In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good” (Ecc 11:6).
In early 2008, the question was raised as to the possibility of making messages from gospel series and conferences available to the public using the medium of radio broadcasting. The exercise was primarily to communicate the gospel with occasional ministry on Christian living and church truth.
After approaching the local Kitchener/Waterloo radio station here in Ontario concerning a half-hour weekly broadcast, we were interested to hear that the radio manager had actually been saved through connections with an assembly Christian years ago. He was impressed with the content and production of the program, and so the broadcast called Anchorpoint was first aired on March 6, 2008 with a potential listening audience of 500,000 in the Kitchener/Waterloo area.
Over the past six years, the broadcast has expanded from coast to coast in Canada due to the interest and prayerful support of both assemblies and individual believers. There are six major broadcast areas across Canada: the Vancouver Lower Mainland (KARI 550 AM); Southwestern Ontario (CFCO 92.9 FM and 630 AM); Kitchener-Waterloo (FAITH 94.3 FM); Toronto and the GTA (JOY 1250 AM); the Maritimes (CJLU 93.9 FM, 88.3 FM; CITA 105.1 FM, 107.3 FM, 99.1 FM; CIOG 91.3 FM, 92.5 FM); and Newfoundland & Labrador (VOAR 1210 AM which includes 40 repeater stations). This makes up 52 broadcast frequencies and 3 satellite TV audio outputs covering a large segment of the population of Canada. In addition to this, listeners can tune in to the broadcasts “live” on their computers and mobile devices anywhere in the world or download the messages directly from the website.
We are grateful to the many evangelists and teachers who have kindly allowed usage of their recordings in this gospel outreach. The messages are carefully edited to eliminate pauses, repetitions, and other imperfections; screened for personal allusions to ensure privacy protection; and optimized to give the best audio output possible. The format usually follows the pattern of opening theme music, an introduction by the program host (John Sharpe of the Kitchener assembly), the message, and then closing comments and announcements. If time allows, a short selection by recording artist Ruth Hanna is included at the end of the broadcast.
Free CDs and literature are offered each week as well as personal visits made available for those interested. Listeners are directed to the main website (www.anchorpointradio.org) for more information about the gospel, New Testament church truth, the location of gospel halls, their websites and contact information, as well as announcements of special events. They are encouraged to subscribe to the Anchorpoint podcast on RSS feed or iTunes, interact through Facebook and Twitter, and download a free Anchorpoint app.
Anchorpoint Radio has provided our collective assembly testimony a tremendous opportunity to reach a huge listening audience with the good news of the gospel, to increase assembly visibility, and to provide mass advertising of assembly meeting times and special events such as gospel series, children’s programs, and conferences. Unfortunately, many assemblies have not yet availed themselves of this free method of advertising. Please contact us if you would like your assembly activities or events promoted in this way.
While it is difficult to assess the ultimate impact of this medium of gospel outreach, statistics from podcast downloads, website visits, and app usage are quite encouraging. Periodically, we receive email and telephone requests for CDs and literature. One request resulted in a personal home Bible study with a listener; others in personal talks and emails. Some are from Christians who expressed their appreciation for the broadcast or who wanted more information or dialogue on church truth. Some of the responses include the following: 1) “I am writing to you to tell you that I was listening to today’s broadcast and am very touched by your words. May our good Lord continue to use you for His glory.” 2) “I praise God for (the speaker). He isn’t afraid to clearly, and with love, tell the truth that so desperately needs to be said. Thank you a lot, and may God bless you all.” 3) “Today was so special for me when I heard your program on the radio because it related to me so much. Thank you so much, and may God continue to encourage you as you encourage others to go the way of the Lord.” Other listeners were seeking salvation or assurance. For example: “Please help. I have been going through a lot recently and have realized that it is time to let Jesus into my life. I heard your show last night on the radio and it really moved me. I finally feel that the lasting empty void in my heart can be filled by His love.” While these responses are encouraging to hear, we are confident that the vast majority are regular listeners who do not make the effort to communicate their appreciation. Our thanks go out to the speakers whose clear and passionate presentation of the gospel is no doubt speaking to the hearts of so many listeners.
There is never any solicitation for funds on the broadcast. This outreach is solely supported through sponsoring assemblies and personal gifts. The cost per half-hour broadcast ranges from $60/week to $250/week depending on the radio station and its coverage. This does not include website hosting, cloud service, and incidental office fees.
Anyone interested in helping with this ministry, please contact Marvin Derksen (mwderksen@aol.com) or Barbara Derksen (barbaraderksen@rogers.com). There are opportunities for website construction/administration, social media engagement, and audio editing. Some assemblies are promoting this outreach through business cards and posters and by including broadcast information in their literature distribution. Encourage your friends and relatives to tune in to the program.
Mostly, there is the need for active prayer support. This radio ministry has the potential to reach millions of people with the greatest message ever heard. God’s Word will not return unto Him void but will surely accomplish His own particular purposes. We appreciate the prayers of the Lord’s people, that the seed will fall on good ground in the hearts of all who listen and that assemblies will be built up through this outreach effort.
