Radio Ministry Brings Hope to a Needy World

Cambodian children with food distributed during a visit.

Indonesian women gathering to listen to a programme.

Megavoice units which are distributed to oral communities so that they can hear the Gospel in their own language. (Photos courtesy of TWR-Asia)

Saturday, Jun. 18, 2011
Edmond Chua
The Christian Post

For those who care to see it, the world is full of needs.

Radio ministry TWR does not merely see those needs.

It plays an active role in bringing God's answer to the needy around the world.

One of the groups TWR reaches out to is oral communicators.

Oral learners comprise some two-thirds of the world's population.

In that context, TWR-Asia brings the Bible and the Gospel to oral learners in a language they can understand.

Understanding the worldview of its listeners and their approaches to communication and research and design help the organisation develop messages that listeners can relate to.

Another area of need the organisation has been addressing is that of church leadership and development in growing Asian churches.

TWR-Asia's daily programmes provide training and systematic teaching to pastors and lay leaders who would not otherwise have access to them.

The organisation works with local churches where possible to help raise and train new church leaders and strengthen existing ones.

As a case in point, the programmes have helped the pastor of a house church in Vietnam in his church-planting activities. There are currently 800 new believers in his church.

TWR-Asia also develops broadcasts that address basic health and sanitation needs.

The organisation broadcasts a weekly programme in Nepal to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, prevent its spread and share the Gospel of hope.

TWR-Nepal organises Gospel meetings for affected listeners and their families and distributes food and basic necessities to the needy.

Children and orphans of HIV/AIDS affected listeners receive school supplies like books, pencils, and bags. The organisation even helps pay school fees.

TWR-Cambodia visited victims of a November 2010 stampede in the country which claimed the lives of hundreds during a national festival. The team distributed gift packs containing necessities sponsored by donors.

Another way TWR-Asia helps the needy is through disaster relief. Its efforts in this area include airing programmes on disease control and dealing with grief and loss. The teams also help with on-the-ground efforts however they can.

For instance, after the typhoons in the Philippines in 2009, the TWR-Philippines team worked alongside local government agencies and relief organisations to provide food and emergency relief to victims and rescue workers.

With over 1.2 billion people under the age of 18, TWR-Asia reaches out to children and youth in Asia through radio broadcasts, Internet programmes, youth camps and church leadership training.

Programmes for children and youth present Jesus and the Bible as relevant and vital for the age group. This includes magazine-format programmes that discuss topics teens are interested in and children's programmes that appeal to parent and child alike.

The team in the Philippines has helped many young Filipinos in their struggles.

TWR's children's ministry team in Cambodia does not merely produce a programme. It shares Jesus' love to listener groups and churches through visits, puppet shows, songs and small gifts of practical necessities.

Sometimes, the team would teach children basic hygiene practices like washing of hands and the proper way of bathing. During subsequent visits, the team has seen positive change in the lives and habits of the children and villagers.

The team also works with churches on the ground to provide nourishing food for poor children. Local churches have partnered TWR-Cambodia's children's ministry team to reach out to children and young believers in the villagers.

Another area of work with which TWR-Asia is engaged is ministry to women in suffering.

Its flagship programme reaches millions of women worldwide with a message of hope. Using an interpersonal style, broadcasts share practical advice and insight. This helps listeners know they are understood and loved, especially by God.

Listeners pray alongside women worldwide using a monthly prayer calendar.

The organisation also holds literacy and training classes in Nepal to equip women to earn an income to help provide for their families.

'Couples Camps' in China help couples improve their communication, overcome barriers and renew their commitment to one another before God and other believers.