Through the Word Inc
Bible on your screen, Pastor in your headphones.
Through the Word Inc
EIN: 45-2540720
as of November 2023
as of November 13, 2023
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
For the average reader, understanding the Bible is not easy. But with just a little help from a good teacher, it is possible - and powerful. According to Barna research, more than 60% of Americans want to read the Bible more, and they offer two primary reasons why they don't: they don't have time, and they don't understand it. TTW solves both problems, providing clear Bible explanation in just a few minutes each day.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Through the Word App
TTW is a simple daily Bible habit that gives you...
* Audio Guides for Every Chapter
* 18 Epic Journeys Through the Bible
* Your Own Daily Bible Journal
* The Perfect Small Group Study Plan
* The Cure for Lost-in-Leviticus Syndrome
* All Free & All Under 20 Minutes a Day!
Free app for iOS and Android devices
Where we work
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Annual Minutes of Bible Engagement
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Through the Word App
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Bible engagement time includes time listening to Bible guide, time spent reading the Bible chapter, and journaling.
Daily Bible Habits
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Through the Word App
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Daily average users listening to our Bible guides on our app or on YouVersion's Bible app.
Number of Completed YouVersion Reading Plans
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Through the Word App
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Completed Through The Word Bible reading plans on YouVersion's Bible App. Each completion represents 4-28 days of Bible engagement for the listener.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
TTW's mission is simple: equip the world to read the Bible, understand it, apply it, and make it a habit. We provide simple yet powerful tools via web and mobile app that lead users on a journey to understand the entire Bible, one chapter at a time. TTW combines clear, balanced and relatable teaching with direct accessibility. Our purpose is God's calling: to make disciples, equip the saints, and preach the word (Mat. 28:19, Eph. 4:12, 2 Tim 4:2).
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
SOLID TEACHING. Through the Word connects inquisitive readers with excellent teachers. TTW Chapter Audio Guides provide a clear, concise and relatable guide through one Bible chapter in just 5 to 10 minutes. Our goal is to provide outstanding Audio Guides for every chapter in the Bible.
ACCESSIBLE TOOLS. Through the Word creates free, innovative, and simple virtual solutions that allow anyone the opportunity to hear and understand the Word of God. The TTW mobile app and website are intuitive tools for productive daily devotions. We believe that simplicity and accessibility are essentials for tools that readers will actually use.
PRACTICAL GUIDE. Through the Word is not an encyclopedia of study aids to store on a bookshelf or hard drive. Rather, TTW is more like a concise travel guide with a clear plan. Each day, TTW takes four basic steps through one Bible chapter: listen, think, pray, and connect.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Through the Word is a free, innovative mobile app with more than 150,000 daily listeners and a 4.9-star user rating. Pastor Kris Langham leads a team of outstanding Bible teachers and gifted app developers as we create intuitive tools for productive daily devotions. We believe that simplicity and accessibility are essentials for tools that readers will actually use.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
As of mid-2021, the TTW app has been downloaded more than 250,000 times, connecting a diverse community of thousands of Bible readers around the world. Hundreds of 5-star reviews on Facebook and in the app stores tell the stories of readers who struggled for years to understand the Bible, now engaged daily and telling their friends about it. One TTW fan told us, "I went from planning suicide to planning mission trips." We also have plans translated into Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, and Korean, all available free on the YouVersion Bible app.
TTW has produced more than 1200 audio guides, covering every chapter in the Bible, with 55 books of original content and 11 edited from sermons. TTW is working next on topical reading plans, including Recovery TTW for those fighting addiction, the Manhood Talks for young men, and a new Marriage series. We also continue to produce original audio guides through more Bible books, and we will continue to translate our guides in more languages. We thank God for every opportunity to reach the world - through the Word.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
322.00
Months of cash in 2021 info
12.9
Fringe rate in 2021 info
13%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
Through the Word Inc
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
This snapshot of Through the Word Inc’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
Created in partnership with
Business model indicators
Profitability info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $14,565 | $29,209 | $653,584 | $939,190 |
As % of expenses | 6.5% | 8.5% | 133.3% | 105.5% |
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $14,565 | $29,209 | $653,584 | $939,190 |
As % of expenses | 6.5% | 8.5% | 133.3% | 105.5% |
Revenue composition info | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $237,552 | $372,453 | $1,143,883 | $1,829,061 |
Total revenue, % change over prior year | 0.0% | 56.8% | 207.1% | 59.9% |
Program services revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
All other grants and contributions | 100.0% | 100.0% | 99.9% | 99.0% |
Other revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.8% |
Expense composition info | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses before depreciation | $222,987 | $343,244 | $490,299 | $889,871 |
Total expenses, % change over prior year | 0.0% | 53.9% | 42.8% | 81.5% |
Personnel | 55.7% | 62.1% | 70.9% | 78.2% |
Professional fees | 27.3% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.6% |
Occupancy | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
All other expenses | 17.1% | 36.1% | 27.6% | 20.2% |
Full cost components (estimated) info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total expenses (after depreciation) | $222,987 | $343,244 | $490,299 | $889,871 |
One month of savings | $18,582 | $28,604 | $40,858 | $74,156 |
Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $47,011 |
Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $6,075 |
Total full costs (estimated) | $241,569 | $371,848 | $531,157 | $1,017,113 |
Capital structure indicators
Liquidity info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Months of cash | 3.5 | 3.5 | 19.7 | 12.9 |
Months of cash and investments | 3.5 | 3.5 | 19.7 | 22.6 |
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 3.4 | 3.2 | 18.2 | 22.6 |
Balance sheet composition info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cash | $64,268 | $101,094 | $804,395 | $960,006 |
Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $712,469 |
Receivables | $0 | $1,128 | $1,028 | $11,067 |
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $6,075 |
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 2.8% | 10.3% | 7.5% | 0.3% |
Unrestricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Temporarily restricted net assets | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Total restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total net assets | $62,440 | $91,649 | $745,233 | $1,684,423 |
Key data checks
Key data checks info | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Material data errors | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Founder and President
Kris Langham
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
Through the Word Inc
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
Through the Word Inc
Board of directorsas of 02/23/2023
Board of directors data
Kris Langham
Through the Word, Inc.
Term: 2012 - 2023
Peyton Jones
New Breed
Ryan McCarter
Kris Langham
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/16/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.