Joy Lucius
AFA Journal staff writer
July 2021 – In Matthew 28, Jesus gave His followers implicit final instructions: “Go and make disciples of all nations.”
Saturate USA (SUSA) hopes to help fulfill that Great Commission right here in America by taking the gospel to 120 million U.S. homes by 2027. Initiated in 2018, SUSA utilizes the award-winning, multi-language Jesus Film DVD to make that challenge more feasible.
SUSA’s task actually began even before their partnership with the Jesus Film organization and CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ). It all started with a heartfelt prayer for a true revival of repentance and transformation throughout America.
A saturation plan
AFA Journal spoke with SUSA leaders and learned about that prayer and their subsequent plan for nationwide evangelism.
“For our country to rediscover the foundations of the gospel upon which it was founded,” explained chief operating officer Scott Baller, “we knew it would take a united effort of prayer to win America back to Christ.”
Baller and other leaders began with the local church, the obvious place to start and sustain true revival.
To include churches of all sizes, SUSA prepared Saturation Packets of free materials, including Jesus Film DVDs, gospel tracts, detailed city maps, and door-hanger bags. Churches may add their own materials as well.
SUSA also created a four-step adaptable plan for churches to reach their neighbors: adopt a city zip code, receive the free materials, assemble them, and saturate their adopted zip code by delivering the packets.
A saturation site
With a plan in place, a test site was chosen for the project – Orlando, Florida, hopefully the first of many Saturate USA cities. Mark Weible of the Greater Orlando Baptist Association was the point man for Saturate Orlando.
“In January 2018,” said Weible, “one of the Saturate leaders called, explaining their objective and plans. When I was asked to help coordinate the first citywide Saturate USA campaign, I was both honored and humbled.”
With 770,000 citizens, Weible knew that Orlando is not just the typical metropolitan city; it is the vacation capital of the world, with over 70 million visitors annually.
“We prayed earnestly,” Weible continued, “and began to envision what 770,000 people, many in Orlando’s tourism industry, could accomplish if they all received the gospel and then shared it with visitors.
“One day, we prayed that it would not be Mickey Mouse bringing people to our doorstep. Instead, we prayed that Saturate Orlando would start a true revival, bringing people from around the world to find out about Jesus Christ.”
A saturation harvest
Casting that vision to church leaders in the city and beyond, it soon became the heart cry of many Saturate Orlando participants.
In fact, Orlando churches launched Saturate Orlando in March 2018, and by September, 739,000 households had received the Saturation Packets, with 20,000 more delivered to residents of nearby Deland, Florida.
According to Weible, area churches are still reaping the harvest of those Saturate Orlando seeds planted in 2018.
“Even during the recent pandemic quarantine,” said Weible, “several pastors shared how Saturate Orlando had already equipped church members with a greater sense of closeness to each other and a heart of compassion and understanding for their community.
“Saturate Orlando prepared us to better understand the suffering of our neighbors. As Psalm 119:71 (NLT) says, ‘My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.’”
Likewise, Saturate USA can help other congregations “pay attention” to Christ’s last earthly decree to go and tell others of His love. 
Saturate your city
Learn how local churches can adopt a zip code and saturate their city with the gospel at SaturateUSA.org.
