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MEDIA
ENERGIZES MINISTRY
Each relationship InterComm develops is unique and
special to us. Many people touch us deeply, simply due to
the excitement generated by our initial contact with them.
Thus, a 3-page fax in response to our letter of inquiry,
initiated our relationship with Dr. IN Ezeka of
Johannesburg, South Africa in February 2002. He shared
that he had told Rev.
Donn Anderson, his Haggai Institute Media
Instructor, "If all I had received at my Advanced
Evangelism Training was your course on audiovisual
evangelism (AVangelism), I am fulfilled.
Believe
me, I will never be the same in all areas of my life."
God had already placed a huge desire for evangelism
upon Dr. Ezeka. As pastor of his own congregation, he had
launched out into many countries around Africa and as a
French speaker, been uniquely used of God in the western
Francophone nations.
He shared with us a clear vision of purpose for each
form of media we might provide. Then he shared this true
story.
"I traveled to Nigeria for a self-sponsored open-air
evangelism campaign. We only attracted 30 people in 3 days
to our preaching. With real pain in our hearts, we closed
our program. So I went to visit a dear pastor friend, who,
seeing I was troubled, inquired as to what was wrong.
After explaining my sadness, he went into his home and
brought out a small 8mm home movie projector and gave it
to me, but he had no films. I eventually located 4 silent
films that had nothing to do with the Bible. I thought,
‘People will want sound. What can I do? Can I adapt these
films and win souls for Christ?’ Following much prayer, I
determined to call my program SODOM AND GOMORRAH. I used
an audio cassette to create a narration and added
sound effects and music. With these tools in hand, I
returned to the same location as before and set out
advertising all around. In faith, we rented the biggest
hall and that night in the same town, where by preaching
we had only drawn a crowd of 30, over 1,000 came. Each
night thereafter the crowd grew. We only had 1,500 seats
in the hall, so later in the week we removed the chairs
and completed our week of SODOM AND GOMORRAH with 3,000
standing to watch and then hearing me preach."
Then he shared. "I have examined my life. I have
discovered I am sick. My sickness is that I want to win
souls for Christ. Yet, I lack the audiovisuals necessary
for this work."
A large selection of French and English videos were
quickly sent to get Dr. Ezeka started. The picture with
this article shows Dr. Ezeka sitting center in a suit with
the new evangelism team he has formed, holding up the
video tapes with much joy.
He wrote, "Before you sent these films, our outreaches
were boring. I could hardly raise a team to work with me.
Now new members join the team weekly. Our church and our
ministry owe our growth to InterComm’s help. These
dramatized stories are powerful. The messages remain in
people’s minds."
In his first Media Report, Dr. Ezeka listed 34
showings, to 33,488 people, with 5,212 accepting Christ.
With your help, this ministry began, and with your prayer
and help, we will further equip Dr. Ezeka for a greater
outreach. Don’t delay sending your gift today. We need
your participation now more than ever before.
NEED MORE
TAPES
Rev. Sindile Richard Seku from Pt Edward, South Africa
writes:
"I have been
showing the videos in different area youth camps, and our
team has been invited to pursue evangelism programs in
several schools as well where we have been able to preach
and counsel many people. Some of my helpers have asked if
we can receive some additional video tapes for this work.
Let me assure you that we are still committed to pursue
this ministry, and we are seeing much fruit through this
outreach. The Filmstrips are also having great impact on
young children, because what they see they remember. Many
lives have been changed through this ministry, and the
Lord is greatly blessing."
55 showings to 2,478 people, with 495 accepting Christ.
MAXIMUM BENEFIT
Evangelist Joseph Ngoria Ndiwa of
Eldoret, Kenya writes:
"The media materials package has
reached us safely. First, I give glory to God, and
secondly I would like to thank you and everyone there, who
has been praying for the safe arrival. On behalf of our
evangelism team, we most heartily thank InterComm for
providing our media needs. We are really excited, and we
hope to get started right away. We believe these materials
to be a sacred trust from God from our friends in the USA.
We desire to bring maximum benefit to the Body of Christ
as a whole. We appreciate and thank God for the money
donated to InterComm that has made this gift possible, and
we will keep you informed on how God directs and blesses
us with these tools in our hands."
WILD
ANIMALS
Evangelist Yomah Manasseh En-Mba of
Arua, Uganda writes:
"The media showings are gaining
momentum. People are really coming to these showings, and
it’s exciting to see so many people coming that weren’t
interested in our ministry before. It’s difficult to move
from place to place because we don’t have our own
transportation. Much of our work is out in the bush, where
there are many wild animals that can actually kill. We
need your prayers. Otherwise, the work is going well. God
bless all of you."
41 showings to 2,177 people, 29
accepting Christ.
HEARTBEAT
by Ken Anderson
In
the late spring of 1948, I received a telephone call from
Bob Pierce. He had gone to China the previous summer and
was returning in a few weeks. He asked me to go with him
to assist in the writing and production of a documentary
film. "Most people who know anything about the
situation," he said, "agree it is only a matter of
months until Mao Ze Dong controls all of China."
At this time in my life I was reveling
in sickening spiritual pride. My new novel, SHADOWS UNDER
THE MIDNIGHT SUN, had been reviewed by the Chicago Daily
News. It was selling better than any religious novel at
that time. The prestigious EPA, Evangelical Press
Association, had just awarded me a trophy as the Feature
Article Writer of the Year. I wonder, had I known what a
bleeding nation like China was going to do to me, if I
would have been so willing to go on the trip. Qingdao took
the first measure of my lifestyle and commitment to
Christ. Known as the Pittsburgh of China, Qingdao was a
city of millionaires. I was a guest for a week in the home
of Mr. Jonathan Li, a highly successful exporter, who,
with his wife, spearheaded evangelizing all over the
region. At night, for example, you would see the Lis out
on the street corners, preaching.
Qingdao stood on the Gulf of Bohai,
which opened out to the Yellow Sea. Boats of all sizes
thronged the harbor. Overhead airplanes droned in the sky
- boats and aircraft both heading for Taiwan. People who
could afford a ticket fled to safety. One evening, as the
Lis served me a light supper, I asked, "When are you
people leaving for Taiwan?"
The
2 of them looked at me with flashing eyes!
"How could we leave?" Mrs. Li
Asked. "Our remaining is what validates the sincerity
of our message."
"When we preach these days," Mr. Li explained, people
say, "Oh, yes, Mr. and Mrs. Li want us to become
converts so that we can be among the first to die when the
Communists take over, while Mr. and Mrs. Li live in safety
and luxury in Taipei or perhaps Hong Kong. One day,"
Mr Li continued, "you will return to America and hear
that Qingdao has fallen to Communists. Pray for us then,
with all your heart and soul! When people realize that we
have stayed without any opportunity for us to escape, then
they will know that we are sincere, and we will be able to
win many to our Savior!"
God used my trip to China, and people,
such as the Lis, to change my heart forever towards
evangelizing the world. Although we prayed with fervor, we
never heard from the Lis again. |
