Iamsecond.com, the website of the I am Second movement featuring video stories of personal struggle, transformation and hope of celebrities and everyday people, received its 5 millionth visitor last week.
I am Second is designed to help individuals discover hope. The website includes authentic film testimonies of “everyday” people and celebrities related to a variety of personal struggles, including abuse, addictions, pride, eating disorders, broken families and the search for success and meaning in life.
Launched in Dallas-Fort Worth in December 2008, iamsecond.com quickly spread virally across the globe. The website has seen visitors from 217 countries/regions who have viewed over 20 million pages on the site.
“When we started I am Second less than three years ago, we could have never imagined the overwhelmingly positive response it would get,” said Mike Jorgensen, I am Second director at e3 Partners, the organization behind the movement. “We daily receive emails and messages from individuals who have visited the website and seen their lives changed thanks to the powerful, raw testimonies of faith shared. We are grateful for the past three years and even more hopeful of what the future holds for I am Second.”
The initial concept for I am Second came about as a collaborative effort between e3 Partners and Dallas businessman Norm Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries, who desired to develop a campaign which could share his faith in an effective manner with the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
I am Second has since officially launched in Orlando, Fla., Evansville, Ind., and Kansas City, Mo., with several other cities planned for the future. The I am Second films can be found on the websites of international partners as well as sites such as YouTube.
“I am Second is much more than just a website,” Jorgensen said. “It is a movement of individuals who are living out their faith as second to Christ.”
In addition to iamsecond.com, numerous small groups and churches affiliated with the movement are listed on the website, helping interested individuals connect to others who are seeking to live second, as well as study and promotional materials.
I am Second leadership has also organized a volunteer program for those interested in helping out with I am Second events, as well as expeditions to locations around the globe which are in need of the message of being Second to Christ.
The I am Second movement is now readying for the next step in its outreach with the debut of its newest initiative: the I am Second book.
Slated to release from Thomas Nelson in January 2012, the I am Second book further chronicles 22 video testimonies, which individuals have been embraced on the website, including 2010 American League MVP and Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton; former Korn band member Brian “Head” Welch; surfer Bethany Hamilton; The Biggest Loser season six winner Michelle Aguilar; Ultimate Fighting Championship star Vitor Belfort; Grammy Award-winning artist Michael W. Smith; and football stars Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford. Alongside each story, readers are given study group questions and an offer to view related testimonies to find the freedom Christ offers.
