When Mike Tobey’s wife, Kathy, was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer, the couple found peace and purpose in an unlikely place – through daily readings about heaven.
That comforting routine would later become the foundation for a global ministry that has reached nearly every nation on earth.
“Kathy was the closest person to Jesus I’ve ever known in my almost 50 years of walking with the Lord,” Mike said. “After she was diagnosed, a friend gave us a copy of Randy Alcorn’s book ‘Heaven,’ and I started reading it to her once or twice a day.”
As they learned more about the place they knew she would soon be going, the couple found joy, reassurance, and a deep sense of hope. What began as a coping mechanism soon sparked a lifelong calling.
“She passed away a little over eight months after her diagnosis,” Mike said. “But that time we spent talking about heaven and dreaming about it together changed everything. It gave us both peace, and it inspired me to keep learning even after she was gone.”
Today, Mike is known as “The Heaven Guy,” and he founded a nonprofit ministry dedicated to helping people explore what the Bible says about heaven and what it means for them.
A heavenly promise
Two weeks before Kathy passed, Mike had the presence of mind to hit record on his phone and capture a short conversation with his wife as she lay in her hospital bed.
“I asked her, ‘If the Lord takes you home, what do you want me to do?’” Mike recalled. “Without hesitation, she said, ‘Michael, I want you to do everything possible to bring as many as you can to heaven.’”
It was a commission Mike took to heart. Fourteen months later, while revisiting the recording, he was struck by the clarity of Kathy’s voice and the conviction in her words.
“It was like she handed me a mission,” he said. “I didn’t know what it would look like yet, but I knew I had to do something.”
So he returned to Alcorn’s book and began devouring more content. Over time, his personal library grew to include more than 90 books on heaven. Some were academic in nature, while others were based on personal experiences.
“There are two types of heaven books,” Mike explained. “You’ve got your academic books, like those by Billy Graham, C.S. Lewis, and David Jeremiah, which are full of scripture and theological insight. And then there are the experiential ones, or stories from people who clinically died and claim to have seen or visited heaven. I don’t believe everything I read, of course, but they all make you think beyond this world.”
From study to outreach
As Mike deepened his understanding, he began sharing short posts about heaven on Facebook. To his surprise, the response was overwhelming.
“I remember saying to Kathy back then, ‘People want to know about heaven!’” he said. “The posts were getting three times the engagement I normally saw.”
After her death, Mike kept writing. Eventually, those reflections became longer articles and then a full-fledged blog called “The Heaven Series,” which is now one of the most visited sections of his website, which can be found at www.theheavenguy.org.
“I pulled together 20 of the most-read articles. They were on topics like ‘Will there be pets in heaven?’ or ‘Why we don’t need to fear death,’” he said. “Tens of thousands of people have read those. They stir real conversations at the dinner table.”
To extend the reach of his message, Mike and a team of collaborators created a six-minute gospel presentation video, then embedded it into a QR code printed on eye-catching plastic Heaven Cards. They are wallet-sized tools designed to spark curiosity and initiate spiritual dialogue.
“We’ve produced over 186,000 Heaven Cards so far,” he said. “Each has a different design, a verse on the back, and a QR code that takes the user to the gospel message on our website.”
Those cards are now being shared around the world. According to Google Analytics, more than 11,000 people have made decisions for Christ through The Heaven Guy ministry. Visitors have come from 198 countries and territories – just a handful shy of every nation on earth.
“Sometimes I wake up and realize that while I was sleeping, someone in Belgium or Brazil found Jesus,” Mike said. “That never gets old.”
Reimagining evangelism
What sets Mike’s ministry apart is how seamlessly it blends biblical truth with digital innovation.
A new initiative, the Heaven Ambassador Program, allows individuals or churches to “adopt” an entire country for $5,000. The funds are used to create 5,000 custom Heaven Cards featuring the country’s imagery, a landing page in the native language, and an auto-translated gospel video tailored to local culture.
“It’s not even on the website yet, but already 10 countries have been adopted,” Mike said. “The goal is to get these cards into every nation, in every major language, with monthly reports showing how many people came to Christ. And the best part? The eternal reward of meeting someone in heaven who got there because of you.”
He’s also working on AI-powered videos that auto-detect a user’s device language settings or offer a dropdown menu to play the salvation message in their preferred tongue. Each of the six characters in the video represents different ages, ethnicities and regions of the world, which makes the gospel more personal and accessible.
“It’s like YouVersion meets Pixar,” Mike said. “You can’t even tell it’s AI. When someone in China scans the card, they’ll see and hear these same characters presenting the gospel in flawless Mandarin Chinese.”
A generational mission
Mike isn’t just focused on adults. He’s already piloting a program for teens, with Heaven Cards that address common adolescent questions like “Who am I?” and “Am I loved?”
“Each card has a video response from a teenager answering that question directly,” Mike said. “When a young person scans the card, they see someone their age saying, ‘Even though we’ve never met, I want you to know you are loved.’ That kind of personal touch is powerful.”
A children’s initiative, The Heaven Kids, is also in development. The fully animated series will feature eight episodes per season and aim to bring the hope of heaven to even the youngest audiences.
“We had to delay it for about a year to focus on the Ambassador Program,” Mike said. “But it’s coming and we’re excited.”
Making heaven real
To Mike, the biggest misconception people have about heaven is that it’s boring. He believes it’s the enemy’s greatest lie.
“People think we’ll be floating on clouds and wearing white robes while playing harps forever,” he said. “But heaven will be anything but boring. It’s our inheritance. If this fallen, cursed version of earth is beautiful, imagine what God has in store for us in the next version.”
He pointed to scripture, particularly Colossians 3:2, where Paul encourages believers to “set their minds on things above.”
“I tell people all the time: the guy who wrote that had been to heaven and back,” Mike said. “Yet I can’t remember ever hearing a pastor mention that while quoting the epistles. We just don’t talk about heaven enough.”
His hope is that more believers will start doing exactly that.
“If you asked me what I want people to take away from this story,” Mike said, “I’d say this: I hope they become more heaven-minded. I hope they study it, talk about it, anticipate it – and invite others to join them.”
A mission worth sharing
To learn more, people can visit www.theheavenguy.org, where they’ll find dozens of free resources, including the Heaven Series, discipleship tools, scripture memory guides, and training on how to share the gospel without intimidation.
“It’s like a little Disney World for heaven,” Mike said with a smile. “There’s something for everyone.”
He also encourages anyone with questions to reach out directly via email at mike @ theheavenguy.org.
“I answer every message,” he said. “This isn’t just my mission – it is Kathy’s legacy – and the calling God has placed on my life.”
For more information
People can connect with Mike in a variety of ways, including:
- Website = www.theheavenguy.org
- Email = mike @ theheavenguy.org
- Facebook = www.facebook.com/groups/693984481787591
- YouTube = www.youtube.com/@theheavenguy3238
If you order Randy Alcorn’s book, “Heaven,” from a link above, Forward From 50 may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.