Middle East (HCJB/MNN) — Recent research shows HCJB Global,
an international media and healthcare ministry, is now reaching more than 1
million Arab households weekly across the North Africa/Middle East region via
radio broadcasts through its strategic media outreach. The research was
conducted by Intermedia (www.intermedia.org), an international media research
organization.
"The households in the Arab world have many challenges. They are searching for
a message of hope and love, and that is our focus as we reach out," said HCJB
Global President Wayne Pederson.
HCJB Global's media strategy in the region has a two-pronged approach. First,
it's engaging households that listen to broadcasts together.
"Our media ministry in the Arab world primarily is to serve people on their
journey to faith," said HCJB Global's regional director. "Programs are
structured so we don't offend anyone in the family–so they will not close the
channel. Our desire is to keep the channel open. And we are designing
programming with the entire household in mind."
Second, programs are produced by trained local believers who could face great
persecution. These local broadcasters can now tell their neighbors about the hope
they have found, when previously they could not do so.
HCJB Global recently announced its "Me and My Household" initiative based on
the Arab world research. The campaign centers on the Bible verse, "But as for
me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15, NIV). The ministry
is offering a free prayer e-card at www.hcjbglobal.org/myprayer, which
Christians can use to encourage their family and friends to serve God and pray
for the unsaved families of the world.
HCJB Global also is sponsoring a nationwide contest in April that allows
Christians to submit outreach projects based on the ministry's commitment to
declare and demonstrate Jesus to others. Contest winners will receive cash
prizes to complete the project they submitted.
In addition, the ministry will be challenging households across the U.S. and
the world to pray for unreached households and to give $1 to reach one
household in the Arab world for one year.
The Arab world consists of 19 countries and nearly 300 million people. Although
Christian radio stations are illegal in most nations in the region, residents
can still hear the gospel through HCJB Global's shortwave, satellite and
Internet radio broadcasts.
Illiteracy rates can be high, especially among women, making radio an
effective tool for both evangelism and discipleship. The recent study reveals
that programming focused on local needs and a message of hope is seeing a great
response, with 71,000 households listening in Algeria and 72,000 households
listening in Saudi Arabia alone.
"There is evidence that this generation of people in the Arab world is more open to
Christ due to the compassion many have experienced through Christian agencies
as refugees or during famines or natural disasters," said Pederson. "As we
receive responses from listeners, we have found many listeners discover what
they are searching for."
