Resource Ideas from World Mission Broadcast

The young man’s father was a priest of another world religion, and it was expected that the young man would follow in his father’s footsteps. However, as a teenager, the young man heard the Gospel for the very first time…on the radio. Writing the radio station, he asked for a Bible. For the next three years, he secretly read through the entire Bible several times.
 
At the end of those years, the young man committed his life to Christ. For several years, he worshipped God, not knowing another Christian in his country. The radio broadcasts encouraged him.
 
Finally the young man met a Christian, and they started a house church. As the church’s membership climbed into the teens, things seemed to be going well. However, they were betrayed, and all but two of the members were killed. The young man escaped the country with his life.
 
A few years later the young man was able to attend a Nazarene school. He now ministers to people with whom he shares a background. The house church that was betrayed and survived with only two members has now grown to more than 50 house churches. They recently celebrated their first district assembly.
 
World Mission Broadcast—because it changes our world.
 
Based on a True Story
 
 
World Mission Broadcast Partners
With WordAction to Launch New Media
 
In support of the mission of the Church of the Nazarene to “make Christlike disciples in the nations,” World Mission Broadcast (WMB) has partnered with WordAction Publishing Company to deliver the Reflecting God devotional series in a new media format. Launched in mid-May at ReflectingGod.com, the new ministry is an online community for people who are on a desperate pursuit to embrace holy living.
 
The new media format compliments the quarterly published devotional Reflecting God from WordAction, by providing a podcast and the possibility of interactive discussion. Utilizing social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, the devotional will be shared virally.
 
Not since the discontinuation of the Showers of Blessings radio program in the 1980s has the Church of the Nazarene produced an ongoing media resource. “We have a totally new media landscape,” says Brian Utter, WMB global coordinator. “It’s not about mass media, but rather micro media. We must deliver directly to the consumer using the Internet and social media.”
 
The 60-second daily podcast will also be promoted to Christian radio stations in the United States and Canada this summer. “This is a tremendous resource for local churches to download and use on local media outlets in their community,” says Utter.
 
ReflectingGod.com is a part of a global discipleship media initiative WMB is launching this year. Plans to produce Reflecting God in multiple languages around the world are in place. “We anticipate adding Spanish, Portuguese, and French this year,” says Utter.
 
Producing media since 1951, WMB goes beyond borders and barriers to shine the light of Jesus in the dark corners of our world. Broadcasting through television, radio, and the Internet, WMB reaches even the remotest parts of the world with programming in 32 languages to 74 countries. With words of hope and holiness, lives are being changed.
 
For more information, contact World Mission Broadcast at wmb@nazarene.org or
913-577-2930.
 
World Mission Broadcast
 
 
An Arresting WMB Idea 
 
A month before the World Mission Broadcast (WMB) offering, place radios around the sanctuary with the monetary goal and the date of the offering.
 
Determine if the pastor is comfortable with  the following idea, and ask for the pastor’s preference of what is to be done after the “arrest.”
 
On the day of the offering, two people dressed as police officers or military police enter the church just as the pastor is beginning the morning’s sermon. One of them announces that they are arresting the pastor for preaching about God. (This part should be kept secret, for the shock effect on the congregation.) The NMI president (or someone else appointed) carries on a whispered conversation with the police, then goes to the pulpit to announce the “fine” needed (the church’s WMB goal) to have the pastor released from prison. Receive the offering at this time and have it counted during the remainder of the service.
 
The pastor could pre-record the sermon for the day and have it played over the public address system, after a person carries one of the radios to the front and acts like it is being turned on and tuned to a station. Or the pastor can have it worked out that someone else could preach the message, acting at first like it was a complete surprise.
 
To close the service: if congregation meets the goal, the pastor re-enters the sanctuary and closes the service in prayer, especially praying for those people who will be touched by the WMB offering. If the goal hasn't been met, the NMI president closes the service with prayer for the goal to be met and also the people in prisons for following Christ.
  
Your Participation Makes a DifferenceSet a radio, a laptop, or a portable television on a small table on the platform as a display, leaving plenty of space for the people listed below to come in and form a tableau as the text is read.
 
A family gathers, turns on the radio/laptop/television, and adjusts the volume. They hear the “announcer” (can be prerecorded or read by someone over the public address system from someplace offstage). The announcer says that it is time to read listeners’ letters. The family should become more and more excited with each report.
 
For the “writers,” you can have separate voices for each of the items or the announcer can read each one.

• “I am a man from India who accepted the Lord as a result of listening to your program. I would like to know more and would like to grow spiritually. Do you have some literature to help me?”
• “I am a woman from Russia and am a new believer who regularly listens to your program. You read from the Bible, and I do not have one. Can you tell me where to get one?”
• “I am a listener who is from an area where there are no Christian churches. Thank you so much for your broadcast! It helps be understand God’s love for me and Jesus’ sacrifice for my sins. Since there aren’t any churches here, your broadcast has become my church.”

 
The announcer begins to read a scripture about God’s love, then suddenly the station goes silent and the family looks surprised. After a brief pause, the announcer says, “This broadcast has been discontinued because of a lack of funds.” The president or pastor stands and says, “Please don’t let this happen with World Mission Broadcast programs. Give generously in the World Mission Broadcast Offering on (date of church’s offering).
 
Margaret Rossiter
Thorold, Ontario
Canada
 

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