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Ten Things That Happen after Chuck Says Amen

When it comes to cuisine, too many cooks spoil the broth. But when it comes to ministry, many helpers create a spiritual meal worth savoring. Insight for Living Ministries shares Chuck Swindoll's passion to combat spiritual hunger through the expositional teaching of God's Word around the world. And the variety of spiritual meals we prepare requires many hands . . . starting with Chuck's. Here's how it all comes together:

1. Chuck prepares and preaches a series of sermons, which are recorded for future broadcasting. Some messages were first presented at the First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, California. Others were part of Chuck's "Lessons to My Students" lectures while he was president of Dallas Theological Seminary. The most recent sermons, beginning in 1998, were preached at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, where Chuck currently serves as senior pastor.
2. Recordings of Chuck's messages are sent to the Legal Services Department of Insight for Living Ministries to be transcribed into written documents. Our transcribers painstakingly capture everything they hear—including misspoken words, stutters, crying babies, and audience coughs. Our attorney, along with his team, clears all of the copyrights to Chuck's messages, including any songs, poems, stories, and sermon illustrations, so they can be aired on the radio, streamed over the Internet, and distributed on MP3s and CDs.
3. Chuck's wife, Cynthia, who serves as president of Insight for Living Ministries, carefully reads through each sermon transcript, taking into account information given to her from Legal Services for appropriately handling all attributions. Cynthia also takes into account any suggestions from our Creative Ministries Department while they are working on resources. She then directs our broadcast team—Living Bridge Media—to remove all ambient noises from the audio files, correct any misspoken words or phrases, and appropriately record all voiced copyrights and attributions.
4. The transcripts are sent to the Creative Ministries team, where seminary-trained writers carefully read through Chuck's sermons to begin the process of writing ministry resources to accompany the broadcast. These resources are designed to take people deeper in their understanding of Chuck's teaching from God's Word. Broadcast-related resources include: sermon notes called "Message Mates," Web-based "Learn Online" courses, softcover Bible studies called "Bible Companions," a monthly newsletter, conference and tour books, and other ministry-specific booklets, books, and materials.
5. Creative Ministries and Special Needs Ministries also publish Web-based articles on a variety of spiritual and theological topics, as well as special-interest blogs for pastors and for people who care for those with special needs.
6. Once written, each resource goes through an editorial process. Professional and skillful editors check the theology of the written material to ensure biblical and theological integrity. Then, our content editor makes sure that each resource is well written, organized, and accessible to readers. Finally, our copy editors fine-tune each page by checking grammar, syntax, and formatting. 
7. Talented artists in our Publishing Department design and lay out both printed and online materials in creative, attractive formats. After being proofread, these resources are published either on the ministry's Web site by our Web team or sent to a printing company to be created into books or other printed materials.
8. While resources are being created, the audio files of Chuck's messages receive final touches. Our Living Bridge Media staff times and divides each message to fit within a broadcast timeslot; they also add voiceover introductions, announcements, and music.
9. Audio files of Chuck's messages are distributed to radio stations, and related study resources are made available on the ministry's Web site, www.insight.org.
10. Listeners turn on their radios, stream online, or download to their MP3 players to listen to Chuck's sermons. Many take advantage of our helpful resources. And by the grace and mercy of God, lives are transformed.