The Lord has uniquely positioned our ministry to spread hope in some of the world’s darkest corners. Whether you’re a nomad living in the remote hills of Nigeria, or a homebound grandmother in the U.S., we can reach you.
Why Media?
Because you can't quarantine the good news.
That’s how it is for the nomadic shepherds in the high mountain pastures of Central Asia. They live in a remote area tending their flocks, but they have plenty of time to read literature and listen to radio programs. When a TWR team distributed spiritual literature and pre-downloaded MP3 players, these families were happy to receive the devices with the gospel radio programs on them.
“Is it not great to have such a thing when we are up in the mountains with animals all day long?” they said. “In our areas, there is no entertainment besides listening to the radio.”
The good news is able to reach their hearts because media overcame the limited access of these nomadic shepherds. The joy of salvation and eternal life is now available to them because hope knows no barriers.
That's the power of media. TWR is leveraging radio, video and mobile apps for the gospel
because it’s not about the medium
– it’s about the message.
SO, WHY USE MEDIA?...
To Overcome Isolation & Geographical Barriers
To Overcome Religious & Government Restrictions
To Overcome Illiteracy & Poverty
To Offer a Cost-Effective Solution
To Foster Community
In areas where conflicts push people from their traditional homes, radio and mobile phones are virtually the only forms of media that they can easily take with them. When peace comes to war-torn areas, radio facilities are considered so important that they are among the first pieces of infrastructure rebuilt or improved. Media can offer a solution to the loss of hope during times of war and displacement; it can offer real peace and eternal hope through Jesus.
Radio reaches rural populations more effectively than any other medium. Community development projects all over the world depend heavily on radio for disseminating information on health, agriculture and other issues. Even in lightly populated areas, “past where the pavement ends,” radio has a level of penetration that no other medium can match. Programs sharing the love of God can easily become a daily part of life for rural listeners via handheld radios, smartphone apps or programs loaded on SD cards.
During the season of coronavirus and global lockdowns, TWR provides hope. Radio and other mediums can reach people who are feeling isolated and alone during the quarantine. When friends and family members are restricted from visiting each other, media can enter their homes through radio programs, podcasts and social media to offer hope, peace and comfort. You can’t quarantine the good news.
In many parts of the world, the message of the gospel is restricted, Christians are persecuted and foreign missionaries are not allowed inside. Media, however, can travel into these locations.
In regions where the Bible and church gatherings are forbidden or simply unavailable, TWR’s radio programs become the church for believers. People can gather around a radio and receive solid biblical teaching. Those in restrictive countries can also find biblical content online, where they can be anonymous. And the content is in their heart language. People can listen or watch in secret without fear of being caught. Radio broadcasts reach into the most remote areas of countries closed to the gospel. Their listening cannot be traced.
Despite the limited access poverty brings, as Christians, our faith is built on the foundation of the Bible and its Spirit-filled teachings of God and Jesus. With any issue or challenge in life, we are usually encouraged to “read the Word of God.” But what if you don’t know how to read? What if the simple truths of the gospel message are veiled in complex language or examples that just don’t make sense in your culture?
UNESCO reports that there are 750 million adults (15 years and older) in the world who do not read or write. Often illiteracy is linked to poverty. Despite the limited access the poverty brings, people around the world still have access to mobile phones. In many countries, people cannot afford computers; they can only afford a cellphone. All the information they need most is on their phones. From the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere to the war-torn eastern Horn of Africa, people are reading, streaming and listening to content on their phones. Mobile phones have opened the door for media to overcome the barriers of illiteracy and poverty and bring hope.
Most people have access to one form of media or another in their house, whether radio, mobile phone or computer. The cost per minute of a radio broadcast a month is the cheapest form of media and there is no limit on the number of people it can reach. We also have access to free online social media platforms, such as Facebook or its Russian counterpart VK, where we can share audio and video content. Media can cross borders, going where traditional missionaries are not able to go and where printed material is difficult to obtain. In this way, media plays an essential role in reaching the world for Christ.
Using media as a group is not just for entertainment value — in many parts of the world, people use media to fellowship. In fact, most of us are using it these days. It’s part of the reason why media are so effective in spreading the gospel. When a single person has access to the internet or radio, it opens up a world of possibilities for entire communities! In fact, groups of our listeners often gather in homes to listen to our programming together. In many cases, these gatherings are their church. And now in times of lockdown, we can even meet them in their isolation, uniting and sustaining their communities with solid biblical teaching right in their homes.
TWR uses the best tools available in ways that are most effective to share the message of hope – whether it’s traditional radio, the internet, social media, podcasts, programs downloaded on SD cards, or YouTube channels – because there are no borders for his Word. With media, we are meeting people where they are, bringing the gospel to their doorsteps and going into their homes.
