Touching Lives/ James Merritt 
Summary
Touching Lives, Inc. ("Touching Lives") is a Christian television broadcast ministry hosted by Dr. James Merritt. This thirty-minute television program can be seen in over 90% of the households across the United States and 44 countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Touching Lives current family of broadcast stations includes: Trinity Broadcasting Network, The Church Channel, and Liberty Channel. Touching Lives is produced at Cross Pointe: The Church at Gwinnett Center, in Duluth, GA, and is associated with NRB.
Touching Lives has been a member of the ECFA since 2001. This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Contact information
Mailing address:
1800 Satellite Blvd
Duluth, GA 30097
Website: www.touchinglives.org
Phone: (800) 413-1131
Email: info@touchinglives.org
Organization details
EIN: 582181292
CEO/President: John Courtney
Chairman: Dr. James Merritt
Board size: 10
Founder: Dr. James Merritt
Year founded: 1992
Tax deductible: Yes
Fiscal year end: 09/30
Member of ECFA: Yes
Member of ECFA since: 2001
Purpose
Touching Lives, Inc. ("Touching Lives") is a Christian television broadcast ministry hosted by Dr. James Merritt. This thirty-minute television program can be seen in over 90% of the households across the United States and 44 countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Touching Lives current family of broadcast stations includes: Trinity Broadcasting Network, The Church Channel, and Liberty Channel. Touching Lives is produced at Cross Pointe: The Church at Gwinnett Center, in Duluth, GA, and is associated with NRB.
Touching Lives has been a member of the ECFA since 2001. This organization is a nonprofit. Contributions to it are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Mission statement
Touching Lives, Inc. has the following Mission Statement:
Touching Lives is a mission to seek out those who have never heard of Christ and present the Gospel to them...
Touching Lives is a mission to minister to those who are hurting and need to know that a loving God really does care
Touching Lives is a mission that empowers Christians through the word of God to stand firm and stand faithful in the midst of trials and adversity.
Statement of faith
Touching Lives uses the following to express its Statement of Faith:
The Bible. We believe the Bible is God's Holy Word. We believe that all sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments were divinely inspired by God. Even though given human personalities, the Bible was the perfect treasure of God. We believe the scriptures are inerrant and infallible in their original manuscript. The Bible is our full and final authority on all matters of faith and practice. The Bible has God as its author, salvation for its end and truth, without any mixture of error, for its subject matter.
God. We believe there is only one true and living God. He is Creator, Redeemer and Comforter. God is Holy and in Him there is no sin. God is sovereign and is constantly working out His plan in history. God reveals Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God the Father. God the Father providentially cares for this universe. He is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-present. God is Father and Truth to all who are His children through faith in Jesus Christ.
God the Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was the human form of God who came as a gift to mankind. We believe that Jesus was miraculously born of a virgin. He lived a life that was perfect and without sin. Through His death on the cross, He served as the atonement for our sins. He was our substitute: The One Who satisfied justice and salvation. Jesus Christ as raised bodily from the dead. He ascended personally and visibly to be with His Father. He is presently serving as our Mediator with God. Only through faith in Jesus Christ can one receive God's salvation. Jesus Christ will, one day, return to this earth to bring human history to an end and fully complete God's purpose for redemption.
God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God. The Holy Spirit breathed the Holy Scripture to holy men of God. The Holy Spirit exalts Jesus Christ. He convicts persons of sin, righteousness and judgment. He is the only One Who conforms the believers into the likeness of Jesus Christ. He empowers the believer to live the Christ-life, to worship God, to evangelize the world and to serve others. The Holy Spirit makes this possible by indwelling the believer permanently at the point of salvation.
Salvation. The central purpose of God is to bring sinful persons into fellowship with Him. The only way this can be accomplished is through repentance and faith. Repentance is turning from sin and turning to Jesus Christ. Faith is trusting Jesus Christ, and Him alone, for salvation. Salvation is a personal experience with Jesus Christ. Once a person has trusted Christ, the Lord continually works out His salvation in Him by making him more like Himself. Salvation will, one day, be culminated when we are in Heaven with Christ.
Our Faith and Practice. The Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. We realize we cannot bind the individual in areas where scripture is silent. We believe this Statement of Faith to be an accurate summary of what Scripture teaches us. All should take seriously this Statement of Faith and refrain from any advocacy of doctrine that does not include this faith.
