“Jesus” is coming to a mailbox near you in October.

Volunteers for the the “Jesus” Video Project, headed by Coweta County businessman Brant Frost, intend to mail the story of Christ's life to every household in the county. So far, $125,000 has been pledged to cover the costs of copying and mailing the film. Similar efforts in Fayette County have netted $75,000 in pledges, according to Mary Frances Bowley, Fayette County's coordinator for the video drive.

The group's goal is to see every home in Georgia receive “Jesus,” an 83-minute video filmed in 1978-79 at more than 200 locations in the Holy Land. “Coweta's leading the way inthe state of Georgia for the `Jesus' video project,” Frost said. 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 will run the address labels for the mail-out, which is estimated to cost about $2.70 per video. The difference between the money raised and the actual price of mailing out 100,000 videos, to be purchased together with Fayette and Meriweather counties, will be covered by an anonymous donor, Bowley reported.

Campus Crusade for Christ instigated the idea of sending out the video in the U.S. based on its use as a powerful conversion tool in foreign countries. Churches in Alabama have completed their mailing, along with those in Texas and Ohio.

Inside every package is a response card that 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.”

Bowley said a phone number will be publicized as well, and phone banks will follow up with calls to video recipients asking them simply if they have watched it and what reaction, if any, they had.

“This is a gift,” said Barry Odom of Braelinn Baptist Church of Peachtree City, referring to the video. His hope is the same as all the pastors and church volunteers participating, to have the viewers “develop a relationship with God.”

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