The Upper Room Holds Virtual Event to Meet the Tagalog (Philippines) Publishing Team

NASHVILLE, Tenn. May 3, 2021 / The Upper Room / The Upper Room will host a virtual event on May 25, 7:30 p.m. Central Time (May 26, 8:30 a.m. PHT), for donors, readers, and other friends to meet the team who recently brought back into print Kasama ni Jesus, the Tagalog edition of The Upper Room daily devotional. The edition went out of print in 2007, but the demand continued. Four women led the charge to restore this needed translation and successfully launched its first issue during the height of the pandemic. Tagalog is one of the main languages in the Philippines.

Earlier this year, The Upper Room featured the revival of Kasama ni Jesus in its international editions fundraising campaign. Donors took a keen interest in the story, in particular the dedication and determination of the team who made it happen. In response to this interest, The Upper Room decided to host this event, which will give people the opportunity to meet the women, to hear more about their story to launch the language edition during the pandemic, and to learn about their hopes and dreams for the edition’s future.

Initially conceived to be a print product, Kasama ni Jesus made its debut instead on social media, a strategic decision made in the wake of the global pandemic and lockdown. “Rolling out the daily devotional on social media yielded amazing results and led to enthusiastic responses,” says editor Phebe Gamata Crismo. When the lockdown ended and they were able to produce the first print version of the magazine, it sold out in less than two weeks. Crismo says, “Our dream is to put The Upper Room in every home.”

The edition is produced in coordination with the Philippines Central Conference UMC Board of Christian Education and Discipleship located in the Manila Episcopal Area.

The Upper Room daily devotional is published in 37 languages, in more than 97 editions, and is distributed in more than 100 countries. The daily devotional has a readership (print and digital) of four million people. To produce the language editions, The Upper Room works with local ministry partners who translate, produce, market, and distribute the magazine to their constituents.

The event is free-of-charge. Persons who are interested in attending can register below.

The Upper Room is a global ministry dedicated to supporting the spiritual formation of Christians seeking to know and experience God more fully. From its beginnings as a daily devotional guide, The Upper Room has grown to include publications, programs, prayer support, and other resources to help believers of all ages and denominations move to a deeper level of faith and service. The Upper Room is a part of Discipleship Ministries. Visit UpperRoom.org to learn more.

Nicole Curtis
Communications Manager
The Upper Room
[email protected]
615-340-7236 / Cell: 615-578-5418