Financial efficiency ratings
Sector: Educational Media
| Category | Rating | Overall rank | Sector rank |
| Overall efficiency rating | | 191 of 423 | 21 of 50 |
| Fund acquisition rating | | 238 of 423 | 27 of 50 |
| Resource allocation rating | | 301 of 423 | 32 of 50 |
| Asset utilization rating | | 70 of 423 | 7 of 50 |
Financial ratios
| Funding ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
Return on fundraising efforts Return on fundraising efforts = Fundraising expense / Total contributions | 7% | 8% | 7% | 8% | 6% | 7% |
Fundraising cost ratio Fundraising cost ratio = Fundraising expense / Total revenue | 6% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 6% |
Contributions reliance Contributions reliance = Total contributions / Total revenue | 95% | 92% | 89% | 90% | 88% | 85% |
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expense ratio = Fundraising expense / Total expenses | 6% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 6% | 6% |
Other revenue reliance Other revenue reliance = Total other revenue / Total revenue | 5% | 8% | 11% | 10% | 12% | 15% |
| Operating ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
Program expense ratio Program expense ratio = Program services / Total expenses | 83% | 78% | 78% | 79% | 78% | 76% |
Spending ratio Spending ratio = Total expenses / Total revenue | 99% | 110% | 102% | 108% | 88% | 88% |
Program output ratio Program output ratio = Program services / Total revenue | 81% | 86% | 80% | 85% | 68% | 68% |
Savings ratio Savings ratio = Surplus (deficit) / Total revenue | 1% | -10% | -2% | -8% | 12% | 12% |
Reserve accumulation rate Reserve accumulation rate = Surplus (deficit) / Net assets | 3% | -37% | -7% | -19% | 27% | 33% |
General and admin ratio General and admin ratio = Management and general expense / Total expenses | 10% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Investing ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
Total asset turnover Total asset turnover = Total expenses / Total assets | 1.30 | 3.02 | 2.23 | 1.98 | 1.51 | 1.68 |
Degree of long-term investment Degree of long-term investment = Total assets / Total current assets | 1.54 | 1.63 | 1.51 | 1.59 | 1.45 | 1.69 |
Current asset turnover Current asset turnover = Total expenses / Total current assets | 2.54 | 4.93 | 3.37 | 3.14 | 2.20 | 2.83 |
| Liquidity ratios | Median measure for all ministries in MW database | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
Current ratio Current ratio = Total current assets / Total current liabilities | 8.96 | 2.25 | 2.67 | 2.73 | 2.80 | 1.76 |
Current liabilities ratio Current liabilities ratio = Total current liabilities / Total current assets | 0.11 | 0.44 | 0.37 | 0.37 | 0.36 | 0.57 |
Liquid reserve level Liquid reserve level = (Total current assets - Total current liabilities) / (Total expenses / 12) | 4.07 | 1.36 | 2.23 | 2.42 | 3.52 | 1.84 |
| Solvency ratios | Median % for all ministries in MW database | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
Liabilities ratio Liabilities ratio = Total liabilities / Total assets | 10% | 27% | 25% | 23% | 25% | 34% |
Debt ratio Debt ratio = Debt / Total assets | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Reserve coverage ratio Reserve coverage ratio = Net assets / Total expenses | 63% | 24% | 34% | 39% | 50% | 40% |
Financials
| Balance sheet | |||||
| Assets | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Cash | $348,875 | $572,922 | $545,910 | $785,991 | $559,507 |
| Receivables, inventories, prepaids | $46,220 | $61,419 | $93,918 | $91,892 | $71,303 |
| Short-term investments | $94,499 | $66,320 | $55,699 | $45,158 | $21,934 |
| Other current assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total current assets | $489,594 | $700,661 | $695,527 | $923,041 | $652,744 |
| Long-term investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed assets | $307,867 | $355,494 | $408,797 | $414,350 | $449,072 |
| Other long-term assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term assets | $307,867 | $355,494 | $408,797 | $414,350 | $449,072 |
| Total assets | $797,461 | $1,056,155 | $1,104,324 | $1,337,391 | $1,101,816 |
| Liabilities | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Payables and accrued expenses | $183,988 | $192,818 | $180,275 | $190,444 | $168,894 |
| Other current liabilities | $33,166 | $69,672 | $74,953 | $139,086 | $201,075 |
| Total current liabilities | $217,154 | $262,490 | $255,228 | $329,530 | $369,969 |
| Debt | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Due to (from) affiliates | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total long-term liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total liabilities | $217,154 | $262,490 | $255,228 | $329,530 | $369,969 |
| Net assets | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Unrestricted | $578,868 | $793,665 | $849,096 | $1,007,861 | $731,847 |
| Temporarily restricted | $1,439 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Permanently restricted | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Net assets | $580,307 | $793,665 | $849,096 | $1,007,861 | $731,847 |
| Revenues and expenses | |||||
| Revenue | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Total contributions | $2,023,164 | $2,045,371 | $1,832,643 | $2,024,278 | $1,786,732 |
| Program service revenue | $164,555 | $240,182 | $177,836 | $259,770 | $291,491 |
| Membership dues | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Investment income | $6,243 | ($675) | $1,574 | $5,656 | $3,097 |
| Other revenue | $4,868 | $18,184 | $15,084 | $12,400 | $9,217 |
| Total other revenue | $175,666 | $257,691 | $194,494 | $277,826 | $303,805 |
| Total revenue | $2,198,830 | $2,303,062 | $2,027,137 | $2,302,104 | $2,090,537 |
| Expenses | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Program services | $1,880,608 | $1,848,392 | $1,717,323 | $1,575,292 | $1,413,371 |
| Management and general | $373,231 | $359,877 | $323,295 | $321,213 | $316,035 |
| Fundraising | $158,349 | $150,224 | $145,284 | $129,585 | $118,618 |
| Total expenses | $2,412,188 | $2,358,493 | $2,185,902 | $2,026,090 | $1,848,024 |
| Change in net assets | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
| Surplus (deficit) | ($213,358) | ($55,431) | ($158,765) | $276,014 | $242,513 |
| Other changes in net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total change in net assets | ($213,358) | ($55,431) | ($158,765) | $276,014 | $242,513 |
Response from ministry
No response has been provided by this ministry.
History
Program accomplishments
Since its inception, Touching Lives has been committed to sharing the hope and encouragement of Jesus Christ with a world that desperately needs to hear it. We have used every available technology to promote and distribute our ministry materials including radio, television, print, web and social media. Touching Lives currently airs on the three largest Christian broadcasting networks (TBN, Daystar and The Church Channel.) Our greatly expanded website garners world-wide interactivity and resource distribution. We have placed all broadcasts on our individual YouTube and Vimeo channels, as well as securing our own channel on Roku and Apple TV. Our greatly expanded social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) now reach millions yearly with inspirational and programming content. Each broadcast has now been formatted to be seen on virtually any personal mobile device anywhere in the world with our expanded iPhone and Android apps.
Needs
Touching Lives is totally dependent on the prayers and faithful financial support of those who believe in this ministry.