal is for every home in Georgia to

receive a copy of the 83-minute drama, filmed between

1978 and 1979 at more than 200 locations in the Holy

Land. The video is available in 530 languages and has

been in circulation in 230 countries and viewed by more

than two billion people.

The

full-length film, based on the New Testament's Gospel

according to Luke, from which the video was taken, is a

Warner Brothers production done by John Heyman. Jesus is

played by Brian Deacon, a Shakespearean actor from

England.

The Campus

Crusade for Christ has run the address labels for the

cassette mail-out, which is estimated to cost about $2.70

each. An anonymous donor pledged to cover the difference,

Bowley said at the outset of the project.

The Campus

Crusade planted the idea of sending out the video in the

United States, based on its success as a tool for

conversion in foreign countries. Churches in Alabama,

Texas and Ohio have successfully completed their

mail-outs.

Inside very

package is a response card which asks the recipient to

contact a church, or send in the card for more

information, if they have "been touched by the

comforting and encouraging words of Jesus."

While it is

difficult to document, project volunteers say that

millions of people have responded with professions of

faith to the message of hope contained in

"Jesus."

"This

is a gift," said Barry Odom of Braelinn Baptist

Church, of the video. His hope is the same as all the

pastors and church volunteers participating. That is, to

have the viewers "develop a relationship with

God."

Helping out

with publicity about the video project are The Citizen

Newspapers, J93.3, JOY FM radio, Sonrise Bookstores and

Family Christian Bookstores.